Author: Cathy Nolan

(c) Mary TV September 24, 2020 Dear Family of Mary! As we approach the 25th, and the hopes of a new message, it is always good to take a good look at the previous message.  On August 25th, Our Lady said to us: “Dear children! This is a time of grace. I am with you and anew am calling you, little children: return to God and to prayer until prayer will be a joy for you. Little children, you do not have a future or peace until your life begins with a personal conversion and a change to the good. Evil will cease and peace will begin to reign in your hearts and in the world. Therefore, little children, pray, pray, pray.  I am with you and intercede before my Son Jesus for each of you. Thank you for having responded to my call.”  (August 25, 2020) I am always drawn to the words “pray, pray, pray.”  Repeating the word “pray” three times is something Our Lady has done at least 73 times in her messages. This repetition from Our Lady tells us that she really means it!!  She really, really, really means it!!  We need to pray. I found a teaching by Fr. Slavko in which he discusses the strong desire of Our Lady that we pray, pray, pray!  In this commentary on the message of March 25, 1993, Fr. Slavko was encouraging the people of Medjugorje and the whole world to pray, pray, pray for peace as Our Lady asked. At that time, Medjugorje was surrounded by the terrible war in the Balkans.  But Our Lady did not abandon the people, and her messages helped them to stay on the path of peace.  Fr. Slavko explained how living Our Lady’s messages would make for peace, and the defeat of Satan.  Twenty-seven years later, we are still facing conflicts and wars in our families, our communities, and our countries.  His words are equally timely for us today.  He wrote: Therefore, Dear Children, Pray, Pray, Pray. In this message we again feel a premonition of Mary’s role – the woman clothed in the sun, with the moon at her feet and a crown of stars on her head – who with her offspring is defeating satan, casting him under her feet and then crushing his head.  By God’s goodness we are, as was Jesus, her chosen offspring.  Victory is promised to us but only on the condition that we cooperate in the battle against evil and decide for goodness.  Consequently it is very important for us to recognize and accept our weakness and wickedness, that we renounce it and in that way put a stop to every cooperation with the enemy of peace. That is the call for every Christian but especially for the friends of Mary, the Queen of Peace. Due to her apparitions in Medjugorje we have consciously and firmly decided to stand beneath her banner.  We decided against all wickedness that could give the evil one an opportunity to act through us.  Every sin, by which we provoke little wars and unrest, kills goodness around us.  Sin threatens the divine program of peace in and around us and thus bursts out in the flames of world conflicts and destruction.  This month’s triple call to peace must, by all means, be taken urgently by us. There is not time for waiting!  Through prayer we must put to an end the interior and exterior destruction of man, of the Church, of the nations and of the world. Through prayer, man’s heart and soul will be healed and then it will be easy to find the means to restoring a just and lasting peace.  In this war-torn season, when such great evils have been poured into the laps of individuals, of families and of the world that we must through faith accept as crosses, let us take the time and dedicate each other to God. He is powerful and wishes to give life and peace and spare us from war and destruction.  Although it may in many instances appear already too late, the Easter message clearly tells us that life was born on the Cross.  There invincibility sprouted from the grave, the One who was rejected and died between two thieves has crushed hatred and stands gloriously with His Easter banner and, as Victor, walks before us.  Let us now pray, convert, fast, and reconcile so that He may draw us as individuals, as families and as nations from darkness and death to the light and to life!   (Fr. Slavko Barbaric, Marcy 30, 1993. “Mother! Lead us to Peace!! Copywright:Nicolas Maria Eltz, 1995) When we respond to Our Lady’s call to pray, we open the doors of our hearts to the Lord.  We open our lives up to Jesus, so He can become our Lord and lead us into peace.  Prayer is essential.  If we are going to renounce satan and all his evil promises, we must pray.  Prayer protects us from sin.  Prayer gives us peace.  Prayer brings us into communion with God.  So as we wait for another message, let’s pray, pray, pray!  Let’s never give up on prayer.  Our Lady needs us. In Jesus, Mary, and Joseph! Cathy Nolan ©Mary TV 2020    

(c) Mary TV September 23, 2020 St. Pio of Pietrelcina, priest Dear Family of Mary! June 12, 1986 “Dear children! Today I call you to begin to pray the Rosary with a living faith. That way I will be able to help you. You, dear children, wish to obtain graces, but you are not praying. I am not able to help you because you do not want to get started. Dear children, I am calling you to pray the Rosary and that your Rosary be an obligation which you shall fulfill with joy. That way you shall understand the reason I am with you this long. I desire to teach you to pray. Thank you for having responded to my call.” This is the Feast day of St. Pio of Pietrelcina, our dear Padre Pio!  During the Daily Rosary we have prayed a Novena in honor of Padre Pio, asking his powerful intercession for Mary TV and all our Mary TV Family!  Today we are concluding that Novena.  