What Are We to Believe About Medjugorje? Here Are the Facts

In the midst of conflicting reports and opinions, what are we to believe about Medjugorje?

Here are facts regarding Medjugorje. 
May they provide help in discerning the authenticity of these daily reported apparitions.
(I've written much about Medjugorje. To find out more, click on the links at the end of this article.)

Fact:  St. John Paul II praised Medjugorje often - calling it “the spiritual heart of the world.”
For more information about St. John Paul II’s belief in Medjugorje, I write about this extensively here:

Medjugorje: In St. John Paul II’s Own Words

Fact:  Medjugorje is a village where tens of millions have visited since 1981. It has been reported consistently and undeniably, for nearly 38 years, that Mary, the Mother of Jesus has been coming to earth every day to call people to conversion and prayer.

Fact:    Vatican Commission’s Findings

The International Investigative Commission on Medjugorje, presided over by Cardinal Camillo Ruini, was established by Pope Benedict XVI. The Vatican Commission studied the alleged apparitions of Mary at Medjugorje for 4 years, from 2010-2014. This study, confirmed by Archbishop Hoser below, reportedly voted overwhelmingly to recognize as supernatural the first seven appearances of Mary in 1981. 

The commission also reportedly recommended Medjugorje to be designated as a pontifical shrine.  

Pope Francis commented on the study, saying: 

"The 'real core' of the commission’s report is 'the spiritual fact, the pastoral fact' that thousands of pilgrims go to Medjugorje and are converted. 'For this there is no magic wand; this spiritual-pastoral fact cannot be denied.'" First Medjugorje Apparitions were Real Vatican commission Reportedly Found

Fact:     POPE FRANCIS HAS AUTHORIZED DIOCESAN PILGRIMAGES
[May 12, 2019]“Pilgrimages to Medjugorje…can now be officially organized by dioceses and parishes and will no longer take place only in a private capacity which as has so far been the case. The announcement was made during Mass, at the parish shrine which has become a destination for millions of pilgrims, by the Apostolic Nuncio Luigi Pezzuto in Bosnia-Herzegovina and Archbishop Henryk Hoser, the Holy See's Special Apostolic Visitator.” This announcement confirms Archbishop Hoser’s previous statements below.
Pilgrimages do not authenticate known events The "ad interim" director of the Holy See Press Office, Alessandro Gisotti: "care to prevent these pilgrimages from being interpreted as an authentication of known events, which still require examination by the Church."
Pastoral attention "Considering the considerable flow of people who go to Medjugorje and the abundant fruits of grace that have sprung from it - continued Gisotti - this authorization is part of the particular pastoral attention that the Holy Father intended to give to that reality, aimed at encouraging and promoting the fruits of good". https://www.vaticannews.va/en/pope/news/2019-05/pope-authorizes-pilgrimages-to-medjugorje.html
Andrea Tornielli:  “The authorization of pilgrimages is a sign of recognition of the good that happens in the parish shrine, where many people come closer to the sacraments.” It is a fact that millions of pilgrims in recent years have had a significant experience of faith on their way to Medjugorje: this is attested to by the long lines at confessionals and the evening Eucharistic adoration in the large parish church without a square metre free filled with kneeling faithful."
Pope Francis: "I believe" that "in Medjugorje there is grace. There is no denying it. There are people who convert." … dioceses and parishes will be able to organize and guide those pilgrimages which are an expression of the Marian piety of the people of God.” https://www.vaticannews.va/en/pope/news/2019-05/medjugorje-the-marian-faith-and-the-decision-of-the-pastor.html

Fact:     Papal Visitor’s Statements Regarding Medjugorje

Pope Francis sent Archbishop Henryk Hoser to study the spirituality of Medjugorje for several months in 2017 as his official Papal Envoy. In 2018, the Archbishop was sent back to live indefinitely in Medjugorje as an official Papal Visitor of the Holy Father.

(c)Mateo Ivankovic 

  Since the arrival of Archbishop Hoser as the official Papal Visitor, the Papal Flag now flies outside St. James Church in Medjugorje as of July 30, 2018

Here are some statements the Archbishop has made regarding Medjugorje:

"Archbishop Henryk Hoser of Poland determined, after months of observing [Medjugorje] first-hand, that the message there “can be put at the same level as that delivered in the French city of Lourdes and the Portuguese city of Fatima” (according to a report in Crux Now.) He called Medjugorje — which has two-and-a-half million visitors a year, despite previous vehement opposition to it — “the spiritual lungs of Europe.”

