The Woman and the Dragon
Dear Friends,
A great sign appeared in the sky, a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars. She was with child and wailed aloud in pain as she labored to give birth. Then another sign appeared in the sky; it was a huge red dragon, with seven heads and ten horns, and on its heads were seven diadems. Its tail swept away a third of the stars in the sky and hurled them down to the earth. Then the dragon stood before the woman about to give birth, to devour her child when she gave birth. She gave birth to a son, a male child, destined to rule all the nations with an iron rod. Her child was caught up to God and his throne. The woman herself fled into the desert where she had a place prepared by God, that there she might be taken care of for twelve hundred and sixty days. Then war broke out in heaven; Michael and his angels battled against the dragon. The dragon and its angels fought back, but they did not prevail and there was no longer any place for them in heaven. The huge dragon, the ancient serpent, who is called the Devil and Satan, who deceived the whole world, was thrown down to earth, and its angels were thrown down with it. Then I heard a loud voice in heaven say: "Now have salvation and power come, and the kingdom of our God and the authority of his Anointed. For the accuser of our brothers is cast out, who accuses them before our God day and night. They conquered him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony; love for life did not deter them from death. (Passage from the Book of Revelation 12:1-11)
I am preparing for the retreat that will start tomorrow afternoon. Some people from New York have already arrived. I hope a good group comes.
Below you will find the message of Our Blessed Mother given to Father Melvin on her Feast of the Assumption. She spoke to him these words,
"It is with great joy that I greet you today, My son Joseph Melvin and all My sons and daughters scattered throughout the world. Today is the Feast of My Assumption into heaven. In His great love for Me, My Son Jesus brought Me to heaven body and soul like Him. I was given a beautiful home and, as Your Mother, I spend My eternity praying for every one of you. I continuously ask Jesus to give you all the gifts and graces that He has for you. I especially pray that all the people living in the world may receive the gift of faith and come to know and love My dear Son. I want you all near Me in heaven one day.
I defeated Satan as the story in the Book of Revelation tells you. As I gave birth to My Son, Satan wanted to snatch Him and destroy Him but he never had the chance. I wish to warn you, My dear children, never to have anything to do with Satan. Never get involved in anything Satanic such as New Age, Wicca, Reiki, ouija board, occultism or anything else. Remain close to My Son, Jesus, and follow Him and Satan will not have a hold on you. May you be filled with joy today on My great feast for indeed I am in heaven as Your Mother and Queen."
Father Melvin
"My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord, my spirit rejoices in God my savior" (Lk 1:46-47). "O glorious Mother Mary . . . consumed with the desire to be united with thy Divine Son in Heaven, Thy soul departed from Thy body and united itself to Him, Who, out of the excessive love He bore for Thee, His Mother, whose virginal body was His first tabernacle, took that body into Heaven, and there, amidst the acclaims of the angels and saints, reinfused into it thy soul" (Charles V. Lacey).
In the silence of the heart, God speaks and you have to listen. Then in the fullness of your heart, because it is full of God, full of love, full of compassion, full of faith, your mouth will speak. Both humility and prayer grow from an ear, mind, and tongue that have lived in silence with God, for in the silence of the heart God speaks.
A kind person is one of a kind!
"Because kindness is related to love, it follows that the kind person loves another not for the pleasure the other person gives, nor because the other person can do us a kindness in return, but because the other person is loveable in himself. The basic reason why everyone is lovable is because God made him."
