Introduction

 

Medjugorje, a village chosen by heaven!

On June 24th, 1981, the Blessed Virgin Mary appeared to six children between the ages of 10 and 17 in the village of Medjugorje in Bosnia and Herzegovina. From the beginning of the apparitions, the Blessed Mother delivered messages of reconciliation, introducing herself as the “Queen of Peace”. For years, she addressed the visionaries every day, inviting them to return to God, pray for peace, make peace among themselves and keep the faith.

Our Lady said: ”Dear children, I love you and in a special way I have chosen this parish, in which I have gladly remained when the Almighty sent me.” (March 21,1985).

Medjugorje has attracted more than forty million pilgrims from all over the world and continues to bring about a wave of conversions on a global scale.

The Blessed mother herself began the first novena in Christian history! Indeed, after the Ascension of her Son Jesus, her prayers accompanied the apostles’ gathered in the Upper Room, and prepared them for the descent of the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost.

With immense gratitude, we offer her this novena!

On each day of these 9 days, we will do the following:

1. Begin by invoking the Holy Spirit with the Veni Creator (or another hymn of your choice);
2. Read one or two Bible verses on the theme of the day, and meditate on them;
3. Read and reread one or two messages of your choice, received from Mary in Medjugorje, on the theme of the day.
4. Respond as best we can to Mary’s invitation contained in these messages,
5. Say the prayer to Mary composed especially for that day,
6. Close with a song of your choice to Mary and a spontaneous prayer if you wish to.

Day 1

Mary expresses her love for us

“Come, Creator Spirit, to visit us, come and enlighten the souls of your sons; fill our hearts with grace and light, you who create all things with love. Put your clarity in us, set us ablaze. In our hearts, spread the love of the Father. Come and strengthen our bodies in their weakness, and give us your eternal strength.”

Alternative

Come, Holy Ghost, Creator blest,

and make our hearts your place of rest;

come with your grace and heavenly aid,

and fill the hearts which you have made.

Your light to every thought impart,

and shed your love in every heart;

the weakness of our mortal state

with deathless might invigorate.

Bible Text

For thus says the Lord: I will extend prosperity to her like a river, and the wealth of the nations like an overflowing stream; and you shall nurse and be carried on her arm, and dandled on her knees. (IS 66,12)

Messages from Mary

With immeasurable motherly love I am caressing your souls. (18.03.18)

Again, I say to you, if you knew how much I love you, you would cry with happiness. (18.03.2009, to Mirjana)

I desire for all of you to be with me in eternity, because you are a part of me. (02.07.2014 to Mirjana)

Prayer

O Blessed Virgin Mary, what a wonderful gift from your Son, Jesus, to have you as our Mother! The love of Jesus, with which you are overflowing, spreads over onto us. A mother never ceases to cherish the fruit of her womb, deploying all her resources to help it grow according to the harmony that her Creator has placed within him. You, Mary, are so close to us that we are part of you!

Please, dear Mother, make my heart feel your love! I am not an orphan! Let your indescribable maternal love be a balsam on my wounds and soothe them! In the morning, take me in your embrace, and let me taste the joy of life. Today, I give myself entirely to you, to walk with you into eternity, feeling the safety of a child that knows it is dearly loved!

Day 2

Mary comes to reveal her Son to us

“Come, Creator Spirit, visit us; come and enlighten the souls of your sons; fill our hearts with grace and light, you who create all things with love. Put your clarity in us, set us ablaze. In our hearts, spread the love of the Father. Come and strengthen our bodies in their weakness, and give us your eternal strength.”

Alternative

Come, Holy Ghost, Creator blest,

and make our hearts your place of rest;

come with your grace and heavenly aid,

and fill the hearts which you have made.

Your light to every thought impart,

and shed your love in every heart;

the weakness of our mortal state

with deathless might invigorate.

