Angel of Peace

Our Blessed Mother Mary was the first tabernacle for the baby Jesus. She is Our Lady of the Eucharist. May we always run to meet Jesus by receiving Him in the Eucharist and adoring Him in Eucharistic adoration. It is in the Eucharist where Jesus heals us.

Our Lady of Fatima said we must pray these prayers daily for the conversion of souls and for those who do not believe. This will lead to peace in our world and in our hearts.

Morning Offering:
My God, I believe, I adore, I hope and I love you! I beg pardon for those who do not believe, do not adore, do not hope and do not love you! Angel of Peace 1916

Apostolate of Reparation:
Make of everything you can a sacrifice, and offer it to God as an act of reparation for the sins by which He is offended, and in supplication for the conversion of sinners. You will thus draw down peace upon your country.
Angel of Peace, 1916

Oh my Jesus, I accept and bear with submission whatever suffering God will send me today, for love of You, for the conversion of sinners, and in reparation for the sins committed against the Immaculate Heart of Mary. Our Lady of Fatima, July 13, 1917

When Our Lady came for the first time in her many modern-day apparitions at Rue du Bac in Paris in 1830, she told Saint Catherine Laboure to come to the foot of the altar where great graces would be bestowed on all who ask for them. Our Lady asked that a church be built on the site of her apparitions at Lourdes, which of course indicates that she wanted the Eucharistic Sacrifice to be celebrated there as well as Christ's Presence in the tabernacle.

In every one of Mary's great sanctuaries, Mary brings all the pilgrims to the foot of the altar where they may gain great graces from her Divine Son. This is particularly true at Fatima and Lourdes, as it is at these great Marian sanctuaries that there are large processions in which the Eucharist is carried, and in which a bishop, as a rule blesses the sick. On these occasions tremendous miraculous cures are brought about, both physical and spiritual. Tens of thousands of cures have taken place over the years.

At Fatima, it is a well known fact that an Angel of Peace came first to Francisco, Jacinta and Lucia in 1916. He prepared the way for the later apparitions of Mary Immaculate. When he appeared the third time in dazzling beauty before the three seers, he held in his left hand a chalice, and in his right over the chalice, a host form which drops of blood could be seen falling into the chalice. Leaving the host and the chalice suspended in mid-air, he prostrated himself touching the ground with his forehead. Then he said the following prayer three times:

"Most Holy Trinity, Father, Son and Holy Ghost, I adore you profoundly. I offer you the most precious Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity of Our Lord Jesus Christ, present in all the tabernacles of the world, in reparation for all the outrages, sacrileges and indifferences by which He is offended. By the infinite merits of His Most Sacred Heart and through the intercession of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, I pray for the conversion of poor sinners."

The Angel then rose and took the chalice and host into his hands. He communicated the host to Lucy, the contents of the chalice he gave to Jacinta and Francisco, saying: "Take and drink the Body and Blood of Jesus Christ, horribly outraged by ungrateful men. Make reparation for their sins and console your God." How seriously Francisco took these words to heart is illustrated in the remaining years of his life. When the seers were sent to school, Francisco realizing that he had but a short time to live, did not have any desire to go to school, but told his sister and cousin to go ahead and he would remain in church where he could make reparation for the outrages, sacrileges and indifferences by which our Lord in the Blessed Sacrament is offended. So penetrated was Francisco with the love of what he called "the hidden God," that he often spent many hours on his knees in silent adoration before the tabernacle.

Our Lady of the Eucharist, pray for us and all those for whom we pray through this ministry.

Pray the Litany of Humility along with the Communion of Saints

Pray this beautiful litany each day and call upon the powerful intercession of the saints.



Litany of Humility
Rafael Cardinal Merry del Val (1865-1930)
Secretary of State for Pope Saint Pius X

O Jesus! meek and humble of Heart, Hear me.
From the desire of being esteemed,

Deliver me, Jesus.
From the desire of being loved...
From the desire of being extolled ...
From the desire of being honored ...
From the desire of being praised ...
From the desire of being preferred to others...
From the desire of being consulted ...
From the desire of being approved ...
From the fear of being humiliated ...
From the fear of being despised...
From the fear of suffering rebukes ...
From the fear of being calumniated ...
From the fear of being forgotten ...
From the fear of being ridiculed ...
From the fear of being wronged ...
From the fear of being suspected ...

Jesus, grant me the grace to desire it.
That others may be esteemed more than I ...
That, in the opinion of the world,
others may increase and I may decrease ...
That others may be chosen and I set aside ...
That others may be praised and I unnoticed ...
That others may be preferred to me in everything...
That others may become holier than I, provided
that I may become as holy as I should…

Jesus, grant me the grace to desire it.

Meek and humble of Heart, Jesus.

Come to Me, all you who labor and are burdened, and I will give you rest.  Take My yoke upon you and you will learn from Me for I am meek and humble of Heart; and you will find rest for yourselves. For My yoke is easy and My burden light.  Matthew 11:28-30

Reflection: Jesus, Son of David, have pity on me...

