Message Nov/Dec 2015

Message Of The Blessed Virgin Mary

November-December 2015

November 25, 2015--"Dear children! Today I am calling all of you: pray for my intentions. Peace is in danger, therefore, little children, pray and be carriers of peace and hope in this restless world where Satan is attacking and tempting in every way. Little children be firm In prayer and courageous in faith. I am with you and intercede before my Son Jesus for all of you. Thank you for having responded to my call." 11/25/2015.

The Sacred Scripture of the Poor

By

Father John Henaghan

MARY, OUR MOTHER

The incarnation brought us the man, Christ Jesus, and Mary, his mother. Jesus came to win back a world that had gone astray. For that purpose he laid siege to the citadel of man's heart. He appeared before us as a child in his mother's arms, and as a boy growing up by her side. In his dying hour, we find that mother standing by the cross to which her son was nailed. No honest, sincere, human heart can resist such an appeal or fail to be caught up in the impetuosity of such a love. Laws only bring about an outward reform; they do not touch the heart of man or change his nature. Christ achieved a victory, not so much by a renovation of man's intellect, as by an appeal to the heart, to those hidden sympathies that lie deeper than all arguments; and therefore along with himself he gave us his mother to soften the message of Calvary. Mary is, after Jesus, God's greatest instrument in winning back the truant heart of man.

She is part of the mystery of the incarnation. The true God of true God is her son. This doctrine keeps us from dreaming and drifting into vagueness about Our Lord: his features become clear and, real when we know him as Mary's son. Those who today reject the son began their infidelity by scoffing at the mother. The Church has realized--as has Satan too--that she is essential to emphasize the full humanity and kindliness of God Our Saviour. She is the tower to be taken, the tower of ivory the house of gold for whom men do battle--and around her is the armour of valiant men. No human words or musie could express what must have been her trembling joy when Jesus on her knees, in his child's way, first called her mother. Millions of Catholics bow in loyalty before her, but it is all as naught in comparison with the service and honours he gave in a little house in Nazareth. Between them there flowed a continual stream of love and understanding, so that no two souls were ever more closely knit--one mind, one will, one heart, one agony of desire for the souls of men. With us, human and sympathy repair the hurts and injuries of life. Many a poor man, misunderstood, contemned, inept, a butt for his companions, gains strength to endure because he knows there is waiting for him across the threshold of his home a love that understands him and crowns him. And in some such human way too was Jesus often consoled by Mary's love, when he was rejected, suspected and laughed at by men, for he knew that he should always find her faithful and true, that there was one soul on earth of whom he could be always sure. What is Our Lady's place before heaven and earth? Next to the human nature of Christ she is the most perfect work of God--his masterpiece. To help us in our prayers, to confirm our hope, it is well that we see this truth plainly. No creature, not even the greatest of the angelic spirits before the throne of God, is equal in grandeur and sanctity to her whom we fondly call our mother, who was one of us, one of our flesh and blood. She was in the secret of God, and stood in the full blaze of divinity; the wonder is that any human soul could endure the splendours that beat down upon her. She had the fullest vision of the holiness and majesty of God that a created soul could have, and yet she walked this earth hidden and unknown with her tremendous knowledge buried in her heart. On peaks of honour where angels had stumbled and fallen, amid intimacies closer than those of angels, she walked with ease, by reason of her superb humility.

"When Jesus . . . . had seen his mother and the disciple standing whom he loved, he saith to his mother: Woman, behold thy Son. After that he saith to the disciple: Behold thy mother." In the darkening gloom of Calvary, when his body and soul were racked with pain, Christ gave his own mother to be our mother--mother of sinners, mother of outcasts, the joy of the world. Men need that touch of a mother: that sympathy that will understand, that pity that will make excuses, that love that will not abandon, that mother-instinct that is alive to the individual needs of every child. Mary mothers the world, her mother's eyes levelling all ranks and human distinctions. She stands for all that we mean by the word home--love, refuge, retreat, sanctuary, pity, understanding. It is a Catholic instinct to look up to her; to love her as our mother is a test of the faith. As we grow older, we can have no greater refuge against the gathering sorrows of the years than a tender loving trust in Mary. She is the mother of the pitying heart, for there is not a pang that the human heart endures that she has not also suffered. Step by step she followed Jesus up the hill of sacrifice to the foot of the cross. Therefore she is today the comforter of the afflicted, the consolation of those who have seen all their love torn up by the roots. She is the stay of the old who have nothing to lean upon; she is the comfort of mothers who have lost their joy; the solace of men who have no reason for living on. She understands absolute loneliness. She knows the solitary ones, the destitute. At her name the sinner lying in the deepest pit can lift his head in confidence knowing that he shall find pity within that heart. Amid the mysteries of life, against the darkness of our own nature, she holds us by the hand. Spotless and innocent among the ruins of a fallen world, her office is to save, to help, to inspire, to bring all within reach of the healing touch of her son. She is our friend in court. Until we realize her power, her influence, we have not realized all that Jesus meant when he said from the cross: "Behold thy mother."

