text:
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How Do Foreign Men Want To Be Treated By Honduran Brides
New findings show that, like their counterparts in lots of neighboring international locations, Honduran women are sorely underrepresented within the job market. According to analysis, it's the first time on file that two cyclones have hit Honduras in the same season. Eta and Iota left a minimum of 94 folks dead, at least half a million internally displaced, and virtually 4 million affected in Honduras. According to analysts, the impression of the cyclones might take the country's poverty rate as much as 80 p.c in 2021.
Low living requirements contain a number of social implications like excessive crime rates. Honduras is by no circumstances a safe place. Thus, the Overseas Security Advisory Council reports about crucial crime levels in Tegucigalpa, Honduras's capital. Certainly, armed robberies, house invasions, and gun-fights happen very often on Honduran streets. Due to this fact, you might not need to keep within the country for too lengthy if you happen to resolve so far Honduran brides. It's a lot safer to fulfill a Honduran woman on-line and take her to the US as quickly as possible. Is that this country even value relationship, assuming excessive crime levels? When you appreciate beautiful authentic Latin American magnificence and mild temper, you'll want to have a Honduran spouse. Most ladies in Honduras are humble, undemanding, forgiving, and super-loyal: the perfect material for building a wholesome household. So read additional to seek out out more about Honduran girls and their traits.
These kinds of divisions which can be local birdes-to-be really deciding on strive ladies, credit rating reporting their particulars and guaranteeing girls occur to be undoubtedly certified to receive marital life one or possibly divorced. Guru pictures. Pursuing the corporate approves match females, that they are surely offered using a specialist have pictures. Repeatedly , your partner could possibly be meet up with in English that could presumably be reasonably regular in Honduras, but when this sort of lady could also be maybe not primarily, the woman ought to truly discover you a female with out further payment. Within the event that you simply really feel uneasy in regards to a 3rd particular individual brides the communication, likelihood is excessive you will seek for a girlfriend who has acquired a minimum of loads of basic Uk experience. A weblog with helpful honduran ideas.
Trouble-Free Honduras Dating Systems – Updated
A large number of Honduran women have been, like Sofia and Ricsy, raped and impregnated as kids. More than 20,000 Honduran girls age 18 and below gave delivery in the nation's nationwide hospitals in 2017, according to Centro de Derechos de Mujeres, a women's rights group, giving Honduras the second-highest adolescent beginning price in Latin America. Of those 20,000 ladies, 819 of them have been 14 or youthful. Twenty-five had been just 10. Below the Honduran penal code, all sex with ladies beneath the age of 14 is rape; a 2014 examine discovered that just about eighty percent of Honduran adolescent ladies in relationships were physically, psychologically or sexually abused by their companions.
Currently, there are designated groups and organizations dedicated to empowering and fighting for the lives of girls and ladies, from the United Nations Girls to lots of of nonprofits. Very often, pretty Honduran ladies are lonely since they can not meet up with the guy they could like. Nonetheless, any woman from Honduras needs to fulfill real love. Due to this fact, it is best to act right now if you'd like the same.
Nonetheless, when evaluating young working girls to younger ladies who are usually not in Employment, Schooling, or Coaching (NEET), we discovered that extra of the women who were working than those who weren't (fifty five p.c versus sixty four p.c) had finished major however not secondary school (Figure 1). This suggests that ladies with schooling attainment do have the chance to search out jobs. Yet, accessible jobs is probably not (good) enough for all girls in this group. The problem could also be a mismatch between aspirations of female workers and the standard of available jobs, including the diploma of safety associated with them. In distinction, men — whose social position requires them to support their household — will are likely to take no matter job they'll get.
Garcia has a large smile and a bold personality that fills a room. She is thought among the feminist community for forming a bunch of non secular girls, known as Ecuménicas por el Derecho a Decidir (Ecumenical Leaders for the Right to Decide, Las Ecuménicas), who assist entry girls honduras to abortion and different girls's rights issues. As a pastor, she had visited impoverished girls in jail who had been accused of getting abortions. The injustice of the ladies's plight inspired her to develop into an activist, together with within the church.
Picking Out Speedy Systems Of Girl From Honduras
The Defensoras Campaign spotlights the historic function ladies have performed and are taking part in at present in demanding success of their proper to life, meals, and land, and in defense of their territories. Supported by Oxfam, UN Girls and the international NGO human rights group in Honduras, the Campaign brings collectively 28 member organizations representing ladies, Afro-Honduran (Garífuna) and indigenous peoples, civil society organizations and small farmer associations. These include the Fraternal Organization of Afro-Hondurans (OFRANEH), By way of Campesina Honduras, the Council for the Integral Improvement of Women Farmers (CODIMCA), the Affiliation of Non-Governmental Organizations (ASONOG), and Center for the Research of Honduran Women (CEM-H). Cáceres' household can be actively concerned.
Roles are clearly divided in Honduran families. Ladies are accountable for the households and caring for the kids, while men act as breadwinners. Notice, nonetheless, that ladies myperfectwords in Honduras are often not obedient slaves — they have a say in all essential household issues honduran dating culture. In a couple, important decisions are generally made collectively. 625 Llegan más denuncia a la Fiscalía contra directores de colegios" Prosecutor's Workplace receives extra complaints towards faculty heads, La Tribuna, August eleven, 2009. Info acquired by the IACHR in Tegucigalpa on August 17, 2009 (No. 115).
The United Nations and different human rights groups referred to as on Honduras to alter its abortion law in 2017 to permit the procedure in the instances of rape and incest, or where the being pregnant posed a threat to the pregnant woman's life or health. But the Catholic and Evangelical churches rallied in opposition to even a minor liberalization of the abortion legislation, lobbying legislators and bringing their political influence to bear. In the end, the spiritual groups won— abortion stayed unlawful and legal.
Once you begin to utilize a Honduras website that is dating see the pages of some attractive brides. Expertly made photos of Honduran ladies for wedding are often more fascinating, nonetheless they might very nicely be pretend. Regrettably, there may be false records on pretty much all comparable web pages, even if good relationship companies concern yourself with their reputation and really very carefully examine at all times their users.
Practical Plans For Honduran Brides In The USA
Nonetheless, the ladies saved coming. The group helped provide 50,000 signatures to prod Honduras's congress to move the 1997 domestic violence regulation. It helps girls fill out kinds to take to the police or courts asking for an arrest or non permanent restraining order. It lobbied for funding for a walking honduran women dating bridge over the freeway, potable water, a kindergarten. It has provided documents to women making use of for asylum in the United States. Right now it has 680 members.
By Kirthiga SubramaniPosted on August 7, 2021 December 14, 2021
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The Insider Secrets of Syrian Brides Found
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text:
2-day getaway to Lake Nojiri
A summer escape just 2 hours from Tokyo
By Raina Ong
Summer is almost synonymous with beaches and barbecues for most people. But with temperatures rising, some turn towards Japan's mountainous interior to look for shade and lower climes at higher altitudes. With escaping the summer temperatures in mind, I headed to Lake Nojiri in northern Nagano, one of the country's landlocked and mountainous prefectures to cool down.
Sea of clouds (unkai) from around 1000 meters above sea level
My destination was Lake Nojiri in the town of Shinanomachi, which is at an elevation of over 600 meters, and where summer temperatures rarely reach 30 degrees Celsius and night time temperatures remain around a cool 20 degrees. The plan was to stay overnight in the town and enjoy two days of activities before returning home. From Nagano Station, the town can be accessed by train (Kurohime Station) on the Shinano Railway, or by rental car which is a more convenient option and the option I went with.
With my rental car, I took a scenic drive from Nagano Station towards Lake Nojiri, passing by apple orchards along the way and enjoying the view of the surrounding mountains-Mount Iizuna, Mount Togakushi, Mount Kurohime, Mount Myoko and Mount Madarao. It wasn't long before I entered the town hungry and ready for lunch.
Apple orchards along the road
Lunch was at a reservation-only restaurant, Hokkori, which also offers accommodation. The concept at Hokkori is centered around its food, where the fresh local produce is reflected in the seasonal menu. Owner and chef Uenishi-san and his wife used to run a kappo restaurant (an intimate restaurant similar to a kaiseki restaurant that uses seasonal ingredients and typically has only counter seats) in central Kyoto for around 20 years and his skill definitely shone through in the lunch I was served.
Hokkori, tucked away behind some trees
Tea ceremony set to welcome staying guests
Beautiful lunch of seasonal local produce
One of the two pet goats at Hokkori
Full from an amazing lunch, I made the short drive down to Lake Nojiri ready for my first activity of the day: kayaking. A variety of activities are offered at the guesthouse and restaurant Lamp, including seasonal mushroom and mountain vegetables picking in the forest, whitewater rafting and kayaking down a nearby river. I opted for kayaking in Lake Nojiri and rented a wetsuit from them. Anyone can join their tours and staying overnight at the guesthouse is not a requirement.
My kayak instructor led me through the basic kayaking steps and rules on land before we carried our kayaks to the lake which was a minute's walk away. We spent about two hours paddling in Lake Nojiri, the second biggest lake in Nagano Prefecture, and never reached the opposite end in that time. I guess if I had just concentrated on paddling quickly, I may have been able to touch opposite ends of the lake in the same time. But instead, I took my time paddling in the lake, enjoying the sunshine and watching fishermen in their boats.
First person kayaking experience
Paddle on, paddle off
View of Lake Nojiri from above
Before I knew it, it was time to get back on land and head to my accomodation for the night. For this trip, I knew I wanted to enjoy some quiet as well as escape from the summer heat and my choice for the night was El Bosco which overlooks Lake Nojiri. Not only was the food excellent, the quiet and view from my room was very soothing and extremely refreshing after living in the crowded metropolis. The hotel also has a small library where guests are welcome to borrow the books (there are English books as well!) to read in their room or anywhere on the premises. Easily a place to spend an evening just relaxing and living life at a slower pace.
Library and reading nook near the hotel lobby
Just one part of dinner which also features local produce
Go for an apple cider when you're here. This was from a nearby winery and made with locally grown apples
Went out to see the stars after dinner
Refreshed after two good meals (dinner and breakfast) and a good night's sleep, I made my way up to Nojiriko Terrace which is located midway up Mount Madarao, one of the five mountains that surrounds the area. There is a chairlift to the terrace which operates during the Golden Week and from mid July to mid November. Alternatively those who visit outside of its operating season can hike up to the terrace from Hotel Tangram in less than one hour. The terrace offers a view of the four other mountains as well as a view of Lake Nojiri from the top. The hiking trail continues to the top of Mount Madarao which takes about 45-60 minutes from the terrace.
Seasonal chairlift going up to Nojiriko Terrace
View from the terrace. Lake Nojiri, Mount Iizuna, Mount Togakushi and Mount Kurohime (from left to right)
After the high of Nojiriko Terrace, I went to Kurohime Station, the main station to access Lake Nojiri, where I could rent a bicycle and go on a cycling tour of the town. There are several cycling routes, passing through rice fields, circling the lake and even all the way to one of Japan's top 100 waterfalls. I went for the rice fields and waterfall course, and it was quite the experience. Note that there are some hills to conquer for those planning to cycle all the way to the waterfall and having a certain level of stamina is recommended (or risk regretting the decision).
Rental bicycles at the tourist information center right by Kurohime Station
Cycling was absolutely lovely as I savored the fresh air and sunshine. I made it to the entrance of the waterfall and the short walk there was the icing on the cake for me. Imagine being all hot and sweaty from cycling and then walking through a lush green forest with a river running alongside, and finally a massive waterfall pouring out in front of you. I could've sat in a shady spot and listened to the roar of the waterfall for a long time before I was ready to make the return journey.
Got a picture of my rental bicycle before it tipped over into the field in the next moment
Parked my bicycle at the entrance to the waterfall and took a short hike in
So much greenery, it just makes you feel good about life
My cycle route brought me through rice fields and foresty areas
However all good things come to an end and I had to make my way back to Kurohime Station to return the rental bicycle. Going back was a lot faster as it was mostly downhill and I was back at my starting point before long. It was hard to imagine that my short trip to the mountains was over just like that. In a span of two days, I had gone kayaking, cycling and a bit of hiking, eaten delicious meals that featured local produce, and even managed to get some downtime at my hotel. All of this in the area around Lake Nojiri in Shinanomachi!
As I drove back to Nagano Station to return my rental car, I thought about how difficult it would've been to accomplish the same in the city. Lake Nojiri is quite the summer getaway with its cool temperatures, abundance of outdoor activities and laidback lifestyle, perfect for when you need a break to get away from it all.
Rice fields and mountains
Naena Waterfall, one of Japan's top 100 waterfalls
Kurohime Station on the Shinano Railway Line is the main station serving Lake Nojiri and the town of Shinanomachi. The one way journey from Nagano to Kurohime takes around 35 minutes and costs 640 yen. From Kurohime Station, infrequent buses make the trip to Lake Nojiri (around 10 minutes, 200 yen one way) and Tangram Madarao near Nojiriko Terrace (around 30 minutes, 600 yen one way). Accomodation establishments usually offer pick-up services from the train station, and it is advisable to enquire beforehand.
A rental car is the more convenient way of getting around Lake Nojiri. Rental car outlets can be found at Nagano Station (80 minutes, around 8000 yen one way from Tokyo). The drive between Nagano Station and Lake Nojiri takes about 45-60 minutes on local roads.
Shinanomachi, the Backcountry of Nagano

