12/31/10

You Have the Anointing, Come Holy Spirit


You have the Anointing. "-1 John 2:20
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The word "Christ" means "Anointed One," the Greek translation of the Hebrew word "Messiah." Therefore, by calling ourselves "Christians," we call ourselves "anointed ones." Moreover, the word "Christmas" means "the Mass of the Anointed One." The word "antichrist" means "against the Anointed One." Thus, the idea of anointing is very dominant in Christianity or, we could say, in "the way of the Anointed."
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The heart of following Christ, "the Anointed One," is to "have the anointing that comes from the Holy One" (1 Jn 2:20). "The anointing" we "received from Him" must remain in our hearts (1 Jn 2:27). It teaches us "about all things and is true - free from any lie" (1 Jn 2:27). This anointing teaches us to remain in the Lord (1 Jn 2:27)."
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God is the One Who firmly establishes us along with you in Christ; it is He Who anointed us and has sealed us, thereby depositing the first Payment, the Spirit, in our hearts" (2 Cor 1:21-22). We are anointed by the Father, in Christ, and with the Spirit. Like Christ and in Him, we Christians are anointed by the Father "with the Holy Spirit and power" (Acts 10:38).
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*As anointed followers of the Anointed One, we are sent to bring good news "to the poor, to proclaim liberty to captives, recovery of sight to the blind and release to prisoners, to announce a year of favor from the Lord" (Lk 4:18-19).
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On this last day of the year, let us repent of stifling the Holy Spirit (1 Thes 5:19). We must let God's precious ointment be poured on our heads and run down over our whole body (see Ps 133:2). Come, Holy Spirit of Christmas.
Prayer: Father, may the oil of my baptism and confirmation flow freely and abundantly.

Commerical Blasphemes the Holy Eucharist


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A Medjugorje Reflection of Our Lady's message of January 25, 2002 for the coming New Year


"Dear children! At this time while you are still looking back to the past year I call you, little children, to look deeply into your heart and to decide to be closer to God and to prayer.


Little children, you are still attached to earthly things and little to spiritual life. May my call today also be an encouragement to you to decide for God and for daily conversion.


You cannot be converted, little children, if you do not abandon sins and do not decide for love towards God and neighbor. Thank you for having responded to my call."

Our Lady's Medjugorje message of Januay 25, 2002

12/30/10

Singing Star Tatiana (Tajci) Cameron - Sings - O Come O Come Emmanuel and also gives testimony in an interview of her conversion in Medjugorje.

................................................................. O Come O Come Emmanuel--Tatiana Tajci
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Silently--Tatiana Tajci
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I Believe--I Tatiana Tajci
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Via Dolorosa--Tatiana Tajci
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I Thirst-Eli-Eli--Tatiana Tajci
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Take My Hands--Tatiana Tajci
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One Solitary Life--Tatiana Tajci
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Gloria--Tatiana Tajci
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God Bless America--Tatiana Tajci
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INTERVIEW WITH TATIANA( Medjugorje) .......http://www.medjugorje.ws/en/articles/tatiana-cameron-tajci/.
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Anna was waiting and ready


1 John 2:12-17, Psalm 96:7-10, Luke 2:36-

WAITING AND READY


Anna "was constantly in the temple, worshiping day and night in fasting and prayer." -Luke 2:37 Anna the prophetess would have made a great watchman. She had worshipped and waited expectantly for perhaps sixty years! Anna must have often prayed this psalm as her life's mission statement: "My soul waits for the Lord more than sentinels wait for the dawn" (Ps 130:6).

When the greatest moment a prophetess could ever hope for finally came to pass, Anna was completely and immediately ready for it. The infant Jesus appeared in the temple where Anna constantly prayed, and she "gave thanks to God and talked about the child to all" (Lk 2:38). She was alert and instantly ready to talk about this great hope of hers (1 Pt 3:15).

How can someone continue to hope so long without slacking in vigilance?

First, Anna was afflicted. She lost her husband early in life. This affliction led her to "the Temple, worshipping day and night in fasting and prayer" (Lk 2:37). She grew closer to the Lord, and so Anna's affliction led to endurance. As she grew in endurance, her spirit was strengthened and she learned to trust God more deeply. This trust, born of affliction and endurance, led Anna to a strong holiness, a "tested virtue" (Rm 5:4).

Anna could have been tempted to feel that nothing good would ever come her way after so many years of lonely waiting. Yet her "tested virtue" made "for hope" (Rm 5:4). Anna knew this hope would not leave her disappointed because all her confident waiting on the Lord had renewed her strength (Is 40:31). Finally, after decades of waiting, Anna saw Jesus, her "Hope of glory" (Col 1:27), and joyfully prophesied "to all" (Lk 2:38).

Prayer: Father, may I not grow sick and tired while I wait, but instead grow hopeful and holy as did Anna.

"The man who does God's will endures forever." -1 Jn 2:17 Praise: After twenty years of praying for her husband, Ann finally saw him turn away from his addiction and toward Jesus.

12/29/10

The Pope's Warning.


Dear Friend in Christ,
The Pope is becoming much more direct in his comments about the state of the Church as well as the world. Last week, he made perhaps his boldest comment yet. Please watch this episode of The Vortex to learn more and then pass it along to as many friends and family as possible.
http://www.youtube.com/user/RealCatholicTV?feature=mhum#p/a/u/0/ndWBbrLc4rM

12/28/10

John Barrys Blog: Medjugorje: Pope John Paul II, Mother Teresa and...



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Brief description of the events of Medjugorje, its impact on the Church, the reaction of the Church worldwide, scans of actual letters from Blessed Teresa of Calcutta and John Paul II concerning Medjugorje, and the mission of Mary TV. This video also deals with the conversion of actress Lola Falana and Fr. Donald Calloway amongst others.

