September...the month of Our Lady of Sorrows

Hi everyone who still checks in on this blog from time to time!  If you are reading this, I give you extra credit points for being faithful :)  I'm so sorry for my long absence.  It is one of my goals to start blogging more regularly again, so don't give up on my quite yet :)  But before I spend some time updating this blog with our busy summer of 2021, I wanted to take the time to share an important Catholic tradition for the month of September.   September honors Our Lady's Seven Sorrows, and there is a beautiful devotion to Our Lady's Sorrows that dates back to the 13th century, and then became re-introduced in the 1980s during the approved apparitions of Our Lady of Kibeho in Rwanda.  Our Lady asked one of the 8 visionaries to spread this devotion to the world (so I'm sharing it with you to try to help out) :)  It is a beautiful devotion, and one that I think is powerful during our troubled times.  All of us have sorrows that we can unite with Our Lady's to bring extra graces to ourselves, those we love, and to our world that is in dire need of graces.  So, if you have time, try to do this devotion at least once during this month.  The Feast Day of Our Lady of Sorrows is September 15th...but any day you do this devotion will console Our Lady's heart!!!  Plus, there are some pretty powerful promises attributed to this devotion, so you will be consoled too! :)

Our Lady of Sorrows, pray for us!!!

Promises

St. Bridget of Sweden (1303-1373) reported that Our Lady promised to grant seven graces to those who honor her and draw near to her and her Son every day by praying seven Hail Marys while meditating on her tears and sorrows:

1. I will grant peace to their families.
2. They will be enlightened about the divine mysteries.
3. I will console them in their pains and will accompany them in their work.
4. I will give them as much as they ask for as long as it does not oppose the adorable will of my divine Son or the sanctification of their souls.
5. I will defend them in their spiritual battles with the infernal enemy and I will protect them at every instant of their lives.
6. I will visibly help them at the moment of their death; they will see the face of their mother.
7. I have obtained this grace from my divine Son: that those who propagate this devotion to my tears and sorrows will be taken directly from this earthly life to eternal happiness, since all their sins will be forgiven, and my Son will be their eternal consolation and joy.

The Seven Sorrows of Mary

1. The Prophecy of Simeon
2. The Flight into Egypt
3. The Loss of the Child Jesus in the Temple
4. Mary meets Jesus Carrying the Cross
5. The Crucifixion–Mary Stands at the Foot of the Cross
6. Mary Receives the Dead Body of Jesus
7. The Burial of Jesus and Closing of the Tomb

To pray the Chaplet, start with an Act of Contrition.  Then pray one Our Father and seven Hail Marys for each Sorrow.  At the very end, pray three Hail Marys in honor of Our Lady's tears and these optional responses:

V. Pray for us, Virgin most sorrowful.
R. That we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.

Let us pray. 

Grant, we beseech Thee, O Lord Jesus Christ, that the most blessed Virgin Mary, thy Mother, may intercede for us before the throne of Thy mercy, now and at the hour of our death, whose most holy soul was transfixed with the sword of sorrow in the hour of Thine own Passion. Through Thee, Jesus Christ, Savior of the world, who lives and reigns with the Father and the Holy Spirit, forever and ever. Amen.

Totus Tuus,

~Maria

For a beautiful print-out of the devotion to share with others, go to:

https://littlesistersofthepoor.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/How-to-7-sorrows-roasry_compressed.pdf

To order a beautiful 7 Sorrows Rosary booklet with reflections from Immaculee, a survivor of the Rwandan genocide and a national Catholic speaker who promotes devotion to Our Lady, go to:

https://www.immaculee.com/collections/prayer-cards-booklets/products/10-seven-sorrows-rosary-booklet-with-immaculee

Other sources used:

https://www.knightsoftheholyeucharist.com/seven-sorrows-of-mary-prayer-download/

"Do not grieve nor be disturbed by anything..."

Happy Feast Day of Our Lady of Guadalupe!!!  One of my favorite feast days, one of the most miraculous events in history!  Marian apparitions have a special place in my heart, for they show how much God truly loves us to send his own mother to appear to people with messages of hope and love to draw people back to God.  One of my greatest desires on this earth is to go visit all the apparition sites of Our Lady with my husband and my children.  I have been to Medjugorje twice, and my experiences there have taught me that drawing near to Mary brings me closer to Jesus.  My devotion to her brings me peace and helps me keep my eyes fixed on heaven (instead of the anxieties of this world, which is my natural tendency).  During the darkest times of my life, she has been as close as my own earthly mother, comforting me and helping me to get through life's challenges.  Somehow she always gently helps to untie the knots in my life.  I am so grateful to be Catholic and to have this devotion to Our Lady instilled so deeply in my heart. These words that she said to St. Juan Diego remind me of her loving intercesion throughout my life and give me renewed hope and courage to keep fighting the good fight (and asking for her help to do so) until I'm in heaven.  May these words spoken long ago by our loving mother comfort and inspire you too:

• She said to him:  "Am I not here who is your Mother?  Are you not under my protection?  Am I not your health?  Are you not happily within my fold?  What else do you wish?  Do not grieve nor be disturbed by anything."

So, today (and every day), try to give all your worries and cares to Our Lady.  She will take care of them, so there is no need to grieve or be disturbed by anything!  Boy, did I need to be reminded of that this week!  I have been battling anxiety in a big way (and felt like I was losing the fight).  I have grumpy teenagers that I can't seem to make happy or connect with; I have an almost-teenager who is still battling panic attacks that I can't seem to fix; I have a project that is totally stressing me out; I am disappointed in myself for not making Advent more spiritual for our family; in general, I have felt like I have been totally failing in my vocation as wife and mother.  But perhaps it has been because I was trying to do it all on my own.  The rest of this week I will strive to ask for Our Lady's help and try to trust that she and her Son will truly take care of everything.