 

One must take this all in: Medjugorje has not just a pastor overseeing it, not just a shrine rector, but now its own archbishop, which may be without precedent in major apparitions — replacing the authority of an antagonistic bishop in the nearby city of Mostar.
“With regard to the international phenomenology, they are very similar,” Archbishop Hose said, according to the website Total Croatia, in comparing it to Lourdes and Fatima.

“These are certainly the three greatest pilgrimage sites. The power of grace that is felt here, the power of God’s words here proclaimed, make us witness to many radical transformations that are happening here. Medjugorje has become the confessional of the world." There is a difference between Archbishop Hoser and many skeptics: he actually went there."
spiritdailyblog.com/news/a-new-trend-in-apparitions

Janusz Halczewski - Abp Henryk Hoser w Arcueil pod Paryżem, 2009

 Archbishop Hoser further attests:

1.    “Devotion of Medjugorje is allowed. It’s not prohibited, and need not be done in secret.” 

2.    Medjugorje is a “phenomenon”, a “movement [that] will not stop and should not be stopped”, saying it is “one of the most living places of prayer and conversion in Europe – with a healthy spirituality.
"

3.     “…All indications are that the revelations will be recognized… Specifically, I think it is possible to recognize the authenticity of the first apparitions as proposed by the cardinal commission. Ruini. Besides, it is difficult to get another verdict, because it is difficult to believe that six seers will lie for 36 years. What they say is consistent. There are no people haunted or mentally disturbed. The powerful argument for the authenticity of the apparitions is Faithfulness to the doctrine of the Church.
 If the revelations, and at least the first seven, will be recognized, this will be a tremendous stimulus for Medjugorje."


4.      “Today, dioceses and other institutions can organize official pilgrimages.”

"[A diocesan trip to Medjugorje would be] a pilgrimage of spiritual transformation, conversion and consolidation of faith – because all these elements are realized there." 

5.    “There is a massive number of confessions. They have about 50 confessionals, which are not enough. These are very deep confessions.” https://cruxnow.com/global-church/2017/08/19/vatican-delegate-every-indication-medjugorje-will-recognized-perhaps-later-year/

Fact: In his writings, Father Gabriel Amorth, who for 20 years was the Vatican’s chief exorcist of Rome before his death, spoke often of the Queen of Peace of Medjugorje and defined the apparitions as “a massive work of catechesis”, which directs us, every day, to the ways to win the battle against evil.  He said:

“God has given us Mary as the last chance to save humanity.”    

Fact: Jesus tells us how to judge whether something is good or evil. He tells us:  

A good tree does not bear rotten fruit, nor does a rotten tree bear good fruit. For every tree is known by its own fruit. (Luke 6:43)

Regarding the fruits, Father Amorth proclaims: 

“The Gospel is so clear, it tells us how to discern! By the fruits you will know the tree! It has been 30 years ... [and] Medjugorje has given us fruits that are ultimately exquisite! Confession, conversion, vocations, graces of every kind! For more than 30 years!” 

What if God really is sending someone from heaven to convert our hearts?

If the apparitions are true, it isn't without reason that God is sending his Mother to us and so it most be of tremendous importance. 
The reason can be found in Mary's reported messages, which urge people to be converted. The following reported messages express the urgency of Our Mother's call:

Our Mother’s Messages ARE AT The Heart of Medjugorje

“I have come to tell the world that God exists. He is the fullness of life, and to enjoy this fullness and peace, you must return to God”.

"… The only thing that I would want to tell you is to be converted. Make that known to all my children as quickly as possible. No pain, no suffering is too great to me in order to save you. I will pray to my Son not to punish the world; but I beseech you, be converted. You cannot imagine what is going to happen nor what the Eternal Father will send to earth. That is why you must be converted! Renounce everything. Do penance. Express my acknowledgement to all my children who have prayed and fasted. I carry all this to my Divine Son in order to obtain an alleviation of His justice against the sins of mankind. I thank the people who have prayed and fasted. Persevere and help me to convert the world." 1040

"Dear children! I want to lead you on the road to conversion. I desire that you convert the world and that your life be a conversion for others. Do not fall into infidelity. Let each one of you be completely submitted to my will and to the will of God. Beginning this day, I give you special graces, and in particular the gift of conversion. Let each one of you take home my blessing, and motivate the others to a real conversion." 1860                                        (https://www.medjugorje.org)

"I have come to call the world to conversion for the last time." May 2, 1982

How to attain this conversion are the core of her reported messages, which include asking us to pray for peace, to pray with our heart by meditating continually on Jesus' life, death and resurrection - to fast, to confess, to have strong faith and to center our lives on worshiping God in the Mass and reading Scripture.