Fr. Henaghan was martyred by the Japanese at the end of WWII, 1945 with three fellow priests

Latest Medjugorje Message, December 25, 2016

"Dear children! Also today I am carrying my Son Jesus to you and from this embrace I am giving you His peace and a longing for Heaven. I am praying with you for peace and am calling you to be peace. I am blessing all of you with my motherly blessing of peace. Thank you for having responded to my call. " 

Latest Medjugorje Message, December 2. 2015 - Apparitions to Mirjana

"Dear children, I am always with you because my Son entrusted you to me. And you, my children, you need me, you are seeking me, you are coming to me and you are bringing joy to my motherly heart. I have, and always will have, love for you; for you who suffer and who offer your pains and sufferings to my Son and to me. My love seeks the love of all of my children, and my children seek my love. Through love, Jesus seeks unity between Heaven and earth; between the Heavenly Father and you, my children -- His Church. Therefore, it is necessary to pray much, to pray and love the Church to which you belong. Now, the Church is suffering and needs apostles who by loving unity, by witnessing and giving, show the ways of God. The Church needs apostles who by living the Eucharist with the heart do great works; it needs you, my apostles of love. My children, from the very beginning the Church was persecuted and betrayed, but day by day it grew. It is indestructible because my Son gave it a heart - the Eucharist, and the light of His resurrection shone and will continue to shine upon it. Therefore, do not be afraid. Pray for your shepherds that they may have the strength and the love to be bridges of salvation. Thank you."  

A Gift To Young People--Pope Francis' speech to young people of Uganda Omukama mulungi! (God is Good!) obudde bwonna! (forever and ever!)

Dear Young Friends,

I am happy to be here and to share these moments with you.  I greet my brother bishops and the civil authorities present, and I thank Bishop Paul Ssemogerere for his words of welcome. The testimonies of Winnie and Emmanuel confirm my impression that the Church in Uganda is alive with your people who want a better future.  Today, if you will allow me, I want to confirm you in your faith, encourage you in your love, and in a special way, strengthen you in your hope.

Christian hope is not simply optimism; it is much more. It is rooted in the new life we have received in Jesus Christ. St. Paul tells us that hope will not disappoint us, because God's love was poured into our hearts by the Holy Spirit at our baptism (cf. Rom 5:5). This hope enables us to trust in Christ's promises, to trust in the power of his love, his forgiveness, his friendship. That love opens the door to a new life. Whenever you experience a problem, a setback, a failure, you must anchor your heart in that love, for it has the power to turn death into life and to banish every evil.

So this afternoon I would invite you, first of all, to pray for this gift to grow within you, and for the grace to become messengers of hope. There are so many people around us who experience deep anxiety and even despair.  Jesus lifts these clouds, if you allow him to.

I would also like to share with you a few thoughts about some of the obstacles which you may encounter on your journey of hope. All of you want a better future, employment, health and prosperity. This is good. You want to share your gifts, your aspirations and your enthusiasm with others, for the good of the nation and of the Church.  This too is very good.  But when you see poverty, when you experience a lack of opportunity, when you experience failure in your lives, sometimes a feeling of despair can grow.  You can be tempted to lose hope.

Have you ever seen a little child who stops in front of a dirty puddle on the path ahead of him? A puddle he cannot leap over or go around? He may try but then he stumbles and gets soaked.  Then, after many attempts, he calls out to his father, who takes his hand and swings him to the other side.  Life presents us with many dirty puddles. But we don't have to overcome all those problems and hurdles on our own.  God is there to take our hand, if only we call on him.

What I am saying is that all of us have to be like that little child, even the Pope!  For it is only when we are small and humble that we are not afraid to call out to our Father.  If you have experienced his help, you know what I am speaking about. We need to learn to put our hope in him, knowing that he is always there for us. He gives us confidence and courage.  But--and this is important--it would be wrong not to share this beautiful experience with others.  It would be wrong for us not to become messengers of hopefor others.