October 2, 1936, the First Friday of the month. After Holy Communion, I suddenly saw the Lord Jesus, who spoke these words to me: Now I know that it is not for the graces or gifts that you love me, but because My will is dearer to you than life. That is why I am uniting myself with you so intimately as with no other creature. (707)
At that moment, Jesus disappeared. My soul was filled with the presence of God. I know that the gaze of the Mighty One rests upon me. I plunged myself completely in the joy that flows from God. I continued throughout the whole day without interruption, thus immersed in God. In the evening, I fell as if into a faint and a strange sort of agony. My love wants to equal the love of the Mighty One. It is drawn to Him so vehemently that it is impossible, without some special grace from God, to bear the vastness of such a grace in this life. But I see clearly that Jesus himself is sustaining me and strengthening me and making me capable of communing with Him. In all this, the soul is particularly active. (708)
It sometimes happens, while I am listening to the meditation, that one word puts me in very close union with the Lord, and I no longer know what Father is saying. I know that I am close to the most merciful Heart of Jesus; my whole spirit is entirely plunged in Him, and in one moment I learn more than during long hours of intellectual inquiry and meditation. These are sudden lights which permit me to know things as God sees them, regarding matters of both the interior and the exterior world. (733)
AUGUST 15 - THE ASSUMPTION OF OUR LADY
On this feast day in 1985, Our Lady said :
Dear children, today I am blessing you and I wish to tell you that I love you and that I urge you to live my messages. Today I am blessing you with the solemn blessing that the Almighty grants me (Weekly Message August 15, 1985).
And from the prophet Isaiah, almost as if he were speaking of the Assumption :
Arise, shine; for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord has risen upon you.
For darkness shall cover the earth, and thick darkness the peoples; but the Lord will arise upon you, and his glory will appear over you. Isaiah 60 :1-2
Reflection:
Today we celebrate the Assumption of Our Lady, body and soul, into heaven. Jesus preserved his mother's body form the corruption and the crowning glory of the human race.
In honoring the Blessed Virgin the Lord honors us all, for she too was human; her glory is reflected upon all her children. Our oneness with Mary is indicative of our awesome and mysteries unity with all people of all ages. Fr. Jozo teaches that we are not « beside » each other, but rather are « inside » one another. Our unity even embraces God himself, who became one with us through the incarnation :
I do not pray for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their word, that all may be one as you Father, are in me, and I in you; I pray that they may be one in us, that the world may believe that you sent me (Jn 17 :20-21).
In the mystery of our oneness we can perceive how our actions and prayer have a ripple effect on the entire Body of Christ; how our virtue as well as our sin has an effect far beyond ourselves.
Today we rejoice in the reflected glory of our Mother's Assumption. May the solemn blessing that she imparts to us on this feast bring us to a new awareness of our sacred communion with God and with one another.
Application :
As a gift to Our Lady today, offer her your rosary for her special intentions.
Pope Leo XIII, Satis Cognitum
Jesus Christ, pierce my soul with your love so that I may always long for you alone, who are the bread of angels and the fulfillment of the soul's deepest desires. May my heart always hunger for you, so that my soul may be filled with the sweetness of your presence."
St. Maximilian Mary Kolbe Feast Day: August 14, 2006
(1894-1941)
"I don't know what's going to become of you!" How many parents have said that? Maximilian Mary Kolbe's reaction was, "I prayed very hard to Our Lady to tell me what would happen to me. She appeared, holding in her hands two crowns, one white, one red. She asked if I would like to have them—one was for purity, the other for martyrdom. I said, `I choose both.' She smiled and disappeared." After that he was not the same.
He entered the minor seminary of the Conventual Franciscans in Lvív (then Poland, now Ukraine), near his birthplace, and at 16 became a novice. Though he later achieved doctorates in philosophy and theology, he was deeply interested in science, even drawing plans for rocket ships.
Ordained at 24, he saw religious indifference as the deadliest poison of the day. His mission was to combat it. He had already founded the Militia of the Immaculata, whose aim was to fight evil with the witness of the good life, prayer, work and suffering. He dreamed of and then founded Knight of the Immaculata,, a religious magazine under Mary's protection to preach the Good News to all nations.
For the work of publication he established a "City of the Immaculata"—Niepokalanow—which housed 700 of his Franciscan brothers. He later founded one in Nagasaki, Japan. Both the Militia and the magazine ultimately reached the one-million mark in members and subscribers. His love of God was daily filtered through devotion to Mary.
In 1939 the Nazi panzers overran Poland with deadly speed. Niepokalanow was severely bombed. Kolbe and his friars were arrested, then released in less than three months, on the feast of the Immaculate Conception.
