from Ginny Lopez
in APPARITIONS LIST ARCHIVES
CONTENTS:
MEDJUGORJE MESSAGE & COMMENTARY,
August 25, 1995
Dear little children, today I invite you to prayer. Let prayer be life for you. A family cannot say that it is in peace if it does not pray. Therefore, let your morning begin with morning prayer, and the evening end with thanksgiving. Little children, I am with you, and I love you and I bless you and I wish for everyone of you to be in my embrace. You cannot be in my embrace if you are not ready to pray every day. Thank you for having responded to my call.
Over and over she asks us to pray. Blessed Mother begs us to begin and end our days with prayer. And good mother that she is, she tells us to mind our manners by thanking Abba for all good things. Some think she is repetitive in her messages from Heaven, but Blessed Mother is teaching us the easiest way to her Son. Prayer is talking to God and in these daily conversations with Him, we come to know Him and love Him as He calls us: "Beloved . . .."
"Praise Jesus, praise Jesus! My children, I am the Queen of the Holy Rosary, and I expect you all to follow the Sign of the Cross here at Queen of Heaven Cemetery. This is the most prayerful place to pray and its holy grounds with beautiful red and white roses overlooking the Queen of Heaven Cemetery."Please go to Mass on Sundays and Holy Days of Obligation, and I ask you to be holy. Repent, repent and convert yourself entirely to my Son Jesus: grace and salvation encountering a God Who wants what is best for us. I ask all of you to go in holiness. I am your Mother, the Queen of Peace. (I came in a bright light--powerful light, dressed in white.)"
PRAYERS & PETITIONS
Please pray for healings for:
pray for:
- Felicia,
- Julie,
- Father Martin,
- Father Francis,
- Katie,
- Anthony,
- Katya (15), who broke her back in a fall,
- Christine, who had successful surgery to remove infected appendix,
- Annie Marie (22) who has throat cancer and is mother of a new baby boy,
- Pam's husband (30), non-practicing Catholic, found to have large tumor,
- Mary (82) breast cancer,
- Father Ryan (death imminent),
- Julie and safe delivery of her twins;
- Steve for healing and discernment,
- the Goward family, Brian & Terri, their children Colby & Jessica, and especially, Graham (15) who died 8/20/95 when struck by a car while riding his bike,
- Tim (10 months) who has cerebral palsy,
- repose of soul of John Yoshimura (see TIDBITS),
- Karl (conversion),
- Andy (conversion)
- all incarcerated men and women and their families, that their hearts may be touched by God,
- all government and religious leaders; especially, our Holy Father,
- Joan (special intention),
- Father Martin (special intention),
- Father John (special intention). Father, we come to you, acknowledging You Lord over all. Hear our prayers and our thanksgivings for our brothers and sisters. Gather us all into Your loving arms. Amen.
TIDBITS
FROM THAILAND: John Yoshimura died recently. A mutual friend writes: "At the wake yesterday evening, so many wonderful stories of John's conversion to Catholicism were shared. John was a film producer. He did several films for the BBC on Africa; especially, [on] African wildlife. One day he became very absorbed in following an animal into the desert and he lost his way. He was alone, on foot, and ran out of water, energy and hope. He had gone to a Catholic boarding school in Japan as a child and in desperation, knelt down in the desert to say a prayer to Our Lady. Just below the surface of the sand, he found a turquoise-colored rosary. He said the rosary and after that, found his way back to the encampment. He became a Catholic some time later." John was a good man and a faithful member of his parish prayer group. On the Sunday following his death, two members of his parish saw John outside their Church, once again a faithful witness to his adopted Faith. [Brenda]
FATHER JOZO visited Canada during August 22 through September 5, 1995.