There is one particular puddle which can be frightening to young people who want to grow in their friendship with Christ. It is the fear of failing in our commitment to love, and above all, failing in that great and lofty ideal which is Christian marriage. You may be afraid of failing to be a good wife and mother, failing to be a good husband and father. If you are looking at that puddle, you may even see your weaknesses, and fears reflected back to you. Please, don't give in to them!  Sometimes these fears come from the devil who does not want you to be happy.  NO!  Call out to God, extend your hearts to him and he will lift you in his arms and show you how to love. I ask young couples in particular to trust that God wants to bless their love and their lives with his grace in the sacrament of marriage.  God's gift of love is at the heart of Christian marriage, not the costly parties which often obscure the deep spiritual meaning of this day of joyful celebration with family and friends.

Finally, one puddle that we all have to face is the fear of being different, of going against the grain in society which puts increasing pressure on us to embrace models of gratification and consumption alien to the deepest values of African culture. Think about it! What would the Uganda martyrs say about the misuse of our modern means of communication, where young people are exposed to images and distorted views of sexuality that degrade human dignity, leading to sadness and emptiness?  What would be the Uganda martyrs' reaction to the growth of greed and corruption in our midst?  Surely they would appeal to you to be model Christians, confident that your love of Christ, your fidelity to the Gospel, and your wise use of your God-given gifts can only enrich, purify and elevate the life of this country. They continue to show you the way.  Do not be afraid to let the light of your fatih shine in your families, your schools and your places of work.  Do not be afraid to enter into dialogue humbly with others who may see things differently.

Dear young friends, when I look at your faces I am filled with hope: hope for you, hope for your country, and hope for the Church. I ask you to pray that the hope which you have received from the Holy Spirit will continue to inspire your efforts to grow in wisdom, generosity and goodness. Don't forget to be messengers of that hope! And don't forget that God will help you to cross whatever puddles you meet along the way!

Hope in Christ and he will enable you to find true happiness.  And if you find it hard to pray, if you find it hard to hope, do not be afraid to turn to Mary, for she is our Mother, the Mother of Hope. Finally, please do not forget to pray for me!  God bless you all!

"The Eucharist is a priceless treasure by not only celebrating it but also by praying before it outside of Mass we are enable to make contact with the very wellspring of grace."  Pope St. John Paul II

"We have come to do him homage."  Those words spoken by the Magi from the east as they searched for the infant Jesus, resound through the centuries to be echoed in the heart of every person who makes a visit to the Blessed Sacrament. The presence of Our Lord in the Blessed Sacrament is as real today as the infant Jesus was to the Wise Men who sought Him by following a star rising in the East.  As Pope John Paul II affirms in his encyclical on the relationship of the Eucharist to the Church, "...the gaze of the Church in constantly turned to her Lord, present in the Sacrament of the Altar, in which she discovers the full manifestation of his boundless love."  (The Church and the Eucharist, I)

What is Eucharistic Adoration?

Eucharistic adoration is the act of worshiping God as He is present in the consecrated Eucharist. Since the Last Supper when Jesus broke the bread and distributed the wine, saying, "This is my Body" and "This is my Blood", Catholics have believed that the bread and wine are no longer merely baked wheat and fermented grape juice, but the actual living presence of the Second Person of the trinity, spending time before the Blessed Sacrament, in prayer and devotion, is exactly the same as spending time before the living God. Adoration occurs whenever someone kneels in front of a tabernacle that contains the Blessed Sacrament genuflects toward a tabernacle, bows before receiving the Blessed Sacrament at Mass, or, in a more focused way, when the Blessed Sacrament is exposed for adoration.

Jesus revealed God as a communion of divine Persons--the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. He invited His followers to be a part of that communion. He told them:  "I will not leave you desolate; I will come to you. Yet a little while, and the world will see me; because I live, you will live also. In that day you will know that I am in my Father, and you in me, and I in you." (Jn. 14: 18-20).

Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament

The devotion begins with exposition of the Blessed Sacrament. A priest or deacon removes the sacred host from the tabernacle and places it on the altar for adoration.  The purpose of adoration is to highlight the presence of Our Lord in the Eucharist. When a consecrated host is placed in the monstrance, it is said to be a solumn exposition. Adoration ceremonies traditionally include scripture readings, hymns, prayers, and time for silent adoration.

