PBS Frontline Documentary: Secrets of The Vatican

Mass celebrated at St. Peter's Basilica

Recently PBS Frontline aired a documentary, Secrets of the Vatican, which I was inspired to watch. At first, I was somewhat suspect of the documentary from its title alone, and although I did try watch it with an open mind, in the end it only confirmed my suspicion, that it was a skewed presentation. The documentary spawned an on line discussion that included many views and opinions that were very secular in their tone, somewhat hostile and lacking what I considered to be an appropriate attitude. 

I decided to join the discussion to counter the overwhelming negative exchange of views. Hoping to change the tone and provide a more positive approach, I posted my comment. In addition to the PBS discussion, I decided to turn my comment into a blog post and in so doing, reach an even wider audience in the process.

You do not necessarily need to watch the documentary to fully understand the content of my comment, but it would certainly help if you did, just so you can see for yourself what type of presentation PBS aired on the Vatican. Below is my comment.


Beginning of Comment

After viewing this documentary and scrolling through all of the comments below, I would like to offer my thoughts that I hope will encourage everyone to direct their concerns into a much more positive direction.

Although there are many details that one could concern oneself with, the main thrust of any problems that may exist are a matter of a spiritual battle from an unseen enemy, who remains quiet and seems to have drawn very little attention from this documentary and this discussion. I am referring to the Evil One who works extremely hard to attack the Catholic Church and in particular the clergy. Make no mistake, their struggles against sin and temptation are greater because of the prize is greater for the Tempter, the Father of Lies, the Devil. Does this mean they are not responsible for their actions? Of course not. This is especially true for actual cases of sexual abuse. If clergy are leading double lives, involved in financial wrong doing or some other unethical activity, this should not be denied in any way. Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI's actions are indicative of this as he has defrocked over 400 priests, a fact that this documentary failed to mention by the way. I believe Pope Francis has a few battle fronts within, on matters that are of great importance for those within and outside the Vatican, and he is dealing with these battles, taking steps and making changes that will restore credibility and put things into proper order. No easy task to say the least. Please pray for him!

I firmly believe that Pope Francis' example, one of mercy, love and compassion should be at the fore front of any view and approach regarding any issue. The temptation to be righteous is and can be one that lacks mercy. As Catholics and Christians alike, we are called to be merciful and that has to mean something. Being merciful with your friend or family, is probably not that difficult, most of the time, but how much more significant and a proper response to be merciful is it, when it is extremely difficult, painful perhaps and even bitter. Will you only be merciful when it is easy or convenient or when you agree to be? No matter what the details may or may not be, this documentary is not a "carte blanche" for the public to begin a condemnation campaign, gossip and incite hatred. Remember what Jesus said to the mob about to stone the woman for adultery, "cast the first stone he who has not sinned."

More important that focussing on what this documentary chose to talk about, is praying for the clergy. For some, like myself who are Roman Catholic, this is especially important as it is line with what Our Lady in Medjugorje is telling us about how to think and care about our clergy. The answer is not in nasty and ugly discussion, but to direct your concerns into prayer. Our Lady states that our world is full of gossip and our priests do not need anyone's judgement. God will judge them accordingly to how they fulfilled their priestly duties and ministries, and God will judge us how we treated our priests. If you really care for the priesthood of the Catholic Church and the Church itself, pray for our priests because this is the best way you can help them. To criticize them harms them and does them no good. What ever you may know, pray for our priests and especially through the Rosary, the second most powerful prayer next to the Mass. You can find this important approach from the visionary Mirjana Soldo (formerly Dragicevic) at my blog, domenicmarando.blogspot.ca, in which I dedicate an entire post to this approach, entitled, "Medjugorje Message - Pray For Our Priests." You can find this post under the label, "Medjugorje."

Our Lady Queen of Peace, pray for us.

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End of Comment

If you would like, I encourage you to send me your thoughts, especially for those that have watched the documentary prior to reading this post.

Yoga, Tai-Chi and Reiki: A Guide For Christians

Brother Max Sculley, author of Yoga, Tai-Chi and Reiki- A Guide For Christians

Today's post, Yoga, Tai-Chi and Reiki: A Guide For Christians, is based on a book of the same title written by Brother Max Sculley, a De La Salle brother based in Brisbane, Australia. It is the third selected resource from my research on the New Age that was listed on my initial post, The New Age: A Basic Introduction.

The publication of Brother Max's book serves as a timely warning against these popular mainstream practices that claim to provide wellness, health and relaxation, but in fact are closely linked to Eastern philosophies that are incompatible with Christianity.

Brother Max exposes the deceptive techniques in which devotees are invited to engage their minds to enter into an "altered state of consciousness," claimed to be necessary to provide any real benefit. This is where the danger lies.

Bishop Julian Porteous, Auxiliary Bishop of Sydney in the Foreword, elaborates on the danger when he stated that the practitioner is introduced into a world inimical to the Christian faith. The entire process is synonymous to a "Trojan horse" for dangerous spiritual infiltration that can eventually lead to exposure to demonic forces and ultimately spiralling downward that any person who follows these religious philosophies to their full extent can find themselves worshipping a false God.

Bishop Porteous's Foreword is a concise and clear warning to Catholics and Christians alike, to completely avoid these practices. Porteou's observations of the subtlety upon which these practices have entered into the mainstream Australian culture is sure to resonate with many of us around the world. Much of what he describes mirrors the Canadian experience. With such practices having become a global phenomenon, it is incumbent upon all concerned Christians to be better informed. Porteou's Foreword will certainly encourage the reader to do just that.

Bishop Porteous extended his support for this publication with his presence and promotional effort at the Sydney book launching. The YouTube video of the book's Sydney launching is also available for viewing at my blog's sidebar. I definitely recommend you watch this brief five minute video as Brother Max concisely explains and alerts the viewer to the main dangers of these New Age practices.

Here in my own local community of Woodbridge, Ontario one that is overwhelmingly Roman Catholic, there are several New Age shops operating within. Yoga appears to be the most popular. Not only are there dedicated Yoga shops, but most gyms and health clubs provide Yoga classes as well. This sad reality is an indication of a sharp decline in faith, one that has left many of my fellow Catholics and Christians alike, unaware of the spiritual dangers of these practices. I hope that this and subsequent posts on this subject matter will help to remedy this and raise the awareness level in my community, as well as to others in Canada and throughout the world.

A common thread amongst Yoga, Tai-Chi and Reiki is an "altered state of consciousness," which Brother Max describes as "abnormal states" that are brought on by a variety of techniques. Brother Max elaborates in the aforementioned video how these "altered states of consciousness" open our minds to demonic influences, changing our faith system and beliefs in the process. This can result in psychic gifts common to Yoga, Tai-Chi and Reiki and once we open ourselves up to these psychic powers, all sorts of difficulties can result.