Bible verses

“His mother said to the servants, “Do whatever he tells you.” (Jn 2,5)

“For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life. (Jn 3, 16)

Jesus answered him, “Those who love me will keep my word, and my Father will love them, and we will come to them and make our home with them.” (Jn 14, 23)

“As the Father has loved me, so I have loved you; abide in my love.” (Jn 15, 9)

Messages from Mary

“Dear children, how much I desire for you to love my Son. I desire for you to come to know him all the better, because it is impossible to know him and not to love him–because he is love. I need you to be open and sensitive to the good and mercy. I need you to be united with my Son, because I desire for you to be happy and to help me to bring happiness to all of my children. (02.05.2015)

“Dear children; Through the immeasurable love of God, I am coming among you and I am persistently calling you into the embrace of my Son”. (02.03.2012)

“Dear children, with a motherly love I am calling you to respond to the great love of my Son.” (02.05.2019)

“My children, pray—think of my Son. In all the moments of the day, raise your soul to Him, and I will gather your prayers as flowers from the most beautiful garden and give them as a gift to my Son. Be true apostles of my love; spread the love of my Son to everyone.” (02.09.2017)

“Live in an unbreakable connection with the Most Sacred Heart of my Son. My children, as a mother, I am telling you that it is high time for you to kneel before my Son to acknowledge Him as your God, the center of your life. Offer gifts to Him-that which He most loves-which is love towards neighbor, mercy, and pure hearts.”(02.09.2019)

“This is the greatest happiness—the hands of my Son that embrace, of Him who loves the soul, of Him who has given Himself for you and is always giving Himself anew in the Eucharist, of Him who has the words of eternal life. ” (02.10.2018)

Prayer

O Blessed Virgin Mary, my Mother, you who are intimately united to your Son Jesus, help us open our hearts to Him without fear and without reservation! Today, your Heart has a thousand reasons to be distressed by seeing how He is forgotten, despised, mocked and counted for nothing, when He is our peace! In your infinitely pure Heart, you feel every offense that is done to Him, every indifference that hurts Him, and you constantly invite us to adore Him! Your joy increases when we put Him first in our lives. For you have often said, without Him we have no joy, no peace, no future, no eternal life!

Blessed Mother, who better than you to tell us about Him and reveal His desire for us! That is why, today, we want to shout to Him with all our strength: “Come, Lord Jesus! Come and live in our hearts, come and save us again! Did you not come for sinners and for the sick? We are on your list! Take us as we are, and transform us into Yourself to offer ourselves to the Father; for our Heaven, O Jesus, is You!

Day 3

Mary invites us to forgiveness

“Come, Creator Spirit, visit us; come and enlighten the souls of your sons; fill our hearts with grace and light, you who create all things with love. Put your clarity in us, set us ablaze. In our hearts, spread the love of the Father. Come and strengthen our bodies in their weakness, and give us your eternal strength.”

Alternative

Come, Holy Ghost, Creator blest,

and make our hearts your place of rest;

come with your grace and heavenly aid,

and fill the hearts which you have made.

Your light to every thought impart,

and shed your love in every heart;

the weakness of our mortal state

with deathless might invigorate.

Bible verses

Then Peter came and said to him, “Lord, if another member of the church sins against me, how often should I forgive? As many as seven times?” (Lc 23, 34)

Then Jesus said, “Father, forgive them; for they do not know what they are doing” (Mt 18, 21)

“For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you; But if you do not forgive others, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.” (Mat 6, 14-15)

Messages from Mary

“Dear children, without love, you cannot live peace. The fruit of peace is love and the fruit of love is forgiveness. I am with you and I invite all of you, little children, that before all else forgive in the family and then you will be able to forgive others.” (25.01.96)

“According to my Son, always forgive your neighbors, because in that way peace will be in you.” (02.10.2017)

“When my Son comes to the earth anew, He will look for love in your hearts. My children, many are the acts of love which He has done for you. I am teaching you to see them, to comprehend them and to thank Him by loving Him and always anew forgiving your neighbors. Because to love my Son means to forgive. My Son is not loved if the neighbor cannot be forgiven, if there is not an effort to comprehend the neighbor, if he is judged. My children, of what use is your prayer if you do not love and do not forgive?” (02.08.2017)