This formula and the grace pouring down from heaven has converted countless souls, who have become completely devoted to God through her messages. 

In essence, through Mary's intercession, those who heed her reported messages are holding fast to the two pillars that St. John Bosco saw as the salvation of the Church: the Eucharist and our Blessed Mother.

Innumerable Reasons the Chief Exorcist of Rome proclaims Medjugorje "A Fortress Against Satan"

Saint Pope John Paul II and Medjugorje

What is the Holy Father's Mission In Medjugorje?

Installment of the Apostolic Visitor in Medjugorje: "Sign of a Great Respect and Recognition ... The Act Through Which the Church Officially Recognized the Good Fruits of Medjugorje"

Do the Papal Envoy's Words Mean Vatican Approval for Medjugorje is Near?

Medjugorje... Over 33 Years of Reported Apparitions - Should We Believe?

© Janet Moore. 2019. Updated September 30, 2019. All Rights Reserved.

Innumerable Reasons the Chief Exorcist of Rome proclaims Medjugorje "A Fortress Against Satan"

I woke up compelled to address Fr. Gabrielle Amorth’s strong words - words that condemned our apathy toward Medjugorje.
(See my other articles for an overview of Medjugorje, St. John Paul II's position, and a reflection on the transitory nature of Mary's reported appearances).
Fr. Amorth was the Chief Exorcist of Rome for 20 years, casting out demons in the often unseen battle of Good vs. Evil. For him to make the following remarks, he must understand something that often escapes us.
In an interview with Radio Maria, Fr. Amorth spoke these words in light of a reported message of Our Lady given on August 25, 2011:

“Dear children! Today I call you to pray and fast for my intentions, because Satan wants to destroy my plan. Here I began with this parish and invited the entire world. Many have responded, but there is an enormous number of those who do not want to hear or accept my call. Therefore, you who have said ‘yes’, be strong and resolute. Thank you for having responded to my call.”

Fr. Amorth commented:

“How bitter, how bitter was the last message of Our Lady of Medjugorje, on August 25: 'Many have responded, but there is an enormous number of those who do not want to hear or accept my call.' Now look here; it is very sour, this balance. After more than thirty years! More than thirty years! Now if it is the pagans who don’t listen to Our Lady’s words, then that I can understand. But be you a Christian, it is not forgivable. Be you a Christian! Even priests and bishops don’t even want to hear about it. It is not that they went there and then made their decision fairly after seeing things for themselves, no! They don’t even want to hear it being spoken about!”

Mary’s tells us in her message that “Satan wants to destroy my plan.”
We read in Ephesians 6:12 how real our struggle with Satan is:

“Our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places.”

May these words remind us that we are in a deadly spiritual battle with Satan, who “comes only to steal, kill and destroy” (Jn 10:10). Assuredly, Fr. Amorth’s wisdom and insight fighting spiritual battles enables him to recognize and distinguish between the work of God and that of Satan. His strong belief in the happenings in Medjugorje, therefore, helped me discern amid the lies and false reports often circulated (even by major news sites!) citing the Vatican has disproven the apparitions and declared them to have been a fraud. Remember when reading these reports that:

"Pope Francis has not given his word yet on Medjugorje, therefore no declaration, even from a “Vatican insider”, holds any authority. They are simply personal opinions. Beware of falling into the trap of agitation! The announcement will be given on the official Vatican websites." Sister Emmanuel

Amid this confusion, Father Amorth proclaims how we are to know the truth regarding Medjugorje or other supposed apparitions:

“The Gospel is so clear, it tells us how to discern! By the fruits you will know the tree! It has been 30 years ... [and] Medjugorje has given us fruits that are ultimately exquisite! Confession, conversion, vocations, graces of every kind! For more than 30 years!”

For me, Father Amorth’s experience at combating the father of lies, makes his understanding of Medjugorje as “a great fortress against Satan” particularly compelling. I believe we must carefully reflect on Father’s words. And perhaps consider more deeply the reports of graces God has given us for over 34 years! For Father says further:

“In the Old Testament God sent prophets to warn of the betrayals of the Jewish people. Now, here, to warn of the betrayal of the Christian people, also the priests, God sends us His Mother! It has been 30 years! Is it possible that people still do not hear? And as for those people who believe themselves to be intelligent by saying they wait until the Church approves? They are fools!”

