Pray the Rosary for the World

Please Pray for Fr. Joe & Bob, Rita's Intentions
     

Prayer for Grace for our Country

Dear Father united to Jesus in the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, the Sacrifice of Calvary sacramentally made present, celebrated around the world, in the Holy Spirit. We offer up all we do united to the Mass. We unite in one mind and one heart as members of the mystical body of Christ, with Christ our head in the pure and holy Hearts of Jesus and Mary, through the powerful intercession of Mary with all the angels and saints and souls in purgatory, and we beg for the saving grace, for our country, the United States. Please help us. We further pray for unity to always do the will of God in love. We spread the Blood of Jesus on the leaders and people of the United States and cast the devil into hell. We consecrate our country to the Sacred Heart and Immaculate Heart and all our dioceses, and beg for an outpouring of the Holy Spirit. God help us. We pray for our families, the priests, the Church and the world. In the Name of Jesus please hear us, we pray. We pray for our president and leaders. We pray that we are united as one nation under God to work together in love as God wants.  

        October 22, 2021

R. Silent Night, Holy Night 

Christmas is just about 2 months away. 

Music helps the soul. 

How will we sing on Christmas? 

Christmas is about our Savior’s birth. 

Silent Night, Holy Night. 

Jesus gave Fr. Carter these prayers, centered in consecration, to pray for the priests, the Church and the world. 

Some people live life. Some people don’t live at all, lost in bitterness. 

Stories for bitterness. We can blame everybody else why we’re not happy, we blame others, why we don’t live life being alive. 

Some people are people persons, some never live at all. 

We can help others and see their needs, or go more and more into blues, over why we don’t live as we should. 

Sometimes when we suffer a loss we see in ways we never saw before. 

God called us to help others, to serve and give His love to others. 

Music can lift men's hearts.
Jesus gave us the Song from Jesus.

Song: A Song from Jesus

R. I love the Songs, Jesus gave us. 

Singing is praying twice!! 

The angels sang when Jesus was born. Gloria and Alleluia - they lift our hearts. 

There are so many beautiful Christmas songs. Jesus, the Son of God, took flesh and came to the earth to be our redeemer. 

This is something to sing about. Thank You God the Father for sending Your only begotten Son to this earth, our Savior. 

Jesus did not come high and mighty, He came a little baby. 

Think of all the people that are really lost, lost in themselves, that don't want to take a chance trusting others, because of being hurt and are afraid to get hurt. Again. 

Dear God, help us to see what You want us to see. 

When we lose something dear to us, some times we can see anew, things we completely never even saw before.

Making friends with those we may have shut out of our life.
Building bridges and not walls. Opening our hearts to the music of love.
We can reach out and it may not be what we thought, but it's a beginning when a lot of healing may be needed.

Let a song sing in your heart and your heart will feel lighter.

Big dreams of love, but we won't know if we don't open our hearts to song.
Dear God, help us to live in the moment, that's the only moment we have, we can't live in the past, we can't live in the future, we can only live today. When we go to bed tonight, the moments of that day are gone forever.

Life is precious, treasure the moments of the days left.

Christmas is the night of Jesus' birth. We are precious to Jesus, so much so He came, took flesh, lived, taught us, loved us, died and rose on the third day.

Sing, lift your hearts, sing the Good News. Jesus was born our Savior.
 

We help each other when we love:
Give for the good of the others. 

We need to help each other, work as a team, live by authority and order and love. 

If somebody tries to brings us down, we have to be disciplined and not give into disorder.

Being out of control is not pleasing to others.
God calls us to discipline.
We have to be accountable and responsible.
God works in order.

We need each other, we need to work as a team, forgive and ask for forgiveness.
Love finds a way.
Let your hearts sing a song of life, not misery.

Joy to the world.
Jesus showed us how precious we are to Him.

Make every day a song in your heart, live life to the full, every day. Count the precious days left.

Life is a gift from God, be grateful.

Life is to be lived to give honor and glory to God.
God is to be first in our lives.
Life is in Him.

Think of the extent a person who is wounded will go to, to blame others around them for why they are unhappy.

First to thine own self be true, about one’s own self, not blaming others to remain isolated.

We are to walk hand-in-hand and work as a team building the Kingdom of God!
Love our brother as ourselves.

All the deadly sins deal with self-centeredness.
Virtue is in good habits, fruitfulness, putting God first!!
Serving and loving others.

It's harder to live an isolated life living against God's plan for us.
It's putting our will higher than God’s will for us, that takes energy fighting, rebelling against God.