“My children, forgiveness is the most exalted form of love. You, as apostles of my love, must pray that you be strong in spirit and that you could comprehend and forgive. You, apostles of my love, by understanding and forgiveness, are giving an example of love and mercy. To be able to comprehend and forgive is a gift for which it is necessary to pray, and to nurture it. By forgiveness you are showing that you know how to love. Just look, my children, how the Heavenly Father loves you with a great love, with understanding, forgiveness and justice.”(02.06.2019)

“Dear children, I am beside you because I desire to help you to overcome trials, which this time of purification puts before you. My children, one of those is not to forgive and not to ask for forgiveness. Every sin offends Love and distances you from it–and Love is my Son. Therefore, my children, if you desire to walk with me towards the peace of God’s love, you must learn to forgive and to ask for forgiveness.” (02.09.2010)

“Dear children; Today, with a motherly heart, I call you to learn to forgive, completely and unconditionally. You suffer injustice, betrayals and prosecutions, but by that you are closer to and dearer to God. My children, pray for the gift of love. Only love forgives all, as my Son forgives–follow Him.” (02.09.2009)

Prayer

O Mother of Mercy, you see how difficult it is for us to forgive those who have hurt us. Sometimes the pain of the offense is so deep that we reject the very thought of forgiveness! Bitterness then seeps into our wounds, and we lose peace. However, the word of the Lord in the Our Father is clear: “Forgive us our trespasses as we also forgive those who have trespassed against us.” That is why we turn to you, O friend of our souls, for you never refuse to help your children who implore you in trial. Moreover, you shared with your Son, Jesus, the cruel wounds that our sins inflicted upon him. When you saw your Son crucified before your eyes, you forgave us as He forgave us. You shed many tears, that is certain, but you also longed for our salvation, and you continue to intercede for our eternal happiness.

O Mother of all love, pray for us sinners! Ask your Son, Jesus, to do us a great favor: ask him to place his own forgiveness in our hearts! His divine forgiveness will thus gradually grow in our hearts until it has filled our hearts completely.

Help us accept this forgiveness, until we realize that through Christ’s forgiveness within us, we can overcome this resistance and forgive the unforgivable!

Then there will be much joy in our hearts and the whole heavenly court will be celebrating!

Day 4

Mary shows us the way to Heaven

“Come, Creator Spirit, visit us; come and enlighten the souls of your sons; fill our hearts with grace and light, you who create all things with love. Put your clarity in us, set us ablaze. In our hearts, spread the love of the Father. Come and strengthen our bodies in their weakness, and give us your eternal strength.”

Alternative

Come, Holy Ghost, Creator blest,

and make our hearts your place of rest;

come with your grace and heavenly aid,

and fill the hearts which you have made.

Your light to every thought impart,

and shed your love in every heart;

the weakness of our mortal state

with deathless might invigorate.

Bible verses

“I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, so that where I am, there you may be also.” (Jn 14,3)

Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life.^[f] Those who believe in me, even though they die, will live, and everyone who lives and believes in me will never die.” (Jn 11, 25-26)

Messages from Mary

“Dear children! Pray, witness and rejoice with me because the Most High continues to send me to lead you on the way of holiness. Be aware, little children, that life is short and eternity is waiting for you to give glory to God with your being, with all the saints. Little children, do not worry about earthly things, but long for Heaven. Heaven will be your goal and joy will begin to reign in your heart. I am with you and bless all of you with my motherly blessing.” (25.09.2021)

“Dear children! Pray, witness and rejoice with me because the Most High continues to send me to lead you on the way of holiness. Be aware, little children, that life is short and eternity is waiting for you to give glory to God with your being, with all the saints. Little children, do not worry about earthly things, but long for Heaven. Heaven will be your goal and joy will begin to reign in your heart. I am with you and bless all of you with my motherly blessing.” (25.09.2021)