Similarly, I have heard Medjugorje spoken of as “the heel of Mary.” This imagery reminds us of the great prophecy God spoke regarding the woman who would crush the head of Satan. Saying to Adam and Eve in the garden:

“I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; he will crush your head, and you will strike his heel.” (Gen 3:15).

In our day and age, it often appears that evil is winning the battle – as attacks on the family increase daily and more and more people seem to be losing their faith. As world gets ever darker, we can become discouraged and overwhelmed. Yet, in the midst of this darkness, let us keep in mind that conversions and healings are being reported daily from people who have journeyed to or embraced the messages of Medjugorje! In this article I link to dozens of miracles associated with Medjugorje (I could have linked hundreds more).

How incredible are these miracles! And how incredibly each of these accounts of conversion, vocation and healing attest to Mary’s power over Satan and her ability to crush his plans!

And isn’t that how God changes the world? Scripture and history tell us God doesn’t change the world in one fell swoop, but through individuals! Look at Abraham, Moses, David, Elijah, Jesus, and the Twelve Apostles... God seeks to transform each of us! And then, watch with joy how we witness and become another Christ to each other through the smallest acts of love and through our prayers! In God's goodness, humility and patience, He is at work changing the world, one person at a time! One person who impacts those around them – and so on and so on.
If this is how God works, how integral are we to the plan of God!
Do we take seriously Our Lady’s daily visitation to earth each day and her invitation to pray, pray, pray?
To be peace and love amid hatred and division?
To pray with our families and read Scripture daily?
To go to Confession often and live the Eucharist?
To live her messages, which lead us into ever deeper faith and closeness to God, so we will become her apostles?
How incredibly does each account of conversion, vocation and healing attest to Mary’s power over Satan and her ability to crush his plans! For we must remember that Satan truly exists and his sole desire is to destroy us... To destroy our souls, our marriages, our children, our families, our homes, our relationships, our country… even the entire world and universe!
Therefore, every testimony of conversion is a triumph over Satan’s snares!
Each time an addict is able to live free from drugs and alcohol, it is a tremendous victory of God!
Each marriage that is saved that was on the brink of divorce proclaims that God’s love triumphs!
Every time a person chooses to forgive, he proclaims the power of forgiveness over anger and hatred!
Each time a person chooses to go to confession, all of hell rages because a soul refuses to listen to the one “who accuses us night and day” Rev 12:10, but, instead, listens and trusts in God’s mercy!
Every time a mother and father chooses to cherish their unborn baby, all of heaven rejoices at the great triumph of life over the forces of death!
Each time a person rejects the lies of Satan and remains steadfast in faith, it is a victory!
Each time a person embraces God's plan regarding sexuality and marriage ...
Each suicide that is thwarted…
Each religious vocation…
Each eternal and ever-living priesthood that is embraced… is an annihilation of Satan’s plans!
And so often overlooked, each time a person prays, participates in Holy Mass or adores the Blessed Sacrament…
Each time someone choose to read Scripture…
Each time families pray together…
Each time someone fasts...
God is changing the world one soul at a time...
by changing each one of us!
And all of heaven rejoices, while the demons rage!

Is it any wonder that so many lies have been perpetrated against Medjugorje? A place where the parish has a 3-hour program of prayer every day! Where more confessions take place than any other place in the world! A place of untold numbers of conversions and healings!

As in all authentic and holy works of God, Satan works to discredit them. We need only think about what took place regarding St. Faustina and the messages Jesus gave her on His Divine Mercy, (which were condemned for a time until Pope St. John Paul II rescued them) or the terrible lies people made up against St. Padre Pio (who endured great testing, censure and trials through the hands of the Church) to name a few. Although there has been no denunciations, there are recent reports of restrictions taking place in Medjugorje. I see these restrictions as a necessary step in the Church's process of discernment. Through trial and testing, the humility and the obedience of the reported visionaries and pilgrims will be determined. However, Satan will have a field day spinning these restrictions into condemnations, for he has been particularly adept at spreading falsehoods that undermine the acceptance of Medjugorje in our world. So much so, that many do not even wish to consider or pay any attention to the thousands of reports that attest to the good fruits coming from Medjugorje. This is what Father Amorth is so strongly lamenting!
I pray that this will change. Because Our Lady's sole mission is to lead us to Jesus -- to lead us to union with Him, so that we become saints who reflect the presence of Christ in our daily lives. Saints not only after we die, but here and now in our present moment!
Living saintly lives should not scare us off! I know many, many holy men and women who are doing just that. Every week in Church I notice beautiful families with 4, 5, 6 or more children! It is amazing to see! (How I wish God had given me that many!) Their openness to life and their commitment to raising their children in the faith is one instance of how God is changing the world!
Each person changes the world by living in sanctity - if they seek to love the ones God puts in their path. Even if no one recognizes it... when we seek to fulfill our daily duties with love... when we perform acts of kindness... or are committed to prayer and to providing for our families... when we offer our sleepless nights to Him... or our sicknesses, struggles, joys or sadness are given to Jesus on the Cross... God knows! And united with His Sacrifice, one cleaned toilet... one Hail Mary prayed with devotion... one Scripture verse read with the heart.. one heartfelt reception of Communion... one return to Confession... one smile... becomes infinitely valuable!

