The promises of Our Lord Jesus to those who are devoted to his Sacred Heart

Photograph by Loci B. Lenar

THE PROMISES OF OUR LORD TO SAINT MARGARET MARY IN FAVOR OF THOSE WHO ARE DEVOTED TO HIS SACRED HEART - Prayers - Catholic Online

I will give them all the graces necessary in their state of life.
I will establish peace in their houses.
I will comfort them in all their afflictions.
I will be their secure refuge during life and, above all, in death.
I will bestow a large blessing upon all their undertakings.
Sinners shall find in my Heart the source and the infinite ocean of mercy.
Tepid souls shall grow fervent.
Fervent souls shall quickly mount to high perfection.
I will bless every place where a picture of My Sacred Heart shall be set up and honored.
I will give to Priest the gift of touching the most hardened hearts.

Those who shall promote this devotion shall have their names written in My Heart, never to be blotted out.

I promise You in the excessive mercy of My Heart that My all-powerful love will grant to all those who shall receive communion on the First Friday of nine consecutive months the grace of final penitence; they shall not die in my displeasure nor without receiving the Sacraments; My Divine Heart shall be their safe refuge in this last moment.

***

The statue of the Sacred Heart of Jesus can been see inside St. Mary's Catholic Church, Denville, NJ, USA.

Visit the following link for prayers to the Sacred Heart of Jesus: Devotional Prayers

Photograph Copyright 2010 Loci B. Lenar
Christian-Miracles.com

Our Lady of Medjugorje's Recent Message to the World: This is My Time

Photograph by Loci B. Lenar

News Story by Loci B. Lenar

While driving westbound on Route 46 in Roxbury, New Jersey, I pulled my car over to a nearby car dealership to take a photograph of the interesting billboard with Medjugorje.com's advertisement.  Adjacent to Mej.com is another billboard with an ad which by coincidence says Quick Chek.

Incidentally, If you continue westbound for another 2.5 miles on Route 46, you will arrive at the beautiful Church of Saint Michael in Netcong. 

Perhaps you're wondering as to the reason why it's important? 

Well, on September 14, 2009, while visiting the church to pray, I photographed a miraculous rainbow that appeared on the stained glass behind the statue of Archangel Michael.  Furthermore, I also received a spiritual locution from Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ regarding Michael the Archangel.  The message was shared with my spiritual advisor, Father Richard Tartaglia. 

To read my testimony on the matter and to view the miraculous photograph, please visit Christian-Miracles.com at the following link: Miraculous Signs of Archangel Michael  

  

Photograph by Loci B. Lenar

We are living in extraordinary times with God sending Our Lady to the world as a messenger of His peace. Let us pray that everyone would open their heart to God's love and transform into the resurrected image of Our Lord Jesus Christ.

As the clever ad implies, visit Mej.com on the web for a Quick Check of Our Lady's most recent message:

Our Lady of Medjugorje's February 25, 2010 Monthly Message - Medjugorje.com

Visionary Marija Pavlovic received the following message from Our Lady:

“Dear children! In this time of grace, when nature also prepares to give the most beautiful colors of the year, I call you, little children, to open your hearts to God the Creator for Him to transform and mould you in His image, so that all the good which has fallen asleep in your hearts may awaken to a new life and a longing towards eternity. Thank you for having responded to my call.”

Message of January 25, 2010

“Dear children! May this time be a time of personal prayer for you, so that the seed of faith may grow in your hearts; and may it grow into a joyful witness to others. I am with you and I desire to inspire you all: grow and rejoice in the Lord Who has created you. Thank you for having responded to my call.”

Photographs Copyright 2010 Loci B. Lenar

Prayers to the Holy Spirit

Prayers to the Holy Spirit

Spirit of wisdom and understanding, enlighten our minds to perceive the mysteries of the universe in relation to eternity. Spirit of right judgment and courage, guide us and make us firm in our baptismal decision to follow Jesus' way of love. Spirit of knowledge and reverence, help us to see the lasting value of justice and mercy in our everyday dealings with one another. May we respect life as we work to solve problems of family and nation, economy and ecology. Spirit of God, spark our faith, hope and love into new action each day. Fill our lives with wonder and awe in your presence which penetrates all creation. Amen.

