NUMBER 273 : FEBRUARY 2014 : FREE MONTHLY NEWSLETTER MEDJUGORJE CENTRE NORTH EAST.

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1 NUMBER 273 : FEBRUARY 2014 : FREE MONTHLY NEWSLETTER MEDJUGORJE CENTRE NORTH EAST OUR MINISTRY To spread the messages of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of Jesus, given through the visionaries in Medjugorje. PEACE CONVERSION FAITH PRAYER FASTING OUR LADY QUEEN OF PEACE PRAY FOR US

2 1 MEDJUGORJE AFTERNOON OF PRAYER led by Fr. Martin Morris ( 2nd Sunday of the Month ) Sunday 9th March 2014 Sunday 13th April pm to 5.00pm Adoration 5.00pm to 6.00pm Rosary, Benediction and Reflection ST ALOYSIUS CHURCH PRINCE CONSORT ROAD HEBBURN, TYNE AND WEAR NE31 1BE Medjugorje Centre (North East) ANNUAL PILGRIMAGE TO MEDJUGORJE Spiritual Director Fr. Martin Morris Wed 28th May 4th June 2014 Cost is 535pp Single room supplement 100 Flying from Newcastle Booking forms available from Kath Ash Telephone Medjugorje Centre (North East) ANNUAL DAY OF PRAYER In Honour of The Annunciation Led by Fr. Noel Colahan Saturday 29th March 2014 Coffee from 9.45 am Rosary, and Talk Shared lunch, Followed by Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament and Holy Mass SACRED HEART Church North Gosforth, NE3 5EB

3 2 OUR LADY S MESSAGE Given 25th February 2014 D ear children! You see, hear and feel that in the hearts of many people there is no God. They do not want Him, because they are far from prayer and do not have peace. You, little children, pray - live God's commandments. You be prayer, you who from the very beginning said `yes` to my call. Witness God and my presence and do not forget, little children: I am with you and I love you. From day to day I present you all to my Son Jesus. Thank you for having responded to my call. Dear friends of Our Lady Queen of Peace, let us reflect on this month s message of Our Blessed Mother, and let us open our hearts to the Spirit of God and ponder the words of her who is full of grace (Luke:1;28) so as to be filled with the Joy and enthusiasm of the Gospel. Our Lady begins by appealing to our human senses of sight, sound and touch. You see, hear, and feel that in the hearts of many people there is no God. These opening words of Our Blessed Mother remind me of the opening words in the first letter of St. John. Something which has existed since the beginning, that we have heard, and we have seen with our own eyes, that we have watched, and touched with our hands; the Word who is life-this is our subject. (1 John 1 ) Mary is contrasting the faithless situation of many today and it s effects upon the Church, with the call to faith as witnessed by St. John in his first letter. Mary knows our situa- tion today, the situation of each believer, and with her words, and the words of St. John we are reminded that Faith is an encounter with the Risen Lord. Mary knows that each of us as followers of her Son, can see, hear and feel the pain of Gods absence in the hearts of so many. How true this absence of presence is. We can see with our own eyes the results of those who do not want to encounter the truth. We can hear only empty words and loud noise from those who do not want the beauty of silence and reflection. Most of all we feel the pain of those who no longer desire Gods presence in their hearts. Those who tell us that Faith is a burden and a limitation upon their freedom. They do not want him. These are difficult and painful words to hear. It is hard to comprehend how the joy of Faith and knowing the beauty of Jesus Christ can be rejected by anyone. We want everyone to see, hear and feel the presence of God. But it is so apparent today that many do not want him. This can make the believer feel isolated and lonely. But Mary speaks this months message to

