Our Lady of Sorrows ~ Feast Day is September 15th

"When I tell you this, I am not addressing myself strictly to you, child, but I am making this appeal to the world," the Virgin told the seer Marie-Claire Mukangango – who was later killed in the war. She said the Virgin described the world as in revolt against God, the world “is on the edge of catastrophe.” 

This is a quote from Our Blessed Mother to Marie-Claire Mukangango, who was one of the seers of Kibeho in the 1980's. If you have never heard the events of those apparitions, here is a good link to learn more and to read the messages. http://www.kibeho.org/en/history.php. In brief, Our Lady appeared to 3 young women, Alphonsine Mumureke, Marie-Claire, and Nathalie Mukamazimpaka in Kibeho, Rwanda, beginning in 1981. They are the 3 recognized by the Catholic Church, though many more reported seeing her, as well as a young man. This is the official determination by the church: https://www.ewtn.com/library/MARY/OLKIBEHO.HTM.  Over the course of 8 years she appeared to them numerous times and told them the importance of saying the rosary daily, going to mass often but especially every Sunday, doing penance, sacrifice and fasting and reciting the rosary of the seven sorrows. Our Mother even taught one of the seers, Marie-Claire, how to say it so that she could teach others. She told us to love and care for one another and to obey God and his commands. She also said that ANYONE can recite the rosary and the chaplet of the sorrows. You can be any religion and do so.

“ The world hastens to its ruin, it will fall into the abyss… The world is rebellious against God, it commits too many sins, it has neither love nor peace. If you do not repent and do not convert your hearts, you will fall into the abyss."  

"Do not forget that God is more powerful than all of the evil in the world....The world is on the edge of catastrophe. Cleanse your hearts through prayer. The only way is through God. If you do not take refuge in God, where will you hide when the fire has spread everywhere?"

This is a synopsis of her messages:

1. am the Mother of the Word.
2. Repent without delay.
3. Repent when it is still time.
4. Repent so that you may not fall in a gulf.
5. Mortify yourselves in order to help Jesus to save the world.
6. Accept your sufferings with faith and joy.
7. Nobody will enter into heaven without endure sufferings.
8. The child of Mary accepts its sufferings.
9. Pray always without hypocrisy.
10. Pray always for the Church.
11. Pray without becoming weary.
12. Pray always for the world.
13. Meditate on the Rosary.
14. Meditate on the Rosary of sorrows of the Virgin Mary.
15. Repent, Repent, Repent.
16. Stand strong in your faith.
17. Come back to God.
18. Faith and doubt will come in maliciously.
19. I have opened and you did not come in.
20. What are you waiting for? What are you waiting for? What are you waiting for?

With all of the events going on today in the world, the natural devastations, the wars, the hatred and lack of God in thoughts, words and actions, it seems prudent that we listen to the messages of Our Mother and heed her message. She recommended that the Chaplet of the Seven Sorrows be said on Tuesdays, Fridays and on her feast day, which is the 15th of September. Since tomorrow is her feast day, I think it is a great time to start this devotion, which does have graces attached to it, I might add. The graces are:

1. I will grant peace to their families.
2. They will be enlightened about the divine mysteries.
3. I will console them in their pains and I will accompany
   them in their work.
4. I will give them as much as they ask for as long as it does not oppose the adorable will of my divine Son or the sanctification of their souls.
5. I will defend them in their spiritual battles with the infernal enemy and I will protect them at every instant of their lives.
6. I will visibly help them at the moment of their death; they will see the face of their Mother.
7. I have obtained (this grace) from my divine Son, that those who propagate this devotion to my tears and dolors, will be taken directly from this earthly life to eternal happiness since all their sins will be forgiven and my Son and I will be their eternal consolation and joy.

 You say the rosary of the seven sorrows as follows:

Beginning

When starting the Rosary of Sorrows, after the sign of the cross, we do not recite the "Creed," but immediately say the following prayer:

Introductory prayer
My God, I offer you this Rosary in honor of the seven principal Sorrows of Mary, for your greatest glory, for my conversion and that of all people through your beloved Son, Jesus Christ, our salvation and our unique way to come to you, in union with the Holy Spirit for ever and ever. Amen!

Act of contrition
My God, I regret so much to have offended you because you are infinitely good, infinitely kind and you dislike sin. I make a firm resolution, with the help of your holy grace, never to offend you and to do penance. In this state of contrition, I want to live and die. Amen!