12/27/10

Christmas Miracle


SPIRITDAILY__________________________________________________
CHRISTMAS MIRACLE? ROSARY AND SANDALS LOST IN A VERY DISTANT LAND SUDDENLY REAPPEAR

By Michael H. Brown

I was saying a Rosary while waiting on a bus during a recent trip and as soon as I got back to my room realized that the rosary beads -- which I prized, because they were from another apparition site -- weren't with me. I had misplaced them. They were lost.
I searched everywhere several times: my shirt, my pants, my desk, my bed, under the bed, under the blankets, my computer case -- the whole room. When I heard the bus return shortly after, I raced down, told the bus driver what had happened, and we thoroughly searched the bus -- the most likely place I had left them.
To no avail. The rosary beads, which were from Medjugorje and had links that had turned gold during an experience years before, were nowhere to be seen.
The next day, I alerted others on the pilgrimage and searched the bus a second time. The rosary beads were simply gone. This was while visiting another site, Kibeho.
I returned home and as I was unpacking I reached into a pouch in my large, check-in bag (where I kept mainly shirts and other large clothes) found the rosary beads in that pouch. I know I did not place the beads there. I never put them in the luggage -- large or small.
That I would have recalled.
I had not even gone near the luggage, to my recollection, and they could not have fallen out of clothing into a tight pouch. .
I found the rosary, but as I unpacked my big bag, which I had placed on my bed, I realized, now, that a new pair of sandals were missing.
These I had kept in two pockets in the large luggage, and only on those two pockets.
But now that I was home, they simply weren't there.
I was distressed because they were a type of sandal I had not been able to find and only located such a pair just before the trip. They also cost money, of course -- not exorbitant, but neither the cheapest -- and I have trouble throwing away a dime that God has sent me. I had only worn them a few times during the trip -- in a pilgrim room, and then the hotel -- and now I had lost them. I was pretty sure I had packed them, but it wasn't definite; there was a chance I had left them in a hotel room in Kigali, the capital of Rwanda, but now home, I looked through my luggage three or four times. I also searched the room. Even though I had opened my luggage in my bedroom, I extended the search to the entire house and even outside the house. My family helped me.
No Original Arizona Jean Company size-nine Brazilian-made sandals.
I thought of contacting the hotel, but knew it would cost much more to ship them than simply trying to buy another pair, which I resolved to do. But during prayer, before putting it out of my mind, I asked for the assistance of the Blessed Mother, and spoke to my guardian angel, while reciting from another Rosary blessed at Kibeho -- saying loudly and with true yearning faith that while Africa is far away, I knew that time and space mean nothing to angels and that they could get them back to me if God so willed and they wanted.
After that heartfelt prayer, I did put it out of my mind; I wrote the sandals off.
That was a bit more than a week ago.
Late Christmas morning, I was walking across our house when, suddenly, smack in the middle of the family-room-dining-room-vestibule, in one of the spots most readily visible -- and most heavily trafficked (a place where nothing could possibly be hidden) -- I spotted a pair of sandals and on closer inspection discovered to my shock that they were my prized lost ones -- the pair I had taken to Rwanda, to the apparition.
How did they get home? How possibly could they now be there right in plain view?
My wife had vacuumed that spot just minutes before, and they had not been there. They had not been there the entire week before.
But there they were late Christmas morning, reminding us that with God -- especially this time of year -- nothing is impossible..

12/25/10

Our Lady's Medjugorje message to Marija of December 25, 2010


Dear children!

Today, I and my Son desire to give you an abundance of joy and peace so that each of you may be a joyful carrier and witness of peace and joy in the places where you live. Little children, be a blessing and be peace. Thank you for having responded to my call. Medjugorje message, December 25, 2010

12/23/10

Revelation from Saint Maria Faustina, With Great Longing I Am Waiting For The Lord's Coming.







REVELATION:
December 23
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I am reliving these moments with Our Lady. With great longing I am waiting for the Lord's coming. Great are my desires. I desire that all humankind come to know the Lord. I would like to prepare all nations for the coming of the Word Incarnate. O Jesus, make the fount of Your mercy gush forth more abundantly, for humankind is seriously ill and thus has more need than ever of Your compassion. You are a bottomless sea of mercy for us sinners; and the greater the misery, the more right we have to Your mercy. You are a fount which makes all creatures happy by Your infinite mercy.
Diary of St. Maria Faustina Kowalska, 793
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During Holy Mass, the little Infant Jesus brings joy to my soul. Often, distance does not exist-I see a certain priest who brings Him down. I am awaiting Christmas with great yearning; I am living in expectation together with the Most Holy Mother.
Diary of St. Maria Faustina Kowalska, 829
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December 23, 1936. I am spending this time with the Mother of God and preparing myself for the solemn moment of the coming of the Lord Jesus. The Mother of God is instructing me in the interior life of the soul with Jesus, especially in Holy Communion. It is only in eternity that we shall know the great mystery effected in us by Holy Communion. O most precious moments of my life!
Diary of St. Maria Faustina Kowalska, 840
Posted by Ed Sousa, Sr. at 1:45 PM

12/21/10

Actor Jim Caviezel calls abortion the greatest moral defect of the western world.