We all know how real this battle is –
Mary is God’s answer to our pleas for help! She is God’s answer to our cries to Him to save us! In His Mercy, He has sent our Blessed Mother to reveal His Presence, His Love for us and to reveal to us the battle plan that is winning the war against evil!
This battle plan is nothing more than living the Gospel with our whole lives. How untiringly Mary invites us to seek God first in our lives and to develop a deep personal relationship to Him through prayer, because prayer unites our minds and hearts to God, and allows us to hear Him and listen to His Voice! When we hear and listen to God, we no longer want to sin -- for we understand we have so much more than what sin offered to us! When we commit to prayer, we are strengthened in our faith, and we are emboldened to never cease fighting for our freedom -freedom that Christ died to give us - for "it is for freedom that Christ has set us free!" Gal 5:1 - freedom for our families, our loved ones and the entire world... because sin itself is the great destroyer of freedom, because “the wages of sin is death” Rom 6:23 and “all who sin become slaves of sin” (Jn 8:34).
Mary, the most loving of Mothers, and the most powerful prayer warrior, leads us in this battle and gives us the strategies that will win this deadly spiritual war! The messages she gives are often likened to the five small stones of David – who was able to kill Goliath through his great faith in God, saying:

“All this multitude shall learn that it is not by sword or spear that the LORD saves. For the battle belongs to the LORD, who shall deliver you into our hands.” (1 Sam 17: 46-47).

May we take these great weapons Mary gives us in her messages to heart, striving to live them ever more fully each day:
1. Pray Scripture Daily. By praying and meditating on His Holy Word as a family, we grow closer to Christ. The Holy Word of God is not merely a book! The Divine Person Who brought the entire universe into existence still speaks, teaches, heals and guides us to all Truth if we listen to His Word: “When I found your words I devoured them; your words were my joy, the happiness of my heart!” (Jer. 15:16).
2. Pray the Rosary Daily. The Rosary is such a beautiful prayer! No other prayer is like it, for in it we daily meditate on Jesus' entire life (!) – from the Incarnation, life and death, Resurrection and Ascension, to the outpouring of His Spirit and the raising to heavenly glory of Mary, (who goes before us in glory). How deeply we fall in love with Christ when we are led to Him and see Him through the eyes and the heart of His Mother! She aids us with her prayers, so that we are able to: “treasure all these things and ponder them in our hearts” (see Lk 2: 19).
3. Live the Eucharist Fully. To fulfill His promise to be with us until the end of time, Jesus gave His very self in the Eucharist to feed and nourish us for the journey unto eternal life – “For My Body is true food and my Blood is true drink….anyone who eats this bread will live forever! (Jn 6:55, 51, 58). Jesus died to give us this ability to be united to Him body and soul – and to remain with us always! How wonderful to live in union with so great a Gift?! May we unite ourselves deeply to the Eternal Sacrament of God’s Love.
4. Go to Confession at least Once a Month. Each time we repent and go to Confession, we become more humble, more aware of God's mercy! Through the priest in confession, Jesus, HIMSELF, speaks words of infinite power, healing and forgiveness. He strengthens and challenges us by His Mercy, saying: “Neither do I condemn you, go and sin no more!” (Jn. 8:11).
5. Fast Twice a Week. Beside our wills being strengthened through denial, (so that we are not tossed here and there by our bodily wants and emotions), Jesus told his disciples that “certain demons can only be cast out by prayer and fasting” (Mk 9:29; Mt. 17: 21). How difficult it is to fast! And yet, how vital it is if we are to be able to cast out these demons that seek to destroy us! May we strive to fast on bread and water; but most importantly, let us fast from our sins, which weaken us and make us susceptible to the Enemy's snares.