IN HER LETTER TO THE UN WOMEN'S CONFERENCE IN BEIJING, MOTHER TERESA OF CALCUTTA WROTE: "God has created each one of us, every human being, for greater things--to love and to be loved. But why did God make some of us men and others women? Because a woman's love is one image of the love of God, and a man's love is another image of God's love .... Motherhood is the gift of God to women. How grateful we must be to God for this wonderful gift that brings such joy to the whole world, women and men alike! Yet we can destroy this gift of motherhood, especially by the evil of abortion, but also by thinking that other things like jobs or positions are more important than loving, than giving oneself to others. No job, no plans, no possessions, no idea of "freedom" can take the place of love .... Those who deny the beautiful differences between men and women are not accepting themselves as God has made them, and so cannot love the neighbor. They will only bring division, unhappiness, and destruction of peace to the world .... Instead of death and sorrow, let us bring peace and joy to the world. To do this we must beg God for His gift of peace and learn to love and accept each other as brothers and sisters, children of God .... I have often seen, especially in the rich countries, how children turn to drugs or other things to escape feeling unloved and rejected. But when families are strong and united, children can see God's special love in the love of their father and mother and can grow to make their country a loving and prayerful place." [Catholic World News service (CWN)]
UPDATE ON EMMITSBURG, MD VISIONARY, GIANNA TALONE- SULLIVAN: According to sources from the Archdiocese of Baltimore, Gianna has " . . . been investigated by the Diocese of Phoenix, and nothing contrary to Faith was found." The Baltimore Archdiocese's position remains neutral at this time. (APAR-L)
IN OUR LADY'S 8/17/95 MESSAGE AT EMMITSBURG, SHE TEACHES US TO PRAY: "In order to remain focused, it is necessary that you pray with all your hearts and practice living in simplicity. Train your mind not to be engulfed by sweet enticements of materialism or overpowered by distracting words which overcloud your mind. Push all distractions away when you pray. Do not pay attention to thoughts which may enter your mind while you pray. Focus only on God's love for you. Be grateful for His goodness and the many gifts He has blessed you with. Offer yourselves to God unconditionally in reparation of the many sins which offend Him. Love one another and give in simpleness to the needs of others and to the needs of your own self."
FROM "GOD CALLING": GIVE, GIVE, GIVE abundantly. Feel that you are rich. Have no mean thought in your heart. Of love, of thought, of all you have, give, give, give. You are followers of the World's Greatest Giver. Give of time, of personal ease and comfort, of rest, of fame, of healing, of power, of sympathy, of all these and many more. Learn this lesson, and you will become a great power to help others and to do mighty things. [Brenda]
OUR DEAR FRIEND, Archbishop Martin De Porres, is in Medjugorje and will go to Rome before returning to the United States on September 24. He was invited to accompany a group of pilgrims. Please continue to pray for his dearest wish: that his petition to be reunited with Rome will be approved by the Holy Father.
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Psalms 17:1 Hear the right, O LORD, attend unto my cry, give ear unto my prayer, that goeth not out of feigned lips.
It is possible that God is the last person you want to talk to at the moment. Perhaps you feel that God is responsible in some way for your illness or that of your loved one. Or, that God could have prevented it. Or, that God did not listen to your prayers when you pleaded for recovery and healing. Perhaps you are even afraid of God, considering what is happening. What would it mean, under those circumstances, to pray?
It would mean, above all, that you would expose yourself, your innermost being, to one who is frightening. You would have to unveil your vulnerability to one who has all the power. The defenses you have worked so diligently to develop would be gone.
All that would be enough to keep you from praying- -if you were right about God causing your illness, your troubles, inconveniences to occur, or ignoring your earlier prayers, or overpowering you. But suppose instead that Job was right when he learned that God does not will suffering or death, or punish according to individual sins and failures. Suppose that the Hebrew Bible and the Greek New Testament are correct in their understanding that God wills life and that God promises to be present with us even in our trials, sufferings and tribulations. What would it mean, then, to pray?
It would mean pouring out your innermost thoughts, even your anger, to a God who LOVES you. It would mean praying to a God who allows you to enter into divine presence with the assurance that God is waiting with open arms to set you on a new path, the road to wholeness.
Throughout the Scriptures, whenever people experienced the nearness of God, they backed away in fear, not knowing what would happen next. Each time they were assured that God's presence would not bring them devastation.