Jim Caviezel calls abortion ‘the greatest moral defect of the western world’
by Matthew Cullinan Hoffman
Mon Dec 20, 2010 10:54 EST

Jim Caviezel
SPAIN, December 20, 2010 (LifeSiteNews.com) - Actor James Caviezel, who played Jesus Christ in Mel Gibson’s “Passion of the Christ,” said in a recent interview in Spain that he regards abortion as “the greatest moral defect of the western world.”
Caviezel was in the country to promote his latest movie “The Stoning of Soraya M.,” which has just been released there. He was asked by the publication Sembrar, “in your judgment, what is the greatest moral defect of the western world?”
“Abortion, without any doubt,” answered Caviezel. “As Mother Theresa said, ‘abortion will end up bringing the world to nuclear war’. When a man kills a man in a war situation, it is bad, very sad. Attila [the Hun] went further. He said ‘not only am I going to kill men, but also women and children.’ He raised the bar to another level.”
However, added Caviezel, “abortion goes much further: when the mother herself kills her son she goes against her own nature, against her own instinct. People talk about ‘choice’, but when a woman does that, when she destroys the life of her unborn child, then we have arrived at the limit. The level cannot go higher regarding evil.”
“In the United States, there have been 50 million abortions since 1973,” said the actor, observing that the number is equal to the total number of deaths in World War II, and “one-fifth of our population.”
“The demographic triangle is being inverted. The base keeps shrinking, until there aren’t young people to maintain the population. So, what happens? The next stage is the so-called ‘right to die,’ euthanasia,” he said.
Caviezel, a committed Catholic who has starred in numerous major motion pictures, has been led by his pro-life convictions to adopt two handicapped Chinese children. His role in the Passion of the Christ has earned him worldwide acclaim.

12/20/10

Revelation from Saint Maria Faustina



REVELATION:

September, first Friday. In the evening, I saw the Mother of God, with Her breast bared and pierced with a sword. She was shedding bitter tears and shielding us against God's terrible punishment. God wants to inflict terrible punishment on us, but He cannot because the Mother of God is shielding us. Horrible fear seized my soul. I kept praying incessantly for Poland, for my dear Poland, which is so lacking in gratitude for the Mother of God.
If it were not for the Mother of God, all our efforts would be of little use. I intensified my prayers and sacrifices for our dear native land, but I see that I am a drop before the wave of evil. How can a drop stop a wave: O yes! A drop is nothing of itself, but with You, Jesus, I shall stand up bravely to the whole wave of evil and even to the whole of hell. Your omnipotence can do all things.
Diary of Saint Maria Faustina Kowalska, 686

Catholics, You are Welcome to Come Home for Christmas


12/17/10

A Different Kind of Christmas


A Different Kind of Christmas
by Sharon Jaynes

Today's Truth" Give and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measure to you." --Luke 6:38

Friend to Friend Of all the Christmases that Mike Wekall remembers, his seventh stands out from all the rest. Mike was the fifth of six Wekall children. Like every child, Mike met December with the anticipation of new toys, freshly baked goodies, glittering decorations, and school vacation. But one week before Christmas, Mike's parents called the children into the den."Kids, I've have some bad news for you," Mr. Wekall said, barely able to look his children in the eye. "As you know, things have been pretty tight at work this year. In fact, we are going to have to file bankruptcy, so we won't have Christmas this year. I'm sorry. Maybe we can make it up to you next year." Then he quietly walked out of the room.
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The children just sat there for a while in silence. Mike thought to himself, "What does he mean 'we won't have Christmas'? Does that mean I've been bad and Santa isn't going to come? And what is bankruptcy?"It was a confusing time for little Mike, but one thing became perfectly clear on Christmas morning--Christmas had not come to the Wekall house. No presents were under a tree, and the aroma of a roasting turkey did not come from the kitchen. The family did, however, go off to church that crisp, cold morning. When they arrived at church, all the other children were sporting new clothes and chattering about what they had found under their trees."Hey, Mike, what'd you get?" one asked."Nothin'. We didn't have Christmas at our house. We're having a bankruptcy.""What's wrong? Have you been too bad to get anything? Didn't you even get a few switches?
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"Feeling rather blue, the family of eight went home for a lunch of lima beans and hamhocs. About an hour later, the door bell rang. "Maybe it is Santa after all," Mike thought as he ran to the door. Standing in the doorway wasn't Santa, but it was the Bosky family, all ten of them. Each of the eight children had smiles on their faces and two gifts in their hands. Mr. and Mrs. Bosky held a turkey dinner with all the trimmings. As it turned out, the eight Bosky children went home from church and told their parents about how the Wekalls weren't having Christmas this year. Seeing how they had been so richly blessed, the children decided to pick two of their toys and wrap them up for the Wekalls. Mom and Dad joined in and brought gifts for the parents. Even though Mrs. Bosky had Christmas dinner all choreographed for her own dining room, she gathered up the food in boxes and baskets to share with a family who needed it more.That was over forty years ago, but Mike still gets tears in his eyes when he shares this story. "It was the best Christmas I have ever had," he told me. "The Spirit of God showed me that Christmas wasn't about getting presents but about giving and caring for others. It is about showing goodness toward other people. Every year, I tell this story to someone, because it exemplifies how Christ gave so freely of Himself for us.
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*Let's Pray Dear Lord, I have so much and I am surrounded by people who have so little. Show me someone I can help this Christmas. Open the eyes of my heart to see the needs of others. Make me an extension of Your lavish love. In Jesus' Name, amen.
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Now It's Your Turn Consider some ways you can help others less fortunate this Christmas. Here are some ideas from my book, Celebrating a Christ Centered Christmas.
Help an elderly person decorate his or her home and take the decorations down at the end of the season.
Give an anonymous gift of money to someone who lost their job or someone who you know struggles financially.
Offer to do Christmas shopping for a disabled person.
Purchase and deliver a gift for a child whose parent is in prison
Pack a shoebox for a needy child overseas through Operation Christmas Child.
Process toys for the Salvation Army.
Volunteer to ring the bell for the Salvation Army.
Work in a Soup Kitchen
Visit someone in a nursing home who has few relatives.