OR

Oh Holy Spirit, You are the Third Person of the Blessed Trinity. You are the Spirit of truth, love and holiness, proceeding from the Father and the Son, and equal to Them in all things. I adore You and love You with all my heart. Teach me to know and to seek God, by whom and for whom I was created. Fill my heart with a holy fear and a great love for Him. Give me compunction and patience, and do not let me fall into sin.

Increase faith, hope and charity in me and bring forth in me all the virtues proper to my state of life. Help me to grow in the four cardinal virtues, Your seven gifts and Your twelve fruits.

Make me a faithful follower of Jesus, an obedient child of the Church and a help to my neighbor. Give me the grace to keep the commandments and to receive the sacraments worthily. Raise me to holiness in the state of life to which You have called me, and lead me through a happy death to everlasting life. Through Jesus Christ, our Lord.

Grant me also, O Holy Spirit, Giver of all good gifts, the special favor for which I ask {name special petition}, if it be for Your honor and glory and for my well being. Amen.

OR

Holy Spirit of light and love, you are the substantial love of the Father and the Son; hear my prayer. Bounteous bestower of most precious gifts, grant me a strong and living faith which makes me accept all revealed truths and shape my conduct in accord with them. Give me a most confident hope in all divine promises which prompts me to abandon myself unreservedly to you and your guidance. Infuse into me a love of perfect goodwill, and act according to God's least desires. Make me love not only my friends but my enemies as well, in imitation of Jesus Christ who through you offered himself on the Cross for all people. Holy Spirit, animate, inspire, and guide me, and help me to be always a true follower of you. Amen.

OR

Breathe into me, Holy Spirit, that my thoughts may all be holy. Move in me, Holy Spirit, that my work, too, may be holy. Attract my heart, Holy Spirit, that I may love only what is holy. Strengthen me, Holy Spirit, that I may defend all that is holy. Protect me, Holy Spirit, that I may always be holy.   By Saint Augustine

The above prayers can be found on Catholic websites.

The photograph of the stained glass window detail can be seen inside of Our Lady of Victories Church.  The Catholic church is located on Fair Street in Paterson, NJ, USA.

Photograph Copyright 2010 Loci B. Lenar
Christian-Miracles.com 

New Catholic Travel Series Debuts on EWTN March 4, 2010

The Faithful Traveler -- Press Release

Philadelphia, PA - This March 4th a new travel television series with a Catholic focus debuts on EWTN (Eternal Word Televison Network). The Faithful Traveler™ television series captures the faith, fun and excitement of Catholic travel. The show’s host, Diana von Glahn, takes you on a fun and faith-filled tour of some of the most amazing churches, shrines, and places of pilgrimage throughout the United States!

“You don’t have to travel all the way to Europe and beyond to experience breathtaking churches and shrines,” says Diana von Glahn. “We have so many Catholic treasures right here in the U.S. and I am thrilled to have the opportunity to bring these glorious sites into people’s homes and hearts!” Diana is not only the host of the series, she is also the writer, editor and co-creater with her husband David. A cradle Catholic with deep religious roots from her Mexican/American heritage, von Glahn presents the history, architecture and religious significance of each site in a fast-paced show that will leave viewers thirsty for more.

The first season of The Faithful Traveler™ focuses on the East Coast with travel destinations in New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Maryland. Viewers will walk along with Diana von Glahn as she travels to such majestic sites as St. Patrick’s Cathedral in New York, NY, the Cathedral Basilica of the Sacred Heart in Newark, NJ, the National Shrine of St. John Neumann in Philadelphia, PA , the National Shrine of St. Elizabeth Ann Seton, in Emmitsburg, Maryland, and many more!

Shot in high definition, the series is not only a treat for the eyes but also for the ears: it features the music of some of today’s most talented musicians, including Sarah Bauer, Nichole Akhoury Lanthier, Popple, John Grassadonia, Rise, Isabel Rivera, Robby Alleman, Christine Wittman, Ceili Rain, Kitty Cleveland, and many others.