"Fear not," the angel of the Lord said to Moses when the Lord appeared in the burning bush to announce God's will of salvation for Israel. "Fear not," the same angel said to Gideon when the Lord came to send the man on a mission to save the people of Israel from invasions. "Do not be afraid," Jesus said to Peter when he called him to be his disciple after delivering a boatload of fish into his nets. "Do not be afraid," the resurrected Jesus said to the women who came to his tomb on Easter morning.
God's presence, as awesome as it is, is not something to fear, for the God who comes to us is a GOD OF LOVE.
In prayer we place ourselves in a position in which God enters into our lives. That God, the one who created all things and all people, comes in prayer, not to scare us but to love and comfort us and move us in new directions.
THOUGHT FOR THE DAY: Because, my friends, so many are calling for prayers, let us unite and make this a day of prayer, for the sick, for the suffering, those who are in agony, in any kind of trouble, and for those who, in one way or another, need the help of our prayers but do not know as yet how to ask for it. Tomorrow morning at Mass, I will have a very special intention for each and everyone of you and I will offer to all your intentions, my dear friends, my vocal, silent and suffering prayers. [Father Bob L. Roberts (bobrob@cam.org), with permission]
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OUR LADY OF LIGHT IN SANTA FE:
To the left of the main altar, in the Cathedral of St. Francis of Assisi in Santa Fe, New Mexico, is La Conquistadora Chapel, the oldest Marian shrine in the United States. In this chapel is an ancient carved-wood statue of Our Lady, La Conquistadora: Nuestra Senora del Rosario. It is from this statue that Our Lady, herself, came forth as Our Lady of Fatima, Our Lady of Guadalupe and finally, Our Lady of Light, appearing to Vangie Gonzales Peterson, a young wife and mother. This was on June 8, 1986. Since then Vangie and her brother, Gerard, have experienced the direct intervention of Blessed Mother and her Son in their lives. Vangie has had many apparitions of both Jesus and Mary. Vangie and Gerard have received messages (locutions) of a personal nature as well as for the public. Blessed Mother emphasizes: praying the Rosary from the heart (especially within the family), faith, fasting, conversion, teenagers, Eucharistic Adoration, Confession, the Mass, salvation through the Cross, and Mary, as our universal mother and intercessor. Through the Gonzales family, Blessed Mother teaches us how family Rosary groups unite parishes, cities, dioceses and the world in simplicity and love.
Maria Victoria Archuleta has documented these events and messages in a book called "OUR LADY OF LIGHT IN SANTA FE." "In these times of growing darkness, the book is meant to radiate light and hope to the world." The suggested donation is $10 (includes shipping and handling) and may be ordered from: Maria Victoria Archuleta, P.O. Box 600, Santa Cruz, New Mexico 87567, phone: 505-753-3684. (Please make checks payable to OUR LADY OF LIGHT IN SANTA FE).
NEWS FROM AROUND THE WORLD:
SACRAMENTARY CHANGES APPROVED AT NCCB AUGUST MEETING: At their general meeting in August, the US Bishops voted in favor of a number of significant changes to the liturgy. Some of the changes, which must now be approved by Rome, are: *The Sign of Peace: It may sometimes be exchanged at the beginning of the Eucharist instead of just before communion. *The Our Father: People may raise their arms with the priest during the recitation or singing of the Lord's Prayer. *Introductory rites: Ordinarily, there will just one introductory rite chosen from among six options: four penitential rites, the Gloria, or one of the introductory rites for special occasions. But outside of Lent and Advent the celebrant may add the Gloria to one of the penitential rites, a provision that permits the use of the Kyrie and the Gloria in the same Mass. *Penitential rite: In Lent the priest may invite the people to kneel during the penitential rite. *Creeds: Previously the Apostles' Creed was allowed for use when the mass was a children's mass. However, now it may be substituted for the Nicene Creed at all regular masses. When the Apostles' Creed is used, it may be used whole or broken down into three parts, with the priest asking before the respective parts: "Do you believe in God?... in Jesus Christ?... in the Holy Spirit?" *Nicene Creed: Part of the text is revised, for purposes of inclusive language, to read: "For us and our salvation/He came down from heaven,/was incarnate of the Holy Spirit and the virgin Mary/ and was made man." *Acclamations after the consecration: There is a distinctive invitation by the priest or deacon for each of the four acclamations by the people. Once people become accustomed to these, the words of the invitation will cue people as to which acclamation they should give.