One of the most interesting aspects of Brother Max's research is how practitioners of these New Age practices give no credence to the spiritual beliefs underlying them. I too have experienced similar findings in my awareness efforts. Typically, a practitioner will attempt to distance the techniques from the New Age spirituality. A common reply to my alerting others to the dangers of these practices has been, "it is only exercising or relaxation, we don't get involved in the spiritual aspect of it." This is a failure on the part of the practitioner to realize that by engaging in these practices, they allow for their minds to be altered, creating a void, which is completely contrary to Christian meditation and prayer and should be considered as Brother Max states in his video, "positively dangerous."

These "altered states of consciousness" are at the heart of New Age spirituality and are generally characterized by "...[A] significant reduction of logical thought and passivity of will." (8) Brother Max distinguishes such states from what the reader may characterize as daydreaming, genuine visions and ecstasies or prophetic revelations, all of which are not the result of induced techniques, but always a gift of the Holy Spirit. The gift of the Holy Spirit and its relevance to proper Christian meditation, has been clearly explained by Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI, then Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger in the document, Some Aspects of Christian Meditation:

From the dogmatic point of view, it is impossible to arrive at a perfect love of God if one ignores his giving of himself to us through his Incarnate Son, who was crucified and rose from the dead. In Him, under the action of the Holy Spirit, we participate, through pure grace, in the interior life of God...As St. Ignatius says in the Spiritual Exercises, we should try to capture "the infinite perfume and the infinite sweetness of the divinity" (n. 124), going forward from that finite revealed truth from which we have begun. While he raises us up, God is free to "empty" us of all that holds us back in this world, to draw us completely into the Trinitarian life of his eternal love. However, this gift can only be granted "in Christ through the Holy Spirit," and not through our own efforts, withdrawing ourselves from his revelation. (20)

The aforementioned document is an essential read for anyone seeking to be properly informed and gain a correct understanding of Christian meditation. I have written about this document in my previous post, Some Aspects of Christian Meditation.

In essence, the New Age approach of "altered states of consciousness" directs the practitioner to create a void within. This is in sharp contrast to the Christian approach, as further noted in Some Aspects of Christian Meditation, where the emptiness that God requires is that of the renunciation of personal selfishness and not necessarily the renunciation of those created things which God has given and placed amongst us. (19) So why the concern for these "altered states of consciousness?" As Brother Max points out, the negative ramifications of "ASC's " can result in mental illness, occult bondage, demonic influence and spirit possession. (9)

One such example of the negative ramifications of "ASC" is the case of Carl, an American parapsychologist and professor at a Mid-Western university, whose misguided curiousity led him to embrace deceptive New Age practices that eventually resulted in his demonic possession. It is a case of demonic possession that has been documented in a well known book on the subject matter by Malachi Martin's Hostage To The Devil.

The book is about the possession and exorcism of five contemporary Americans, Carl being one of them. Each case was given a specific name by Malachi Martin and in Carl's case, the name assigned to it was, The Rooster and The Tortoise. The case itself is a fascinating read as are the other four cases, each one revealing the complexity and sophistication upon which demons deceived their victims, striving to reach their ultimate goal, demonic possession.

In Carl's case, he was deceived by the notion that Christianity had become corrupt over the centuries coupled with a curiousity to discover the "real Church" by travelling back in time to its origins by means of "astral travel."

After Carl's exorcism, he lived the truth by following Christ. Part of that truth was an admission to his students of what he had done. Below is a partial quote of Carl's admission from The Rooster and The Tortoise:

...Solemnly and of my own free will, I wish to acknowledge that knowingly and freely I entered into possession by an evil spirit. And, although that spirit came to me under the guise of saving me, perfecting me, helping me to help others, I knew all along it was evil...I never enjoyed astral body travel, only the illusion of it...My central error, which was both intellectual and moral in character, concerned the nature of ordinary human consciousness...(403-4)

Carl's case is a prime example of the worst case scenario of the dangers of practicing ASC's in a disciplined way over an extended period of time. The inclusion of Carl's case is an indication of just how thorough Brother Max's research has been. It is a thoroughness that is equally matched by his brotherly love to share his research with Catholics and Christians alike and to all people of good will. Brother Max's brotherly love and sincerity can only be captured in his own words: 

Many Christians who practise yoga and tai chi seek to distance themselves from the pagan system of beliefs underlying each. What they fail to realise is that the mind-altering techniques which are an integral part of these practices, by themselves alone, present serious spiritual risks. My sincere hope and prayer is that this book may alert Christians, and indeed all people of good will, to the dangers hidden beneath the surface of these apparently innocent and healing arts. May those who have been already seduced by the sensations of bliss and the occult powers gained through them, come, through the Blood and Water which flow from the All-merciful Heart of Jesus, to that experience of the love of the one true God which surpasses all comprehension. (10)

For anyone serious about discovering the truth about Yoga, Tai-Chi and Reiki, Brother Max's book is a must read. In my view, it is one of "the" resources available that one should acquire in order to obtain a thorough and complete understanding of these New Age practices. This book is available for purchase at Amazon.com. 

May your discovery of the truth be a reflection the Psalmist's plea, "Make me know your ways, O Lord; teach me your paths. Lead me in your truth, and teach me, for you are the God of my salvation; for you I wait all day long." (Psalm 25)

Some Aspects of Christian Meditation

Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger (Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI) when he served as Head of the
Congregation For The Doctrine of The Faith

When most people think of meditation, probably what comes to mind is something from Hinduism, Buddhism or some other Eastern religion. Catholics do not fair much better. Christian meditation is not something that many Catholics and Christians know much about. If you happen to fall into this group, today's post is definitely for you.

A considerable number of Catholics have abandoned Christianity and wandered to Eastern religions to discover what they have to offer them, failing to recognize that the Catholic faith provides for complete spiritual growth in the form of meditative prayer. I hope to help remedy this sad reality by focussing on the genuine tradition of the Catholic Church, one that ensures that meditation never loses the correct personal and communitarian nature. Today's post contributes to a series of posts I have been publishing on the New Age and forms part of an awareness effort that began on my blog with the initial post, The New Age - An Introduction. I have based today's post on the second source originally listed at the above noted initial post, the Vatican document Letter to The Bishops of the Catholic Church on Some Aspects of Christian Meditation. It was issued by the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, headed by then Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger (Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI) on October 15, 1989, on the Feast of Saint Teresa of Jesus. This document is key to understanding what constitutes authentic Christian meditation. I have included it in my research not only because it will help identify how Catholics should prepare and engage in meditative prayer, but it will also serve to "filter" out the many deceptive New Age practices, whose techniques and somewhat ambiguous language, entice many away from proper Christian meditation.