4 3 encourage us, Do not forget little children, I am with you. Our Blessed Lord experienced the pain of rejection, of being misunderstood, by those who could not see, hear and feel his presence. In St. Luke s Gospel we read of this. He went to his home town of Nazareth on the Sabbath day, and going into the synagogue he unrolled the scroll, and he began to read. The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me, he has sent me to bring the Good news to the poor, to give sight to the blind, to proclaim a year of the Lords favour. (Luke: 4:16-30) As the text continues, When they heard these things, all in the synagogue were enraged. (Luke:28) Our Lord knew the pain of rejection, because hearts were not open to him. They do not want him, because they are far from prayer and do not have peace. As we enter the first week of Lent, let us reflect upon Our Lord s experience in the Garden of Gethsemane. In his loneliness on the Mount of Olives Jesus prepares by prayer. But he is not completely alone. He invites, Peter, James and John to stay close to him, when no one else wants him.this closeness of the three during his agony in the garden is important. He desires that they be close to him, to be near him, to be in a closer relationship with him. This is a special closeness, a plea for solidarity and unity when everyone else is scattering, a closeness that comes from prayer, from hearts that remain open. Jesus invites every believer today as always to this special closeness, to be near him on the way of the Cross. This closeness to the Lord, when many do not want him, calls the faithful disciple to steadfastness whilst encountering hostility, rejection and persecution. This is why Mary says to us in this month s message, Do not forget little children I am with you. Therefore let us witness by living Gods commandments, by being prayer, because, from the very beginning you have said Yes to my call. (Let us note Mary s reference to the start of her apparitions in 1981, Feast day of the Birth of St. John the Baptist. Why does she mention this?) Mary is Mother of the Word, the woman of pondering and reflection who is filled with the Divine Word. But happy are your eyes because they see, your ears because they hear! I tell you, solemnly many prophets and holy men longed to see, what you see, and never saw it, to hear what you hear and never heard it. (Matthew:13:16) A Happy and Blessed Lent to you all. Fr. Martin

5 4 Our Lady s message to Mirjana February 02, 2014 ear children; with motherly love I desire to D teach you sincerity, because I desire that, in your actions as my apostles, you be exact, resolute, and above all sincere. I desire that, by the grace of God, you be open for a blessing. I desire that by fasting and prayer you obtain from the Heavenly Father the cognition of what is natural and holy Divine. Filled with cognition, under the shelter of my Son and myself, you will be my apostles who will know how to spread the Word of God to all those who do not know of it; and you will know how to overcome obstacles that will stand in your way. My children, by means of a blessing, God's grace will descend upon you and you will be able to retain it through fasting, prayer, purification and reconciliation. You will have the efficiency which I seek of you. Pray for your shepherds that the ray of God's grace may illuminate their ways. Thank you. REPORT FROM SISTER EMMANUEL of The Community of The Beatitudes February 15, 2014 Dear Children of Medjugorje, praised be Jesus and Mary! 1 - Saint Joseph, my loving father... Years ago, I made a deal with St. Joseph: he would give me strong signs of his kindness, and I would make him known. Last Saturday, seeing that his feast day of March 19 th was getting close, I said to him out loud, in our morning prayer: "Dear Saint Joe, you know that many people have no idea of the power you have in heaven, and know even less of your desire to help them. They are missing out on so many favors from you! If you would like to have new friends who will start praying to you, give me a beautiful testimony, and I will publish it. Besides, I will invite the readers to offer you a 30-day Novena before your feast day (See PS 2). So there, you have a job. Now please go for it!" The next day, a dear Croatian friend from Dubrovnik came to see us unexpectedly. Her name was Stosija. After climbing down from Podbrdo, she walked along the little path in front of our house and decided to knock at our door to make a short visit. She had barely arrived when we noticed such a great joy that her entire face

