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Blessed is She who believed…




 
(c)Mary TV 2019
 
 
August 16, 2019
St. Stephen of Hungary

Dear Family of Mary!

Archbishop Jean Pierre Cattenoz, from Avignon, France, presided at Holy Mass and gave the homily for the Solemnity of the Assumption during the Evening Program in Medjugorje yesterday!! It was a beautiful Holy Mass!! His homily was so precious that I wanted very much to transcribe it for you. Here it is! (Remember it was spoken in French, translated into Croatian and then in to English. )

Homily from the Evening Program, Solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Archbishop Jeanne Pierre Cattenoz, Presiding:

When I woke up this morning, I asked myself, “How did the Holy Trinity receive or accept the Blessed Virgin Mary?” The Father was definitely filled with joy! The Father who received His first “adopted child” in His beloved Son.

The Holy Spirit, from His side, was so happy, because His love was overflowing. Overjoyed before the one who in fullness had entered into the mystery of love between Christ and His Church.

And Jesus from His side, how did He receive and accept His Mother? Simply He said to her, “Good afternoon, Mom!” Yet He had eyes filled with tears. And they fell into each other’s embrace. And when Mary embraced her Son, [hugging] Him, she could sense the whole mystery of the Church, the Body of Christ. The mystery of this Solemnity of the Assumption tells us that we are all called to direct our eyes towards heaven.

At the same time, the liturgy today offers us the Gospel of the Visitation of Our Lady to her cousin, Elizabeth. When Mary entered into the embrace of the Holy Trinity, she continued her mission and in the Gospel that we just read, the first thing that Mary did, (although sometimes the translations are not so good) the Gospel says that she stood up! In the Gospel the verb that is used describes the resurrection! Mary was already in the haste that her love brings her to, to visit in haste her cousin Elizabeth.

And when she enters the house something unheard of happens. As soon as Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, immediately the child leapt for joy in her womb. Do not ask me how he did that. What I am thinking about is a long time ago what David did before the Ark of the Covenant. He also leaped and was dancing around. That is how the fetus -John the Baptist – also recognized in Mary the new Ark of the Covenant. She is the one who carries the one who carries the entire universe. And immediately after that, Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. It is already the outpouring of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit was given to her and she was truly filled with the Holy Spirit. And as always, when the Holy Spirit comes into someone, that soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord.
 
And after she proclaimed the greatness of the Lord, she asked one question. “How was it given to me that the Mother of my Lord should come to me?” In reality, the answer is very simple. It is enough to go to the foot of the Cross. At the foot of the Cross we will discover Jesus’ mother, and the beloved disciple. And on the Cross with His last efforts, Jesus turned towards his Mother, and in her He saw the New Eve. And He shows to her the beloved disciple, and He shows all of us to her as well, because we are all beloved disciples of Jesus. And when He said to his Mother, “Behold your son”, Jesus’ mother received a new Motherhood. And we all are her children.

So, it is not strange that our Mother comes to take care of us. And here in Medjugorje she truly desires to show what is the place of the mother with her children. And if you know well the Gospel of John, you will remember that the evangelist wrote: “From that moment the disciple took Jesus’ mother to himself.” That is from the Gospel translated from the Greek. In the Aramaic Gospel, there is another version. It tells us this; “From that moment on, the Mother of Jesus took him with her.” We truly enter into Mary’s house. She truly becomes Mother of all of us.

And Elizabeth once again, reminds us that as soon as Mary’s greeting reached her ear, the infant leaped in her womb. When today I see how many abortions are in the world on an annual basis, I ask myself, “How can it be affirmed that fetus and embryo are not human beings?” Because in the chapter that we just read, we have a fetus and an embryo who are mutually in dialogue, communicating. And that shows us that according to the words of one writer, from the mother’s womb until the grave we are truly persons. And truly we must pray for all those children who are not born every year.
And that we may come to the end of this chapter on the Visitation, we will not go on to the Magnificat prayer, because otherwise this homily would last an additional hour. Here we find one beatitude. Can you tell me which beatitude it is? “Blessed is the one who believed that was spoken to her by the Lord would be fulfilled.” Elizabeth invites us to grow in our life with Christ, believing in Him.

And if I had time I would talk about the verb ‘to believe’ in the Gospel of John. We know that here in Medjugorje Our Lady says to read the Bible. And so, since you are here on your summer vacation, read the Gospel according John. And whenever you find the verb ‘to believe’ you will see in the Gospel according to John, that immediately next to that word ‘to believe’, there are a few words that tell us how to believe. ‘To believe’ means to accept Jesus, to dwell, to be with Him. ‘To believe’ means to listen to His word. ‘To believe’ means to eat His flesh and drink His blood. Ultimately ‘to believe’ means to dwell in Him.

And to finish this, in that beatitude there is one beautiful pearl. “Blessed is the one who believed what was spoken to her would be fulfilled.” By the Holy Spirit Elizabeth discovered the connection that exists between ‘to say’ and ‘to do’ with God. And the Blessed Virgin Mary understood that so well. Because at the end of the Annunciation in the conversation with the Angel she said, “May it be to me according to thy word.” And in Cana she said to the servants, “Do all that He tells you.” And that tells you how important it is to receive God’s word, so that it can be incarnated and live in each one of us. That is when each of us will be blessed, because the Word will then be incarnated in us and we will be transfigured in Christ. With Mary our Mother, amen.

What a beautiful homily for us on the Assumption!! We are so blessed!!

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

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The Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary!



(c)Mary TV 2016
 
 
August 15, 2019
Solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary

Dear Family of Mary!

Today we celebrate the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary!!! We have prayed together for nine days, hoping to prepare our hearts to better understand this beautiful Dogma. Our Lady at the end of her life on earth was drawn up into heaven, body and soul!! She was raised up to God as the first fruit of our own resurrections at the end of time. She is a sign to us that we too will live for eternity in heaven with God, body and soul!! This is our destiny, and it is our great hope. We have everything to live for!!!

