THE SPIRIT OF MEDJUGORJE P.O. BOX 6614 • ERIE, PENNSYLVANIA 16512 www.spiritofmedjugorje.org SUBSCRIPTION RATE - FREE WILL OFFERING - PLEASE SEE PAGE 8 If this is the first time you have received this newsletter, and you would like a “Beginner’s Guide,” please contact us for one. EDITOR: JUNE KLINS EDITOR EMERITUS: JOAN WIESZCZYK PHONE: (814) 898-2143 SPIRITUAL ADVISOR E-MAIL: [email protected] FR. RAY DONOHUE VOL. 33, NO. 6 PUBLISHED MONTHLY JUNE 2020 MONTHLY MESSAGE OF MAY 25, 2020 ON THE 25TH DAY OF EACH MONTH, THE BLESSED VIRGIN GIVES A MESSAGE TO THE VISIONARY, MARIJA, THAT IS TO BE GIVEN TO THE WORLD. “Dear children! Pray with me for a new life for all of you. In your hearts , little children, you know what needs to be changed. Return to God and His Commandments, so that the Holy Spirit may change your lives and the face of this earth, which is in need of renewal in the Spirit. Little children, be prayer for all those who do not pray; be joy for all those who do not see the way out; be carriers of light in the darkness of this peaceless time. Pray and seek the help and protection of the saints so that you On June 25th, we will celebrate the 39th anniversary of Our Lady’s apparitions in Medjugorje. Pictured above is a scene from the early days also could yearn for Heaven and of Medjugorje. Anniversary time is a good time to do a self-evaluation to see if we are doing what Our Lady asks. Are we living the “five stones”– Heavenly realities. I am with you praying daily with the heart, especially the Rosary, reading the Bible daily, fasting on Wednesdays and Fridays, going to Confession once a and am protecting and blessing all month, and making the Eucharist the center of our lives? We always try to incorporate mention of each of the five stones into every issue, but of you with my motherly blessing. in this issue there is an article or story about each one to inspire you. Hopefully by the time you read this, most of us will at least be able to go Thank you for having responded to Confession again and make visitations to the Blessed Sacrament, even if Mass is not available yet. to my call.” Praying in the Month of the Sacred Heart of Jesus By Fr. Ray Donohue Hard to believe it is already Psalms, Holy Scripture readings of all kinds, meditations, June! It has been a very rough works of the Holy Fathers and Saints, and all kinds of various year for most of us, but we look prayers. I pray my breviary for Morning Prayer, Mid-day forward and know God has this. Prayer, Evening Prayer, and Night Prayer (Compline). Our Faith sustains us even in the I also have many favorite prayers I pray every day. I darkest hours. The month of June am a morning person, so most of these prayers I pray in is dedicated to the Sacred Heart the morning. I start with the Sign of the Cross, slowly and of Jesus. This Heart loves us with reverently. Then, every single day, I pray in this order: 3 an incomprehensible Love. I have Hail Mary’s in Honor of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. been present a few times in my I then have a little book I put my loose prayers in. I pray holy priesthood when a baby has for the canonization of Blessed Francis Xavier Seelos, for the been born, and the look on the canonization of Bishop Fulton J. Sheen, Father Slavko, and mother’s face and in her eyes to a local priest Father Nelson Baker, to Saint Raphael, to Saint see that child she has carried for Gabriel, Saint Michael, my Guardian Angel (whose name the past 9 months, and dreamed about for so long, is beyond is George), to Padre Pio, Saint Theresa the Little Flower, an words. It is a love so deep, so beautiful, so perfect, one old prayer to “My Mother, My Confidence”, many prayers cannot put it into words. for the unborn children, and Jesus has this love for us. He gives us a daily prayer for all the everything! Yes, everything. I am not talking visionaries of Medjugorje, by about giving us a million dollars, or a huge name. Then, I pray the prayer house or anything like that; I am talking about of Saint Gertrude the Great for EVERYTHING! The Lord gave us all life. It is a all the Holy Souls in Purgatory, daily gift, and in that life, He surrounds