Lord have mercy on us, Christ hear us!
April 3, 2020
Dear Family of Mary!
On the Feast of St. Joseph, March 19, Fr. Marinko gave a short address to the people at St. James church, and to all of us on the internet. He wanted to help us find a holy and beautiful way to approach this difficult situation, the coronavirus pandemic. He used St. Joseph as a good example of how to face adversity. Many of our countries are just now hitting the peak of this epidemic, and I think Fr. Marinko’s words are good to remember.
“When everything is good, we forget about God.”
-Fr. Marinko, Medjugorje
Praised be Jesus and Mary!
Dear friends of Medjugorje, dear brothers and sisters throughout the world, all of you who are connected with Medjugorje through the spirituality that our Heavenly Mother Mary, the Queen of Peace brings to us here, I greet you all from the depth of my heart and wish to say a few words to you.
Today, on the Solemnity of St. Joseph, we are receiving a message for all of us in this situation, and it is a message from the life of St. Joseph and the life of Mary.
So, we wonder, what was the situation of Joseph? He was in a very difficult situation! He was to take Mary as his wife, and she was now pregnant. He knew that the child was not his and it was a very difficult situation. He did not know what to do!
Joseph struggled, yet he was righteous for he did not remain with his own plans, thoughts and desires. He did not think that the right thing to do was to do what he thought, but he was open. He was open to God’s plans, God’s perspective. When the angel said to him: “Joseph, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife!”, he believed the angel and he took Mary to be his wife.
These words are so important today, dear friends, words important for us all and these words are: Do not be afraid! The angel said those words to Mary too: “Mary, do not be afraid! The Lord is with you!”
Those were the words the angel said to Joseph: “Do not be afraid!”
And the Lord says the same words to us too: “Do not be afraid!”
Of course, there is fear, fear is also justified. We need to be careful, to take care and to be disciplined. We need to maintain hygiene, and this is also right and very important. However, we cannot do that in anxiety and in fear, but in faith! We need to have faith that the Lord is with us and we are His and all shall be well!
This situation is a great opportunity for us. We could take it as something tragic, and in a way, it is something hard, of course it is hard. But this is an opportunity for us to get closer to Jesus. This is an opportunity to return to God, to return to prayer, to family, to true values.
When everything is good, we forget about God. When all is good, we only seek for pleasure, entertainment, things that are good in a material way and we forget what is needed, the only thing we need. As Jesus said to Martha, “the one thing necessary”!
Now, this is that moment! In this time, we ask ourselves and we seek “the one thing necessary.” Only that is important to us, to survive. We Christians may not know it in that sense, that this is the one thing. But we want to live with Christ, now and in eternity! Now to live with Christ!
This is an opportunity, dear friends, to pray the Rosary, to grasp the Rosary in our hands. Our Lady teaches us that our strength is in the Rosary, let us grasp the Rosary! Read the Word of God, fast, climb Apparition Hill, Cross Mountain, or in our own places to find a way to pray individually or with the family, on our knees. Open our hands and open our hearts to the Lord. Pray to Him that He may strengthen our faith, to strengthen our trust in Him, to increase our love and fortify our hope! Pray to Him that the love of God may reign in our hearts, that He may open our hearts to get to know His love, the love of the Merciful Father who loves us unconditionally, to open to that sun and the warmth of His love.
This is an opportunity, dear friends, to discover the Eucharist. There are those places and countries where the Eucharist is no longer celebrated for the public, for justified reasons to prevent people from moving around or gathering in great numbers, to spend more time at home and to be able to be protected, so this disease and this epidemic is prevented in that way. Yet, for us this is an opportunity to discover the Eucharist, to discover the value of the sacrament of the Confession. For we may have forgotten about it, we may have gotten used to it, and now when we do not have it, may we all hunger for the Eucharist, love it ever so much more, long for Confession and Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament.
So, dear friends, this is the time of grace. It is a difficult time, but a time of grace. Let us make use of this time! Let us believe in the Lord and His words – “Do not be afraid!”
When this time is over, we will then have one great experience, the experience of having believed during a difficult time! This is what will carry us in our life, and we will realize that it is possible, it is possible, yes, it is possible!
This is what Gospa has been teaching us! She does not remove obstacles from us, she does not say to us – I will take away all the problems you have. No! She says – I wish to teach you how to be strong within, how to have strong faith, hope, love, so you will be able to endure in the hard moments, be patient, await in hope and faith.