12/15/10

Dear Children of Mary


Photo: (c) Bernard Gallagher - used with permission
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December 15, 2010 Dear Family of Mary!
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Bad Dreams
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Last night Denis and I were praying with some dear friends for a young woman who is experiencing "bad" dreams. As we prayed, I asked Our Lady for a message from my message box, hoping she would help us understand how to pray for her. This is the message I pulled at random from my box of messages:
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*"Dear children! Today again I am calling you to prayer, to complete surrender to God. You know that I love you and am coming here out of love so I could show you the path to peace and salvation for your souls. I want you to obey me and not permit Satan to seduce you. Dear children, Satan is very strong and, therefore, I ask you to dedicate your prayers to me so that those who are under his influence can be saved. Give witness by your life. Sacrifice your lives for the salvation of the world. I am with you, and I am grateful to you, but in heaven you shall receive the Father's reward which He has promised to you. Therefore, dear children, do not be afraid. If you pray, Satan cannot injure you even a little bit because you are God's children and He is watching over you. Pray and let the rosary always be in your hand as a sign to Satan that you belong to me. Thank you for having responded to my call." (February 25, 1988)
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I felt that the end of this message was especially anointed. Holding the Rosary as a sign to Satan that we belong to Mary! Oh yes! This is good advice for all of us. Though we are preparing for Christmas, and our thoughts are on the beauty and serenity of the Incarnation, I sense that Our Lady is bringing up the uncomfortable subject of Satan for all of us because she knows it is important. She is warning us of the reality of the evil one and giving us the weapons we need to be protected from him. Christmas or not, the enemy will be active. But with Our Lady, we are safe. The weapons Our Lady is giving us in this message: Prayer - "Pray at all times in the Spirit, with allprayer and supplication." (Eph 6:18) Surrender to God - "Submit yourselves therefore to God" (Jas 4:7) Resisting the devil - "Resist the devil and he will flee from you." (Jas 4:7) Sacrifice - "And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God" (Eph 5:2) No fear - "Hence we can confidently say, "The Lord is my helper, I will not be afraid; what can man do to me?" (Heb 13:6) Prayer of the Rosary and holding the Rosary in our hands as a sign that we belong to Our Lady. With the Rosary in our hands we can defeat the enemy. The prayer of the Rosary places us in the Heart of Mary. Mary is the one to whom victory over the devil has been given. She will lead us to safety, victory, and peace, if we cling to her and pray under her guidance and power. In these days of spiritual upheaval, we have been given an incredible lifeline. We have been given direct help from heaven, in Our Lady of Medjugorje. We should walk in peace and confidence, holding her hand (by holding our rosaries) and praying with our hearts constantly.... In Jesus and Mary! Cathy Nolan....http://www.marytv.tv/

I Am God, there is no other, Isaiah 45:22


THE ONLY ONE" I am God; there is no other!" -Isaiah 45:22

Does your life and Christmas depend on anyone or anything other than Jesus? The Lord says: "I am the Lord, there is no other" (Is 45:6, 18, 22).
The Lord proclaims there is no other god besides Him (Is 45:21). He says: "There is no just and saving God but Me" (Is 45:21)..
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The first of the Ten Commandments says: "You shall not have other gods besides Me" (Ex 20:3; Dt 5:7). Therefore, we should pray and live: "Only in God is my soul at rest; from Him comes my salvation. He only is my Rock and my Salvation, my Stronghold" (Ps 62:2-3). Jesus is the only name by which we can be saved (Acts 4:12) and our "only Master and Lord" (Jude 4). He is the only Way to the Father (Jn 14:6). Therefore, we should say: "Only in the Lord are just deeds and power" (Is 45:24). Many Christians' Christmases depend almost wholly on family, friends, presents, parties, money, food, or pleasures. While we thank the Lord for all His temporal gifts, we are not to depend on them, even slightly. Christmas and life mean Christ (see Phil 1:21). If we were like Job, if we lost everything but the Lord, if we became impoverished and starving, alone and bereaved, we could still have Christmas because nothing can separate us from Christ's love (Rm 8:35). Jesus Christ is our only Need in life. Prayer: Father, thank You for loving me so much that You gave me Your only Son. May I believe in Him and love Him totally. Promise: "The blind recover their sight, cripples walk, lepers are cured, the deaf hear, dead men are raised to life, and the poor have the good news preached to them." -Lk 7:22

Revelation from Saint Maria Faustine


Revelation:


On the evening of the last day [November 15] of the novena at Ostra Brama, after the singing of the litany, one of the priests exposed the Blessed Sacrament in the monstrance. When he placed it on the altar, I immediately saw the Infant Jesus, stretching out His little arms, first of all toward His Mother, who at that time had taken on a living appearance. When the Mother of God was speaking to me, Jesus stretched out His tiny hands toward the congregation.

The Blessed Mother was telling me to accept all that God asked of me like a little child, without questioning; otherwise it would not be pleasing to God. At that moment, the Infant Jesus vanished, and the Mother of God was again lifeless, and Her picture was the same as it had been before. But my soul was filled with great joy and gladness, and I said to the Lord, "Do with me as You please; I am ready for everything, but You, O Lord, must not abandon me even for a moment."
Diary of Saint Maria Faustina Kowalska, 529

12/14/10

Medjugorje Visionary Vicka is back.


Vicka is back! After almost two years out of sight because of her bad health, we were so happy to see her again these last days, beaming with joy, and hear her share Our Lady’s messages from her staircase. In fact, the pilgrims present for the Feast of the Immaculate Conception (Dec. 8) were able to meet her and also profit from her blessing (see photo).
Vicka was not idle during her long absence! The physical and moral sufferings she endured were offered for each one of us with enthusiasm. The Gospa told her once in the 80s, “Rare are the people who have understood the great value of suffering, when it is offered to Jesus!” Sometimes Vicka expresses beautiful insights: “Suffering cannot be explained. Suffering may only be lived in one’s own heart. When the Lord gives us suffering, a cross, it is truly a great gift that he gives us. We often think, ‘How can illness be a gift?’ But it is a great gift! Only God knows why he makes that gift, and he alone knows why he takes it away at a particular time. But we are free to decide: am I ready to accept this gift?
There are different kinds of sufferings: there is the suffering given by God, and the suffering that we create ourselves. They do not have the same value.
Vicka reiterated: “When you smile in spite of pain, it is because you accepted it and you belong entirely to God. Later on, you no longer notice the pain, but feel joy. Since you suffer with joy, there is no more tension. But this joy does not come from outside, it comes from inside of you, from your heart. I feel such strong joy that I want to do more for the Blessed Mother!”