Here is a beautiful account of something Padre Pio shared with one of his brother priests, which shows how much he understood about Our Lady and the power of her Rosary in the work of salvation: One day when Padre Pellegrino and Padre Pio were sitting together in the monastery garden enjoying a moment of relaxation, Padre Pio noticed one of his fellow Capuchins, Brother Costantino, who was sitting a short distance away. The elderly Brother was praying his Rosary in the open air. Padre Pio recognized that Brother Costantino, in his great devotion to the Mother of God, was a great spiritual role model for all of the other Capuchins. Padre Pio said to Padre Pellegrino: “Do you see Brother Costantino? Old and sick as he is, he seems now to be worth nothing. And yet, as an obedient son of Holy Mother Church, who knows how to hold a Rosary in his hand and knows how to pray to the Madonna, he is worth more than you or me. “Do you know why he has so much peace of soul? Because he has placed all his trust in the Most Holy Virgin, and because he interests himself as little as possible in the problems of the world. “His spirit of prayer and his devotion to the Most Holy Virgin are virtues that wash away all defects and all human weaknesses. He draws on himself the gaze of the Madonna and his prayers have saved many souls. “You think that the penitents are attracted by the confessor, but instead they are spurred on to penance by these hidden prayers. The Madonna listens to these devout sons of the Holy Church. I would almost say that she gets her strength from the prayers of these men whom you consider useless. “For me, these brothers in the faith always say something on behalf of the Most Holy Virgin, on behalf of the Church, and on behalf of God.” Padre Pio’s love for Mary was evident as he prayed the Rosary whenever there was a free moment in his busy day. He carried a Rosary with him at all times and was either holding it in his hand or had it close by. One of the Capuchins who assisted Padre Pio in the morning when he washed his hands said that he would wash first one hand and then the other because he wanted to keep one hand free to hold his Rosary! Padre Pio Newsletter Issue 75 https://padrepiodevotions.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/75-Apr2018-SaintPio_Web.pdf We should not flag in our zeal for the Rosary.  Clearly it is the Rosary that Padre Pio grasped as his weapon in the battle for souls.  In our day it is no different!  May we pray the Rosary in imitation of Padre Pio, and because we love Our Lady so much! And here is a prayer that Padre Pio prayed often.  Let’s ask Him to pray it for us today! A Prayer by St. Pio of Pietrelcina May your heart always be the temple of the Holy Spirit. May Jesus always be the helmsman of your little spiritual ship. May Mary be the star which shines on your path and may she show you the safe way to reach the Heavenly Father. Amen. Thank you, Padre Pio, for receiving our prayer!  Thank you for being our spiritual guide and friend! In Jesus, Mary, and Joseph! Cathy Nolan © Mary TV 2020  

(c) Mary TV September 22, 2020 Dear Family of Mary! I could not resist! Stefanie was able to transcribe Fr. Leon’s homily of September 21, 2020, the Feast of St. Matthew. I believe it is something we all should hear and take in. So here is the full transcript. English Homily in Medjugorje Monday, September 21, 2020 Feast of St. Matthew, Apostle and Evangelist Father Leon Pereira The Lord be with you. A Reading from the Holy Gospel according to Matthew (9:9-13) At that time, as Jesus passed on, he saw a man called Matthew sitting at the tax office. And he said to him, “Follow me.” And he rose up and followed him. And as he sat at the table in the house, behold, many tax collectors and sinners came and sat down with Jesus and his disciples. And when the Pharisees saw this, they said to his disciples, “Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?” But when he heard this, he said, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. Go and learn what this means, ‘I desire mercy not sacrifice.’ I came not to call the righteous but sinners.” The Gospel of the Lord Homily Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, Amen. The painter Michelangelo Caravaggio – now he’s more popularly known by his surname because of the other Michelangelo, who is the famous one: Michelangelo Buonarroti… Caravaggio was a bit of a bad boy. He was… actually, he was a terrible person in many ways – which is why he is one of my favorites. He was always getting into fights. He had addictions; he was gambling. And he was very religious as well. He tried running away from his past, but his past was always catching up with him. And he went in desperation to do penance on the island of Malta; lived with some monks. He had no money to pay them; so he made many paintings. So a lot of “Caravaggio’s” ended up in Malta. And then his past caught up with him again. And he accidentally killed someone. And he was on his way to the Pope to beg for forgiveness when he died on a beach somewhere not too far from the Pope. Caravaggio is famous for a technique in painting we call “chiaroscuro.” Chiaroscuro means “light and shadow.” Before Caravaggio, people who wanted to paint shadows, they painted black. And it was black. But Caravaggio didn’t do that. He painted a deep red and then over that, he painted black. And then when you look at it, you realize that the darkness has a certain depth to it. The reason he did this was because of the darkness within him. He knew that the darkness is not just dark. The problem is, if you stare too long at the dark, you realize that the dark has a pair of eyes and is staring back. Caravaggio knew evil because he saw it within himself. This is the reason, you know, when people do stupid things like reiki or tarot cards or Ouija board, then they’re surprised that they have evil spirits attaching to them. Don’t be surprised! If you stare at the dark, the dark stares back. Now, chiaroscuro: light and shadow. In the Church of San Luigi dei Francesi in Rome – this is the national French church in Rome; it’s the church I always stopped at every time I passed by, and I think I passed by once a week – there’s a famous painting of the gospel you heard today: The Call of St. Matthew. In it you have Jesus pointing at Matthew, calling him. Okay. And then you have Peter next to Jesus pointing like, “You mean, him?” And then you have Matthew pointing, “Do you mean me?” Okay. And all sorts of things are going on. First of all, Caravaggio deliberately paints the source of light in the whole painting as Jesus. Now you think, you know, light would come in from a window. But look at this painting carefully – look it up on the Internet – and you’ll see the light actually comes from Jesus outwards, and all the shadows follow accordingly. Now, the finger-pointing is important. Let’s go back. Let’s start at the ending. Matthew – there’s actually two Matthew’s: There’s one Matthew pointing and wondering, “Do you really mean me?” and then there’s another Matthew who is busy still counting the money, not looking at Jesus. Caravaggio is saying, “When you are called by God, you have a choice.” You can carry on with your lousy life; still counting the money, in Matthew’s case. Or you can look at Jesus and say, “Do you mean me?” Now Matthew here is beset by doubts: Am I worthy enough? Do you really mean me? Do you even know who I am? Do you know my name? And of course, the Lord