Then recite the first sorrow (see list following this paragraph). Say the Our Father and then 7 Hail Mary's. Then say, Pray for us, Virgin most sorrowful, that we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.

Proceed with the next sorrow.

1. The Prophecy of Simeon (Luke 2:34–35)
2. The Flight into Egypt (Matthew 2:13)
3. The Loss of the Child Jesus in the Temple of Jerusalem (Luke 2:43–45)
4. The Meeting of Mary and Jesus on his Way to Calvary (traditional)
5. Standing at the Foot of the Cross (John 19:25)
6. Jesus Being Taken Down from the Cross (Matthew 27:57–59)
7. The Burial of Jesus (John 19:40–42)

Closing Prayer:

Let us pray.

GRANT, we beseech Thee, O LORD JESUS CHRIST, that the most blessed Virgin Mary, thy Mother, may intercede for us before the throne of thy mercy, now and at the hour of our death, whose most holy soul was transfixed with the sword of sorrow in the hour of thine own Passion. Through Thee, JESUS CHRIST, SAVIOR of the world, who lives and reigns with the Father and the Holy Spirit, forever and ever. Amen. 

The Chaplet of the Seven Sorrows is a beautiful tradition in the Church and allows a soul to walk the via matris, following Mary who kept all of these sorrows in her heart.

If we all pray, pray, pray as Mother Mary requests, and turn our lives to God, perhaps we can attain peace on earth and good will toward men. Have a peaceful week.

Mare

Does God Answer Our Prayers?

Well, I think He answers my prayers, SOMETIMES.  AT Times I don't like the answer; sometimes I feel like He isn't listening. The truth of the matter is that God hears all of our prayers.

Admittedly, many days I feel very close to him and it is often on days that I least expect to find any kind of peace or solace that I experience it. I live with a chronic, often very painful, syndrome that is basically a ticking time bomb in my body. I know that it is fatal but we are all dying so that thought really doesn't bother me. After all, you do have to die in order to be with our Lord and hold his hand or be held in his embrace. Truly, I long for that day however I wouldn't do anything to speed the process along; I have too many things I want to accomplish here before that happens. There are days, though, that I am wracked with so much pain that I have curled up into my bed and under the covers. On those days I have cried out to him to relieve the pain and yes, with the help of things like Advil and warmth the pain is alleviated.

Almost a decade ago I met a man. The moment our eyes met it was like the world stopped and I got hit by a lightning bolt at the same time. We got very friendly very fast and when I was with him, even if there were hundreds of people in the room with us, it was like we were the only two people standing there. I can't even count how many nights I tossed and turned and wrote in my journal all because of him. The first few years it was agony and ecstasy as any new relationship is. You know how it is, you think of your love night and day and can't wait to see them, even if it is just a glimpse of their smile. You don't have to go anywhere or do anything special, just being with them is special enough and you want to spend all of your free time with them. The only problem was that there wasn't any sunsets and rainbows in our future. There wasn't even any dates or stolen kisses in the present. I was gob-smacked, over the moon, crazy in love with a man that was totally and completely off the market and there was no way that was going to change either. It was sheer torture. Now I'm a reasonably level-headed gal. I do not give into flights of fancy and my feet are pretty grounded in reality but the man just overwhelmed me with emotion. After a few years of intensity I finally dropped to my knees in my bedroom one night and prayed fervently that God would lift this burden from my heart. He did just that and He also knocked me on my butt for a few years too. When I saw the man a  year or so later my heart still leaped, I can't lie, but at least I was able to talk to him without blushing wildly like a school girl. God answered my prayer yet I also got the opportunity to distance myself from things so that a clearer head could prevail. He is such an awesome God for doing that for me. It does show me, though, that even if you are truly, madly, deeply in love with someone that doesn't mean that you are meant to be together. It isn't a fun part of life yet it is a fact of life (and no he was not a married man, not in the traditional way anyway).

It is mentioned in the Bible that God does not answer all prayer. John 9:31 states, "We know that God does not listen to sinners, but He does listen to the one who worships Him and does His will." Well, since we are all sinners, I am certainly flawed as you have read, does this mean that only a select few receive his response to our prayer? Seems so. I guess, if you are living a life that is rife with mortal sin don't expect to be hearing from Him anytime soon. You must have a penitent heart, turn your life to Him, and live in the graces that He has given you. If it is His will and in your best interest He will heed and answer your prayers. It takes courage and hard work to follow in His footsteps in this day and age. That is why the sacrament of Confession is such a beautiful thing. I find comfort and solace in knowing that I can unburden myself of my sins weekly, if need be, and then go on living my life with and for Christ.