Here are some fun and miraculous facts about Our Lady of Guadalupe, Juan Diego, and the image on his tilma:

Our Lady of Guadalupe, 

Pray for us all!

Our Lady of Guadalupe Fact Page

• Our Lady of Guadalupe appeared to Saint Juan Diego on December 9, 10 and 12, 1531.
• The image is proven not to be painted by human hands; no natural or animal mineral colorings, or paint, are found on it
• The image has remained intact with all its original vibrancy for 475 years. The natural life span of a cloak made with fiber from the gave or maguey plant is only about 30 years.
• The image is a pictograph which could be read and understood by the Aztec Indians.
• On her rose garment is a topographical map of the location of her apparition.
• Our Lady appears as a beautiful young Indian maiden and Queen.
• She is wearing a blue-green mantle (the color worn by royalty) covered with stars.
• The stars signify she comes from heaven – the Queen of Heaven. The constellations are in the exact position as appeared before dawn on the morning of December 12, 1531.
• Her robe is colored rose or pale red and covered with Aztec flowers, symbolic of an Aztec princess.
• In the center of her robe, overlying her womb, is a four petal quincunx flower in the shape of a cross which is the sign of the Divine and the center of the cosmic order to the Aztec. The Virgin’s Baby, Jesus, is Divine and the new center of the universe.
• Her hands are joined in prayer and, therefore, she is not God but clearly there is one greater than she and she points her finger to the cross on her brooch.
• Her fur cuffs symbolize royalty.
• She wears a black maternity band signifying she is with Child.
• A black cross is on the brooch around her neck. This signifies she is a follower of the God of the Spanish Missionaries, Jesus Christ who died on the cross for all.
• She stands in front of the sun. The sun symbolizes the greatest Aztec god – Huitzilopochtli. She announces the God who is greater than their sun god.
• She stands on the moon. The crescent moon symbolized the Aztec god Quetzalcoatl, the feathered serpent moon god. She has clearly crushed and defeated him.
• The image depicts Revelation 12:1:  a woman clothed with the sun with the moon at her feet
• An angel with eagle’s wings supports the Mother of God. The eagle was the “bird of the sun.” Here the eagle is the servant of the Virgin. She holds her mantle in one hand and robe with the other, signifying the Son she bears is from both heaven and earth.
• To date the image cannot be explained by science.
• The image on the tilma was able to do what up to that time the missionaries were not able to do significantly. Namely, clearly explain Christianity to the Indian people. The proof is in the fact that after the apparitions, eight million natives of Mexico converted to Catholicism from 1531 to 1538.
• A doctor once heard a heartbeat coming from the image using a stethascope over the womb area.
• The eyes of the image have the refractory characteristics of human eyes, and they miraculously reflect the image of the witnesses present at its unveiling, including Juan Diego and the bishop.

Recent Messages from Our Lady of Medjugorje

January 25, 2018, Message to Marija

"Dear children! May this time be for you a time of prayer, so that the Holy Spirit, through prayer, may descend upon you and give you conversion. Open your hearts and read the Sacred Scripture, that through the testimonies you also may be closer to God. Above everything, little children, seek God and the things of God and leave earthly ones to the earth, because Satan is attracting you to the dust and sin. You are called to holiness and created for Heaven; therefore, seek Heaven and the things of Heaven. Thank you for having responded to my call."

February 02, 2018 Message to Mirjana

"Dear children, you whom my Son loves, you whom I love with an immeasurable motherly love, do not permit for selfishness, for self love, to rule the world. Do not permit for love and goodness to be hidden. You who are loved, who have come to know the love of my Son, remember that to be loved means to love. My children, have faith. When you have faith you are happy and are spreading peace; your soul trembles with joy. My Son is in such a soul. When you are giving yourself for the faith, when you are giving yourself for love, when you are doing good to your neighbor, my Son smiles in your soul. Apostles of my love, I am turning to you as a mother. I am gathering you around myself and I desire to lead you on the way of love and faith, on the way which leads to the light of the world. I am here for the sake of love, for the sake of faith, because with my motherly blessing I desire to give you hope and strength on your way - because the way which leads to my Son is not easy. It is full of renunciation, giving, sacrifice, forgiveness and much, much love. But this way leads to peace and happiness. My children, do not believe lying voices which speak to you about false things, false glitter. You, my children, return to the Scripture. I am looking at you with immeasurable love, and through God's grace am making myself evident to you. My children, set out with me. May your soul tremble with joy. Thank you."

Happy Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe!

Our Lady of Guadalupe, 

Pray for us all!

Happy Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe today!  I hope you feast on Mexican foods today!  :)  I'm making taco lasagna with chips and salsa, and rose-shaped cinnamon rolls for dessert.   Perhaps your family could also gather to pray a rosary today, and imagine how Juan Diego would have prayed with tender trust to our Lady once he saw her beautiful face and heard her loving voice.  He affectionately called Our Lady, "Senora mia, mi nina" (my Lady, my little girl"), and she tenderly called him "Juanito," or her little Juan.  May we have such a tender love for Our Mother Mary too, and give thanks to God for allowing her to appear to Juan Diego and other humble souls throughout history to teach us about her motherly love, and God's fatherly love and mercy for us all!  You may also want to share with your family some of these miraculous facts about Our Lady of Guadalupe and Juan Diego's tilma:

Our Lady of Guadalupe Fact Page

• Our Lady of Guadalupe appeared to Saint Juan Diego on December 9, 10 and 12, 1531.
• The image is proven not to be painted by human hands; no natural or animal mineral colorings, or paint, are found on it
• The image has remained intact with all its original vibrancy for 475 years. The natural life span of a cloak made with fiber from the gave or maguey plant is only about 30 years.
• The image is a pictograph which could be read and understood by the Aztec Indians.
• On her rose garment is a topographical map of the location of her apparition.
• Our Lady appears as a beautiful young Indian maiden and Queen.
• She is wearing a blue-green mantle (the color worn by royalty) covered with stars.
• The stars signify she comes from heaven – the Queen of Heaven. The constellations are in the exact position as appeared before dawn on the morning of December 12, 1531.
• Her robe is colored rose or pale red and covered with Aztec flowers, symbolic of an Aztec princess.
• In the center of her robe, overlying her womb, is a four petal quincunx flower in the shape of a cross which is the sign of the Divine and the center of the cosmic order to the Aztec. The Virgin’s Baby, Jesus, is Divine and the new center of the universe.
• Her hands are joined in prayer and, therefore, she is not God but clearly there is one greater than she and she points her finger to the cross on her brooch.
• Her fur cuffs symbolize royalty.
• She wears a black maternity band signifying she is with Child.
• A black cross is on the brooch around her neck. This signifies she is a follower of the God of the Spanish Missionaries, Jesus Christ who died on the cross for all.
• She stands in front of the sun. The sun symbolizes the greatest Aztec god – Huitzilopochtli. She announces the God who is greater than their sun god.
• She stands on the moon. The crescent moon symbolized the Aztec god Quetzalcoatl, the feathered serpent moon god. She has clearly crushed and defeated him.
• The image depicts Revelation 12:1:  a woman clothed with the sun with the moon at her feet
• An angel with eagle’s wings supports the Mother of God. The eagle was the “bird of the sun.” Here the eagle is the servant of the Virgin. She holds her mantle in one hand and robe with the other, signifying the Son she bears is from both heaven and earth.
• To date the image cannot be explained by science.
• The image on the tilma was able to do what up to that time the missionaries were not able to do significantly. Namely, clearly explain Christianity to the Indian people. The proof is in the fact that after the apparitions, eight million natives of Mexico converted to Catholicism from 1531 to 1538.
• A doctor once heard a heartbeat coming from the image using a stethascope over the womb area.
• The eyes of the image have the refractory characteristics of human eyes, and they miraculously reflect the image of the witnesses present at its unveiling, including Juan Diego and the bishop.

I also found this article by the modern-day Catholic "prophet" Charlie Johnston very interesting, especially how the actual title "Guadalupe" is actually a mispronunciation of the Aztec word that Juan Diego used to refer to Our Lady---"Coatlallope"---which literally means "she who crushes the serpent."  How fitting!

In 1531, the poor peasant, St. Juan Diego, was visited by Our Lady several times on Tepeyac Hill, near what is now Mexico City. Most of the missionaries in the Americas were well-intended, but they had utterly failed to convert the Aztec Indians. The average Aztec was caught between a rock and a grinding stone. Their indigenous faith, the cult of Quexlcoatl (the infamous feathered serpent) required constant human sacrifice. The pyramids always ran red with human blood. The Spanish and Portuguese explorers frequently enslaved native peoples. The problem was so bad that, in 1430, Pope Eugene VII had made enslaving a native of the Canary Islands a matter of excommunication. In 1537, Pope Paul III explicitly extended the punishment to the enslaving of American Indians, as well.

The Aztec culture had long prophesied of a woman who would free them from the bloody requirements of Quexlcoatl. When Juan Diego tried to report the messages of Our Lady to his bishop, the bishop quite reasonably demanded some proof. On his last visit to Our Lady, a bunch of wild roses were blooming at the hilltop out of season. Our Lady told Juan Diego to gather them up in his tilma (an apron made of cactus fibers, commonly worn by working peasants) and take the flowers to the bishop. When he dropped them from his apron in front of the bishop, the image of Our Lady of Guadalupe appeared on his apron. (Interestingly, tilmas rot, usually within 20 years – and never last more than 40. Diego’s tilma, with the image of Our Lady on it, still stands in the cathedral in Mexico City, vibrant almost 500 years later). The titles of Our Lady are always related to where she appeared or to what her primary role in that appearance is. Diego explained to the bishop that this woman was, in Aztec "Coatlallope", which roughly translated means “she who crushes the serpent.” The bishop, however, mistakenly heard the name of the European Spanish City, Guadalupe, rather than the Aztec phrase, which is how the title came about.  

The miraculous image spoke simultaneously to two cultures. I could go into detail on what it meant to the Aztecs, but suffice it to say it was recognized as the deliverance from the bloody cult of Quexlcoatl. Within a decade, 10 million Indians converted and the Cult of Quexlcoatl was consigned to the ash heap of history. When the missionaries failed, Our Lady came herself and accomplished the conversion to the worship of her Son, Jesus--the Christ. In today's culture, our little efforts to re-convert Europe and to convert Islam may fail, but so long as we hold fast to Our Lady’s mantle, she will prevail.  (excerpt from Charlie Johnston's blog:  https://charliej373.wordpress.com/

Lastly, here is the recipe for the rose-shaped cinnamon rolls that we like to make on this Feast day:  http://catholiccuisine.blogspot.com/2015/07/st-elizabeth-rose-bread.html

Our Lady of Guadalupe, 

Pray for us all!