12/13/10

Medjugorje: Pilgrims from Japan



Pilgrims from Japan in Medjugorje
date: 11.12.2010.

Many pilgrims are coming to Medjugorje in this time of preparation for Christmas – Advent. Maria Fujie Ito and Paulo Masanovi Yamasaki came to Medjugorje for the first time from Japan. They travelled for thirty hours from Japan to come to this place of prayer and reconciliation. Maria said that she heard about Medjugorje twenty years ago, but could not come earlier due to business obligations. She is grateful to everybody for wonderful hospitality towards her here, and added: “I believe in Our Lady’s messages, in her presence and everything that she has been saying to us. When I retire I will come again here. This pilgrimage is a great experience for me. I really enjoyed climbing the Apparition Hill and praying Rosary there, that was what my heart needed so much, and I am truly grateful for being here. I will bring more pilgrims from Japan. “Paulo heard about Medjugorje twenty years ago and then he read a book about Medjugorje. “The most important about Christianity is in Medjugorje. You can really feel that here, while in Japan unfortunately people have forgot about that”, said Paulo.
Sourcre-Medjugorje Information Centre

Eucharistic Miracle in Argentina


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A Special Thank You to my friend Maria, E.S.

Bishop Thomas Tobin, An open letter to Inactive Catholics


An Open Letter to Inactive Catholics
BY BISHOP THOMAS J. TOBIN
R. I. Catholic 12/9/10

My dear Brother or Sister: In the spirit of the Advent and Christmas Season, and as the Diocese of Providence nears the end of its “Year of Evangelization,” I’m writing this letter to inactive Catholics of our Diocese – perhaps you’re in that category – to let you know that we miss you, we love you and we want you to come home to the Church. The first dilemma I faced in writing this letter was how to describe you – an “inactive Catholic,” a “fallen-away Catholic” or a “former-Catholic.” I chose the first option.

I decided against “fallen-away Catholic” for it suggests someone falling off a fence or out of a tree. The image isn’t helpful.
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*And there’s really no such thing as a “former Catholic.” If you were baptized a Catholic, you’re a Catholic for life – even if you haven’t been to Mass for years, even if you’ve renounced the title and joined another Church. Your baptism infused your soul with Catholic DNA – it defines who and what you are.

Thus, I’ve chosen the title, “inactive Catholic,” because even though you haven’t been “active” in the Catholic community for awhile, especially by attending Sunday Mass, receiving the sacraments and otherwise participating in the life of the Church, you’re still a Catholic. Sorry . . . you’re stuck with us!
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Perhaps the exact name isn’t very important though. What’s more important is why you drifted away from the Church, why you stopped coming to Mass, and what we can do about it.
Did you leave the Church because you disagree with some of the Church’s teachings and practices; or because you found it boring and “didn’t get anything out of it”; or because someone in the Church offended you or disappointed you; or because you just got a little complacent, spiritually lazy, in the fulfillment of your obligations? Let’s look at each of these reasons.
If you left the Church because you disagree with the fundamental teachings of the Church I’m afraid there’s not much I can do to help you. The essential teachings of the Church on matters of faith and morals aren’t negotiable – they weren’t made up arbitrarily by human beings but, in fact, were given to us by Christ. They can’t be changed, even if they’re unpopular or difficult to live with. I hope that you’ll take some time to really understand what the Church teaches and why. Sometimes, we find, good folks get bad information and that leads to confusion and then alienation.
If you left the Church because you found it to be boring and “didn’t get anything out of it,” well, I understand. Sometimes, it’s true, leaders of the Church haven’t fed the flock very well – sometimes we haven’t provided sound and challenging teaching and preaching, and sometimes our worship has been banal and bland. Perhaps we haven’t been very kind or welcoming. I apologize for that; we can and should do better.
On the other hand, when you attend Mass it shouldn’t be all about you – the focus is God! You should attend Mass to give, as well as receive – to worship the Lord, to ask forgiveness of your sins, to thank Him for His gifts and to pray for others. And for Catholics the most important reason to attend Mass is to receive the Holy Eucharist, the Body and Blood of Christ, the Bread of Life. You can’t do that anywhere else!
If you left the Church because another member of the Church offended or disappointed you, I’m truly sorry for that offense and in the name of the Church I sincerely apologize. I hope you’ll forgive us and give us another chance. Members of the Church – including priests and bishops – are completely human. Sometimes we say things and do things that are totally unacceptable, even immoral. But let’s face it – we belong to a community of sinners – that’s why we begin every Mass by calling to mind our sins and asking for God’s forgiveness. The virtue of forgiveness is an essential part of the Christian life – we all need to seek and grant forgiveness now and then.

Finally, if you left the Church because of your own spiritual laziness – complacency – I guess the ball’s in your court. I can only encourage you to start over – to think about your relationship with God and try to understand how important the Church is in helping you fulfill your God-given potential and, more importantly, helping you achieve eternal life.
You see, the Church isn’t just another human organization, some sort of social club. We believe that the Church has divine elements – that it was founded by Christ and is guided by the Holy Spirit. You need the Church – you need the teachings of the Church, the life-giving sacraments of the Church, and the support of a community that shares your faith and values. But the Church also needs you – we need the gifts of your time and talent, your faith and commitment. The Church has an awful lot to offer you, but if in fact we’ve been imperfect fulfilling our mission, in serving the Lord and caring for one another, perhaps you can help us to do better.
The irony of this letter, of course, is that if you’ve been an inactive Catholic, you might not see it. But I’m counting on a Catholic member of your family, or a friend, neighbor or co-worker, to see it and share it.
The Christmas Season is a wonderful, grace-filled time, a time when we remember that the Word of God became flesh and that Jesus is “Emmanuel” – God with us. God came to earth to search for us, to embrace us, to lift us up, and to take us with Him to eternal life. He came to invite you to be His friend and companion along the way.
Dear brother or sister, if you’ve been away from the Church for awhile, it’s time to come home. If there’s an issue or a problem we can help you with, please contact your local parish, or contact me here at the Diocese of Providence. I might not be able to solve every problem and meet every need, but I’ll try. Please know, however, that we miss you, we love you and we hope to see you soon.
Your brother in Christ,
Bishop Tobin

