Pray to overcome the test of evil...

Dear children! Today also I want to call you all to prayer. Let prayer be your life. Dear children, dedicate your time only to Jesus and he will give you everything that you are seeking. He will reveal himself to you in fullness. Dear children, satan is strong and is waiting to test each one of you. Pray, and that way he will neither be able to injure you nor block you on the way of holiness. Dear children, through prayer grow all the more toward God from day to day. Thank you for having responded to my call. September 25, 1987

It happened that one day Jesus got into a boat with his disciples and said to them, “Let us cross over to the other side of the lake.” So they set out, and as they sailed he fell asleep. When a squall of wind came down on the lake the boat started shipping water and they found themselves in danger. So they went to rouse him saying, “Master! Master! We are lost!” Then he woke up and rebuked the wind and the rough water; and they subsided and it was calm again. He said to them, “Where is your faith?” They were awestruck and astounded and said to one another, “Who can this be, that gives orders even to winds and waves and they obey him?” Luke 8 : 22-25

July 2009 message of Our Lady to Marija

Dear children! May this time be a time of prayer for you. Thank you for having responded to my call. July 25, 2009

The Merciful Jesus.

Dear children! Today I come to you with a motherly desire for you to give me your hearts. My children, do this with complete trust and without fear. In your hearts, I will put my Son and his mercy. Then, my children, you will look at the world around you with different eyes. You will see your neighbour. You will feel his pain and suffering. You will not turn your head away from those who suffer, because my Son turns his head away from those who do so. Children, do not hesitate. May 2, 2007

Lord, you have the message of eternal life...

Jesus said to his disciples: “You are to hear the parable of the sower. When anyone hears the word of the kingdom without understanding, the evil one comes and carries it off what was sown in his heart; this is the man who received the seed on the edge of the path. ”

Dear children! Today I wish to give you my own love. You do not know, dear children, how great my love is, and you do not know how to accept it. In various ways I wish to show it to you, but you, dear children, do not recognise it. You do not understand my words with your heart and neither are you able to comprehend my love. Dear children, accept me in your life and so you will be able to accept all I am saying to you and to which I am calling you. Thank you for having responded to my call. May 22, 1986

“The one who received it on patches of rock is the man who hears the word and welcomes it at once with joy, But he has no root in him, he does not last; let some trial come, or some persecution on account of the word, and he falls away at once.”

Dear children! God sent me among you out of love that I may lead you towards the way of salvation. Many of you opened your hearts and accepted my messages, but many have become lost on this way and have never come to know the God of love with the fullness of heart. Therefore, I call you to be love and light where there is darkness and sin. I am with you and bless you all. Thank you for having responded to my call. October 25, 2007

“The one who received the seed in thorns is the man who hears the word, but the worries of this world and the lure of riches choke the word and so he produces nothing.”

Dear children! Do not seek peace and happiness in vain, in the wrong places and in wrong things. Do not permit your hearts to become hard by loving vanity. Invoke the name of my Son. Receive him in your heart. Only in the name of my Son will you experience true happiness and true peace in your heart. Only in this way will you come to know the love of God and spread it further. I am calling you to be my apostles. March 18, 2000

“And the one who receives the seed in rich soil is the man who hears the word and understands it; he is the one who yields a harvest and produces now a hundredfold, now sixty, now thirty.” Matthew 13 : 18-23

Dear children! With the time of Lent, you are approaching a time of grace. Your heart is like ploughed soil and it is ready to receive the fruit which will grow into what is good. You, little children, are free to choose good or evil. Therefore, I call you to pray and fast. Plant joy and the fruit of joy will grow in your hearts for your good, and others will see it and receive it through your life. Renounce sin and choose eternal life. I am with you and intercede for you before my Son. Thank you for having responded to my call. January 25, 2008

Taking the path to peace and joy

Exodus 14 : 21, 15 : 1 (first reading for sixteenth week in ordinary time)

• I guess that if I had been one of the fleeing Israelites about to cross the dry land the Lord had made through the sea, I may have been very hesitant to take that first step, especially seeing the high walls of water towering above each side of the path.

And what I would probably be asking of myself is : “What happens if the walls of water come crashing down on me? Will I have any chance of getting back to the shore?”

Yet behind me are the advancing Egyptians and I can’t help thinking that even though God has provided a path between the deep blue sea, submission to the enemy might be an easier option. Why risk losing my life just yet when I can stretch out a few more years labouring for the Egyptians? God won’t mind waiting until another time?