knows us. He knows us by name and call us, by name. So, we have the first obstacle: my own doubts about myself, my unworthiness, my thoughts about my unworthiness, my unsuitability, surely someone else will be far better for this? Okay. The second one, the one that hampers us perhaps more, is Peter: “You mean, this guy?” Our friends and family – these are the people who do not want us to change. You come back from Medjugorje and they say, “Ahhh, now you’re pretending to be ‘Holy Joe,’ but we know what you’re really like. Don’t try and fool us. We know what the measure of you really is.” And these are the major obstacles in our spiritual life: other people and listening to them. Which is why, you know, people tell you, you’re…  …I remember, you know, in my childhood – Indian childhood is a terrible thing, you know. I think Indian parents have said this before, as soon as your child is born, start saving, not for college, but for therapy. Okay? For therapy. Because, when I was a child, I was told, “you’re clumsy,” “you’re good for nothing,” blah, blah, blah. And then later on, when I grew up, I kept believing I was clumsy. Then I found I was actually quite capable. And I thought, “They were lying; they were lying when they told me I was… whatever.” And also another lie that they told me, was they kept saying to me, “You’re shy, you’re shy.” So, I believed this. And I used to, you know, I thought, I acted shy; and I believed this. And I remembered once, I was in Oxford in my 30’s, training as a Dominican. And I was at dinner with my friends, and I said to them, “You know, I’m really shy.” And they did the best thing anyone could have done for me, they all burst out laughing. And they were crying with their tears running down their faces. And they said, “You, shy?! How ridiculous!” And when they did that, I thought, “Oh yeah, I’m not actually shy.” So, don’t believe the stuff people tell you about yourself! Why? Because they’re just projecting their own rubbish at you. Their own inadequacies, their own failures, their own weaknesses. And they – because they’re bitter, and horrible, and twisted, and ugly – they throw it at you. And say, “Oh, you know, you’re whatever. You’re such and such.” And you just have to shrug your shoulders and say, “Whatever.” Do not believe them. It is absolute nonsense. Then, here comes the cure: How you don’t have to believe them? Jesus! How does He point? Caravaggio deliberately does something very beautiful and very clever. When Jesus points, he makes Jesus’ hand do something like this (gestures with a softly curved pointing hand). And I hope that is familiar to you. Because, it is on the Sistine Chapel on the ceiling. When God creates Adam, He points something like this. Caravaggio is saying, “When Jesus points at you and calls you by name, it is like when God created Adam.” Jesus is creating you anew. He is making you a new creation by calling you by name. Matthew is not actually Matthew’s name. We’ve seen the gospels. He is known as “Levi, son of Alphaeus.” And here, he is called, “Matthew.” Why? Most likely, Jesus gave him a new name.  Meaning, “you are a new person. I make you new!” Forget about your past. Forget about what other people say about you. Forget about your own doubts about yourself. You are a new creation through the Holy Spirit, through the action of Jesus, by the Love of the Father. This is what happens to us in the call of Jesus. I said, “Do not stare at the dark too long. The darkness has eyes and will stare back.” Do not be obsessed with evil and the occult, and those kinds of stupid things. Look only at the light. Chiaroscuro. Caravaggio knew that. Don’t look at the darkness. Look at the light. And the Source of Light is Jesus. In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen, thank you Fr. Leon! We long to be called by Jesus. To be chosen by Him, as Matthew was chosen. Our Lady said to us: “Dear children, Also today as I am with you in the great love of God I desire to ask you: Are you also with me? Are your hearts open for me? Do you permit me with my love to purify and prepare them for my Son? My children, you have been chosen because, in your time, the great grace of God has descended on earth. Do not hesitate to accept it. Thank you.” April 2, 2008 We have been chosen because the great grace of God has descended on earth. That grace is the presence of Our Lady! And she is choosing us to become her apostles of love, just as Matthew was chosen to be an Apostle of Jesus. Can we respond to that great grace? Do we feel the call? Are we ready to become a new person in Christ. I believe we are! In Jesus, Mary and Joseph! Cathy Nolan (c)Mary TV 2020

(c) Mary TV September 21, 2020 St. Matthew, Apostle and Evangelist Dear Family of Mary! In Fr. Leon’s reflection for the 18th Day of the 33 Day Consecration to Jesus through Mary, he shared something amazing and encouraging.  I will quote him: The Reflection for today:  If we wait until we are perfect to serve God, we will never serve Him because we will never be perfect.  There was a man who felt he was always saying the wrong thing when speaking to people, so he decided to stop speaking.  This went on for a whole week.  A friend of his asked him why he was silent all the time.  He explained his reason for it.  The friend told him how foolish this was.  “God has made you an outgoing, chatty person.  He is using you in that way to touch many hearts.” We should not be afraid of making mistakes.  We should be more afraid of not serving God in the freedom of our personality.  As Saint Irenaeus said, “The glory of God is a man fully alive.” Fr. Leon brings to the fore something very important.  God has made each one of us completely unique!  We have a collection of gifts that make us one of a kind!!  And He loves to see us grow into the person we are created to be, with joy and gratitude, sharing who we are for the sake of others.  The only thing that can spoil this creation is sin, as we all know.  So that is why we must offer ourselves to the Lord constantly, trusting that He will help us to become freer and freer of sin, and more ready to love! Our Lady has told us many times that she has chosen us, with our unique and singular gifts, just the way we are!  She understands the infinite variety of God’s creation, and she knows that each one of us is made, like snowflakes, as one of a kind!  She has said to us: October 25, 2015 “…Little children, decide also today for holiness and take the example of the saints of this time and you will see that holiness is a reality for all of you. Rejoice in the love, little children, that in the eyes of God you are unrepeatable and irreplaceable, because you are God’s joy in this world. Witness peace, prayer and love…” May 24, 1984 “Dear children! I have told you already that I have chosen you in a special way, just the way you are…” April 02, 2015 “Dear children, I have chosen you, my apostles, because all of you carry something beautiful within you. You can help me to have the love, for the sake of which my Son died and then resurrected, win anew…” Maybe we can take some time today to thank the Lord for how He created us, and ask Him to show us how we can make a return for His creative love for us, by loving Him back, just the way we are!! In Jesus, Mary and Joseph! Cathy Nolan      