There is a beautiful prayer, The Divine Mercy Chaplet, that can and should be said daily, though it is for the dying. Jesus said that ALL should say this prayer daily. This prayer is one of penitence that asks God to forgive all of your sins. It is said on a rosary. In the interest of space I will provide you with a link to our Prayer Page on the website. The link is above. This is said at 3:00 P.M., which is the holy hour. Another great habit to get into is to meditate on your sins before bed and then say an Act of Contrition. That is on our Prayer Page as well. Another wonderful prayer is The Chaplet of the Seven Sorrows. Also on that Page. That is said while you meditate on your sins and Mother Mary's sorrows. They are special beads that are available. Contact us for availability. The link is at the top of this blog.  Divine Mercy, Divine Child of Jesus, Rosary for Life, the Chaplet of the Seven Sorrows and a Chaplet to St. Benedict are some that are available at the moment. 

I can promise you, if you put God first in your life, He will put you first as well. Have a great week.

Mare

Trials and Tribulations

Hi all. I am reading this incredibly inspirational book at the moment titled, The Mystical City of God. This book was written by Mother Mary of Jesus of Agreda back in the Spain of the 1600s. Venerable Mary of Agreda was a mystic to whom Our Blessed Mother Mary appeared and dictated her life. She then instructed Mary to write down everything that had been told to her during the mystical visions. Now the original book is over 2,200 pages so it seems that I am reading the abridged version at close to 800 pages, but though it is not a complete version, it is an absolute page-turner if you ask me.

I know that throughout the various forms of Christianity that Mary is seen in different lights. To Catholics, Mary is venerated by all as the Mother of Our Lord and Savior incarnate. But this book has thoroughly and completely opened up my eyes to so many different things; things that are eluded to in the Bible but not quite clarified. Take for instance, the birth of Mary immaculate, of whom Catholics believe was born without original sin. I know this is a debate in the making however it is one that is addressed in The Mystical City of God. Just as God created the angels for a specific purpose, He created Mary to be the ark of the new covenant. She was created specifically for this earthly life with one purpose.  She had to be perfect from the moment of her own conception in order to be the Mother of Our Blessed Lord Jesus Christ and to carry Him in her womb.

Our Lady of Kibeho

Throughout her life she had many trials and tribulations and offered them all up to God the Father. Jesus even began to make sacrifices for the sins of man by wearing an unlined, woolen tunic when he was just a toddler. Of course, we all know of his agony and crucifixion yet are you aware that as his Mother that Mary shared in all of His agonies as well? Simeon prophesied it at the  presentation in the temple when Jesus was just 5 months old.

Look, he is destined for the fall and rise of many in Israel, destined to be a sign that is opposed--and a sword will pierce your soul too--so that the secret thoughts of many may be laid bare.'
                              Luke 2: 22-35

This life is meant to have trials and tribulations. It is written that you cannot gain heaven unless you suffer trials and tribulations here on earth.  Personally I do not know of anyone that has a perfect life. Everyone that I know is dealing with some type of trial, be them small or horrific. What we must remember is that regardless if we are having trials or if we are thankfully in a smooth sailing mode that we must keep God close to us at all times. He knew us before we were formed in the womb as well and each and every one of us were put here on this earth for some purpose, just as Mary was. Trials and tribulations are a part of this earthly life and if the Mother of God and Jesus, himself, was not immune to them well then neither are we. 

It is also mentioned in this book, and others as well, that Mary can and will intercede for us on our judgement day when we stand before her Son if you call upon her while here on earth. She is the Mother of all in heaven and on earth and as our Mother loves us unconditionally. The way to Mary is through the rosary, which is said daily. You DO NOT have to be a Catholic to have a devotion to Our Blessed Mother nor to say the daily rosary or the Chaplet of the Seven Sorrows (Dolors).