Viewing the path through the sea seems such a long journey to make for God to fulfill his promise. Why couldn’t he make it an easier and less-scary route?

I know at times this is how I have conducted my life, living life in fear and apprehension of what is behind me and what may lie ahead. And if it can happen to me then I’m sure it happens to others as well.

But focusing on potential dangers in life only drives me to seek ways to increase my security from the seemingly constant threats all around.

Unfortunately, it is with this kind of thinking that I get tempted to forget the role of God in my life. I want to be master of my own destiny. My will reigns – or as best as I can make it. Paranoia, driven by fear and insecurity comes knocking on the door, drowning out the gentle tap of Jesus.

The Egyptians only felt secure when they were in control, especially of the Israelites. They just did not want to let them go. God did many things to persuade them, but their hearts were stubborn. Finally they gave chase, equipped to recapture and take control with weapons, armour, horses and chariots. These possessions empowered them, or so they thought. But the outcome was their heavy equipment bogged them down and they couldn’t make any headway along the path the Lord had created. When the waters came over them, the sheer weight of their possessions dragged them to the bottom of the sea. They went down like lead into the mighty waters.

It is difficult to take the path the Lord provides when we carry our baggage and possessions as security. Just ask any person fleeing from their home or land in a war zone. They start out carrying as much as they can, but as they continue to flee from disaster the refugee eventually begins to accept that they will make their escape much more quickly if they discard the load on their backs.

Meanwhile, filled with courage, the Israelites had started out on the path the Lord had opened for them. And with each stride the length of the huge walls of water decreased and their anxieties and fears subsided.

Every step of the march through the sea became an opportunity to unload a burden and not get clogged down as the Egyptians. No wonder the people, their faith renewed, venerated the Lord when they reached the other side!

Dear children! Today I pray for you and with you that the Holy Spirit may help you and increase your faith, so that you may accept even more the messages that I am giving you here in this holy place. Little children, comprehend that this is a time of grace for each of you; and with me, little children, you are secure. I desire to lead you all on the way of holiness. Live my messages and put into life every word that I am giving you. May they be precious to you because they come from heaven. Thank you for having responded to my call. June 25, 2002

The work of your hands...

I look up at your heavens, made by your fingers,

at the moon and stars you set in place –
ah, what is man that you should spare a thought for him,
the son of man that you should care for him?

Yet you have made him little less than a god,
you have crowned him with glory and splendour,
made him lord over the work of your hands,
set all things under his feet.

Psalm 8 : 3-6

Walk on...

The flight from Egypt continues... but in today’s reading from Exodus, faced with the Red Sea ahead and the chasing Egyptians behind their backs, some of the Israelites are having second doubts about the wisdom and the promise of reaching the land of milk and honey. They are left with a choice between the devil and the deep blue sea, and for most of them the choice of working for the Egyptians seems the better prospect.

That’s a dilemma most of us face in our daily life. Do we side with evil or do we trust in God to bring us through our temptation? We have cried out before to the Lord asking him to deliver us from evil, and ten times he has sent the enemy packing with plague and pestilence – yet still our enemy pursues and attempts to enslave us once again. Can we ever be rid of that repetitive sin that puts us in chains? Would it not be better just to surrender? After all, did the Egyptians really treat us that badly when we were held in captivity?

But Moses, sent by God to lead his people, knew better. He trusted in God’s power and promise. He even went as far as saying: “The Egyptians you see today, you will never see again!” Can the evil that has gnawed at our weakness for most of our life really be dismissed for ever? Can we ever be restored and free of the sin that has chased us for so long. Can God’s will be done?

God kept his promise of deliverance for the Israelites in a most remarkable way, by dividing the sea and making a clear path for them to continue their journey to the promised land. Our God is a God of miracles. But for any miracle to happen, faith is necessary. It was the faith of Moses in the promise of the Lord that inspired the sea to part and provide a homecoming path. For those with evil in their hearts there was no way through to the promised land; only death awaited.

Whatever our sin, our weakness, we have God’s promise that we can be restored; that his strength is best in our weakness and his grace is enough for each of us.

There is no need to be like the pharisees who tested Jesus by asking for signs and demanding proof. Waiting for proof is not indicative of faith, and without faith where are our miracles in life? We are called to walk in faith.

