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Fr Bob: Lent- Transformation into Christ

Fr. Bob's Commentary, Medjugorje

OUR LADY OF MEDJUGORJE’S MESSAGE OF FEBRUARY 25, 2010

February 25, 2010 Message

“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.”

March 2, 2010 Message

“Dear children. In this special time of your effort to be all the closer to my Son, to His suffering, but also to the love with which He bore it, I desire to tell you that I am with you. I will help you to triumph over errors and temptations with my grace. I will teach you love, love which wipes away all sins and makes you perfect, love which gives you the peace of my Son now and forever. Peace with you and in you, because I am the Queen of Peace. Thank you.”

Lent: Transformation into Christ

A. Open Your Hearts to God the Creator.

1. Recognize Your Father. God chose us to be a special and unique image of Himself. He looked forward eagerly to the moment we would appear on this earth, and, as He said, He shed a tear of happiness when we were born. In His infinite wisdom, goodness and providence, He has carefully arranged all the circumstances of our life down to the least detail. He created us out of love, and, as a loving Father, He awaits patiently for the response of our love – that moment when we  realize how caring a Father He is, and then leap into His arms as an expression of our love and thanksgiving.

2. Give Him Your Heart in total surrender. He is the source of all our blessings and the center of our lives. As our Creator, He has to be Number One. But He has given us free will and never forces us. We have to choose Him. “I am calling you to complete surrender to God. You, dear children, are not conscious of how God loves you with such a great love. Therefore, forsake everything and give your time to God.” (3-25-88)

3. Speak with Him. “Today I call you, through prayer, to open yourselves to God as a flower opens itself to the rays of the morning sun.” (4-25-88) “Grow in love. A flower is not able to grow normally without water. So also you, dear children, are not able to grow without God’s blessing. Each day you need to seek His blessing so that you will perform all your actions in union with God.”

B. Let Him Transform and Mould You.

1. Transform. Our Lady’s messages are always commentaries on the words and events of her Son Jesus. She is obviously thinking of the Transfiguration of Our Lord on the first Sunday of Lent three days later, when Our Lord surrendered His life to the Will of the Father. Transformation implies a radical change of the heart, not a superficial change like changing our clothes or demeanor.

2. Mould. The Father wishes to transform us into little children so that we can enter His kingdom or rule and become images of His Son. Children are naturally    dependent on their parents and look to them for everything. Thus, they are   attentive to their wishes for their well-being.

3. Listen. At the Transfiguration the Father said: “This is my Beloved Son; Listen to Him.” Jesus said 75% of all our troubles come from not listening to Him. He is constantly speaking to us through His Words of Scripture and to those attentive to His whispers in prayer. Our Lady is the best example, so much so that St. Augustine called her the “mould of God.”

C. Our Lady is with Us “To Awaken to a New Life.”

1.“To Be Closer to My Son, to His suffering, but also to the love with which He bore it.” In the Act of Consecration to the Sacred Heart of Jesus she asks us to pray: “O Good Jesus, make us open our hearts to You at least in the moment we remember Your Passion suffered for us.”

2. “To Triumph Over Errors and Temptations with my grace.” She asks us to pray: “Protect me from all dangers, then lead me and guide me.”

3.“To Love which wipes away all sins, makes you perfect and gives you peace.” She asks us to pray: “By means of Your goodness, Your love and Your grace, save us. We desire to be yours. Give us the grace to be merciful to you. Give us the grace to love everyone as you have loved Jesus Christ.”

-Rev. Robert Hughes, S.M.

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Fr Bob: Pray and Work on Your Personal Conversion

Fr. Bob's Commentary, Medjugorje

OUR LADY OF MEDJUGORJE’S MESSAGE OF AUGUST 25, 2009

“Dear children! Today I call you anew to conversion. Little children, you are not holy enough and you do not radiate holiness to others, therefore pray, pray, pray and work on your personal conversion, so that you may be a sign of God’s love to others. I am with you and am leading you towards eternity, for which every heart must yearn. Thank you for having responded to my call.”

Pray, Pray, Pray and Work on Your Personal Conversion

A. I Call You Anew to Conversion.

1.Conversion means that the way we are doing things is not quite correct, to regret our sad predicament, and to change some things so that we hurry to get back on the right road. Basically, it comes down to the way we are praying and relating to God. It may mean we are not praying with our whole heart, there is not enough feeling in our prayer, we do not pray in a child-like manner, we do not throw ourselves into prayer and pray earnestly, we do not pray confidently with a firm faith and total trust, or some such.