12/12/10

BBC Documentary on Medjugorje

Story of this photo................
October 2, 2010 The Spinning Sun in Medjugorje Photo by Barbara G..
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I took this on October 2nd at the time of Mirjana's apparition. A few of us were praying the Rosary at the Crucifix on Sr. Immanuel's property. We were looking towards the Blue Cross on Apparition Hill and saw the sun spinning. That's when I took the picture. May you receive a special blessing from the Lord today! Barbara
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Content of the article
Pilgrims - BBC documentary on Medjugorje - Part 1 http://www.medjugorje.ws/en/videos/bbc-pilgrims-medjugorje/
Pilgrims - BBC documentary on Medjugorje - Part 2
Pilgrims - BBC documentary on Medjugorje - Part 3
Pilgrims - BBC documentary on Medjugorje - Part 4
Pilgrims - BBC documentary on Medjugorje - Part 5
Pilgrims - BBC documentary on Medjugorje - Part 1
The story of the thousands of Northern Irish pilgrims who flock to the controversial shrine of Medjugorje. Every year around 25,000 people from Northern Ireland travel to the unlikely destination of Bosnia and Herzegovina and the small town of Medjugorje. But sun, sand and silly souvenirs are not high on the list of priorities for them.
Next : Pilgrims - BBC documentary on Medjugorje - Part 2

Related content
A Journey of Faith -- filmmakers of Pilgrims documentary for BBC (Eamonn Devlin, Gerard Stratton) give their impressions of the Medjugorje phenomenon
Video The man who 'sees' Virgin Mary every day -- BBC Newsnight Report on Medjugorje ( Medjugorje Videos )
David Parkes Miracle Healing in Medjugorje ( Medjugorje Videos )
Liam's Stewart life-changing Medjugorje experience
Source of these video's--http://www.medjugorje.ws/

12/10/10

Eyewitness Account of Attack on Iraqi Catholic Church


Our Lady of the Massacre: Eyewitness Account of Attack on Iraqi Catholic Church
By Marco Pedersini • Chiesa • 12/9/2010
'Leave them alone, take me!' shouts Fr. Wasim, and is immediately hit with a bullet square in the chest. The crucifix becomes a shooting target. The terrorists riddle it with gunfire shouting mockingly: 'Come on, tell him to save you! You are infidels.' BAGHDAD, Iraq (Chiesa) - Raghada al-Wafi ...

John Barrys Blog: Medjugorje Video: Apparition to Mirjana December ...


John Barrys Blog: Medjugorje Video: Apparition to Mirjana December ...: "Our Lady's Message to Mirjana at Medjugorje on December 2, 2010 “Dear children; Today I am praying here with you that you may gather the strength to open your hearts and thus to become aware of the mighty love of the suffering God. Through this His love, goodness and meekness, I am also with you. I invite you for this special time of preparation to be a time of prayer, penance and conversion. My children, you need God. You cannot go forward without my Son. When you comprehend and accept this, what was promised to you will be realized. Through the Holy Spirit the Kingdom of Heaven will be born in your hearts. I am leading you to this. Thank you.

A Catholic Mom in Hawaii: Bishop Ricken approves Marian apparitions at Shrine of Our Lady of Good Help#links#links


12/9/10

Fr. Peter Mary Rookey, The Healing Priest, Pilgrimage of Love, A New Video



New Fr. Rookey video:


The beautiful new DVD "Pilgrimage of Love: The Story of a Priest" follows Fr. Peter Rookey as he makes one last journey to the Holy Land, a walk of faith that parallels his remarkable life story, including his own healing of blindness as a child and his 60+ years as a Catholic priest......Watch a preview or order DVD
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Praise God for this holy, humble worker in the vineyard, and for the many healing miracles that Jesus Christ has worked through him.
source-Our Sorrowful Mother's Minisrty http://osmm.org/

Does the Pope believe in Medjugorje

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Parishoners from Medjugorje parish at the General Audience with Holy Father
date: 03.12.2010.

Vatican, (VIS) - At the end of today's General Audience, during the part when Holy Father greets pilgrims in their own languages, Holy Father spoke to the group of Croatian pilgrims and said: "I am greeting all of the Croatian pilgrims from my heart, and especially those from the parish of St. James of Medjugorje. Your pilgrimage to Rome is part of the preparation for the coming of the Lord. Therefore, in hope, be evangelisers of God's love in your nation. Praised be Jesus and Mary!" -- sources-Medjugorje Information Centre, Spiritdaily, Medjugorje Miracles-Christine Watkins.....http://www.medjugorjemiracles.com/

12/8/10

Medjugorje Miracles



Video Miracles of Medjugorje
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This video contains some photos of events, that seemingly have supernatural character. Further, Timothy Klauck, former U.S. Army Intelligence Officer, speaks about his opinion on miraculous or supernatural happenings in Medjugorje. He also speaks about an incident with aircraft bombers, that he saw near Medjugorje. He became convinced that Medjugorje during the Bosnian war in ninetees became relatively untouched, because of divine intervention.
***This video also contains a testimony of Actress, Singer, Dancer, Lola Falana's experience in Medjugorje. In 1987 entertainer Lola Falana, started to feel unwell. She felt paralysed, and her ability to even speak was becomming retarted. She went and saw her doctor, who diagnosed her with MS.

Virgin Mary - by Fr. Joe Whalen


Record Number of Priests Celebrate the Holy Mass in Medjugorje


Medjugorje 2010

Since statistics have been kept the number of priests celebrating Mass at the St. James Parish in Medjugorje has broken a record.