Dear children! Today I pray for you and with you that the Holy Spirit may help you and increase your faith, so that you may accept even more the messages that I am giving you here in this holy place. Little children, comprehend that this is a time of grace for each of you; and with me, little children, you are secure. I desire to lead you all on the way of holiness. Live my messages and put into life every word that I am giving you. May they be precious to you because they come from heaven. Thank you for having responded to my call. June 25, 1988

Escaping danger...

The Pharisees went out and began to plot against Jesus, discussing how to destroy him. Jesus knew this and withdrew from the district. Many followed and he cured them all...

Matthew 12 : 14-16

It’s reassuring to know that when we decide to back off from the circumstances and places that threaten and endanger our souls, to escape from capture and seek refuge in Jesus, he is there to heal everyone who follows him.

This is what Our Lady offers at Medjugorje, an opportunity to leave behind our enslavement, to be led and guided by her on the path of holiness to meet with her Son Jesus. A mother will always want to draw her children away from any danger that threatens their life, to make them secure. Mary did this when she took flight into Egypt with Joseph and Jesus.

In Jesus our soul is always safe and secure.

What I want is mercy...

What I want is mercy, not sacrifice... so spoke Jesus to the pharisees when they criticised his disciples for picking corn on the Sabbath. Jesus stressed that if the pharisees had understood the meaning of these words then they would not have condemned the blameless. Matthew 12 : 1-8

The words of Jesus were those used by the prophet Hosea: “What I want is love, not sacrifice, knowledge of God, not holocausts (burnt offerings)” Hosea 6 : 6

God wants our love in the sense that ‘mercy’ means love. Ritualistic offerings and observances are meaningless without love – and Jesus knew this; that the hearts of the pharisees did not understand the true meaning of mercy. If they had, they “would not have condemned the blameless.”

Our Lady frequently speaks of love in her messages from Medjugorje, calling us to love God above everything else. It is only when we begin to love God that we begin to love our neighbour as ourself.

Dear Children! Today, more than ever, I am calling you to pray. May your life become a continuous prayer. Without love you cannot pray. That is why I am calling you to love God, the Creator of your lives, above everything else. Then you will come to know God and will love him in everything as he loves you. Dear children, it is a grace that I am with you. That is why you should accept and live my messages for your own good. I love you and that is why I am with you, in order to teach you and to lead you to a new life of conversion and renunciation. Only in this way will you discover God and all that which now seems so far away from you. Therefore, my dear children, pray. Thank you for having responded to my call.” November 25, 1992

Meeting with Jesus

Come to me all you who labour and are overburdened, and I will give you rest. Matthew 11 : 28

The Lord, the God of the Hebrews, has come to meet us.
Exodus 3 : 18

• There are many places where we can meet with God and his Son Jesus, but one of the most beautiful is the confessional. Not only are we unburdened and given rest, but we also bring about rejoicing in heaven when we repent of our sins in this meeting. The joy is two-way traffic.

The call to repentance is the message of Medjugorje. “Reconcile with God and each other,” were Our Lady’s words when she appeared on the third day of the apparitions to Marija on Mt Podbrdo. And she reminded us that Peace can only come through repentance, when we come to Jesus and unburden our soul.

Enslavement is never distant from any person’s life, be it as labouring sons of Israel under the rule of Egypt, or burdened by the excess of observances imposed by the laws of the Pharisees, or by the modern-day temptations of consumerism and the many other snares that are placed in our path. The world can crush us very easily, but we will never be enslaved by the yoke and light burden given to us by Jesus. On the contrary, his yoke and light burden are the true signs of freedom and love in our life.

Prayer of St Bonaventure

O Lady, the Lord has become our brother and our Savior. Like the flame in the burning bush, and the dew in the fleece, the Word of God descends into you forever. St Bonaventure

A moment with Jesus...

Dear Lord, the daily news
is filled with fear and dread.
Comfort and console me
with your Good News instead.

Have no regrets...

He reassured them with words that touched their hearts...

Seeing that their father was dead, Joseph’s brothers said, “What if Joseph intends to treat us as enemies and repay us in full for all the wrong we did him?” So they sent this message to say to Joseph: “Before your father died he gave us this order: ‘You must say to Joseph: O forgive your brothers their crime and their sin and all the wrong they did to you.’ Now therefore we beg you, forgive the crime of the servants of your father’s God.” Joseph wept at the message they sent to him. His brothers came themselves and fell down before him. “We present ourselves before you” they said “as your slaves”. But Joseph answered them, “Do not be afraid; is it for me to put myself in God’s place? The evil you planned to do to me has by God’s design been turned to good, that he might bring about, as indeed he has, the deliverance of a numerous people. So you need not be afraid; I myself will provide for you and your dependants.” In this way he reassured them with words that touched their hearts. Genesis 50 : 15-21

• Families fall out. That’s a fact. Sometimes the hurt and separation can last a lifetime – and it is only in death that reconciliation may eventually take place. Death of a mother or a father, husband or wife, son, daughter, brother or sister, is a final opportunity to whisper “I’m sorry” – if necessary. But sometimes the opportunity is missed and the hurt remains, along with the burden of regret.