2. The Call, we must remind ourselves, comes from God Himself. “The Father is calling you through me,” Our Lady says (10-25-87). And what is that call? “God calls you to convert and to return to the way of truth and salvation.” (9-25-98) The “way of truth” is the fact that the Father loves each one of us immeasurably and calls us to a life of deep, personal intimacy with Him in this life, so that we can live with Him forever. And that is our “salvation.” The Call indicates that there is  something wanting on our part.

B. You Are Not Holy Enough.

1. Holiness….means to be like God, and “God is Love.” (I John 4)

a. We are said to be holy when we “love God with all our mind, all our heart, all our soul, and all our strength, and love our neighbor as ourselves.” We can love God with “all our mind” by thinking of Him always and thinking his thoughts; “with all our heart” by always desiring to be with Him no matter what we are doing; “with all our soul” by seeking to accomplish His Will at every moment; “with all our strength” by marshalling all our forces, energies, and concentration to give Him full honor and service.

b. We are said to be holy when we walk in His presence and seek to be united  with Him continually through prayer, i.e. by praying always, united with Jesus, following the inspirations of the Holy Spirit, for the accomplishment of God’s Will.

2. Living in Holiness.

a. Our Lady has a pointed message in this regard: “Dear Children! Today again I am calling you to pray with your whole heart and day by day to change your life. Especially, dear children, I am calling you by your prayers and sacrifices that you begin to live in holiness, because I desire that each one of you who has been to this fountain of grace will come to Paradise with the special gift which you shall give me and this is holiness. Therefore, dear children, pray and daily change your life to become holy. I shall be with you.” (11-13-86)

b. What strikes me is: “I shall be with you.” Our Mother wants to lead and guide us step by step in our prayer so that we pray the way she prays and that we offer little sacrifices that she will point out through the day.

C. Practice. Our Lady gives these points for us to review….

1. “Decide for God every day.” “Start living in God’s love. When you get up in the morning “open yourself to God as the flower that opens itself to the rays of the morning sun.” (4-25-96)

2. “Put your life in God’s hands.”

“God only wants your complete surrender.”

“Have more faith and trust in God Who loves you immeasurably.” (8-25-96)

3. “Each evening, make your examination of conscience, but only to give thanks for   everything God’s love offers us at Medjugorje.” (12-25-85)

4.“When God is in the first place, you will seek the Will of God in all you do.”

“Conversion will then become a daily duty you will do with joy.” (4-25-96)

5. “Through (constant) prayer, you will be able to live your conversion.” (6-   25-96)

-Rev. Robert Hughes, S.M.

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Fr Bob: Convert and Feel a Need

Fr. Bob's Commentary, Medjugorje

OUR LADY OF MEDJUGORJE’S MESSAGE OF AUGUST 25, 2008

“Dear children! Also today I call you to personal conversion. You be those who will convert and, with your life, will witness, love, forgive and bring the joy of the Risen One into this world, where my Son died and where people do not feel a need to seek Him and to discover Him in their lives. You adore Him, and may your hope be hope to those hearts who do not have Jesus. Thank you for having responded to my call.”

Convert and Feel a Need

A. To Seek the Lord.
1. Now. No one has to tell a college senior the night before final exams to study intensely, because his entire future depends on it. There is a built-in urgency when the stakes are high. The prophet Isaiah tried to warn the people of Israel of impending disaster: “Seek the Lord while He may be found; call on Him while He is near. Turn to Yahweh for He will have mercy, for our God is generous in forgiving.” (Is. 55:6-7)
2. Or Never. Our Blessed Mother struck a similar chord on April 25, 1983: “Be converted! It will be too late when the sign comes. Hurry without delay. You do not know the plans of God; you will not know what God will send. I ask you only to be converted. Be ready for everything.” Through her intercession, she has gained us time until we all wake up.
3. The Danger is complacency or the illusion that there is plenty of time. There is the story of three devils trying to find a plan to deceive people on earth. The third devil proposed a plan of convincing human beings that there was plenty of time to convert and his plan was agreed upon.

B. To Discover Him in Daily Life.

1. Pope John Paul II gave the youth of today a very practical way of discovering Jesus in their everyday lives by asking them to answer a set of questions:

a. What did you see today, hear today, experience today?

b. Where was Jesus in all that?

c. What was He saying?

d. And what was He saying to you?

e. And how did you respond?

2. St. Therese of Lisieux made a very startling statement once when she said that “time is an illusion.” She added that when we pray, time disappears and we are living in eternity. What she was really saying was that prayer is an exercise of Faith which dispels all illusions and we are able to see things as they really are…from God’s point of view.

3. Mother Teresa insisted that prayer was necessary to see Jesus in daily life. She asked her nuns to do an hour of adoration before the Blessed Sacrament after lunch so that discerning what Jesus looked like they could discover Him in the persons they were caring for the rest of the afternoon.