(c) Mary TV September 18, 2020 Dear Family of Mary! Today I asked Fr. Slavko to help me with my reflection, as I am very tired, and I can’t concentrate!  I went to his book: “Give me your wounded heart – A Guide to Confession.”  And I came across this chapter.  I think it is a good one for us!! Chapter 13 – You are called to Confession! On March 25, 1985, The Feast of the Annunciation, Our Lady gave this message through Marija Pavlovic: March 25, 1985  “Today I wish to call you all to confession, even if you have confessed a few days ago. I wish that you all experience my feast day within yourselves. But you cannot experience it unless you abandon yourselves completely to God. Therefore, I am inviting you all to reconciliation with God!” This is one of the most striking messages in which Our Lady invites us to confession.  Viewed in relation to the Feast of the Annunciation, one more thing about confession is clear. Mary is the new Eve.  She said, “Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord.  May it be done unto me according to Thy word” (LK 1:38).  With these words of Mary, the handmaid of the Lord, a new world began. The first woman, Eve, did not fulfill God’s plan in her life.  She sinned, and through sin man rejected God and His plans.  Through sin, man preferred his own will, and rejected God’s will.  Mary brought healing to a world which was hurt by the disobedience of our first parents.  It was possible because Christ, the new Adam, accepted the will of the Father and entered the world to save the world.  He entered the world through Mary, the one who was the humble and obedient handmaid of the Lord. Therefore, the deepest meaning of the Feast of the Annunciation stems not just from the fact that Christ, the Word Divine, became man for us by His incarnation in the womb of the Virgin Mary, but even more, that through Mary’s surrender to God’s will a new history of salvation began. From this great mystery and the reality of the Incarnation, which was dependent upon Mary’s acceptance of the will of God, we discover the deep meaning of confession.  Certainly it is no accident that Mary called us all to confession on her feast.  This helps us to understand the question: What is confession? Confession is the total and conscious acceptance of God’s will and the renunciation of the world which enslaves and destroys us.  It is the acceptance of God’s salvation and light, peace, and love, and the renunciation of the world of darkness, hatred, and unrest. Mary said, “You cannot experience a true celebration of this feast if you do not confess your sins.”  This means that you cannot begin a new life if you are not prepared to tell God, “Here I am, Lord, ready to do your will.”  It is God’s will for us to seek forgiveness for all those areas where we oppose Him and prefer our will to His and where we are really closer to the old Eve than we are to Mary, the new Eve.  Therefore, confession is the moment when we can return to a life without sin and begin to build a new world.  It is the moment when we allow God to enter our lives again, when we put Him first in our lives once more.  It is also the moment when the old man in us is renewed by the power of Christ’s Incarnation. The more sincere we are in our confessions, and the more regularly we receive the sacrament, the closer we will come to celebrating the true spirit of the Annunciation which Mary, the Mother of all the living and the new Eve, refers to in her message.  That celebration is a celebration of life, peace, joy, love, and true community between God and man, and men among themselves. The closer we come to living what Mary is really leading us to in this message, the more we will renounce the destructive power of sin.  We will become stronger when temptations arise, and we will have less fear and anxiety. In this way we will enter into the glory of being children of God.  This is why it is no accident that many pilgrims and priests in Medjugorje confirm that through the sacrament of Confession they have discovered the beauty and significance of the call to conversion, of returning to friendship between God and man. Now the meaning of the ministry of reconciliation which has been given to priests becomes clearer in the eyes of both priests and believers.  Surely, there is no ministry from one person to another more beautiful than the ministry of reconciliation.  (Fr. Slavko Barbaric, O.F.M. – Give Me Your Wounded Heart, A Guide to Confession. Franciscan University Press, 1991) When we realize that a good Confession moves us closer to Mary, it makes us want very much to make that Confession!  We want to be like our Mother, who was able to say “yes” to God at each moment of her life.  If we could say “yes” to God at each moment of our life, we would be filled with peace and hope and joy!! If we are not going to Confession often, regularly, this is the time to start.  We want to draw close to our Mother, Mary! In Jesus, Mary, and Joseph! Cathy Nolan ©Mary TV 2020    