In 1941 he was arrested again. The Nazis' purpose was to liquidate the select ones, the leaders. The end came quickly, in Auschwitz three months later, after terrible beatings and humiliations.
A prisoner had escaped. The commandant announced that 10 men would die. He relished walking along the ranks. "This one. That one." As they were being marched away to the starvation bunkers, Number 16670 dared to step from the line. "I would like to take that man's place. He has a wife and children." "Who are you?" "A priest." No name, no mention of fame. Silence. The commandant, dumbfounded, perhaps with a fleeting thought of history, kicked Sergeant Francis Gajowniczek out of line and ordered Father Kolbe to go with the nine.
In the "block of death" they were ordered to strip naked and the slow starvation began in darkness. But there was no screaming—the prisoners sang.
By the eve of the Assumption four were left alive. The jailer came to finish Kolbe off as he sat in a corner praying. He lifted his fleshless arm to receive the bite of the hypodermic needle. It was filled with carbolic acid. They burned his body with all the others. He was beatified in 1971 and canonized in 1982.
Comment:
Father Kolbe's death was not a sudden, last-minute act of heroism. His whole life had been a preparation. His holiness was a limitless, passionate desire to convert the whole world to God. And his beloved Immaculata was his inspiration.
Quote:
"Courage, my sons. Don't you see that we are leaving on a mission? They pay our fare in the bargain. What a piece of good luck! The thing to do now is to pray well in order to win as many souls as possible. Let us, then, tell the Blessed Virgin that we are content, and that she can do with us anything she wishes" (Maximilian Mary Kolbe, when first arrested).
The fullness of our heart is expressed in our eyes, in our touch, in what we write, in what we say, in the way we walk, the way we receive, the way we need. That is the fullness of our heart expressing itself in many different ways. Listen in silence, because if your heart is full of other things you cannot hear the voice of God
Embracing the etimology of kindness
"The word 'kindness' is derived from kindred or kin, and therefore implies an affection which we bear naturally to those who are our flesh and blood. The original and archetypal kindness is that of a parent for a child and a child for a parent, an idea which is preserved in the German language where Kind means 'child.' Gradually the word gained in extension until it embraced anyone whom we are to treat as a relative. Unkindness is therefore unnaturalness."
AUGUST 14 - DO WORKS OF MERCY
The Virgin calls us to good works today:
Dear children, today I invite you to do works of mercy out of love for me and your brothers and sisters. May all that you do for others to done with great joy and humility before God, I am with you and day after day I offer your sacrifices and prayers to God for the salvation of the world (Monthly Message November 25, 1990).
In Matthew's gospel, Jesus revels how we will be judged:
Then the king will say to those at right hand, "Come, you that are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world; for I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you gave me clothing. I was sick and you took care of me, I was in prison and you visited me"(Mt 25:34-36).
Reflection:
These from the Second Vatican Council ring with the same urgency as those in today's gospel.
Since there are so many people in this world afflicted with hunger, this sacred Council urges all, both individuals and governments, to remember the saying of the Fathers: "Feed the man dying of hunger, because if you have not fed him, you have killed him."
To be our brother's keeper is not optional the Christian, but a mandate from Christian, but a mandate from Christ. We are further challenged by Pope Paul VI in his in his encyclical, The Progress of Peoples:
Am I really doing all I can to help the poor and hungry? Am I prepared to pay more taxes in order that the government can do more for development? Am I prepared to pay more in the shops for goods imported from abroad so that the people who produce these goods are paid a decent wage?
Application:
This week, make an extra effort to help those in need, either through personal service or material support.
Also, check your parish bulletin and diocesan newspaper for opportunities to help with service projects or social justice activities that need volunteer assistance
Lily of the Eucharist and Lily of the Mohawks. Born in Auriesville, NY, Bl.
Kateri awoke early every morning to journey through the woods to the Chapel to isit and receive Jesus in the Holy Eucharist. She waited outside, even in
the bitter cold of winter, until the chapel opened. A consecrated virgin, Bl.