God even allows the storms in our lives, sometimes to strengthen us where we need to grow.
A marsh-mellow is mushy.

We need to grow in fortitude and the other virtues, this takes grace, and discipline, direction, and sacrifice, it takes living by God’s will not rebelling against it.

When the storm came up, Jesus slept. Jesus walked on water. We can't do this, our strength is in Him.
No man can walk on water.
We need God.

Can you see Jesus sleeping when the boat almost went over? A lesson is being taught there. He controls the wind and the rain, the thunder and the waters.

The very hairs of our head are numbered. And Jesus is Almighty and All-powerful.

Pray and thank Him for answering every day prayers. Don't be like the lepers that were healed. He is really there!!! In petition and when He answers our prayers, say thanks.

Come to me Lord and possess my soul, come into my heart and permeate my soul.
   

I died for you.

 

Glorious Mysteries

The Resurrection

1. Luke 24: 1-12

On the first day of the week, at the first sign of dawn, they went to the tomb with the spices they had prepared. They found that the stone had been rolled away from the tomb, but on entering they could not find the body of the Lord Jesus. As they stood there puzzled about this, two men in brilliant clothes suddenly appeared at their side. Terrified, the women bowed their heads to the ground. But the two said to them, ‘Why look among the dead for someone who is alive? He is not here; he has risen. Remember what he told you when he was still in Galilee: that the Son of man was destined to be handed over into the power of sinful men and be crucified, and rise again on the third day.’ And they remembered his words.

And they returned from the tomb and told all this to the Eleven and to all the others. The women were Mary of Magdala, Joanna, and Mary the mother of James. And the other women with them also told the apostles, but this story of theirs seemed pure nonsense, and they did not believe them.

Peter, however, went off to the tomb, running. He bent down and looked in and saw the linen cloths but nothing else; he then went back home, amazed at what had happened.

2. Jesus showed the way, He died and rose on the third day.

3. We are to live the life of resurrection, now, in the here and now, in the ordinary circumstances of our lives.

4. We know life is very precious. Look at the sacrifice Jesus made for us.

5. God the Father so loved the world, He sent His only begotten Son.

6. In dying to the things, not like Jesus, we are set free to live more the resurrected life and have a deeper relationship with Jesus.

7. Come to me, Lord, and possess my soul. Come into my heart and permeate my soul. Help me to sit in silence with You and let You work in my heart.

8. What does it profit a man to gain the whole world and lose his soul?

9. Prayer helps us to see what our relationship to God and our fellow man should be.

10. In prayer we lift up our mind and heart to God.

 

The Ascension

1. Luke 24:50-53

Then he took them out as far as the outskirts of Bethany, and raising his hands he blessed them. Now as he blessed them, he withdrew from them and was carried up to heaven. They worshipped him and then went back to Jerusalem full of joy; and they were continually in the Temple praising God.

2. Surrender. In the end we will all have to surrender and we are here to prepare for eternal life with God, forever, in heaven.

3. Come to me, Lord, and possess my soul. Come into my heart and permeate my soul. Help me to sit in silence with You and let You work in my heart.

4. We see Jesus is lifted up and ascends into heaven, and a cloud took Him out of sight.

5. The Apostles were afraid and locked themselves in the upper room, praying.

6. It shows us that the time was to come when the Holy Spirit came upon them, and they would be transformed from fear to fearlessness.

7. Jesus, we give You our heart, we love You and want to be with You eternally in heaven.

8. The devil is a fallen angel, he lies to us so he can tempt us to sin.

9. Sing: Glory, Glory, Glory Lord

10. Sing: A Song from Jesus

 

 

The Descent of the Holy Spirit on the Apostles and the Blessed Virgin Mary

1. Sing: Come Holy Ghost

2. Sing: Come Holy Spirit

3. Sing: Veni Sanctus Spiritus

5. From the Lectionary

6. Acts 2: 1-4

When Pentecost day came round, they had all met together, when suddenly there came from heaven a sound as of a violent wind which filled the entire house in which they were sitting; and there appeared to them tongues as of fire; these separated and came to rest on the head of each of them. They were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak different languages as the Spirit gave them power to express themselves. 

