"Jesus Prayer," it's also known as "The prayer of the heart." Prayer Within The Heart.

O LORD, JESUS CHRIST, SON OF GOD, HAVE MERCY UPON ME A SINNER!

Holy Icon of our Lord Jesus Christ

This prayer is called the "Jesus Prayer," but it's also known in the Orthodox Church as "The prayer of the heart." This prayer can be said by not only monastics, but also any lay person can say the prayer. This humble prayer is prayed with a prayer rope in hand. The prayer rope was first made by monastics of the Church and the laity of the church then adopted the use of the prayer rope as well. Prayer ropes can be found in 25, 50, to 100 knots and sometimes more. The prayer rope also are made of different colors, black is used mainly by monastics, but any color can be used. What is required of this beautiful prayer is to help us keep Christ in our hearts, and to pray unceasing. Obtain the book: "The Way of the Pilgrim," to better understand the prayer of the heart. To begin the prayer, we would say on each knot: O LORD, JESUS CHRIST, SON OF GOD, HAVE MERCY UPON ME A SINNER. We continue the prayer first with the lips, in a low whisper, and with the mind say the prayer, after much struggle with the prayer, the prayer enters the heart, one now has the prayer of the heart. Once the prayer enters the heart then we must constantly continue to say the prayer. Monastics for example are told to use their prayer ropes, and say 1000 knot prayers in their cell -room, we too must spiritually discipline ourselves to say the prayer as often as we can.... Once we have the prayer of the heart, suddenly with all the presures of the day, one may be working, or doing something around the house, and the heart says the prayer all by itself, without you asking it to do so...this in itself is true union with our God. We now have unceasing prayer with Christ our true God. I humbly suggest to you to obtain a prayer rope, and to begin the prayer... Amen.
Father Demetrios Serfes, Priest
Who Prays For You!


Prayer Within The Heart
by Archimandrite Nektarios Serfes
 

---

Where there is prayer, God is present, especially when that prayer comes from within the heart. God loves to hear us pray when we pray from the heart, as He is quick to listen to us and to respond to us with a greater love than we would ever experience on this earth.

True prayer is in the heart. So many of us sometimes find it difficult to pray, and we need reminding that when we do pray we should do so with all of our mind, our heart, and our soul. The need then is to take the prayer from our mind - before it reaches our lips - and let it enter our heart: and then we let the heart say the prayer. The most commonly known prayer is the ‘Prayer of the Heart’, Lord, Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me a sinner. Even the Orthodox ascetics knew that in order for them to progress to true prayer, they had to learn with faith to pray within the heart and therefore have communion with our Lord God. No matter what prayers we say in Church, at home, and indeed anywhere, prayer from within the heart is spiritually rewarding for us.

Of course we cannot put our trust in ourselves as we pray - we are frail and fallible. What we do need is the proper guidance to pray, and so when we do pray we turn to our loving Almighty God, confident that He will guide us, as He loves to hear us pray within the heart. Does He listen to our prayer, especially when it’s from within the heart? Yes! God knows that we want to pray, but time and again temptation comes our way, and of course the devil himself wants to prevent us from praying, or having any communion with our Lord God. Everything we do, every word we speak, every thought we have, every feeling that we experience is supposed to be in accordance with the words of the Holy Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. We are to act upon these teachings, and when we become weak in our spiritual lives we can then find great strength in praying within the heart.

In those times when we actually fail, and stop praying to God, the sense of being abandoned by God sets in, and the presence of His Divine Light is then replaced by a heavy darkness of the passions which are in revolt, a great change takes place in us, and conflict rends the soul - a bitter state of mind and heart to be in. But our gracious God has an eternal promise for us who believe in Him and would seek to rid ourselves of the hard-heartedness that besets us. "I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; I will take the heart of stone out of your flesh and give you a heart of flesh." (Ezekiel 36:26). He will! He does!

We, as Christians, cannot allow pride and self-sufficiency to take hold of us, thinking we do not need God - we do! The way to keep that Divine Light which is the love of our God constantly in our hearts is to pray from within the heart of flesh which He has given us by His Spirit.

