January 22, 2019
Day of Prayer for the Protection of the Unborn.

Dear Family of Mary!

“Dear children, on this day of grace, I am calling you to love. Little children, God loves you immeasurably and that is why, little children, full of trust and without looking back and without fear, completely surrender your hearts to Him so that God may fill them with His love. Do not be afraid to believe in His love and mercy, because His love is stronger than every one of your weaknesses and fears. Therefore, my children, full of love in your hearts, trust in Jesus and say your ‘yes’ to Him, because He is the only way which leads you to the Eternal Father.” (December 25, 2019 Jakov)

I love this message! I just love it! Jakov only receives one public message each year. And it can get lost in the shuffle with all the Christmas business! But Our Lady has an especially tender way of speaking through Jakov. This message is a very good demonstration of her tenderness.

“Dear children, on this day of grace, I am calling you to love…” So simply, Our Lady gives us this call, the call to love. Do we think about this call every day as we get up in the morning? “I am called this day to love…” How would it change our day if we made this call a priority in our day? How would it change the way we organize our time? It’s a thought…

“Little children, God loves you immeasurably and that is why, little children, full of trust and without looking back and without fear, completely surrender your hearts to Him so that God may fill them with His love…” Every time I read this sentence, it takes my breath away. God loves us immeasurably…God loves us so much we can never measure it. Such love should fill us with trust! And such love should move us to only look forward. No looking back at what has happened. No more self-recrimination or shame. No more fear that we will fail again. God’s love is so vast, it will carry us through everything. We have nothing to fear. We need only to surrender to this vast love, and let God fill us with His grace.

“Do not be afraid to believe in His love and mercy, because His love is stronger than every one of your weaknesses and fears…” Do not be afraid! Yes, we are weak. Yes, we are unsure. Yes, we have failed many times. But that doesn’t stop God from choosing us and loving us. God can overcome every weakness and fear in our hearts, if we let Him.

“Therefore, my children, full of love in your hearts, trust in Jesus and say your ‘yes’ to Him, because He is the only way which leads you to the Eternal Father.” Therefore…Our Lady has given us the truth about the Father. He is always love. And she has given us Jesus, as our brother, to lead us to that Father who loves us. All Jesus needs is our ‘yes’. It seems too good to be true. But it is. Jesus is the only way to the Eternal Father, and Jesus is given to us by the Father to ensure that we get back to Him.

Doesn’t it make you want to swoon? So much love. So much tenderness. So much compassion and kindness. We are called to love because we are so loved!

Thank you, dearest Mother, for this message which touches our deepest selves, where fear and failure and mistrust hide. You are reaching down there to root them out. You want us to finally completely surrender to your Son, so that He can save us. May we say “yes”.

In Jesus, Mary and Joseph!
Cathy Nolan
© Mary TV 2019

PS. Here is a prayer we can pray for the unborn on this day of prayer, along with our Rosaries.

January 18, 2019

Dear Family of Mary!

“…My children, apostles of my love, I am teaching you that my Son is not only asking for continuous prayers, but also for works and feelings – that you believe, that you pray, that with your personal prayers you grow in faith, that you grow in love. To love each other is what He asks for – that is the way to eternal life. My children, do not forget that my Son brought the light to this world, and He brought it to those who wanted to see it and receive it. You be those, because this is the light of truth, peace and love…” (January 2, 2019)

Jesus asks us for things. He sees us, knows us, and asks us for things. Our Lady said he asks for continuous prayer, for works and feeling [of love], for our belief in Him, prayer to Him, and that we grow in faith and love. Jesus calls us to change and grow, according to Our Lady.

Reuben sent this lovely response to Our Lady’s message which shows how very right Our Lady is!! Reuben wrote:

Amen! Thank you, Reuben and may we all see in the Light of Jesus, with eyes of love and of truth so as to invite our brothers and sisters into the Kingdom.

In Jesus, Mary and Joseph!

Cathy Nolan
©Mary TV 2019

PS. Our Matching Gift fund is winding up, so I invite any one who wants to join in to use our donation page to make a donation today!! God bless all who have donated, this has been a great success!!

January 16, 2019

Dear Family of Mary!