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


I had the luck to visit several cities inside China. After my first week in Shanghai, I flew to Shenzhen with Simon who is an employee of the local NNG office.
After Korea, I flew to Shanghai as the first stop in my China tour. Everyone knows that China is developing very fast, but they make sure you notice it. From the airport to the city center, you can choose the maglev train, which brings you in just about 8 minutes. This is the only magnetic levitation train in public use on the Globe. During the 30 km trip, it speeds up above 300 km/h. That was my first experience in China. Impressive.
As the first destination of my Bridge Budapest fellowship, I've spent 5 days in Seoul, South-Korea. One of NNG's partners, Harman international has a research & development office here. I had the chance to take a look into the everyday work here.


Here we are again for another wonderful year at Riverview Elementary! It has been a great few first days of school! All of the students met with Mrs. Muirbrook today for some tips on how to be an excellent student at this school. Welcome back, everyone!!


In fact, I said this to myself multiple times upon trying to start reading The Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test by Tom Wolfe.
Upon what must be the 10th time of picking up the book, I have finally made it past page five! Progress.
While I am not sure if I am fully comprehending what I am reading, I feel like I am on the cusp of a breakthrough, as I have subsequently fallen in love with some of the passages.
I find this passage to be rooted in truth, and one that is both sad and mesmerizing.
Lets start with the mesmerizing.
It is mesmerizing because I am about as far removed from the drug scene as one can get, yet, because of this, I am drawn to it, and this passage allows me to partake in it, to experience a realm that I wouldn't otherwise want or be able to experience.
Despite it being a mesmerizing vehicle of transportation, the passage is one of sad reality.
I mean, it so true.
Isn't it true, that most days, we walk around like zombies, doing and saying what we have been told to, what we have been conditioned to believe is "right", while never really living our truths?
And we come to believe these conditioned truths.
We forget that at the end of the day, we are all so beautifully different from each other, yet we are all so wonderfully similar.
We are all so beautifully different from each other, yet we are all so wonderfully similar.
I like plaid. My favorite color is red. Nothing gives me more pleasure than walking the beach, the sand filling the spaces between my toes, the soft sea air that sends my hair swirling around my face to kiss my cheeks.
You like solid print. Your favorite color is beige. You enjoy the sturdy confines of your home, a cocoon of safety, warmth and familiarity (I enjoy this, too).
But you are human. I am human.
We want the same things .
We want open and honest conversation.
So lets start doing that.
Lets start to live our best life.
Lets start to live our best life by understanding that being human, being human, being human….
Previous Post "Happy" Sprinkle No. 6: Why?


Enjoyed reading these short stories. Held my interest. Looking forward to the next Moreno & Hart installment.
I thoroughly enjoyed the book but was extremely irritated with the amount of spelling errors. A mans business "suite".....a package delivered by a "currier". Really?


text:
Caratteristiche tecniche
Difensore centrale, può giocare come terzino su entrambe le fasce.

Carriera

Club
Nell'estate del 2012 l'Esbjerg lo riscatta per  dal St. Pauli, dopo averlo prelevato in prestito in due occasioni (gennaio-giugno 2011, agosto 2011-giugno 2012).

Palmarès

Club

Competizioni nazionali

Esbjerg: 2012-2013

Altri progetti

Collegamenti esterni

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


text:
Majid Rahnema, né en 1924 à Téhéran et mort le , est un diplomate, économiste et homme politique iranien. Il travaille sur les problèmes de la pauvreté et les processus de production de la misère par l'économie de marché.

Biographie
En tant qu'ambassadeur, il a représenté l'Iran aux Nations unies de 1957 à 1971. Il a été commissaire des Nations unies au Rwanda et au Burundi en 1959, pour les élections et le référendum qui ont conduit ces pays à l'indépendance. Il a également été membre du conseil de l'université des Nations unies de 1974 à 1978, et également représentant-résident de l'ONU au Mali.

Entre 1967 et 1971, il est ministre des Sciences et de l'enseignement supérieur en Iran. En 1971, il crée l'Institut d'études du développement endogène, inspiré des idées éducatives de Paulo Freire, pour entamer un projet de développement de base avec les paysans du Lorestan.

Après sa retraite en 1985, il enseigne à l'Université de Californie à Berkeley durant six ans, puis, à partir de 1993, au Claremont Colleges de Pitzer. Il s'établit ensuite en France, où il enseigne à l'Université américaine de Paris.

Ses nombreuses activités diplomatiques dans le tiers monde l'amènent à réfléchir sur le développement, et plus particulièrement sur la pauvreté. Il en vient à distinguer la « pauvreté » (mode de vie basée sur la sobriété, qui peut être volontaire cf. simplicité volontaire) de la « misère » (impossibilité d'accéder à des moyens de subsistance). Cette réflexion de vingt ans aboutira à la publication de son ouvrage Quand la misère chasse la pauvreté (2003). Dans cet ouvrage, il résume ainsi son approche : La propagation généralisée de la misère et de l'indigence est un scandale social  évidemment inadmissible, surtout dans des sociétés parfaitement à même de l'éviter. Et la révolte viscérale qu'elle suscite en chacun de nous est  tout à fait compréhensible et justifiée. Mais ce n'est pas en augmentant la puissance de  la machine à créer des biens et des produits matériels que ce scandale prendra fin, car  la machine mise en action à cet effet est la même qui fabrique systématiquement la  misère. Il s'agit aujourd'hui de chercher à comprendre les raisons multiples et profondes  du scandale. C'est cette recherche qui m'amène aujourd'hui à montrer combien une transformation radicale de nos modes de vie, notamment une réinvention de la pauvreté  choisie, est désormais devenue la condition sine qua non de toute lutte sérieuse contre  les nouvelles formes de production de la misère.

Ami d'Ivan Illich, il a participé à ses réflexions sur le développement.

Œuvres

(avec Jean Robert)
Laissez les pauvres tranquilles, Les liens qui libèrent, 2012

Liens externes

Conférence sur la pauvreté, encyclopédie de l'Agora (Québec).
un entretien sur la pauvreté.
.
  Un entretien avec Ivan Illich et une traduction en français ici : première partie et deuxième partie.
Richesses et Pauvretés - Forum de Fès 2006 - Donner une Âme à la Mondialisation.

