May prayer be life to you!
(c)Mateo Ivankovic 2016 JMJ September 27, 2016 St. Vincent de Paul Dear Family of Mary! “Dear children! Today, I am calling you to prayer. May prayer be life to you. Only in this way will your heart be filled with peace and joy. God will be near you and you will feel Him in your heart as a friend. You will speak with Him as with someone whom you know and, little children, you will have a need to witness, because Jesus will be in your heart and you, united in Him. I am with you and love all of you with my motherly love. Thank you for having responded to my call.” (September 25, 2016) “Dear children! Today, I am calling you to prayer. May prayer be life to you.” Our Lady has urged us to prayer all these years. She has used many helpful and powerful metaphors for prayer. She wants us to pray. She wants us to understand the value of prayer. But most often we will not understand prayer unless we experience it, unless we pray. But I thought it would be interesting to share a few of Our Lady’s attempts to describe prayer for us. In her words, she lures us to try to pray. She knows how important it is to be connected with God through prayer. Here are some samples: “May prayer be your daily practice.” (June 25, 2003) “May prayer be for you like the seed that you will put in my heart, which I will give over to my Son Jesus for you, for the salvation of your souls.” (January 25, 2009) “May prayer become a need for you to grow more in holiness every day.” (March 25, 2012) “Prayer works miracles in you and through you, therefore, little children, may prayer be a joy for you.” (September 25, 2013) “May prayer be for you the wings for an encounter with God.” (August 25, 2015) “Prayer will be your joy and your rest.” (May 30, 1985) ” Only in prayer will you be near to me and my Son and you will see how short this life is. In your heart a desire for Heaven will be born. Joy will begin to rule in your heart and prayer will begin to flow like a river. In your words there will only be thanksgiving to God for having created you and the desire for holiness will become a reality for you. Thank you for having responded to my call.” (August 25, 2006) “Little children, may prayer flow from your hearts like fresh water from a spring.” (August 25, 1999) “Let your prayer become a sign of offering to God.” (June 13, 1984) “…let your prayer be a sign of surrender to God.” (June 13, 1985) “My call to you is that your prayer be the joy of an encounter with the Lord.”(August 14, 1986 “Pray, my dear little children, so prayer becomes your daily bread.” (January 25, 1992) “Open yourselves to prayer so that prayer becomes a need for you.” (February 25, 2002) “May your prayer be as strong as a living stone, until with your lives you become witnesses.” (January 25, 2013) I also discovered that the most often used phase was a variation of “May prayer become a joy for you!” Joy and prayer are almost synonymous for Our Lady. Of course, she is the one who said, “My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord and my spirit rejoices in in God my Savior!” She lived the life of joyful prayer. And this is what she wants for us! So, today, may we take her words to heart, and pray, pray, pray!!!! In Jesus, Mary and Joseph! Cathy Nolan ©Mary TV 2016 PS. Special programing tomorrow, September 27, 2016: A Message For You On Tuesday, September 27, 2016, MaryTV will stream LIVE from Vienna’s St. Stephens Cathedral “A MESSAGE FOR YOU!” With Medjugorje visionary Ivan Dragicevic, Jelena Vasilj, Christoph Cardinal Schönborn, etc. September 27th Schedule Daily Rosary – 3:00 pm Medj (9:00 am EDT) Vienna Evening of Prayer – 4:00 pm Medj (10:00 am EDT) Hour of Mercy, Evening Parish Rosary & Evening International Mass will be preempted by special programming.