Message December 25, 2018
MESSAGE OF THE BLESSED VIRGIN MARY
December 25 2018
“Dear children! I am carrying to you my Son Jesus who is the King of Peace. He gives you peace and may it not be only for you but, little children, carry it to others in joy and humility. I am with you and am praying for you in this time of grace which God desires to give you. My presence is a sign of love here while I am with you to protect you and lead you towards eternity. Thank you for having responded to my call.”
The First Christmas Apparition in Medjugorje
The following is from the book My Heart Will Triumph by visionary, Mirjana Soldo. This is just a short excerpt of her lengthy account of her first Christmas after the apparitions started in 1981.
As Christmas day wound down for everyone else, I prepared for my apparition, and I was more excited about it than usual. After all, it was Jesus' birthday, and what mother is not filled with joy on her child's birthday? I would get to experience the apparition with the others for the first time in months.
I joined Ivanka, Vicka, Marija, Ivan and little Jakov in the church. After praying together, we all felt Our Lady's presence. She appeared before us in a gleaming, golden dress unlike anything I had ever seen - this style was identical to the gray one she usually wore, but the fabric looked like molten metal. It radiated gold, and Our Lady herself emitted the same lustrous hues.
Describing her dress as "golden" hardly defines it, though. There are no human words that can convey the beauty of such a color. Even the word "color" is inadequate, unless a color can be alive, and infused with emotion. I can say that my couch, for example, is a beige color, and in earthly terms I would be correct. The "color" of her dress, however, is almost like light - but an ethereal sort of light that bends, flows, and undulates according to Our Lady's movements and the feeling she wishes to convey.
Our Lady's arms were folded across the front of her dress, which seemed peculiar until I realized she was holding an infant, just like the first time we saw her. She hadn't come again with an infant until now. I yearned for a closer look, but something prevented me from seeing the baby's face. "Love one another, my children," Our Lady said with a warm smile. "You are brothers and sisters."
December 25, 2018 - Annual apparition to Jakov
At the last daily apparition to Jakov Colo on September 12th, 1998, Our Lady told him that henceforth he would have one apparition a year, every December 25th, on Christmas Day. This is also how it was this year. The apparition began at 1:38 pm and lasted 9 minutes. Our Lady came with little Jesus in her arms. Through Jakov, Our Lady gave the following message:
"Dear children, on this day of grace, I am calling you to love. Little children, God loves you immeasurably and that is why, little children, full of trust and without looking back and without fear, completely surrender your hearts to Him so that God may fill them with His love. Do not be afraid to believe in His love and mercy, because His love is stronger than every one of your weaknesses and fears. Therefore, my children, full of love in your hearts, trust in Jesus and say your 'yes' to Him, because He is the only way which leads you to the Eternal Father."
Questions and Answers with Mirjana
Q from a young priest: My question has to do with the virtue of hope. Today there are a lot of people who are living in a lot of discouragement, a lack of hope because of the way things are going in the world and perhaps in their homes. You are someone who knows that heaven exists, you have these meetings with Our Lady, and so what is your experience of hope?
A from Mirjana: Father, I think that the answer is simple. I always have my God, my Jesus, next to me, in my prayer, in my fasting. And who can do to me anything, what can happen to me when my Jesus is with me? I only think like this. I start my day with a prayer, and I always say, "No matter what happens to me today, you stay next to me and I can take everything." I think those who have faith, who really know the love of God don't have to be afraid of anything. This reminds me ... before the apparitions started when I was a little girl in Sarajevo, before the apparitions, I was going to the best school in Sarajevo. But when they discovered I was a visionary, they expelled me immediately out of the school. And they put me in another school where all the problem students from Sarajevo, who were my age were going. There were drugs, alcohol, everything ... and me with them. And the police would sometimes come in the school to take me. When my friends from the class saw the police they would run away immediately. And when I would return to school, they would ask me, "How are you smiling? We know how the police work. We know how it is with them. But you are always with a smile." And I told them, "I have my Jesus with me." And they would ask me, "Who is this mister?" And I had to explain to them, because they didn't know who Jesus is. So I told them everything about Blessed Mary, about Jesus ... because this is important. Our example and our smile...if we don't have hope, who can have hope? I spoke with a man from Italy and he told me, "I was a believer, going to church and everything, but God took my wife. I don't want this God anymore." I said to him, "I am so sorry, but I must tell you, you must never have been a believer. You don't know what it means to know the love of God. The symbol of your faith is the cross. And if you say that you believe in God and that you love God and God gives His cross to you, you will not say "no". You will say "thank you" because you see that God will help you, and you will pray that God does not leave you alone, but you won't say, 'I don't want this God.''