Archbishop Fulton Sheen composed this beautiful description of the Assumption for the fourth Glorious Mystery of the Rosary:

The Assumption of the Blessed Virgin into Heaven

Mary was not a rose in which Divinity reposed for a time; she was the canal through which God came to us. Mary could no longer live without the Dream she brought forth, nor could the Dream live without her, body and soul. Her love of God bore her upward; His love of His Mother lifted her upward. Our Lord could not forget the cradle in which He lay. In the Annunciation, the Angel said: “The Lord is with Thee.” In the Assumption: “Mary is with the Lord.” Her Assumption is the guarantee that one’s prayers to her will be answered. The Son is on the right hand of the Father; she is on the right hand of the Son. (Fulton Sheen, The World’s First Love, P. 221)

I was praying about what we could give to Our Lady today, on her feast!! And I felt that she would love very much for us to pray a special Rosary, just for her intentions. I have chosen five messages that she has given to us about heaven, from whence she comes to us in Medjugorje! Of course, we use the Glorious Mysteries!!


The First Glorious Mystery: The Resurrection

November 27, 1986 “Dear children! Again, today I call you to consecrate your life to me with love, so I am able to guide you with love. I love you, dear children, with a special love and I desire to bring you all to Heaven unto God. I want you to realize that this life lasts briefly compared to the one in Heaven. Therefore, dear children, decide again today for God. Only that way will I be able to show how much you are dear to me and how much I desire all to be saved and to be with me in Heaven. Thank you for having responded to my call.”

The Second Glorious Mystery: The Ascension of Jesus into Heaven

February 25, 1988 “Dear children! Today again I am calling you to prayer to complete surrender to God. You know that I love you and am coming here out of love so I could show you the path to peace and salvation for your souls. I want you to obey me and not permit satan to seduce you. Dear children, satan is very strong and, therefore, I ask you to dedicate your prayers to me so that those who are under his influence can be saved. Give witness by your life. Sacrifice your lives for the salvation of the world… I am with you, and I am grateful to you, but in heaven you shall receive the Father’s reward which He has promised to you. Therefore, dear children, do not be afraid. If you pray, satan cannot injure you even a little bit because you are God’s children and He is watching over you. Pray and let the rosary always be in your hand as a sign to satan that you belong to me. Thank you for having responded to my call.“
 
The Third Glorious Mystery: The Descent of the Holy Spirit

August 25, 1998 “Dear children! Today I invite you to come still closer to me through prayer. Little children, I am your mother, I love you and I desire that each of you be saved and thus be with me in Heaven. That is why, little children, pray, pray, pray until your life becomes prayer… Thank you for having responded to my call.”
 
The Fourth Glorious Mystery: The Assumption of Mary into Heaven

July 25, 2000 “Dear children! Do not forget that you are here on earth on the way to eternity and that your home is in Heaven. That is why, little children, be open to God’s love and leave egoism and sin. May your joy be only in discovering God in daily prayer. That is why, make good use of this time and pray, pray, pray; and God is near to you in prayer and through prayer. Thank you for having responded to my call.”

The Fifth Glorious Mystery: The Crowning of Mary as Queen of Heaven and Earth

May 25, 2018 “Dear children! In this peaceless time, I am calling you to have more trust in God who is your Father in Heaven and who has sent me to lead you to Him. You, open your hearts to the gifts which He desires to give you and, in the silence of your heart, adore my Son Jesus who has given His life so that you may live in eternity – where He desires to lead you. May your hope be the joy of a meeting with the Most High in everyday life. Therefore, I am calling you: do not neglect prayer because prayer works miracles. Thank you for having responded to my call.”

Thank you, dearest Mother Mary, for coming to us in these days to draw us upwards to God through your messages. We want to live forever in Heaven with the Lord and with you! Please never stop teaching and guiding us in these days. May we be fit instruments in your hands for the salvation of souls!

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

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Novena to Our Lady, Assumed into Heaven – Day 9



(c)Mary TV
 
 

August 14, 2019
St. Maximillian Kolbe

Dear Family of Mary!

Today is the Memorial of St. Maximilian Kolbe! How fitting it is that we celebrate St. Maximilian on the day before the Feast of the Assumption. St. Maximilian understood the greatness of Our Lady and her role in these days in God’s plan. Here is one of the famous things he said about the Mother:

“The Immaculate alone has from God the promise of victory over Satan. She seeks souls that will consecrate themselves entirely to her, that will become, in her hands, forceful instruments for the defeat of Satan and the spread of God’s kingdom”.

Our Lady has said the same thing to us in Medjugorje:

“Dear children!Today I rejoice with you and I invite you to open yourselves to me and become an instrument in my hands for the salvation of the world. I desire, little children, that all of you who have felt the odor of holiness through these messages which I am giving you to carry, [will] carry [them] into this world, hungry for God and God’s love. I thank you all for having responded in such a number and I bless you all with my motherly blessing. Thank you for having responded to my call.”(March 25, 1994)

Through our Consecration to Our Lady, we can become those instruments in Our Lady’s hands. We can live her messages in such a way that we become more and more holy and, in that state, we can share her messages with others and help tham to find salvation, thus robbing Satan of his prey. This is the struggle of our day. In our Church and in the broader societies, we can carry Our Lady’s messages to those hungering for truth and life.

So today, let’s pray the Consecration Prayer that St. Maximilian wrote, which will prepare us for Our Lady’s Feast Day tomorrow:

St. Maximilian Kolbe’s prayer of Consecration to the Immaculate Heart of Mary!

O Immaculata, Queen of Heaven and earth, refuge of sinners and our most loving Mother, God has willed to entrust the entire order of mercy to thee.

I, N___, a repentant sinner, cast myself at thy feet humbly imploring thee to take me with all that I am and have, wholly to thyself as thy possession and property.

Please make of me, of all my powers of soul and body, of my whole life, death and eternity, whatever most pleases thee.

If it pleases thee, use all that I am and have without reserve, wholly to accomplish what was said of thee: “She shall crush your head,” and, “Thou alone hast destroyed all heresies in the whole world.”