7. In the creed we say
    The Spirit is the "Lord, the giver of Life".

8. At Pentecost the Holy Spirit appeared on the Apostles as parted tongues of fire.

9. The Holy Spirit gives us gifts.

10. From Tell My People by Fr. Edward J. Carter, S.J.

The Holy Spirit

Jesus: "My beloved friend, tell My people to pray daily to the Holy Spirit. They are to pray for an increase in His gifts. My people must realize that the Holy Spirit comes to transform them. The Spirit desires to transform you more and more according to My image. Those who are docile to His touch become increasingly shaped in My likeness. He performs this marvel within Mary's Immaculate Heart. The more one dwells in My Mother's Heart, the more active are the workings of the Spirit. The Spirit leads Mary to place you within My own Heart. In both Our Hearts, then, your transformation continues. The more you are formed after My own Heart, the more I lead you to the bosom of My Father. Tell My people all this. Tell them to pray daily for a greater appreciation of these wondrous gifts. I am Lord and Master. All who come to My Heart will be on fire to receive the gifts of the Spirit in ever greater measure! I love and bless My people!"

Reflection: The Holy Spirit is given to us to fashion us ever more according to the likeness of Jesus. And the more we are like Jesus, the more Jesus leads us to the Father. Do we, each day, pray to the Holy Spirit to be more open to His transforming influence? Do we strive each day to grow in union with Mary? The greater our union with our Mother, the spouse of the Holy Spirit, the greater is the transforming action of the Holy Spirit within us.

Prayer: Come, Holy Spirit, fill us with your gifts of wisdom, understanding, knowledge, counsel, fortitude, piety and fear of the Lord. As we dwell in the Heart of Mary, Your spouse, fashion us more and more according to the Heart of Jesus. end of excerpt from Tell My People
 

 

The Assumption

1. Mary was taken Body and soul to heaven.

2. Mary is our Mother.

3. Mary was conceived without original sin.

4. Mary is the perfect model for us.

5. Mary gives us her Immaculate Heart.

6. If we give our heart to Mary she takes us to the Heart of Jesus.

7. Jesus takes us to the bosom of the Father.

8. The Father created us and wants us with Him eternally in heaven. We prepare for this in our lives.

9. Sing: Immaculate Mary

10. May 5, 1995

Consecrate Your Churches, Home, and Workplace to Our Hearts

Jesus: I want you to consecrate the human race to Sacred Heart of Jesus. I want to be enthroned in all homes, churches, and businesses.

June is the month of the Sacred Heart. I want to be king and center of all hearts. I will keep My promises given to St. Margaret Mary of Alacoque. I promise all this from My most Sacred Heart. Consecrate your chapter to the Sacred Heart of Jesus. Consecrate the church or room in which you hold your meeting.

Today is First Friday. I want you to circulate the message I gave to you on consecrating your homes to My Sacred Heart. Make booklets available for people to be able to consecrate their homes and businesses easily. Use the message I gave to you when you consecrated your home.

The Sacred Heart of Jesus will reign and the Immaculate Heart of Mary will triumph. Consecrate all homes and businesses to Our Two Hearts. Tell all to have displayed and honored, pictures of the Sacred Heart of Jesus and the Immaculate Heart of Mary. May and June are the months of Mary and the Sacred Heart of Jesus. Tell all to consecrate their homes to Our Two Hearts. I am the Sacred Heart of Jesus. On this day, the 5th of May, 1995, First Friday, I request that you spend the next two months encouraging all to do this consecration.

Gather your friends and say the prayers I have instructed you to say. Sing "To Jesus Heart All Burning" and "Immaculate Mary." May these Two Hearts of love give all members of the human race peace, joy and love in their hearts.

R. Jesus said He desires to be honored by men in the Blessed Sacrament.

Jesus: Circulate the Blue Book messages. They promote this devotion. How My Heart is filled with happiness by the souls who come to the tabernacle and sit with Me. I am Jesus Christ, I wait and long and thirst for My precious souls to come. The souls of men have turned cold. I want souls to come to daily communion and be with Me in front of the tabernacle.

Men's hearts have turned cold. They do not know what love really means. I want hearts that are filled with fire for love of God. Men's hearts have turned to stone.

You are to promote devotion to My most Sacred Heart. I want hearts that burn with love for My Heart. It is through Me that you will know the Father's love. I am the Way, I am the Truth, I am the Life.

Offer a holy hour for the indifference, ingratitude, and sacrileges committed against Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament, the Sacrament of His greatest love.

R. He promises great graces to those who give reparation to His Sacred Heart and who tell others about offering reparation to Him.  end of May 5, 1995

 

24 Years later 

May 5, 2019

 

 

Mary is Crowned Queen of Heaven and Earth

1. Sing: Hail Holy Queen

2. August 22, 2000

Today is the Queenship of Mary

R. The Queen mounts her throne among shouts of joy The angels surround this heavenly throne Her children love her and worship their God.