C. To Witness His Presence.

1. Blessed Eugenia Ravasco’s messages from the Father inspire us to witness. “I come to banish fear and bring hope. Love pays for everything. If you love Me and call Me by the sweet name of Father, trusting in My Fatherly goodness, I will give you everything you ask for.” How beautiful! And contagious!

2. Jesus makes similar promises, but we have to approach Him similarly: “Desire sincerely to be with Me. Delight in talking to Me. Offer Me your heart.”

3. Mary seems to be asking us to live the Mass by witnessing to the self-gift of love, and forgiving everyone as Jesus forgave from the Cross: “Father, forgive them for they know not what they are doing.” When we do this, we give joy to the Risen Christ who is acting in us and through us.

D. We Live This Message by trying each day to deal with the Father and Jesus more and more from the heart in childlike trust. Prayer is a communion of spirits and the Holy Spirit will be pouring into our hearts Love and Mercy. The sign that this is happening will be joy; which is a natural witness.

-Rev. Robert Hughes, S.M.

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Fr Bob: Conversion through Prayer

Fr. Bob's Commentary, Medjugorje

OUR LADY OF MEDJUGORJE’S MESSAGE OF AUGUST 25, 2007

“Dear children! Also today I call you to conversion. May your life, little children, be a reflection of God’s goodness and not of hatred and unfaithfulness. Pray, little children, that prayer may become life for you. In this way, in your life you will discover the peace and joy which God gives to those who have an open heart to His love. And you who are far from God’s mercy, convert so that God may not become deaf to your prayers and that it may not be too late for you. Therefore, in this time of grace, convert and put God in the first place in your life. Thank you for having responded to my call.”

Conversion Through Prayer

A. “I Call You to Conversion.”

1. First Step: Confession. Our Lady said: “May Holy Confession be the first act of conversion for you, and then, dear children, decide for holiness.” (Nov. 25, 1998) Holy Confession is an experience of God’s Mercy by which we are reconciled with God anew and discover Jesus as our “truth and peace” (Jan. 25, 1995). Our Blessed Mother recommends Confession on a regular basis as a means of continual purification of heart.

2. Second Step: Decide for Holiness. Through the progressive use of Confession our hearts become touched by God’s goodness and His infinite love for us supremely manifested by Jesus’ Passion suffered for us. Confidence is born within and we surrender our lives to the One Who is the source of all our blessings. We put God in the first place and know that in doing His Will we will find our peace. We have decided for holiness.

3. Third Step: Change of Heart. From here on in we are in a continual search for God that takes place notably in prayer. This mystery is expressed beautifully in words that come from God the Father:

“Conversion is a continual process of change: the discovery of a new love, a fuller love, resulting in a heart full of love and compassion. Lack of conversion is a sure sign of lukewarmness. Conversion is a renewal of love for Me, preceded by a recognition of My Love for you.”

B. “May Prayer Become Life for You.” Our Blessed Mother is truly magnificent in showing us how to cultivate a vital relationship with God. For her, prayer is:

1. An Experience of God. “Why do you pray? You pray:

1) to FIND God;

2) to BE WITH God;

3) to EXPERIENCE God WITHIN.”

“Something should happen within five minutes. If not, cry out: God I love you.”

2. A Heartfelt Feeling. “Until you FEEL God’s love and friendship, you have not entered the path of prayer.”

3. Something New. “You cannot pray as a HABIT. Every prayer should be something NEW – even One Our Father. Express everything within you. Whoever has a GREAT DESIRE FOR GOD, to REACH God, to LIVE IN God – THAT PERSON PRAYS.”

4. Mary Wants to Help us in Prayer. ‘LET ME BE YOUR MOTHER.” “

1) Dear Children, GIVE ME YOUR HAND.

2) Then I will be able to LEAD YOU as a Mother.

3) We will go together on the TRUE WAY to the Father.” (3-18-90)

C. “Be a Reflection of God’s Goodness And Not of Hatred.”

1. Encounter God. In every well-made prayer there is a real encounter with God. That means a real contact is made through Faith, Hope and Love and God impresses on our heart and soul His divine attributes of Goodness, Love and Mercy. In these marvelous words, Jesus shows us how this will take place:

a.“Leave more and more your involvement and attachments to created things.”

b. “Approach Me, that is, come near Me. For this, you must come to Me with your heart in your hand, i.e., you must enjoy being with Me, because you love Me.”

c. “To encounter Me, you must open your heart wide in confidence and trust, pouring out for Me all that is in your heart.”

d. “Then you must listen in a childlike fashion to My response and to all that I want to share with you.”

e. “Behold, our hearts are one!”