Our faith in our God too can help win the battle. "But, I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not; and when thou are converted, strengthen thy brethren" (St. Luke 22:32). Therefore our prayer within the heart must be filled with faith as we are then strengthened and spiritually comforted.

When we do pray how do we do this prayer? When is the last time we actually prayed in prostration before God and cried out, weeping in prayer like the publican: "God be merciful to me a sinner," (St. Luke 18:13) or even cry out like the Holy Apostle Peter: "Lord, save me" (St. Matthew 14:30). How about the way the Holy Prophet and God-Seer Moses prayed? He kept his arms uplifted in prayer. When is the last time a tear fell from our eyes in prayer? When is the last time we lifted up our arms to our God in prayer? Then again when is the last time we prayed from our hearts within? In praying we need to come before our God with great humility and with compunction.

Humility can help us to spiritually overcome the pride of our prayer, since humility does suspend pride. We cannot create our own world, but rather what we should be doing, in praying within the heart, is to realize that humility is quick to receive life from God.

Our Gracious Lord God will never abandon us when we struggle with prayer within the heart, just as our Lord watched over the ascetics within the Church, and the Saints of the Church. What is important for us all to realize is that our Lord watches over us and is aware when we are wrestling with the enemy. He is always with us and we should never be afraid. Even when we think everything around is failing, and the powers beyond us want us to fail, we must allow our faith to be strong, and turn to our Gracious God in prayer once again.

As Orthodox Christians we should seek to be pious in our prayer, putting our trust in God, and dwelling in prayer. Let us not be troubled, because we only make our enemy happy. Prayer from within truly delights our God!

Pray from within the heart, for when we pray we behold the Saints, and can discern the way those Saints followed, finding the true Divine Light of the presence of our Lord God in our hearts and in our lives. Pray! Pray within the heart!

Through the prayers of our holy Fathers, Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on us. Amen.

Pray!

But just as essential is that we all should realize that we need to pray not just in times of crisis, in times of deep grief and anguish, but continually, seeking the Divine Will and Purposes until our hearts and His are completely in tune, as one.
The oneness that is so desirable takes time, patience and humility, and our working towards it includes the process of interceding for our present situation. So we pray for those who have lost their lives, and pray for those who have become victims! Then again we pray for those who are leading our country, that they too will be guided by Our Lord God in prudence, dispassion and circumspection, so that His wonderful peace may prevail among all men! Love your country, and love Our Lord God! Pray! Pray in your home, and pray in Church! Go to Church to pray and take your family with you! Encourage your children to pray by setting them a good and meaningful example. Never forget that true prayer brings great mercy from Our Lord God! Pray when you get up in the morning, pause to pray in your coffee break! Pray again during your midday meal! Pray for your family, pray for your relatives, pray for your friends and your neighbors as well. Pray for your country, pray for your civil authorities, and remember that every soul on this earth is truly precious in the sight of Our Lord God! Unceasingly pray! Pray without ceasing! Let us train ourselves to pray! "He who does not train himself to frequent prayer will never receive unceasing prayer" wrote the Holy Apostle St. Paul Epistle to the Thessalonians: (5:17). Please also read humbly from St. Paul Epistle to the 2nd Thessalonians chapter one verse four. Then again we should adhere to the prayers of the Church, the beautiful, spiritually uplifting prayers that so simply bring them to our eyes, and pray with love! What gives us true peace is the presence of Christ Our Lord, His saints, His apostles, His martyrs, His prophets, His ascetics, and His Mother, the Most holy Theotokos and Ever Virgin Mary. What a great spiritual peace comes to us as members of this heavenly fellowship! All of this is the result of our love to pray! Pray! Our minds and spirits are healed when we pray, and we become united in the Lord! God Himself will never abandon us! What is spiritually rewarding for us all, during the various times of our lives, is that when we pray we are with peace with Our God. Now, if we have not learnt to pray, then we should urgently seek to know more about prayer. There is a great deal of information in the Holy Scriptures, as well as in the teachings of the Holy Fathers, and Saints, as well as the Ascetics of our beloved Holy Orthodox Church. We can also learn about prayer by standing with our Bishop in prayer. Have we ever attended the most beautiful service of a Hierarchal Divine Liturgy? We can also pray in Church with our parish priest, and perhaps even attend a monastic community and pray with the monks, and nuns -they love to pray! Pray with them! Open the Holy Scriptures of the Holy Prophet David and read the Psalms - they are so spiritually refreshing for us, and help us to learn what great prayer can be like. The Holy Prophet David had been called "A man after God's own heart" so his prayers in the Psalms are very good examples for us. Many of the pious of the Orthodox Church use the Psalms in prayer, and almost every monastic and ascetic of the Church are found praying the Psalms on a constant daily basis. The Orthodox Church even has a rule listing which Psalms should be read for a particular service or feast day. The Orthodox Church loves the Psalms! So open the book of Psalms and pray! Try it and discover the spiritual satisfaction that will come! Pray! As we pray we will have peace within ourselves, and with Our Lord God! With true Christ-loving prayer comes spiritual joy, and our love of Our Lord God will deepen and grow in maturity. We will also begin to learn that by prayer we behold one another as brothers and sisters in Christ Our Lord, all praying together with love! Pray! May God Bless America, and may Our Lord God help us, and watch over us all - and He will, when indeed we pray! Humbly I assure you of my God loving prayers, and beg your prayers for me a sinner! Peace to your soul! Your Friend In Christ Our Lord,
+Reverend Presbyter Demetrios Serfes