Knowing firsthand the darkness of the times, let us be ever more vigilant in fulfilling the messages Mary brings us from heaven, because Satan never sleeps, but is always “prowling like a roaring lion seeking someone to devour” (1 Pet 5:8) as he attempts to strip away our religious freedoms and our faith in God! How furious Satan must be at losing the battle in Medjugorje!

Confidently, therefore, let us hold fast to God’s Word with peace and joy, for He tells us:

“Do not be afraid or discouraged because of this vast army. For the battle is not yours, but mine, says the Lord” (2 Chron. 20:15).

Dear Lord,
We praise You for Your infinite love and care for us in sending us Mary to be with us and guide us! May we never take Our Lady’s presence or her messages for granted or dismiss them easily. Instead, help us to be transformed by the prayers of Our Mother, and so become apostles that spread Your peace through our faith. Help us to rejoice with great faith like David, assured that our triumph is near at hand! We pray this in Jesus’ Name. Amen.

I am publishing my article for the first time on my website. It was first published on Catholic365.
© Janet Moore 2015. 2019. All Rights Reserved.

Fearlessly Intertwined and Rooted in God and His Saints Amid the Storms of Sin and Darkness

Imagine giant redwoods bending beneath the force of the wind as they sway several hundred feet back and forth towards the ground without breaking. 

A priest recently spoke of this - sharing that equally impressive to the redwoods' towering height is their massive root system that intertwines with the roots of other redwoods around them. As their roots stretch outward for great distances, they unite, intertwine and even fuse with the other trees' roots, forming a labyrinth of such strength that even the fiercest of winds and storms cannot uproot them.


This image of giant redwoods swaying hundreds of feet back and forth has stuck with me. Although I can't remember the exact distance spanned by the arc of their sways back and forth, (nor can I find it in my research) I remember that the tremendous distance quoted by the priest left me in awe. The priest spoke of this to highlight the strength of our unity with one another.


As I was pondering this in prayer, I came to marvel at a Divine Reality that the trees symbolized. It's profoundness and beauty brought me deep joy and grace amid the storms of sin and darkness of this world. For Satan has sown great evil and perpetuated lies, confusion and division not only within our society and our country - but within our Church, families, relationships - and if you are like me, even within our own minds and emotions. I don't know if this applies to you, but I can definitely relate to this quote from Chris Stefanick:

"Your head is like a bad neighborhood – don't go in there alone.”

The evil seems to be growing more horrific and destructive by the day as the vision of Pope Leo XIII foretold, for 

Our enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. (1 Peter 5:8) 

Yet, if we understand that his lies are the same today as they were when he first spoke them to Eve, it is helpful in recognizing and resisting him:
For he always tells us that sin and disobedience is good, not evil -
and that choosing them will never harm us -
but will lead to our fulfillment.
Speaking not right, he insists, God is trying to keep goodness from us
because God is a liar and His Word cannot be trusted. 


Just as his lies are always the same, so is his plan:
Each lie seeks to destroy us and our faith and trust in God and His Word.
He seeks to destroy our God-given identity, our goodness and the glorious plan God has for our lives.
But, perhaps, most of all, Satan seeks to destroy our intimacy with God,
for God is not only our Creator but our Father, Who longs for us to live in union with Him and to call us His Children..
Then, always, after Satan tempts us to sin, he shows his true colors as the great accuser, who torments us with fear and shame and regret, while encouraging us to run and hide from God and telling us we have no hope of forgiveness.

"Satan was murderer from the beginning ... for there is no truth in him...for he is a liar and the father of lies. (Jn 8:44)

In the face of these lies, we must continually remind ourselves of who we are, Who God is and that God is with us.
We must remember He is concerned with our welfare and that He alone is Truth and Life. 

For Satan is the "thief who comes only to steal and slaughter and destroy;" 
but, Jesus "came so that we might have life and have it more abundantly." (John 10:10).
 
How often must we remind ourselves that the Truth is a Divine Person, 
Jesus Christ,
Who tells us, "I am the Way, the Truth and the Life. No one comes to the Father except through me? (John 14:6).
And that Truth can be found only in Him and in His Word.

Reminding ourselves and filling our minds with Truth is like stretching our roots deep into God. 



