Medjugorje Visionary Marija Visits Notre Dame

"And Mary said, 'My soul glorifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, for He has been mindful of the humble state of His servant. From now on all generations will call me blessed, for the Mighty One has has done great things for me—holy is His name.'" 
- Luke 1:46-49

On November 15th the Medjugorje visionary, Marija Pavlovic-Lunetti, came to the University of Notre Dame for one of her daily apparitions. She came to witness to those living in South Bend, IN about the Medjugorje messages coming from Our Lady. My cousin, Lauren, attends the University of Notre Dame and she was fortunate to be able to go to this event with my aunt. Mary TV also streamed a live video feed online. (Click here to read Cathy Nolan's reflection of this event from Mary TV's perspective.) This was such a blessing! Because of this broadcast my family and I were present for the apparition as well, via the internet.

During the apparition you could see the peace of Our Lady's presence come upon Marija while she was in ecstasy. It must be so wonderful to see the beauty of the Blessed Mother everyday! What a gift! I cannot even imagine.

After the vision, Marija gave her testimony to all who gathered there. I was surprised to hear her speaking in English. Since I have done a lot of research about Medjugorje I know that this particular visionary never studied the English language. It was absolutely amazing to hear her witness in our own native tongue. When I went to Medjugorje in 2010 my family and I stayed with the visionary Ivan. Even though he knew how to speak English, he would always use a translator while giving a testimony since he was more comfortable speaking in Croatian. I am so glad Marija choose to speak in English this time. It was much easier for us to relate to her by hearing the witness given in our language.

While Marija spoke she reflected upon the reasons of why Our Lady is coming. Is is very apparent that our society today is corrupted in sin and in great need of the Blessed Mother's presence. At the event Marija relayed the message of God which came from the Blessed Mother, stating, "I am God, the Resurrection. I am the God who was crucified and died. But I am resurrected! I am with you and I died for you. But I give you freedom. In this freedom you have a choice. Good or bad. I call you for goodness." The Blessed Mother also added, "I call you for new life. It's your choice. It's your choice to say yes or no." 

It is so sad that numerous people across the globe have stopped following Christ. They have given up on Him and are looking to the world for their satisfaction. Some people even claim to be "spiritual" but not "religious." Spirituality can be very dangerous if it is not within a religious context, such as Christianity. This usually means they are following New Age trends or satanic influences. Those involved in these cults and/or do not believe in God are in grave danger. What they do not realize is that they are putting their own soul at risk of losing the opportunity of enteral life. That is why Our Lady is coming for them. She is coming to give them hope. She is coming to give all of us hope and the grace of conversion.

Marija's testimony rang with truth and conviction. Like she said, we need to give our "YES" to God. We need to accept Him into our lives to strengthen our faith day by day. Only in this way can we inherit His holy kingdom. Paradise is waiting for us! All of us! If people seriously knew this who would ever say no to happily ever after? But, as Marija testified, it is our choice. It is our choice to accept or reject. By rejecting Christ we have essentially rejected eternal life. But if we accept Him into our life and our hearts we accept His glorious kingdom. During this "Year of Faith" let us give our entire "YES" to God. Let us glorify the Lord like Mary did with her "YES" to becoming the mother of Jesus. For she has truly given us the greatest example in accepting the Will of the Father.

         

Saintly Friendships

"A faithful friend is a sturdy shelter; he who finds one finds a treasure." - Sirach 6:14

Friendships are a big part of life! Whenever life brings us up or down it is usually our friends we turn to -- in both the good times and bad. We look to them for advice, comfort, companionship, peace, joy, love, hope, and guidance. They help transform our lives for the best in weakness, sorrow, and distress. They yearn for us to find truth, meaning, passion, and purpose.