SOURCE

St. Ignatius (Brianchaninov): When the Savior of the World commended the publican’s prayer, He later allowed and granted us to pray using His all-holy name.

Homily on the Sunday of the Publican and the Pharisee. On Prayer and Repentance

 

In today's Gospel, the prayer of the publican is shown drawing God’s mercy to him. This prayer consisted of the following words: God be merciful to me a sinner (Lk. 18:13). It is worthy of our attention that God heard such a short prayer, and that it was pronounced in the temple, during the common worship services, during the reading and chanting of psalms and other prayers. This prayer is commended in the Gospels; it is set forth as an example of prayer, and it becomes our sacred duty to piously contemplate it.
Why didn't the publican choose some majestic and moving psalm by which to pour out his heart before God, but instead had recourse to such a brief prayer? Why did he repeat only it during the entire service? Our answer is according to that of the holy Fathers.[1] When true repentance begins to shudder in the soul, when humility and contrition of spirit arises there because one’s eyes have been opened to the soul’s sinfulness, then loquacity becomes unbearable, impossible. Concentrating within itself, turning all its attention upon its disastrous condition, the soul begins to call out to God through some form of short, concise prayer.
When an encompassing view of his own sinfulness is granted to a person by God, it cannot be described by eloquent speech or an abundance of words; more exactly, the person expresses this awareness by sighs and groaning of soul, clothed in very brief and simple words. Whoever wishes to unfold a deep feeling of repentance within himself uses short prayer to reach that state, pronounced with as much attention and reverence as possible. Abandoning excessive words, even though they be sacred words, allows the mind to completely free itself of distractions and to strive for introspection with all its strength. “When you pray, do not permit yourself to use many words,” says St. John Climacus, “so that your mind might not be distracted from considering the words. One word from the publican brought him God’s mercy, and one faithful utterance saved the thief. Much speaking in prayer often brings the mind to distraction and dreaminess, while sparse words usually gather the thoughts.”[2]
Because of the great benefit that brief, attentive, concentrated prayer brings, the Holy Church enjoins its children to timely learn some form of brief prayer. One who has learned such a prayer possesses a ready ability to pray in any place, at any time. While traveling, in the refectory, doing handiwork, or in the company of others, he can cry out to God. When it is not possible to pray with the lips, it is possible to pray with the mind. The convenience of brief prayer is obvious in this regard: it is quite easy to lose the meaning and order of lengthy prayers when we are occupied with something else, while short prayer always preserves its integrity. If it is left off for a time, one can return to it with little difficulty. Even during Church services, it is beneficial to repeat a short prayer in the cell of the soul—it not only does not sway the attention from the prayers being read or chanted in God’s temple, but it even facilitates particularly careful attention to them, preventing the mind from becoming distracted. If the mind is not restrained in introspection through a short prayer that fills the soul with a feeling of repentance, it becomes easily distracted. It drops its attention to the church reading and singing, and is drawn into empty musing and daydreams.
This is what happened to the Pharisee mentioned today, who paid only superficial attention to the services, and was drawn into sinful thoughts. Sinful thoughts not only deprived his already weak prayer of any worth, but they also made it an excuse to judge a man who prayed. God rejected the prayer of the Pharisee—the Pharisee left the temple marked with the seal of God’s wrath, without understanding or perceiving his soul’s calamity, because his heart, dead to repentance, was filled with self-satisfaction and self-deception. When short prayer becomes a habit through frequent and constant use, it becomes something natural.
When we listen to something that occupies our attention, we might utter various exclamations, which not only do not obstruct our attention, but even sharpen it. It is the same when we acquire the habit of brief prayer; through it we express our concordance with and attention to the prayers and psalms we hear.