This anchoring in the Love and Truth of Christ is necessary to have the strength to endure the ever-increasing evil of our times; which can seem like hurricane force winds and waves that are continually battering against us with such persistence and force that we would break under the strain if we were not deeply rooted in God through prayer and the Sacraments.

One of the greatest evils of our time is the large scale destruction of the most vulnerable and innocent.
This is perhaps most evident in the increasing number of states advocating and celebrating the murder of babies just moments away from birth, 
as well as the murder of those already born, who survive the attempts to kill them in the womb...

Another evil includes the horrific sins committed by some within our One, Holy, Catholic, Apostolic Church, Whom we love so dearly - as Satan seeks to destroy our Holy Mother Church both from without and within ...

Additionally, great evils have been waged upon and have already destroyed countless marriages and families.
Rather than live marriage and family life in and through God's grace -
never giving up on striving to be pure and faithful -
life-giving and self-sacrificing images of the Love of the Most Holy Trinity -
so many have believed Satan's lies and chosen lesser things -
even to despising one of the most truly awesome gifts given to humankind: 
that of being co-creators with God - chosen to bring forth immortal beings - each of us destined for unimaginable glory and honor when open to the grace of Christ.

Oh, if we had eyes to see and hearts to understand who we are in Christ and the great heights we have fallen!!!  

Added to these lies, are the diabolical attacks (aimed increasingly at younger and younger children) that confuse and manipulate men and women into rejecting the REALITY of who God created them to be
For he made us male and female ...
created in God's very own image and likeness ...
and how God rejoices in us, for He made us very good!

As a final addition to this enormous list of sins, are reports of preschoolers being targeted, not only with lies against their identities, but by pure evil - as the vilest hack into videos they are watching online - trying to get them to commit suicide and take the lives of their families.

The weight of sin and darkness, lies, and the distortion between good and evil is overwhelming... 
from the sheer weight and horror of the ever growing scandals of abuse and trafficking...
to the injustice of those who are guilty being applauded and being seen as good...
while the innocent and the godly are seen as evil and are consistently persecuted...

The storm is very fierce - not only from all these outside forces, but from the lies that penetrate and affect our thoughts, our wills, our emotions and our relationships... 
And at times we feel we are being bent to the ground under the weight of such evil.

However, in the midst of such unprecedented evil, 
we cannot allow it to destroy our peace, 
instead, we must continually pray - 
filling our thoughts with the Holy and Faithful Word of God, 
in order to stand fast in the Gospel of Christ - the exceedingly Good News - 
For Christ alone can right the most terrible of wrongs 
and even transform sin and death into glory unending!!!

For, even amid these insistent and vicious attacks of evil against life and faith and God Himself...
We are more than conquerors in Christ
when we are rooted in Him and in His Holy Word through prayer!

What will separate us from the love of Christ? Will anguish, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or the sword?...

No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. 

For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 8: 34-39

Like the interconnected roots of the redwood that enable it to stand fast amid the fiercest storms, so is our rootedness in Christ!
Our inseparability with Christ - Crucified, Died, Risen and Glorified, 
unites us to an infinite and glorious, 
ever-living root system of Divine Life!
We are rooted in the Most Holy Trinity, 
through Christ, in fact, we are even intertwined, 
bound and fused together with them!
Oh, the glory and the grace of this reality!!!
Being rooted with the Infinite Trinity, 
and the Love and Power and Strength of God -
Father, Son and Holy Spirit!
Who can fathom this or try to describe it?
 
If we are rooted in them, what can come against us, as Paul said, that can cause us any harm???

And then, being held up and united and infused into the roots of the Eternal, Everlasting, All Powerful, All Knowing, All Loving God Himself - 
He likewise unites us to all who are united to Him
Thus, we become united and rooted to Mary and Joseph and all the angels and saints as well!
Imagine! 
... this ever-increasing labyrinth of love and unity and strength! 

And if that wasn't enough, besides uniting us with Mary and all of heaven, 
He has rooted us into His Mystical Body ...
and every soul He has ever created from all eternity, 
who lives in union with Him - 
both those still living on earth, as well as those in heaven and in purgatory! 
And, because nothing is impossible for God, we surely, in His eyes, also united to those who will come after us, for He is outside of all time and space!

What a glorious union He has provided for us!!!

Even those martyred and baptized by the shedding of their blood or those baptized by desire are part of this indissoluble union. 
Imagine in God's infinite mercy and love, 
even the more than 1.5 billion babies who have been aborted 
in the world since 1973, 
who we trust are alive in Him and within His care, 
are a part of this glorious intertwining, uniting root system that God has established to be our support and strength amid our most pressing trials and temptations and doubts!