In today's Gospel of Mark Chapter 10, we witness Bartimaeus, a blind beggar, sitting by the side of the road, crying out to Jesus, as he walked with His disciples. When Bartimaeus cried out, many around him rebuked him and told him to be silent, but he kept crying out, "Jesus, Son of David, have pity on me."  Jesus heard him and He stopped and said, "Call him." When the people heard this, they went to Bartimaeus and said, "Take courage; get up, He is calling you."

Without haste, he went to Jesus and Jesus said to him, "What do you want me to do for you?" Bartimaeus said, "Master, I want to see." Jesus told him to go along his way, that his faith saved him. Immediately, he received his sight and he followed Jesus.

Meditation: Place yourself in the scene of this Gospel. Imagine what it was like walking with Jesus with so many gathering around and trying to be near Him. 

Maybe you are someone in the crowd. You hear Bartimaeus crying out and you tell him to be silent. Then you watch as Jesus calls him and you hear someone tell him that Jesus is calling him. You speak to Bartimaeus and tell him to take courage, get up and go to Jesus. You listen as Jesus asks, "What do you want me to do for you?" Bartimaeus tells him he wants to see. Immediately his sight was given to him because Jesus saw his faith. You, along with the crowd, are amazed at the miracle Jesus performed.

Maybe you are Bartimaeus. You hear that Jesus is coming. You want to talk with Him and you call out His Name. The people around him rebuke you and tell you to be quiet but you call Him even more. You do not allow the others to stop you. Suddenly, Jesus hears you calling and He wants to see you. Joy fills your heart because you know He is calling you and you quickly go to Him. Jesus looks at you with great love and He asks, "What do you want me to do for you? You pour out your heart's desire, "Master, I want to see." Immediately Jesus sees your faith and you receive your sight. You follow Jesus, wanting to stay near Him after this intimate encounter.

As you pray and ponder this Gospel scene, consider this:

Jesus is with You. Call out to Him. If others tell you not to reach out to Him, do not listen or be discouraged. Even if you have not talked with Him for a while, Jesus is waiting for you to call out to Him. When you call him, He will stop and ask you,

"What do you want me to do for you?"

Take courage. Talk to Jesus and tell Him your heart's desire. Tell Him what you need. When you open your heart to a personal encounter with Jesus, you are forever changed.

As you continue to ponder this Gospel, ask Jesus to show you the ways you are a blind beggar. Ask Jesus to heal you and open your eyes and heart to all He wants to give you. Jesus wants to pour out His mercy and healing power upon you. He wants to heal spiritual blindness and hardness of heart. Jesus wants to perform miracles for you. Reach out to Him. He is waiting for you...

"Then the eyes of the blind will be opened, the ears of the deaf be cleared. Isaiah 35:5  

Reflection: Saint John Paul II Do not be afraid...

On October 22, 1978, Pope John Paul II began his pontificate with these words:  “Do not be afraid. Open wide the doors for Christ.”  Today we celebrate his Feast Day. John Paul's Beatification on Sunday, May 1, 2011 reminded us about of his life and message to "Be not afraid."

I was blessed to attend his Canonization on Divine Mercy Sunday, April 27, 2014.  This was a grace more than I could have ever imagined. From the time he became Pope, I always felt a closeness to him.  I have come to know him as a personal intercessor for my family. The way it unfolded for me to go to Rome, I believe that he invited me to his Canonization.

On Divine Mercy Sunday, April 27, 2014, we were awakened at the Hour of Divine Mercy 3:00 AM. How beautiful is that! We looked outside our hotel to the street below. Streams of people filled the sidewalks of Rome; many were singing as they walked to Saint Peter's Square for the Canonization. We left our hotel at 5:30 AM and walked to Castel Sant' Angelo, a beautiful, round castle with a large angel on the top. We could see Saint Peter's Basilica from the castle. We found a place in the field outside the castle and waited for the 10:00 AM Mass. We prayed the rosary as we waited. We heard reports that every person from Poland was in Rome for the Canonization. It did seem that way! They love John Paul the way I do. As we watched the Canonization Mass on a jumbo-tron television screen, we were surrounded by a large group from Croatia, praying and carrying their flags so proudly. We truly understood the meaning of One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church. It was such a beautiful grace for me to be present at this amazing moment in time. Our God truly is a God of surprises. He had more for me than I could have ever imagined. Later that afternoon, we were blessed to go to a private Mass in a beautiful church in Rome where there was perpetual adoration and a beautiful image of Our Mother of Perpetual Help. So many graces...

When I was in Saint Peter's Square, I took this photo of the image of Mary holding Jesus. After the attempt was made on John Paul's life, he looked around Saint Peter's Square and saw there was no image of Mary. He had this image painted there. Totus Tuus, Totally yours, was the way he lived his life, totally for Mary. She always leads us to her Beloved Son Jesus. I have been thinking about John Paul and how much I love him. I know he is with me. I love his writings on the Gospel of Life, Love, Suffering, the Rosary and the Dignity and Vocation of Women because they draw me into the Hearts of Jesus and Mary.