Let me be a fit instrument in thine Immaculate and merciful hands for introducing and increasing thy glory to the maximum in all the many strayed and indifferent souls, and thus help extend as far as possible the blessed Kingdom of the most Sacred Heart of Jesus.

For wherever thou enterest, one obtains the grace of conversion and growth in holiness, since it is through thy hands that all graces come to us from the most Sacred Heart of Jesus.

V. Allow me to praise thee O Sacred Virgin.
R. Give me strength against thy enemies.
Amen

These days are days of victory, through the Immaculate Heart of Mary!

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

PS. You may also want to thank Our Lady for coming to us in Medjugorje with our novena prayer prayed one more time:
 
Prayer to Our Lady of the Assumption
by Pope St. Pius X

O Immaculate Virgin, Mother of God and Mother of humanity, we believe with all the fervor of our faith in your triumphal assumption both in body and in soul into heaven where you are acclaimed as queen by all the choirs of angels and all the legions of saints; we unite with them to praise and bless the Lord who has exalted you above all other pure creatures and to offer you the tribute of our devotion and our love.

We know that your gaze, which on earth watched over the humble and suffering humanity of Jesus, in heaven is filled with the vision of that humanity glorified and with the vision of uncreated wisdom, and that the joy of your soul in the direct contemplation of the adorable Trinity causes your heart to throb with overwhelming tenderness; and we, poor sinners whose body weights down the flight of the soul, beg you to purify our hearts so that, while we remain below, we may learn to see God and God alone in the beauties of his creatures.

We trust that your merciful eyes may deign to gaze down upon our miseries and anguish, upon our struggles and our weaknesses; that your countenance may smile upon our joys and our victories; that you may hear the voice of Jesus saying to you of each one of us, as He once said to you of his beloved disciple: “Behold your son,” and we who call upon you as our mother, we, like John, take you as the guide, strength and consolation of our mortal life. 
 
We are inspired by the certainty that your eyes, which wept over the earth crimsoned by the blood of Jesus, are yet turned toward this world racked by wars and persecutions, the oppression of the just and the weak. From the shadows of this vale of tears, we seek in your heavenly assistance, tender mercy, comfort for our aching hearts, and help in the trials of Church and country.

We believe finally that in the glory where you reign, clothed with the sun and crowned with stars, you are, after Jesus, the joy and gladness of all the angels and the saints, and from this earth, over which we tread as pilgrims, comforted by our faith in the future resurrection, we look to you our life, our sweetness, our hope; draw us onward with the sweetness of your voice, so that one day, after our exile, you may show us Jesus, the blessed fruit of your womb.

O clement, O loving,
O sweet Virgin Mary.
Amen.

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Novena to Our Lady, Assumed into Heaven – Day 8



Ivan sees Our Lady on Jan 31, 2012
(c)Mary TV
Ivan encounters Our Lady in 2012
 
August 13, 2019
Novena for the Assumption of Our Lady Day 8

Dear Family of Mary!

Our Lady appeared to Ivan yesterday evening (August 12) at the Blue Cross. Here is his account of the encounter as shared by Ana Shawl of the IIPG prayer group.


Tonight, Our Lady said she would meet everyone at the Blue Cross.

Ivan said: 
This is the most important part of this meeting with Our Lady. 

She came very happy and joyful and she greeted us with her motherly greeting, “Praised be Jesus, my dear children.”   

After this she prayed for a longer time over all of you, especially those present who were sick.

After this she said,

“Dear Children, in this time of mercy, in a special way, I wish to call you to prayer – perseverance in prayer.   So many times, I have said that my Son has allowed me to stay here together with you because I wish to teach you and to raise you – educate you – because I wish to lead you to my Son.  Therefore, decide for Him.  Put Jesus in the first place in your families, pray in front of Him, so that you can receive graces. The mother prays for all of you and intercedes for you to her Son.”

Then Our Lady blessed all of us with her motherly blessing. She blessed everything we brought for blessing.

Then she left in prayer and in the sign of the light and the cross, saying: “Go in peace, my dear children.”
 
Thank you to Ana for sharing this message with us! I think it is helpful for us as we prepare for the Assumption. Why? Because the apparitions are evidence of Our Lady’s presence with us in Medjugorje. They are evidence that she who has been assumed into heaven can now return to be with us on earth.

It is a great grace to be present for an apparition. Our Lady manifests herself during the apparition, through the encounter that the visionary has with her. The visionary is taken out of space and time during the apparition! Because Our Lady exists out of space and time, at least as we know it. But she comes into our space and time to bless and help us. It is miraculous!! The conversation they have is inaudible, and yet so very real. The facial expressions of the visionary are evidence of Our Lady’s presence at that moment!

We should really take this message to heart. She told us, “So many times I have said that my Son has allowed me to STAY HERE TOGETHER WITH YOU…” She stays here with us, body and soul. Jesus allows her to come! She is present to us in a miraculous way, because she loves us and wants to help us to draw close to Jesus, who is our only hope.

Let us thank Our Lady for coming to us in Medjugorje with our novena prayer:
 
Prayer to Our Lady of the Assumption
by Pope St. Pius X

O Immaculate Virgin, Mother of God and Mother of humanity, we believe with all the fervor of our faith in your triumphal assumption both in body and in soul into heaven where you are acclaimed as queen by all the choirs of angels and all the legions of saints; we unite with them to praise and bless the Lord who has exalted you above all other pure creatures and to offer you the tribute of our devotion and our love.

We know that your gaze, which on earth watched over the humble and suffering humanity of Jesus, in heaven is filled with the vision of that humanity glorified and with the vision of uncreated wisdom, and that the joy of your soul in the direct contemplation of the adorable Trinity causes your heart to throb with overwhelming tenderness; and we, poor sinners whose body weights down the flight of the soul, beg you to purify our hearts so that, while we remain below, we may learn to see God and God alone in the beauties of his creatures.

We trust that your merciful eyes may deign to gaze down upon our miseries and anguish, upon our struggles and our weaknesses; that your countenance may smile upon our joys and our victories; that you may hear the voice of Jesus saying to you of each one of us, as He once said to you of his beloved disciple: “Behold your son,” and we who call upon you as our mother, we, like John, take you as the guide, strength and consolation of our mortal life. 
 