(c) Mary TV September 17, 2020 St. Robert Bellarmine Dear Family of Mary! “Dear children! Today I am calling you to pray for my intentions so that I may help you. Little children, pray the Rosary and meditate the mysteries of the Rosary because, in your life, you are also passing through joys and sorrows. In this way, you are transforming the mysteries into your life, because life is a mystery until you place it into God’s hands. In this way, you will have the experience of faith like Peter who met Jesus and the Holy Spirit filled his heart. Little children, you are also called to witness by living the love with which, day by day, God wraps you with my presence. Therefore, little children, be open and pray with the heart in faith. Thank you for having responded to my call.” (September 25, 2019) Life is a mystery until you place it into God’s hands! I want to share with you the transcript of Fr. Leon Pereira’s homily given on September 15, 2020 in Medjugorje, the Memorial of Our Lady of Sorrows. I can’t resist!! It is such a good homily! And our shipmate, Stephanie, transcribed it for us! So, even though it is long, I think reading it will be very helpful. Thank you, Fr. Leon! Thank you, Stephanie! English Mass Homily Tuesday, September 15, 2020 Fr. Leon Pereira The Lord Be With You! A Reading from the Holy Gospel according to Luke At that time, the father and mother of Jesus marveled at what was being said about him. Simeon blessed them and said to Mary, his mother, “Behold, This child is set for the fall and for the rising of many in Israel, and for a sign of this that was spoken against, (and a sword will pierce through your own soul also), that thoughts out of the heart of many may be revealed. Homily And a sword will pierce through your own soul, too, that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed. In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit When I was going through a particularly bad period of my life back in London, one of the things I used to do was… one of the good things I used to do was to go round The National Gallery – because it’s free, and also because I know very little about art, and arty things, and music, and all that; and I thought I should learn a bit more. And there’s a painting there which really captivated me. It’s by Giovanni Bellini and it’s called the, “Madonna of the Meadow.” Now, Bellini had a lot of practice painting Our Lady. And this is a particularly fine example – so we’re told on the blurb below the painting; a fine example of his work. In the foreground is Our Lady adoring the Infant Christ who is asleep in her lap. And around them there’s cattle and humans resting from the heat of the day. Beyond them, there’s a walled city on a hilltop gleaming in the sunlight, and the trees sprout vertically, calm against a pale blue sky. And it looks simply like a beautiful day in the meadows – a summer’s day. But there’s more hidden in the painting. Near Our Lady, there’s a clump of bare trees, their limbs forking out in the shape of a cross. And on one of them, a vulture is perched – a symbol of death. And at the base of that tree, a Pelican. Now the Pelican is fighting a snake. Remember, the Pelican is an image of Jesus. You know, the ancients believed that the pelican fed its own blood to its offspring. So, pelican naturally became an image of Jesus who gives His own blood to us to drink. So, this Pelican fights a snake; so, it’s Christ fighting satan and death. But, closer in the foreground, it’s even more unsettling. Our Lady’s eyes are downcast, not in adoration, but because she’s weeping. And the child on her lap is not sleeping, but he’s dead. This is like an infant Pietà – you know that famous sculpture in Saint Peter’s; Our Lady holding the dead body of Jesus, clutching the cold corpse – but here it’s portrayed as though it’s the Baby Jesus that’s dead and she’s holding him like this, and weeping. Now this juxtaposition of happiness and sorrow – it’s a beautiful summer’s day, and all these wonderful things going on in the background; an infant child with a dead man. This juxtaposition may strike us as odd, but it is in the Bible. When Mary and Joseph present the Infant Christ in the temple, Simeon prophecies both good and bad things about this child. And he adds cryptically to Mary, “A sword shall pierce your own soul, too.” Mary’s life, in other words, will be sometimes happy and sometimes sad; which is the sort of life that all of us have. But her life is caught up intimately with Christ’s. Her life will ultimately be glorious and glorified. In other words, Mary’s life is like the Rosary: Joyful, Sorrowful, Glorious. In his letter on the Rosary, St. John Paul II said, “The Rosary is meditating on the Face of Christ through the Eyes of Mary.” And he encouraged us all to pray the Rosary for peace and to safeguard families. He encouraged families to pray this Rosary, and for all of us to spread this devotion. To help meditate on the Life of Christ, he even introduced five new mysteries: the Luminous Mysteries that focus on events in Christ’s ministry. Now, when we pray the Rosary, we begin to grasp the mysteries of our faith. It is in the Fourth Joyful Mystery that we hear the gospel that we heard today, where Simeon tells Our Lady, “A sword will pierce your own soul, too.” And then, in the Second Luminous Mystery – the Wedding Feast at Cana – when the mother of Jesus tells him that the wine has run out, Jesus says, “Woman, what is that to you and to me? My hour has not yet come.” The hour which has not yet come is the hour when the Lord will be glorified by the Father; that is, when he is lifted up on the cross dying in agony – when he will draw all things to himself. So, at Cana, Mary is the cause – the occasion – of Jesus’ first sign – his first miracle. The signs of the Kingdom break through because of her. But because of this, she also knows that she is sending him to his “hour.” In other words, at Cana, Jesus is saying, “Do you consent to my hour? Are you sending me to die? Are you saying you will stand at the foot of my cross and watch me die, and have a sword pierce your own soul as well?” Remember what I said yesterday, “There is no Christ without the Cross. There is no Kingdom, there is no Heaven, without the Cross; except through the Cross.” And it’s on Calvary that this “hour” is finally fulfilled. And we pondered this in the Fifth Sorrowful Mystery. Here, Jesus and Mary are associated with each other, just as they were at Cana. As the Second Vatican Council put it; it says that, “Mary faithfully persevered in her union with her son unto the cross, where in keeping with the Divine Plan, she stood enduring with her only begotten the intensity of his suffering.” There are few griefs in this world greater than a mother’s grief. And few griefs greater than the grief of the Mother of God. Mary stands at the foot of the cross, and just as Moses struck the rock in the desert and out flowed water for all the people of Israel, Christ is struck in death with a lance, and from his side flows out water and blood. And in this moment, Simeon’s prophecy is fulfilled, “A sword will pierce your own soul, too, just as your son shall be pierced.” The story doesn’t end here though. It is not yet finished. This is a spoiler alert. Spoilers! We are caught up in this “mystery,” because the Rosary is not completed. The