The witness of the life of this great man and the words he spoke in his many homilies, speeches, and encyclicals are more relevant today than ever. John Paul II had a powerful influence on the Church and on the world. Today let us pray to Saint John Paul II for all families and for our priests, who were so dear to his heart. So many vocations to the priesthood were revealed to men through the powerful witness of Pope John Paul II. Let us pray to him for all families and that an abundance of vocations will be nurtured and born in our families. Let us ask him to help us be unafraid and to open wide the doors to Christ for our families and for all those for whom we pray.

"Immaculate Conception, Mary, my Mother. Live in me. Act in me. Speak in and through me. Think your thoughts in my mind. Love, through my heart. Give me your dispositions and feelings. Teach, lead and guide me to Jesus. Correct, enlighten and expand my thoughts and behavior. Possess my soul. Take over my entire personality and life. Replace it with yourself. Incline me to constant adoration and thanksgiving. Pray in me and through me. Let me live in you and keep me in this union always.  Saint Pope John Paul II

We entrust all the names we have received and all the names we will receive to Our Lady of the Rosary. We thank Jesus for giving His Mother to us.  Jesus we trust in You.

Reflection: Saint Louis and Saint Zelie, powerful intercessors for marriage and family...

Today Pope Francis canonized Saints Louis and Zelie Martin, parents of Saint Therese of Lisieux, the Little Flower, They were married at midnight between July 12 and July 13, 1858.  Louis designed a marriage medallion for Zelie with the Biblical pictures of Sarah and Tobias on one side with the date on the other side and the initials of their names. symbolizing the coming together of two families. They were models of holiness. Marriage Medallion of Louis and Zelie

Their marriage was one of love, as well as suffering. They are models of the beauty of the Sacrament of Marriage and, as saints, they will be powerful intercessors for the fidelity and faith of married love of a man and woman who were open to children and the gift of life. They had nine children, five of whom entered religious life. They lost four children at a young age. Their desire to have many children was for the Glory of God. Louis and Zelie did not want to be canonized. They simply wanted in their daily lives to become saints. They shared this desire with their children, friends and in their professions. They did not conceal their desire that the mission of their lives was to serve God. They lived modestly, reached out to help the poor and needy and led daily prayers in the home. Zelie died of breast cancer at the age of 45 and Louis suffered greatly and had a three year stay in a psychiatric hospital. Louis and Zelie were devoted to a life of family and prayer.

How is God calling you to serve Him? As we pray about the changes that have been made to marriage in our country, let us focus on what we can do:


Pray for life and marriage and for the protection of religious liberty.

Educate ourselves on what the Church teaches and why and about the beauty of the Sacrament of Marriage and family life.

Be prepared to speak the truth and act with love and remain firm in our beliefs.

Be merciful. As we enter into the Year of Mercy this December, we remember that God is love and Jesus came to bring Mercy to the world.

Never give up hope. We are a people of prayer and we know the power of prayer.

Let us ask the parents of Saint Therese of Lisieux to be our intercessors for marriage and families.

Saint Therese, the Little Flower, pray for us. Saints Louis and Zelie, pray for us.

Saint Margaret Mary Alacoque

Today is the feast day of Saint Margaret Mary, who was chosen by Christ to awaken the Church to the of the love of God symbolized by the Sacred Heart of Jesus. Her early years were marked by sickness and a painful home situation. "The heaviest of my crosses was that I could do nothing to lighten the cross my mother was suffering." After considering marriage for some time, Margaret entered the Order of Visitation nuns at the age of 24. A Visitation nun was "not to be extraordinary except by being ordinary," but the young sister was not able to enjoy this anonymity. A fellow novice termed Margaret humble, simple and frank, but above all kind and patient under sharp criticism and correction. She could not meditate in the formal way expected, though she tried her best to give up her "prayer of simplicity."

After being a sister for three years, she received the first of her revelations from Jesus and was filled with the Presence of God, though always afraid of deceiving herself in such matters. Christ requested that His love for humankind be made evident through her. During the next 13 months, He appeared to her at intervals. His human Heart was to be the symbol of his divine-human love. By her own love, she was to make up for the coldness and ingratitude of the world by frequent and loving Holy Communion, especially on the first Friday of each month, and by an hour's vigil of prayer every Thursday night in memory of his agony and isolation in Gethsemane. He also asked that a feast of reparation be instituted.

Like all saints, Margaret suffered for her gift of holiness. Some of her own sisters were hostile to her. Theologians who were called in declared her visions delusions. Later, parents of children she taught called her an impostor, an unorthodox innovator. Claude de la Colombiere, a Jesuit, recognized her genuineness and supported her and he became her confessor. He was canonized by Saint Pope John Paul II in 1992, Against her great resistance, Christ called her to be a sacrificial victim for the shortcomings of her own sisters, and to make this known. After serving as novice mistress and assistant superior, she died when she was 43 years old while being anointed. She said,

"I need nothing but God, and to lose myself in the Heart of Jesus."