Virtuous friends, filled with the light of the Holy Spirit, will pray for you, will pray with you, and will speak to you with the words of God. They will help show you what you cannot see. Christ-like friends will encourage you to stand up again when you are brought to your knees. These true and faithful friends will give their best effort to be there for you when you are in most need of their presence and consolation. In order for the friendship to sustain itself, you too must also be willing to hold out your hand to them in the times when they have fallen. Treat them as you would want them to treat you. The more you become their friend the more likely they will become a true friend to you.

However, be careful when forming friendships. Not everyone can be your friend and not everyone is going to be. Being friends with someone means you have to be able to trust them. Imagine confiding your deepest feelings to someone who doesn't have your best interest at heart? Real friends want to help you. They will not tear you down. They might tell you things you do not want to hear, but it is because they care about you ssssoooo much! If they purposely try to sabotage your dreams and continuously hurt you...then you should take a step back, reevaluate the situation, and reconsider having any type of relationship with them. A true friend will give you the joy you seek and will even help you to become the best version of yourself.

Finding these true friends can be difficult...and sometimes it is just a very simple solution. Go to God. In God you will be able to find your true friends. That means you might find them at church or in a Catholic/Christian group in your school or community. Friendship built on a sturdy foundation of the same faith (or very similar) will be able to withstand the test of time. These friendships have a common union in God, in morality, and in virtue.

Similarities are important, but a friendship rooted outside of God cannot bear good fruit. Since God is love, a friend who does not know God cannot love you the way a true friend should. It is nice for you and your friend to have similar tastes in music, fashion, art, books, hobbies, sports, food, culture, ...etc. But if the two of you can only base your friendship on materialistic things then it is not "true friendship" you are finding.

If you have a best friend now who does not believe in God, please pray for them and their conversion. However, it is up to them to choose God and you should not force them to. You may invite them to church or pray a rosary with you sometime, but if they reject the invitation don't feel like your prayers for them were in vain. We are all given free will. If they refuse God deliberately, then it is because they have freely chosen to do so. In that case, even though it may be extremely difficult, you should remove yourself from the friendship. In a friendship without God you cannot be led in the right direction with their help or guidance. Even if you feel that you can help them, you would be doing yourself a favor to end the relationship or at least dropping it down to an acquaintance level.

You may have heard the phrase "birds of a feather flock together." This means people who have the same beliefs, morals, or principals of life tend to hang around each other. Going back through the history of the church you may notice that many saints were friends with other saints. For example, St. Francis of Assisi was friends with both St. Clare and St. Anthony. The twin brother and sister duo, St. Benedict and St. Scholastica, were lifelong companions and both canonized by the Catholic Church. Even St. Ignatius of Loyola and St. Francis Xavier were great friends and Jesuit roommates. As you can see, Sainthood begets Sainthood. Finding friends who are saintly and love God will also help you to become saintly and to love God more deeply.

So in your quest for true, holy, pure, and "saintly" friends---seek God. Focus on deepening your relationship with Him. Don't worry. Just put your trust in Him. Don't even try to force friendships. Just let it happen naturally when you meet someone. I guarantee you that He will lead you close to those who also love Him. The church is a family united under the one God, and He wants you to know your beloved brothers and sisters in Christ.

If you have these wonderful saintly friends already, praise God that you do! You are so blest to have these people in your life. They help you throughout life's difficult moments and help you to not despair nor become despondent. For that reason, as it says in the Holy Bible, "Cherish your friend, keep faith in him." - Sirach 27:17

           

Angelic Presence Among Us

"Bless the LORD, all you angels, mighty in strength and attentive, obedient to every command. Bless the LORD, all you hosts, ministers who do God's will. Bless the LORD, all creatures, everywhere in God's domain. Bless the LORD, my soul!" - Psalm 103:21-22

Hello dear friends in Christ! I just came back from a wonderful trip to South Bend, IN. I really enjoyed the company of my family and friends who live up there. I also visited the University of Notre Dame, the Basilica of the Sacred Heart, and Mary TV. I feel so blessed to have had this experience during the summer, before school starts. I had a great time! Plus, my parish priest from home came up to South Bend too. He celebrated the Mass in the Basilica with several other priests and prayed for a personal intention of mine during the service. It was so beautiful! The Notre Dame Basilica is absolutely one of the most beautiful churches I've ever seen in my life! Again, I praise and thank God for the outpour of His blessings during my recent trip.