6 5 was lit up. Then she told us: "I was born near Zadar, Croatia. From my childhood I used to hear my family pray daily and I loved looking at the statue of the Holy Family, as little children do. I got married to a man from Dubrovnik where I moved to live. At that time, everyday life was very hard. So we decided to go and work in Germany where my husband kept his own restaurant and his Art Gallery. Each summer we came to Dubrovnik. I was much younger then and my prayer life was rather poor. We had two children and everything went fine, until my son got ill. Only then did God finally come in the first place in my life. So, in 1985 I came to Medjugorje for the first time, with my son. Invited by Fr Slavko, we were present during the apparition. Later he told us to go to Confession. Since 1985 I have been returning to Medjugorje many times and it really changed my life completely. Not only my life, my family's life too. I am so grateful to God! When I heard about the Croatian Sanctuary of Saint Joseph in Karlovac, I went there and enrolled myself in the Brotherhood of Saint Joseph, and started praying to him. That's how he entered into my life as a strong protector. My husband died in I left Germany and now live in Dubrovnik, a city that I love. But our old stone house, although beautiful (with nicely kept garden) was too big for me. My greatest problem was to choose where to live. For the past four years we have been trying to sell it, to no avail. I have a very nice neighbour. I spoke about God to him and he started at- tending Mass regularly. He kept asking me where I was going to live when the house is sold. I told him: 'I will let God decide. It could be the nursing home or I could go to my daughter's.' "In Medjugorje I came across Sister Emmanuel's book The Hidden Child of Medjugorje with many beautiful stories. Every night, before going to sleep, I asked my dear Gospa to choose a 'good night story' from that book. Last September I placed the book on my heart and, while keeping my eyes closed, I opened the book and picked up the story of 'The Craftsman from Warsaw'. Through this story you learn that you can recommend your needs to Saint Joseph by writing a letter to him and attaching it to his picture, praying regularly and in faith waiting for the result. Then I decided to ask Saint Joseph to help me solve my problem. I looked at his picture and said: 'My dear Saint Joseph, pray for me so that I may find out if God wants me to stay here! It's late, so I will write down my prayer request to you tomorrow!' It was on Saturday night. Sunday morning I went to church and my neighbour greeted me saying: 'Praised be Jesus and Mary!' (His name is Joseph!) I invited him to drink coffee after Mass with me, and chat a little bit. While we were sitting, again he asked what my plans were when the house was sold. I simply said: 'I don't know, I'll see. I

7 6 inherited a piece of land from my father near Zadar. Maybe I can sell that property in order to get some money and build a little apartment in my garden and stay here.' Immediately he said: 'I will buy this land!' (My neighbor is a successful man). I laughed and asked him: 'Why would you buy it?' 'I just want to help you!' he said. I turned around and looked at St Joseph's picture: 'My dear Saint Joseph,' I said. 'I haven't even written the letter to you, yet you are already answering me!' Now we are in the process of getting all paperwork done. As a civil technician my neighbour has drawn all the plans and he helped me work on them. Next to the house, we are also going to build a little chapel called Nazareth dedicated to the Holy Family. I asked St. Joseph to be my finance minister, to be what he was in his own house: a good father of family, a good protector and a good foster parent. I am happy to see this coming true." And so thanks to Stosija, I received my story the very next day after I had prayed to St. Joseph! And he provided me with it just in time to publish it here! Well, if St. Joseph offered me so quickly this testimony, I am sure that it is for you also to adopt this great Saint! It looks like he is waiting for you too! 2 - The children! Friends of ours from Rome, a family of 4, come to Medjugorje each year to recharge their "spiritual batteries". They take the messages to heart and pray together every day. Here are some pearls gleaned from the mouth of their little son: "Mommy, when you go to Heaven, will you tell me then whether the Madonna has blue or black eyes?" "But darling, if I am dead, how can I tell you?" "You will tell me in my heart!" The mother wrote to me: "It is beautiful to see that the Blessed Mother is a real person in their lives and that for them, there is a language of the heart. These days, we were expecting Father Antonello in our home. The children love him very much. - Mommy, is Father Antonello arriving today? - Yes! - Will he be picking me up at school? - I think so, Francesco. - How wonderful it would be if he could bless all the children in the school!" Hearing this, the priest immediately went to see the school. Francesco's family spoke with the Sister in charge, who was surprised and very touched by the child's request. And so, on the next day, all the children in this school received a blessing! Praying as a family is the most beautiful gift parents can offer their children, in this world and for eternity! Dearest Gospa, please call the blessing of God upon us. We want to be among your apostles, loved just the way you love them: "exact, resolute and above all, sincere"! Of the billions of people on earth, how is it that you have chosen us to be your apostles? We do not want to disappoint you. Sister Emmanuel + (Translated from French)