Christ spoke to Saint Margaret Mary: "Behold this Heart which has so loved men that it has spared nothing, even to exhausting and consuming itself, in order to testify its love. In return, I receive from the greater part only ingratitude, by their irreverence and sacrileges, and by the coldness and contempt they have for me in this sacrament of love.... I come into the heart I have given you in order that through your fervor you may atone for the offenses which I have received from lukewarm and slothful hearts that dishonor me in the Blessed Sacrament." (Third apparition)

Around the Sacred Heart of Jesus is a crown of thorns. There is a wound, from the soldier's spear, showing that our sins hurt Him in the Heart. The flames coming from His Heart show the intensity of His Love. Above the flames is a cross showing that His Love for us was so great that He died for us. These are the symbols of His passion. We were redeemed by the cross and we will be saved by it.

O Sacred Heart of Jesus, have mercy on us.  Saint Margaret Mary, pray for us.

Saint Teresa of Avila

Saint Teresa of Jesus was born in Avila, Spain in 1515. She was a mystic, contemplative, writer, Carmelite nun and Doctor of the Church. Today we celebrate her feast day. Teresa of Avila was charming, imperious, irreverent, and impossible. There is little doubt that Teresa’s extraordinary courage and wisdom were rooted in a very special relationship with God. Of all her characteristics, Teresa’s most captivating quality is what the Spanish call duende. Duende is that raw, primitive, tempestuous energy that is more frequently associated with gypsies, bullfighters and flamenco dancers than with saints. Duende has been described as fiery, wild, and utterly original. Teresa was something of a wild card for her time. She was wild as a child, wild as she grew from an adolescent into a ravishing young woman, and wildest of all when she reached middle age and set out on her quixotic adventures throughout her native Spain. Vibrant, alive, dynamic, a natural leader and a flamboyant beauty, Teresa captivated everyone around her.

Teresa saw prayer as a garden made for God. She said we are the gardeners and we must tend the plants and water them. God’s job is to pull the weeds so the good seed can grow. She believed there are four ways to water the plants, or four stages of praying. With each stage, we do less and less of the work until we reach a place of perfect union with God where He becomes the Gardener.

Drawing from a Well
The first stage of prayer is like drawing the water from a well because it requires the most effort. Here, those who are just learning how to pray must consciously remove themselves from distractions and engage the mind in meditation. At this stage we are trying to communicate with God with words from our hearts. The goal should be to stay close to God, ask Him to meet our needs, rejoice with Him, and tell Him our troubles. Teresa believed, “This practice of carrying Christ in our consciousness is beneficial at all phases of the spiritual path, especially in the first degrees of prayer.”She encouraged people not to worry if they didn’t “experience” anything during their prayer time, but just to trust in God’s perfect timing. She also warned not to attempt to shut down the mind while praying, but rather yield it completely to God. During this stage it is important to be confident in prayer and not hold back the desires of your heart. It is also helpful to have a spiritual director to offer counsel, although Teresa advised to be very careful whom you choose, as bad counsel can cause much harm.

The Waterwheel
This stage of prayer is also called the Prayer of Quiet. Here, communion with God is not attained through the efforts of the person praying. Only the person’s will is engaged; all other faculties are suspended. At this place, the desire for the mundane things of the world falls away because we realize that nothing can compare to God’s joy while in this state. It’s imperative that we see ourselves as nothing, totally dependent on God. We must allow Him to prune whatever He wants so our gardens can be fully cultivated. The Prayer of Quiet produces contentment, calmness, and joy. To reap its full benefits, the mind must be kept quiet and free of distractions. Intelligence is irrelevant during this contemplative praying; in fact, theological concepts may actually hinder God’s love reaching into the soul. God is the one who begins and ends this state of prayer. It is not of our own will. When He induces it, the soul has no need for producing feelings of unworthiness. God offers true humility, which gives us the sudden awareness that we are nothing. This humility brings about a freedom from self-interest as well as a hunger for spiritual transformation.

Water Flowing through a Stream
In this third stage of prayer, the soul simply wants to rejoice in God’s greatness and glory. It wants only to praise God and have others share in the rejoicing. This is a place of near death to all earthly things. The soul’s faculties are almost completely united with God, yet they are still functioning. Their only power, however, is to completely surrender to God’s will. Words cannot express the joy felt in this state. The person praying reaches a realization that the soul no longer belongs to itself. In this place God can accomplish more in a moment’s time than what could be accomplished after years of intellectual efforts. Teresa expressed to God what she felt in this place of prayer: “This servant of yours can no longer bear the trial of seeing herself without you. All she wants is to be free. She no longer desires to live in herself but only to live in you.”The third stage of prayer is different from the second in that here the soul is more like Mary’s, wanting to be totally still before the Lord. Here, it is like Martha’s, leading an active and contemplative life simultaneously. The person praying can continue with normal tasks but is no longer in charge of himself. In this state of prayer, the soul’s appetite is completely satisfied and doesn’t desire anything else. It is not interested in anything the world has to offer.