Throughout the forty days fast, at all the Church services, the prayer, God, have mercy on me, a sinner! is repeated aloud to all who are present. Why is the same prayer repeated so often? So that we would learn to repeat it often. The short prayer, Lord have mercy, is also repeated often, and for the same reason.
When the Savior of the World commended the publican’s prayer, He later allowed and granted us to pray using His all-holy name. This prayer is called the Jesus Prayer, because of the Lord Jesus' name, and because He instituted it. During the reign of the Old Testament, man turned in prayer to a God he still knew only imperfectly. When another reign began in the New Testament, an expansive completion to the old prayer was presented to man—a new way of praying to the God-Man as the intercessor between God and humans; a new way of praying to the intercessor through Whom the Godhead is united with mankind; to the intercessor Whom God hath declared (cf. Jn. 1:18), Who has described God to man with as much precision and fullness as is possible for human comprehension.
The Old Testament prayer, God have mercy on me, a sinner, sounds like the New Testament prayer, Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me a sinner. The Old Testament servants of God used the first prayer; the New Testament servants, while also using the first, use the second more, because it has pleased the God-Man to unite an especially miraculous spiritual power with His human name. Also used for ceaseless prayer is the prayer, Lord have mercy. It is an abbreviated form of the Jesus Prayer, and replaces it in those instances when it is hard to pronounce the entire Jesus Prayer; for example: when we are frightened, at times of unexpected joy, at times of serious illness, or during spiritual visions. In the latter instance, the exclamation, Lord have mercy is the mind’s response to the grace-filled knowledge that comes to it once it has been purified—a knowledge that exceeds the mind's comprehension, and cannot be expressed in words.[3]
What meaning do the verb phrases, have mercy, or be merciful contain in all these prayers? It is man’s awareness that he is perishing; it is the perception of the mercy and pity that the Lord commanded us to feel toward ourselves, but which very few actually do feel; it is the rejection of our own self-opinion; it is a request for God’s mercy, without which there is no hope of salvation for the one who is perishing. God’s mercy is nothing other than the grace of the All-Holy Spirit, and we sinful ones should ceaselessly and unrelentingly ask it of God. Have mercy, my Lord, upon the disastrous state into which I have fallen, having been deprived of Thy grace, and again make Thy grace to dwell in me. Strengthen me with Thy governing spirit (Ps. 50:12), a spirit of Thy power, so that I might withstand the temptation brought against me by the devil, and the temptation that comes from my fallen nature. Send me a spirit of chastity, so that I might come out of this state of delirium,[4] and correct my moral steps. Give me the Spirit of Thy fear, so that I might have [godly] fear of Thee, as it is proper for a weak creature to fear his great God and Creator, so that by my awe before Thee I might hold Thy commandments sacred. Root love for Thee within my heart, so that I may never again be separated from Thee, nor be distracted by an irresistible attraction to loathsome sin. Grant me Thy peace, that it might preserve my soul in unperturbed calm, not allowing my thoughts to wander over the entire universe without need and to my own injury, to my own confusion; that it might concentrate them in introspection, and bear them upwards thence to Thy throne. Give me a Spirit of meekness, so that I might refrain from anger and malice, that I might be continually filled with goodness toward my brother. Give me a Spirit of humility of mind, so that I would not be high-minded, or dream about myself, or seek praise and human glory; but that I might rather remember that I am earth and ashes, a fallen being, cast down to the earth for my unworthiness. I must be taken from this body and world by death, and appear before Thy dread and impartial judgment.[5]God, be merciful to me a sinner! Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me! Lord, have mercy!