Happy Birthday Mother Mary

Today, September 8th, the Catholic Church celebrates the birthday of the Blessed Virgin Mary, which is exactly 9 months after the celebration of her Immaculate Conception.  What a joyous day!  Personally, I wish it was celebrated by the whole world with as much joy as Christmas (or at least with as much enthusiasm as St. Patrick's day); after all, Mary had (and continues to have) such an important role in the history of salvation.  But there I go being a crazy Catholic again! :} Anyway, it is on feast days like today that I just love being Catholic because I am reminded of the blessings God continues to give us through the saints---especially His Blessed Mother who intercedes for us constantly, loves us unconditionally, and longs to guide us closer to her Son so that all will be saved.  How I wish the whole world knew how much she loves us!  I am reminded of one of Mary's messages in Medjugorje when she said:  "If you knew how much I, your mother, love you, you would cry for joy."  And this message was confirmed in my heart when I was able to watch the visionary Mirijana have her apparition in Medjugorje a few summers ago...  As soon as the Blessed Mother appeared, Mirajana's whole countenance changed.  She was completely overcome with pure joy and tears silently slipped down her cheeks as she gazed at Our Lady and conversed with her.  Just seeing Mirijana's joy made me start to cry for joy!  How blessed we are to be loved so much by God our Father and Mary our heavenly Mother!  I pray for the grace to be able to love them back as much as my little heart is capable of!

The visionary Mirjana is 4th in from the right wearing a coral/pink shirt. 

Our tour group was blessed to have a private meeting with her to hear her testimony and ask her questions.  She seemed so full of peace and joy.  I recently read her autobiography called "My Heart with Triumph", which describes the history of the apparitions in Medjugorje and how they affected her personally. It was very inspiring and I highly recommend it!

Here is the latest message from Our Lady to Mirjana on September 2nd, 2017:

"Dear children, who could speak to you about the love and the pain of my Son better than I? I lived with Him; I suffered with Him. Living the earthly life I felt pain because I was a mother. My Son loved the thoughts and the works of the Heavenly Father, the true God. And, as He said to me, He came to redeem you. I hid my pain through love, but you, my children, you have numerous questions. You do not comprehend pain. You do not comprehend that through the love of God you need to accept pain and endure it. Every human being will experience it to a lesser or greater measure. But with peace in the soul and in a state of grace, hope exists; this is my Son, God, born of God. His words are the seed of eternal life. Sown in good souls it brings numerous fruits. My Son bore the pain because He took your sins upon Himself. Therefore, you, my children, apostles of my love, you who suffer, know that your pain will become light and glory. My children, while you are enduring pain, while you are suffering, Heaven enters in you and you give a piece of Heaven and much hope to all those around you. Thank you."​

Here is a fun recipe to make for this special Marian Feast day:  Rose-Shaped Cinnamon Rolls.  I have heard that every time we pray the rosary (which comes from the word "rosarium" which means rose garden or garland of roses) we are giving Mary a beautiful garland of roses.  Our family loves these rolls, and I hope yours does too!  They do take a bit of time and work, but they are SO worth it!  You could even pray a rosary while you do it, and then you'd be giving a gift to Our Lady AND your family :)

Sweet Roll Dough

1 pkg. dry yeast
½ c. warm water
1/2 c. lukewarm milk (scalded then cooled)
1/3 c. butter, margarine or shortening
1/3 c. granulated sugar
1/2 tsp. salt
1 egg
3 ½ to 4 c. flour

Dissolve yeast in warm water in large bowl. Stir in milk sugar, butter, salt, egg, and 2 cups flour. Beat until smooth. Mix in enough remaining flour to make dough easy to handle. Turn onto lightly floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic. Place in greased bowl, turn greased side up. Cover and let rise in warm place until double, about 1 ½ hours.

Cinnamon Filling
2 T. butter, melted
1/2 c. sugar
2 T. cinnamon 

Mix until all sugar and cinnamon is moistened. 

Make 4 small balls (golf ball size) of dough and roll them out into 3 1/2 inch diameter circles. Overlap dough circles as shown. Sprinkle some of the cinnamon sugar mixture across middle, leaving curved edges clear. 

Roll circles up into rolls as shown. You should end up with rolled dough with both ends fluted. Cut roll in half. 

Place dough in greased muffin tins. Cut/flat end should be down and the pretty, fluted/curved end up. 

Let rise until double (30-40 minutes). Bake in 350 degree oven 12-15 minutes. 

I found this recipe at the Catholic Cuisine website:  http://catholiccuisine.blogspot.com/2015/07/st-elizabeth-rose-bread.html

Mirjana's Annual Apparition with Mary

The visionary Mirjana Dragicevic-Soldo had daily apparitions from June 24th 1981 to December 25th 1982. During the last daily apparition, Our Lady gave her the 10th secret, and told her that she would appear to her once a year, on the 18th of March.  It has been this way through the years. Several thousand pilgrims gathered in prayer of the Rosary. 

March 18, 2017

"Dear children!  My motherly desire is for your hearts to be filled with peace, and for your souls to be pure so that in the presence of my Son you could see His face. Because, my children, as a mother I know that you thirst for consolation, hope and protection. You, my children, consciously and unconsciously are seeking my Son. I also, as I passed the time on earth, rejoiced, suffered and patiently endured pains, until my Son, in all His glory, removed them. And that is why I am saying to my Son: help them always. You, my children, with true love, illuminate the darkness of selfishness which all the more envelopes my children. Be generous. May both your hands and heart always be open. Do not be afraid. Abandon yourselves to my Son with trust and hope. As you look towards Him, live life with love. To love means to give oneself, to endure, and never to judge. To love means to live the words of my Son. My children, as a mother I am speaking to you: only true love leads to eternal happiness. Thank you."

The New Messages from Medjugorje

October 25, 2016 Message to Marija

 "Dear children! Today I am calling you: pray for peace. Leave selfishness and live the messages which I am giving you. Without them, you cannot change your life. By living prayer, you will have peace. By living in peace, you will feel the need to witness, because you will discover God whom you now feel to be far away. Therefore, little children, pray, pray, pray and permit God to enter into your hearts. Return to fasting and confession so as to overcome the evil in you and around you. Thank you for having responded to my call."