“…My children, do not forget that my Son brought the light to this world, and He brought it to those who wanted to see it and receive it. You be those, because this is the light of truth, peace and love…” (January 2, 2019)

Our Lady tells us that Jesus brought the light to this world. She saw Jesus shine light into the lives of so many people during His public ministry. It was a light so bright that nothing could be hidden in it. Here is one example of Jesus’ light, from John 8:

Jesus taught the people in the temple. His teaching was powerful. It spoke truth in a way that they had never heard before. It was a powerful light that could shine into their lives, showing them all that they needed to know to find peace, to find God. Jesus spoke light to the people.

But the scribes and Pharisees were not listening to Jesus. Their hearts were closed, so the light of His words could not shine in them. They brought a woman to test Him. Would He condemn her and order her to be stoned? Would He stand up for the law?

Little did they know that their trick would be the way for Jesus to shine His light into their hearts. They had set a trap, but Jesus turned the tables on them. “Let him who is without sin among you be the first to throw a stone at her.” Jesus spoke to each of their hearts, shining His light on their lives. Now they were trapped. If they threw a stone, they would be saying that they were perfect, without sin. How could they profess such a thing? Jesus had leveled the playing field. Light was shining into all hearts present there. The only thing to do was quietly leave. Would they be changed by the light Jesus had extended to them? We don’t know.

But the woman received light as well. Jesus had delivered her from condemnation. She was free to go. But Jesus’ light also shown in her heart. “Go and do not sin again.” She was known by Jesus, and loved, but also counseled to live in the light! Would she be changed? No doubt she was!

And so after this confrontation, Jesus proclaimed: “I am the light of the world; he who follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” All who were present that day experienced the Light of the World! They left His presence, confronted and hopefully changed.

Now Our Lady is telling us the same. “…My children, do not forget that my Son brought the light to this world, and He brought it to those who wanted to see it and receive it. You be those, because this is the light of truth, peace and love…” You be those…You be the people who want to see the light and who receive it. You be like the woman who was saved from stoning. Let the light of Christ convert you, change you, heal you, and comfort you. Let that light shine in your inner being, where you will be healed and delivered of all sin.

Mother, we want to be those who want to see the light of Jesus and to receive it. Help us, pray with us, teach us how to receive the Light of Christ!

In Jesus, mary and Joseph!
Cathy Nolan
©Mary TV 2019

January 14, 2019
First Week of Ordinary Time

Dear Family of Mary!

“I am leading you in a motherly way to adore my Son; that you love my Son with me; that your thoughts, words and actions may be directed to My Son – that they may be in His name. Then my heart will be fulfilled. Thank you.” (January 2, 2019)

I can’t help it, I want to share the homily given by Fr. Marinko on Sunday, January 13, 2019!:

Dear Brothers and Sisters! Today on the Feast of the Baptism of the Lord Jesus Christ, we are called to meditate, reflecting on our own Baptism, reflecting on ourselves, our being. Christians are those who follow Christ, who follow Him, who walk in His footsteps. And what does Jesus do?

We heard that Jesus was waiting in the crowd. Then when His turn came, He walked into the waters of the Jordan River. He was one among others who were walking into the waters of the River Jordan. You see His degree of solidarity with humanity, that He became one of us, resembling us in everything, everything except sin.

Our Baptism is the beginning. To be Christian it means to resemble, even more, Christ every day! As He became like us in everything, therefore, we are following Him, trying to resemble Him, and that is the essence of why we pray, why we come to Mass, why we read the Word of God, why we get to know Christ and resemble Him even more.

An example of such a person who is our contemporary is St. Mother Teresa. Here are some examples from her life that show us what it means concretely. Mother Teresa once said when she was asked: “I was born in Albania, by birth I am Albanian, by citizenship, Indian, by what I do, I belong to all the people of the world, and my heart belongs to Christ.” That is her personal identity card! It describes who she is.

Brothers and Sisters, I think it might be even some priest who said that this theology of Mother Teresa is two hundred years late. And she said, “What 200, it should be 2000. I am 2000 years behind Christ.!” This is what she tried to be, coming closer to Christ, trying to be like Him. But we are always behind Him. And she thought that we recognize Jesus in two ways, in the Eucharistic Bread, and in the suffering, poor man, our fellow brother.

When they asked her, what was the secret of her success, she said, “I receive Jesus every day in the Holy Eucharist.” That was the life of Mother Teresa. “I receive Jesus every day, to give Jesus. Everything is so simple. I receive Jesus, I am nourished by Jesus, so I can give Him to others. All that I do I do for Jesus. I don’t do it for people. I do all I do for Jesus.”