Articles connexes
Après-développement
Décroissance (économie)
Simplicité volontaire

Notes et références

Économiste iranien
Diplomate iranien du XXe siècle
Personnalité politique iranienne du XXe siècle
Personnalité de la décroissance
Naissance en 1924
Naissance à Téhéran
Décès en avril 2015


text:
Brisbane rental markets soften as regional Queensland rises
The REIQ has released its September quarter vacancy rate data, revealing a general tightening in the regional areas and an easing in the metros.
Overall, Brisbane moved from 3.3 per cent to 3.6 per cent. The Brisbane inner ring (0–5km) edged from a healthy 3.5 per cent last quarter to 3.7 per cent this quarter. The middle ring (5–20km) eased from 3.1 per cent to 3.4 per cent.
REIQ CEO Antonia Mercorella said that the Brisbane rental market is easing slightly as expected supply levels come online.
"Brisbane has undergone an incredible transformation, with unprecedented levels of apartment supply coming onto the market in the inner and middle rings over the past few years," the CEO said.
"We are starting to see the impact of that supply as it finally catches up to high levels of pent-up demand.
"We are confident that this will be brief because Queensland's population is continuing to grow, particularly in the southeast corner, and growing population means growing demand for housing."
In regional Queensland, the number of weak markets fell from 10 in the June quarter to six in the September quarter.
"For so long, many rental markets in regional Queensland have been weak. Now, we have just six weak regional markets and those weak markets have shown real improvements," Ms Mercorella said.
"These markets are showing the green shoots of recovery and there is reason to be optimistic about the future of the property market in regional Queensland."
The Gold Coast vacancy rate eased by 0.2 percentage points to 1.9 per cent. This market remains in the tight range, with demand for rental accommodation outstripping supply.
The Sunshine Coast, incorporating Noosa and the Sunshine Coast, is a similarly tight market at 1.4 per cent. Caloundra Coast is the tightest market in the state, with vacancies at just 0.6 per cent.
"Tenants may struggle to secure rental accommodation in this region, and it is fair to say this area would benefit from additional supply being built to help improve market conditions," Ms Mercorella said.
The Fraser Coast also tightened to 2.2 per cent.
Regional markets of Mackay and Rockhampton experienced the largest improvements, with vacancies falling by 1.7 percentage points each.
Mackay has moved from the weak range, with vacancies at 4.5 per cent last quarter, into the healthy range this quarter, with vacancies at 2.8 per cent.
Ms Mercorella said that this is a reflection of generally improving conditions in Mackay.
"Local agents have been telling us all year that this market is on the move. We are seeing evidence of this in rental data and also with the recent quarterly sales data.
"We see confidence returning to the market and this is encouraging. We're optimistic [that] these improving conditions will continue."
Rockhampton has reported its second consecutive quarterly fall to reach 5.5 per cent. This market is still operating in weak conditions; however, the trend is positive.
"We are hoping to soon see signs that this market is stabilising. It is encouraging to see vacancies falling and local agents reporting improving levels of demand for rental properties," the REIQ CEO said.
Livingston is reporting similar vacancy levels, at 5.6 per cent. Apart from Gladstone, which has vacancies of 5.7 per cent, Livingston has the highest vacancy rate in Queensland.
"The good news is that in one quarter, Livingstone has fallen from 9.3 per cent to 5.6 per cent, which is a remarkable improvement," Ms Mercorella said.
"This market has shown the single biggest improvement this quarter of all the markets we monitor."
The Townsville market has reported its fourth consecutive fall in vacancies, to reach 4.3 per cent, its lowest level since September 2013.
"Other property experts share our view that the Townsville market is poised to move into recovery phase," the REIQ CEO said.
"Technically, the rental market is still weak, with vacancies at 4.3 per cent, but there is a clearly established positive trend of four quarterly falls. We are hopeful that the sales market will soon echo the rental market's positive direction."
The tourism-based city of Cairns tightened from 1.8 per cent to 1.7 per cent. This is the tightest this market has been since 2012.
Last Updated: 25 October 2017 Published: 26 October 2017