“Dear children, I am continuously among you because, with my endless love, I desire to show you the door of Heaven. I desire to tell you how it is opened: through goodness, mercy, love and peace–through my Son. Therefore, my children, do not waste time on vanities. Only knowledge of the love of my Son can save you. Through that salvific love and the Holy Spirit he chose me and I, together with him, am choosing you to be apostles of his love and will. My children, great is the responsibility upon you. I desire that by your example you help sinners regain their sight, enrich their poor souls and bring them back into my embrace.” (02.06.2012)

“Give me your open, purified hearts and I will fill them with the love for my Son. His love will give meaning to your life and I will walk with you. I will be with you until the encounter with the Heavenly Father.”(02.10.2013)

“You, my children, you should be concerned only for your soul, because it is the only thing on earth that belongs to you. You will bring it, dirty or clean, before the Heavenly Father.” (02.07.2016)

“Only love and works of love will remain and open the door of the Kingdom of Heaven. I will wait for you at this door. At this door, I desire to welcome and embrace all of my children.” (02.11.2015)

Prayer

O most holy Virgin Mary, Queen of Heaven and Earth, how can we thank you enough for reminding us of the magnificent purpose of human life! Yes, we were created for Heaven, this is our splendid destiny! We long for heaven! You see in full light the unique plan of holiness that the Creator has designed for each of us. As a mother, you are burning with the desire to see us realize this plan, this dream of God for our lives. Thank you for patiently explaining to us how to take the path that leads to this perfect beatitude, the path of holiness.

The visionary, Vicka, to whom you showed Heaven, describes it to us as follows: “A very vast place, without limits, with a light that does not exist on earth. I saw a lot of people, all very beautiful, without flaws or disabilities, they were about 30 years old. They sang and danced with joy. Our Lady told us: ‘Look dear children, how happy these people are! They lack nothing.”

We, O Mary, have not seen heaven, but we need not see it, for by faith we know that by his death and resurrection Jesus opened the doors of heaven to us. He has prepared a place for us and is waiting for us there with His arms wide open!

O Blessed Mother, so dear to us, we beg you, today, firmly grasp both our hands and lead us on this steep road to Heaven! Our eternity is at stake! When the enemy invites us to sin grievously, and tries to convince us by repeating: ‘everyone does it,’ do not let us go astray by following the spirit of the world.

O Mother of Mercy, help us believe in your Son Jesus, renounce sin, and humbly accept His infinite mercy.

Day 5

Mary wants to protect us from our enemy, Satan

“Come, Creator Spirit, visit us; come and enlighten the souls of your sons; fill our hearts with grace and light, you who create all things with love. Put your clarity in us, set us ablaze. In our hearts, spread the love of the Father. Come and strengthen our bodies in their weakness, and give us your eternal strength.”

Alternative

Come, Holy Ghost, Creator blest,

and make our hearts your place of rest;

come with your grace and heavenly aid,

and fill the hearts which you have made.

Your light to every thought impart,

and shed your love in every heart;

the weakness of our mortal state

with deathless might invigorate.

Bible verses

“I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; he will strike your head, and you will strike his heel.” (Gn 3, 15)

“Discipline yourselves, keep alert. Like a roaring lion your adversary the devil prowls around, looking for someone to devour. (1 Peter 5:8)

“But this kind of demon does not come out except by prayer and fasting.” (Mat 17, 21)

“I am not asking you to take them out of the world, but I ask you to protect them from the evil one.” (Jn 17, 15)

Messages from Mary

“Dear children invoke the help of all the saints, for them to be an example and a help to you. Satan is strong and is fighting to draw all the more hearts to himself. He wants war and hatred. That is why I am with you for this long, to lead you to the way of salvation, to Him who is the Way, the Truth and the Life.” (25.10.2020)