While I was on my trip I read an amazing book about angels called Angel Power by Janice Connell. In this book she describes the Nine Choirs of Angels and their glorious love and devotion they all have for the Almighty God. She also brings about the awareness of our own Guardian Angel that God has bestowed to every human being. We are each given a Holy Angel to guard, defend, protect, light, and guide our path towards eternal salvation. Angels are beautiful creatures filled with love and reverence for the Blessed Virgin Mary and her Son, Jesus Christ. They are humble servants that honor God and His plan for humankind. As we are assigned our own personal angel, Janice Connell also points out that every city, state, nation, place, church, sanctuary, business, airport, school...etc are also appointed a holy angel (or angels) by God to watch over and protect.

We are surrounded by angels all the time! The question is...are we aware of their angelic presence? They long for us to call upon them. They want us to ask for their help. They loved being assigned tasks! Angels desire to be our very best friends. But angels typically don't interfere in our lives unless we ask them too. However, on rare occasions, they will sometimes intervene for us in life threatening situations or special circumstances. But they respect that we are given free will by God. They know it is ultimately our choice to follow His plan or not. In being aware of their presence we can access their immense angel power in our own lives to further our spiritual journey in seeking God and eternal life.

In reading so much about angels, I began to ask my priest more about them while we viewed several angelic paintings in the Snite Museum of Art at Notre Dame. He told me that to his knowledge he was unfamiliar with this broad topic. However, from what he could recall, he was able to share with me some very interesting information about angels. He said that typically most angels, especially Archangels, have names ending in "el" -- like Saint Michael, Saint Gabriel, and Saint Raphael. The suffix "el" goes back to the Hebrew roots and literally means "in God." This makes sense because all holy angels are subject to dwell in Heaven and "in God" for all eternity.

This discovery completely astonished me! I began to tell him a story. About two years ago I was talking to a friend in church about angels. She said that after she prayed about it she believed her Guardian Angel's name to be Daniel. I was really intrigued about how she knew her angel's name. From this realization I began to pray to know my Guardian Angel's name too. After praying in the quiet of my room for a little while a few names came to me, but I kept dismissing them. Then one name really stuck in my head! It was the name "Ishmael." After a while I was like, I wonder what the name "Ishmael" actually means? So I got up and went to my computer to search its meaning. Then I found out that "Ishmael" means "God listens."

I knew that "Ishmael" is a very Biblical name and not common at all. I believed this was not something that I thought of on my own, but I wanted to make sure and have a confirmation. So I thought to myself, Ok. I will ask my dad a question and if he responds exactly with the words "God listens" then I will feel a confirmation that Ishmael is the name of my holy angel. Then after we prayed together as a family I asked my father, "Dad, what does God do when we pray?" He replied, "God listens." That was amazing! He didn't know I was praying for my angel's name nor the confirmation I asked for. After telling all of this to my priest he agreed. He also reminded me that I probably received another confirmation from him since Ishmael ends with the suffix "el."

Amazing! Our Guardian Angels truly want us to be aware of them! Just as they know us they also long for us to know them. By reading more in the book by Janice Connell, she reveals that our personal Guardian Angel can come from any of the Nine Choirs of Angels: Seraphim, Cherubim, Thrones, Dominions, Powers, Virtues, Principalities, Archangels, and Angels. God has created each angel uniquely and divinely. No two angels are the same. They are very good and powerful creatures that have their own specialties, personalities, and characteristics. The various choirs of angels each have their own specific missions too, given to them by God for the plan of humanity and beyond.