You do not have to be Catholic in order to read the Gospels, the Acts of the Apostles, the letters of Paul and all chapters in the New Testament either. Jesus himself told the little pagan boy, Segatashaya that in the 1980s Kibeho, Rwandan visions. He did tell him to spread the word that all should read the Bible and live their lives according to His word.**

Pray, pray and then pray some more. Know the Gospels and Jesus through his teachings. Convert your heart and turn away from the pleasures of this earthly world. They are empty and will not gain you access to heaven. Those are not my words; they are the words of Mary most Holy and her Divine Son Jesus. Live your life on Jesus' terms and not your own for only through Him will you obtain eternal life.

If you are interested in a rosary or the chaplet, we have a wide variety of them available at both the website www.gloryglorygifts.com and at the eBay store www.ebay.com/str/gloryglorygifts.

Peace,

Mare

**The Boy Who Met Jesus, by Immaculee Ilibagiza. It's amazing to read!

You Know Not the Time or the Hour

Yup that is me. I admit it; I get sucked into the computer, all the blogs that I have, Facebook, the website, ebay and that darn AARP game site that draws me, beckons me, like a fly into a spider web. I cannot even begin to tell you how many times I have looked at the time on the computer and said no! No way is it that time. Time has a way of moving so quickly that you do not even realize it and things you wanted to accomplish, places you planned on going to and those plans to reconnect with people that you wanted to reconnect with just never seems to materialize. Time has a way of healing too I suppose. Like today is May 10th. Just a normal day of the year that rolls around every year at the same time. But, it is also the day that 28 years ago my niece, Stephanie, came into the world. Steph was a great kid, truly in every sense of the word. She was a straight A student, involved in her school, a leader in her youth ministry at church, fun, pretty, and had the biggest heart you could ever imagine. You know how kids hit that awkward age when hugging a parent is forbidden and they become your worst nightmare, well since you were a teenager anyway? She was never like that. Mother's Day, 8 years ago is when we found out she had cancer. Thanksgiving weekend is when we said goodbye to her. I love you Steph. I miss you too and God willing I will see you again.

I am reading a great book about St. Gertrude. My friend Diane gave it to me and told me to just put it in the adoration bookshelf when I was done with it, unless I wanted to keep it. Of course, it has started to get marked up now with my trusty green highlighter so it will remain on my bookshelf. But just as I am drawn to the darn game site, I am still being drawn back to the book The Boy Who Met Jesus about that little Segatashya who lived in Kibeho in the early 80s but had conversations with Jesus for 8 years and was eventually killed in the Rwandan genocides in 1994. When I read the book for the first time I highlighted what Jesus said to the boy. The boy asked Jesus about all kinds of things, including the end of the world. Jesus told him that the end was coming very soon. He sent this little 12-year old pagan boy on an evangelical mission to spread his word. Tell people to repent, to read his words in the Bible, to pray and convert their hearts because the time is at hand. The page that I keep reading and re-reading though has to do with judgment. Segatashya asked him if everyone had to be Catholic in order to go to heaven. Here is an excerpt from the book:

Segatashya: When I asked Jesus what to tell those doubtful people, he said to me:

Jesus: My child, tell all those who don't believe in the messages being delivered into Kibeho that they should worry only about believing and following what is in the Bible......they must believe and follow what is in the Bible with all of their hearts.

Segatashya: But what do I say to people who tell me that because Jesus appears most often to visionaries who are Catholic, that they will be forced to read the Catholic Bible?

Jesus: I will find the hearts of everyone who believes in me and follows my commandments - no matter which Bible they read or which religion they belong to.


When I come looking for my children, I will not only look in the Catholic Church for good Christians who do good deeds and acts of love and devotion. I will look across the entire world for those who honor my commandments and love me with an open and sincere heart.... It is their love, not their religion, that makes them true children of God. Tell this one truth to all those to whom you speak to in my name. Believe in me, and in whatever you do in life, do it with faith and love.


Those who do know of God, who have been taught of God's ways, will be held to a higher standard....for to those who have been given, much will be expected. No one is forced to believe in God, but still, God lives in every person's heart.....just follow your heart to God's love. Those who live in love will hear God's voice, because God's voice is a voice of love.

Peace!