“I am with you also in these troubled days during which Satan wishes to destroy all that my Son Jesus and I are building. He desires especially to destroy your souls. He wants to take you away as far as possible from the Christian life and from the commandments that the Church calls you to live. Satan wishes to destroy everything that is holy in you and around you. This is why, little children, pray, pray, pray to be able to grasp all that God is giving you through my coming.” (25.09.1992)

“Dear Children! I have come here with the name ‘Queen of Peace’ because the devil wants peacelessness and war, he wants to fill your heart with fear of the future–but the future is God’s. That is why, be humble and pray, and surrender everything into the hands of the Most High Who created you.” (25.03.2021)

“Dear children return to my Son; return to prayer and fasting. Little children, permit for God to speak to your heart, because Satan is reigning and wants to destroy your lives and the earth on which you walk. Be courageous and decide for holiness. You will see conversion in your hearts and families; prayer will be heard; God will hear your cries and give you peace.” (25.03.2020)

Prayer

O mighty Queen of Heaven, you who have been chosen by God to crush the head of the Serpent, do not forget us in the difficult spiritual battle we wage against Satan every day with his works of darkness! To protect us from satanic attacks, you are looking for us to gatherunder your maternal mantle, our safe haven! Satan could never pierce this cloak, woven by God himself! That is why we join in your fervent prayer and dedicate ourselves unreservedly to your Immaculate Heart to be totally yours. With the rosary in hand, our powerful weapon, we remove the Tempter and the plagues he threatens us with.

O Mother, we beg you, hide us from the eyes of the Enemy so that he may have no hold on us!

Day 6

Mary wants happiness for our families

“Come, Creator Spirit, visit us; come and enlighten the souls of your sons; fill our hearts with grace and light, you who create all things with love. Put your clarity in us, set us ablaze. In our hearts, spread the love of the Father. Come and strengthen our bodies in their weakness, and give us your eternal strength.”

Alternative

Come, Holy Ghost, Creator blest,

and make our hearts your place of rest;

come with your grace and heavenly aid,

and fill the hearts which you have made.

Your light to every thought impart,

and shed your love in every heart;

the weakness of our mortal state

with deathless might invigorate.

Bible verses

Now the Lord said to Abram, “Go from your country and your kindred and your father’s house to the land that I will show you. I will bless those who bless you and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed. (Gn 12, 1-3)

“. . .my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be complete.” This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. No one has greater love than this, to lay down one’s life for one’s friends”. (Jn 15, 11-13)

“. . .that they may all be one. As you, Father, are in me and I am in you, may they also be in us, so that the world may believe that you have sent me. (Jn 17, 21)

Put away from you all bitterness and wrath and anger and wrangling and slander, together with all malice, and be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ has forgiven you. (Eph 4, 31-32)

Messages from Mary

My children, you are not united by chance. The Heavenly Father does not unite anyone by chance. (02.02.2019)

My Son used to say that he loves to be among pure hearts, because pure hearts are always young and joyful. (02.01.2018)

You are forgetting the importance of family. A family does not need to be a place of suffering and pain, but a place of understanding and tenderness. Families who strive to live according to my Son live in mutual love. While He was still little, my Son would say to me that all people are His brothers. Therefore, remember, apostles of my love, that all people whom you meet are family to you–brothers according to my Son.” (02.10.2017)

Prayer

O Beloved Mother, how tenderly you look upon our families! But you know better than we do that Satan’s main goal is to destroy our families, and that he never sleeps! Sister Lucia of Fatima wrote in 2005: “The last battle of Satan’s reign against God will be over family and marriage.” Here we are! This war is cruel. So much suffering, so many wounded hearts, so many lost children. . .! That is why we want to listen to your motherly advice, O Mary, and put it into practice, for the survival and happiness of our families. It is no coincidence that we were chosen to live–with you–in such a difficult time that precedes the Triumph of your Immaculate Heart.