8 7 Our Lenten Pilgrimage Journey is a time of conversion - Five Stones of Medjugorje - Our Lenten Pilgrimage Journey is a time of conversion Pray, fast and confess regularly. If receiving my Son in the Eucharist is the centre of your life, then do not be afraid, you can do everything. June 2, 2012 Ash Wednesday 5 th March 2014 Palm Sunday 13 th April 2014 Holy Thursday 17 th April 2014 Good Friday 18 th April 2014 Easter Sunday 20 th April 2014 Mary calls our lenten days a time of grace, a time to open your hearts to the gifts that God desires to give you. ( ) There are five main messages given by Our Lady in Medjugorje which are also known as FIVE STONES PRAYER Prayer is the centre of Our Lady's plan and is the most frequent message in Medjugorje. I would like the people to pray along with me these days. And to pray as much as possible! And to fast strictly on Wednesdays and Fridays, and every day to pray at least one Rosary: the joyful, sorrowful and glorious mysteries." August 14, 1984 FASTING In Medjugorje Our Lady asks us to fast on Wednesdays and Fridays from midnight to midnight on bread and water. Our Lady tells us that this is the "best" fast. The amount of bread and water you consume or the frequency at which you consume it does not matter. What matters is we make this sacrifice and offer it to God. "The best fast is on bread and water. Through fasting and prayer one can stop wars, one can suspend the natural laws of nature. Works of charity cannot replace fasting... Everyone except the sick, has to fast." (July 21, 1982) CONFESSION Our Lady asks us to go to monthly confession. Pilgrims who come to Medjugorje are always impressed by the number of people waiting in line for confession and the number of priests hearing confession. "Dear children! Open your heart to God s mercy in this Lenten time. The heavenly Father desires to deliver each of you from the slavery of sin. Therefore, little children, make good use of this time and through meeting with God in confession, leave sin and decide for holiness. Do this out of love for Jesus, who redeemed you all with his blood, that you may be happy and in peace. Do not forget, little children: your freedom is your weakness, therefore follow my messages with seriousness. Thank you for having responded to my call." February 25, 2007 Confession should not be a habit that would "make sinning easy". Vicka says to every group of pilgrims, "Confession is something that has to make a new human being out of you.

9 8 Our Lady does not want you to think that confession will free you from sin and allow you to continue the same life after that. No, confession is a call to transformation. You must become a new person!". THE BIBLE Usually Our Lady comes to the visionaries happy and joyful. On one occasion, while talking about the Bible, She was crying. Our Lady said: "You have forgotten the Bible." The Bible is a book different from any other book on earth. Vatican II says that all the canonical books of the Bible were, "..Written under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, they have God as their author." (Dogmatic Constitution on Divine Revelation) There is no writing even from a saint or inspired that can be compared to the Bible. Dear children! Today I call on you to read the Bible every day in your homes and let it be in a visible place so as always to encourage you to read it and to pray. Thank you for having responded to my call." October 18, 1984 HOLY MASS Our Lady asks us to attend Sunday Mass, and when possible, daily Mass. Our Lady has said to the visionaries that if they have to choose between seeing Her and going to Mass, they must choose Holy Mass. This statement tells us just how important Holy Mass and the Eucharist are. Marija tells us Our Lady wants us to see the Holy Mass as "the highest form of prayer" and "the center of our lives". Vicka tells us that the Blessed Mother sees the Mass as "the most important and the most holy moment in our lives. We have to be prepared and pure to receive Jesus with a great respect. The Mass should be the center of our lives" "Mass is the greatest prayer of God. You will never be able to understand its greatness. That is why you must be perfect and humble at Mass, and you should prepare yourselves for it." (1983) Pope Francis said: The Mass is not a re-enactment of the Last Supper. It is the Last Supper. It is living again the passion and redeeming death of the Lord, It is a theophany: the Lord is present on the altar to be offered to the Father for the salvation of the world Medjugorje Centre of Reconcilliation New confessionals change church area ( By Jakob Marschner Jun 2, 2012 ) The completion of 36 new confessionals in 2012 gives a whole different look to the north side of St. James Church in Medjugorje, where previously there were rows of benches facing the church. The new confessional area has pillars and arches to add a Mediterranean atmosphere, and serving to shelter waiting penitents from the sun. Parish staff officials previously cited conditions during the warmer months of the year, when more than 300 priests are often willing to hear confessions, among the reasons to build the confessionals. This takes the total number of outdoor confessionals to 61. (Kyrie Eleison )