The Sacred Heart of Jesus reigns in the hearts of her children.

He is the King of their hearts.

She is the Queen of their hearts.

A New Adam, a New Eve are recognized by the once enslaved children of Adam and Eve.

A trumpet blare for one so fair, a blare of music for our starved ears.

From the Magnificat, Mary speaks with the lilt of the voice of one so pure and holy. (NOTE: Read this with the lightness of the voice of the Virgin filled with the Holy Spirit and in the humility of one so fair.

Among shouts of joy our Lady speaks liltingly in a heavenly voice and we gape at the sound of her sweet voice and behold the beauty of this maiden so sweet and fair.

God the Father speaks:

Amen, amen I say to you My beloved Apostles of the Sacred Heart. You may worry and struggle now, but a King looks on you with the greatest love as you surrender more and more everyday to do My will that this day will come to your earth, the day of the Reign of the Sacred Heart.

Do not get caught up in the mysteries of the way men act and perceive things, but put your gaze ever more on the mystery of My Divine Son and how much He truly loves you.

You are caught in the wonder of the earth and the firmament. My beloved, so much more glorious is the insight into My Divine Mysteries.

My plan is given here to bring about the Reign of My Son’s Sacred Heart and the triumph of your Mother’s Immaculate Heart.

I am a God of justice and of right.

I am your heavenly Father.

I am the Carpenter, the One with the plan.

You are but children of Mine, creatures of the earth, and yet My love for you is so great. I gave you My only begotten Son as One offered for your sins and, men, you smite Me, your Father.

You ignore your Mother when I give you such gifts in your churches of her presence forever with you and the Holy Spirit working with her bringing forth your holiness.

I painted with My hand your Mother pleading to her young ones, and she appears everyday, and you ignore this sign and gift I give you.

What more could convince you? You want another sign and another while you sheepishly continue your sinful ways.

My children, My children, help Me to reach your brothers, oh please, they have plugged up their ears and covered their eyes.

How is it your Creator cries to the creatures and they ignore Him?

Now the beauty of one so fair July 5, 2000, I painted as a golden wonder before you and allowed such photography that all might know Our heavenly presence when Mary speaks in the Rosaries from the Hearts of Jesus and Mary. And My Son delivers, in these rosaries, the message I give to you as your heavenly Father.

Oh children of the earth, be attentive and listen to Me, I plead as your heavenly Father that your wills be aligned to My will and you serve Me.

Oh children of Eve, your Mother Mary cries to Me, for she pleads your case, and I have given in to her requests that the children be spared if they turn from their ways and love their God.

She wanted to come to you as the Woman adorned in sunlight by day and fashioned in a special way by nightfall in golden mystical light in the dark night, as her favored children sing so fervently songs of praise and love to God, and they sing to her, a Mother who has never forgot them.

Oh children, listen to Me and help Me reach your willful brothers through your fervent prayers. My Son gave Himself as a Sacrifice for your sins, meriting the graces available to you the sinful children of Eve, and you will not even pray after I have granted this special gift of Mary on the building.

Your eyes do not see her, or you would have changed your ways by now.

What sign would you respond to, My silly earth?

I give you My Son with you in the Eucharist, and you do not treasure this gift as you should.

God remains with you today. Jesus, My Son, feeds you with His Body and Blood. He is truly present in His Divinity and Humanity. You need to pray as He has instructed, especially before the tabernacle.

Amen.

I am the Father, I have spoken, I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End.

Jesus speaks:

I am the Son of God, on this glorious feast sing songs of great praise to your God and love Him.

Unite to the Father, Son and Holy Spirit and pray to be possessed by God.

Mary is your Mother, she is the one, pure, spotless, human person. She was conceived without sin, you must listen to her, it is the Father’s will. You must be brought forth from her Immaculate Heart, her spiritual womb, as a child of God, a child of the light.

Let the scales drop from your eyes as you sing praise and see, as never before, the glory and wonder of your God.

                end of excerpt

3. August 9, 2000

R. Oh, there is not one so fair as thee, my beloved Mother Mary.

Of all the maidens that God could have chosen it was you, oh shining Star of Heaven.

Oh Mary, Mother of us all. She doth appear as a wonder so fair indeed,

A permanent sign of God’s love.

A Woman clothed in gold.

