Catholic and Enjoying It!
…is time taken from something God wants you to actually spend time on. A reader who realized this writes:
I just read your blog about Spirit Daily/Medjugorje. I agree w/you re: Medj. even though my reversion back to Holy Mother Church came about due to Perpetual Adoration and reading a book on Medj. in the chapel. But as you say, I believe it’s God’s graces through the Sacraments and Adoration that helped me. I followed it for some years, but started losing my zeal for listening to the monthly messages at some point. I had no idea about Fr. Jozo or the other priest scandals. But it did strike me as funny how none of the visionaries went into the priesthood or religious life. And then one of them married a beauty queen. It started to go down hill for me – it felt confusing to feel this way given that I thought it helped me in my reversion back to all the Sacraments in the first place.
But with all you’ve written, I’m totally convinced that we should stay away from it. Now my other big concern is that people are following these messages and losing the message of Fatima. In July, I was privileged to be able to attend the Catechetical Institute at Our Lady of Peace Retreat House in Beaverton, OR. Fr. Andrew Apostoli was one of the teachers this year. One of his talks was on Fatima for today. It was filled with pertinent facts about this church-approved apparition and our ability as lay people to help bring about Our Lady’s Triumph of the Immaculate Heart, by participating the the Five First Saturday Devotions.
I realize not all are called to this Devotion or the Rosary – but if people are called by God to be doing this and are instead distracted by following Medj. they will be ignoring what Our Lady asked of us. I hope you don’t find this annoying or anything as some folks who have devotions to particular apparitions can be – it’s just meant to be informative and to also prove your point that Medj. can be a dangerous thing even for those who think they are doing right by following those apparitions. Medj. is a distraction and distractions are not good.
Below is the text of the Letter I sent out informing people of what Fr. Apostoli asked of us to do along with a link to a talk he gave on Fatima for Today I found on youtube that was similar to the talk I heard him give.
By the way, I asked Fr. Apostoli his opinion on Medj. and he was not favorable about it – thousands of messages that go on and on. He also thought it could be a distraction from the simple message of Our Lady of Fatima. I’d love to know your opinion on my thoughts on this Marc – let me know what you think. Thanks.
God bless you. Please pray for my family – we have 3 teenage sons, our youngest has Down Syndrome. We’re struggling a lot right now with family issues – thanks for your prayers. Blessed Christmas and New Year!
Hello Dear Friends In Christ: Peace be with you. I was blessed to be able to see Fr. Andrew Apostoli of EWTN (vice-postulator for the cause of canonization of Bishop Fulton J. Sheen and Priest of the Franciscan Friars of the Renewal) give this talk (Link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=96rJGbqYDGQ) live at Our Lady of Peace Retreat House in Beaverton this past July. The information he spoke of was both startling and convicting regarding the church-approved apparitions of Fatima. He gives historic information on the time lines about the several attempts of different Popes to make the consecration of Russia in union with all the Bishops of the world and also little known information pertaining to the 3rd secret of Fatima. The definitive consecration was made by Pope John Paul II on March 25th 1984 and was said to be accepted by Heaven by Sr. Lucia dos Santos, one of the original seers.
The question was put to Sr. Lucia how will we know that Heaven accepted this consecration and she simply said to look to the East. The Berlin Wall was taken down in 1989 – 5 years after the consecration. Recently, Putin outlawed gay marriage and there has been a revitalization of the Christian faith happening in Russia. From 1985 until 2011 there has been an increase in churches in Russia of 350%! Their monasteries are full up and their numbers are growing.
Why hasn’t the full Triumph of the Immaculate Heart of Mary happened yet if the consecration made by Bl. John Paul II was valid? I asked Fr. Apostoli about this and he said that people are not doing what Our Lady asked for in SUFFICIENT NUMBERS – making the Five First Saturdays Devotion. Sr. Lucia said that this is the MOST NEGLECTED PART OF THE MESSAGE OF FATIMA – this is why the conversions are taking so long to happen. Father Apostoli made the plea that if enough Catholics were doing what Our Lady asked, he thinks that we can experience the Triumph of the Immaculate Heart of Mary by the 100th year anniversary of the the apparitions at Fatima-the year 2017. Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI expressed this as his hope as well – he said, “Learn the message of Fatima, Live the message of Fatima and Spread the message of Fatima,” on May 13, 2010 when he was visiting Fatima on the 10th anniversary of the Beatification Jacinta and Francisco Marto. The Prophetic message of Fatima is for our times. The year 2017 is only 4 years off. Time is short and the hour is late. That it why it is so vital that as many of us as possible do what Our Lady asks of us especially the Five First Saturdays Devotion. (We can do the Five First Saturdays several times over, not just once).
It is a sacrifice and not easy to fulfill the Five First Saturdays Devotion. It is a simple and beautiful solution to world peace, yet it is not effortless to accomplish. But I believe that is precisely why it will bear such GREAT FRUIT – the Triumph of Mary’s Immaculate Heart! With Our Lady’s help, we can do it.
Please watch the very important and informative talk (link above) by Fr. Apostoli in part or all and consider making the Five First Saturdays in order to help hasten the coming of the Triumph of the Immaculate Heart of Mary since the consecration of Russia has indeed been fulfilled by Bl. John Paul II. We as the lay people need to do our part for the era of Christ’s Peace to reign in our hearts and in our world.
Let us fulfill Our Blessed Mother’s requests by honoring the First Five Saturdays, and praying a daily rosary for world peace, in order to experience FULL triumph of the prayers of her Immaculate Heart for peace in our world. For those of you who are not familiar with Her requests, they are:
*Pray the rosary daily for world peace. Our Blessed Mother taught us to pray at the end of each mystery; “O my Jesus, forgive us our sins, save us from the fires of hell. Lead all souls to Heaven, especially those in most need of thy mercy.”
*The Holy Father must consecrate Russia to her Immaculate Heart. (This has been fulfilled in 1984 by Pope JP II);
*REPARATION against the sins and blasphemies committed against Mary’s Immaculate Heart by honoring five first consecutive Saturdays of the month by doing the following on those days;
*Receive Holy Communion, (a communion service or 5:30 pm Mass is acceptable if no other Mass is available).
*Go to confession 8 days before or after,
*Pray a rosary with the intention of making reparation for the wounds and blasphemies against the Immaculate Heart of Mary, (i.e. those who speak or think ill of the mother of God and/or getting others to do so),
*Meditate upon a mystery or mysteries of the rosary keeping Mary company for 15 minutes.
Our Blessed Mother also promises to assist at the hour of our death, with her prayers for God’s many graces, those who have fulfilled the Five First Saturdays devotion.
PLEASE pass this on to anyone you wish. Father Apostoli encouraged us to get this message out to our parishes, friends, etc. He said the conversion of the world needs it and Our Lady said when enough people do the Five First Saturdays, then her Triumph will come. Our Lady is asking us as her loyal sons and daughters to do this. Thank you and may God bless you for your efforts.
Fr. Apostoli has researched and written a recent book for Ignatius Press, titled, Fatima for Today, an Urgent Message of Marian Hope.
The following links may be helpful:
*For help fulfilling the first five Saturdays of the month request to “meditate” upon a mystery of the rosary for 15 minutes, or, if you wish to learn how to pray the rosary: (There are other similar websites, such as EWTN’s website or the Rosary Confraternity’s website.) http://www.how-to-pray-the-rosary-everyday.com/ (Scroll down, and you will find a section titled; “Catholic Mysteries of the Rosary” with beautiful visuals and scripture verses.)
*For those who wish to pray a perpetual rosary along with others on the internet:
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