We are inspired by the certainty that your eyes, which wept over the earth crimsoned by the blood of Jesus, are yet turned toward this world racked by wars and persecutions, the oppression of the just and the weak. From the shadows of this vale of tears, we seek in your heavenly assistance, tender mercy, comfort for our aching hearts, and help in the trials of Church and country.

We believe finally that in the glory where you reign, clothed with the sun and crowned with stars, you are, after Jesus, the joy and gladness of all the angels and the saints, and from this earth, over which we tread as pilgrims, comforted by our faith in the future resurrection, we look to you our life, our sweetness, our hope; draw us onward with the sweetness of your voice, so that one day, after our exile, you may show us Jesus, the blessed fruit of your womb.

O clement, O loving,
O sweet Virgin Mary.
Amen.

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

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Novena to Our Lady, Assumed into Heaven – Day 7



(c)Mary TV/Anthony Zubac

 
August 12, 2019
St. Jane Frances de Chantal
Novena for the Assumption of Our Lady Day 7

Dear Family of Mary!

Day 7 of our Novena!! We hear today from St. John Paul II! He assures us that today Our Lady is close to us. She shines before us as the woman who made up for the guilt of Eve, by saying “yes” to God without reserve, conceiving Jesus. Mary turned the tide of sin and brokenness by her “yes” and now she intercedes for us all in heaven, where she was assumed, body and soul! St. John Paul II wrote:

“Today the liturgy invites us to contemplate Mary, taken up body and soul into heaven. By a special privilege, she was enriched by divine grace from the moment of her conception, and Christ, who ascended to the right hand of the Father, opened the doors of his kingdom to her, first among human creatures. Now from heaven, where the Queen of the angels and saints is crowned, the Mother of God and of the Church is close to the Christian people before whom she shines as the “new and immaculate woman (who) mediated for the guilt of the first woman.”  – Pope St. John Paul II (West)

St. John Paul II tells us that Our Lady is close to us! And I believe he knew very well that she was close to us in body and soul, in Medjugorje! He wanted very much to go there and encouraged many to go there. This closeness of Our Lady is very real, very tangible.

But we need to choose to be close to her, through prayer, so that she can tend to us. We need her care, so very much. She has told us:    

“Dear children! Today I invite you to decide to give time patiently for prayer. Little children, you cannot say you are mine and that you have experienced conversion through my messages if you are not ready to give time to God every day. I am close to you and I bless you all. Little children, do not forget that if you do not pray you are not close to me, nor are you close to the Holy Spirit who leads you along the path to holiness. Thank you for having responded to my call.” (July 25, 1994)

May this novena help us to draw close to Our Lady through prayer. She is truly present to us in Medjugorje, close to us! May we draw close to her:

Prayer to Our Lady of the Assumption
by Pope St. Pius X

O Immaculate Virgin, Mother of God and Mother of humanity, we believe with all the fervor of our faith in your triumphal assumption both in body and in soul into heaven where you are acclaimed as queen by all the choirs of angels and all the legions of saints; we unite with them to praise and bless the Lord who has exalted you above all other pure creatures and to offer you the tribute of our devotion and our love.

We know that your gaze, which on earth watched over the humble and suffering humanity of Jesus, in heaven is filled with the vision of that humanity glorified and with the vision of uncreated wisdom, and that the joy of your soul in the direct contemplation of the adorable Trinity causes your heart to throb with overwhelming tenderness; and we, poor sinners whose body weights down the flight of the soul, beg you to purify our hearts so that, while we remain below, we may learn to see God and God alone in the beauties of his creatures.

We trust that your merciful eyes may deign to gaze down upon our miseries and anguish, upon our struggles and our weaknesses; that your countenance may smile upon our joys and our victories; that you may hear the voice of Jesus saying to you of each one of us, as He once said to you of his beloved disciple: “Behold your son,” and we who call upon you as our mother, we, like John, take you as the guide, strength and consolation of our mortal life. 
 
We are inspired by the certainty that your eyes, which wept over the earth crimsoned by the blood of Jesus, are yet turned toward this world racked by wars and persecutions, the oppression of the just and the weak. From the shadows of this vale of tears, we seek in your heavenly assistance, tender mercy, comfort for our aching hearts, and help in the trials of Church and country.

We believe finally that in the glory where you reign, clothed with the sun and crowned with stars, you are, after Jesus, the joy and gladness of all the angels and the saints, and from this earth, over which we tread as pilgrims, comforted by our faith in the future resurrection, we look to you our life, our sweetness, our hope; draw us onward with the sweetness of your voice, so that one day, after our exile, you may show us Jesus, the blessed fruit of your womb.

O clement, O loving,
O sweet Virgin Mary.
Amen.

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

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Novena to Our Lady, Assumed into Heaven – Day 6



(c)Mary TV/Anthony Zubac

 
August 11, 2019
Novena to Our Lady, Assumed into Heaven- Day 6

Dear Family of Mary!

This Solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary is all about heaven! It is all about Our Lady being transported into heaven, body and soul, to live forever with God! Listen to these words of St. Bernard of Clairvaux:

“And with regard to ourselves, how deservedly do we keep the feast of the Assumption with all solemnity. What reasons for rejoicing, what motives for exultation have we on this most beautiful day! The presence of Mary illumines the entire world so that even the holy city above has now a more dazzling splendor from the light of this virginal Lamp. With good reason thanksgiving and the voice of praise resound today throughout the courts of Heaven…let us not complain for here we do not have a lasting city, but we seek one that is to come, the same which the blessed Mary entered today.”  – St. Bernard of Clairvaux (West)

We are being called to seek heaven, to desire it and to do all we can to obtain it. Our Lady wants us to find our way to heaven. She has come to be with us, to encourage us and to lead us:  

“My children; Again, in a motherly way, I implore you to stop for a moment and to reflect on yourselves and on the transience of this your earthly life. Then reflect on eternity and the eternal beatitude. What do you want? Which way do you want to set out on? The Father’s love sends me to be a mediatrix for you, to show you with motherly love the way which leads to the purity of soul; a soul unburdened by sin; a soul that will come to know eternity. I am praying that the light of the love of my Son may illuminate you, so that you may triumph over weaknesses and come out of misery. You are my children and I desire for all of you to be on the way of salvation. Therefore, my children, gather around me that I may have you come to know the love of my Son and thus open the door of eternal beatitude. Pray as I do for your shepherds. Again, I caution you: do not judge them, because my Son chose them. Thank you.” (July 02, 2012)

May we readjust our compasses. They should be set on only one destination, eternal life with the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, all the angels and all the saints!! Our Lady has come to help us.
 