You who have gone through so many storms, you the Mother of Life, help us persevere in family prayer and to be faithful in marriage! Protect our youth from any harm. Help us to practice forgiveness, so as not to accumulate bitterness and thus lose the joy of living together. The family is a divine institution, so how could the Creator not help and bless those who decide to walk with Him? O Mother, watch over our families–they are the apple of your eye!

Day 7

Mary consoles us in suffering

“Come, Creator Spirit, visit us; come and enlighten the souls of your sons; fill our hearts with grace and light, you who create all things with love. Put your clarity in us, set us ablaze. In our hearts, spread the love of the Father. Come and strengthen our bodies in their weakness, and give us your eternal strength.”

Alternative

Come, Holy Ghost, Creator blest,

and make our hearts your place of rest;

come with your grace and heavenly aid,

and fill the hearts which you have made.

Your light to every thought impart,

and shed your love in every heart;

the weakness of our mortal state

with deathless might invigorate.

Bible verses

Then Simeon blessed them and said to his mother Mary, “This child is destined for the falling and the rising of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be opposed so that the inner thoughts of many will be revealed—and a sword will pierce your own soul too.” (Lc 2, 34-35)

“I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory about to be revealed to us.” (Romains 8, 18)

“Come to me, all you that are weary and are carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me; for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” (Mt 11, 28-30)

“I am now rejoicing in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh I am completing what is lacking in Christ’s afflictions for the sake of his body, that is, the church.” (Col 1, 24)

Messages from Mary

“Dear children, Who could speak to you about the love and the pain of my Son better than I? I lived with Him; I suffered with Him. Living the earthly life I felt pain because I was a mother. My Son loved the thoughts and the works of the Heavenly Father, the true God. And, as He said to me, He came to redeem you. I hid my pain through love, but you, my children, you have numerous questions. You do not comprehend pain. You do not comprehend that through the love of God you need to accept pain and endure it. Every human being will experience it to a lesser or greater measure. But with peace in the soul and in a state of grace, hope exists; this is my Son, God, born of God. His words are the seed of eternal life. Sown in good souls it brings numerous fruits. My Son bore the pain because He took your sins upon Himself. Therefore, you, my children, apostles of my love, you who suffer, know that your pain will become light and glory. My children, while you are enduring pain, while you are suffering, Heaven enters in you and you give a piece of Heaven and much hope to all those around you.” (02.09.2017)

“Dear children, all the more the shadows of darkness and deception are being cast over you, and I am calling you to the light and truth—I am calling you to my Son. Only He can transform despair and suffering into peace and clarity; only He can give hope in the deepest pain. My Son is the life of the world. The more that you come to know Him—the more that you come close to Him—all the more you will love Him, because my Son is love. Love changes everything.” (02.09.2018)

“Dear children, do not have hearts that are hard, closed and filled with fear. Permit my motherly love to illuminate them and fill them with love and hope; so that, as a mother, I may soothe your pains because I know them, I experienced them. Pain elevates and is the greatest prayer. My Son, in a special way, loves those who suffer pains. He sent me to soothe them for you and bring hope. Trust in Him.” (02.04.2016)

“Dear children! Today I invite you to offer your crosses and suffering for my intentions. Little children, I am your mother and I wish to help you by seeking for you the grace from God. Little children, offer your sufferings as a gift to God so they become a most beautiful flower of joy. That is why, little children, pray that you may understand that suffering can become joy and the cross the way of joy.” (25.09.1996)

“Courage, little children! I decided to lead you on the way of holiness. Renounce sin and set out on the way of salvation, the way which my Son has chosen. Through each of your tribulations and sufferings God will find the way of joy for you. Therefore, little children, pray. We are close to you with our love.” (25.03.2006)

Prayer

O Mother, O well of compassion, what infinite tenderness you feel for your children who are suffering! As you stood at the foot of the cross of your Son Jesus, so you stand close to us who are so vulnerable! In your lifetime, you were spared no hardships! Who knows and shares our sorrows better than you? Help us understand the value of our suffering. You bore it in the painful hours when the Savior let you cooperate in His redemptive work. You offered up your suffering with the same infinite love of the Heart of Christ. Teach us your secret, dear Mother, how did you go through so much pain without complaining and without despair? Your secret is none other than love, because you are a mother.