At issue are the erroneous "eastern methods" of meditation inspired by such religions as Hinduism and Buddhism, that include practices such as Yoga, Zen and Transcendental Meditation. Not only have such erroneous methods of prayer infiltrated Catholic parish communities, but they have been met with very little opposition. To make matters worse, these and other "eastern methods" have been embraced and promoted by those who clearly have failed to seek the truth about the New Age spirituality underlying their techniques and practices.

So, let us briefly review what is authentic Christian prayer. To begin with this understanding will enable us to clearly identify the errors presented by eastern methods. Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI, then Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, provided a concise and clear premise of what Christian prayer is: 

Christian prayer is always determined by the structure of the Christian faith, in which the very truth of God and creature shines forth. For this reason, it is defined, properly speaking, as a personal, intimate and profound dialogue between man and God. It expresses therefore the communion of redeemed creatures with the intimate life of the Persons of the Trinity. This communion, based on Baptism and the Eucharist, source and summit of the life of the Church, implies an attitude of conversion, a flight from "self" to the "You" of God. Thus Christian prayer is at the same time always authentically personal and communitarian. It flees from impersonal techniques or from concentrating on oneself, which can create a kind of rut, imprisoning the person praying in a spiritual privatism which is incapable of a free openness to the transcendental God. Within the Church, in the legitimate search for new methods of meditation it must always be borne in mind that the essential element of authentic Christian prayer is the meeting of two freedoms, the infinite freedom of God with the finite freedom of man. (3)

By clearly understanding what constitutes authentic Christian meditative prayer, we avoid the potential danger of falling into syncretism. Syncretism is the combining of different religions, cultures and ways of thinking. (12) Syncretism can occur when the truth is not known or understood. Under such conditions, many eastern religions and their New Age practices and ideas can infiltrate Christian communities and may be considered as positive inclusions to help people in a variety of ways. Yoga comes to mind immediately as it is typically categorized as an "exercise only activity with no spirituality attached." Nothing could be farther from the truth. The techniques in yoga have a specific purpose, part of which is to bring the practitioner into an "altered state of consciousness" which in itself is the gateway to exposing one to the demonic. If such dangers have become a reality in some parishes, then what is authentically Christian in Catholic meditation has become diluted, diminished and perhaps even completely vanquished from the understanding of those individuals who practice and promote eastern methods of meditation.

A key aspect of authentic Christian meditation involves an ascetic struggle and a purification from one's own sins and errors. (18) Let us not forget the words of our Saviour, "Blessed are the clean of heart, for they shall see God." (Matthew 5:8) The Gospel lesson from this approach is a moral purification from the lack of truth and love, and on a deeper level, from our selfish instincts which are an impediment to recognizing and accepting God's will in its purity. (18) Once we free ourselves from our selfishness and passions, we then can proceed to be free in God, a true positive freedom. Employing such an approach is in essence a matter of self denial, served by the practice of mortification. It is through self denial that we are free to carry out the will of God and share in the freedom of the Holy Spirit. (18)

For Catholics and Christians alike, the approach of emptying oneself in no way implies a disconnect with the true God of Israel. The emptying of oneself that God requires is to put it concisely, a renunciation of personal selfishness and not the renunciation of those created things that God has given us and has placed among us for our earthly pilgrimage. Pope Emeritus Benedict XI, then Cardinal Ratzinger clearly makes point understood:

On this topic St. Augustine is an excellent teacher: if you want to find God, he says, abandon the exterior world and re-enter into yourself. However, he continues, do not remain in yourself, but go beyond yourself because you are not God: He is deeper and greater than you. "I look for his substance in my soul and I do not find it; I have however meditated on the search for God and, reaching out to him, through created things, I have sought to know 'the invisible perfections of God' (Rom 1:20)." "To remain in oneself": this is the real danger. The great Doctor of the Church recommends concentrating on oneself, but also transcending the self which is not God, but only a creature. God is "deeper than my inmost being and higher than my greatest height." In fact God is in us and with us, but he transcends us in his mystery. (19)

As Catholics and Christians alike, we must always remember that arriving at union with God, seeking HIm in meditation is His gift to us. We can not achieve this by some "technique" whether that involves the utterance of sounds or the abnormal movements and positioning of our bodies. Our desire and the opportunity to be emptied from all that inhibits us from being free in God, is God's gift to us for those who sincerely seek it. It is a gift that can only be granted in Christ through the Holy Spirit and never through our own efforts. (20)

As we journey on this earthly pilgrimage seeking a greater union with God, let us never forget that authentic Christian meditation always flows to the Father in Heaven. Our seeking God will be a matter of the Holy Spirit guiding us, through Christ, to the Father. (29) As I conclude this post, I would like to leave you with the following quote from Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI that captures the authenticity of Christian meditation: 

The love of God, the sole object of Christian contemplation, is a reality which cannot be "mastered" by any method or technique. On the contrary, we must always have our sights fixed on Jesus Christ, in whom God's love went to the cross for us and there assumed even the condition of estrangement from the Father (cf. Mk 13:34). We therefore should allow God to decide the way he wishes to have us participate in his love. But we can never, in any way, seek to place ourselves on the same level as the object of our contemplation, the free love of God; not even when, through the mercy of God the Father and the Holy Spirit sent into our hearts, we receive in Christ the gracious gift of a sensible reflection of that divine love and we feel drawn by the truth and beauty and goodness of the Lord. The more a creature is permitted to draw near to God, the greater his reverence before the thrice-holy God. One then understands those words of St. Augustine: "You can call me friend; I recognize myself a servant." (31)

If we truly seek God in meditation, let us not be deceived by the many New Age alternatives to Christian meditation. Rather, let us as Catholics and Christians alike, focus our efforts on true, authentic Christian meditation, which always has at its core, Jesus Christ our Saviour and Redeemer. May we never forget Christ's words to us, "I am the way, the truth and the life, no one comes to the Father except through me." (John 14:6)

Pope John Paul II's Apostolic Exhortation Christifideles Laici: The Vocation and Mission of The Laity in The Church and in The World

Pope John Paul II

Today I share my thoughts on Pope John Paul II's Christifideles Laici, a post-synodal apostolic exhortation on the vocation and mission of the lay faithful in the Church and in the world.

Like so many of Pope John Paul's writings, Christifideles Laici is a treasure to draw from and one of the key documents the laity should be adding to their reading list. It is a document that seeks to stir and promote a deep awareness of the laity's role in the Church, as individuals and within a group setting, striving to fulfill the mission of the Church.