 November 02, Message to Mirjana

"Dear children, to come to you and to make myself known to you is a great joy for my motherly heart. It is a gift from my Son for you and for others who are coming. As a mother I am calling you: love my Son above everything. In order to love Him with all your heart, you need to come to know Him. You will come to know Him through prayer. Pray with the heart and with your feelings. To pray means to think of His love and sacrifice. To pray means to love, to give, to suffer and to offer. I am calling you, my children, to be apostles of prayer and love. My children, it is a time of vigilance. In this vigil I am calling you to prayer, love and trust. As my Son will be looking in your hearts, my motherly heart desires for Him to see unconditional trust and love in them. The united love of my apostles will live, will conquer and will expose evil. My children, I was a chalice of the God-man; I was God's instrument. That is why I am calling you, my apostles, to be a chalice of the true and pure love of my Son. I am calling you to be an instrument through which all those who have not come to know the love of God—who have never loved—may comprehend, accept and be saved. Thank you, my children." (While Our Lady was leaving, Mirjana saw a chalice.)

Our Lady of Sorrows teaches us to TRUST

Here is a touching reflection for today's Feast Day of Our Lady of Sorrows.  It is written by Shannon Evans from the "Blessed is She" website:

She stood there at the foot of the cross as her Son choked out His last breaths. Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good.

She had just watched the crowd mock, torture, and jeer at the babe of her heart, the one she gave life to, the one she nursed at her breast, the one she had once protected but could no longer. Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good.

She shook her head and wept as, in His final hour, He made arrangements for her. He was thinking of her, even up there on that cross, her beautiful boy.  Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good.

She recalled the prophesy given to her in His infancy; she felt the sword piercing her chest. Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good.

And in all of it she had to hope, had to believe that the Father was good. She would give Him thanks, even when she couldn’t understand. She had to trust in her Son, too, for she knew that He “must be about [His] father’s business” (Luke 2:49).

I will likely never suffer the way that Our Lady of Sorrows has, but motherhood once brought its own kind of sorrow upon me. Maybe for you it’s been brought on by bad relationships, or depression, or abuse, or severe loneliness. Maybe the cause of our sorrow doesn’t matter as much as the existence of it.  We all know the darkness of despair.

And yet in humanity’s bleakest hour, our Mother chose trust. When nothing made sense, in the height of her agony, I believe she reminded herself that God was good and worthy of thanks. And if she could do it even in her suffering, there is grace for me to do it in mine.

Happy Birthday, Blessed Mother Mary!!!

On this special Feast Day celebrating Our Lady's birth, I thought it would be fitting to share her latest message from Medjugorje.  How blessed we are to have such a loving mother, who is constantly trying to lead us to Jesus and to eternal happiness in Heaven!


September 2, 2016 Message to Mirjana

“Dear children, according to the will of my Son and my motherly love, I am coming to you, my children, but especially to those who have not yet come to know the love of my Son. I am coming to you who think of me and who invoke me. To you, I am giving my motherly love and I am carrying the blessing of my Son. Do you have pure and open hearts, and do you see the gifts, the signs of my presence and love? My children, in your earthly life, be led by my example. My life was pain, silence and immeasurable faith and trust in the Heavenly Father. Nothing is by chance: neither pain, nor joy, nor suffering, nor love. All of these are graces which my Son grants to you and which lead you to eternal life. Of you, my Son asks for love and prayer in Him. As a mother I will teach you: to love and to pray in Him means to pray in the silence of your soul and not only reciting with your lips; it is even the least beautiful gesture done in the name of my Son - it is patience, mercy, the acceptance of pain and sacrifice done for the sake of another. My children, my Son is looking at you. Pray that you also may see His face and that it may be revealed to you. My children, I am revealing to you the only and real truth. Pray that you may comprehend it and be able to spread love and hope; that you may be able to be apostles of my love. In a special way, my motherly heart loves the shepherds. Pray for their blessed hands. Thank you.”

Random Updates

It has been so busy around here that I have found it difficult to sit down and blog, so I figured I would just give a bunch of random updates to get all caught up...


Our house situation:
We would love some extra prayers this week as we are going to make a counter offer on a house that we really, really like.  It is the first house that both my husband and I have been equally excited about.  It has a great floor-plan for our family with a large recreation room in the basement, master bedroom on the main floor, and the boys' bedrooms upstairs.  But the best part is how it is nestled in the mountains with 7 acres of beautiful trees and boulders and space for 5 active boys to explore the great outdoors of Montana.  It even has a tiny man-made pond with a gentle waterfall that I think would make a lovely Mary grotto!  :)  But, we are trying to remain detached and simply trust in God's will.  This particular house has been a bit of a roller-coaster for us...  We discovered it about 7 weeks ago and made an offer immediately.  However, we came to find out that the couple who owns the house has recently divorced, which meant that lawyers had to get involved and more complications than we ever imagined.  It took them 7 weeks to make a counter-offer, and they barely budged on the price.  So, we are trying one more time this week to make another offer to meet somewhere in the middle of their counter offer and our first offer.  And then we place it in God's hands, trusting that He will protect us from a poor decision or bless us with the house if it would be the right house for our family to grow in holiness, peace, and joy.  Please pray for us...for God's will, and for peace no matter what the outcome.  "Jesus, we trust in You!"