2. Reflect God. Prayer is often described as a “meeting of hearts.” If that has taken place, then our hearts are filled with Love – divine Love – because “God is love.” We carry this love in our hearts as a blessing for everyone we meet. We can confirm this grace by praying in our hearts the Prayer of St. Francis:

“Lord, make me an instrument of your peace. Where there is hatred, let me sow love. Where there is injury, let me sow pardon. Where there is doubt, let me sow faith. Where there is despair, let me give hope. Where there is darkness, let me give light. Where there is sadness, let me give joy. O Divine Master, grant that I may not try to be comforted, but to comfort; not try to be understood, but to understand; not try to be loved, but to love. Because it is in giving that we receive, in forgiving that we are forgiven, and in dying that we are born to eternal life.

2. Live God. Jesus complained to Sr. Mary of the Holy trinity once that many good people receive Him devoutly in Holy Communion, but when they leave the Church they proceed to live their own life; very few live My Life when they leave Church. To live the Life of Jesus, we have to be continually united to Him, to listen to Him, and let Him speak and act through us. To help that, we can sing the Prayer of St. Francis.

Make me a channel of your peace. Where there is hatred, let me bring your love. Where there is injury, your pardon Lord. And where there’s doubt, true faith in you. Make me a channel of your peace. Where there is despair in life, let me bring hope. Where there is darkness, only light. And where there is sadness, ever joy. Make me a channel of your peace. It is in pardoning that we are pardoned. In giving of ourselves that we receive, and in dying that we’re born to eternal life.

REFRAIN: O Master, grant that I may never seek so much to be consoled as to console. To be understood as to understand. To be loved, as to love with all my soul.

-Rev. Robert Hughes, S.M.


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Fr Bob: Convert – Come Closer To Our Lady

Fr. Bob's Commentary, Medjugorje

OUR LADY OF MEDJUGORJE’S MESSAGE OF SEPTEMBER 25, 2005

“Dear Children! In love I call you: convert, even though you are far from my heart. Do not forget, I am your mother and I feel pain for each one who is far from my heart; but I do not leave you alone. I believe you can leave the way of sin and decide for holiness. Thank you for having responded to my call.”

Convert: Come Closer To Our Lady

A. I Call You With Love To Convert.

1. I Call You.
a. This is a time of grace when Our Lady’s call goes out and is able to be heard. Therefore, it is a time of possibility and hope, a time of adjustment and change, a time when our response will be welcomed and embraced.
b. Our Lady is calling because there is a storm brewing and when it hits we will find great difficulty in finding safe refuge and security. Her call is more a plea than a simple request.
2. With Love.
a. There is always a fear in the eye of a mother who foresees danger and cannot convince her children to come running to her. She stands and waits as her calls become more and more urgent.
b. Our Lady’s love and concern for each of her children is as strong and personal as her love for Jesus. She is Mother and is continually preoccupied with the welfare of her children, especially those who have drifted away from her.
3. To convert means…
a. to put God first in our life and to surrender our all to Him daily;
b. to choose Jesus as the center of our lives and as the source of all our blessings;
c. to let Mary be our Mother, to have her take care of all our needs, to let her teach us and guide our steps.
B. I Am Your Mother. Reflect on these statements by Our Lady:
1. “How happy I am when you call me ‘My Mother!’ How lovely it would be if I could be your real Mother and you my children.” (10-25-85).
2. “Now, right now, you have to be my children. Not tomorrow or after tomorrow, but now! If you have a problem, give it to me, for I am your Mother. I am always here for you and I love you.” (12-15-85)
3. “How long it has been since you encountered me as your Mother! Meditate on this over the next few days and decide to change something.” (7-28-85)
C. I Feel Pain for Each One Far from My Heart.
1. “I burn with love. I burn entirely with love. But no one wants my love, no one, no one. I am inflamed completely by this love, but no one wants it.”
2. “So it burns within me because no one wants it. I suffer because not even you want it. My burning will not cease until you convert.”
3. “I will burn until you understand that I am your Mother. I am your Mother and I will always be your Mother. I will show you that I truly am.” (11-22-84)
C. I Will Not Leave You Alone.
1. Our Lady’s mission in life is to be our Mother and to bring us and all her children to her son, Jesus. “I invite you to grasp the importance of my coming and the gravity of the situation. I want to save all souls and present them to God.” (8-25-91)
2. Leave the way of sin – which is, as St. John says, anything that is not of God. It is to walk in our own world of darkness and cease to be “children of light.”
3. Decide for holiness – which is to seek the Will of God, accept it, and live it. In a special way, Our Blessed Mother is sent into our lives as God’s unique gift in our time to help us and to lead us to Jesus, to heaven. “I will be with you and I will teach you how to place Jesus first, to love Him and to belong to Him completely.
Rev. Robert E. Hughes, S.M.
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