The essence of Our Lady’s message from Medjugorje is a call to repentance, to say “sorry”, to reconcile with God and each other. It is not a new message, but an essential one to act upon if we are to have peace in our heart.

“Sorry” is such a simple word to say standing on its own yet difficult enough to pronounce in front of others. But it needs to be said.

A heartfelt “sorry” said to to a hurting neighbour can touch the heart and become a passport to peace on earth – and to heaven. “Sorry” is a word that expresses love.

Perhaps the most reassuring words that can touch our hearts are: “Your sins are forgiven.”

Dear children, Today, with my motherly heart, I call you gathered around me to love your neighbour. My children, stop. Look in the eyes of your brother and see Jesus, my Son. If you see joy, rejoice with him. If there is pain in the eyes of your brother, with your tenderness and goodness, cast it away, because without love you are lost. Only love is effective; it works miracles. Love will give you unity in my Son and the victory of my heart. Therefore, my children, love.
September 2, 2008

Travelling Light...

Year for Priests June 19 2009 to June 19, 2010

Provide yourselves with no gold or silver, not even with a few coppers for your purses, with no haversack for the journey or spare tunic or footwear or a staff, for the workman deserves his keep. Matthew 10 : 9

• This must have been a tough call for the 12 disciples when Jesus commissioned them to go out and proclaim the Kingdom of Heaven. Peter was not short of a few bob, and neither was Matthew the tax collector. It must have been particularly hard on Judas who was in charge of the common purse, but as St Paul reminds us: “Remember how generous the Lord was: he was rich, but he became poor for your sake, to make you rich out of his poverty.” (2 Corinthians 8 : 9)

I remember a woman once telling me how rich she was. She claimed to be a billionaire! Yet I knew her circumstances, and there wasn’t a whiff of money about her. She went on to explain that she was rich in love. I believed her. She had experienced an instantaneous and miraculous cure from MS in front of the Blessed Sacrament at Knock Shrine. Ever since, she has devoted her life to bringing the love of Jesus to sick people. I have even known her at times to walk miles to visit a sick person and not take a bus or taxi because she had no money for the fare. Such are the disciples of Jesus.

I desire to teach you and help you to walk the way of holiness.
part message, June 25, 1991

Bread of Life

Then Joseph said to his brothers, “Come closer to me.” When they had come closer to him he said, “I am your brother Joseph whom you sold into Egypt. But now, do not grieve, do not reproach yourselves for having sold me here, since God sent me before you to preserve your lives.” Genesis 45 : 5

• We know that Judas Iscariot “sold” Jesus for 30 pieces of silver. Judas did not live to witness the Resurrection of Jesus, but the rest of the disciples did, as did the 11 brothers of Joseph to his ‘resurrection’ when they had thought he was long dead. “God sent me before you to preserve your lives,” said Joseph to his brothers, and then he fed them the bread that was to save them from starving.

I am the living bread which has come down from heaven. Anyone who eats this bread will live forever; and the bread that I shall give is my flesh, for the life of the world. John 6 : 51

Pray, my dear little children, so prayer becomes your daily bread. 

part message, January 25, 1992

“Believe... you must believe...”

Year for Priests June 19 2009 to June 19, 2010

Jesus summoned his twelve disciples, and gave them authority over unclean spirits with power to cast them out and to cure all kinds of diseases and sickness. Matthew 10 : 1

The outcome of this commission was that “the disciples cast out many devils, and anointed many sick people with oil and cured them.“ Mark 6 : 13

Should we be surprised at this, that through the authority of Jesus, acting in the person of Christ, our priests are capable of performing miracles? At every hour, every day, a miracle happens when the priest recites the words of Our Lord, “This is my Body... This is my Blood...” and through the power of the Holy Spirit the bread and wine is transformed into the body and blood of Christ.

We know also that our priests are commissioned and have the authority to forgive sins. So what prevents our priests from curing all kinds of sickness and diseases and casting out unclean spirits through the power of the Holy Spirit?