Water from the Rain
This fourth state of prayer is also known as the Prayer of Union. In the previous stage, although the soul has died to the things of the world, it is not completely dead because it still has its senses. But in this place of prayer, the senses are so occupied with joy, they are not free to express anything else. The joy found here is much greater than in any of the others stages, yet it is much harder for the soul to express the magnitude of it. Here, the entire soul is drawn into a place of union with God, and all faculties are suspended. God Himself becomes the Gardener in this stage of prayer. Before, the soul was still laboring for the water. But now, God provides all the water for the garden abundantly, and there is no labor on the part of the one who prays. This fourth water is so abundant, it saturates the entire garden. Teresa believed, “This water from heaven often comes when the gardener least expects it. Yet… in the beginning stages of the spiritual path the heavenly rain almost always falls after a long period of contemplative prayer.” From Teresa’s experiences, even though it sometimes seems the soul can remain in this state of union for a long time during the Prayer of Union, it is actually a very short period. In asking God to explain to her what exactly her soul was going through during these times, she believed God told her the following: “The soul utterly dissolves...so that it can fully unite with me...It is no longer the soul that lives, but I.”

Blessings of the Fourth Water
Even after the experience of the Prayer of Union has ended, its effects linger. Teresa noted several blessings that come as a result of being in this state with God. For one, the soul becomes courageous and its boldness initiates many resolutions and promises for God. The person praying also gains a new depth of humility as he realizes he had nothing to do with God uniting him to Himself in this way. Additional blessings include a strong contempt for the things of the world and a clear revelation of God’s great glory. These blessings can be lost, however, if the person praying does not maintain a heart of gratefulness for God’s gifts, thereby allowing her garden to get choked with thorns. The important thing is to not get discouraged and become careless in tending the garden. The person praying should never trust herself to not fall from the heights she has attained in God.

Excerpt from one of her writings, The Interior Castle:
"When once you have learned how to enjoy this Castle, you will always find rest, however painful your trials may be, in the hope of returning to your Lord, which no one can prevent. Although I have only mentioned seven mansions, yet each one contains many more rooms, above, below, and around it, with fair gardens, fountains, and labyrinths, besides other things so delightful that you will wish to consume yourself in praising the great God for them, Who has created the soul in His own image and likeness. If you find anything in the plan of this treatise which helps you to know Him better, be certain that it is sent by His Majesty to encourage you, and whatever you find amiss in it is my own."

In the Interior Castle, she unveils a profound spiritual vision in which the soul is a castle made of a single diamond. The diamond is surrounded by six mansions that the soul must pass through on its journey to the center of the castle and union with God. The six mansions represent Humility, Prayer, Meditation, Quiet, Illumination, and the Dark Night. In each of the mansions readers will experience a deepening desire to know God more intimately by conforming their wills to His will.

Saint Teresa of Avila, pray for us and all those for whom we pray.

Our Lady of Fatima: I am the Lady of the Rosary

The Blessed Mother appeared to the children in Fatima from May to October, 1917. The news of Fatima spread more, and people learned that a miracle was to happen. The children began to speak of the miracle which was to happen. On October 13, 1917, seventy to one hundred thousand pilgrims came to the Cova da Iria. It was pouring down rain and everything was very muddy. The children's families were very uncertain and feared that if the miracle did not take place, the people would want to kill the three children. Once there, moved by an interior impulse, one of the children, Lucia, asked the people to shut their umbrellas and pray a Rosary. Soon after that there was a flash of light, and Our Lady appeared above the oak tree.

"What do you want of me?" asked Lucia.

"I want to tell you that a chapel is to be built here in my honor.

I am the Lady of the Rosary.

Continue always to pray the Rosary every day. The war is going to end, and the soldiers will soon return to their homes."

Lucia said: "I have many things to ask you: the cure of some sick persons, the conversion of sinners, and other things . . . "

"Some yes, but not others. They must amend their lives and ask forgiveness for their sins." Looking very sad, Our Lady said: "Do not offend the Lord our God any more, because He is already so much offended."

Then, opening her hands, she made them reflect onto the sun, and as she ascended, the reflection of her own light continued to be projected on the sun itself.

Lucia cried out to the people to look at the sun. Her aim was not to call their attention to the sun, because she was not even aware of their presence. She was moved to do so under the guidance of an interior impulse.