text:
www.medjugorje.ws » Text version » Echo of Mary Queen of Peace » Echo of Mary Queen of Peace 171 (September-October 2003)
Echo of Mary Queen of Peace 171 (September-October 2003)
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Date: September, 2003
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ECHO OF MARY Queen of peace
171 september-october 2003
Our Lady's message, 25 July 2003:
"Dear Children, today too I call you to prayer. My children, pray until prayer becomes joy for you. Only in this way will each of you discover peace in the heart and your soul will be content. You will feel the need to witness to others the love that you feel in your heart and life. I am with you and I intercede before God for all of you. Thank you for responding to my call."
I have set before you life and death, blessing and curse; therefore choose life, that you and your descendants may live, loving the Lord your God, obeying his voice and cleaving to him; for it means life to you and length of days (Deut 30:19-20). Pray to remain united to the Lord. "Dear Children, also today I call you to prayer." Pray to receive the light which enables you to distinguish the way of life from that of death, and to have the strength that enables you to choose the way of blessing rather than the way of curse. It's not an easy choice as it's not made once and for all, but must be renewed time and again, and also because the so-called worldly wisdom leads to the way of curse, not the way of blessing.
We take the way of curse each time trust in man overshadows faith in God, or when human interests induce us to lay aside the Gospel, or when the arrogance of power threatens the foundation of divine justice, or when the pride of intelligence prevails over the lowliness of love, or when science pretends it can eliminate the mystery. We do it each time we think we can do without God or substitute God. It is Satan's old deceiving game which still today seduces man and drags him onto the way of curse.
"My children, pray until prayer becomes joy for you": the antidote for Satan's venom is: pray, pray, pray, says Mary who comes to Medjugorje to pull us out of the curse and lead us onto the way of blessing. Prayer, if said with the lips, that doesn't melt a hardened and distant heart, isn't enough. We need to immerse ourselves in prayer and live it. It is as necessary to us as the air we breathe. Praying is not giving up to the power of a tyrannical god, but is opening self to the divine regality to which God, our Father, calls us, so that we might be in communion with Christ in the Kingdom prepared for us. Prayer doesn't frustrate our human dignity, but it exalts the divinity in us. Thus, it must be more than external practice; it must be communion with Christ. Prayer rises from a soul which is open to His presence; from a heart which rests on the Lord's Heart; from one which the Holy Spirit is able to penetrate.
This way prayer becomes joy: the joy of Jesus is in us, and our joy is full (cf. Jn 15:11). This joy is not the fleeting joy which is subject to life's circumstances, but is the joy which descends from communion between creature and Creator that no human event can remove. When Christ came into the world He touched human reality in all its forms, He redeemed everything that He visited, and now there is no suffering without hope, and no pain without consolation. Neither is there sin too great for which we cannot beg forgiveness, or death without resurrection. "Only in this way will each of you discover peace in the heart and your soul will be content." Christ is our peace (Eph 2:14); Christ is fullness of life (Col 1:19), and the knowledge of His presence in us produces in our heart that peace which the world cannot give (Jn 14:27); then our soul will find happiness in its Lord. From this comes the need "to witness to others the love that we feel in our heart and life". Our Blessed Mother tells us this, so let us take her messages seriously, for as long as she intercedes on our behalf we have the possibility of making her teachings become fruitful for us. Peace and joy in Jesus and Mary.
Nuccio Quattrocchi
Our Lady's message, 25 August 2003:
"Dear Children, today too I invite you to thank God with your heart for all the graces He gives you also through the signs and colours of Nature. God desires bringing you close to Him, and He urges you to give Him glory and praise. Therefore, my Children, I invite you anew to pray, pray, pray; and don't forget: I am with you! I intercede before God for each of you that your joy in Him might be full. Thank you for responding to my call."
Glory and Praise to God
Most High, omnipotent, good Lord, / Praise, glory and honour and benediction all are Thine. Praise be to Thee my Lord especially for my brother sun… for sister moon and the stars, in heaven… for brother wind, and for the air and clouds… for sister water… for brother fire… for our sister, mother earth… for those who forgive for the sake of Thy love, and endure infirmity and tribulation. May Thou be praised, my Lord, for our sister, bodily death... (Canticle of Creatures, by St. Francis of Assisi)
Together with St. Francis we give praise, glory and honour to God for the signs of His presence in the world and in every creature. To be able to grasp the signs we need to prepare ourselves to receive God's graces. "I invite you to thank God with your heart for all the graces He gives you also through the signs and colours of Nature." The Lord's graces are superabundant, but we aren't always aware of them, and so they slip away from us and we lose the benefits we would have otherwise gained from them. "God desires bringing you close to Him, and He urges you to give Him glory and praise." To praise God brings blessing upon us and on the entire world. So, praise God in every circumstance, in every moment of the day, in everything you do. Praise and glorify God in your every deed, your every thought, all your relationships!
Praise Him in the brother and sister that are next to you, but also in those you occasionally meet; in those who love you, but also in those who hate you; in those you like and in those you don't! "Praise and glorify God in the signs and colours of Nature": in the sun which is fount of life, and in the frost which kills; in the calm sea and in the storm; in new life being born and especially in life entering eternity. Praise and glorify God in all life's ups and downs: in joy and in sorrow, when you're happy and when you're sad, when you're well and when you're ill &emdash; so that our joy in Him might be full! It isn't evasion or fantasy; it's recognizing God's active presence in the world. It's expressing and acknowledging that He is Who He is!
Praise and thank God as you look at the birds of the air.. and consider the lilies of the field… and hand over your worries to Him: do not be anxious about what you will eat or wear (Mt 6:24-34). Praise and glorify God, surrendering yourselves trustingly to His Love. Bless the Lord, o my soul; and all that is within me, bless his holy name! (Ps 103:1). In everything be a canticle of praise and glory to God: your soul, senses, and body; for everything comes from Him and must return to Him. "God desires bringing you close to Him."
May it be that we let Him be close to us, for His closeness transforms, renews and redeems us, and makes us similar to the Son. May it be that we let Jesus live in us, and the Father to fulfil His will in us. May Mary, who intercedes before God for each of us, obtain the fullness of Jesus' Life in us so that in thy presence there may be fullness of joy, o Father, and pleasures for evermore in thy right hand (Ps 16:11). Mary: my Mother, and my trust! In thee I rest, that I might rest in God. Peace and joy in Jesus and Mary!
N.Q.
IN YEAR OF THE ROSARY:
Our Life is a Rosary
I was in a small town celebrating Mass and speaking on the Rosary, and I asked: "What do you think the Rosary is?" Not a word. I insisted, and gave them a bit of help: "What do we contemplate with the Rosary?" After a brief moment of silence a young girl (about 6 or 7 years old) spoke up: "We contemplate the life of Jesus." I was amazed; and my heart rejoiced as I repeated Jesus' words: I bless You, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, for hiding these things from the learned and the clever and revealing them to mere children. Yes, Father, for that is what it pleased you to do (Mt 11:25-26).
I carry out my priestly ministry at the Shrine of Our Lady of the Rosary at Pompei which was founded by a layman, Blessed Bartolo Longo. He was a lawyer in Naples who suffered great anxiety because of his dabbling in spiritism. One day, full of anguish and worried about the salvation of his soul, he heard a voice in his heart say: "If you seek salvation, spread the Rosary." It was Our Lady speaking to him. The bells of a small church close by were tolling: it was midday, so he kneeled for the Angelus and made a decision. He said that if Mary promises to save whoever spreads the Rosary, then he wouldn't leave this earth without having spread this devotion. And from that moment on Bartolo Longo began a process of assimilation of the Rosary, which is to assimilate Christ Himself since the Rosary is the meditation of Christ's life.
It wasn't long ago that we found it difficult to comprehend this prayer which many considered poor, but today, thanks especially to the Holy Father who has given us such a powerful document on the Rosary (Rosarium Virginis Mariae), we understand its meaning, and that it is the contemplation of Christ's face with Mary. In contemplating Christ's face we open up to receive the mystery of Trinitarian life, and experience ever anew the love of the Father and delight in the joy of the Holy Spirit (RVM, 9). "Beholding the glory of the Lord, we are being changed into his likeness, from one degree of glory to another; for this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit" (2Cor 3:18). Mary takes us by the hand and leads us to her Son; and with the Rosary she fulfils the task of transforming our lives in Christ. Thus, we have the mystery of Jesus' life descending into our own life; and our life in Christ becomes a Rosary. The mysteries of the Rosary are the mysteries of our own lives, and while we undertake our faith journey we become aware of how the stages in Jesus' life are the same as our own.
With the Mysteries of Joy we experience the immense joys of being Christian. After all, isn't joy a Christian's main trait? How could we not rejoice knowing that the Lord has announced He has a plan for each of us, just as He did for Mary (at the Annunciation)!? We also receive God's announcement that we must conceive Christ in our souls, but to conceive Him we must first be inwardly disposed to receive Jesus so that He can become flesh in us. The Holy Spirit comes to our aid by expressing our prayer and our love to the Lord.
With the Mysteries of Light we contemplate Jesus' public life when He revealed Himself and the Father through signs, words and prodigies. As disciples, aren't we all called to indicate Christ just as John did with the Lord's Baptism? Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world (Jn 1:29). And aren't we also called to reveal the merciful face of the Father?
With the Mysteries of Sorrow we contemplate God's infinite love for each of us. He loves us in a way that no one else can love us. Greater love has no man than to lay down his life for another. He became obedient unto death, even death on a cross (Ph 2:8). If you say your love for God is great, then how could you even think of acting differently? How could we not see the value of all the suffering, all the injustice and the oppression around us? All the evil in the world gives us the possibility of being united to Christ's passion.
With the Mysteries of Glory we contemplate here on the earth, those things which no ear has heard, no eye has seen, or which has ever entered the heart of man (cf. Is 64:4). Hope does not disappoint us, because God's love has been poured into our hearts (Rom 5:5). With this hope in our hearts our lives are better. St. John Vianney said that even our sorrows melt like snow in the sun.
Our journey is not different to that of Jesus. He for first went from affliction to joy, from failure to success, from temptation to victory, from birth to death. In every respect He has been tempted as we are, yet without sinning (Heb 4:15) even though He suffered the effects of sin; and in the end He went from death to glory. It is for this, and in virtue of Christ's humanity which he lived out to the full and which was glorified in the Holy Spirit, that we participate in His life. Everything in our life has value. In Christ nothing is lost, not even our tragic fragility or our sins; but rather, it was precisely for these that the great Redeemer came.
When we say the Rosary we wish to say all of this. It is the gospel we live out daily; it is the life of Christ in us. That is how Blessed Bartolo Longo meant it; and how the Saints mean it. Even though they may have not explicitly spoken on it or spread this devotion, it is because they witnessed with their lives which had become a Rosary.
Fr. Andrea Fontanella
We are not the first disciples of the Lord, or the first to be devoted to His Mother, so it might help to take a look at the origins and the components of the prayer of the Rosary.
The seeds which gradually blossomed into the Rosary were planted in the XII and XIII centuries, particularly by the Cistercian monks who were very devoted to Mary. The monk's duty to serve God is divided between the cult and manual work; and in the fields, labourers would come to help the monks. Religious and lay persons were united in perennial prayer and praise, but this vocal prayer which accompanied artisans and farmers, for obvious reasons, had to be simple and repetitive, for it served as a sound track for the work of people most of whom were illiterate. Thus, the simplest prayers for the unlearned were the "Our Father," the "Hail Mary" and the Creed. These were memorized and recited in church, at work, and whilst journeying.
HOW IT SPREAD
The Rosary was spread thanks mostly to the work of the mendicant orders, especially the Dominicans who were sent to preach conversion of heart to the people. Conversion requires prayer and penance, so prayer had to be simple and repetitive so it could be recited everywhere and at all times. It had to suit every cultural environment and help people contemplate.
EVERYONE'S PRAYER
The Rosary soon became everyone's prayer. Princes and beggars, doctors and the illiterate prayed it. It spread more quickly when the plague, famine and war loomed over people's heads, making them fear death. From St. Pius V to Paul VI, all the Popes insisted on the recitation of the Rosary, especially in difficult times.
ROSARY &emdash; ROSE GARDEN &emdash; ROSE BUSH
I don't know who it was that first transformed the Hail Mary's so as to form a rosary (rose garden, rose bush), or a crown of roses for Our Lord's Mother, but I imagine it must have been a poet. From the name we learn that the encounter with Our Lady could never and must never be out of obligation, or be a boring duty. Instead, it is a way of offering to Her a crown of roses, where the rose is symbolic for kindness, affection, love, respect, free gift, gratefulness, acknowledgement and the offering of self in the desire to serve.
A BODY THAT PRAYS
The Rosary is, in fact, a person-body that prays: whilst kneeling, or sitting; in the office or at home, or whilst walking, driving, or crammed into a tram. The words flow out from the bobbin of our memory even throughout distractions as we make our way through the traffic, or work the land, or as we admire nature when the Hail Mary's help us to keep pace along the mountain paths, or when they keep rhythm with the gentle lapping of sea water against the shore. At times our Rosary alternates from distractions to moments of attention; or at other times the rhythm of it charms us into a state of wonder and joy. In our frenetic times the Rosary is the best tranquillizer, donating serenity and peace to mind and body.
A SOUL THAT PRAYS