One that glistens with the radiance of a golden tone,

Her beauty dancing in the sunlit hours of every day.

In morning splendor, in dancing light at noon day as the sun glistens on her rainbow glow and at night she has appeared on special dates in golden splendor and light.

Would you quote the Scripture for Mary so fair.

“Now a great sign appeared in heaven: a woman, robed with the sun, standing on the moon, and on her head a crown of twelve stars. She was pregnant, and in labour, crying aloud in the pangs of childbirth.”  (Revelation 12: 1-2)

Would you see her as she appeared in little villages in the 20th century, tucked in hills and out of the way places.

If you missed these enormous signs from heaven, of one so fair, she appears there clothed in the golden sun of the day, reflecting her radiant beauty painted by the hand of the Father. She is His chosen maiden so fair.

She appears daily, she is there by day and beneath the black shadows of night, she does not slumber, but calls to her children of light to come through her golden doorway and let the light of Christ shine in their souls.

She appears one so fair, by day and sometimes by night clothed in radiance and golden, her garment hemmed with glistening sunlight. She once appeared to a few and her visits fleeting in remotest places, she remains a Woman Clothed with the Sun, the sun dancing on her garments of rainbow color on a busy, busy corner for all to see, in the state of the sun, sunny Florida. She is a Woman painted by the brush of God.

And do you know the wonder of one who calls the children far and wide, to hear the voice of her Son, Jesus, Chief Shepherd of the Flock.

Mary, the heavenly maiden, to call them home to His Heart.

Oh, of one so fair, do we not boast and praise our God and thank Him for such a wonder.

Oh, to Mary, Queen of Heaven and Earth, we cry, help us to do what you asked for at Fatima and help us in our mission of telling the world of your Son’s desire to spread His Movement so men will be Shepherds of Christ.

4. Revelation 12:1-2

Now a great sign appeared in heaven: a woman, robed with the sun, standing on the moon, and on her head a crown of twelve stars. She was pregnant, and in labour, crying aloud in the pangs of childbirth.

5. A Prayer for Intimacy with the Lamb, the Bridegroom of the Soul

     Oh Lamb of God, Who take away the sins of the world, come and act on my soul most intimately. I surrender myself, as I ask for the grace to let go, to just be as I exist in You and You act most intimately on my soul. You are the Initiator. I am the soul waiting Your favors as You act in me. I love You. I adore You. I worship You. Come and possess my soul with Your Divine Grace, as I experience You most intimately.

6. The family that prays together, stays together.

From Tell My People by Fr. Edward J. Carter, S.J.

Children of Mary

Mary: "My beloved priest-son, how often I have embraced you! How often I have told you how much I love you! How often, at your request, I have held you in my arms as my child. You have told me you realize how helpless you are of yourself, but how strong and secure you feel dwelling in my heart and Jesus' Heart. Your sense of your littleness and helplessness endears you to me all the more. I take you ever more securely to my maternal and Immaculate Heart. Tell all my people of the riches you have found within my heart. Tell them how I place you within my Son's Heart. Tell them that, because of my motherly action, you are now more closely united with Jesus than ever before. Tell my people to come to my heart and draw forth similar riches. Tell all my little ones that Jesus, Who is Lord and Master, bids me to lead all to His Sacred Heart. The more my little ones dwell within my Immaculate Heart, the more I place them within Jesus' Heart. Oh, how I love all my little ones! How I love to bring them to the Heart of Jesus!"

Reflection: Again, let us remind ourselves that we live in the Age of the Two Hearts. The Hearts of Jesus and Mary are inseparable. The more we dwell in Mary's heart, the more she places us within Jesus' Heart. Within these Two Hearts, the Holy Spirit fashions us more and more in the likeness of Christ, and the more we become like Christ, the more closely He unites us to the Father.

Prayer: Immaculate Heart of Mary, pray for us! Sacred Heart of Jesus, we place our trust in You.
 

7. From Tell My People by Fr. Edward J. Carter, S.J.

Mary, Model and Teacher of Love

Mary: "My beloved priest-son, I have led you to greatly increase your prayers and sacrifices for others. I have often reminded you of my teaching at Fatima—that many souls go to Hell because they have no one to pray and make sacrifices for them. My Immaculate Heart longs that all my little ones be saved. Tell my little ones that they must love their neighbor through prayer, sacrifices, and other ways, too. All should learn from me. My Heart is symbol, not only of my great love for God, but also of my tender love for all my little ones. Imitate my love for God and all my children. If you love Jesus and me, this means you also love all of God's children. Jesus died for all. You cannot exclude anyone from your love.