36,803 priests have celebrated Mass at Medjugorje in 2010.
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Statistics by Medjugorje Information Center http://medjugorje.hr/en/medjugorje-phenomenon/statistics/

12/7/10

What Will Matter: - Ready or Not, someday it will all come to an end.


What Will Matter:


Jesus said, "Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.


Today's Daily Encounter is by Michael Josephson


Ready or not, some day it will all come to an end. There will be no more sunrises, no minutes, hours or days. All the things you collected, whether treasured or forgotten, will pass to someone else. Your wealth, fame and temporal power will shrivel to irrelevance. It will not matter what you owned or what you were owed. Your grudges, resentments, frustrations and jealousies will finally disappear. So too, your hopes, ambitions, plans and to-do lists will expire. The wins and losses that once seemed so important will fade away. It won't matter where you came from or what side of the tracks you lived on at the end. It won't matter whether you were beautiful or brilliant. Even your gender and skin color will be irrelevant.


So what will matter? How will the value of your days be measured?
What will matter is not what you bought but what you built, not what you got but what you gave. What will matter is not your success but your significance. What will matter is not what you learned but what you taught. What will matter is every act of integrity, compassion, courage, or sacrifice that enriched, empowered or encouraged others to emulate your example. What will matter is not your competence but your character.
What will matter is not how many people you knew, but how many will feel a lasting loss when you're gone. What will matter is not your memories but the memories that live in those who loved you. What will matter is how long you will be remembered, by whom and for what. Living a life that matters doesn't happen by accident. It's not a matter of circumstance but of choice. Choose to live a life that matters.


Suggested prayer: "Dear God, please help me to live in light of eternal values so that my life will not be wasted but invested in the lives of others for all eternity so that my life will matter. Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully, in Jesus' name, amen."

Medjugorje Visionaries Mirjana and Marija condemn Abortion at Masnago, Italy




John Barrys Blog: Medjugorje Visionaries Mirjana and Marija condemn ...: "A huge crowd of believers turned out on Sunday afternoon at Masnago in Italy for the visit of Medjugorje visionaries Mirjana Dragicevic and Marija Pavlovic..."

12/4/10

Mother, You are as beautiful as the Sun



O Mary, Immaculate Virgin, Pure crystal for my heart,You are my strength, O sturdy anchor! You are the weak heart's shield and protection.
O Mary you are pure, of purity incomparable; At once both Virgin and Mother, You are beautiful as the sun, without blemish, And your soul is beyond all comparison.
Your beauty has delighted the eye of the Thrice-Holy One. He descended from heaven, leaving His eternal throne, And took Body and Blood of your heart And for nine months lay hidden in a Virgin's Heart.
O Mother, Virgin, purest of all lilies,Your heart was Jesus' first tabernacle on earth Only because no humility was deeper than yours Were you raised above the choirs of Angels and above all Saints.
O Mary, my sweet Mother, I give you my soul, my body and my poor heart. Be the guardian of my life, Especially at the hour of death, in the final strife.
Diary of Saint Maria Faustina Kowalska, 161

12/3/10

Where Are You God?


Aggie Catholics: Where Are You God?: "**Have you ever felt that God just wasn't interested in your problems? **Have you ever felt God was distant and unaccessible? **Have you ever..."
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Comment from- A Catholic Mom in Hawaii
Aggie Catholics is a new blog I have been reading. It soon became one of my favorites to check out daily. Even though I did not know the blogger I was moved by his request for prayers for his dying sister. God has since taken her home. Her brother Marcel wrote the following:Marcel LeJeune's Where Are You God?
Posted by Esther G. Posted 10:54 AM

Pope Smiles for Medjugorje


Friday, December 03, 2010

Posted by Pilgrim
http://www.crownofstars.blogspot.com/

Pope Benedict smiles for Medjugorje!
• When the Pope mentioned Medjugorje in welcoming Croatian pilgrims to Rome on Wednesday, a cheer erupted from a section of the audience and Benedict looked up from his notes, smiled, then raised his right hand to acknowledge the group of applauding and cheering Croats. The photo above shows the Pope’s reaction. Time and date of smile: 12:25, Wednesday, December 1, 2010.
Hvaljen Isus i Marija PRAISED BE JESUS AND MARY!• Benedict ended his welcome to the pilgrims from the Medjugorje parish with the words: “Hvaljen Isus i Marija!”
Last year, on December 30, cardinal Christoph Schönborn began his homily in St James church with the same words: “Hvaljen Isus i Marija” a Croatian phrase that means “Praised be Jesus and Mary.” This is a much-used greeting among the visionaries and Medjugorje villagers. The cardinal repeated it several times and urged the congregation to repeat it with him.
Posted by pilgrim at 3:11 PM

12/2/10

Our Lady's message to Mirjana of December 2, 2010


Our Lady Queen of Peace of Medjugorje’s December 2, 2010 Message To Mirjana Soldo


“Dear children, today I am praying here with you that you may gather the strength to open your hearts and thus to become aware of the mighty love of the suffering God. Through this His love, goodness and meekness, I am also with you. I invite you for this special time of preparation to be a time of prayer, penance and conversion. My children, you need God. You cannot go forward without my Son. When you comprehend and accept this, what was promised to you will be realized. Through the Holy Spirit the Kingdom of Heaven will be born in your hearts. I am leading you to this. Thank you.”

12/1/10

The Lord Called and Marcel Taillon answered.



