Monthly Messages from the Queen of Peace of Medjugorje: March 2017

Our Lady, Queen of Peace, pray for us...

Our Lady's Monthly Message to the World on March 25th:

   "Dear children! In this time of grace, I am calling all of you to open your hearts to God’s mercy, to begin a new life through prayer, penance and a decision for holiness. This time of spring moves you to a new life, to a renewal, in your thoughts and hearts. Therefore, little children, I am with you to help you to say 'yes' to God and to God’s commandments with resoluteness. You are not alone; I am with you through the grace which the Most High gives me for you and your descendants.  Thank you for having responded to my call."

Our Lady's Special Message to Mirjana Dragicevic-Soldo on March 2nd:

   "Dear children! My motherly desire is for your hearts to be filled with peace, and for your souls to be pure so that in the presence of my Son you could see His face. Because, my children, as a mother I know that you thirst for consolation, hope and protection. You, my children, consciously and unconsciously are seeking my Son. I also, as I passed the time on earth, rejoiced, suffered and patiently endured pains, until my Son, in all His glory, removed them. And that is why I am saying to my Son: help them always. You, my children, with true love, illuminate the darkness of selfishness which all the more envelopes my children. Be generous. May both your hands and heart always be open. Do not be afraid. Abandon yourselves to my Son with trust and hope. As you look towards Him, live life with love. To love means to give oneself, to endure, and never to judge. To love means to live the words of my Son. My children, as a mother I am speaking to you: only true love leads to eternal happiness.  Thank you."

The Holy Theotokos of Iveron: Visit #2 with the Myrrh-Streaming Icon of Hawaii

"All your garments are

 fragrant with myrrh and aloes

and cassia; out of ivory palaces

stringed instruments have

made you glad."

~ Psalm 45:8

Tonight, I was invited to participate in a joint-pilgrimage with St. George parishioners (Waimanalo) and Our Lady of Good Counsel (Pearl City) to venerate Hawaii's very own myrrh-streaming "Holy Theotokos of Iveron". It was my second visit with the alleged miracle-working icon... and like the first time I saw it in June 2015, this evening's events proved to be an unforgettable encounter with the supernatural.

The altar in the Eastern
Catholic Church.

From what I was told by a friend, the icon had recently been away from Hawaii touring the US mainland, and just returned this week. Its custodian, the Russian Orthodox Subdeacon, named Nectarios, was invited to bring the blessed image to St. Michael the Archangel Eastern Catholic Church near Mililani Town where tonight's veneration service was held.

The program started with the prayer of the Rosary, followed by a short talk given by the Subdeacon, who narrated to us his personal view on why the Iveron Icon drips myrrh. He basically reiterated that Our Lady is indeed our loving mother and she is manifesting this grace of oil to get our attention; to point the way to her Divine Son, as depicted in the icon. He also testified to a few remarkable cures recently attributed to the icon, which is renowned in Orthodox Church circles for the curative properties of the myrrh that frequently oozes and drips from its surface.

Immediately after the talk, a healing service followed during which the audience was given the opportunity to view and touch the icon's protective frame, as well as receive an anointing from the Subdeacon using some of the blessed myrrh. We were told earlier in the evening that the icon was currently not streaming because of the Easter Season, however, when my turn came up to venerate the image, I found the icon's case slightly tacky to the touch due to a thin layer of oily, rose-scented liquid.

The Iveron Icon's custodian, Deacon

Nectary, testifying to the many miracles

of the holy image.  The icon is on the

podium to the right of him.

Besides the delightful aroma that surrounded the image and its immediate vicinity, many silver escarchas appeared on the carpet leading up to the podium where the icon was displayed. While waiting in line, me and co-members from our Mililani Lady of Fatima Prayer Group noticed them manifesting on the carpet, and we may have inadvertently peaked some peoples' curiosity the way we kept staring at the floor and taking pictures. 'don't blame them if they thought us crazy... but the silver sparkles just kept appearing and appearing like many tiny stars against the blue color of the carpet - so beautiful!

The healing prayer service - pilgrims

venerating the icon and receiving an

anointing with blessed myrrh.

In spite of these clear signs that were being granted us in that tiny chapel, for me, what stood out the most about this evening was not the myrrh, the scent of roses, or the escarchas... but rather, it was the powerful presence of the Divine - it literally slammed into me! I'll just leave it at that because my experience with the icon was deeply personal... and the truth is - I'm still trying to absorb it all.

A small copy of the Iveron Icon, with

cotton soaked in the miraculous myrrh,

received at the event.

I'll close this post by affirming once again that I believe in God; that I believe in Our Lady's role as intercessor and prophetess for the People of God; that I believe in the truth of the Iveron Icon and agree with the Subdeacon's assessment of it - Heaven is trying to point our way back to God and, in these times of extraordinarily flagrant wickedness, Jesus is resorting to extraordinary means to reach us - sending his own mother to anoint us with blessed myrrh; a light, scented oil-like fluid, which in Sacred Scripture, denotes elements needed to resist evil: Healing, Strength, and Consecration to God's Work.  Our Lady of Iveron, pray for us!

+ To learn about the original miraculous Theotokos of Iveron icon, click here.  +

Novena Prayer in Honor of St. Joseph, the Chaste Spouse of the Blessed Virgin Mary

"Would that I could persuade

all men to be devoted to this glorious

Saint [St. Joseph], for I know by long

experience what blessings he can

obtain for us from God."

~ Words of St. Teresa of Avila

St. Joseph, pray for us!

This ministry pays special honor to St. Joseph, the foster-father of our Lord... and readers are encouraged to honor him, as well.  Believe me - St. Joseph's intercession is AWESOME before the heavenly throne of his Divine Son.  Recite the prayer below consistently for 9 consecutive days, with trust in his power to intercede... just see what happens. **

** TIP:  For this novena - any prayer - to be successful, there must be a measure of faith; a belief that God, in his infinite goodness, can answer our prayer.  Without faith, prayer has no power.

The Memorare to St. Joseph

Remember, O St. Joseph, loving and

powerful protector, that according to the

testimony of your faithful servant, St.

Teresa of Avila, no one who is truly devoted

to you has seen his petition rejected.  Filled

with confidence and hope I come to you,

O worthy Spouse of Mary Immaculate. 

[mention your personal intention here]

Do not close your ears to my prayers,

you who have the glorious title of Father

of Jesus, but hear it and present it for

me to Him who has vouchsafed to be

called your son.  Amen.

[pray an Our Father, a Hail Mary,

and a Glory Be]

St. Joseph, Patron of the Universal

Church, pray for us!

"The children of the world are ignorant

regarding the privileges and rights, which

the Most High has conferred on my holy

spouse, and the power of his intercession

with the Divine Majesty and with me...

In all trials seek his intercession, because

the Heavenly Father will grant whatever

my spouse asks."

~ Words of Our Lady to

Ven. Mary of Agreda