The person-soul savours the prayer of the Rosary. While we pray the Rosary we are given inspirations; it is where our thoughts and plans can mature, where problems are resolved, where we receive answers to our questions. With the Rosary we are helped by Mary to open up to God; we offer up our free time so it can be filled with Him. It is the emptying of the soul so it can receive and live and enjoy His presence. Rosary after Rosary, as the days and months and years go by, we are gradually brought to live the mysteries of redemption.
HE WHO PRAYS IS FAITHFUL
Praying with the Rosary is contemplation, not meditation. Meditation requires silence and concentration for the mind to penetrate truths and values. The mysteries of the Rosary don't speak of truths or values, but are the memorial of facts which happened in the story of salvation. And these are fulfilled in the Father who sends His Son, born of woman, to redeem His brethren so they can be adopted as children. He also sends the Son's Spirit, and within our hearts the Spirit cries out for us: Abba (Dad / Pa) (cf. Gal 4:4). "In the first mystery we contemplate" &emdash; with the Rosary we contemplate facts, scenes, episodes which are brought to mind; and we become actors and spectators because they are made present in us in a mysterious way through Baptism and with the Death and Resurrection of the Lord Jesus (Rm 6:3). This is the memorial which places us next to and in communion with the people who worked for our salvation and who give foundation to our hope.
PRAYER PAR EXCELLENCE
The Rosary is a prayer which has formed generations of faithful. It is the prayer for the living and the dead. It is the prayer for the needy; in it they place all their tribulations of the present and their hopes for the future. It is the prayer for the wealthy and learned, for the laypeople, the bishops and the clergy; it is the prayer which the Popes of the last 500 years have recommended; and it is recited by Catholics the world wide, bringing all of them together into the same family. They are God's little ones if they are not arrogant before God and His Mother.
(a liberal extract: Il Rosario, by S. Zardoni)
John Paul II to the Youth:
"Behold, your mother!"
Once again, the Pope appeals to Mary, and urges the youth to have recourse to Her. It rings out like the testament of a father for his children: entrust yourselves to Mary; she is your Mother! The following text is from the Message which John Paul II wrote for the XVIII World Youth Day; and as always, it bears the image of Our Lady.
My dear young people!
For the 18th World Youth Day I have chosen a theme related to the Year of the Rosary: "Behold, your mother!" (Jn 19,27). Before his death, Jesus entrusted to the apostle John what was most precious to him: his Mother, Mary. These are the final words of the Redeemer, and therefore they take on a solemn nature and could be regarded as his spiritual testimony. The angel Gabriel's words in Nazareth: "Hail, full of grace" (Lk 1,28) also cast light on the scene at Calvary. The Annunciation comes at the beginning, the Cross signals the fulfilment. At the Annunciation, Mary gives human nature to the Son of God within her womb; at the foot of the Cross, she welcomes the whole of humanity within her heart in the person of John. She was Mother of God from the first moments of the Incarnation, and she became the Mother of humanity during the final moments of the life of her Son Jesus on earth. She, who was without sin, on Calvary "experienced" within her own being the suffering of sin that her Son had taken upon himself to save mankind. At the foot of the Cross on which was dying the One whom she had conceived at the moment of her "yes" at the Annunciation, Mary received, as it were, a "second annunciation": "Woman, behold, your son!" (Jn 19,26).
The Son upon the Cross can pour out his suffering into his Mother's heart. Every child who suffers experiences that need. You too, my dear young people, are faced with suffering: loneliness, failures and disappoint-ments in your personal lives; difficulties in inserting yourselves in the adult world and in professional life: the separations and losses in your families; the violence of war and the death of the innocent. Know, however, that in difficult times, which everyone experiences, you are not alone: like John at the foot of the Cross, Jesus also gives his Mother to you so that she will comfort you with her tenderness. It says in the Gospel that "from that hour the disciple took her to his own home" (Jn 19,27). This statement does not simply point out the place where John lived. Beyond the material aspect, it evokes the spiritual dimension of this welcome and of the new bond established between Mary and John. My dear young people, you are more or less the same age as John and you have the same desire to be with Jesus. Today, it is you whom Jesus expressly asks to receive Mary "into your home" and to welcome her "as one of yours"; to learn from her the one who "kept all these things, pondering them in her heart" (Lk 2,19) that inner disposition to listen and the attitude of humility and generosity that singled her out as God's first collaborator in the work of salvation. She will discharge her ministry as a mother and train you and mould you until Christ is fully formed in you (cf. Rosarium Virginis Mariae, 15).
This is why I now wish to repeat the motto of my episcopal and pontifical service: "Totus tuus". Throughout my life I have experienced the loving and forceful presence of the Mother of Our Lord. Mary accompanies me every day in the fulfilment of my mission as Successor of Peter. Mary is Mother of divine grace, because she is the Mother of the Author of grace. Entrust yourselves to her with complete confidence! You will be radiant with the beauty of Christ. Open up to the breath of the Spirit, and you will become courageous apostles, capable of spreading the fire of charity and the light of truth all around you. In Mary's school, you will discover the specific commitment that Christ expects of you, and you will learn to put Christ first in your lives, and to direct your thoughts and actions to him.
Dear young people, you know that Christianity is not an opinion nor does it consist of empty words. Christianity is Christ! It is a Person, a Living Person! To meet Jesus, to love him and make him loved: this is the Christian vocation. Mary was given to you to help you enter into a more authentic and more personal relationship with Jesus. Through her example, Mary teaches you to gaze on him with love, for He has loved us first. Through her intercession, she forms in you a disciple's heart able to listen to her Son, who reveals the face of his Father and the true dignity of the human person. With Mary, handmaid of the Lord, you will discover the joy and fruitfulness of the hidden life. With her, disciple of the Master, you will follow Jesus along the streets of Pale-stine, becoming witnesses of his preaching and his miracles. With her, the sorrowful Mother, you will accompany Jesus in his passion and death. With her, Virgin of hope, you will welcome the festive Easter proclama-tion and the priceless gift of the Holy Spirit.
Only Jesus knows what is in your hearts, and your deepest desires. Only He, who has loved you to the end (cf. Jn 13,1), can fulfil your aspirations. His are words of eternal life, words that give meaning to life. No one apart from Christ can give you true happiness. (...) Now more than ever it is crucial that you be "watchers of the dawn", the lookouts who announce the light of dawn and the new springtime of the Gospel ... Humanity is in urgent need of the witness of free and courageous young people! (...)
JP II
News from the blessed land
Medjugorje Youth Festival:
Gospa's crown
A few at a time they came: shy, full of expectations, tired and needy of true rest. The Mother was here to welcome and embrace them; to listen to them and to personally take care of all her "dear Children." For many this was a customary appointment, while for others it was the first time in Medjugorje for the youth festival which this year reached its XIV edition. This year 40 different countries were represented with people from all five continents, and amongst these, for the first time, there was a group of young people from Hong Kong, and of Palestinians from Israel. A total of at least 20,000 people were present for the festival. All was translated simultaneously into 17 different languages with the aid of portable radios and head-sets, which were as necessary as the caps and fans and bottles of water to fight the heat. The various languages, however, soon mixed together into a language that everyone could understand: the language of love. Drawn by the profound desire for love, young people came to Medjugorje and found a love which is free, pure, unconditional and disinterested. So different to the love offered by the world, in Medjugorje it is an exclusive love born from the Immaculate and Loving Heart of Mary.
The young people sought each other's company, to celebrate, to listen, to learn, so they could be better, and happy, and similar to that God Who became man so He could live amongst them and remind them that they are not only flesh, but above all are spirit. For God - in Whom they see father, brother and friend - the young people put up with a great deal of fatigue, such as precarious journeys; crammed, even makeshift lodgings, and a scorching sun, but nothing could remove their joy and enthusiasm; and nothing could stop their hearts from opening up to accept all the gifts Mary had prepared for her children. They felt at home, and they felt free to be themselves, to publicly manifest their faith, and to show they were in love with God without the false modesty imposed on them by the unchristianized world. They held Rosary beads in their hands, or threw them around their necks, as if to say in a silent but eloquent way that they belonged to the Gospa and understood her call: "..let the Rosary be always in your hands as a sign to Satan that you belong to me (message, 25 Feb. 1988).
In tune with this call, the Pope said in his Message for World Youth Day: "Today, my dear young people, I am also, in spirit, handing you the Rosary beads. Through prayer and meditation on the mysteries, Mary leads you safely towards her Son! Do not be ashamed to recite the Rosary alone, while you walk along the streets to school, to the university or to work, or as you commute by public transport. Adopt the habit of reciting it among yourselves, in your groups, movements and associations. Do not hesitate to suggest that it be recited at home by your parents and brothers and sisters, because it rekindles and strengthens the bonds between family members."
This year's theme: "Through the Rosary, Open your Heart to Me," was also in tune with Church indications to dedicate this year to this wonderful Marian prayer. It was the same theme to inspire those who were called to witness on how the Rosary provided support, strength and nourishment to their own faith journey. Rather than speak about the Rosary, the entire festival was prayer and meditation. It was as though each person represented a single bead and that all were linked together into one great set of Rosary beads offered up to Mary who was holding it close to her heart and at the same time raising it up to God as her most beautiful prayer, which was the life of thousands of young people asking to become holy. Moments of profound meditation alternated with moments of prayer and joyful dance. There were talks by the six visionaries and other speakers; and other moments of total silence before the Eucharistic bread through which Jesus drew every gaze, every thought, and every heart to Himself.
It was precisely in these moments of evening Adoration that one was aware of the immensity of the mystery of the living God making His presence felt in His children, and of them recognizing Him and choosing to remain with Him &emdash; without second thoughts. Yet it seemed a miracle that in this day and age thousands of young people should remain in such meditative silence before their God as they adored Him and sought in His Invisible Presence the meaning of life. Who knows how many He might have called to work in His Vineyard!
The Festival always concludes through the celebration of a dawn Mass atop of Mt. Krizevac; and also this year many of the young people started making their way to the top during the night of the 5th so they could find a place and savour the last moments together with friends old and new. And as they recommended to each other: "Next year, same place, same time," they breathed in, together with the cool night air, the Grace which was poured out abundantly upon them; and they filled their hearts and souls with the peace of Medjugorje, knowing that they weren't alone anymore.
Stefania Consoli
At Medjugorje a flame was set alight in me
My vocation was rooted in God. Before the beginning of time God had prepared a plan for me; all I had to do was discover it. "When God set His gaze on me and predestined me, the joy He felt for me was perfect; in that joy there was no fear that His plan should not be fulfilled." (St. Augustine)
When my mother was expecting me she attended spiritual exercises with my father. If it is true that babies "absorb" the external atmosphere before they are born, then I think I can say that they were my first spiritual exercises! I received the first Sacraments in my Parish church, and in the meantime the Lord was working in me. When I was 15 I attended a summer camp, during which I became familiar with the Word of God thanks to a pocket-sized Gospel. On Sundays the Word is given us in small doses, but during that camp I was nourished with whole "loaves" and it tasted good. I remember being struck by a verse from Matthew: "There are eunuchs who have made themselves such for the sake of the kingdom of heaven." (Mt 19:12). The following year (1984), during the summer holidays, I joined a pilgrimage to Medjugorje, and in my heart a flame was set alight. For the first time I saw great numbers of people on their knees for hours.
I went back home with a great desire to pray. Each time I went back to Medjugorje I received new impulse to do something for God, because He died on the Cross for me! I used to think that I might become a nun, but it stayed in the back of my mind till one day a person asked me: "Haven't you ever thought of consecrating yourself?" I said "yes," and that was the springboard which eventually led me to the convent. The next thing, however, was decide where to go. I didn't know any nuns, but I did know that I wanted a contemplative life, and when I joined the convent I felt at home. It was what I was looking for! I had always desired doing something for the others, and I understood that through prayer I could be close to all life's dramatic situations. M. Delbrel wrote: "Depart to discover God without a roadmap, knowing that He is there on the way, not at the end of it. Don't try finding ways to find Him, but let Him find you amid the poverty of a banal life." At 20 years of age I entered the Augustinian Monastery to discover God in silence and in prayer, together with the sisters of my community. This is my story, but I know that the puzzle isn't yet complete, that there is still much journeying to do. Each of us has his or her own gift, or vocation, from God, but the most important thing is "our response and the total dedication with which we embrace this vocation and to which we remain faithful. Not the vocation makes up our holiness, but the tenacity with which we live it." (M.D.)
In our "global village" where committing oneself forever rouses a certain amount of apprehension, Christians need to manifest their fidelity to God and to His plan of love. Today after 15 years since the happy day I entered the Augustinian Convent in Locarno, in the Italian canton of Switzerland, (http://go.to/santacaterina) I thank the Lord and Our Lady for the immense gift of my vocation, and I ask Mary that other young people might have the courage to donate themselves totally to the service of God's Kingdom and for His greater glory.
Sr. Sandra Künzli
"Return to the Primitive Fervour"
Our Blessed Mother on the Rosary