Hunting Season Recap: 
Hunting season ended a couple of weeks ago here in Montana.  It embarrasses me to admit how hard hunting season is for me...every...single...year. You see, I'm a sensitive animal lover at heart, and I selfishly would rather my husband and boys had other nature-loving hobbies that the whole family could do together which don't involve killing anything.  :}  I half-jokingly told Paul that he duped me when we got married...  He wasn't a hunter then.  He was a hiker, a kayaker, a rock-climber, an outdoor enthusiast---which really turned me on.  I truly thought I was marrying John Denver, but it turns out I married Daniel Boone instead!  :)  And I'm sure Paul thought he married a less sensitive, more practical woman like my mom who was a hunter herself and still butchers 6 or more deer a year for my dad.  So now what?  Now I guess Paul and I keep on trying to love each other for who we are, we learn to compromise some of our dreams and make new dreams together.  And as for my part, I know I need to pray for extra graces to handle hunting season with peace in my heart and simply be grateful for the blessings that it brings.  Here are just a few of the things I was thankful for this hunting season:

•  my husband bonding with his boys and getting lots of exercise in the gorgeous wilderness
• 3 successful hunts this season--Paul, Joseph, and Michael each got a buck
• a freezer full of deer meat (especially the jerky sticks and breakfast sausage)
• a husband who is patient with me and a God who is full of mercy when I fail at being the hunting cheerleader that I should be
• the opportunity for Paul and I to practice unconditional love, to practice sacrificing some of our own selfish desires for the sake of the other

Celebrating Feast Days:
One of the best parts about being Catholic (aside from the Sacraments) is all the feast days of saints that we get to celebrate!  It's like a constant party for us Catholics!  :)  Last week was a beautiful Feast Day in honor of Our Lady's Immaculate Conception--the day she was conceived without sin the in the womb of her mother, St. Anne (FYI:  it's NOT when Jesus was conceived immaculately in Mary's womb, which many people mistakenly think).  Many Protestants (and some Catholics) shake their heads and wonder how we could possibly believe that Mary never sinned, but if you ponder theology long enough, it sure makes sense to me that God would create Mary without sin in order for the fully-human part of Jesus (which came from Mary) to be unstained with original sin.  I certainly am no theologian, but the more I read about Mary, the more in awe I am of what a beautiful and important role she plays in salvation history, more important than any of us (theologian or not) can ever comprehend this side of heaven.  But even at the most simple level, which I think both Catholics and Protestants can agree on, Mary's role in history is a beautiful reminder that God always uses those who are the most humble and docile to His will to do the greatest things in the world.  Therefore, as Christians we don't need to wear ourselves out trying to be perfect or to do big, amazing feats for the Kingdom, for it is the little souls with hearts full of childlike trust and love who delight the Heavenly Father the most.  What a consolation for me, for I feel like a toddler who is constantly falling and failing, constantly depending on the Heavenly Father's mercy and His strong hands to carry me because I'm so weak!  :)

Anyway, back to Mary...  I love Mary a lot and I am so indebted to her for sharing her graces with me and untying countless knots in my life, so I wanted to find a way to celebrate this Feast in a special way, aside from going to Mass of course.  But the best I could come up with was some Immaculate Conception cookies...simple sugar cookies shaped into white hearts to represent her sinless heart full of love for us.  Whatever happened to the creativity I used to have when I only had one or two kids???  I guess it was passed to my children through the placenta or something!  :}  But I hope that the Blessed Mother was pleased with these simple cookies made with a whole lot of love and devotion and gratitude towards her for all these years of taking the tenderest care of my soul, gently pointing me (and all of her children) to the tender Heart of Jesus.

Other Stuff:
Last but not least, Isaiah has still been doing terrific with potty training!  Which is not really a big deal...and yet it is (you mothers out there know what I mean).  Yes, I look at my days which are filled with mundane tasks, like wiping bottoms, cooking another pot of mac and cheese, folding another load of laundry, and picking up plastic toys, but I try desperately to transform those mundane moments into prayer, praise, and thanksgiving for all the blessings God has given me:  sweet children (with adorable bums) to love and be loved by, a husband who provides so well for our family that we have plenty of clothes to wash, food to eat, and toys to clean up, and the blessings could go on for infinity...and so I will just keep on counting!

Amazing Facts and Miracles about Our Lady of Guadalupe

Our Lady of Guadalupe Fact Page

• Our Lady of Guadalupe appeared to Saint Juan Diego on December 9, 10 and 12, 1531.
• The image is proven not to be painted by human hands; no natural or animal mineral colorings, or paint, are found on it
• The image has remained intact with all its original vibrancy for 475 years. The natural life span of a cloak made with fiber from the gave or maguey plant is only about 30 years.
• The image is a pictograph which could be read and understood by the Aztec Indians.
• On her rose garment is a topographical map of the location of her apparition.
• Our Lady appears as a beautiful young Indian maiden and Queen.
• She is wearing a blue-green mantle (the color worn by royalty) covered with stars.
• The stars signify she comes from heaven – the Queen of Heaven. The constellations are in the exact position as appeared before dawn on the morning of December 12, 1531.
• Her robe is colored rose or pale red and covered with Aztec flowers, symbolic of an Aztec princess.
• In the center of her robe, overlying her womb, is a four petal quincunx flower in the shape of a cross which is the sign of the Divine and the center of the cosmic order to the Aztec. The Virgin’s Baby, Jesus, is Divine and the new center of the universe.
• Her hands are joined in prayer and, therefore, she is not God but clearly there is one greater than she and she points her finger to the cross on her brooch.
• Her fur cuffs symbolize royalty.
• She wears a black maternity band signifying she is with Child.
• A black cross is on the brooch around her neck. This signifies she is a follower of the God of the Spanish Missionaries, Jesus Christ who died on the cross for all.
• She stands in front of the sun. The sun symbolizes the greatest Aztec god – Huitzilopochtli. She announces the God who is greater than their sun god.
• She stands on the moon. The crescent moon symbolized the Aztec god Quetzalcoatl, the feathered serpent moon god. She has clearly crushed and defeated him.
• The image depicts Revelation 12:1:  a woman clothed with the sun with the moon at her feet
• An angel with eagle’s wings supports the Mother of God. The eagle was the “bird of the sun.” Here the eagle is the servant of the Virgin. She holds her mantle in one hand and robe with the other, signifying the Son she bears is from both heaven and earth.
• To date the image cannot be explained by science.
• The image on the tilma was able to do what up to that time the missionaries were not able to do significantly. Namely, clearly explain Christianity to the Indian people. The proof is in the fact that after the apparitions, eight million natives of Mexico converted to Catholicism from 1531 to 1538.
• A doctor once heard a heartbeat coming from the image using a stethascope over the womb area.
• The eyes of the image have the refractory characteristics of human eyes, and they miraculously reflect the image of the witnesses present at its unveiling, including Juan Diego and the bishop