After Our Lady had disappeared into the distance, Saint Joseph appeared with the Child Jesus and Our Lady was robed in white with a blue mantle, beside the sun. Saint Joseph and the Child Jesus appeared to bless the world, for they traced the Sign of the Cross with their hands. When this apparition disappeared, Our Lord and Our Lady appeared; it seemed that it was Our Lady of Sorrows. Our Lord appeared to bless the world in the same manner as Saint Joseph had done. This apparition also vanished, and Our Lady appeared once more, this time resembling Our Lady of Mt. Carmel, holding the child Jesus in one hand and the brown scapular in the other hand.

The rain stopped and a thick mass of clouds broke. The sun looked like a disc of dull silver, and began dancing wildly. The people shouted out: "MIRACLE!" It seems that the majority of the people saw the sun trembling and dancing, whirling around; it descended almost low enough to burn the earth with its rays. It shone with an intensity never before seen, but was not blinding. This lasted only an instant. Then the immense ball began to "dance". The sun began to spin rapidly like a gigantic circle of fire. Then it stopped momentarily, only to begin spinning again. Its rim became scarlet; whirling, it scattered red flames across the sky. Their light was reflected on the ground, on the trees, on the bushes, and on the very faces and clothing of the people, which took on brilliant hues and changing colors.

After performing a zigzag bizarre pattern three times, the globe of fire seemed to tremble, shake, and then plunge in a zigzag toward the terrified crowd. All this lasted about ten minutes. Finally, the sun zigzagged back to its original place and once again became still and brilliant, shining with its everyday brightness. The cycle of the apparitions had ended. Many people noticed that their clothes, soaking wet from the rain, had suddenly dried. The miracle of the sun was also seen by numerous witnesses up to twenty-five miles away from the place of the apparition. Many thought the end of the world had come, as the sun seemed to fall upon them. People reported color changes in objects on earth, caused by the rays of the sun. Some expressed sorrow for their sins aloud. Some who had come to ridicule now believed.

This was the great Miracle of the Sun which Our Lady had performed so that all may believe. Our Lady of Fatima, Our Lady of the Rosary, this prayer ministry is consecrated and entrusted to Jesus through you. Pray for us and all those for whom we pray.

Our Lady of the Rosary, pray for us.

This prayer ministry is dedicated to Our Lady of the Rosary, entrusted and consecrated to her.  Today is her Feast Day.  The month of October is dedicated to the "Most Holy Rosary." 

O Blessed Rosary of Mary, sweet chain that unites us to God, bond of love which unites us to the angels, tower of salvation against the assaults of Hell, safe port in our universal shipwreck, we will never abandon you.  You will be out comfort in the hour of death: yours our final kiss as life ebbs away.  And the last word from out lips will be your sweet name, O Queen of the Rosary of Pompei, O Dearest Mother, O Refuge of Sinners, O Sovereign Consoler of the Afflicted, may you be everywhere blessed, today and always, on heaven and on earth. Saint Pope John Paul II, Apostolic Letter on the Rosary 

Miracle of the rosary
On Sunday, October 7, 1571, the Christian and Turkish fleets met in Lepanto Gulf, off the coast of Greece. The bitter battle finished with a brilliant victory of the Christians who where vastly outnumbered. That very evening Pope Saint Pius V had at Rome a clear knowledge of this success. The same afternoon, the Confraternities of the Rosary, particularly in Rome, had marched through the streets in procession reciting the Rosary. This victory put an end to the naval power of the Turks and saved Christian Europe. To this day this victory has been attributed to the praying of the Rosary.

The Power of the Rosary
The most holy Virgin in these last times in which we live has given a new efficacy to the recitation of the Rosary to such an extent that there is no problem, no matter how difficult it is, whether temporal or, above all, spiritual, in the personal life of each one of us, of our families, of the families of the world, or of the religious communities, or even of the life of peoples and nations, that cannot be solved by the Rosary. There is no problem, I tell you, no matter how difficult it is, that we cannot resolve by the prayer of the holy Rosary. With the holy Rosary, we will save ourselves; we will sanctify ourselves; we will console our Lord, and obtain the salvation of many souls. Conversation between Sr. Lucy of Fatima and Fr. Fuentes, Dec. 26, 1957

"The Rosary is a powerful weapon to put the demons to flight and to keep oneself from sin…If you desire peace in your hearts, in your homes, and in your country, assemble each evening to recite the Rosary. Let not even one day pass without saying it, no matter how burdened you may be with many cares and labors."  Pope Pius XI

"Among all the devotions approved by the Church, none has been so favored by so many miracles as the Rosary devotion." Pope Pius IX

"The Rosary is the most excellent form of prayer and the most efficacious means of attaining eternal life. It is the remedy for all our evils, the root of all our blessings. There is no more excellent way of praying." Pope Leo XIII

"The rosary is a magnificant gift of God to humanity because through this prayer, we attain extraordinary graces. With the rosary in your hand, you will not be discouraged and you will have clarity of mind and extraordinary freedom in your heart." Mother Elvira Petrozzi, Foundress of the Cenacolo Community in Medjugorje, with fifty-six houses in fifteen countries, welcoming the lost and desperate.