So important and relevant is Christifideles Laici that George Weigel in his book, Evangelical Catholicism refers to it in chapter nine, The Evangelical Catholic Reform of the Lay Vocation, as the, "...Magna Carta of the deep reform of the lay mission...a bold expression of the various evangelical roles of Christ's Faithful Laity..."  For those of you who may not be familiar with George Weigel, he is a Distinguished Senior Fellow at the Ethics and Public Policy Center, a Catholic theologian and a leading American public intellectual. He also holds EPPC’s William E. Simon Chair in Catholic Studies and was the individual personally selected by Pope John Paul II to write his official biography, Witness To Hope.

The laity have a very specific role in the Church's mission to evangelize and this is accomplished by "labouring in the vineyard." You might be wondering, what exactly does labouring in the vineyard mean? It is a reference that Pope John Paul II includes at the first paragraph where he states:

The lay members of Christ's Faithful People (Christifideles Laici)...are those who form that part of the People of God which might be likened to the labourers in the vineyard mentioned in Matthew's Gospel: "For the Kingdom of heaven is like a householder who went out early in the morning to hire labourers for his vineyard. After agreeing with the labourers for a denarius a day, he sent them into his vineyard" (Matthew 20:1-2).

Our "vineyard" is the vast world we live in, one that is to be transformed according to God's plan and in it, a multitude of men and women are called to labour in anticipation of the final coming of the Kingdom of God. (1) The call to "labour" is for everyone and how much more urgent and necessary is that call in today's Canadian society, one that is riddled with secularism, consumerism and a sharp decline in faith. As Pope John Paul II states, "...It is not permissible for anyone to remain idle." (3)

The laity have gifts that can contribute to the Church. Essential to those gifts being properly utilized is a process of discernment, discovery and development. This will take time, dedicated prayer and a realization that an adjustment needs to take place if one is serious about taking on any responsibilities and affecting a positive change.

Crucial to the process is the frequent reception of the Eucharist, daily (if possible) adoration in front of the Blessed Sacrament, and the daily recitation of the entire Rosary; that is, all four sets of mysteries. By employing such a "program," not only is one assured of clarity, inspiration, protection and guidance, but an abundance of graces necessary to effectively utilize God's given gifts. 

So the question remains, what can the laity do to labour in the vineyard? I think the first and very important point to remember in answering this question is to pay heed to the words of St. Gregory The Great, "Keep watch over your manner of life, dear people, and make sure that you are indeed the Lord's labourers. Each person should take into account what he does and consider if he is labouring in the vineyard of the Lord." (2) 

Consider labouring in the vineyard by your life example. By living a faithful life, you place God first in all things and this is reflected in: the decisions you make; how you communicate and interact with others; what your involved in; your approach to matters; the life style you lead; all of which are indicative of your desire to cooperate with God's graces and plan for your life.

By leading such a life, you are evangelizing all the time where ever you go, with whom ever you communicate and come into contact with. It is a life that not only seeks to live in communion with others as sincere gift of self, but also respects God and His creation in all things. It is a life that evangelizes by words and by actions, when your words are holy and of good repute and your actions are prompted by charity, justice and purity, you are spreading the Gospel of Christ to those who sit in darkness and the shadow of death.

Considering labouring in the vineyard in your family. As an extension of the first consideration, the family becomes the primary place to be that life example, to your spouse and the children. The family is the Ecclesia domestica, the Domestic Church, where God is at the center of the family, providing graces, blessings, protection and guidance allowing both the father and the mother to transfer the faith to the children by their life example. This is primarily accomplished by attending Mass together as a family, and the daily recitation of the Rosary as a family. You may have heard the well known phrase from Fr. Patrick Peyton, "The family that prays together stays together." 

Consider labouring in the vineyard by networking or establishing an informal group with others who are like minded and possess similar gifts and interests that when pooled together, become effective tools of evangelization. As Catholics and Christians alike, we are not called to journey alone on this earthly pilgrimage. Labouring with others may involve a calling to a secular Order, such as the Third Order Carmelites, Secular Franciscans, the St. Vincent De Paul Society or the Knights of Columbus. Perhaps it may mean joining an apostolate such as the Rosary Apostolate or something else. What ever it may mean for you, the desire for community involvement should be apart of every conscientious Catholic's life. 

At times, part of labouring in the vineyard may primarily be an individual effort, where specific God given gifts are best utilized. There are many individuals and efforts that could fall into such a category, artists and writers comes to mind immediately.

I know of one such individual in particular, Michael D. O'Brien, a Canadian Catholic artist and writer who seeks to restore Canada's Christian culture. O'Brien's labouring has resulted in many articles and interviews posted on the internet by Catholic news web sites, such as Lifesitenews.com. O'Brien's books are published in several languages and like his paintings, they are sold all over the world.

To some extent, such examples of individual efforts will also involve the assistance and collaboration of others. The primary thrust may be on an individual level, but it leads to and connects with others, that help to improve and complete the end goal.

One thing is for certain, the Catholic laity must endeavour to respond in a very courageous and generous way to the urgency of "labouring in the vineyard" in today's society.

Canada's moral disorder invites the laity to labour on many fronts: abortion; proposals for legalizing euthanasia; pornography; the teaching of sexual immorality in the education system; attacks on the family with "same sex marriages"; and the promotion of homosexuality and New Age and occult elements in our communities.

Our Canadian laws and practices do not respect God, His creation and the dignity of the human person. It seems that many Canadians have forgotten or perhaps never knew and understood of the existence of Canada's Christian heritage. All one has to do is visit a few Catholic news web sites to verify how far we have strayed from our Christian roots.

In my view, all this is ample proof of the urgent necessity for the laity to do something. Hopefully and prayerfully, we the laity will respond accordingly and help to restore Canada to a "culture of life." 

Medjugorje Message: Pray For Our Priests

Mirjana Soldo and Miki Musa (translator) speaking to American pilgrims in June'2013.  

If you have been visiting my blog of late, then you probably have read some and hopefully all of the core messages Our Lady has given us with Her "little stones," in Medjugorje. In addition to these core messages, Our Lady also speaks about many other things, one of which is the need for the laity to pray for our priests.

So, what does Our Lady Queen of Peace say about praying for priests? The Medjugorje visionary, Mirjana Soldo (formerly Dragicevic) shares this and other messages, consistently in her talks to pilgrims. You can view Mirjana and listen to her on this specific message as well as the "little stones," and other messages from my blog's sidebar Vimeo video. Again, Mirjana states this very important message in all her talks, so it wouldn't be difficult to find this information from any video search on Google. For your immediate reference, I will quote Mirjana from Medjugorje.com's article, Transform My Messages Into Life" - Mirjana speaks 10-17-07, where Mirjana stated:

But if we can still talk about the privileged ones when we look at Our Lady’s messages, the way I understood, then we would be talking about priests. Because Our Lady never said what they should do, but She always repeats what we should do for them. She says that they don’t need you to judge or criticize them, but they need your prayers and your love. And Our Lady says, “Dear children, God will judge them the way they were as priests. But God will judge you the way you treated your priests.” For if you lose respect for your priests, you will lose it for the Church, and in the end for your God as well...