I always remember once attending a preaching and healing service given by the Franciscan priest Fr Jozo Zovko. I was fortunate to be seated next to many priests on the altar. When the time came for the priests to pray and lay hands on the people, Fr Jozo first went to each priest and prayed over them. Then he gathered the priests in a huddle and repeatedly said to them: “Believe... you must believe!”

I got the impression that there may have been doubt among some of the priests as to the healing power of God working through them and that is why Fr Jozo stressed that they must believe, and have faith.

Dear children, Today, with my motherly heart, I call you gathered around me to love your neighbour. My children, stop. Look in the eyes of your brother and see Jesus, my Son. If you see joy, rejoice with him. If there is pain in the eyes of your brother, with your tenderness and goodness, cast it away, because without love you are lost. Only love is effective; it works miracles. Love will give you unity in my Son and the victory of my heart. Therefore, my children, love. September 2, 2008

The time my tongue was loosened...

It was one of my ‘can’t be bothered’ days when I just wanted to keep myself to myself and not speak to or with anyone. Why I bothered to go to Mass that morning, I don’t really know. But that’s what most pilgrims do at Medjugorje – go to daily Mass. So there I was.

It must have been sometime in February because St James’ church was practically empty, just a group of American pilgrims mainly, huddled together in the front pews. In front of them and to one side was a lady standing on a plinth. “Maybe she’s there to conduct the choir” I thought. But I was in no singing mood. I decided my lips were staying firmly sealed that morning.

And then the celebrating priest came to the altar and I noticed that he also wasn’t in a speaking mood because he started to ‘sign’ the Mass. This was a first for me and I assumed that there were some deaf people in the congregation. They turned out to be most of the American group to the right of me, about 50 in number. Another person ‘voiced’ the readings while the role of the lady on the plinth was to ‘sign’ the responses of the people.

Although deafness had impaired the speech of most of this group it certainly did not hold back, passionately responding in both voice and action.

It was I who remained tongue-tied, not only by my own decision but by surprise at the outpouring from these deaf pilgrims. Here was I, with the gift of hearing and speech, unable to utter a sound because of my own self-centredness, yet made to listen to a wall of sound coming from the deaf group which I could not understand, but at the same time translated as pure expression of joy.

Ashamed and greatly humbled, I discovered the reason why I was at Mass that day: to praise and thank the Lord with all my heart, mind and being, and not to hold back in presenting God with all that I had been blessed with.

He had loosened the strings to my heart. I was no longer tongue-tied.

• For those who are deaf or have partial hearing, may I recommend a blog by Fr MD. It has some Medjugorje features: Fr MD’s Kitchen Table

A man was brought to Jesus...

A man was brought to Jesus...

When I read these opening words in today’s Gospel (Matthew 9 : 32) I could not help but pause and remember my own conversion experience at Medjugorje when I was brought to Jesus by his Blessed Mother. And like the dumb man in the Gospel I no longer remained silent and instead was able to give witness to the love and mercy of God in my life.

There must be millions of other men – and women – that this has happened to at Medjugorje.

Dear children! Today I desire to thank you for living my messages. I bless you all with my motherly blessing and I bring you all before my Son Jesus. Thank you for having responded to my call. June 25, 1998

Labourers wanted for harvest

Year for Priests June 19 2009 to June 19, 2010

And when Jesus saw the crowds he felt sorry for them because they were harassed and dejected, like sheep without a shepherd. The he said to his disciples, “The harvest is rich but the labourers are few, so ask the Lord of the harvest to send labourers to his harvest.” Matthew 9 : 37-38

Lord Jesus, you called chosen men to be with you; to preach the good news of salvation; to have authority over the powers of darkness. Send your Holy Spirit upon the men you have chosen for the priestly ministry. May they answer your call and follow you with generous hearts. Amen

Dear children! Today I invite you to comprehend your Christian vocation. Little children, I led and am leading you through this time of grace, that you may become conscious of your Christian vocation. Holy martyrs died witnessing: I am a Christian and love God over everything. Little children, today also I invite you to rejoice and be joyful Christians, responsible and conscious that God called you in a special way to be joyfully extended hands toward those who do not believe, and that through the example of your life, they may receive faith and love for God. Therefore, pray, pray, pray that your heart may open and be sensitive for the Word of God. Thank you for having responded to my call. November 25, 1997

Extended hands

Today’s Gospel reading speaks of ‘extended’ hands.