Let us pray:

Prayer to Our Lady of the Assumption
by Pope St. Pius X

O Immaculate Virgin, Mother of God and Mother of humanity, we believe with all the fervor of our faith in your triumphal assumption both in body and in soul into heaven where you are acclaimed as queen by all the choirs of angels and all the legions of saints; we unite with them to praise and bless the Lord who has exalted you above all other pure creatures and to offer you the tribute of our devotion and our love.

We know that your gaze, which on earth watched over the humble and suffering humanity of Jesus, in heaven is filled with the vision of that humanity glorified and with the vision of uncreated wisdom, and that the joy of your soul in the direct contemplation of the adorable Trinity causes your heart to throb with overwhelming tenderness; and we, poor sinners whose body weights down the flight of the soul, beg you to purify our hearts so that, while we remain below, we may learn to see God and God alone in the beauties of his creatures.

We trust that your merciful eyes may deign to gaze down upon our miseries and anguish, upon our struggles and our weaknesses; that your countenance may smile upon our joys and our victories; that you may hear the voice of Jesus saying to you of each one of us, as He once said to you of his beloved disciple: “Behold your son,” and we who call upon you as our mother, we, like John, take you as the guide, strength and consolation of our mortal life. 
 
We are inspired by the certainty that your eyes, which wept over the earth crimsoned by the blood of Jesus, are yet turned toward this world racked by wars and persecutions, the oppression of the just and the weak. From the shadows of this vale of tears, we seek in your heavenly assistance, tender mercy, comfort for our aching hearts, and help in the trials of Church and country.

We believe finally that in the glory where you reign, clothed with the sun and crowned with stars, you are, after Jesus, the joy and gladness of all the angels and the saints, and from this earth, over which we tread as pilgrims, comforted by our faith in the future resurrection, we look to you our life, our sweetness, our hope; draw us onward with the sweetness of your voice, so that one day, after our exile, you may show us Jesus, the blessed fruit of your womb.

O clement, O loving,
O sweet Virgin Mary.
Amen.

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

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Novena to Our Lady, Assumed into Heaven – Day 5



(c)Mary TV/Anthony Zubac

 
August 10, 2019
St. Lawrence

Dear Family of Mary!

We are on day 5 of our Novena to Our Lady! Let me share a quote from St Modestus, who believed in the Assumption of Our Lady! His words are direct and to the point. St. Modestus was the Patriarch of Jerusalem in the late 600’s.

“As the most glorious Mother of Christ, our Savior and our God and the giver of life and immortality, has been endowed with life by him, she has received an eternal incorruptibility of the body together with him who has raised her up from the tomb and has taken her up to himself in a way known only to him.”  – St. Modestus of Jerusalem (East)

This simple statement is very helpful for us as we pray this novena. Our Lady was assumed, body and soul, into heaven “in a way known only to [God]” And that is all we need to know!!    
Now she comes to Medjugorje to be with us “in a way that is known only to [God]!” And we are so blessed to receive her coming!

Here is a message for us to pray over:

“Dear children! Today I call you to have your life be connected with God the Creator, because only in this way will your life have meaning, and you will comprehend that God is love. God sends me to you out of love, that I may help you to comprehend that without Him there is no future or joy and, above all, there is no eternal salvation. Little children, I call you to leave sin and to accept prayer at all times, that you may in prayer come to know the meaning of your life. God gives Himself to him who seeks Him. Thank you for having responded to my call.” (April 25, 1997)

God sends Our Lady to us out of love, that she may help us to comprehend that without Him there is no future or joy and, above all, there is no eternal salvation!!! This is what our world needs to understand as well!   

Let us pray:
 
Prayer to Our Lady of the Assumption
by Pope St. Pius X

O Immaculate Virgin, Mother of God and Mother of humanity, we believe with all the fervor of our faith in your triumphal assumption both in body and in soul into heaven where you are acclaimed as queen by all the choirs of angels and all the legions of saints; we unite with them to praise and bless the Lord who has exalted you above all other pure creatures and to offer you the tribute of our devotion and our love.

We know that your gaze, which on earth watched over the humble and suffering humanity of Jesus, in heaven is filled with the vision of that humanity glorified and with the vision of uncreated wisdom, and that the joy of your soul in the direct contemplation of the adorable Trinity causes your heart to throb with overwhelming tenderness; and we, poor sinners whose body weights down the flight of the soul, beg you to purify our hearts so that, while we remain below, we may learn to see God and God alone in the beauties of his creatures.

We trust that your merciful eyes may deign to gaze down upon our miseries and anguish, upon our struggles and our weaknesses; that your countenance may smile upon our joys and our victories; that you may hear the voice of Jesus saying to you of each one of us, as He once said to you of his beloved disciple: “Behold your son,” and we who call upon you as our mother, we, like John, take you as the guide, strength and consolation of our mortal life. 
 
We are inspired by the certainty that your eyes, which wept over the earth crimsoned by the blood of Jesus, are yet turned toward this world racked by wars and persecutions, the oppression of the just and the weak. From the shadows of this vale of tears, we seek in your heavenly assistance, tender mercy, comfort for our aching hearts, and help in the trials of Church and country.