More language changes in the Sacramentary: *Simplification of the introductory rites at Mass. *Revisions of "ecumenical texts"-- ecumenically developed translations for those prayers that a number of denominations use in their worship. (A contemporary version of the Lord's Prayer was not considered.) *Revised US adaptations for the general rules of the celebration of the mass.
Things left unchanged: *The rule for the United States that went into effect in 1969 which requires that the people kneel during the Eucharistic Prayer.
Only after approval from Rome can the conference president authorize publication of a new sacramentary and set a starting date for its use. [CRNET, 8-31-95]
L'OSSERVATORE ROMANO DEFENDS NATO AIR STRIKES IN BOSNIA: An editorial in L'Osservatore Romano gave guarded support to NATO's bombing of Bosnian Serb targets, saying that it should be considered a warning that human rights must be respected by all, and not seen as an act of war. The newspaper called the air strikes a "painful recourse to force" and said diplomatic efforts should immediately follow the strikes. "The strong retaliation decided by the UN and NATO to the massacre on Monday in Sarajevo cannot, must not, be considered an act of war against one party, but a warning of their determination to make sure the rights of the entire population are respected," said the newspaper. [CRNET, 8-31-95]
OHIO PASSES LAW TO RESTRICT "PARTIAL BIRTH" ABORTIONS: Ohio has become the first state in the US to outlaw the abortion procedure known as "dilation and extraction." Under the new law, physicians who perform this type of abortion, in which the brain is sucked out of the skull so that the skull may be crushed and the baby removed, may be sentenced to up to five years in jail. Dr. Martin Haskell, the only physician in Ohio who performs the technique, said that he plans to file a court challenge to block the law from taking effect in 90 days. A similar bill is being examined by US Congress. In the federal bill, which was recommended by the House Judiciary Committee for passage, the procedure is called "partial birth abortion." [CRNET, 8-22-95]
IN CLOSING:
I'm delighted to tell you all that Carol is recovering faster than her doctors ever thought possible. Her headaches and vision problems have vanished. Though her back is healing slowly, she hopes to leave for Arizona by the end of September. I'll miss her. We've been able to spend some quality time together and she was on hand at the hospital to pray with me, before I had minor surgery a few weeks ago.
During breakfast one morning, Carol recalled a young man she had prayed over in Chicago last year. This fourteen-year-old had come to ridicule her after her talk, he later admitted, but changed his mind when she whispered something known only to him. When she visited the parish recently, the youngster was there to greet her. As people came forward to pray with Carol, he kept removing people from the long, long line and bringing them to the front. Later Carol and her husband, Bob, asked him about this. He told them that these were the people who, like himself last year, did not know Jesus and were in need of prayer and conversion. What a witness to his faith has this young man become.
By the way, we are now praying for a release date of October 13, 1995, for Carol's book, "BY WAY OF THE CROSS."
Finally, on September 27 I will undergo major surgery. I ask for your prayers that God will guide the hands of the surgeon, and that Ed, Nick and Tina will manage on their own for a few days-- not to mention the newest member of the family, Caspar El Amistoso Perrito (Caspar the Friendly Pup), who, no doubt, will miss his daily snuggles.
God bless :-) DEAR FAMILY, is an independent ministry. It subsists solely on God, free-will donations, which are gratefully accepted, and the generosity of my family. Please copy and pass this newsletter on to others. My thanks to all who make this ministry possible.
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APPARITIONS LIST ARCHIVES
- Apparitions List (Apar-l)is an internet mailing list dedicated to sharing information of all approved apparitions by the Catholic Church, and all reputable on-going apparitions, that are not contrary to the teachings of the Catholic Church.
DEAR FAMILY NEWSLETTER
- This monthly publication covers various apparitions. Ginny Lopez(lagin@aol.com)
mbd@piedre.f rontier.net