Unfortunately, many do not follow Our Lady's messages from Medjugorje and therefore, do not understand what the proper approach should be from a lay perspective toward our clergy. Quoting Mirjana further from the above mentioned article, Mirjana elaborated on Our Lady's message for priests: 

And in Her latest messages on the second of the month, She has been constantly emphasizing the importance of the priests. For example, when She is giving us Her blessing during the apparition, She always says, “I am giving you my motherly blessing, but the greatest blessing that you can receive on earth is the blessing you receive from your priests because when they bless, it is my Son Himself blessing.” Then She says, “Do not forget to pray for your shepherds. Their priestly hands are blessed by my Son.” That is why I am always asking from the pilgrims, when you go back to your parishes, show to other people that you were in Our Lady’s school, show that by the way you are treating your priests. If your priest is doing the way in which you think he shouldn’t be doing, do not judge or criticize, because in that way it would just cause bad (fruit) for yourself and for those who are listening to you. You better take the Rosary and pray to Dear God for him, fast for him, because that is the way to help him. Not through judging. Only God is allowed to judge. He does it in a different way than us, because we can see in this world we have a lot of judging and criticizing of the people and very little love and peace. That is what Our Lady desires from us.

The message from Our Lady is crystal clear, with any concerns you have for your priests, take up your daily Rosary and pray for them if you really want to help them because that is the best way to help them. Avoid all criticism and gossiping because this does harm to them and potentially further harms one's faith and the Church as a whole. Unfortunately, there are some who do not know and understand how to live Our Lady's message. I hope this blog post will begin to change that for many. Reading or hearing Our Lady's messages will not suffice. In order to live Our Lady's messages, we need to pray for the grace of acceptance and understanding. Quoting from Medjugorje.org's Core Messages, under the subheading of The Bible, Our Lady states in Her August 25, 1993, message, "...Only by prayer can you understand and accept my messages and practice them in your life..."

The temptation to gossip about priests is probably greater for those who are actively involved in the Church. Whether you are a volunteer or hired to provide some service, involved in a lay ministry or apostolate, design and maintain the parish web site, perform administrative tasks, manage the on line social networks or what ever your involvement may be, such individuals tend to know more about the local parish than the typical Sunday Mass attendee. What ever concerns that may arise from one's involvement with the Church, it should never lead to gossiping. For any concerns that we may have, we should follow Our Lady's message and pray the Rosary for our priests! To talk about the clergy and complain about this and that is gossiping and a sin. Gossiping about anyone is a sin. Gossiping is a sin against the 8th Commandment, "Thou shall not bear false witness against your neighbour."  

For those who are not in full communion with the Church, who rarely attend Mass and hardly ever pray, such individuals can also be tempted to gossip about priests simply as a matter of their indifference to the priesthood and the Church as a whole. Others may have had a bad experience with a priest or did not like the advice and guidance given and subsequently left the Church, condemning the entire priesthood in the process. For others, a personal tragedy such as losing a loved one resulted in anger towards God and perhaps even led them to join another Christian community or abandon Christianity all together. Such individuals who have rebounded from difficult and sometimes painful experiences, may have acted out their frustrations, hurt or anger on the priesthood with gossiping. This too constitutes a sin.

Sometimes gossiping is masqueraded as an article at an on line news website, where unsubstantiated claims are made, that accuse the Church or any of the clergy of this or that. The Church has a protocol for dealing with interior matters and issues and does not require overzealous reporting that fails to satisfy the burden of proof and subsequently publish false statements. To make false claims of potential scandals in the Church, is in itself scandalous and a sin. It is an inappropriate use of social communications. Such irresponsible reporting is tantamount to on line gossiping.

I hope that today's post adequately spot lights how wrong it is to gossip about priests, the harm it causes them, the fact that it contaminates recipients, its divisive nature and the disunity and the overall scandal it causes for the Universal Catholic Church. Let us pray to not fall into the temptation to gossip, but instead follow Our Lady's message to pray for our priests. Let us endeavour to better our Church in a spirit of brotherly love and unity.


  
Our Lady Queen of Peace, pray for us.

Our Lady's Little Stone: The Holy Bible

The statue of Our Lady at Apparition Hill, which commemorates Her first apparition to the visionaries. 

Today's post on the "Holy Bible" is the last in a series of posts I have been publishing on Our Lady's "little stones," the spiritual weapons that she has given us for our earthly pilgrimage.

The analogy of the "little stones" is in reference to the battle of David and Goliath (1 Samuel 17) in which God gave little stones to David to hurl at and defeat Goliath. Our Lady has also given us Her "little stones" in our battle to hurl at our enemy, Satan.

If we want to be successful in our battle and defeat the Evil One, we must employ the spiritual weapons that Our Lady had recommended.

If this is the first time you have read anything on Medjugorje and Our Lady's "little stones," the subject matter refers to the Marian apparitions in Medjugorje, Herzegovina (officially Bosnia and Herzegovina) that began on June 24, 1981. Our Lady appeared to six children who have become the six visionaries of Medjugorje. All six are alive, in their mid 40's and continue to receive apparitions from Our Lady.

Today, Medjugorje has become the spiritual center of world where so many fruits are harvested at this spiritual orchard: vocations to the priesthood and religious life, spiritual, emotional, physical and psychological healing, conversions, answers found to life questions, miracles of all types, where confessions are heard daily, where there are daily recitations of the entire Rosary, several daily Mass celebrations and a host of ministries, all of which spot light how God and Our Lady's love and graces are overflowing in Medjugorje.

If you are new to the Medjugorje apparitions, you might also be wondering why Our Lady has been appearing for all these years. The answer is simple.  Our Lady Queen of Peace, as she introduced herself to the children, loves us (all her children) and wants to help us. Here is an excerpt from one of Medjugorje.com's articles in which Ivan Dragicevic (one of the visionaries) in his August 31, 2009, talk to pilgrims, expressed the following: 

The second thing that I would like to tell you is, Mother is coming to us as the Mother of the Church, and She comes here in order to help us. She comes to us because She wants to console us, and to encourage us. She is coming here because She wants to give us that divine medicine, She wants to cure all our pains. She comes to us, because She wants to take our hands, and She wants to bring us towards peace, towards Her Son. Only in Her Son is our peace. Our Lady says, “Dear children, today, more than ever,” as you know, today’s world, mankind goes through a great crisis, and maybe the largest crisis in today’s world is that crisis of believing in God, having faith in God.