Kateri prayed, "I offer my soul to Christ the Lord in the Blessed Sacrament."
She devoted her life to prayer, penance and the care of the sick and elderly.
Her litany reads: "Kateri, who loved Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament, pray for us."
And this listening and this speaking is what prayer is meant to be: oneness with God, oneness with Jesus.
Strange metamorphosis as strangers behind the wheel!
"Many people who are very kind in their own homes and offices can become very unkind and selfish once they get behind the steering wheel of an automobile. This is probably due to the fact that in their own home they are known; in the automobile they have the advantage of anonymity and hence can be almost brutal without the fear of discovery. To be kind out of fear of others thinking we are unkind is not real kindness, but rather a disguised form of egotism."
AUGUST 13 - THERE ARE SOULS IN PURGATORY
To the visionary Mirjana, regarding purgatory:
There are souls in purgatory who pray ardently to God, but for whom no relative or friend prays on earth. But God allows them to benefit from the prayers of other people (First Years January 10, 1983).
And in Psalm 73, the author expresses confidence in God, both now and in the hereafter:
Nevertheless I am continually with you;
You hold my right hand.
You guide me with your counsel,
And afterward you will receive me with honor.
Whom have I in heaven but you?
And there is nothing on earth that I desire other than you.
My flesh and my heart may fail,
But God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.
Psalm 73:23-26
Reflection:
Through the dogma of the communion of saints, the church teaches that the living can actively help those who have died through prayer, sacrifice, and especially the Mass," the greatest prayer, "as Mary says elsewhere.
It is common practice to arrange for Masses to be offered for loved ones, often on the anniversary of their death, but any time is appropriate. Your Parish secretary or priest can assist you in this; Mass intentions are normally announced in the church bulletin, unless you wish otherwise ( it is customary, through not required, to give an offering).
Application:
Today, pray for the souls in purgatory, especially the forgotten dead.
change immediately the dispositions of a heart and to cause the sweetest repose
and full contentment to succeed the greatest trouble and sorrow. Many have
approached the Blessed Sacrament languishing and overwhelmed with grief, and
have returned replenished with strength, courage, and even alacrity and joy"
(Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen).
God speaks in the silence of the heart, and we listen. And then we speak to God from the fullness of our heart, and God listens.
Archbishop Fulton Sheen -
Speak up for virtue, clamp down on vice!
"The greatest responsibility falls on religious leaders whose message ought to be the message many want from politicians - the clarion call to restraint on evil influences and the showing forth of altruism and love of God."
Jesus, when You come to me in Holy Communion, You Who together with the Father and the Holy Spirit have deigned to dwell in the little heaven of my heart, I try to keep You company throughout the day, I do not leave You alone for even a moment. Although I am in the company of other people or with our wards, my heart is always united to Him. When I am asleep I offer Him every beat of my heart; when I awaken I immerse myself in Him without saying a word. When I awaken I adore the Holy Trinity for a short while and thank God for having deigned to give me yet another day, that the mystery of the incarnation of His Son may once more be repeated in me, and that once again His sorrowful Passion may unfold before my eyes. I then try to make it easier for Jesus to pass through me to other souls. I go everywhere with Jesus; His presence accompanies me everywhere. (486)
When I entered the chapel, once again the majesty of God overwhelmed me. I felt that I was immersed in God, totally immersed in Him and penetrated by Him, being aware of how much the heavenly Father loves us. Oh, what great happiness fills my heart from knowing God and the divine life! It is my desire to share this happiness with all people. I cannot keep this happiness locked in my own heart alone, for His flames burn me and cause my bosom and my entrails to burst asunder. I desire to go throughout the whole world and speak to souls about the great mercy of God. Priests, help me in this; use the strongest words [at your disposal] to proclaim His mercy, for every word falls short of how merciful He really is. (491)
MEDJUGORJE DAY BY DAY
AUGUST 12 - PREPARE YOURSELVES IN PRAYER
On this day in 1988, in anticipation of the Assumption, Our Lady gave the following message to Ivan's prayer group:
Dear children, your Mother asks you to pray as much as you can during these two days. Prepare yourselves in prayer for the feast to come. Dear children, I would like to tell you to bring peace to other during these days. Encourage others to change. You cannot, dear children, give peace if you, yourselves, are not at inner peace. Tonight I give you peace. Give peace to others ! Dear children, be a light that shines.
