Medjugorje Day by Day: August 13th Reflection

Here is the August 13th reflection from one of my favorite Medjugorje-themed books: Medjugorje Day by Day, by Richard J. Beyer:

AUGUST 13

There are souls in purgatory

To the visionary Mirjana, regarding purgatory:

There are souls in purgatory who pray ardently to God, but for whom no relative or friend prays on earth. But God allows them to benefit from the prayers of other people (FY 1-10-83).

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And in Psalm 73, the author expresses confidence in God, both now and in the hereafter:

Nevertheless I am continually with you;
you hold my right hand.
You guide me with your counsel,
and afterward you will receive me with honor.
Whom have I in heaven but you?
And there is nothing on earth that I desire
   other than you.
My flesh and my heart may fail,
but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.

--Psalm 73:23-26

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Reflection: Through the dogma of the communion of saints, the church teaches that the living can actively help those who have died through prayer, sacrifice, and especially the Mass, "the greatest prayer," as Mary says elsewhere.

It is common practice to arrange for Masses to be offered for loved ones, often on the anniversary of their death, but any time is appropriate. Your parish secretary or priest can assist you in this; Mass intentions are normally announced in the church bulletin, unless you wish otherwise (it is customary, though not required, to give an offering).

Application: Today, pray for the souls in purgatory, especially the forgotten dead.

Medjugorje Day by Day - July 17th Reflection

Here is the July 17th reflection from one of my favorite Medjugorje-themed books: Medjugorje Day by Day, by Richard J. Beyer:

JULY 17

Prevent Satan from entering

The Virgin speaks of Satan to Ivan's prayer group:

Dear children, again today your Mother wants to warn you that Satan, by every means possible, wants to ruin everything in you, but your prayers prevent him from succeeding. When you fill up all the empty space in your soul with prayer, you prevent Satan from entering. Pray, dear children, and your Mother will pray with you to defeat Satan.

May this be a time when all of us convey peace to others. And so please spread peace within your homes, in your families, in the streets, and everywhere (VPG 3-21-88).

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In strong, clear language, Paul identifies and warns the Ephesians of Satan and the powers of evil:

Put on the whole armor of God, so that you may be able to stand against the wile of the devil. For our struggle is not against enemies of blood and flesh, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers of this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. Therefore take up the whole armor of God, so that you may be able to withstand on that evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm (Eph 6:11-13).

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Reflection: Both St. Paul and Our Lady wish us to recognize the reality and danger of Satan and the demonic, that we might be prepared and armed to defeat him. This is of such consequence to Mary that she has given over twenty-five messages on Lucifer.

Obviously Satan is not to be taken lightly. The trouble is that he usually works undercover, subtly plying us with temptations and eroding our faith. He can also be overt and dramatic, as in some of the exorcisms that have occurred in Medjugorje, but this is rare behavior for him, for he does not like to show his face.

Our defense? Our Lady gives us five weapons: Prayer, fasting, scripture reading, monthly confession, and the Mass. She asks that we wear blessed objects, make use of holy water, and "to let the rosary in your hands be a sign to Satan that you belong to me."

Application: In prayer today, call to mind those temptations that bother you the most. See these as your weakest links, and place them before God in prayer each morning, asking for his protection again the Evil One.

Medjugorje Day by Day - March 23rd Reflection

Here is the March 23rd reflection from one of my favorite Medjugorje-themed books: Medjugorje Day by Day, by Richard J. Beyer:

MARCH 23

Renounce those things
which are hurting you

During Lent of 1990 Our Lady spoke of attachments:

Dear children, I invite you to surrender to God. In this  season of Lent, I ask you to especially renounce those things to which you are attached but which are hurting you and your spiritual life. Therefore, little children, decide completely for God, and do not allow Satan into your life through those things that hurt both you and your spiritual life.

Little children, God is offering himself totally to you, but you can discover and recognize him only in prayer. Therefore, make a decision for prayer! (MM 2-25-90).

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St. Paul also warns of worldly attachments:

Brothers and sisters, join in imitating me, and observe those who live according to the example you have in us. For many live as enemies of the cross of Christ; I have often told you of them, and now I tell you even with tears. Their end is destruction; their god is the belly; and their glory is in their shame; their minds are set on earthly things. But our citizenship is in heaven, and it is from there that we are expecting a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ (Phil 3:17-20).