So what exactly is Our Lady telling us about the Holy Bible? Our Lady is asking us for the Bible to be included in our families. This is what has been communicated to the six visionaries. Today's post also quotes Mirjana Soldo who stated that when Our Lady had given her the message about the Bible, Our Lady did not explain it. Like everyone one of us, Mirjana has to pray about the messages to understand them. Specifically with respect to the message of the Bible, Mirjana expressed her understanding as follows:

...You see, when Our Lady gives me the message, She doesn’t explain the message to me. It is the same like every single one of you, I also have to pray in order to understand through my prayer what God desires to tell me through that message. So when Our Lady talks about the Bible, I think that we all have a Bible in our homes, but Our Lady has a desire for us to open it, to read a few sentences every day, it doesn’t matter how much, but that the Bible is really present, and not to have it as a souvenir that we never touched. Our Lady says all the answers to your questions are in the Bible...

Our Lady's "little stone" of the Holy Bible, is a message that is clear and simple to follow. The only question that remains is, are we going to live Our Lady's messages and welcome the teachings of Christ in our families?  If we say "yes" to that question, we will by our life example, show that we belong to Our Lady and follow Christ in our daily lives.

Much in the same way that the other four "little stones," demand our time and effort for their daily employment, so too must we do likewise with the daily reading of the Bible. Even if it is for a few minutes, the reading will have significance in our lives and help us on our faith journey. Below are a few messages from Our Lady on the importance of reading the BIble each day:

• October 18, 1984: "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." 
• June 25,1991: "Dear children! Today on this great day which you have given to me, I desire to bless all of you and to say: these days while I am with you are days of grace. I desire to teach you and help you to walk the way of holiness. There are many people who do not desire to understand my messages and to accept with seriousness what I am saying. But you I therefore call and ask that by your lives and by your daily living you witness my presence. If you pray, God will help you to discover the true reason for my coming. Therefore, little children, pray and read the Sacred Scriptures so that through my coming you discover the message in Sacred Scripture for you. Thank you for having responded to my call." 
• August 25, 1993: "Dear children! I want you to understand that I am your Mother, that I want to help you and call you to prayer. Only by prayer can you understand and accept my messages and practice them in your life. Read Sacred Scripture, live it, and pray to understand the signs of the times. This is a special time, therefore, I am with you to draw you close to my heart and the heart of my Son, Jesus. Dear little children, I want you to be children of the light and not of the darkness. Therefore, live what I am telling you. Thank you for having responded to my call."
• September 25, 1999: "Dear children! Today again I call you to become carriers of my peace. In a special way, now when it is being said that God is far away, He has truly never been nearer to you. I call you to renew prayer in your families by reading the Sacred Scripture and to experience joy in meeting with God who infinitely loves His creatures. Thank you for having responded to my call."
• April 25, 2005: "Dear children! Also today, I call you to renew prayer in your families. By prayer and the reading of Sacred Scripture, may the Holy Spirit, who will renew you, enter into your families. In this way, you will become teachers of the faith in your family. By prayer and your love, the world will set out on a better way and love will begin to rule in the world. Thank you for having responded to my call."

Let us not neglect to include the Bible in our personal and family life. Spending quiet time dedicated to reading scripture brings us to an encounter with God. Our Bible reading will become a time where answers to questions are given and new lessons are learned. With each reading of the Bible, we will be further rooted in Christ's teachings, and thus, better understand how to live our lives as individuals, within our families and with those who we communicate and come into contact with.

Our Lady Queen of Peace, pray for us.

Our Lady's Little Stone: The Eucharist

The large number of priests who concelebrate and attend Mass in Medjugorje, at the Evening Prayer Program at the back
altar of Saint Jame's Church

Our Lady's "little stone" of the "Eucharist" is a continuation on a series of posts on the spiritual weapons Our Lady has given us in Medjugorje. If you are relatively new to the apparitions at Medjugorje, Our Lady first appeared to six children in the summer of 1981, giving them messages for the world. These children became the six visionaries of Medjugorje: Mirjana Soldo, Ivanka Elez, Jakov Colo, Ivan Dragicevic, Vicka Mijatovic, and Marija Lunetti.

In the early days, the apparitions and messages were given on a daily basis, which continued until 1984, when Our Lady began to appear and give messages once a week on Thursday. In 1987, Our Lady began to give messages on the 25th of each month to Marija, which still continues to this day. Our Lady also gives messages on the second of each month to Mirjana, and asks for prayers for "unbelievers," those who have yet to know and receive God's love. Of the six, only three continue to receive daily appearances: Ivan, Marija and Vicka. Mirjana, Ivanka and Jakov no longer see Our Lady everyday, but at specific times of the year.

Our Lady's messages are so important and have received so much international attention, that today over 40 million pilgrims have gone to and become spiritually adopted by Medjugorje. The photo above captures just some of those pilgrims, the international youth at the Medjugorje Youth Festival.

There is so much peace and hope emanating from Medjugorje that it has clearly become the spiritual center of the world: where confessions are heard daily, where the entire Rosary is recited daily, where pilgrims arrive daily, where people find the answers to life questions, where conversions occur, where faith and hope is restored, where there are vocations to the priesthood and religious life, where there are all types of healing, where miracles occur everyday, all of which are just some of the fruits harvested in this spiritual orchard we affectionately refer to as Medjugorje.  

Perhaps one of the biggest attractions for pilgrims is to be present at Our Lady's apparition at the Blue Cross on the second of each month. The visionary who receives Our Lady is Mirjana Soldo, who not only needs a personal team of body guards to escort her to the Blue Cross, but is provided with a fenced-off pathway to allow her, and others granted permission to be near her at the Blue Cross, to ascend and wait for Our Lady.

Pilgrims typically prepare for Our Lady's arrival with songs and prayers, but all eyes are on Mirjana, and upon Our Lady's arrival when Mirjana becomes obviously engaged in the apparition, the entire area becomes immediately silent. After the apparition, Mirjana collects herself and dictates Our Lady's message to her friend and Miki, who then reads it to the pilgrims and later sends Her message to be translated and published for the international community. 

There are hundreds of messages that have been given over the years, but here is the core message that is of particular importance, the message regarding Our Lady's Little Stones:

Dear children, I invite you for your individual conversion. This time is for you! Without you God's plan cannot be realized. Dear children grow day by day closer to God through prayer. I give you the weapon against your Goliath. Here are your little stones:

• Pray The Rosary With Your Heart - A daily recitation of the entire Rosary, that is, the Joyful, Luminous, Sorrowful and Glorious Mysteries. 