I also found this article by the modern-day Catholic "prophet" Charlie Johnston very interesting, especially how the actual title "Guadalupe" is actually a mispronunciation of the Aztec word that Juan Diego used to refer to Our Lady---"Coatlallope"---which literally means "she who crushes the serpent."  How fitting!

In 1531, the poor peasant, St. Juan Diego, was visited by Our Lady several times on Tepeyac Hill, near what is now Mexico City. Most of the missionaries in the Americas were well-intended, but they had utterly failed to convert the Aztec Indians. The average Aztec was caught between a rock and a grinding stone. Their indigenous faith, the cult of Quexlcoatl (the infamous feathered serpent) required constant human sacrifice. The pyramids always ran red with human blood. The Spanish and Portuguese explorers frequently enslaved native peoples. The problem was so bad that, in 1430, Pope Eugene VII had made enslaving a native of the Canary Islands a matter of excommunication. In 1537, Pope Paul III explicitly extended the punishment to the enslaving of American Indians, as well.

The Aztec culture had long prophesied of a woman who would free them from the bloody requirements of Quexlcoatl. When Juan Diego tried to report the messages of Our Lady to his bishop, the bishop quite reasonably demanded some proof. On his last visit to Our Lady, a bunch of wild roses were blooming at the hilltop out of season. Our Lady told Juan Diego to gather them up in his tilma (an apron made of cactus fibers, commonly worn by working peasants) and take the flowers to the bishop. When he dropped them from his apron in front of the bishop, the image of Our Lady of Guadalupe appeared on his apron. (Interestingly, tilmas rot, usually within 20 years – and never last more than 40. Diego’s tilma, with the image of Our Lady on it, still stands in the cathedral in Mexico City, vibrant almost 500 years later). The titles of Our Lady are always related to where she appeared or to what her primary role in that appearance is. Diego explained to the bishop that this woman was, in Aztec "Coatlallope", which roughly translated means “she who crushes the serpent.” The bishop, however, mistakenly heard the name of the European Spanish City, Guadalupe, rather than the Aztec phrase, which is how the title came about.  

The miraculous image spoke simultaneously to two cultures. I could go into detail on what it meant to the Aztecs, but suffice it to say it was recognized as the deliverance from the bloody cult of Quexlcoatl. Within a decade, 10 million Indians converted and the Cult of Quexlcoatl was consigned to the ash heap of history. When the missionaries failed, Our Lady came herself and accomplished the conversion to the worship of her Son, Jesus--the Christ. In today's culture, our little efforts to re-convert Europe and to convert Islam may fail, but so long as we hold fast to Our Lady’s mantle, she will prevail.  (excerpt from Charlie Johnston's blog:  https://charliej373.wordpress.com/

Lastly, our family celebrated the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe by making these simple and delicious rose-shaped cinnamon rolls.  I think I will start making these on every Marian Feast Day, and even the Feast Days of St. Therese and St. Elizabeth of Hungary :) If you want the recipe, I found it at the Catholic Cuisine website:  http://catholiccuisine.blogspot.com/2015/07/st-elizabeth-rose-bread.html

Our Lady of Guadalupe, 

Pray for us all!

Medjugorje: why there?

It is hard for me to know where to begin in sharing about my personal Medjugorje pilgrimage…  So I guess I will just start at the beginning and explain why my husband and I chose to go to Medjugorje at all.  After all, we could have spent a lot less money and went somewhere more tropical and fun like Hawaii, so why did we choose a poor village in the middle of Bosnia to spend our summer vacation?

Well, like I had explained in an earlier post, Paul and I truly believe that Our Lady of Medjugorje is largely responsible for the two of us getting married.  (Here's a quick recap for those who don't know the backstory: My senior year in high school I made my first pilgrimage to Medjugorje, and the biggest prayer intention on my heart was guidance in my vocation.  I was feeling equally drawn to the religious life and to married life, so I asked Our Lady at the top of Mount Krizevek (Cross Mountain) to send me my future husband my first year of college; otherwise, I would pursue religious life and not waste my money finishing college.  And she answered my prayer in a way that only could have been her careful arrangement.  While I was home from college on Christmas break, my brother Steve was visiting with Paul, an old classmate of his, who was in the Navy but home for Christmas break. My brother happened to mention that his little sister (that’s me) recently went on a trip to Medjugorje.  This greatly intrigued Paul, who had recently become very interested in Marian apparitions, so he decided to give me a call.  We arranged to meet at Mass and then go out for bagels to chat about my pilgrimage.   That was the first of many chat sessions…   We dated long-distance for the next 3 years and married in the month dedicated to Mary, May 26, 2000.)

So, ever since our courtship, we dreamed of going to Medjugorje together to thank Our Blessed Mother for bringing us together and to ask for her continued blessings upon our marriage. That's one big reason we decided to go there, but there's more...