Fifth Glorious Mystery; the full title of the Fifth Glorious Mystery in the Dominican Tradition – and we all know the Dominican Tradition is the right one – is, “The Coronation of Our Lady in Heaven and the Glory of All the Saints.” The reason for this is… actually, in the Middle Ages, the Coronation was the Fourth Glorious Mystery. We used to pray The Assumption and Coronation of Our Lady as the Fourth. And the Fifth one was The Glory of All the Saints, Judgment Day – that was the Fifth Glorious Mystery. But now that Our Lady’s Coronation is moved to the Fifth, it is still associated with this idea of Judgment Day and The Glory of All the Saints. Sometimes you’ll see in books people say, “Oh, it’s The Glory of All the Saints that Mary is crowned in Heaven.” That is true. But that glory is not complete until all of us here are in Heaven. In other words, when we pray the Fifth Glorious Mystery, that’s the mystery that all of us are caught up in now. We are all living the Fifth Glorious Mystery, right now. From now until you die – this is the Fifth Glorious Mystery for every single one of us here. So, the Holy Father, St. John Paul, reminded us that the Rosary accompanies us in moments of joy and in moments of difficulty. So, when we meditate on these mysteries – there’s no simpler way than the Rosary – we come to imbibe, assimilate these mysteries into our own lives. We are caught up in the mysteries of Christ’s life and of Mary’s life. With him, we have died and risen again, through Baptism. And we look in hope for his Second Coming. Our lives, like the lives of Jesus and Mary, they’re sometimes happy, sometimes sad, sometimes terribly sad. But ultimately, glorious. They are sometimes also luminous, especially on Thursdays! Okay. But because we are caught up in the Rosary; the Rosary is our life. It is a mystery and a wonder that Our Lady gave the Rosary to St. Dominic a little over 800 years ago. Such a beautiful and simple way for us to match our lives to Jesus and Mary; to know that we are never alone. This is a great, great consolation. I often think about that Korean woman; you know, who’s husband paid for the statues of Our Lady:  the one on Apparition Hill and the one in the front of the church – and how she was agonizing because of her child who was dying. And when she went up Cross Mountain and she saw – well, this is not a Mystery of the Rosary; well, it’s part of the Mystery of the Rosary – she saw one of the Stations, the station where Jesus meets his agonizing mother. You know, basically the sequence that you heard today: The Stabat Mater. At the cross, her station keeping. When the mother and the child meet, and they are unable to even embrace because he’s so covered in wounds, that she would hurt him and all his wounds would bleed again. She can’t even touch him. Remember the Stations of the Cross, the Meditations of St. Alphonsus Liguori? You all know – the older ones among you – you all know it by heart. Remember? I love thee, Jesus, My love above all things. I repent with my whole heart For ever having offended thee. Never permit me to separate myself from thee again! And grant that I may love thee always, And then, do with me what thou wilt. Okay. Thank you for proving your age. You’re as old as I am at least. But, remember what it says for that mystery: Two souls kiss, that is all. They can’t even touch because of that agony.Today, on this memorial day of Our Lady of Sorrows, this is what we are looking at: The Agony of Jesus and Mary, and Mary not even being able to touch her child. This is not telling us, “Look, you know, your own sorrows are nothing in comparison.” But it is saying our own sorrows are caught up in this sorrow; and through this, our own sorrows also have their healing. In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit! In Jesus, Mary and Joseph! Cathy Nolan ©Mary TV 2020    

(c) Mary TV September 16, 2020 Sts. Cornelius and Cyprian Dear Family of Mary! At Mass today we hear these beautiful words from St. Paul: A reading from the First Letter of Saint Paul to the Corinthians 12:31–13:13: And I will show you a still more excellent way. If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. If I give away all I have, and if I deliver my body to be burned, but have not love, I gain nothing. Love is patient and kind; love is not jealous or boastful; it is not arrogant or rude. Love does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrong, but rejoices in the right. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never ends; as for prophecies, they will pass away; as for tongues, they will cease; as for knowledge, it will pass away. For our knowledge is imperfect and our prophecy is imperfect; but when the perfect comes, the imperfect will pass away. When I was a child, I spoke like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child; when I became a man, I gave up childish ways. For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall understand fully, even as I have been fully understood. So faith, hope, love abide, these three; but the greatest of these is love.    The word of the Lord. Really, St. Paul must have been in ecstasy when he wrote these words to the Corinthians.  If only we could live them… And equally amazing are the words of Our Lady about love, found in this message from 2018: “Dear children, all that my Son, who is the light of love, has done and does, He has done out of love. Also, you, my children, when you live in love and love your neighbors, you are doing the will of my Son. Apostles of my love, make yourselves little; open your pure hearts to my Son so that He can work through you. With the help of faith, be filled with love. But, my children, do not forget that the Eucharist is the heart of faith. This is my Son who feeds you with His Body and strengthens you with His Blood. This is a miracle of love: my Son who always comes anew, alive, to bring life back to souls. My children, by living in love you are doing the will of my Son and He lives in you. My children, my motherly desire is for you to always love Him more, because He is calling you with His love. He is giving you love so that you may spread it to all those around you. As a mother, through His love, I am with you to speak the words of love and hope to you – to speak to you the eternal words that are victorious over time and death – so as to call you to be my apostles of love. Thank you.” (May 02, 2018) We thank you, Mother, for the words of love and hope that you speak to us.  We want to respond to your words, and the words of St. Paul, so as to be your apostles of love, for Love never ends.  Teach us to love. In Jesus, Mary and Joseph! Cathy Nolan ©Mary TV 2020  