O Blessed Virgin Mary, how beautiful is your path of union with your divine Son! Following your example, we want to offer to Jesus all our sufferings so that He may unite them with His own, and so that they may bear abundant fruit of salvation for so many souls. Do not allow the Evil One to poison our suffering with his venom, which would make them unbearable. Soften our sorrows, we beg you! O Mother, come and bring us the consolation and strength of the Holy Spirit, so that we may know how to empathize with the sufferings of our brothers and bear witness to Divine Mercy.

Day 8

Mary invites us: “Be prayerful! Be light!”

“Come, Creator Spirit, visit us; come and enlighten the souls of your sons; fill our hearts with grace and light, you who create all things with love. Put your clarity in us, set us ablaze. In our hearts, spread the love of the Father. Come and strengthen our bodies in their weakness, and give us your eternal strength.”

Alternative

Come, Holy Ghost, Creator blest,

and make our hearts your place of rest;

come with your grace and heavenly aid,

and fill the hearts which you have made.

Your light to every thought impart,

and shed your love in every heart;

the weakness of our mortal state

with deathless might invigorate.

Bible verses

“You are the light of the world. A city built on a hill cannot be hid. No one after lighting a lamp puts it under the bushel basket, but on the lampstand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others (Mt 5, 14-16)

Messages from Mary

“Dear children if only your hearts would feel that immeasurable love which God has for you, your hearts would adore and give thanks to Him at every instant of your life.” (25.12.2021)

“Offer me the gift of the Rosary, the roses which I love so much. My roses are your prayers pronounced with the heart and not only recited with the lips. My roses are your acts of prayer, faith and love. When my Son was little, he said to me that my children would be numerous and that they would bring me many roses. I did not comprehend Him. Now I know that you are those children who are bringing me roses when, above all, you love my Son, when you pray with the heart, when you help the poorest. Those are my roses.” (02.12.2017)

“My motherly heart desires for you, apostles of my love, to be little lights of the world, to illuminate there where darkness wants to begin to reign, to show the true way by your prayer and love, to save souls. I am with you.” (02.06.2017)

“Apostles of my love, it is up to you to spread the love of my Son to all those who have not come to know it; you, the little lights of the world, whom I am teaching with motherly love to shine clearly with full brilliance. Prayer will help you, because prayer saves you, prayer saves the world. Therefore, my children, pray with words, feelings, merciful love and sacrifice.” (02.04.2017)

“You, my children, you should be concerned only for your soul, because it is the only thing on earth that belongs to you. It is your soul that you will bring, dirty or clean, before the Heavenly Father.” (02.07.2016)

Prayer

O Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of Light, how many times have you exhorted us to prayer, telling us that in prayer we will find the greatest joy! Let us imagine a day spent in Nazareth, in the bosom of the Holy Family, where the most beautiful prayers rose to God. In the simplest details of their daily lives, poor and laborious, intense, grave and joyful, Joseph, Mary and Jesus had their hearts’ gaze constantly turned to the Father. Few words, much contemplation. Prayer is above all an exchange of glances, a silent or spoken communion of soul, which is built over time. Mutual love is deepened by the total gift of oneself–a love that radiates light. Even today, God has prepared for each of us a unique prayer. A sincere prayer according to who we are, what we suffer, what we hope for, a prayer according to our own vocation. . .

O Mary, help us find this prayer in the depths of our hearts! O Holy Spirit, through the intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary, form within us the prayer that pleases the Father!

Day 9

Mary invites us to trust

“Come, Creator Spirit, visit us; come and enlighten the souls of your sons; fill our hearts with grace and light, you who create all things with love. Put your clarity in us, set us ablaze. In our hearts, spread the love of the Father. Come and strengthen our bodies in their weakness, and give us your eternal strength.”