10 Pope to Faithful: 'Do Not Be Afraid of Confession' Reflects on the Sacrament of Penance During General Audience Vatican City, February 19, 2014 (Zenit.org) Continuing his catechetical series on the Sacraments, Pope Francis reflected on the Sacrament of Reconciliation, which along with the Sacrament of the Anointing of the Sick form what he described the Sacraments of Healing. The Sacraments of Penance and Reconciliation flow directly from the Paschal mystery, he told pilgrims attending his weekly general audience in St. Peter's Square. "In fact, the same evening of Easter the Lord appeared to the disciples, closed in the Cenacle, and, after addressing to them the greeting Peace be with you, he breathed on them and said: Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive anyone s sins, their sins are forgiven. This indication by Jesus, the Pope stressed, shows that the forgiveness of our sins is not gained through any strength of our own, rather it is a gift that springs from the heart of Christ Crucified and Risen. Departing from his prepared statement, the Holy Father spoke on the POPE FRANCIS SAYS... 9 reservations one might have to confessing their sins to a priest. Someone may say: I confess only to God. Yes, you can tell God: Forgive me, and say your sins, he said. But our sins are also against the brothers, against the Church, and for this it is necessary to ask forgiveness to the Church and to the brothers, in the person of the priest. The Holy Father also said that some may feel ashamed of confessing their sins. However, he noted, feeling shame for one s sins is good because it humbles us. "Do not be afraid of Confession! he exclaimed. One who is in line to confess himself feels all these things - even shame - but then, when he finishes confessing, he leaves free, great, beautiful, forgiven, happy. And this is the beauty of Confession. Concluding his catechesis, Pope Francis encouraged those who have not confessed, whether it be for two weeks or 40 years, to receive the Sacrament of Reconciliation as soon as possible. Jesus is there, and Jesus is much better than the priests, and Jesus receives you. He receives you with so much love. Be courageous, and go forward to Confession, he said. To celebrate the Sacrament of Reconciliation means to be wrapped in a warm embrace. Our Lady is always close to us. She looks upon each one of us with maternal love and accompanies us always on our journey. Do not hesitate to turn to her for every need, especially when the burden of life with all its problems makes itself felt. Pope Francis, February 8, 2014, addressing a group of Sri Lankans at the Vatican. Crown of stars blogspot

11 Mary s mission is to lead people to God; to lead people to conversion; to lead people to prayer. Pray, pray, pray is one of her constant calls. On November 25, 2008, her message was: Dear children, I call you to pray, pray, pray, until prayer becomes life for you. In her message of December 25, 2005, Mary said: Today, in my arms, I bring you the Child Jesus, the King of Peace, to bless you with his peace. Little children, in a special way today I call you to be carriers of peace in this peaceless world. Thank you for having responded to my call. reminding us of the importance of saying thank you. How often do we forget to say thank you to God; to each other; thank you for the call to be people of prayer, people of peace? When we realise how unworthy we are of God s gifts and graciousness to us, not in spite of our sinfulness, but with all our baggage, then one s motivating force can only be one of thanksgiving. As a cynic who has been converted I suggest that unless one has tasted what I would call the Medjugorje experience, one should not be so ready to criticise and write it off. Why are people so ready to condemn? Why are people so fearful and dismissive? That is their privilege. But why not taste and see? To visit Medjugorje with an open mind is to experience God at work in his people, 10 Visiting Medjugorje with an open mind... (crownof stars blogspot) by Fr Brendan O Malley sending his love and healing through the Virgin Mary. Mary calls us to conversion, prayer and love. Mary enables people to be healed in the Sacrament of Reconciliation and Healing. As a priest who has spent many hours celebrating the Sacrament with people from all walks of life, people young and old, I can affirm that God is doing great things in people s lives, and what is even more wonderful, he has as a result done great things in my own life. I have had my priesthood affirmed and I have been healed of a great burden. No one should criticise or deny this place of pilgrimage and renewal. No one should object to this place of prayer and peace. God is truly at work. How envious satan must be to see so many people, young and old, in prayer, penance and devotion, finding peace, purpose, and a God of love and compassion. Medjugorje is a place of hope and a new beginning. Our Lady invites us to pray, pray, pray. I pray before God to give you the gift of faith. Only in faith will you discover the gift of life that God has given you! May I ask all people to rejoice and to thank God for the wonderful gifts that he gives each day to his people through the Medjugorje experience, through Mary our Mother, whose mission is one of sheer love, leading us to God. Alleluia! Posted by bg