us with many times. Love – Love from His Sacred Heart and the love I want to share with you the of others, the love we feel for Him and the love next prayer I pray, to the Holy we give to others. He gives us breath, family, Spirit. “Come, O Holy Spirit, friends, Faith, and Himself. Jesus did not hold fill me with your love. May I live back on anything when it comes to us. He left out of Your abundant riches and the beauty and awe of Heaven to come to earth draw from the storehouse of Your as a human being, a human just like you and wisdom. Help me to hear what You me. He knew poverty, He knew sadness. He want me to hear, to say what You danced at weddings, and consoled those who want me to say, to be where You were lost and overburdened and abandoned by want me to be, and do what You others. He, Himself, was abandoned by others, want me to do. May I know that including His own disciples. His Love had no Your power at work in me can do limits, even on His Cross, as He was about to infinitely more than I could ever utter His last words, Jesus forgave those who Fr. Ray’s chapel ask or imagine. I commit myself tortured Him and mocked Him and hated Him. joyfully to Your work. Don’t let We pray: “O Sacred Heart of Jesus, I place my trust in Thee.” me get in Your way, and don’t let me die ‘til my work is done”. I As of this writing, we are still homebound, wearing masks, love this prayer. It is simple and says it all! and Churches are not open for Holy Mass or Confessions, at Next is a prayer to Saint Joseph, and then a special prayer least where I am living. I pray, by the time we read this, to our Blessed Mother. This, too I wish to share with you: things will be more open or at least getting there. We do all “O Blessed Mother, heart of love, heart of mercy, ever listening, these things because we are supposed to do it, but also for caring, consoling, hear our prayer. As Your children, we implore our families, we do it out of love. We can unite our hearts Your intercession with Jesus Your Son. Receive with understanding with that of the very Heart of Jesus. We can offer so much and compassion the petitions we place before You today, especially up. We can freely give this love. (mention request). We are comforted in knowing Your Heart is Many people have asked me what do I do when I pray. I ever open to those who ask for Your prayer. We entrust to Your thought that was a very interesting question. I was asked, gentle care and intercession, those whom we love and who are “Do you just make up prayers, or what?” When I pray, I sick or lonely or hurting. Help all of us, Holy Mother, to bear our prepare myself for prayer. I quiet myself; I go out to either burdens in this life until we may share eternal life and peace with my Chapel or in my “Prayer-chair” in my cabin. I open my God forever. Amen.” heart to Jesus, and I ask Him to come to me, and I ask Him Another favorite I pray every day is the “Miracle Prayer”. to help me be open. I begin prayer, as I told you once before, I am sure many of you pray this prayer also: with the prayer: “Almighty Father, I place the Precious Blood of “Lord Jesus, I come before You, just as I am. I am sorry for Jesus before my lips before I pray, that my prayers may be purified my sins; I repent of my sins; please forgive me. In Your Name, I before they ascend to Your Divine Altar.” forgive all others for what they have done against me. I renounce My favorite prayer, aside from the Ultimate prayer, which satan and all the evil spirits and all their works. I give You my is the Holy Mass, and the Holy Rosary, is my breviary. As entire self, Lord Jesus, now and forever. I invite You into my life, a priest, I pray every day my holy breviary, consisting of Jesus. I accept You as my Lord and Savior. Heal me, change me, JUNE 2020 - 2 - THE SPIRIT OF MEDJUGORJE strengthen me, in body, soul, mind and spirit. Come, Lord Jesus; I know we have been through and are going through very cover me with Your Precious Blood and fill me with Your Holy difficult times. I share a little bit about my prayer life to Spirit. I love You, Lord Jesus; I praise You, Jesus; I thank You, remind us all that praying is beautiful.