After finding out all of this wonderful information about angels I began to talk non-stop about it to my friends. One day I was on the phone with my friend Anna. When I told her that most angel names end with "el" she was in utter amazement! For the last two years or so the name "Noel" has constantly been on her mind for some reason. She always wondered why that name came to her so much. After I told her more about angels she realized that maybe her Guardian Angel was trying to hint to her that his name is "Noel." Nevertheless, she said she would definitely pray about it more.

I honestly don't think there is a rule that angels only have names ending in "el" ...but it just seems to be the typical likelihood of an angel. When satan was an angel his name used to be Lucifer. That name means "light bearer" and does not end in "el." However, he was an angel that fell into sin and never wanted to live "in God" for all eternity... so that explains that.

All in all, holy angels of the Nine Choirs are exceptional beings of love, purity, truth, justice, wisdom, and piety. They are ready to be called upon at a moments notice. They are ready to defend us in battle against any and all evil spirits that prowl about the earth. Their holy power is so great that they will prevail over all dark forces. So don't be afraid to call upon your angel. Entrust your hearts longings and desires to them. Ask them to reap a harvest for you in your own personal endeavors. They will graciously assist you and lead you closer to God in every way they possibly can.

Prayer of the Rosary

"But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart." - Luke 2:19

Hello dear friends in Christ! Today I wanted to let you know that I posted some videos on YouTube so you can have the opportunity to pray the rosary with me! The rosary is such a wonderful prayer that really helps you to mediate on the life of Jesus through the eyes of Mary, His holy mother. It is more then just repeating a set of "Hail Mary" prayers over and over again. It is a way to reflect on scripture and translate that into our own lives.

In the prayer of the rosary Mary intercedes on your behalf before the throne of God with your petitions. By praying this prayer you are given special graces in your life. The power of heaven will come upon you. It will strengthen you to become more holy and to grow in faith day by day. The rosary helps to lead you away from sin and brings you closer to God. Bishop Patrick Boyle once said, "No one can live continually in sin and continue to say the Rosary. Either he will give up the sin or he will give up the Rosary." With this amazing prayer it is as if Mary, the mother of God, walks you through her Son's life, taking you by the hand, to meet God Himself.

How wonderful is that!? I can personally attest to the amazing graces bestowed on our family through the power of the rosary. It can work miracles! If more people knew the true power of the rosary they would never want to stop praying it. Sometimes other Christians do not understand the rosary and its meaning. They might think we worship Mary, as Catholics, but that is not true. That is so far from the truth it almost seems laughable.

We, as Catholics, love Mary... just like you love your own mother. We go to her in prayer to ask for her help and intercession with our own intentions. Because she is holy, pure, divine, immaculate, and sinless she would never ask anything of God that would not please Him. Also, as in the Ten Commandments, it says to honor your father and mother. Jesus is Mary's Son. Although Jesus is God and is above Mary in that sense He still gives her the respect of a mother, like we all should. For instance, at the Wedding Feast at Cana Jesus changed the water into wine per Mary's request. It is very similar to asking your own mother to ask your dad to do something for you. You do this because you know he is more likely to do so if it comes from her then from you. So wouldn't you think that by asking Mary to ask Jesus to answer our prayers it would be so much more powerful!? ...Because it is! Going to Jesus/God/the Holy Spirit directly is always good too. And we should! Don't get me wrong... it is not a replacement for that. This is just a very formal prayer that helps you to reflect on the life of Jesus with Mary as your guide. As St. Louis de Montfort said, "When the Holy Rosary is said well, it gives Jesus and Mary more glory and is more meritorious than any other prayer." By praying the rosary you are given so many blessings and graces in this life. It is another great way to pray and it is sssooooo very powerful!

If you have more questions about the rosary go to this website: http://www.catholicbible101.com/therosary.htm 

My YouTube channel is @pray4peace4ever. If you would like to pray a rosary with me go to my playlist here: http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLEC07A54CE7147B8E  You can even chose what mystery you would like to pray with me -- Joyful, Luminous, Sorrowful, or Glorious. 