12 With personal experience of trying to cope with her son's addiction to drugs and alcohol, Diana Hoar is impressed by the work of the Community of the Merciful Father in Medjugorje Community of the Merciful Father was launched on E March 1999 by a Franciscan priest, Fr Slavko Barbaric, to provide help to young men with addictions such as drugs, alcohol and gambling. Today, it has 70 members, in Medjugorje and other houses, who come from all parts of former Yugoslavia and beyond. Within the community, everyone has equal status and its programme is based on prayer, work, mutual help and trust. I first met Fr Svetozar Kraljevic, the priest until recently in charge of the Merciful Father Community. He was acting as translator for one of the Medjugorje visionaries, who was giving a talk in Maidenhead, Berkshire. I approached Fr Svet (as he is known) after the talk to thank him and heard him discussing Cenacolo, a community that rehabilitates addicts, with another woman. I expressed interest and he told me that he directed a similar project. "Ring me!" he said, scribbling his telephone number on a piece of paper, before rushing off to his next engagement. Why my interest in the rehabilitation of addicts? From the age of 13, my youngest son has been taking drugs, although my husband and I did not know it at the time. 11 Cold turkey and prayer by Diana Hoar published in The Tablet of 13 November 2013 ( reproduced with kind permission of the Publisher ) Fr Svet invited me to come to Medjugorje with my son and husband, though in the end I went alone. I was asked to arrive at 8 a.m., when the "brothers", as they refer to themselves, gather for prayer before the working day begins. Prayer is central to their lives. I particularly enjoyed sharing a "working Rosary", said while work continues in the afternoon. I was encouraged to join in, so we prayed a Croatian/English Rosary together. I was inspired to hear men of all ages saying the Rosary and, in my mind, compared this to the row of elderly ladies I am used to seeing with their rosary beads after Mass at home. I am told that prayer is obligatory, whether someone believes or not, but there seems to be no reluctance by the men to participate. It is part of their day, part of their routine and I was more than happy to be part of it too. Of necessity, work is also vital, not only to provide occupation, but also to provide food and an income. The day is long they work from 7 a.m. until 6 p.m., with a break for lunch, and I believe the men have certain "obligations" beyond these hours. During the day, there is a constant buzz of activity, and of conversation. The brothers are of all ages, from a grandfather with four daughters, whom he wishes to marry off (to the amusement of the other men), to a young boy, the son of a former member of the community, whose father