"Of all devotions, that of adorning Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament is the greatest after the sacrament, the one dearest to God and the one most helpful to us."  --St. Alhonsus Liguori

A Gift to Our Youth from Cardinal Jorge Bergoglio = Our current Pope Frances

The Eucharistic Miracle of Buenos Aires a miracle in our times and for our times. A gift to open our eyes of faith; youth, fallen away Catholics, those of little faith, the uninformed who don't yet know of God's love all will be moved.

You can experience the miracle on 'the net', you-tube, simply google Eucharistic Miracle of Buenos Aires. (you can tap on Love One Another or The Catholic Company, etc.)

Briefly, St. Marys Church, 1996, at Mass a dirtied Host was found on the floor. As is customary the Host was placed in a vile of water to dissolve and be used to water plants. A week later the Priest took the Host from the Tabernacle only to discover it had become flesh and blood and had grown in size. He contacted Cardinal Bergoglio who ordered professional photos be taken and it to be kept a secret. Three years later it remained the same and in 1999 a scientific investigation was initiated. A local doctor suggested a sample be sent to well known forensic pathology lab in New York City. They were given no background about the sample or where it was from.

Three months later they reported that the object was heart muscle with human DNA and was from the left ventricle of the heart. White blood cells in the tissue indicated the individual it came from had been severely beaten in the chest area. The blood type was AB positive (found in the Miracle of Luciano and The Shroud of Turin samples) .

Due to human weakness we sometimes begin to lose our sense of Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity of our Lord in Eucharist. The Good Lord helps us in our times of doubt through His Miraculous gifts. There have been well over 100 Eucharistic miracles over the centuries documented by the church. (Note: 'Eucharistic Miracles of the World' published by the Vatican). "...Truly the Eucharist is a mystery which surpasses our understanding and, can only be received in faith." St. John Paul II

'ECCLESIA DE EUCHARISTIA' 

('The Eucharist in its Relationship to the Church')

Pope John Paul II's 14th encyclical letter, issued April 17th, Holy Thursday, 

Section l (Will continue weekly through the end of the Encyclical Letter)

When I think of the Eucharist and look at my life as a priest. as a bishop and as the successor of Peter, I naturally recall the many times and places in which I was able to celebrate it. I remember the parish church of Niegowic, where I had my first pastoral assignment, the collegiate church of St Florian in Krakow, Wawel Cathedral, St. Peter's Basilica and so many basilicas and churches in Rome and throughout the world. I have been able to celebrate holy Mass in chapels built along mountain paths, on lakeshores and seacoasts; I have celebrated it on altars built in stadiums and in city squares ... This varied scenario of celebrations of the Eucharist has given me a powerful experience of its universal and, so to speak, cosmic character. Yes, cosmic! Because even when it is celebrated on the humble altar of a country church, the Eucharist is always in some way celebrated on the altar of the world. It unites heaven and earth. It embraces and permeates all creation. The Son of God became man in order to restore all creation, in one supreme act of praise, to the one who made it from nothing. He, the eternal high priest who by the blood of his cross entered the eternal sanctuary, thus gives back to the Creator and Father all creation redeemed. He does so through the priestly ministry of the church, to the glory of the most Holy Trinity. Truly this is the "mysterium fidel" which is accomplished in the Eucharist. The world which came forth from the hands of God the Creator now returns to him redeemed by Christ.

 "When you look at the Crucifix, you know how much Jesus loved you then when you look at Holy Eucharist, you know how much He loves you now"

B1. Mother Teresa of Calcutta

Eucharistic Adoration

St. Michael, the Archangel Church, DuBois

Exposed every Wednesday 9:30 A.M., Chaplet of Mercy 3 P.M. Holy Rosary -6:30 P.M.

Blessed Sacrament reposed Thursday 8:45 A.M.

"For us Catholics, the Blessed Eucharist, Sacrament and Sacrifices, should be the towering reality in our lives, the source of holiness to which we come for pardon, for blessings, for healing of wounds. In the evening of life, we shall be judged on our attitude and relations towards it."

Father John Henaghan (martyred, 1945)

"The Secret Scripture of the Poor"

When you are at Eucharistic Adoration, you are enveloped in His love

"May the Holy Family never withdraw their loving gaze from you and your family ..." St. Pio

To hear Our Lady's Message, very early by phone, call 1-814-787-5683 (LOVE). Usually available the 26th of the month. Prayer requests at this number are given to the visionary, Vicka, so that she may offer them to Our Lady. Prayer petitions can also be hand written and sent in a sealed envelope to: The Holy Family, Inc. PO Box 442, St. Mary's, PA 15857-0442. They are forwarded to Vic, who presents them to Our Lady.

Happy New Year