• Eucharist - Receive the Eucharist on Sunday and when possible, go to daily Mass.

• Holy Bible - Read the Bible everyday 

• Fasting - The best fast recommended by Our Lady is, "bread and water" and to be done on Wednesdays and Fridays, from midnight to midnight (the entire day) 

• Monthly Confession 

When Our Lady's refers to "your Goliath" she is referring to Satan. The reference of "Goliath" is an analogy from the First Testament account of David's fight against Goliath (1 Samuel 17), when God gave David little stones to hurl at Goliath. David used the stones and was victorious over a much stronger and larger opponent. We are to do likewise with the little stones Our Lady has given us, against our opponent, Satan.

The general message of the Eucharist that Our Lady has given us, is that we are to go to Mass and receive the Eucharist every Sunday, and when possible on a daily basis. Our Lady has emphasized how important Mass is with Her communication to the visionaries, when Our Lady instructed them that, if they had a choice between seeing Her or going to Mass, they must choose Mass. Our Lady has reinforced the importance of the Mass by stating that the "Mass is the greatest prayer of God..." (1983)

The remainder of this post lists some of the specific messages from Our Lady regarding the Holy Mass:

• Prepare and Give Thanks For Mass (October 1984): When you go to Mass, your trip from home to church should be a time of preparation for Mass. You should also receive Holy Communion with an open and pure heart, with purity of heart, and with openness. Do not leave the church without an appropriate act of thanksgiving.
• Prepare For Mass (1985): You do not celebrate the Eucharist, as you should. If you would know what grace, and what gifts you receive, you would prepare yourselves for it each day, for an hour at least. You should go to confession once a month.  You should consecrate three days to reconciliation, each month: the first Friday of the month, followed by Saturday and Sunday.
• Let Holy Mass Be Your Life (April 25, 1988): Dear Children! God wants to make you holy. Therefore, through me He is inviting you to complete surrender. Let holy mass be your life. Understand that the church is God's palace, the place in which I gather you and want to show you the way to God. Come and pray. Neither look at others nor slander them, but rather, let your life be a testimony on the way of holiness. Churches deserve respect and are set apart as holy because God, who became man, dwells in them day and night. Therefore, little children, believe and pray that the Father increase your faith, and then ask for whatever your need. I am with you and I rejoice because of your conversion and I am protecting you with my motherly mantle.
• Live The Holy Mass (April 3, 1986): Dear children, I wish to call you to a living of the Holy Mass. There are many of you who have sensed the beauty of the Holy Mass, but there are also those who come unwillingly. I have chosen you, dear children, but Jesus gives you His graces in the Mass. Therefore, consciously live the Holy Mass and let your coming to it be a joyful one. Come to it with love and make the Mass your own.
• Be Reverent At Mass (February 19, 1982): Listen attentively at Holy Mass. Be well mannered. Do not chat during Holy Mass.
• Pray To The Holy Spirit Beforehand: The Blessed Virgin tells Jelena that the Mass should always be accompanied by prayers to the Holy Spirit. Before Mass it is necessary to pray to the Holy Spirit.
• Don't Make Holy Mass A Habit (January 25, 1998): May Holy Mass, little children, not be a habit for you, but life. By living Holy Mass each day, you will feel the need for holiness and you will grow in holiness. I am close to you and intercede before God for each of you, so that He may give you strength to change your heart.
• Don't Hurry To Leave The Church (February 4, 1984): There are...some persons...as soon as Mass had ended, they are in a hurry to leave the church. That is not good. That way they will never be able to give themselves completely (to me). It is not good for them to linger about the church. One must be pious and set a good example for others.
• Unceasingly Adore The Most Blessed Sacrament Of The Altar (March 15, 1984):  Unceasingly adore the Most Blessed Sacrament of the Altar. I am always present when the faithful are adoring. Special graces are then being received.
• Spend Time In Prayer And Adoration: Dear children!  I call you to work on your personal conversion. You are still far from meeting God in your heart. Therefore, spend all the more time in prayer and Adoration of Jesus in the Most Blessed Sacrament of the Altar, for Him to change you and to put into your hearts a living faith and a desire for eternal life. Everything is passing, little children, only God is not passing. I am with you and I encourage you.

Let us embrace Our Lady's Eucharistic messages and allow the Mass to become the summit of our Catholic worship. In so doing, we not only become witnesses that we belong to Our Lady by living her messages, but by praying in front of the Eucharist (personal or group adoration in front of the Blessed Sacrament), we encounter the true presence of Christ.

This is Christ's gift to humanity, and an opportunity to make daily contact with the wellspring of grace. (Saint John Paul II, Encyclical Letter, Ecclesia de Eucharistia, 25).


Our Lady Queen of Peace, pray for us.

Closing Out The Triumph Toronto Screenings

Closing out the Triumph Toronto Screenings at the Fox Theatre

On Saturday, January 4, I had the pleasure of joining the Triumph Team to help close out the last Toronto screening of The Triumph at the Fox Theatre in the Beaches area.

It was a truly wonderful experience welcoming movie goers to the theatre and seeing so many joyful and enthusiastic individuals. Although I had previously viewed the documentary at two other screenings, the anticipation of seeing it all over again was built up with the arrival of each individual.

It was especially nice to see families in attendance, children, young people, and the elderly, all age groups were well represented at Saturday's screening. My best guess is that attendance reached approximately 75% of the theatre's seating capacity. It was a great turn out. At the end of the film, many patrons were moved, expressed their joy and extended their gratitude to us for presenting this film. It was all the evidence we needed to conclude Saturday's screening was a great success.

If you are somewhat new to The Triumph film, it is a documentary of the Marian apparitions at Medjugorje that began on June 24th, 1981, and continue to this day. The film reveals much about Medjugorje primarily through the narrative of a young American man's life, "Ben," who struggled with drug and alcohol abuse. Ben's arrival at Medjugorje was his reaching out to God and Our Lady for help.

Many people are drawn to Medjugorje seeking the answers to life's questions. Once there they open themselves up to God and Our Lady's love, which pours down from heaven in abundance upon each individual. This is what happened to Ben and it was through Ben's journey that we too experienced God and Our Lady's love.

It was obvious that Ben's life was changing, that he was going through a conversion. It was a conversion that needed to be finalized in Belgium with one more relapse into heavy drinking, that brought Ben back to Medjugorje for good where he entered into the Cenacolo Community. The Cenacolo Community is a community for young men recovering from drug and alcohol abuse, who work, live and journey together in the Catholic faith.

As of the release of this documentary, Ben has been in the Cenacolo Community for a year, continuing to make progress with his brothers in Christ. The Cenacolo Community is a wonderful Catholic ministry, just one of the many beautiful aspects of Medjugorje.