While never forgetting God avenges the blood of the innocent, for He hears their cries, and He will not be mocked; 
yet, He tells us His ultimate vengeance is to bring the sinner to repentance so that they too can glorify Him by their lives, and by their own sacrifice united to His, atone for the blood that they have shed:

For God does not rejoice in the destruction of a sinner, but that he be converted and live! Ezekiel 18: 23

So even our most pressing sadness and the deepest of our trials and the greatest of these evils can be offered for the conversion of those lost in sin - so 

even all these things will work for good for those who love God. (cf. Romans 8:28)

Of the tremendous heights of glory this causes me to ponder!!!

Not only are we united with innumerable saints and holy ones, but we are also united in the Holy Catholic Church, who has anointed us in our Baptism with a indelible seal of God, making us into God's sons and daughters, freeing us from the effects of original sin and death and infusing us with His Very Life, making us a dwelling place of the Most High!  

It is the Church who feeds us with God's very flesh and blood, soul and divinity - nourishing us, forgiving, healing and strengthening us, teaching and encouraging us with the Sacraments -
until the very Sacraments given to the Church by Christ will eventually carry us back home to Him - 
through the the Holy Priesthood Christ established, 
in which countless men have given themselves fully to God and are living in great holiness 'as other Christs', 
so that God could be with us always, even to the end of time!

So then, we are not only then surrounded by a great cloud of witnesses, but we are also rooted in them, together with the Holy Trinity!!! 

How assured we can be, then, of the strength of the intertwining grace that God has put in place for us as long as we seek Him and His Ways and pray?

Therefore,
we can be steadfast and unafraid -
unwavering against the enemy's onslaughts

For the deeper we are rooted and intertwined with God and His Body - the more impervious we will be to these vile storms of sin and lies...

How amazing to realize God is at work in the minds and hearts of each of us, forming a formidable intertwining of Holy ones as He fashions us into great saints!

Who can fathom the greatness of his plan of salvation or the part He has deigned for us to play in it? 

So, let us not be discouraged, although the nations rage and make their plans against God...
How important it is to know and believe in what we cannot see!  

For what is seen is transitory, what is unseen is eternal.

For this momentary light affliction is producing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, as we look not to what is seen but to what is unseen; for what is seen is transitory, but what is unseen is eternal. 2 Cor. 4:17-18

Even though the roots cannot be seen, it is their existence and their unity that provides and sustains the tree's life and it's resilience and strength... 
likewise, God IS at work in eternal unseen ways giving us life and strength and grace, as He unites us unto and into the vast multitude of His saints!

In times of doubt and despair, my prayer is that we ponder 
the tremendous height and depth and breadth of this
intertwining root system of LOVE...
of the life, grace, mercy and strength
that unites our souls and bodies 
with the Most Holy Trinity - Father, Son and Holy Spirit, 
with Mary and all the angels and saints, 
with the Holy Catholic Church 
in this great union of His Mystical Body, 
in which each of us plays a part
and has the ability to strengthen and encourage one another ...

I pray that this awe-inspiring reality penetrates and uplifts us as we seek to be LOVE and TRUTH, and LIGHT and LIFE in our daily life amid the raging storms of darkness, sin and evil of our time. 

For who can fathom how doing these small things with great love strengthen the intertwining roots that we create with one another? 

May each of us forever live united and rooted in His grace! Amen!

© Janet Moore. 2019. All Rights Reserved.

Latest Message from Our Lady Queen of Peace in Medjugorje

Our Lady's message through Mirjana Soldo of March 2nd, 2019

Dear children, I call you 'apostles of my love'.
I am showing you my Son who is the true peace and the true love.
As a mother, through the mercy of God, I desire to lead you to Him.
My children, this is why I am calling you to reflect on yourselves,
starting out from my Son,
that you look to Him with the heart and
that you may see with the heart where you are and where your life is going.
My children, I am calling you to comprehend
that it is thanks to my Son that you live -
through His love and sacrifice.
You are asking of my Son to be merciful to you and I am calling you to mercy.
You are asking of Him to be good to you and to forgive you, and for how long am I imploring you, my children, to forgive and to love all the people whom you meet?
When you comprehend my words with the heart, you will comprehend and come to know the true love
and you will be able to be apostles of that love,
my apostles, my dear children.
Thank you.