13 12 considers that the discipline offered here would do him good. The houses of the community are on the edge of Mother's Village and look out on a cultivated area and the mountains in the distance. The "Apparition" Mountain and Mountain of the Cross are easily seen. It is peaceful, with just the sound of birds, the wind and an occasional car a far cry from the constant stream of vehicles near my house in England. In the chapel in Mother's Village are photos of the site before building began. It looks barren, covered with rocks and little vegetation. In less than 20 years, it has been turned into a collection of houses with gardens, a chapel and even a kindergarten, where local children can come in order that their parents can work to support them. A further house, a little distance away, offers a refuge for unmarried mothers and women who have suffered domestic violence. The Government does not support this work; it is reliant on the generosity of donors. At the end of my short time with the community, I felt sadness at the thought of leaving. I had received so much more, here, than I could have imagined: a kind reception and provision of food and accommodation; a sharing in the creation of artwork from Mother's Village; and, most importantly for me, a small experience of life in the Merciful Father community. I am so grateful to Fr Svet for his generosity in inviting me; to Tony, the director; to all in the community who made me feel so welcome; and to my English-speaking "guardian angel", who guided me and so patiently answered my endless questions throughout the week. Perhaps, one day, we shall have a Merciful Father community in England. Meanwhile, I wish them all new beginnings, new hopes, new life and real joy and happiness. "Take delight in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart" (Psalm 37:4). For further information about the Merciful Father Community, see New Director of The Mothers Village (mothers village.org ) On Tuesday, August 27, 2013 at the Holy Mass for all members, staff and friends of Mother's Village, was organized a handover of service for the director of the Village. After 14 years of service, Fr Svetozar Kraljevic (known fondly as Fr. Svet ) was transferred to Zagreb. The father provincial, Miljenko Steko, introduced the new director Fr Dragan Ruzic. ( Gospa Majka Moja )

14 13 What is prayer with the heart? Friday, January 03, 2014 (crownof stars blogspot) I AM GIVING GREAT GRACES TO ALL WHO PRAY WITH THE HEART Medjugorje Message February 6, 1986 The late Fr Slavko Barbaric OFM explains: Two things Mary has already told us about prayer to make a space for prayer and to make prayer personal are also conditions for praying with the heart. No one can pray with the heart if he has not yet decided for prayer, and this is then really the beginning of prayer with the heart. How often is one asked here in Medjugorje what this means, and then also how to do it? How should one pray so that one prays with the heart? Every one can start immediately to pray with the heart because praying with the heart means to pray with love, but praying with love does not mean that one can pray well or that one has memorized many prayers. Rather it means that one has begun to pray just when Mary has called one to pray, the way we all did in the beginning of the apparitions. So, when someone says, I do not know how to pray, but because you are calling me to prayer, I will start the way I can, prayer with the heart has at that moment already begun. Were someone to decide to pray only when they can really pray with the heart, then they would never pray. Prayer is a language, and therefore think what would happen if someone said that they would never speak a language unless they could speak it perfectly. In that case one would never be able to speak that language, because everyone who speaks a foreign language starts by saying very simple little things, practices, repeats again, and makes mistakes, and in doing so he grows and finally has learned the language. One must be courageous to start in any way that one can and through daily prayer then we will also grow in praying with the heart. The 25th Jubilee Youth Festival (medjugojre.hr) 25th July 6th Aug 2014 The Youth Festival was initiated by late Fr. Slavko Barbaric in 1990, when he gathered around 100 young people, two guitar players and a couple of singers, while the whole programme was held in the green tent behind the church. The number of participants increased each year and in the last few years, that event is the greatest of all Medjugorje events. We are looking forward to your coming! Youth Pilgrimage ring - Jonathan Bayliss - Tel. Harrogate

15 14 Medjugorje Centre North East MIDDLESBROUGH CENTRE FOR PEACE MEDJUGORJE EVENING Friday 14th March 2014 Friday 11th April pm to 9.30pm Rosary : Holy Mass : Talk : Witness JOHN PAUL CENTRE 55 GRANGE ROAD, MIDDLESBROUGH For further details please contact: Mrs Marie Bedingfield Tel: Medjugorje Centre North East Invites you to celebrate the 33rd Anniversary of The Apparitions at Medjugorje 7pm Wednesday 25th June 2014 Rosary, Mass and Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament Led by Fr. Michael Corbett St. Andrews Church Worswick Street Newcastle upon Tyne, NE1 6UW All are welcome St Andrews Prayer Group Prayer for Priest 3rd Sunday of the month ( 2pm to 4pm ) Worswick Street, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE1 6UW All are welcome The Centre recognizes and accepts that the final authority regarding the apparitions at Medjugorje rests with the Holy See of Rome. We willingly submit to that judgement.