We believe finally that in the glory where you reign, clothed with the sun and crowned with stars, you are, after Jesus, the joy and gladness of all the angels and the saints, and from this earth, over which we tread as pilgrims, comforted by our faith in the future resurrection, we look to you our life, our sweetness, our hope; draw us onward with the sweetness of your voice, so that one day, after our exile, you may show us Jesus, the blessed fruit of your womb.

O clement, O loving,
O sweet Virgin Mary.
Amen.

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

/by
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Novena to Our Lady, Assumed into Heaven – Day 4



(c)Mary TV/Anthony Zubac
Pray, pray, pray!
 
August 9, 2019
St. Teressa Benedicta of the Cross
Novena in honor of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary Day 4

Dear Family of Mary!

Pope Pius XII understood our need for the Mother in these days when the world’s societies were plummeting into Godlessness and despair. He knew we would need a sign to solidify our faith and keep our eyes on God. He wrote:

“Finally it is our hope that belief in Mary’s bodily Assumption into heaven will make our belief in our own resurrection stronger and render it more effective”. (Munificentissimuss Deus)

This belief in our destiny as children of God who will live with Him forever in heaven gives us the peace that we need to stand firm as we live out our journey on earth. Our Lady has spoken to us in Medjugorje on many occasions about the dangers of our times and our need for hope in our future in heaven:

“Dear children! I rejoice with you and I invite you to prayer. Little children, pray for my intention. Your prayers are necessary to me, through which I desire to bring you closer to God. He is your salvation. God sends me to help you and to guide you towards paradise, which is your goal. Therefore, little children, pray, pray, pray. Thank you for having responded to my call.” (September 25, 1994)

Our Lady tells us that God has sent her to help us and guide us towards paradise, which is our goal. Amazingly, it is because of the Assumption that Mary can now be sent back to us on earth, to guide and teach us. She comes to us really, body and soul, from heaven!! This is the fruit of the Assumption. And she is coming to help us believe that one day we too will be in heaven, body and soul!! This is our great hope and our destiny. To be in heaven with God, whole and entire.

But she tells us that we must, pray, pray, pray!!
Let’s give thanks to the Father for sending such a Mother to us in Medjugorje!

Let us pray:
 
Prayer to Our Lady of the Assumption
by Pope St. Pius X

O Immaculate Virgin, Mother of God and Mother of humanity, we believe with all the fervor of our faith in your triumphal assumption both in body and in soul into heaven where you are acclaimed as queen by all the choirs of angels and all the legions of saints; we unite with them to praise and bless the Lord who has exalted you above all other pure creatures and to offer you the tribute of our devotion and our love.

We know that your gaze, which on earth watched over the humble and suffering humanity of Jesus, in heaven is filled with the vision of that humanity glorified and with the vision of uncreated wisdom, and that the joy of your soul in the direct contemplation of the adorable Trinity causes your heart to throb with overwhelming tenderness; and we, poor sinners whose body weights down the flight of the soul, beg you to purify our hearts so that, while we remain below, we may learn to see God and God alone in the beauties of his creatures.

We trust that your merciful eyes may deign to gaze down upon our miseries and anguish, upon our struggles and our weaknesses; that your countenance may smile upon our joys and our victories; that you may hear the voice of Jesus saying to you of each one of us, as He once said to you of his beloved disciple: “Behold your son,” and we who call upon you as our mother, we, like John, take you as the guide, strength and consolation of our mortal life. 
 
We are inspired by the certainty that your eyes, which wept over the earth crimsoned by the blood of Jesus, are yet turned toward this world racked by wars and persecutions, the oppression of the just and the weak. From the shadows of this vale of tears, we seek in your heavenly assistance, tender mercy, comfort for our aching hearts, and help in the trials of Church and country.

We believe finally that in the glory where you reign, clothed with the sun and crowned with stars, you are, after Jesus, the joy and gladness of all the angels and the saints, and from this earth, over which we tread as pilgrims, comforted by our faith in the future resurrection, we look to you our life, our sweetness, our hope; draw us onward with the sweetness of your voice, so that one day, after our exile, you may show us Jesus, the blessed fruit of your womb.

O clement, O loving,
O sweet Virgin Mary.
Amen.

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

/by
asdfasdf

Novena to Our Lady, Assumed into Heaven – Day 3



(c)Mary TV/Anthony Zubac
Our Lady has come to cure the pessimism of the modern age!
 
August 8, 2019
St. Dominic
Novena in honor of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary day 3

Dear Family of Mary!

Today I want to share my reflection from last year on the Feast of the Assumption. It is a bit long, but it lays out what I think is so important about the Assumption for our times. Pope Pius XII understood the timeliness of the Proclamation of the Dogma of the Assumption, as I shared yesterday. And Archbishop Fulton Sheen concurred with him and wrote brilliantly about it in his book “The World’s First Love, Mary, Mother of God.” Here is part of that reflection from last year:

February 02, 2016 “Dear children… I repeat, the Resurrection of my Son and my Assumption into Heaven is hope and love for you. Therefore, my children, pray to come to know the truth; to have firm faith which will lead your heart and which will transform your pain and sufferings into love and hope. Thank you.”

I wanted to share something with you about the Assumption. For some reason, as I prayed I felt drawn to a book I read quite a while ago, “The World’s First Love, Mary, Mother of God” by Archbishop Fulton J Sheen. I looked through the contents and found the chapter on the Assumption. And when I began to read it, I saw that I had underlined almost every word of that chapter! It is a blockbuster!
 
But the last few paragraphs are pertinent for us because Sheen points to something in a prophetic way that we are experiencing. “The World’s First Love” was written in 1952, only two years after the Dogma of the Assumption was declared by Pope Pius XII. And yet, Sheen seems to see the plan of God in that declaration. Let’s listen to him:
 
“Within three decades the definition of the Assumption will cure the pessimism and despair of the modern world. Freud, who did so much to develop this pessimism, took as his motto; “If I cannot move the Gods on high, I shall set all hell in an uproar.” That uproar which he created will now be stilled by a Lady as powerful as an “army drawn up in battle array.” The age of the “body beautiful” will now become the age of the Assumption.
 