Alternative

Come, Holy Ghost, Creator blest,

and make our hearts your place of rest;

come with your grace and heavenly aid,

and fill the hearts which you have made.

Your light to every thought impart,

and shed your love in every heart;

the weakness of our mortal state

with deathless might invigorate.

Bible verses

“O my Lord, you only are our king; help me, who am alone and have no helper but you, remember, O Lord; make yourself known in this time of our affliction, and give me courage, O King of the gods and Master of all dominion! But save us by your hand, and help me, who am alone and have no helper but you, O Lord. O Lord God hear the voice of the despairing, and save us from the hands of evildoers. And save me from my fear!”(Book of Esther 4, 17)

For he has said, “I will never leave you or forsake you.” So we can say with confidence, “The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid. What can anyone do to me?” (Heb 13, 5)

“O Lord, my heart is not lifted up,

my eyes are not raised too high;

do not occupy myself with things

too great and too marvelous for me.

But I have calmed and quieted my soul,

like a weaned child with its mother.” (Psalm 131)

“For your Father knows what you need before you ask him.” (Mt 6, 8)

“Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled, and do not let them be afraid.” (Jn 14, 26-27)

“Strive first for the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. ”So do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring worries of its own. Today’s trouble is enough for today.” (Mat 6, 33-34)

“I have said this to you, so that in me you may have peace. In the world you face persecution. But take courage; I have conquered the world!” (Jn 16, 33)

Messages from Mary

“Dear children! Also today I call you to have more trust in me and my Son. He has conquered by His death and resurrection and, through me, calls you to be a part of His joy. You do not see God, little children, but if you pray you will feel His presence.” (25.04.2006)

“Dear children live this time of grace and be witnesses of hope, because I repeat to you, little children, that with prayer and fasting also wars can be suppressed. Little children, believe and live this time of grace in faith and with faith; and my Immaculate Heart does not leave any of you in peacelessness if you have recourse to me. I intercede for you before the Most High and I pray for peace in your hearts and for hope for the future.” (25.02.2021)

“Dear children! With a motherly heart filled with love for you, my children, I desire to teach you complete trust in God the Father. I desire for you to learn by an internal gaze and internal listening to follow God’s will. I desire for you to learn to boundlessly trust in His mercy and His love, as I always trusted. Therefore, my children, cleanse your hearts. Free yourselves from everything that binds you to only what is earthly and permit what is of God to form your life by your prayer and sacrifice—so that God´s Kingdom may be in your heart.”(18.03.2016)

Prayer

O admirable Mother, how good it is to know our Creator and Savior! How good it is to know that we are children of God! In the face of life’s difficulties, how reassuring it is to know that we are cherished by God! He knows everything about our future, and in our lifetime, He arranges everything for our good, for our peace on earth and eternal happiness. We are far from understanding our Father’s plans for us, but what does it matter, since He is Father! What a Father! We were not born by chance. So, with unreserved trust, we surrender ourselves to Him, trusting that He will always take care of us.

O Mary, give us your trust, you who, without understanding, always knew how to say yes to the path that the Most High had prepared for you. You know that, in our blindness, we often desire to have control over everything, and so we go astray. Communicate to us your admirable trust, which is like a child that abandons itself on the bosom of its mother!

AT THE END OF THE NOVENA

Recite this prayer that Mary dictated to the visionary of the heart, Jelena Vasilj, who received inner locutions, on 28 November 1983, for the Medjugorje prayer group formed by her:

“O Immaculate Heart of Mary, overflowing with goodness, show us your love for us. May the flame of your Heart, O Mary, descend upon all peoples. We love you immensely! Impress true love in our hearts. May our heart languish for you. O Mary, meek and humble of heart, remember us when we sin. You know that we men are sinners. Through your most holy and maternal Heart, heal us of all spiritual illness. Enable us to look upon the goodness of your motherly Heart, and thus convert ourselves to the flame of your Heart. Amen.”