In all the great apparitions at the end of the last millennium Our Lady never ceased calling her children to be "open to the grace which Christ won for us by the mysteries of his life, death and resurrection" (cf. Rosarium Virginis Mariae, no. 13), through prayer with the Rosary. The Pope, too, strongly invites the universal Church to renew the prayer of the Rosary, seen as an intimate contemplation of the mystery of Christ through the gaze of the Mother's Immaculate Heart. In the same document John Paul II attributes to the prayer of the Rosary the special power of grace which is able to lead the heart and mind of God's people back to the essentials of faith, the only source of divine life in the world; to Christ's paschal mystery of death and resurrection which alone can rip open the dense spirals of darkness which now more than ever seem to hold the city of men in a mortal grip. The Pope also explicitly refers to the numerous and pressing appeals which the Mother of God addresses to her children of our times: "Many signs indicate that still today the Blessed Virgin desires exercising through this same prayer that maternal concern to which the dying Redeemer entrusted, in the person of the beloved disciple, all the sons and daughters of the Church: "Woman, behold your son!" (Jn19:26) (RVM, 7).
At Lourdes and Fatima, and today in particular at Medjugorje Our Lady never tires of calling the world to turn to the contemplation of the mysteries of Jesus' life, to remain in intimate and profound communion with the flame of love of her Immaculate Heart so we can receive the extraordinary graces which the Father has prepared for these our times. "Dear Children, today I invite you to begin praying the Rosary with a living faith so that I can help you… Dear Children, I invite you to pray the Rosary. May the Rosary be for you a commitment which you will do with joy; and then you'll understand why I have been with you for so long. I desire teaching you to pray…" (Message, 12 June 1986). "… may the people pray at least the Rosary every day, with the Joyful, Sorrowful and Glorious Mysteries" (extraordinary message, to Ivan 14 August 1984).
Mary's pressing calls to the prayer of the Rosary can't be reduced to mere devotionalism, for they are a part of God's eternal plan to impress the seal of the triumph of Mary's Immaculate Heart into the times when the Son's work of salvation and of the recapitulation of all things in Him will be fulfilled. "I desire for you all to be active, too, in this time which through me is bound to heaven in a special way…" (25 May 1996). "This time is my time, and therefore my Children, I invite you to pray" (25 Jan. 1997).
The Rosary is, indeed, the spiritual weapon offered to the children of the Church of today, so they can take part in the victory over the powers of darkness in the decisive spiritual battle announced in Holy Scripture; powers of darkness which aim at breaking up the foundations of human life and the communion which exists amongst mankind. "Dear Children, today like never before I invite you to pray. May your prayer be prayer for peace. Satan is strong and desires destroying not only human life, but also Nature and the planet on which you live. Thus, my Children, pray that through prayer you might be protected by God's blessing of peace. God sent me amongst you to help you. If you wish, grasp hold of the Rosary; even the Rosary alone can work miracles in the world and in your lives…" (25 Jan. 1991). "Dear Children, I invite you to renew the prayer of the Rosary in your families. Pray it more often and offer it for peace" (14 Aug. 1992).
Giuseppe Ferraro
We Celebrate the Cross
How do we celebrate the Cross? The Gospel tells us to embrace it; common sense says to accept it, but surely not to celebrate it! Such is the opinion of most church-goers who haven't understood the meaning of that wooden cross on which God chose to die and which symbolizes our trials and moments of difficulty. It is human, only natural, to think so. However, the Lord Jesus came to overturn man's thoughts and to give everything that is natural and therefore limited, finite and imperfect a supernatural aspect. In this light our opinion of the Cross gains new perspective and instead of refusing it, man is called to accept it and even celebrate it; to celebrate the "stumbling block to Jews and folly to Gentiles" (cf. 1 Co 1:23).
Our Lady has often spoken to us about the Cross, especially prior to the Feast of the Triumph of the Cross which became a special feast in Medjugorje after 1933 when the people erected the big white cross on Krizevac in commemoration of the 2000 years since Christ's death. "Dear Children, during these days when you joyfully celebrate the Feast of the Cross, I wish that also for you your own cross might become a source of joy. Pray especially, my dear Children, to be able to accept sickness and suffering with love, as Jesus did. It is the only way that I can experience the joy of giving you the graces and the cures which Jesus permits me to grant you." (message, 11 Sept. 1986)
A thought from Fr. Slavko comes to our aid as we remind you that he was born into heaven after having prayed the Way of the Cross on Krizevac (on 24 November 2000). In his book, "At the School of Love," it is written: "Suffering is a mystery even when we reflect on it before the Lord's cross. Though we celebrate the cross with joy it remains an eternal mystery, an unending question. Nonetheless, the cross is a symbol of victory for Christians, and reason for shame and scandal for everyone else. Sickness and suffering become a cross which can easily close up man's heart towards God, creating a greater distance between him and God, and making him utter: 'Why, o God?'. It more commonly happens, though, that suffering experienced by individuals and families generates fruits of faith, love and hope. Not even Jesus was exempt, and He didn't receive a reply in the Garden of Gethsemane, but when He accepted the Father's will He received comfort from the angel. Apart from the question: 'Where are you, God?', there is another question which we can ask ourselves and others. It is: 'Where are we?' Much suffering derives from our lack of conversion, and our lack of love, forgiveness and reconciliation. From this come wars, destruction and many other types of suffering. There is the suffering and tribulations of the innocent, caused by others or accepted for the sake of others, and suffering caused because of our love or lack of love towards others.
Mary has the courage to invite us to accept the cross with love; and she holds up her Son as our model. Mary doesn't say to us: "put up with it," for she knows we are weak. She says, instead: 'Pray that you might be able to accept illnesses and suffering with love.'
Normally, we pray to the Lord to remove our suffering and our cross, which is understandable, but we must also accept the fact that it is indispensable for us to pray to be able to accept tribulations and the cross with love. In the light of Christ's cross, suffering is given an important place in life, for it is no longer seen as a curse or scandal, but as a way which leads to life." These words give us light for our journey, making it easier, lighter; it increases our trust, even when the way is cluttered with obstacles. Every Friday Fr. Slavko would lead the parishioners in the Way of the Cross up Krizevac, till his last time in the autumn of 3 years ago when his parishioners had to carry his lifeless body back down. People listened to him and trusted him because they understood that what he said was fruit of what he had lived. Fr. Slavko taught us a lot, and he continues to do so through his writings which remind us that the cross is the door through which we arrive at a new dimension which has been redeemed and transfigured by the sacrifice of Jesus and by our own united to His.
Uganda: order to kill missionaries!
For over two decades a rebel leader and mad visionary, supported by the government of Sudan, has been fighting against the people of North Uganda, and kidnapping their children to fight in front line against their own people. He recently gave orders to "destroy the Catholic missions, kill the priests and beat the nuns." Concerned missionaries invoke the solidarity of the entire nation and of the international community. (courtesy Prisca)
The Prayer Group: where Trinitarian Life is Born
We continue with the publication of the testimony by Fr. Tomislav on how to structure a prayer group according to Our Lady's sug-gestions to Jelena and Mirjana for the Prayer Group which She herself led at Medjugorje.
The basic elements for a group, indicated by Our Lady are:
1. Enter into Prayer
Through Jelena, Our Lady explained to the prayer group that "many pray but few enter into the prayer." To enter into prayer there are two steps:
i) offer up your sins, and the sins of those around you. This means to renounce sin, to detach them from the soul and offer them to Jesus so He might remove them. One's entire being must be involved in this, and be active in expressing to God in the silence of the heart that which concerns one intimately; and in public that which concerns fraternal communion or the sin of the world.
ii) entrust to God all problems so you might blossom from within and also in your relationship with others, in an attitude of serenity, of trust and of love (Mt 6:14-34). This is a big job for the group leader, who must gradually help deliver all the members of the group from inner closures, fears, passivity, false spontaneity, fanaticism, arrogance, and emotional evasion. These open wounds and lead to a state of pathos. The leader must be able to promote individual members, without allowing individuals to cover the passivity of others, and he himself should never substitute the others. The priest fulfils the same tasks and comes to comprehend the soul's motions during confession or in private conversation. He offers everything up in his prayer and in particular in the Holy Mass. Entering into prayer doesn't end here, but at every step of the journey it is developed and brought to perfection, and opens up to the infinity of God's action and to the originality of individuals and the group as a whole.
2. Be open and active in the Spirit
This is an important, delicate and simple step. It doesn't have anything to do with charisms or 'extraordinary' things, or theory or expressions of religious emotions. All it is, is opening the heart and listening with one's soul to the promptings of the Holy Spirit, and accepting them and living them. It takes honesty, sincerity, humility, simplicity, and elevation above all interests, for the glory of God. It takes fidelity to God's life in the soul. Mary, Bride par excellence of the Holy Spirit, will introduce us into this relationship if we are ready and if we entrust ourselves to Her. After Her yes, and with our yes said together with Hers, the Holy Spirit descends (Lk 1:34-35).
Our Lady, Mother of the Mystical Body of Christ, will help us live our baptismal graces the most effective way possible. In various ways and in various parts of his Letters, St. Paul helps us understand how the Holy Spirit relates with us. Particularly in his Letter to the Romans we read: "But you are not in the flesh, you are in the Spirit, if the Spirit of God really dwells in you. Anyone who does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to him" (Rom 8:9). And: "It is the Spirit Himself bearing witness with our spirit that we are children of God" (Rom 8:16). "Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with sighs too deep for words. And he who searches the hearts of men knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God" (Rom 8:26-27). At the end of chapter 8 (Romans) St. Paul introduces us into the triumph of the life in the Spirit through Christ's love. The group leader should not worry about the eventual lack of "privileged instruments" in the group, but rather, should occupy himself with leading the members to the freedom and the activity of the Holy Spirit.
In August of 1984 I was transferred to Vitina. Prior to leaving Medjugorje I prayed: "Mary, help me to understand how I can help you in the future when I will be far from Medjugorje!" Jelena heard Our Lady's voice say: "Love! I came from the Love of God; I act in the Love of God. Now I am here, in every family, all over the world. Love and do as I do." This is difficult to accept for a person used to measuring with his own metre and at the same time is so threatened by Satan. Yet this is the pivot for all our activity. In the love of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit all the members of the Mystical Body of Christ are united and there they communicate with each other. In this communion we find Mary Most Holy, the Angels, and the Saints. In this communion the group is open to the grace which rises from other groups. The presence of the Holy Spirit will be expressed in the fruits: "The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such there is no law" (Gal 5:22-23). From these will be born God's gifts and instruments.
It is very important to be open to the Spirit, and to accept the grace and with Him to remain faithful to the spousal relationship on all levels! This is where true Christian maturity by the group leader is expressed. The priest's role is to "take care of the souls" and as such will pray with simplicity and will help to understand and to accept the promptings of the Holy Spirit.
3. Sharing
Sharing amongst group members means to avail of the dynamics of God's life in souls and in the group which are brought out through those same elements we have already considered, that is: enter into prayer, be open to the Holy Spirit and be active in Him.
What is to be shared? The Word of God and all the inspirations that come from Him. Everything culminates, is verified and is brought to perfection in the Word of God, in His teachings and in His Person. It is the Person of Jesus Christ that gives value to His teachings, otherwise the word would remain theory, ideology; it would be void without the Person of Jesus who in the Holy Spirit leads us to the Father. Sharing each other's inner experiences enables us to walk with the Lord, and to face everything within us that isn't yet redeemed. Our journey leads us to the death-resurrection experience while being open to Pentecost, which is to say the special graces of the Holy Spirit which continually bring life in the soul to perfection. Even though we still journey towards complete redemption, we can still have faith, hope and love acting freely within us. The Holy Spirit's prayer becomes alive, and is expressed through the person, enabling the person to blossom (Rm 8:26-27).
The group leader should simply discern ways and means of communication for the benefit of the members. He will take care that all the elements so far mentioned are made to work correctly, and that communion with the Mystical Body of Christ is sought. He will leave space for the positive intentions of individuals, and he will guide the group so that tasks, intentions and the group's path are singled out. He will also pay attention that the sharing does not slide back to the human level of giving vent, thereby losing the action of grace.
On his part, the priest will become ever more silent, as the Lord does when entering into the mystery. He will lead the persons into the depth of the faith journey. With his openness to the Spirit he will know how to indicate the way to reach profound communion with God. He will pray silently, whilst following what is said, and intervening with discretion. All that is moved within the interior of the group will make up the substance of his prayer and it will be expressed in the Holy Mass which he will lift up to God.
4. Prayer
Prayer should be simple and spontaneous and it should flow forth from the Spirit who moves persons to a complete involvement whilst respecting the stages of journey of the individual. The whole group should be involved, so that no burden remains within a soul, so that no stone remains unturned. The group leader needs to be attentive to the limits and needs of the individuals, and when necessary, to deal with them separately. His sincere willingness to serve God through Mary will open the ways for the group and its members. Prayer should not remain the exclusive property of the individual, but ought to be open to all the needs of the group, of Christ's Church and of the world.
