Canonizations on 100th Anniversary of Our Lady of Fatima May 13, 2017?

Pope Francis has recently (March 23, 2017) approved the 2nd and final miracles attributed to Francisco and Jacinta Marto (brother and sister) so that they can move on to be canonized.

Francisco and Jacinta were two of the three Fatima, Portugal visionaries of the Marian apparitions in 1917.
Lucia Santos, their cousin, was the 3rd visionary.

Francisco died at age 11 and Jacinta at age 10, both within 3 years of the visions. (Making them the youngest non-martyrs to be beatified in Church history. Beatified by Pope John Paul II - now St. John Paul II.)

Lucia Santos died Sister Lucia, at the age of 97 in 2005.

The speculation is that the canonization will take place on the 100th anniversary of the first apparition, which is May 13, 2017 - in Fatima.

Blessed Francisco and Jancinta - Pray for us!

(Image is a picture I took of a picture.) Left - Jacinta, middle - Francisco, right - Lucia.

Our Lady's March 25, 2017 Medjugorje Message Given to Marija

Our Lady's March 25, 2017 Medjugorje  Message Given to Marija

"Dear children! In this time of grace, I am calling all of you to open your hearts to God’s mercy, to begin a new life through prayer, penance and a decision for holiness. This time of spring moves you to a new life, to a renewal, in your thoughts and hearts. Therefore, little children, I am with you to help you to say ‘yes’ to God and to God’s commandments with resoluteness. You are not alone; I am with you through the grace which the Most High gives me for you and your descendants. Thank you for having responded to my call."

Http://Medjugorje.org

Ezekiel 37 - Dry Bones Come Alive

This is one of my favorite songs! Many years ago I was reading an article on "wierdest" Bible stories- and of course, Ezekiel 37 was on the top.
This second video is most of the reading in a very dramatic format (amazing, I might add) -

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It was obvious that these 2 videos could make for a wonderful youth session.

The date that it will be presented lands during the last couple weeks of Lent this year, so I am working on pulling together the Resurrection metaphors.

We are all like the "dry bones". Sometimes as we go about our lives we get dry in our faith and only look to it when something major or catostophic happens. We need to use Lent as a time to "resurrect" our faith life and see where we need to "come alive".  We need to allow the Holy Spirit to "breathe" on us and fill us with the fuel of life.

Walk with us Mother Mary as we stive to come alive in our faith. Remind us often of the walk your Son Jesus, our Lord, took in the desert. Pray for us to be strong as we take this time during Lent to give our small sacrifices for the Glory of God. Amen.

Our Lady's March 18, 2017 Medjugorje Message Given to Mirjana Dragicevic Soldo

Our Lady's March 18, 2017 Medjugorje Message Given to Mirjana Dragicevic Soldo

"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."

Our Lady's March 2, 2017 Medjugorje Message Given to Mirjana

Our Lady's March 2, 2017 Medjugorje  Message Given to Mirjana

"Dear children, With motherly love I am coming to help you to have more love and that means more faith. I am coming to help you to live with love the words of my Son, so that the world would be different. Therefore, apostles of my love, I am gathering you around myself. Look at me with the heart, speak to me as to a mother about your pains, sufferings and your joys. Ask me to pray to my Son for you. My Son is merciful and just. My motherly heart would desire for you also to be like that. My motherly heart would desire that you, apostles of my love, speak of my Son and of me to all those around you with your life; so that the world would be different; that simplicity and purity would return; that faith and hope would return. Therefore, my children, pray, pray, pray with the heart, pray with love, pray with good works. Pray that everyone would come to know my Son, so that the world would change, that the world would be saved. With love live the words of my Son. Do not judge, instead love one another so that my heart could triumph. Thank you."

The Medjugorje Web
http://medjugorje.org

Fasting

When I was 16 until I was 19 years old, I worked at a chemical dependency treatment facility. There were some counselors that would fast a couple days a week. They would give up food for the entire day. Yet they would come in to the cafeteria where everyone was eating- look at the food, smell the food and sit with us.

I thought they were crazy at my age at the time.

Now as I've grown to understand more about prayer, fasting and almsgiving, I see that it was a great sacrifice on their part.

In order to cope with their addiction they were able to give something up that they wanted terribly, such as food, and yet be around it, smell it, see it, yearn for it, and yet not take it. That was a great sacrifice that they did, to help give them strength to cope with addictions.

Now we can look at fasting from our prayer perspective. Giving up food as we fast or giving up something else that we crave, yearn for, and want, is a great sacrifice that we can offer to Jesus and help fulfill our prayer life.

As we go through this Lenten Season- pray often, fast well and give what you are able!

Mother Mary, Pray for us!