In addition to Ben's journey, the documentary took the audience on a tour of the many daily life scenarios and scenic views in Medjugorje: people praying at Apparition Hill; hiking up the rocky paths to Cross Mountain; the many outdoor confessionals where pilgrims received daily confession; brief interviews with many young pilgrims from the International Youth Festival and scenes from the festival itself; the beautiful architecture of Saint James Catholic Church; and the panoramic views of the vineyards and mountain landscapes.

It all spot lighted the great amount of peace, hope and joy emanating from Medjugorje, a place where many fruits are harvested at this spiritual orchard. Ben's conversion is just one of those fruits.

Our Lady Queen of Peace, pray for us.

Our Lady's Little Stone: Fasting on Bread and Water

Evening Mass at the back altar of Saint James Church

Today's post is a continuation of one of my previous posts, Our Lady's "Little Stone" - Pray With The Heart, The Rosary Everyday. Fasting on "bread and water," is the third of five "little stones" Our Lady has given us from her messages in Medjugorje.

If you are new to the reference of "little stones," they refer to five spiritual weapons Our Lady has given us to fight the good fight against Satan. As God gave David little stones which he used to hurl at Goliath, we are to do likewise in our spiritual battle against our Goliath, the Evil One.

Our Lady has given us these stones because she understands what we need to not only fight the good fight, but to become victorious in our spiritual battle.

Our Lady's request is to fast on Wednesdays and Fridays, on bread and water from midnight to midnight; that is, the entire day, "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) By combining fasting with prayer, we increase the power of our prayers. This is something we should keep in mind especially when praying for a special or urgent intention. By fasting we allow our entire being to participate and offer this sacrifice to God. Let us also not forget that Jesus fasted frequently and he taught the Apostles, that certain devils can be cast out in no other way except by prayer and fasting. (Mark 9:29)

The amount of bread and water you consume does not matter, so long as you make the sacrifice of this strict fast and offer it to God. Our Lady appeared to one of the six visionaries, Ivan Dragicevic on August 14, 1984, and gave him the following message, "I would like people to pray with me these days in the greatest numbers possible. Also I would like them to fast strictly on Wednesdays and Fridays, and to pray at least the rosary every day, joyful, sorrowful and glorious mysteries."

There are many ways to fast, but Our Lady specifically stated that fasting on bread and water is the "best fast." For those not used to fasting, it doesn't have to be something strictly adhered to at first, but eventually implemented over time.

Our Lady's invitation to fast is an appeal to our freedom to live her messages. Officially, the Church only obliges the faithful to fast on Ash Wednesday and Good Friday, so fasting according to Our Lady's request becomes our "yes" to our personal devotion to her. By giving our assent to Our Lady to fast, combined with prayer, we may come to know God's love and do his will in our lives:

"Dear children! In a special way I call you all to pray for my intentions so that, through your prayers, you may stop Satan's plan over this world, which is further from God every day, and which puts itself in the place of God and is destroying everything that is beautiful and good in the souls of each of you. Therefore, little children, arm yourselves with prayer and fasting so that you may be conscious of how much God loves you and may carry out God's will. Thank you for having responded to my call." (October 25, 2008)

Fasting and prayer form that perfect combination in our fight against evil. We pray better when we fast, and our love for our Saviour and Redeemer grows. Fasting also heightens our receptivity to listen inwardly to God's gentle voice.

The Evil One hates fasting and tries to discourage us. Saint Paul used to fast before his journeys to clear the way of all devils from his path. Saint Anthanasius who was experienced in fasting is quoted as stating:

It cures diseases; it dries up all morbid discharges of the body. It repels devils and drives out unclean thoughts. It renders the spirit more lucid and purifies the heart. It sanctifies the body and transports man to God's throne. Fasting is a powerful force and leads to great spiritual triumphs.

In these modern times that we live in, it seems so rare to hear of people fasting in the manner in which Our Lady asks of us. If you are new to fasting and wondering about whether or not this is something you can do, it is not difficult or strenuous at all. Fasting is done out of love for Our Lady and performed as an offering to God. Well motivated in this respect makes the days of fasting a great joy, knowing that you are pleasing both God and Our Lady.  

Fasting benefits us in many ways, physically and psychologically, but it is the spiritual benefits that should concern us the most. What we should also consider is that when we fast, combined with prayer, there is an even greater opportunity to receive God's mercy upon us.

The Cure d'Ars or St. Jean Marie Vianney used to fast for days to obtain some divine favour from God and was quoted after he had fasted, "I then obtained from the good God everything I sought." Here are a few more messages from Our Lady regarding fasting that I hope will encourage you to take this "little stone" and employ this spiritual weapon, one that is both powerful and efficacious against the Evil One in all that he tries to do to interfere with your life's goal, your salvation:

• January 25, 2001: "Dear children! Today I call you to renew prayer and fasting with even greater enthusiasm until prayer becomes a joy for you. Little children, the one who prays is not afraid of the future and the one who fasts is not afraid of evil. Once again, I repeat to you: only through prayer and fasting also wars can be stopped – wars of your unbelief and fear for the future. I am with you and am teaching you little children: your peace and hope are in God. That is why draw closer to God and put Him in the first place in your life. Thank you for having responded to my call."
• April 25, 1999: "By fasting and prayer, witness that you are mine and that you live my messages."
• November 6, 1982: "Repeated prayers and fasting reduce punishments from God."
• January 28, 1987: "If you wish to obtain a grace from the Lord by fasting, then let no one know that you are fasting. If you wish to obtain the grace of God through a gift to the poor, let no one know it, except you and the Lord."
• October'1983: "The fasting which you are doing in eating fish, instead of meat, is not fasting but abstinence. The true fast consists in giving up all our sins, but one must also renounce himself and make the body participate in it.

I should note that there are exceptions to the strict fasting of bread and water: in the case of small children; the elderly; and those who are of temporarily ill or have a serious health issue, are not required to adhere to the strict fast.

One of the visionaries, Mirjana Soldo, stated in one of her talks to pilgrims that, "Our Lady does not ask for fasting from those who are sick, but truly sick. Our Lady says that they will realize through their own prayer what fasting they can do outside bread and water." 

In these scenarios and other situations that make fasting on bread and water impossible, fasting could take on another form: a reduction in food intake for the day; the deprivation of coffee or tea; or whatever would constitute a proper offering to God in place of the strict fast. Through prayer, each individual will be able to understand what alternative fast would be appropriate and acceptable to God. 

Our Lady's love for us is so great—evidenced by her messages alone—let us in our response, reciprocate that love by embracing her "little stone" of fasting.

Our Lady Queen of Peace, pray for us.