Prayer enables us to depart, in the Holy Spirit, for a mission in the universe. With Jesus we advance towards the Father. Prayer is summed up and is projected towards Christ. It is in the name of Jesus Christ, in the Holy Spirit, that the group lifts up its prayer to the Father; He is the springwater of life and it is in Him that our life culminates. If a priest is present in the group he should lead the meeting to its climax; through God's action in his soul he is drawn to sum up everything in the Holy Spirit and to pray in the Name of Jesus. It is the priest who sums up the meeting in Christ, and who immerges everything in the life of the Father: the inward motions of souls, the group's communion, the needs of all men and of all creatures. Even if he should be absent, the priest will "gather up" all the groups under his direction and present them to God in the Holy Mass. In the priest's absence, the group leader will act in his place, in spiritual communion with the priest. It is good for the Lord's Prayer to be sung. In the liturgy, this prayer is recited whilst standing. The six visionaries of Medjugorje say that when Our Lady prays the "Our Father" she stretches her arms upwards and looks upwards at the Father. It is good if we do the same.
5. The Blessing
The word bless is related to the Latin word benedicere which means to "say well of," or to "praise." The blessing transmits the message of salvation; it transmits the life of God which flows through souls. It is the Holy Spirit Who communicates the blessing to us; He makes it effective; and this can be seen in our smiles and in the joy expressed in our desires and thoughts. All one's being becomes an expression of our One and Triune God, and it is transmitted to others and to the universe as a whole. The priest thus grants the blessing and the life of God and of the Mystical Body of Christ which is in God. With the blessing the priest intends to reach everyone, in particular the group and its intentions and plans, that they might be made fertile for the glory of God. And he sends the group (out to the world) just as the Lord sent the Apostles.
6. The leave-taking
This does not consist in saying, "See you next time." If this is all it were, the group would stagnate; the seed would not produce fruit, with time the group would become passive, participation would become burdensome, and the members, instead of receiving the Holy Spirit's promptings, would stay closed up within themselves. It is here, then, that the response and responsibility of members and of the group must emerge. Members go back home and pray, using the grace received to make it fruitful. They face difficulties and involve others of good will in their faith journey; and they acquire experience which they take back to the group so that together they might advance. This way the journey continues and is expressed in the vortex of the Trinitarian life. Members accept the grace of the Holy Spirit; they walk down the paths of everyday life together with Jesus towards the Father. United in the dynamics of the Trinitarian life they receive new graces to go out into the world and make them fruitful in the name of God and for His glory. "And they went forth and preached everywhere, while the Lord worked with them and confirmed the message by the signs that accompanied it" (Mk 16:20).
We sat down to converse, and we reflected on the inner disposition which enables you to comprehend God and His plans, an aspect often stressed upon in Our Lady's messages to the Prayer Group: "Dear Children, pray to discover God's plans for your lives."
The Gift of Listening
An Interview with Jelena Vasilj
Jelena, the gift you received from the Lord to guide the prayer group at Medjugorje is related to inner listening. You were more or less asked to "listen with the ear of your heart" and then "transmit" to others the words which came from heaven. What did you do to make this gift grow and mature?
Maturing in this sense doesn't come easily, even though I can't deny the journey covered so far. I do think, however, that the ability to listen is the fundamental attitude for a soul to have towards God; as trans-formation can't come about if we don't listen. This makes me think of a psalm which goes, "make the light of your face, o Lord, shine upon us." When we begin falling in love with God we also begin to look like Him because of His light which begins to abide in us. Thus, listening means to welcome and accept the others, and to be open to the others, not according to our own expectations, but to accept them for what they are. And this takes a lot of maturity.
It also takes a lot of respect for what is "different" since we often tend to identify with others and desire that their words correspond to our own opinions.
We mustn't try to find ourselves reflected in others, but we have to let ourselves be surprised &emdash; if you will &emdash; by them. Now that I have a son I realize how everyday there is something new to discover. Every person is a mystery; all the more so God! You can never understand Him totally, so there's no fear of getting bored!
For the Prayer Group your gift was very important, as it was through your capacity to listen that also the action of others depended. How did you feel about this responsibility, this service, this mission?
I've experienced that it is necessary to know suffering and to deny oneself, for unless you are able to renounce everything, even your own desires, you cannot accept others. Even in God we probably seek our own happiness, and that's fair enough, but that doesn't mean we have to seek self-satisfaction. It's the encounter with God and with others that we have to seek. We must seek the Giver, then the gift comes as a consequence. If we concentrate too much on a gift received we risk losing sight of the person who gave it to us.
God constantly repeats: "Listen Israel…" Do you think His insistence means we're obstinate?
There's a beautiful moment in the baptismal rite when the priest blesses the ears so they can open up and listen to the Word of God, which is a word that becomes life and gives joy. We also know, however, that our senses are very delicate and need protecting since they also perceive negative things.
How can we identify the voice of God in us?
Without Grace it's not possible. We can open up to God's Grace by paying attention, by listening. For example, Hebrews read the Holy Scripture out loud; they practically proclaim it to themselves. Also our prayer should be a proclamation of God's Word to ourselves. It has happened that I have found replies in things I've written myself after having re-read them. So it's important to let the Word penetrate our souls.
To know how to listen to God means we should know how to listen to others. What is your experience with your baby?
Maternity teaches me to open my ears, because when a baby cries it is for a reason. Making the effort of listening carefully makes it easier for me to know him. It has happened that he's been with a person who has watched TV, but he was aware that he wasn't receiving attention, and started crying. I don't mean that children should be adored or dominate over family life, but it is true that their serenity depends on the attention we give them.
What about in a married couple?
It's the same for a married couple. They must communicate. It's a battle.. but when we manage to make this contact and say to each other how we feel then peace is created. Then each of us feels free to do his own thing and live his own independence. Without this contact even one's independence can be used against the other; as if to say: you disturb me, get out of my space! But when communication is alive, everything we do favours communion.
Do you feel that you are listened to?
Yes. It doesn't come automatically, for we both have our own form of egoism. I have to admit that there is the will to listen to each other. I've come to realize how every now and again when my husband and I are apart all day long, communicating doesn't come easily in the evening. In these cases it takes time to find the right "frequency." After several attempts we manage to "tune in" to each other again. Married couples must fight to protect the harmony; they have to go back every day to the base to set up the contact again, and to listen to each other. From here they can face all the rest. Otherwise, they run the risk of not building up together.
Does this go for God too?
I think so. We have to do His will, and for this we need to give up our own. This is the cross, it's sacrifice; but you realize afterwards how God protects you from so many things when you have the courage to act according to His will. It takes serenity and patience; as pressure and haste don't come from God.
Like Mary who listened and pondered...
Yes, Mary is our model. At Cana she didn't fully comprehend the mystery of God who lived next to her, but she was certain when she said: "Do whatever he tells you to do," because she trusted Jesus. Paying attention expresses our own trust in others.
You could hear the voices of Jesus and Mary in your heart. How could you tell the difference?
By the tone of authority. Jesus' word is imposed in a certain sense, you can feel its weight. I don't mean it is commanding, but that you understand it is something you ought to do. It is stronger than your own opinion and demands being preserved whole.
How did Mary's voice differ?
Mary is forever the handmaid. Here at Medjugorje she said: "I bow down before your freedom." It's amazing. Her way of attracting us is so different to that of Jesus'.
You also distinctly heard Satan's voice. How would you describe it?
God is freedom. He always gives you the possibility of choosing. Satan chains you up; and never offers you the chance of deciding. He deceives you. When you think you're free, perhaps all you're doing is choosing not to be free.. like a fish which liberally jumps out of water, then dies.
Was his voice menacing, persuasive?
I was particularly aware of being pressured to act before I could change my mind. I think sinners feel the same; that they don't really know how they got to be where they are. Satan knows only too well that if we have more time we would probably resist him. This explains why people have trouble doing good, as it seems there is always plenty of time to do it.
How does prayer relate to this reflection on listening?
The Word of God should echo our prayer. It is useless to remain in silence, to meditate, if the word we listen to isn't the right one. The only way to be certain that it is God speaking to us is to nourish ourselves daily with His Word. You need to work a lot on "inner words." If they aren't the right ones, then neither will the ones we pronounce correspond to what's on the inside.
I read that the Holy Spirit is like music. We are the instrument and the Word of God is the tuner. The Holy Spirit plays His melody on our strings. When the instrument isn't tuned by the Word of God, we produce noise. For example, when scruples or fear are dominant within us, then that is not the Word of God, for God's Word is peace, joy, trust...
What role does fasting have in listening?
Fasting makes sense only if done for the sake of love. I see the importance of fasting also through my son who doesn't always react well to what I eat. You see, when we fast there has to be someone else at the other end. Renunciation doesn't make sense without love. This doesn't mean we shouldn't fast; it just means that we must love. Fasting helps us create that inner space which makes listening easier. The door to heaven is a narrow door, and if we have too much baggage we won't fit through it. But if we know how to simplify our lives then we'll get through easily. It is then that we'll truly begin listening to each other.
(Interview by Stefania Consoli)
Our Readers Write...
(a selection of letters)
Audrey O'Brien, Dubbo Australia: Thank you for the Echo. I distribute the copies you send me amongst fellow parishioners who await it anxiously.
Fr. Mario, Assam, India: Many thanks for regularly sending us the Echo of Mary. I am always very happy to receive it and read of the wonders Our Lady does for the world, even though we don't always deserve it.
Carlo Dimaggio, NY, USA: I'm writing to thank you for sending me the Echo, and for all that you do. May Our Lady uphold you and guide you all.
Amelia Romanelli, Turin: I so look forward to receiving the Echo. It is so rich in spirituality; it is like a breath of fresh air for the soul; it is good for the heart, the mind and the soul. May the Queen of Peace bless you and keep you always.
Fr. Vincenzo, Bari, Italy: I read the Echo with great interest and enthusiasm. It is truly the echo of Mary's voice which serves to sanctify me. And it is a witness that brings good for those who find it difficult to stay on the Lord's way. May our Lord reward you.
Esther de Babin, BsAs, Argentina: The Echo is the most divine thing that Mary is doing for the world. To receive a copy brings me immense joy. It fills me. It is so rich in hope, life, courage, and comfort in our world so full of hatred. If it weren't for the Queen of Peace who speaks to us there would be just inner death. May the Lord and Our Lady keep you and bless you, so you might continue to keep us close to them.
Stania Cech-Spirek, Slovakia: I greet you and thank you immensely for the copy of the Echo you send me.
Fr. Aidan Carroll, Ireland: Thank you for the lovely Echo and its sublime reading which lifts our souls to God. Echo is a beautiful rose for Jesus and Mary.
Sr. Marija Crucis, Ireland: May God reward you; the Holy Spirit pour upon you His gifts, and Mary keep you under her mantle. Thank you for the Echo.
Roser Balsells, Canada: Thank you very much for spreading Mary's messages. God bless you all!
* Pope's Silver Jubilee - Our beloved Pope, John Paul II will celebrate his Silver Jubilee on 16 Oct. 2003. Please remember his intentions in your prayers.
Retreat for Echo of Mary workers in Medjugorje
Also this year Echo of Mary translators and workers spent a few days in Medjugorje (27-31 August) to pray and open their hearts to the message which the Queen of Peace wishes to transmit to all her Children also through the pages of our little paper. Grace and Blessing were poured out into hearts, thanks also to the readiness of the participants to respond ever more fully to the Spirit's promptings. It was this desire to be open to God's will and to be one in the same Spirit that brought over fifty people from 15 different nations to the Kraljice Mira House where a dense programme had been prepared for them. This included talks by Fr. Tomislav Vlasic, and moments of prayer, adoration, silence, meditation and sharing.
It was clear to all that to be limpid vessels of the Grace of Medjugorje at the service of the Echo, it was necessary to empty oneself and offer oneself to God so He is free to use us according to His plans. This is the way by which hearts and intentions are purified and it enables one to avoid the risk of using Echo for secondary purposes or personal gains.
The importance of being in communion with God and with each other also became clear, so as to be receptive to the language of love which speaks over and above cultural and geographical differences and so that the various editions of the Echo might be marked by greater harmony, and that thus, readers the world wide should be aware of the Spirit of communion and agreement. It was agreed that the Echo could only benefit from this by improving in quality and in depth. In the serene and joyous atmosphere prepared by Our Blessed Mother, participants gained greater awareness of the seriousness of their work, and at the same time desired bettering their service for the good of Mary's little instrument and for its readers. To her offer of love came just as many responses of love in the act of entrustment made by individuals and the group as a whole. All were deeply grateful for this opportunity to improve, both personally and as workers at the service of the Echo. Editor
Mantova, 14 September 2003
Echo is a free publication. Donations are gratefully accepted; without them we cannot continue to spread the Message to Mary's little children round the world.
Personal cheques payable to
"Echo of Mary Association"
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Our Prayers for you! - We invite you all to join in our prayers which we offer up to God on the first Saturday of each month for the intentions of readers (whether specifically asked or simply expressed within your hearts). Once a month Fr. Alberto will also celebrate a Holy Mass for the same intentions.
Source: Echo of Mary ( www.ecodimaria.net )