Mare

Excerpt from: The Boy Who Met Jesus, Segatashya of Kibeho, by Immaculee Ilibagiza with Steve Erwin 

Our Lady of Kibeho and the Chaplet of the Seven Sorrows

I am reading a fascinating book called, "The Boy Who Met Jesus" by Immaculee Ilibagiza. Just like her last book that I read, "Left to Tell," this is an absolute page-turner for me. This book is about a young teen, Segatashya of Kibeho who was born and raised a pagan in Rwanda, but began having visions of Jesus in 1982. Jesus shared many things with young Segatashya and as an innocent he had many questions to ask of the King of Kings, some of which made me smile at his boldness. Up until the time of the visions Segatashya had never stepped foot into a school, seen a Bible or had heard any of the sermons or stories of Jesus. Yet after a year of visions the young man knew Bible verses, psalms, songs and scriptures better than many of the priests and bishops that were to meet with him.

After a few months Mary then appeared to the boy as well, but this wasn't the first time Mary had appeared to someone in Kibeho, Rwanda. It seems that while I was here in the U.S. as a young twenty-something falling in love with a mere mortal, Mary was appearing to five young Rwandan teenage women, Anathalie, Alphonsine and Marie-Claire, Stephanie and Agnes. Fr. Leszek Czelusniak, MIC, who was in charge of the Rwandan mission asked one of the visionaries, Anathalie, to summarize the messages. Here is her response:

''The Holy Virgin insisted on the need for prayer. She said that the world is bad. It is necessary to pray, to pray, to pray a lot for this world is bad, to pray for sinners, to pray for their conversion. She insisted a lot on the need for conversion: Convert to God! Convert to God! Convert to God! While saying that people don't respect God's commands, that people have a hard heart, she also asked us to meditate on the mysteries of the Rosary and to recite it every day. She also taught us the Rosary of the Seven Sorrows. She asked us to pray it every Tuesday and Friday. She asked us to obey the Church, to love God in truth, and to love our neighbor in humility and simplicity. She spoke of the need for mortification, a spirit of penitence and sacrifice. She also spoke of the need for suffering, to bear our sufferings every day. She said that no one enters heaven without suffering. She also told us that acts of charity for the poor make us beautiful flowers that God likes. She wanted a chapel to be constructed here in Kibeho, so everyone would remember her visit and pray for the Church and religious. Holy Mary spoke to us in Kinyarwanda (the language of Rwanda) with her very soft voice."

All of the visionaries were given different messages, which are in the book.

Personally I was so unaware of all of this and have been so moved by this book and it's further revelation to me about Our Lady of Kibeho that I looked on line to find beads so that I could also recite the Chaplet. The prayers in the chaplet can be found at the top of this post.

The chaplet beads can be found at the store link to the right of this post.

I wouldn't be writing this if I didn't think it was important. The visions of Alphonsine, Anathalie and Marie- Claire have already been sanctioned by the Catholic Church as true visionaries and that is saying quite a lot as they happened just a short 30 years ago. That is light speed in the Catholic Church. The prophesy that Mary showed them has already come to fruition with the genocides in Rwanda. Mary showed visions of the genocides to the women and told them to leave the country after spreading her message. Segatashya was also told to leave after his mission was completed. Unfortunately, Marie-Claire was killed in 1994 and Segatashya, who later called himself Emanuel, died while trying to escape. They do not know what happened to Stephanie, but Anathalie, Agnes and Alphonsine all survived the genocides.

Unfortunately Segatashya's sanctions will take much longer as the majority of the recordings, writings, medical records and people that knew him or interviewed him were all lost during the conflict. I am but a simple person sharing his story and that of Our Lady of Kibeho. But don't stop here! Read these inspirational stories for yourself and pray, pray, pray.

I do want to add that many have heard of the visionaries of Medjugorje, who began seeing Mary around the same time. Those visions have not yet been sanctioned by the Church, even though Pope John Paul II believed them to be true. That was his personal opinion, which is quite different than speaking on behalf of the church.  The Marian apparitions are increasing worldwide. Our Lady of Kibeho, The Virgin Mary appearance in Assuit Egypt, witnessed by hundreds of thousands of people of all faiths and captured on live audio news feeds (it is on Youtube), Akita, Betania, San Nicholas, have all happened since the late 1960's with most sanctioned by the Church and hundreds more with no decisions. That's a big What's Up? For me. It has certainly gotten my attention. There is a HUGE difference between the messages of Medjugorje and the sanctioned apparitions. Please read up on them yourselves as well as those of Fatima, Lourdes and Guadalupe. Mother Mary's messages are so important to us all.


Peace!

Mare