“In Mary there is a triple transition. In the Annunciation we pass from the holiness of the Old Testament to the holiness of Christ. At Pentecost we pass from the holiness of the historical Christ to the holiness of the Mystical Christ or His Body, which is the Church. Mary here received the Spirit for a second time. The first overshadowing was to give birth to the Head of the Church: this second overshadowing is to give birth to His Body as she is in the midst of the Apostles abiding in prayer. The third transition is the Assumption, as she becomes the first human person to realize the historical destiny of the faithful as members of Christ’s Mystical Body, beyond time, beyond death, and beyond judgment.
 
“Mary is always in the vanguard of humanity. She is compared to Wisdom, presiding at creation; she is announced as the woman who will conquer Satan, as the Virgin who will conceive. She becomes the first person since the Fall to have a unique and unrepeatable kind of union with God; she mothers the infant Christ in Bethlehem; she mothers the Mystical Christ at Jerusalem; and now, by her Assumption, she goes ahead like her Son to prepare a place for us. She participates in the glory of her Son, reigns with Him, presides at His Side over the destinies of the Church in time, and intercedes for us, to Him, as He, in His turn, intercedes to the Heavenly Father.
 
“Adam came before Eve chronologically. The new Adam, Christ, comes after the New Eve, Mary, chronologically, although existentially He preceded her as the Creator a creature. By stressing for the moment only the time element, Mary always seems to be the advent of what is in store for man. She anticipates Christ for nine months, as she bears Heaven within her; she anticipates His Passion at Cana and His Church at Pentecost. Now, in the last great doctrine of the Assumption, she anticipates Heavenly glory, and the definition comes at a time when men think of it least.
 
“One wonders if this could not be the last of the great truths of Mary to be defined by the Church. Anything else might seem to be an anticlimax after she is declared to be in Heaven, body and soul. But actually there is one other truth left to be defined, and that is that she is the Mediatrix, under her Son, of all graces. As St. Paul speaks of the Ascension of Our Lord as the prelude to His intercession for us, so we fittingly, should speak of the Assumption of Our Lady as a prelude to her intercession for us. First, the place, Heaven; then the function, intercession. The nature of her role is not to call her Son’s attention to some need, in an emergency unnoticed by Him, nor is it to “win” a difficult consent. Rather it is to unite herself to His compassionate Mercy and give a human voice to His Infinite Love. The main ministry of Mary is to incline men’s’ hearts to obedience to the will of her Divine Son. Her last recorded words at Cana are still her words in the Assumption; ‘Whatsoever He shall say to you, that do ye.'” (Fulton J Sheen, The World’s First Love, Mary, Mother of God. McGraw-Hill Book Company, Inc. New York. 1952)
 
Archbishop Sheen clearly sees that Mary, in her Assumption, is the key to our age of despair. In Mary, humanity has hope. In her Assumption, life again has meaning. We are not creatures without souls, and without an eternal future. We are called to live forever with our God, who loves us, and Mary shows us the way.
 
I also find it interesting that in 1952 Archbishop Sheen would project that in three decades after the Dogma was declared “the definition of the Assumption will cure the pessimism and despair of the modern world.” This is a huge claim. Sheen died in 1979, just shy of the three decades. What came next he could not have foreseen. Our Lady came to Medjugorje in 1981 and since then has been curing pessimism and despair in millions of her children. Through her presence, her messages and her intercession, Mary is reversing the terrible curse of atheism and despair in the world, one person at a time.
 
I also believe that Our Lady in Medjugorje has set up camp, declaring that she is with us in our fight against Satan and all evil. She is with us to help us draw close to her Son and to learn to live in Him. She is with us in these days to be Jesus’ compassionate Mercy for us. She intercedes in our midst, in Medjugorje, to bring about the Kingdom of Heaven in us. The Dogma of the Assumption is bearing great fruit in our day, as Sheen said. It is curing pessimism and despair and bringing us heaven through Our Lady’s presence in Medjugorje!! If Sheen is right and Mary is the advent of all of God’s great works, the Incarnation, the Passion, the Birth of the Church, and now Heavenly Glory, then her coming to Medjugorje must be the advent of the coming of her Son. She is here to prepare the way for His coming!

Our Lady is with us to lead us to heaven!!

Let us pray:
 
Prayer to Our Lady of the Assumption
by Pope St. Pius X

O Immaculate Virgin, Mother of God and Mother of humanity, we believe with all the fervor of our faith in your triumphal assumption both in body and in soul into heaven where you are acclaimed as queen by all the choirs of angels and all the legions of saints; we unite with them to praise and bless the Lord who has exalted you above all other pure creatures and to offer you the tribute of our devotion and our love.

We know that your gaze, which on earth watched over the humble and suffering humanity of Jesus, in heaven is filled with the vision of that humanity glorified and with the vision of uncreated wisdom, and that the joy of your soul in the direct contemplation of the adorable Trinity causes your heart to throb with overwhelming tenderness; and we, poor sinners whose body weights down the flight of the soul, beg you to purify our hearts so that, while we remain below, we may learn to see God and God alone in the beauties of his creatures.

We trust that your merciful eyes may deign to gaze down upon our miseries and anguish, upon our struggles and our weaknesses; that your countenance may smile upon our joys and our victories; that you may hear the voice of Jesus saying to you of each one of us, as He once said to you of his beloved disciple: “Behold your son,” and we who call upon you as our mother, we, like John, take you as the guide, strength and consolation of our mortal life. 
 
We are inspired by the certainty that your eyes, which wept over the earth crimsoned by the blood of Jesus, are yet turned toward this world racked by wars and persecutions, the oppression of the just and the weak. From the shadows of this vale of tears, we seek in your heavenly assistance, tender mercy, comfort for our aching hearts, and help in the trials of Church and country.

We believe finally that in the glory where you reign, clothed with the sun and crowned with stars, you are, after Jesus, the joy and gladness of all the angels and the saints, and from this earth, over which we tread as pilgrims, comforted by our faith in the future resurrection, we look to you our life, our sweetness, our hope; draw us onward with the sweetness of your voice, so that one day, after our exile, you may show us Jesus, the blessed fruit of your womb.