What the West appears incapable of understanding is that Muslim "grievances" that appeasers say we must address are based on significant strands of superemacism within the Islamic tradition. Applied to anyone else, we'd call it racism. But how "Islamophobic" to say so!
Obama misrepresented episodes from Christian history to exonerate Islamic terror during the National Prayer Breakfast, and he misrepresented Christian virtues like humility to create doubt and moral confusion concerning Islamic terror. What a mess!


text:
Lifetime Achievement honours for South African greats
22nd May 2019 News
SAMA25 will bestow the prestigious Lifetime Achievement Awards to the late hip hop star HHP, kwaito legends TKZee and the acclaimed 90s group Mango Groove.
HHP who passed away last year will be remembered for the critical role he played in making Motswako a force to be reckoned with. His career is punctuated with a series of firsts, including being one of the first artists to make rapping over a kwaito beat popular as well as being the first hip hop artist to have multiple successful sync deals. Jabba will also be remembered as the host of SAMAXXI and for the mentor role he played to many artists. He is undeniably one of the greatest forces in South African music and a shape shifter.
The trailblazing Mango Groove was started in 1984 with their unique brand of music fusing marabi and kwela. Their hits "Special Star", "Another Country" and "Moments Away" to name a few became anthems that sealed their position as the emblematic rainbow nation for being multi ethnic at a time of apartheid. The talented front woman Claire Johnston backed by an equally gifted band that included the late trumpet great Banza Kgasoane became national treasures and faces of the national reconciliation and social cohesion project.
TKZee were the poster boys of cool in the 1990s as they pioneered a sound so unique in the process rewriting South Africa's music history books by becoming the biggest selling kwaito group. The three piece boy band of Kabelo Mabalane, Zwai Bala and Tokollo Tshabalala gave local audiences classics such as Palalafala and Shibobo. In 1999 TKZee experienced their biggest night at the SAMAs when they scooped five awards including Best Duo/Group and Best Kwaito Album, a record they held on to for years.
Congratulating the achievers Nhlanhla Sibisi, CEO of RiSA said: 'We are proud that at this milestone 25th anniversary of the SAMA we will be honouring these giants of music who played such a big role in South African music. Mango Groove is an institution that tells our history as a people and the spirit of tenacity and rising above the odds when it was not so fashionable for blacks and whites to work together. TKZee heralded the early days of freedom with a sound so fresh and invigorating that they became legends in a short space of time. HHP entrenched and adapted the culture of hip hop to a South African audience as he shunned twanging and instead made Setswana fashionable. It's also extra special that his first posthumous award comes from the industry he gave so much of himself to. We applaud our SAMA25 achievers and we recognise their sterling achievements. Bravo.'
North West MEC for Culture, Arts and Traditional Affairs, Mme Ontlametse Mochware, also lauded the three acts on their achievements.
"The Lifetime Achievement Award is probably the finest award an artist can earn, whether they are living or not," said MEC Mochware. "This is a reflection of the influence and impact HHP, Mango Groove and Tkzee have had on the musical landscape in South Africa and beyond. They truly deserve the honour, and we are proud of them for the example they set for the youth and the inspiration they have been to us all.
"As the North West, we are particularly happy that our own HHP is one of the legends recognised in this year's prestigious awards. This will further enhance his stature as a role-model to our youth. We are looking forward to a memorable Sama night."
The SAMA25 takes place on May 31 and June 1 in Sun City, North West province. It will be broadcast live on June 1 on SABC1 at 8pm. Tickets to the show are available at Ticket Pro for R415.
SAMA27 Rings In Changes With Three New Categories
The SAMA26 Public Vote Race Heats Up
SAMA26 Virtual Experience Is Here
SAMA26 Nominations Unearth Fresh New Gems
The 26th Annual South African Music Awards is made possible thanks to the generous support of the following sponsors: The Recording Industry of South Africa (RiSA), My Muze, Mzansi Magic, Kaya FM, POwer987 and YFM
All material © SAMA 2019.
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