I ask you pray the Glorious Mysteries when you go back to your homes tonight. Pray them in front of the cross (Visionary Prayer Group Message December 12, 1988).
The peace of prayer often comes in times of quiet and solitude. From Psalm 131:
O Lord, my heart is not lifted up, my eyes are not raised too high;
I do not occupy myself with things too great and too marvelous for me.
But I have calmed and quieted my soul, like a weaned child with its mother; my soul is like the weaned child that is with me. Psalm 131:1-2
Reflection:
As the Madonna says today, prayer is the means to great love and peace. But if often requires solitude and quiet so that the tranquil presence of God's Spirit can be felt. From a poem by James Dillet Freeman:
Prayer is a state of being, like snowfall At night. As in the silence of yourself your pray, All thing particular, familiar, small Or large, dissolve and slowly melt away. Only the white perfection of your prayer Is there, enveloping all things, until The oneness of the One is everywhere. Nothing remains the same only the still, Only the peace of being, not so much Filling space as obliterating space, An emptiness and allness, like the touch Of snowfall in the night upon your face. But when your prayer ends and you rise and go, Your world shines new around you, like new snow.
Application:
Today, as the Virgin asks, begin preparing for the Assumption through quiet time in prayer; seek a place of solitude and rest in God's peace.
Tuesday, August 16, 2011
The Betrayal of Jesus
Dear Friends,
Then one of the Twelve, who was called Judas Iscar iot, went to the chief priests and said, "What are you willing to give me if I hand him over to you?" They paid him thirty pieces of silver, and from that time on he looked for an opportunity to hand him over.
On the first day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread, the disciples approached Jesus and said, "Where do you want us to prepare for you to eat the Passover?" He said, "Go into the city to a certain man and tell him, 'The teacher says, "My appointed time draws near; in your house I shall celebrate the Passover with my disciples."'"
The disciples then did as Jesus had ordered, and prepared the Passover. When it was evening, he reclined at table with the Twelve. And while they were eating, he said, "Amen, I say to you, one of you will betray me."
Deeply distressed at this, they began to say to him one after another, "Surely it is not I, Lord?" He said in reply, "He who has dipped his hand into the dish with me is the one who will betray me.
The Son of Man indeed goes, as it is written of him, but woe to that man by whom the Son of Man is betrayed. It would be better for that man if he had never been born." Then Judas, his betrayer, said in reply, "Surely it is not I, Rabbi?" He answered, "You have said so." (Passage from the Gospel of Matthew 26:14-25)
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Below you will find the message of Our Lord and Savior given to Father Melvin. Jesus spoke to him these words,
"As your Lord and Savior, I bless you, My brother Melvin and all My brothers and sisters living in every part of the world.
I am the Son of God who came down upon the earth to teach you all the truth and at the end to suffer and die for you so you could be saved. Is it imaginable that a man, who had been with Me as My disciple, should betray Me to the high priest and have Me arrested and tortured and killed. My disciple was Judas Iscariot.
He arranged everything to have Me arrested. He should have known that as God I knew everything that he was doing. This is why at the Last Supper, before I consecrated the bread and wine into My very Body and Blood, I announced that there was one present who would betray Me.
None of the other Apostles knew about this but of course Judas knew because he had already started planning all this. Judas is an example of a person who is possessed by the devil who leads him to betray his Savior and Lord. In fact he had been a betrayer from the beginning as he used to steal money from the moneybag.
There are many "Judases" in the world today; they are ready to betray Me for anything. Some can even be bishops and priests. There are many too who are lay people. I call you to come back to Me now so you can be saved."
Father Melvin