O clement, O loving,
O sweet Virgin Mary.
Amen.

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

/by
asdfasdf

Novena to Our Lady, Assumed into Heaven – Day 2



(c)Mary TV/Anthony Zubac
Our Lady’s Statue processed through a sea of young people!!
 
August 7, 2019
Novena in honor of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary – Day 2

Dear Family of Mary!

It seems to make sense that as we come back down to earth from the incredible 6 days of prayer and joy during the 30th Youth Festival in Medjugorje, that we would begin a novena to Our Lady. We began yesterday, a Novena to Our Lady, Assumed into Heaven. This is day 2. I want to share with you each day of this novena something beautiful about the Assumption, so that we can grow in our awareness of the timeliness and power of this Dogma. It was only proclaimed in 1950! So recent!! Pope Pius XII proclaimed it on November 1, 1950 in the Apostolic Constitution: Munificentissimuss Deus – Defining the Dogma of the Assumption. He explained very clearly all the steps that the Church took to come to this moment. And then he said these words:

41. Since the universal Church, within which dwells the Spirit of Truth who infallibly directs it toward an ever more perfect knowledge of the revealed truths, has expressed its own belief many times over the course of the centuries, and since the bishops of the entire world are almost unanimously petitioning that the truth of the bodily Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary into heaven should be defined as a dogma of divine and Catholic faith–this truth which is based on the Sacred Writings, which is thoroughly rooted in the minds of the faithful, which has been approved in ecclesiastical worship from the most remote times, which is completely in harmony with the other revealed truths, and which has been expounded and explained magnificently in the work, the science, and the wisdom of the theologians – we believe that the moment appointed in the plan of divine providence for the solemn proclamation of this outstanding privilege of the Virgin Mary has already arrived.

42. We, who have placed our pontificate under the special patronage of the most holy Virgin, to whom we have had recourse so often in times of grave trouble, we who have consecrated the entire human race to her Immaculate Heart in public ceremonies, and who have time and time again experienced her powerful protection, are confident that this solemn proclamation and definition of the Assumption will contribute in no small way to the advantage of human society, since it redounds to the glory of the Most Blessed Trinity, to which the Blessed Mother of God is bound by such singular bonds. It is to be hoped that all the faithful will be stirred up to a stronger piety toward their heavenly Mother, and that the souls of all those who glory in the Christian name may be moved by the desire of sharing in the unity of Jesus Christ’s Mystical Body and of increasing their love for her who shows her motherly heart to all the members of this august body. And so, we may hope that those who meditate upon the glorious example Mary offers us may be more and more convinced of the value of a human life entirely devoted to carrying out the heavenly Father’s will and to bringing good to others. Thus, while the illusory teachings of materialism and the corruption of morals that follows from these teachings threaten to extinguish the light of virtue and to ruin the lives of men by exciting discord among them, in this magnificent way all may see clearly to what a lofty goal our bodies and souls are destined. Finally it is our hope that belief in Mary’s bodily Assumption into heaven will make our belief in our own resurrection stronger and render it more effective.
http://w2.vatican.va/content/pius-xii/en/apost_constitutions/documents/hf_p-xii_apc_19501101_munificentissimus-deus.html

Note how Pope Pius XII mentions that this Dogma will help us to stand against the “illusory teachings of materialism and the corruption of morals that follows from these teachings [and which] threaten to extinguish the light of virtue and to ruin the lives of men by exciting discord among them …” Pope Pius XII could see the danger we were in at that moment, 1950. Two world wars had decimated our populations and covered the world with a heavy cloud of depression and disillusionment. The technological age was just beginning to grow, bringing a false sense that man could answer all his needs himself, without God. And the devil had planted the seeds of the destruction of the family through the sexual revolution which we have seen grow to enormous proportions. So, Pope Pius XII believed that it was Our Lady who could redirect mankind back to the safety of the faith, through her Assumption!

We have much to ponder in all of this. And so, let’s embrace this novena, asking God to show us His great plan to save us from this hour in human history, through Our Lady, Assumed into Heaven!

Here is our Novena prayer:

Prayer to Our Lady of the Assumption
by Pope St. Pius X

O Immaculate Virgin, Mother of God and Mother of humanity, we believe with all the fervor of our faith in your triumphal assumption both in body and in soul into heaven where you are acclaimed as queen by all the choirs of angels and all the legions of saints; we unite with them to praise and bless the Lord who has exalted you above all other pure creatures and to offer you the tribute of our devotion and our love.

We know that your gaze, which on earth watched over the humble and suffering humanity of Jesus, in heaven is filled with the vision of that humanity glorified and with the vision of uncreated wisdom, and that the joy of your soul in the direct contemplation of the adorable Trinity causes your heart to throb with overwhelming tenderness; and we, poor sinners whose body weights down the flight of the soul, beg you to purify our hearts so that, while we remain below, we may learn to see God and God alone in the beauties of his creatures.

We trust that your merciful eyes may deign to gaze down upon our miseries and anguish, upon our struggles and our weaknesses; that your countenance may smile upon our joys and our victories; that you may hear the voice of Jesus saying to you of each one of us, as He once said to you of his beloved disciple: “Behold your son,” and we who call upon you as our mother, we, like John, take you as the guide, strength and consolation of our mortal life. 
 
We are inspired by the certainty that your eyes, which wept over the earth crimsoned by the blood of Jesus, are yet turned toward this world racked by wars and persecutions, the oppression of the just and the weak. From the shadows of this vale of tears, we seek in your heavenly assistance, tender mercy, comfort for our aching hearts, and help in the trials of Church and country.

We believe finally that in the glory where you reign, clothed with the sun and crowned with stars, you are, after Jesus, the joy and gladness of all the angels and the saints, and from this earth, over which we tread as pilgrims, comforted by our faith in the future resurrection, we look to you our life, our sweetness, our hope; draw us onward with the sweetness of your voice, so that one day, after our exile, you may show us Jesus, the blessed fruit of your womb.

O clement, O loving,
O sweet Virgin Mary.
Amen.

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

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