(c) Mary TV September 15, 2020 Our Lady of Sorrows Dear Family of Mary! Our Gospel for today: Standing by the cross of Jesus were his mother and his mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene. When Jesus saw his mother and the disciple there whom he loved he said to his mother, “Woman, behold, your son.” Then he said to the disciple, “Behold, your mother.” And from that hour the disciple took her into his home.  John 19:25-27 Today we honor our Sorrowful Mother, Mary.  As exalted as the Cross may be, Our Lady lived through the utter annihilation of her Son on that Cross as He gave His life for our sins.  She lived the Crucifixion in silence, clinging to her trust in the Father as her only strength.  And when Jesus spoke His last words to her, it was to ask her to take as her own children the very people who were the reason for His Crucifixion.  Our sins nailed Jesus to the Cross, and now she was left with us as her children.  Only a heart like hers could have absorbed this moment in an unconditional ascent to Jesus’ request. And so today we honor her for the strength of faith, hope and love that she demonstrated, in the midst of the most horrible sorrow.  And we ask her to continue to be our Mother, never giving up on us just as Jesus did not give up on us. Let’s pray this beautiful litany to Our Lady in gratitude for her selfless love: The Litany of Our Lady of the Seven Sorrows Memorial of Our Lady of Sorrows Lord, have mercy on us. Christ, have mercy on us. Lord, have mercy on us. Christ, hear us. Christ, graciously hear us. God the Father of heaven, have mercy on us. God the Son, Redeemer of the world, have mercy on us. God the Holy Spirit, have mercy on us. Holy Trinity, one God, have mercy on us. Holy Mary, pray for us. Holy Mother of God, pray for us. Holy Virgin of virgins, pray for us. Mother of the Crucified, pray for us. Sorrowful Mother, pray for us. Mournful Mother, pray for us. Sighing Mother, pray for us. Afflicted Mother, pray for us. Desolate Mother, pray for us. Mother most sad, pray for us. Mother set around with anguish, pray for us. Mother overwhelmed by grief, pray for us. Mother transfixed by a sword, pray for us. Mother crucified in thy heart, pray for us. Mother bereaved of thy Son, pray for us. Sighing Dove, pray for us. Mother of Dolors, pray for us. Fount of tears, pray for us. Sea of bitterness, pray for us. Field of tribulation, pray for us. Mass of suffering, pray for us. Mirror of patience, pray for us. Rock of constancy, pray for us. Remedy in perplexity, pray for us. Joy of the afflicted, pray for us. Ark of the desolate, pray for us. Refuge of the abandoned, pray for us. Shield of the oppressed, pray for us. Conqueror of the incredulous, pray for us. Solace of the wretched, pray for us. Medicine of the sick, pray for us. Help of the faint, pray for us. Strength of the weak, pray for us. Protectress of those who fight, pray for us. Haven of the shipwrecked, pray for us. Calmer of tempests, pray for us. Companion of the sorrowful, pray for us. Retreat of those who groan, pray for us. Terror of the treacherous, pray for us. Standard-bearer of the martyrs, pray for us. Treasure of the faithful, pray for us. Light of confessors, pray for us. Pearl of virgins, pray for us. Comfort of widows, pray for us. Joy of all saints, pray for us. Queen of thy servants, pray for us. Holy Mary, who alone art unexampled, pray for us. Pray for us, most Sorrowful Virgin, that we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ. Let us pray: O God, in whose Passion, according to the prophecy of Simeon, a sword of grief pierced through the most sweet soul of Thy glorious Blessed Virgin Mother Mary: grant that we, who celebrate the memory of her Seven Sorrows, may obtain the happy effect of Thy Passion, who lives and reigns world without end. Amen. In Jesus, Mary and Joseph! Cathy Nolan ©Mary TV 2020  

(c) Mary TV September 14, 2020 The Exaltation of the Holy Cross Dear Family of Mary! March 25, 2013 “Dear children! In this time of grace, I call you to take the cross of my beloved Son Jesus in your hands and to meditate on His passion and death. May your suffering be united in His suffering and love will win, because He who is love gave Himself out of love to save each of you. Pray, pray, pray until love and peace begin to reign in your hearts. Thank you for having responded to my call.” You can tell that I am growing to love litanies!  They take great truths and draw them out in a long string of supplications that say so much with so few words!  I need time to take in the magnitude of God’s mercy for us.  Here is the Litany of the Holy Cross.  Today let’s bask in the glory of the Cross, giving thanks that through that Cross we have been saved and given an eternity of joy! THE LITANY OF THE HOLY CROSS. (When we call on the Holy Cross, we are calling on our Savior, Jesus Christ)   Lord, have mercy. Lord, have mercy. Christ, have mercy. Christ, have mercy. Lord, have mercy. Lord, have mercy. Christ, hear us. Christ, graciously hear us. God the Father of Heaven, Have mercy on us. God the Son, Redeemer of the world, Have mercy on us. God the Holy Ghost, our Advocate, Have mercy on us. Holy Trinity, one God, Have mercy on us. Holy Cross where the Lamb of God was offered, Save us, O Holy Cross. Hope of Christians, Save us, O Holy Cross. Pledge of the resurrection of the dead, Save us, O Holy Cross. Shelter of persecuted innocence, Save us, O Holy Cross. Guide of the blind, Save us, O Holy Cross. Way of those who have gone astray, Save us, O Holy Cross. Staff of the lame, Save us, O Holy Cross. Consolation of the poor, Save us, O Holy Cross. Restraint of the powerful, Save us, O Holy Cross. Destruction of the proud, Save us, O Holy Cross. Refuge of sinners, Save us, O Holy Cross. Trophy of victory over Hell, Save us, O Holy Cross. Terror of demons, Save us, O Holy Cross. Mistress of youth, Save us, O Holy Cross. Succor of the distressed, Save us, O Holy Cross. Hope of the hopeless, Save us, O Holy Cross. Star of the mariner, Save us, O Holy Cross. Harbor of the wrecked, Save us, O Holy Cross. Rampart of the besieged, Save us, O Holy Cross. Father of orphans, Save us, O Holy Cross. Defense of widows, Save us, O Holy Cross. Counsel of the just, Save us, O Holy Cross. Judge of the wicked, Save us, O Holy Cross. Rest of the afflicted, Save us, O Holy Cross. Safeguard of childhood, Save us, O Holy Cross. Strength