Saint Dominic prayed to Our Lady that she would force the devils who possessed a man to reveal the truth about devotion to her. The devils were forced by Our Lady to reveal: "Now that we are forced to speak we must also tell you this: Nobody who perseveres in saying the Rosary will be damned, because she obtains for her servants the grace of true contrition for their sins and by means of this they obtain God's forgiveness and mercy."

My favorite Luminous Mystery is the Institution of the Eucharist. When I meditate on this mystery,  I place myself with Mary in the Upper Room, where Jesus shared the last supper with His friends and He gave us His Body and Blood. Meditating on this beautiful mystery draws me close to the Blessed Sacrament.  Eucharistic Adoration is like receiving communion spiritually. During adoration, ask the Holy Spirit to guide and enlighten you with a greater love and reverence for the Mass and the Eucharist.  May we always remember Saint John Paul II's description of the rosary as the "sweet chain that unites us to God."  

Our Lady of the Rosary, we entrust to you all the names we receive through this prayer ministry. Keep them under your protective mantle and always in your loving care.



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Saint Faustina, pray for us.

Today is the Feast Day of Saint Faustina. She is closely connected to this ministry of intercessory prayer offering hope and healing. The writings in her Diary help us to pray and draw us closer to Jesus and His Divine Mercy. 

“Neither graces, nor revelations, nor raptures, nor gifts granted to a soul make it perfect, but rather the intimate union of the soul with God. These gifts are merely ornaments of the soul, but constitute neither its essence nor its perfection. My sanctity and perfection consist in the close union of my will with the will of God.”  Diary of Saint Faustina 1107

Sister Maria Faustina died of tuberculosis in Krakow, Poland, on October 5, 1938. Saint Pope John Paul II beatified her in 1993 and canonized her in the year 2000. Her name will always be linked to the Feast of the Divine Mercy, celebrated on the Second Sunday of Easter, the Divine Mercy chaplet and the Divine Mercy prayer recited each day by so many people at 3 o'clock, Mercy Hour.

"At three o’clock, implore My mercy, especially for sinners; and, if only for a brief moment, immerse yourself in My Passion, particularly in My abandonment at the moment of agony. This is the hour of great mercy. In this hour, I will refuse nothing to the soul that makes a request of Me in virtue of My Passion."  Diary of Saint Faustina 1320

When Saint Pope John Paul II canonized Sr. Faustina in 2000, he called her the "first saint of the new millennium."  Speaking of her and the importance of the messages in her Diary, the Pope called her "the great apostle of Divine Mercy in our time."

O Blood and Water which gushed forth from the Heart of Jesus as a Fount of Mercy for us, I trust in You.

At the National Shrine of The Divine Mercy in Stockbridge, Massachusetts, this prayer is included at the 3 o'clock hour:

Saint Faustina, you told us that your mission would continue after your death and that you would not forget us.  Our Lord also granted you a great privilege, telling you to "distribute graces as you will, to who you will, and when you will."  Relying on this, we ask your intercession for the graces we need, especially for the intentions received through this ministry.  Help us, above all, to trust in Jesus as you did and thus to glorify His mercy every moment of our lives.  Amen.

Jesus, we trust in You. Saint Maria Faustina, pray for us.

Reflection: Guardian Angels...

Today is the feast day of The Guardian Angels. Every person on earth has a guardian angel who watches over him and helps him to attain his salvation beginning at the moment of birth. Prior to this, the child is protected by the mother's guardian angel. It continues throughout our whole life and ceases at the moment of death. Our guardian angel accompanies the soul to purgatory or heaven, and becomes our coheir in the heavenly kingdom.

Dear friends, the Lord is always near and active in human history, and follows us with the unique presence of His angels, that today the Church venerates as 'Guardian,' in other words those who minister God's care for every man. From the beginning until death,” he said, “human life is surrounded by their constant protection.  Pope Benedict XVI

The Pope's comments were made on the Feast of the Guardian Angels, a day celebrating the Catholic Church's teaching that each person is assigned an angel to help protect and guide them through life. It was Pope Clement X who first extended the feast day to the entire Church in the early 17th century.

Guardian Angels are servants and messengers from God. "Angel" in Greek means messenger. In unseen ways, the angels help us on our earthly pilgrimage by assisting us in work and study, helping us in temptation and protecting us from physical danger.

See, I am sending an angel before you, to guard you on the way and bring you to the place I have prepared.  
Exodus 23:20

The idea that each soul has assigned to it a personal guardian angel has been long accepted by the Church and is a truth of our faith. The Catechism of the Catholic Church states that "the existence of the spiritual, non-corporeal beings that Sacred Scripture usually calls 'angels' is a truth of faith (328)." From our birth until our death, man is surrounded by the protection and intercession of angels, particularly our guardian angel. Beside each believer stands an angel as protector and shepherd leading him to life.