The Faithful Traveler™ debuts on EWTN on March 4

Airing on Thursdays at 1:00 pm EST

Repeating on Sundays at 5:00 pm EST

Season One Schedule:

March 4 & 7: National Shrine of St. Rita of Cascia, Philadelphia, PA

March 11 & 14: National Shrine of St. Katharine Drexel, Bensalem, PA

March 18 & 21: Shrine of St. Elizabeth Ann Seton at Our Lady of the Rosary Parish and St. Peter’s Roman Catholic Church, New York, NY

March 28: National Blue Army Shrine of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, Washington, NJ

April 1 & 4: St. Mary’s Spiritual Center & Historic Site on Paca Street in Baltimore, MD and the National Shrine of St. Elizabeth Ann Seton, Emmitsburg, MD

April 8 & 11: Shrine of Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal, Philadelphia, PA

April 15 & 18: Old St. Patrick’s Cathedral, New York, NY

April 22 & 25: Cathedral of Mary Our Queen, Baltimore, MD

April 29 & May 2: St. Alphonsus Church, Baltimore, MD

May 6 & 9: National Shrine of St. John Neumann, Philadelphia, PA

May 13 & 16: Cathedral Basilica of the Sacred Heart, Newark, NJ

May 20 & 23: St. Patrick’s Cathedral, New York, NY

May 27 & 30: St. Patrick’s Cathedral, New York, NY

*Dates and times are subject to change. Check your local listings for final times.

For more information about The Faithful Traveler™ series, visit http://www.thefaithfultraveler.com/ or  http://www.ewtn.com/

To schedule an interview with the series' host, Diana von Glahn, call: 610-537-3535 or email: diana@thefaithfultraveler.com

Barber in Rome Says Praying to John Paul II Cured Him of a Hernia

The barber shop miracle -Times Online

The photograph and excerpt written by Richard Owen appeared on Times Online:

"I am not a saint, I am a sinner" says Giovanni Vecchio as he snips at a customer's hair in his barber's shop in a side street of a workaday Rome suburb. "But I have known a saint." He pauses, scissors in mid-air. "In fact, I have cut his hair".

If - or when - the late Pope John Paul II is canonised, it will be in part thanks to Mr Vecchio. Over 30 years ago, when the barber's shop he worked in was near the Vatican, a Polish prelate called Karol Wojtyla wandered in, sat down, and had his hair cut. He became a regular customer.

Mr Vecchio had no idea who "Father Karol" was, still less that he was to become "papabile". "He told me once he was bishop of Krakow, but to me they were all priests. I called them all Father".

But the encounter changed his life: last year, when he was entering hospital in great pain for a hernia operation, he saw a black and white photograph of John Paul II as a young man hanging at the entrance, and "our eyes met". Shortly afterwards, he was discharged. The hernia - and the pain - had miraculously disappeared.

The "barber's miracle" does not form part of the case for beatifiying John Paul - expected in October - for which the miracle most likely to be approved involves a French nun cured of Parkinson's disease after praying to John Paul. Nor can it be considered for the second "medically inexplicable cure" required for canonisation, since that must take place after beatification.

It has, however, been recorded by the Congregation for the Causes of Saints as evidence of the reverence and devotion toward John Paul. "To me the canonisation announcement itself is not important" Mr Vecchio says at his salon, "Gianni's". "For me, as for many others, he is already a saint".

"A year ago I developed a serious problem in my back. It got worse and worse, and in the end I saw a neurosurgeon who said I had a herniated disc and would have to have an operation."

He decided to go into hospital at the end of July so he could convalesce during August. "I was in great pain," he says, limping across the floor to show how he could hardly walk. The day before the operation "the surgeon came to see the patients. He looked at my notes and made me press my left knee against his arm as hard as I could, and looked at me with some surprise. He said I would have to have more tests."

After the new tests "the nurse came along and told me that they were sending me home. A woman doctor put up the two test results against the glass, and showed me that there was nothing there. She said to me "I don't believe in miracles, but something has happened". I thanked her, stood up and went home. Ten days later I went down to my home village in Apulia for the holidays, 650 kilometres in the car there and back without a single problem".

After the holiday, "something woke me up at four in the morning. I sat down at the computer, and found the Internet page about the beatification of John Paul II. I'm a barber, I'm not very good at writing, or computers, but I wrote down my experiences the way I've told them to you, and sent it off."