December 2, 2018 - Apparitions to Mirjana
"Dear children! When you come to me, as to a mother, with a pure and open heart, know that I am listening to you, encouraging you, consoling you and, above all, interceding for you with my Son. I know that you desire to have a strong faith and to express it in the right way. What my Son asks of you is to have a sincere, strong and deep faith - then every way in which you express it is proper. Faith is a most wonderful mystery which is kept in the heart. It is between the Heavenly Father and all of His children; it is recognized by the fruits and by the love which one has towards all of God's creatures. Apostles of my love, my children, have trust in my Son. Help all of my children to come to know His love. You are my hope - you who strive to sincerely love my Son. In the name of love, for your salvation, according to the will of the Heavenly Father and through my Son, I am here among you. Apostles of my love, along with prayer and sacrifice, may your hearts be illuminated with the love and the light of my Son. May that light and love illuminate all those whom you meet and bring them back to my Son. I am with you.
In a special way, I am alongside your shepherds. With my motherly love, I illuminate and encourage them that, with the hands blessed by my Son, they may bless the entire world. Thank you.”
The Indispensable Gifts of Women
Pope St. John Paul II’s Apostolic letter on the "The Dignity and Vocation of Women" continues to be a beacon to which an authentic feminism can turn for powerful insights and inspiration.
St. John Paul II affirmed that "God Entrusts the Human Being to the Woman". His ground breaking letter notes that 'women have a multitude of gifts without which humanity would lose its moorings.' A society without women who know, live and share their 'feminine genius' - their ability to protect and nurture authentic human values - that society becomes less human. He points out that woman are especially gifted in attending to the most vulnerable in society.
Excerpts from Columbia Magazine (K. of C.) Dec. 2013
"No one will ever convince teenagers by argument that they should know God and their souls. But let them go out and love their poor, the great unwashed, the sick, and they will find God and their souls." Bishop Fulton J Sheen
Note: A great model for serving the most vulnerable in our society is our newly appointed Supreme Justice Brett Kavanaugh who has worked in soup kitchens on a regular basis for years and years. St. Mother Teresa of Calcutta, Dorothy Day, Mother Angelica and Blessed Bishop Sheen have all served the poor and are on that 'highway to the stars, Heaven'.
The Unsinkable Church
"Every now and then the very life seems to have gone out of the church, she is pallid with death, her blood seems to have been sapped out of her; her enemies seal the tomb, roll a stone in front of her grave, and say, "The church will never rise again!" But somehow or another she proves them wrong, she does rise again."
Bishop Blessed Fulton J Sheen
The Church
When we look at The Church we see scandal, vice, corruption, sexual abuse, human error. When satan looks at The Church overtime, century after century, he sees a highway to the stars, heaven. A highway filled with holy people from age to age: Martyrs, Saints and Holy Family's from every race and color.
Satan Trembles and Weeps
Adapted by: C. S. Lewis
"Thou Art Peter and Upon This Rock I will Build My Church and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it …"
Blessed Bishop Fulton J. Sheen quotes from an excellent book: Think Right, Live Well. Daily Reflections with Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen by Bert Ghezzi. ISBN: 978-1-61278-872-2.
Bethany Retreat Center: The heart of Young People Who Care Ministries is located in Frenchville, PA 16836, P.O. Box 129. Phone # 814-263-4855. Web: ypwcministries.org.
This is truly a Christian outreach to the poor. Many volunteers come by way of youth & adult retreats / permanent and temporary volunteers.
Happy New Year 2019
To hear Our Lady's Message, very early, by phone, call 1-814-787-5683 (LOVE). Usually the 26th of each month. Prayer requests received at this number are given to the visionary, Vicka, so that she may offer them to Our Lady. Prayer petitions can also be handwritten and sent in a sealed envelope to: The Holy Family, Inc., P. O. Box 442, St. Marys, PA 15857-0442. They are forwarded to Vicka who presents them to Our Lady.