I wish the rest of our love story was so simple and sweet, but if I was honest, I would have to say that yes, our marriage has been strewn with sweet roses, but those roses have been covered with painful thorns.  If the two of us did not have our strong Catholic faith, a deep commitment to the marital covenant, and a belief that God and His Blessed Mother had brought us together, there is no way we would still be wearing our wedding rings.  I suppose every marriage has thorns—it’s bound to happen when two sinners choose to live together for life—but my uber-romantic heart never imagined the pain and scars those thorns would cause.  Had I known about the thorns ahead of time, I might have chosen the convent (but I'm sure that would have had thorns of a different kind!).

The past year of our marriage has been particularly hard.  A thorn that I did not expect pierced my heart and I was not sure if our marriage could recover.  I knew we needed Our Lady’s help to find peace and  healing.  Quite frankly, I wanted to quit...to pack my bags and my kids and run away to my mom's house in South Dakota.  But since I knew deep down that God would not approve of that choice, I chose to run into the arms of my "other" Mother in Medjugorje instead.  So, with our thorn-pierced hearts, my husband and I boarded a plane bound for Bosnia.

48 hours later we arrived in Medjugorje—jet-lagged, but filled with expectant hope.  The grace and peace that surrounded us was so tangible that I felt like I could cup it with my hands, put it in a bottle, and bring it back home with me.  A priest once said that "in Medjugorje, it seems as if the veil between heaven and earth is somehow thinner there." The picture below seems to capture that mystery.  I took that photo right before Mary was about to appear, and it was as if the heavens were literally opening up to allow for Our Lady to descend to earth for the apparition.  The thin veil separating heaven and earth truly appeared to part for a few miraculous moments.  I really think that priest was onto something, and perhaps the "thinner veil" is why the graces feel so tangible there.  Perhaps that is also why more graces seem to be able to penetrate the hearts of pilgrims who go there and hear Our Lady's messages, leading so many souls back to God. With Mary appearing every single day since 1981, how could there not be extra graces there?  What a gift from God that has been given to us for so long!  Paul and I felt so blessed to be immersed in those miraculous graces.

So, that is why Paul and I chose Medjugorje----for the graces our marriage needed so desperately.  Did we find the graces and healing there?  Yes.  But, not quite in the way I had expected.  Neither one of us miraculously changed, we didn't see Mary appear to us or any spinning suns, my rosary did not turn gold, and my broken heart was not perfectly healed...but we received the grace of mercy.  Mary softened my heart to forgive my husband; she also showed me the big plank of pride stuck in my eye and that I needed forgiveness too (just as much or more than he!), and thankfully Paul and the Lord were gladly willing to forgive me once I humbled myself enough to ask.    

Mercy has been one of the greatest miracles for pilgrims who come to Medjugorje ever been since the apparitions began.  St. John Paul II called Medjugorje "the confession box of the world," which is an apt description if you ask anyone who has been there.  All day long hundreds of thousands of people from countless countries go to confession in Medjugorje.  Priests spend hours upon hours in the confession boxes---they even sit on chairs all around the church to hear the pilgrims' confessions because there simply aren't enough confession boxes for all the people who want to confess their sins and reconcile their souls with God!  It is a beautiful sight!  And for many Catholics, myself included, confession in Medjugorje is a grace-filled, healing experience, sometimes even the spiritual pinnacle of their pilgrimage.

At least 3 times in the 10 days we were there, I went to the Sacrament of Confession, and each time a miraculous healing took place.  One time in particular, while hiking up Cross Mountain and reciting the Stations of the Cross, a battle of spiritual warfare was taking place inside of me...  My soul became filled with such bitterness, disappointment, even hatred for my husband that it sickened me, scared me, and seriously made me question my salvation. I think Satan was working overtime on my marriage in Medjugorje.  He was ticked off that my husband and I had come to this holy place to seek extra graces from Our Lady to save our marriage.  And so the father of lies began to whisper his crafty lies on that hike up Cross Mountain, and "gullible Maria" was falling for them again.  Thankfully, I could sense the spiritual danger and knew how weak I was at fighting this battle on my own.  So immediately after the hike was over, I asked Fr. Edmond, the holy and humble priest in our tour group, if he would hear my confession.  Praise God he said yes!  We sat right on the front porch steps of the visionary Jakov's house, and I wept and confessed my sins.  Christ's mercy rushed in and the battle quickly changed course.  Satan fled (probably with his tail between his legs) and I was filled with peace.  I loved my husband again---complete, unconditional love like Christ had for me.  I was forgiven and made new, which gave me the grace to forgive and have hope again. Another Medjugorje miracle had taken place!  Praise the Lord for His unending mercy from the cross!

Paul and I with Fr. Edmond

So many graces and miracles took place in our marriage during that 2 week pilgrimage.  We had some really tough days, like the one I mentioned above, when Satan was working hard to prevent Paul and I from embracing the healing graces that Mary was sending us.  But most days were simply filled with peace, love, and joy.  What a joy it was to receive Jesus in the Eucharist daily surrounded by on-fire Catholics, to hike with my husband in the sunshine as we talked and prayed about our future, to be present for the daily apparition and place our intentions and those of our family and friends directly into Our Lady's hands, to eat meals with him without having to cut up anyone else's food into tiny bites, and to simply be together basking in the graces that surrounded us... That's why we chose Medjugorje.  

Will our  marriage still have thorns?  Yes it will (in fact, I can feel a sharp prick of one right now as I type this).  But the graces we received in Medjugorje taught us to focus on the beauty of the blossoms instead, and that if we offer up the thorns to Jesus, His love and mercy can transform them into something good and sweet.  

  

Love and mercy...sweet indeed!