While Jesus was speaking, up came one of the officials, who bowed low in front of him and said. “My daughter has just died, but come and lay your hand on her and her life will be saved.” Jesus rose and, with his disciples, followed him.

Then from behind him came a woman, who had suffered from haemorrhage for twelve years, and she touched the fringe of his cloak, for she said to herself, “If I can only touch his cloak I shall be well again.” Jesus turned round and saw her; and he said to her, “Courage, my daughter, your faith has restored you to health.” And from that moment the woman was well again.

When Jesus reached reached the official’s house and saw the flute-players, with the crowd making a commotion he said, “Get out of here; the little girl is not dead, she is asleep.” And they laughed at him. But when the people had been turned out he went inside and took the little girl by the hand; and she stood up. And the news spread all round the countryside.

Matthew 9 : 18-26

Be my extended hands...

• Meditation on Our Lady’s anniversary message of June 25, 2009.

When Moses was leading the people of Israel to the Promised Land they came under attack from Amalekites. During the battle Moses stood on a hilltop and as long as he kept his arms and hands extended Israel had the advantage over their enemy. But when he let his hands fall, the advantage went to the Amalekites.

The battle carried on through the day and eventually the arms and legs of Moses became weary. So he was sat on a stone and Aaron and Hur supported his arms on each side. They remained firm and Moses’ hands continued to be extended until sunset when Joshua cut down Amalek and his people and the enemy was defeated.

Likewise, Our Lady invites us to extend our hands, knowing that when we do so we are given an advantage over our enemy, and to those who are tired and weary of the everyday battle against evil, we are encouraged to give our support, just as Aaron and Hur did with Moses.

Our priests are front-line troops against the evil in this world because they too are prophets proclaiming the Word of God. And so there will be times when their arms and extended hands grow weary and tired in the day-to-day battle in shepherding their flock to the Promised Land. All of us are called to be an Aaron or Hur and support our priests and to stand under them when they are in need.

It can be no coincidence that when Jesus was crucified his arms and hands were extended on the Cross in final triumph over evil and death.

And standing under the raised arms of Jesus at his crucifixion were his Mother Mary and the apostle John, drawn close to the love of God.

Pray that, in your hearts, God may be in the centre of your life and with your life witness, little children, so that every creature may feel God’s love.

Our hands are representative of our heart and its actions... As seen in the above photo Jesus is in the centre of the lives of Mary and John, who witness to the love of God through the sacrificial death of Jesus on the cross. Notice that Mary’s hand is extended to her Son.

This sacrificial theme, the giving of our hearts (extended hands) is continued in Our Lady’s message to Mirjana a week later: I need hearts ready for immeasurable love; hearts that are not burdened by vanity; hearts that are ready to love as my Son loved; that are ready to sacrifice themselves as my Son sacrificed himself.

A Miracle in the Hands of the Priest...

At the Altar, in the hands of the priest, a miracle happens before our very eyes. A drop of water is placed into the chalice, mingles with the wine, and through the prayer of the priest and the power of the Holy Spirit becomes the most precious blood of Christ.

During transubstantiation that drop of water, which is of no value and has no price, becomes of divine value.

That drop of water signifies you.

It signifies man and human nature; man who changes and becomes new; man who unites himself with God, the only One greater than himself.

This is the fruit of the Holy Eucharist.

• words of Fr Jozo Zovko ofm

A Mother’s hand...

Walk on the path [...] according to the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. On this path Virgin Mary will always precede you, and with a mother’s hand she will guide you to the heavenly homeland. Pope Benedict XVI, June 21, 2009

July message to Mirjana

Here is the message given to the Medjugorje visionary Mirjana when Our Lady appeared to her at the Blue Cross at the base of Apparition Hill this morning.

Dear children! I am calling you because I need you. I need hearts ready for immeasurable love; hearts that are not burdened by vanity; hearts that are ready to love as my Son loved; that are ready to sacrifice themselves as my Son sacrificed himself. I need you. In order to come with me, forgive yourselves, forgive others and adore my Son. Adore him also for those who have not come to know him, those who do not love him. Therefore, I need you; therefore, I call you. Thank you. July 2, 2009

Martha, Martha, you worry about so many things and yet few are needed, indeed only one. It is Mary who has chosen the better part; it is not to be taken from her.” Luke 10 : 21-22

• Christ in the House of Martha and Mary, by Dutch artist Jan Vermeer