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Reflection: St. Paul criticizes the self-indulgent Christians of his day, for although they claim allegiance to Christ, they ignore his model of servanthood and sacrifice. THey seem to satisfy their own desires even before thinking about the needs of others; to their detriment, they are "set upon the things of this world."

Our Lady of Medjugorje points to the same danger: "I ask you to especially renounce," she says, "those things to which you are attached, but which are hurting you and your spiritual life."

Application: Today, take the time to identify those attachments or addictions that hurt you spiritually. They could include alcohol, drugs, shopping, television, status seeking, power games, manipulation of others, and materialism in many forms. After you identify your own harmful attachments, isolate one and consciously work on moderating or even eliminating it for one week. At the same time, pray to the Blessed Mother for the special grace you will need; she will generously provide it.

[Note from Erik: This is, bar-none, my favorite Medjugorje-related book. Each daily reflection takes no more than a couple of minutes to read and, therefore, provides an easy way to enrich your life and live the messages Our Lady has given to us for the past 30 years. You can read the cover and a few pages, and purchase your copy from Amazon by clicking the image to the left.]

Medjugorje Day by Day - March 6th Reflection

Here is the March 6th reflection of Medjugorje, Day by Day, by Richard J. Beyer:

MARCH 6

Be converted!

The season of Lent has always been a time repentance, conversion, and penance - a time for turning back to the Lord, renouncing sin, and beginning anew. This is the call of Our Lady today:

Be converted! It will be too late when the sign comes. Beforehand, several warnings will be given to the world. Have people hurry to be converted. I need your prayers and your penance.

My heart is burning with love for you. It suffices for you to be converted. To ask questions is unimportant. Be converted. Hurry to proclaim it. Tell everyone it is my wish, and that I do not cease repeating it. Be converted, be converted. It is not difficult for me to suffer for you. I beg you, be converted.

I will pray to my Son to spare you the punishment. Be converted without delay. You do not know the plans of God; you will not be able to know them. You will not know what God will send, nor what he will do. I ask you only to be converted. That is what I wish.

Be converted! Be ready for everything, but be converted. That is all I wish to say to you. Renounce everything else. All that is part of conversion. Good bye, and may peace be with you (LJM 4-25-83).

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Our Lady's message is echoed in the Acts of the Apostles:

In this way God fulfilled what he had foretold through all the prophets, that his Messiah would suffer. Repent therefore, and turn to God so that your sins may be wiped out, so that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord, and that he may send the Messiah appointed for you, that is, Jesus (Acts 3:18-20).

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Reflection: During this Lenten season, let us take the Blessed Mother seriously and seek conversion in renewed prayer, penance, and works of love. This will bring us great joy at Easter and a confirmation of the Gospa's words today: "My heart is burning with love for you."

Application: During Lent, set aside extra time for prayer and works of charity. Be active in the special Lenten devotions of your local parish. Go the extra mile for Our Lord and Our Lady.

 

 

 

 

Book Review - Medjugorje Day by Day

Hello, everyone. I started reading Medjugorje Day by Day, by Richard J. Beyer book a couple of weeks ago and I'm really enjoying it, so I wanted to share it with you, my faithful readers!

Okay, so admittedly the book's cover doesn't teem with excitement (the cover reminds me of old books from the 1960's I would find in my parent's attic when I would go up there searching for something else) ... but this really is a great resource. "You can't judge a book by its cover", right? :) I've been waiting for an opportunity to use that cliche on this blog. I just had to. :)

Anyways, here are a few thoughts:

Good resource for: 

Anyone looking for brief, daily meditations on Our Lady of Medjugorje's messages

Summary:

This is a great book for busy people (like myself), who have little time to read each day, to reflect daily on what Our Lady is trying to get across to us. It also does a great job of linking the messages to scripture.

Each daily meditation takes no more than three minutes to read, so if you're telling yourself you don't have time to reflect on the messages Our Lady gives us at Medjugorje, you have now officially run out of excuses. :)

The format is this:

• Past message from Our Lady
• Brief scripture passage, which relates to the message
• Reflection on the message
• Application (how to apply what Our Lady requests to our own life)

Here's what it looks like:

Purchase Medjugorje Day by Day at Amazon.com

(currently selling from $0.01 used!!!)

Or read reviews from others