A month later he had a call from Vatican Radio to say his testimony was "convincing" and "reliable". He has since featured on Italian television and in Italian magazines after Pope Benedict XVI, who has put John Paul on the fast-track to sainthood, recognised his predecessor's "heroic virtues", a step before beatification.

Could his remarkable recovery not just be coincidence? Coincidences do happen, he replies, 'but no, all this has happened through John Paul's intercession. I am not religious, but I believe in him". Last November, after watching a documentary about John Paul's election, he resolved to find a photograph of the occasion to add to the mementoes in his shop.

"I went downstairs the next morning, walked out of the door, and there on the pavement, rolled up as if someone had just thrown it away, was a small devotional image of John Paul II as he appeared on the balcony that day in 1978. I found another one just the same on New Year's Eve, and another on a fridge magnet someone had thrown away. Now explain that."

To read the complete story, visit the following link: The Barber Shop Miracle 

John Paul the Great Catholic University Launches Program in New Evangelization

The following press release is from John Paul the Great University:

Answering John Paul the II's Call

JP Catholic Launches program in New Evangelization
 

SAN DIEGO, CA - John Paul the Great Catholic University is pleased to announce the launch of its major in New Evangelization starting in 2010. At the turn of the new millennium, Pope John Paul II exhorted young people to spread the Gospel to all nations. The third millennium has ushered in an explosion of new media channels through which to spread the Good News. John Paul the Great called us to embrace these new means of communications to impact the culture for Christ. The New Evangelization major embraces John Paul's exhortation to bring the light of the Gospel to all nations by passionately articulating the faith using new forms of communication.

The New Evangelization major is the next step in forwarding the university's mission to impact culture for Christ. "It not only answers the call of Jesus, but also that of John Paul II, to use the media to evangelize the world" says JP Catholic President Derry Connolly. "We're leveraging the strengths that we have in other areas to create a program which we feel is a direct call of both Jesus and John Paul II." The core focus of the program is the melding of theology and new media. The New Evangelization major gives students a well-rounded education in both these disciplines, thus empowering them to create cutting-edge media and build sustainable apostolates.

Each JP Catholic student, regardless of his or her major, is given a firm grounding in Catholic thought. New Evangelization students obtain a particularly rigorous formation in Scripture, theology, and philosophy. They take classes with both their fellow undergraduates and with Masters in Theology students. These include courses in the Old and New Testaments, the Sacraments, and Catholic social teachings. Students are equipped to defend the teachings of Holy Mother Church. Each professor in this program is joyfully loyal to the Magisterium. The theological formation is bolstered by courses in philosophy. "Bad theology," says Michael Barber, Professor of Theology, Scripture and Catholic Thought, "often emanates from a bad philosophical foundation." The philosophical formation offered in the New Evangelization major anchors students in the philosophy of St. Thomas Aquinas, an invaluable foundation for those seeking to study Scripture and theology.

On the practical side, the New Evangelization major focuses on three areas: creating new media, teaching others, and building apostolates. Students take a comprehensive mix of classes in media production, including screen writing, editing, and directing. New Evangelization majors take these classes alongside the Entertainment Media majors. Both receive a foundational education in the world of media; the chief difference between the two majors is the emphasis on theology. While Media majors become more specialized in a particular field in the entertainment industry, Evangelization majors delve deeper into Catholic thought. "With the New Evangelization major," says Dr. Connolly, "we're producing a generalist, not a specialist."

Through the Apostolate Launch Pad, students take the skills they have learned and apply them to an evangelization project. Entertainment Media majors are encouraged to focus more on reaching a secular audience with a solid moral message. "Evangelization majors," say Provost Dominic Iocco, "will do media projects that focus more on the Christian message." They will use new media to spread the Gospel. "We want our Evangelization majors to be the Saint Pauls of the twenty-first century," says Dr. Connolly.

By integrating the theology and Scripture education with the practical tools of media, JP Catholic hopes the New Evangelization program will further its mission to impact culture for Christ. To request a brochure for the New Evangelization, click here. For further information on the program, please visit our academic page. - click here