Dear friends, this is what we wish for you from the depth of our hearts. This is an opportunity for us to start living the messages our Mother has been inviting us to live for so many years. Let us make use of this time, let us start!
Our Lady once told us the same thing:
So, we wonder, what was the situation of Joseph? He was in a very difficult situation! He was to take Mary as his wife, and she was now pregnant. He knew that the child was not his and it was a very difficult situation. He did not know what to do!
Joseph struggled, yet he was righteous for he did not remain with his own plans, thoughts and desires. He did not think that the right thing to do was to do what he thought, but he was open. He was open to God’s plans, God’s perspective. When the angel said to him: “Joseph, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife!”, he believed the angel and he took Mary to be his wife.
These words are so important today, dear friends, words important for us all and these words are: Do not be afraid! The angel said those words to Mary too: “Mary, do not be afraid! The Lord is with you!”
Those were the words the angel said to Joseph: “Do not be afraid!”
And the Lord says the same words to us too: “Do not be afraid!”
Of course, there is fear, fear is also justified. We need to be careful, to take care and to be disciplined. We need to maintain hygiene, and this is also right and very important. However, we cannot do that in anxiety and in fear, but in faith! We need to have faith that the Lord is with us and we are His and all shall be well!
This situation is a great opportunity for us. We could take it as something tragic, and in a way, it is something hard, of course it is hard. But this is an opportunity for us to get closer to Jesus. This is an opportunity to return to God, to return to prayer, to family, to true values.
When everything is good, we forget about God. When all is good, we only seek for pleasure, entertainment, things that are good in a material way and we forget what is needed, the only thing we need. As Jesus said to Martha, “the one thing necessary”!
Now, this is that moment! In this time, we ask ourselves and we seek “the one thing necessary.” Only that is important to us, to survive. We Christians may not know it in that sense, that this is the one thing. But we want to live with Christ, now and in eternity! Now to live with Christ!
This is an opportunity, dear friends, to pray the Rosary, to grasp the Rosary in our hands. Our Lady teaches us that our strength is in the Rosary, let us grasp the Rosary! Read the Word of God, fast, climb Apparition Hill, Cross Mountain, or in our own places to find a way to pray individually or with the family, on our knees. Open our hands and open our hearts to the Lord. Pray to Him that He may strengthen our faith, to strengthen our trust in Him, to increase our love and fortify our hope! Pray to Him that the love of God may reign in our hearts, that He may open our hearts to get to know His love, the love of the Merciful Father who loves us unconditionally, to open to that sun and the warmth of His love.
This is an opportunity, dear friends, to discover the Eucharist. There are those places and countries where the Eucharist is no longer celebrated for the public, for justified reasons to prevent people from moving around or gathering in great numbers, to spend more time at home and to be able to be protected, so this disease and this epidemic is prevented in that way. Yet, for us this is an opportunity to discover the Eucharist, to discover the value of the sacrament of the Confession. For we may have forgotten about it, we may have gotten used to it, and now when we do not have it, may we all hunger for the Eucharist, love it ever so much more, long for Confession and Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament.
So, dear friends, this is the time of grace. It is a difficult time, but a time of grace. Let us make use of this time! Let us believe in the Lord and His words – “Do not be afraid!”
When this time is over, we will then have one great experience, the experience of having believed during a difficult time! This is what will carry us in our life, and we will realize that it is possible, it is possible, yes, it is possible!
This is what Gospa has been teaching us! She does not remove obstacles from us, she does not say to us – I will take away all the problems you have. No! She says – I wish to teach you how to be strong within, how to have strong faith, hope, love, so you will be able to endure in the hard moments, be patient, await in hope and faith.
Dear friends, this is what we wish for you from the depth of our hearts. This is an opportunity for us to start living the messages our Mother has been inviting us to live for so many years. Let us make use of this time, let us start!
Our Lady once told us the same thing:
June 2, 2007 “Dear children! Also in this difficult time God’s love sends me to you. My children, do not be afraid, I am with you. With complete trust give me your hearts, that I may help you to recognize the signs of the time in which you live. I will help you to come to know the love of my Son. I will triumph through you. Thank you.”
May Our Lady’s triumph come, and come soon!!
In Jesus, Mary and Joseph!
Cathy Nolan
(c) Mary TV 2020