The Indian Minister for Social Affairs at that time understood and said “We too are helping people, we also do a lot of good. But we do it for some reason. But you, Mother Teresa, you do it for someone!” And that, Brothers and Sisters, is what Mother Teresa did. She knew that by helping others she was helping Jesus and all that she does for people she does for Jesus.

And she used to say in five fingers, “You did this to Me.” This is the essence of the Gospel. “You did this to me.” And she took this as the motto of her life and for her congregation, “I thirst.” That means I recognize Jesus in the man who thirsts, who is hungry, who is in need, who is poor, who is suffering.

And when people would come to visit her, Mother Teresa would invite them to come and visit the sick, and she would tell them, “Come and meet Jesus.” In that we can see what it means concretely to be Christian, because Mother Teresa has lived in our time, she is our contemporary. She understood what it means to be Christian today.

That is what we hear in the Mass, through Christ, in Christ, and with Christ. That means to allow Jesus to work through me. When they asked her why, when she had so many projects, she was not worried? She said, “I am not doing that. It is Jesus who is doing all that, through me.” She considered herself a pen. God wants to write a love letter to a man, and I am His pen. I serve that purpose. You see how Mother Teresa understood herself and the meaning of her life? That is, Brothers and Sisters, very interesting, and that is where the mystery is hidden. All I do, I do for Jesus, and I allow Jesus through me to do everything.

Dear Brothers and Sisters, today I just gave one example of Mother Teresa, to remind us of what is possible. If we are resembling Jesus, coming closer to Him even more, people may say that is too hard. It is impossible to achieve such holiness in the circumstances of the world in which we live. But, Brothers and Sisters, what is it that Blessed Mother says to us? “If you have love, everything is possible, if there is no love, nothing is possible.”

That, Brothers and Sisters, is the key, that is where the mystery is, what the answer to the question is. Therefore, it is important to come to know the love of God. The Blessed Mother repeats Jesus’ calling to us to love God. What does this mean? Some people say it is important to love people. No, the most important thing is to love God first!

Mother Teresa asked that at noon they would have Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament. But, there are poor, there are people in need…No, no it won’t go that way. First Jesus! Come to know that love. So that later we won’t come to say that it is “I” who am doing something. But to come to know the love of Jesus, to be active, to be doing something not for others but for Him, for Jesus. If the love of God, the love of Jesus grows in us, then the love for others will grow also.

When there were two persons in trouble, with problems, a conflict situation, a priest gave this advice. “Love God!” It sounded strange, but he was telling them to pray so that the love of God might be awoken within them. If the love of God is awoken, then it is impossible not to be renewed and to renew your relationship with all persons. I receive His love and then I am formed in His love, and I know in a concrete way what to do.

Brothers and Sisters may today’s Baptism of Jesus Christ inspire us to a greater determination to meditate on our Christian identity, to become those who follow Christ. Amen.
(Fr. Marinko Sakota, Pastor to St. James Parish, Medjugorje. Homily January 13, 2019)

“I am leading you in a motherly way to adore my Son; that you love my Son with me; that your thoughts, words and actions may be directed to My Son – that they may be in His name. Then my heart will be fulfilled. Thank you.” (January 2, 2019)

In Jesus, Mary and Joseph!
Cathy Nolan
©Mary TV 2019

January 10, 2019

Dear Family of Mary!

Our Lady said to us on January 2:

“Dear children! Sadly, among you, my children, there is so much battle, hatred, personal interests and selfishness. My children, so easily you forget my Son, His words, His love. Faith is being extinguished in many souls, and hearts are being grasped by material things of the world…”

Psalm 51: 1-12

Have mercy on me, O God,
according to thy steadfast love;
according to thy abundant mercy blot out my transgressions.
Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity,
and cleanse me from my sin!
For I know my transgressions,
and my sin is ever before me.
Against thee, thee only, have I sinned,
and done that which is evil in thy sight,
so that thou art justified in thy sentence
and blameless in thy judgment.
Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity,
and in sin did my mother conceive me.
Behold, thou desirest truth in the inward being;
therefore teach me wisdom in my secret heart.
Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean;
wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.
Fill me with joy and gladness;
let the bones which thou hast broken rejoice.
Hide thy face from my sins,
and blot out all my iniquities.
Create in me a clean heart, O God,
and put a new and right spirit within me.
Cast me not away from thy presence,
and take not thy holy Spirit from me.
Restore to me the joy of thy salvation,
and uphold me with a willing spirit.

Amen

In Jesus, Mary and Joseph!
Cathy Nolan
©Mary TV 2019