"My Heart is the perfect imitator of the Heart of my Son. I will teach you how to love the Father and all mankind after the example of Jesus. All my little ones, I long for you to come to my Heart so I can teach you the ways of love! I love you so much! Come to my Immaculate Heart. Pressed against my Heart, I will hold you in my arms. I will clothe you with my motherly and protective mantle. As I hold you close to my Heart, I will teach you the ways of love!"

Reflection: In the above message, our dear mother tenderly reminds us that the following of Jesus is summed up in love of God and neighbor.

Prayer: Mary, in your great love for us, teach us the ways of love. Help us to surrender more and more to your Immaculate Heart, so that you can lead us to an ever closer union with the Heart of Jesus, the source of our being able to love.

8. From Tell My People by Fr. Edward J. Carter, S.J.

Mary as Our Mediatrix

Mary: "My beloved priest-son, I have given you a profound conviction of how necessary it is to realize I am your motherly mediatrix with Jesus. I have been appointed by the Triune God. Constantly remind all my little ones of this great truth! The more my little ones give themselves to my maternal and Immaculate Heart, the more I bring them to the Heart of Jesus!"

Reflection: Some mistakenly think that Mary "gets in the way" of their relationship with Jesus. How far from the truth is this erroneous attitude. Mary's role in our salvation has been willed by God. Enough said!

Prayer: Lord, give us a deeper realization of Mary’s motherly mediation. In Your great love for us, You gave Mary to us as our mother as You hung upon the cross. Give us the grace to entrust ourselves to Mary’s maternal love every day, all day. We ask You to take this petition to Your Heavenly Father in the Holy Spirit.
 

9. From Tell My People by Fr. Edward J. Carter, S.J.

Come to Our Hearts

Mary: "My beloved priest-son, how I love you! You give me such great joy because you love to dwell in my Immaculate Heart. In my great love for you, I have obtained this grace for you—that you love to dwell in my Heart! In my Heart, I caress you as a little child. I shower you with expressions of my motherly love. I take you each day to the Heart of Jesus and place you deeply within His Heart. How you love for me to do this, and how I love to do it! Tell all my little ones of the riches you have discovered in my Heart and Jesus' Heart. Tell them to come to Our Hearts in order to experience similar riches. Oh, how I love all my little ones, and how I long for them to come to me!"

Reflection: Again, we are reminded that we live in the age of the Two Hearts. Great graces are given to those who practice devotion to the Hearts of Jesus and Mary. These Two Hearts are given to us as our special refuge during this most critical stage of human history.

Prayer: Heavenly Father, we approach You as we dwell in the Hearts of Jesus and Mary. We ask you for the grace to draw more and more from the riches of these Two Hearts. We make our prayer through Jesus and in the Holy Spirit.
 

10. From Tell My People by Fr. Edward J. Carter, S.J.

Spiritual Childhood

Mary: "My beloved priest-son, how I love to enfold you in my arms as my little child! Enfolded in my arms in my maternal embrace, I press you against my Immaculate Heart. I draw you within my Heart. There, through my maternal intercession, I clothe you with Jesus' graces. As you dwell in my Heart, I place you ever more deeply within Jesus' Heart and there the Holy Spirit fashions you increasingly in the image of my Son. As you grow in the likeness of Jesus, He takes you ever closer to the Father.

"Thus, as you grow in the sense of your helplessness without God, the stronger you become in Jesus. Childlike thus becomes strength. The smaller you become in living out spiritual childhood, the taller you stand beside Jesus. Weakness becomes strength, your sense of helplessness becomes spiritual maturity!

"Tell all my children about the wonders of spiritual childhood! Tell them to come to me and I will school them in its ways. How I love all my children! Oh, how I love to exercise my motherhood toward them all!"

Reflection: In the Gospel, Jesus speaks emphatically to us about spiritual childhood: "At this time the disciples came to Jesus and said, 'Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?' So he called a little child to him and set the child in front of them. Then he said, 'I tell you solemnly, unless you change and become like little children you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. And so, the one who makes himself as little as this little child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven'" (Matthew 18:1-4).

Prayer: Jesus, in union with Mary, we ask for the grace to realize the supreme importance of spiritual childhood. We ask for the grace to grow as little children each day. Let us realize that the smaller we become—the more we depend on God—the greater we become in your kingdom. We ask You, dear Jesus, to take our petition to Your Father in the Holy Spirit.