of manhood, Save us, O Holy Cross. Last hope of the aged, Save us, O Holy Cross. Light of those who sit in darkness, Save us, O Holy Cross. Splendor of kings, Save us, O Holy Cross. Civilizer of the world, Save us, O Holy Cross. Shield impenetrable, Save us, O Holy Cross. Wisdom of the foolish, Save us, O Holy Cross. Liberty of slaves, Save us, O Holy Cross. Knowledge of the ignorant, Save us, O Holy Cross. Sure rule of life, Save us, O Holy Cross. Heralded by prophets, Save us, O Holy Cross. Preached by apostles, Save us, O Holy Cross. Glory of martyrs, Save us, O Holy Cross. Study of hermits, Save us, O Holy Cross. Chastity of virgins, Save us, O Holy Cross. Joy of priests, Save us, O Holy Cross. Foundation of the Church, Save us, O Holy Cross. Salvation of the world, Save us, O Holy Cross. Destruction of idolatry, Save us, O Holy Cross. Stumbling block to the Jews, Save us, O Holy Cross. Condemnation of the ungodly, Save us, O Holy Cross. Support of the weak, Save us, O Holy Cross. Medicine of the sick, Save us, O Holy Cross. Health of the leprous, Save us, O Holy Cross. Strength of the paralytic, Save us, O Holy Cross. Bread of the hungry, Save us, O Holy Cross. Fountain of those who thirst, Save us, O Holy Cross. Clothing of the naked, Save us, O Holy Cross. Lamb of God, Who takest away the sins of the world, Spare us, O Lord. Lamb of God, Who takest away the sins of the world, Hear us, O Lord. Lamb of God, Who takest away the sins of the world, Have mercy on us. Christ, hear us. Christ, graciously hear us. Lord, have mercy. Christ, have mercy. Lord, have mercy. V. We adore Thee, O Christ, and we bless Thee, R. Because by Thy Holy Cross Thou hast redeemed the world. ALL TOGETHER: Behold the Cross of the Lord! Begone ye evil powers! The Lion of the tribe of Juda, the Root of David, has conquered! Alleluia! LET US PRAY: O God, Who for the redemption of the world, wast pleased to be born in a stable and to die upon a cross; O Lord Jesus Christ, by Thy holy sufferings, which we, Thy unworthy servants, call to mind: by Thy Holy Cross, and by Thy death, deliver us from the pains of Hell, and vouchsafe to conduct us whither Thou didst conduct the good thief who was crucified with Thee, Who lives and reigns eternally in Heaven. R. Amen. Sweet the wood, sweet the nails, sweet the Burden which thou bearest, for thou alone, 0 Holy Cross, wast worthy to bear the King and Lord of Heaven. R. Amen. In Jesus, Mary and Joseph! Cathy Nolan ©Mary TV 2020  

(c) Mary TV September 11, 2020 Dear Family of Mary! We in the United States remember with great sorrow, the attack on our country on September 11, 2001.  Please pray for continued healing, and peace in our land. This week Our Lady has impressed on us the importance of Light!  As the darkness grows all around us, we are drawn to the Light of God.  I want to share a very encouraging email I received yesterday from Kristy, our shipmate from Colorado.  She shares her insights into the Light that comes from God and which brings life!  I believe that Our Lady is giving us encouragement to continue to live the life she has called us to, and not to give up now.  Something good is coming! Kristy wrote: Hello. I had the privilege to join Michael’s Rosary on Monday. Your son Michael is so filled with the Holy Spirit. I have also been pondering this darkness covering the earth Cathy has been writing about…these little lights of mercy. On Monday, I was inspired by Mike’s imagery of floating in water (in the womb of Mary) as we were praying the Rosary and the renewal of our hearts. As we prayed, I had an image of floating in the sea and a vision of the Holy Spirit over the water in the beginning of Genesis. God said, “Let there be light” and Creation began. I kept moving from this moment of Creation to the Annunciation. This beautiful parallel of the beginning of Genesis and the Annunciation in Luke kept coming to mind. The name Mary means “sea”, so when the Holy Spirit overshadowed her…and she said…”Be it done to me according to thy word”…and the word was made flesh, it parallels the beginning of Creation in Genesis. This moment in the Annunciation was the beginning of a New Creation. The moment “the Light” became flesh and dwelt among. It is such a powerful moment. Since our Rosary on Monday, the Holy Spirit keeps prompting me to say the Angelus throughout the day. And, also to pray the words “Let there be light.” Christ truly wants to make all things new. (And, yes usually by lunch we are going downhill, so we need to say the Angelus again) Every time we say these words of Mary, we are renewed…especially our hearts…light comes. But I also sense a real longing from the Lord…to renew the face of the earth…to renew the hearts of all of us. He is longing to renew His creation. He wants His Kingdom here on earth…maybe Parousia is coming soon. I don’t know. But I sense this overwhelming longing from the Lord to make all things new. So, let’s say the Angelus more. We need this renewal throughout the day. “Let there be light.” Bring more light into this darkness. God Bless, Kristy The images that Kristy received are very powerful!  The idea that the Lord wants so badly to renew His Creation really touches my heart.  God loves His Creatures.  As Our Lady said on March 25, 2003: “Dear children! Also, today I call you to pray for peace. Pray with the heart, little children, and do not lose hope because God loves His creatures. He desires to save you, one by one, through my coming here…” One by one, we can receive the life-giving light of God in our hearts and spread it to others. I believe that praying the Angelus Prayers often throughout the day is a very good idea.  I will share the prayer with you here, so you have it at hand! It is easy to memorize.  Let’s call down the Light that we so very desperately need and be renewed. In Jesus, Mary and Joseph, Cathy Nolan ©Mary TV 2020 The Angelus: The Angel of the Lord declared to Mary:  And she conceived of the Holy Spirit. Hail Mary, full of grace… Behold the handmaid of the Lord: Be it done unto me according to Thy word. Hail Mary, full of grace… And the Word was made Flesh: And dwelt among us. Hail Mary, full of grace… Pray for us, O Holy Mother of God, that we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ. Let us pray: Pour forth, we beseech Thee, O Lord, Thy grace into our hearts; that we, to whom the Incarnation of Christ, Thy Son, was made known by the message of an angel, may by His Passion and Cross be brought to the glory of His Resurrection, through the same Christ Our Lord.  Amen.