There have been many times in my life when I have felt the presence of my guardian angel's protection. There have been many times when I have felt the presence of the guardian angels of my loved ones. This prayer ministry began through prayers for a precious little baby, Lily Grace. When she needed heart surgery as an infant, I believe Our Blessed Mother was standing with her and she was surrounded by angels. This comforted me knowing our Mother Mary had Lily Grace under her loving protection.

Brethren, we will love God's angels with a most affectionate love; for they will be our heavenly co-heirs some day, these spirits who now are sent by the Father to be our protectors and our guides. With such bodyguards, what are we to fear? They can neither be subdued nor deceived; nor is there any possibility at all that they should go astray who are to guard us in all our ways. They are trustworthy, they are intelligent, they are strong why, then, do we tremble? We need only to follow them, remain close to them, and we will dwell in the protection of the Most High God. So as often as you sense the approach of any grave temptation or some crushing sorrow hangs over you, invoke your protector, your leader, your helper in every situation. Call out to him and say: Lord, save us, we are perishing. Saint Bernard

Guardian Angels, protect all the little ones and all those for whom we pray.

Reflection: Saint Thérèse, the Little Flower...

Today we celebrate the Feast Day of Saint Thérèse, the Little Flower. the Patron of the John 10:10 ministry, consecrated and entrusted to our Blessed Mother Mary.

"Draw me, we will run..."

To ask to be drawn is to will intimate union with the object which holds the heart captive. If fire and iron were gifted with reason, and that the latter said to the fire: "Draw me" would not this prove that it desired to become identified with the fire even so far as to share its substance? Well, that is exactly my prayer. I beg of Jesus to draw me into the flames of His Love, to unite me so closely to Himself that He may live and act in me. I feel that the more the fire of love inflames my heart, the more I shall say: "Draw me," the more also will the souls who draw near to mine run swiftly in the fragrant odors of the Well-Beloved. Words of Saint Thérèse, Story of A Soul, Chapter XI

How beautiful it is to be drawn into union with God in prayer! Thérèse understood that one of the ways to be drawn into an intimacy with God is through the Scriptures. The Word of God is alive.  By drawing close to the Lord, He set my heart on fire for His Word. When I come to Jesus in Eucharistic Adoration, He opens up my heart and mind.  I love Saint Thérèse so much. She was one of my Dad's favorite saints.  I also love that she is the Patron of priests and missionaries.  I love the way she prays with "confident trust" and "holy daring," abandoning herself to the Lord, as a little child. I pray to her asking her to help me to pray the way she prayed.    

Saint Thérèse had a great devotion to Mary and she turned to her in prayer as her mother. She lost her own mother when she was very young. When she was ten years old, during a devastating illness, she was cured through Mary's intercession and Thérèse saw the statue of Mary in her bedroom smile at her. From that moment, she no longer experienced the troubles caused by anxiety and possibly depression. She understood that the road to Jesus was through abandonment to His Will, like a little child who sleeps without fear in the Father's arms.

He whose Heart ever watcheth, taught me, that while for a soul whose faith equals but a tiny grain of mustard seed, He works miracles, in order that this faith which is so weak may be fortified; yet for His intimate friends, for His Mother, He did not work miracles until He had put their faith to test. Did He not let Lazarus die though Martha and Mary had sent to tell Him that he was sick? At the marriage at Cana, the Blessed Virgin, having asked Him to come to the assistance of the master of the house, did He not reply that His hour was not yet come? But after the trial, what a recompense! Water changed to wine, Lazarus restored to life... Words of Saint Thérèse, Story of A Soul, Chapter VI

Saint Thérèse loved to draw close to Scripture in prayer and learn about Jesus Christ from the Gospels. She wrote that when she was having a particularly difficult period in prayer, the Gospels always nurtured her. She found that the Word of God was a lamp for her feet as Scripture says. She would memorize favorite passages from Scripture so that she could recall them during the day and remind her of her love for Jesus Christ. In fact, Saint Thérèse wrote that often a word from God, an insight, a sense of direction, a response to a situation, came to her when she was about her daily work, not during her prayer time.

Prayer, for Saint Thérèse, was walking with God. Whether it was a period of meditative prayer, communal prayer in the chapel with the other nuns in the community or the prayer of lifting her heart to God in short prayers of intercession or praise, she knew that God was with her. Her deep trust in God and in God's love for her paved a way of joy and happiness. She is known as the "little flower." She discovered that her vocation was love and she said she would spend her time in heaven doing good on earth. Saint Thérèse of the Child Jesus was declared a Doctor of the Church in 1997.

God is with you. Spend time with Him and prayer. Read the Scriptures and Daily Mass Readings. Go to Eucharistic Adoration. Ask the Little Flower to help you pray with the confident trust of a little child. God will hear you and He will whisper words of His love for you in the silence of your heart.

Through your intercession, Saint Thérèse of the Child Jesus, Virgin and Doctor of the Church, teach us to abandon ourselves to the Lord, to be willing to become like little children. With open hearts, we ask you to "shower your roses" upon us and upon all those we pray for.