The R.I. Life: The Lord called, and Marcel Taillon answered
01:00 AM EST on Monday, November 29, 2010
By G. Wayne Miller Journal Staff Writer

The Rev. Marcel Taillon, who worked at CVS before joining the priesthood, prays at St. Thomas More Church in Narragansett.
The Providence Journal / Mary Murphy The Rev. Marcel Taillon, a Woonsocket native, talks with a parishoner after Mass on Wednesday at St. Thomas More Parish in Narragansett.
The Providence Journal / Mary Murphy
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NARRAGANSETT — Among the prayers that the Rev. Marcel Taillon offers during his celebration of Mass this day before Thanksgiving is one common during Catholic services for more vocations. It is a prayer he often heard as a young man, when he enjoyed a promising lay career at CVS.
“When that petition would come up at Mass, it rocked me” –– in a disturbing way, says Father Taillon, 45, pastor of St. Thomas More Parish. He sits in his church rectory as he tells the story of his calling, which did not follow a traditional path.
His path led through the drugstore chain, where he had started work as a teenager and where in his 20s he was still happily employed –– making good money and enjoying a social life. He was traveling the country for CVS, part of a 1980s team that was assisting company pharmacists’ often difficult transition to computers. His strength was in people skills: communicating, listening, problem-solving.
“I loved CVS,” he says. “I loved my job. I loved my friends. I loved it all. I was really happy, but I wasn’t fulfilled.”
And that was one problem he couldn’t solve. He felt incomplete: a feeling, he would later discover, shared by other eventual priests. “It’s one of the threads that runs through everybody’s different story: You’re not sure what it is, but you can feel something’s missing.”
Father Taillon had been a devout Catholic since he was a child, and during his teenage years and into his 20s, lay people, along with some clergy, sometimes remarked that he would make a good priest. The possibility both intrigued and frightened him. A vocation might fulfill him, but his lay life was comfortable.
So he adopted an avoidant mentality.
“I ignored it pretty well, I think, for a while,” he says. “I put all my eggs in the corporate basket. I wanted to do a good job. And my job at CVS really affected people’s lives. They needed support.”
Mass-time prayers and Sunday sermons about callings, he says, kept resurrecting his dilemma. He was increasingly conflicted: a young man caught between a life he enjoyed and a life, not easily achieved, that might hold more for himself and others.
“It was spiritually uncomfortable, when I look back,” he says. “I wouldn’t have called it that then, but now I can put it together and see that obviously the Lord was calling. Very mysterious.”
One of three children of a forklift operator and a housewife, Father Taillon grew up in Woonsocket in a French-Canadian family where the rosary was prayed regularly. His mother took him to Mass every day and he was an altar boy, which brought him into contact with priests and a nun who would prove influential: Sister Maria, who belonged to a small and now-dwindling order, the Sister Servants of Our Lady, Queen of Clergy.
“She was an anchor in my spiritual life,” says Father Taillon. “Without being heavy-handed, she was always teaching me.”
After Catholic grammar school, the young Marcel entered Woonsocket High School, class of 1983. He was a class officer. He dated. At 16, he took a part-time job at CVS. He had no desire to become a priest, despite what others thought –– to Marcel’s annoyance.
“In high school, I resented it when people told me I should be a priest. I didn’t like it at all. I actually thought it was terrible.” He thought he would get a good-paying job, marry and have children, like most of his friends.
Marcel worked at CVS while attending Southern New Hampshire University, which he left shortly before graduation to join the Woonsocket-based corporation full-time. He was returning from a trip to Newark three days before Easter in the late 1980s when he decided to visit his parish church, St. Ann, in Woonsocket.
“It was Holy Thursday,” he says. “The churches are open, the Eucharist is out, and that’s the day that we believe that Jesus instituted the Eucharist and the priesthood.”
A nun was praying. Light from the sanctuary cast a glow.
Thoughts of joining the priesthood settled on him again, this time decisively.
All right, he thought, I’m going to try this.
Marcel contacted the Diocese of Providence, and the vocations director, Monsignor Paul D. Theroux, now the diocesan Vicar General and Moderator of the Curia, began to advise him. He would have to pass extensive psychological and other testing and, if accepted, enter the seminary, complete a degree at Providence College and undertake more years of education and training. He was accepted. The time came to quit CVS. He had kept his new direction to himself.
He chose a coworker named Tina to tell first. He didn’t know her spiritual leanings, but professionally, they were close.
Tina, he said, I have to tell you something. I’m going to leave CVS and go to the seminary.
“I was afraid she was going to say, ‘What, are you crazy?’ But she wept right away. And she said: ‘You go! Get out of here and don’t look back!’ It was tremendous. It was so freeing for me.”
He told other close coworkers, and then his larger team, with whom he had some fun.
I’m going to work for a company that has more outlets than CVS, he told them. It’s a global company, it’s not just U.S.
“They all thought it was IBM because I had worked closely with them,” Father Taillon says. When they learned where he was really headed, he says, they were supportive –– and more. “Right away, everyone came to me to talk about their problems. Immediately. ‘Can you pray for me?’ It all came out.”
Father Taillon entered Our Lady of Providence Seminary in 1988, received an undergraduate degree in philosophy from Providence College, and left in 1990 for Pontifical North American College in Rome, where he studied for five years. Ordained a priest in Providence in 1994, he served in Vocation Ministry and was chaplain to Bishop Hendricken High School for several years before becoming St. Thomas More’s pastor.
In his work now with the faithful and in his celebration of the Eucharist, Father Taillon says he finds fulfillment, which he defines as something beyond ordinary emotion.
“There’s greater than happiness. There’s joy. And I found joy, and joy makes you cry sometimes, makes you suffer with love — makes you more human, more alive, more Christian. It’s not a mood or a feeling but the knowledge of the presence of God every moment and the freedom to trust that relationship is true and real.”
Men reach the priesthood, he says, along many paths.
“Some guys know right out of the womb,” he says, “and they’re right; they know, and God gives them that gift. And for other people, it comes out of nowhere later in life. For myself — when I look back now, I think it was always there.”
But achieving it took a sort of perseverance, a theme he strikes in his day-before-Thanksgiving sermon.
“I look back and think of all the fears and struggles and the obstacles that were mostly self-created,” he says from the pulpit.
He draws two lessons.
“Fears can keep us from doing good things,” he says.
And: “Persevere until the end.”
gwmiller@projo.com