"Never will anyone who says his Rosary every day be led astray. This is a statement that I would gladly sign with my blood." - St. Louis de Montfort

Mission Impossible?

"For nothing is impossible with God." - Luke 1:37

Have you ever been in a situation that you feel there is no way out of? Do you feel that some things in your life can never be fixed; work, relationships, marriage, school, illness, death, etc? Have you ever seen a friend falling into a dark place? ...And don't you wish they would wake up and see the light?! We have all felt something like this at some point in our lives when we feel there is no hope left. When this happens often times people will stray from God because they believe God must not exist since this or that happened to them (or a family member). However, whatever the circumstance may be, God has not and will not intentionally hurt us. He is love itself! Maybe certain situations have occurred and resulted in an unpleasant way because God was not present in the final decision making. That is why it is very important that we must draw near to God and let Him influence our decisions so we completely submit ourselves to His Holy Will -- which is good and pleasing and perfect. We can never be led astray when we put complete trust in Him.

Therefore, miraculous events can occur since nothing is impossible for Him. The Blessed Mother herself gave birth to the son of God as a virgin. She was conceived without sin and submitted herself to the Will of God without hesitation, for she trusted His Will and knew it would ultimately satisfy her life -- even with the sufferings and crosses it brought along the way. Mary completely surrendered to God's Will and let Him work the impossible in her life. Not only did she see her son die in agony on the cross, which pierced her heart, but she also saw Him in His glory after the resurrection. So even when we endure the most trying of times, if we give our sacrifice to God and trust His Will anything is possible!

If you feel called on a mission to help someone who is in a difficult situation, pray for them. Let God work through you and into their life. I have entrusted myself to the four saints of the Catholic Church that are patrons of impossible causes and hopeless situations. These saints include St. Jude, St. Rita, St. Philomena, and St. Gregory. (I mentioned these saints in my previous posting). They have given me much comfort, for I know that they can work miracles of any kind -- no matter how great or how small. Just as Saint Augustine said, "Miracles are not contrary to nature, but only contrary to what we know about nature." Anything is possible if you believe and have faith, entrusting the situation to the Will of God.

I composed a novena prayer dedicated to all four of these saints; deriving from other prayers and novenas from which they have answered to. So when you are down and have lost hope, don't give up. Instead ask the Holy Spirit to lift you up and give you the grace to persevere. Go to these saints to assist you with their miraculous intercession.

One of my friends, who comes from a broken family, told me that for her prayer is a way of healing what has been hurt. Her family situation may never be the same as it was, but with God she is able to retain a true peace of mind and comfort, along with forgiveness. She has completely submitted herself to God in this situation. She understands that maybe it wasn't God's Will for her parents to be together forever, but it was for a moment, for her to be brought into this world. Now, she has no more bitterness or resentment against her parents. She can live peacefully, understanding that anything is possible for God when it is according to His Holy Will.

Novena of the Impossible

O holy saints of impossible causes, St. Jude, St. Rita, St. Philomena, and St. Gregory, I come to you with confidence in my great need. Faithful intercessors, who work so many miracles for all who invoke your unfailing aid, graciously hear me and obtain from God a favorable answer to the request which I humbly lay before thee... (mention petition).

O great saints, to you I have recourse from the depths of my heart and sincerely ask -- to whom God has given such great power -- to come to my assistance on behalf of my earnest petition. Guide and purify my intention, o holy patrons, so that I may obtain what I ask of thee, with the grace to persevere in courage, faith, generosity, and fidelity.

I firmly believe in your great intercession and in return for this favor I promise to make your names known and encourage devotion to each of you. Saint Jude, Apostle of Christ, pray for us. Saint Rita, advocate of the helpless, have mercy on us. Saint Philomena, powerful with God, pray for us. Saint Gregory, the Wonder Worker, hear and answer my prayer. Amen.