Many pronounce these brief prayers with great haste, caring only to say the required number of them. By this manner of praying, they do not allow the prayers to penetrate the heart and produce their inherent effect, which is tender feeling. The holy Fathers justly note that whoever prays thus prays to the wind, and not to God.[6] Why do we get bored in church? Because we have not felt the effect of prayer. Why do we rush to a lavish table? Because we know the meaning of material food from experience. Why do we not rush to church, but try to come a little later, when a significant portion of the Divine services are already over? Because we do not know from experience the meaning of prayer, which is food for the soul, and which imparts spiritual strength to the soul. We do not know from experience the meaning of prayer because we pray hastily, superficially, and without attention. The effect on the soul of long but inattentive prayer is like the effect of copious rain upon a metal roof, from which all the water runs off, no matter how much it pours, without having any effect at all upon the roof. In contrast, attentive prayer can be likened to a beneficial rain that waters a planted field, giving nourishment to the growth there, and preparing a rich harvest.
The disciples of prayer who lean upon its breast—the holy Fathers—correct a major mistake that deprives the praying ascetic of all the fruits of his ascetic labor. They instruct us to pronounce the words of short prayers and of all kinds of prayer without haste, observing scrupulous attention to the words of the prayers.[7] When the prayers are read unhurriedly, it is possible to have such attention, while hurried reading leaves no place for attention. Prayer without attention is like a body which the soul has left: it has no fragrance of humility, it does not ascend to God. Stricken and deadened by dispersed thoughts, it crawls along the earth of corruption and foul smell, imparting this corruption to those who pray carelessly and coldly. Mental attention at prayer is reflected in the heart by blessed grief over sins, which is that very repentance that God commands us to have. When the heart is filled with a feeling of repentance, it in turn draws the mind to increased attention. Once there is attention and tender feeling, all the gifts of the Holy Spirit enter into the soul, making it a temple of God.
Let us provide our prayer with two qualities: attention and repentance. Let it fly up to the heavens with them as upon two wings, then appear before the face of God, and intercede for us to gain His mercy. The blessed publican’s prayer had these two qualities. Penetrated by the awareness of his sinfulness, he did not have any hope in his own deeds to receive salvation; he had hope only in God’s mercy, which calls all sinners to repentance, and grants them salvation for repentance alone. As a sinner who had no goodness of his own, the publican took the last place in the temple. As a sinner who is unworthy of heaven, he did not dare to lift his eyes unto heaven. His eyes were directed toward the ground; and beating upon his heart with repentance from deep within his heart, he pronounced with his whole soul the prayer united with his confession: God be merciful to me, a sinner.
His prayer was so effective and strong, that the sinner left the temple of God justified. The Lord Who knoweth the hearts, the Savior of men, testified to this—and the Prophet’s words were fulfilled in this repentant sinner: For the Lord shall build up Sion to the human soul that has been destroyed by the fall, and He shall be seen in His glory. He hath regarded the prayer of the humble, and hath not despised their supplication. Let this be written for another generation; let it be written that all mankind would know it, let it be written that all tribes and future Christian generations might know it! And the people that is being created through repentance and attentive prayer, having felt their renewal through Divine grace, shall praise the Lord (Ps. 101: 16–18), Who hath been well pleased to take on humanity, and to save people through His wondrous care, and His wondrous teachings. Amen.

St. Ignatius (Brianchaninov)
Translated by Nun Cornelia (Rees)

04 / 02 / 2012

---

[1] St. Tikhon of Zadonsk, vol. 14, letter 4.

[2] St. John Climacus, The Ladder of Divine Ascent, 28.

[3] The Philokalia, St. Peter Damascene, “On seven mental visions,” from “The separation of prayers of all understandings,” 1:3.

[4] Умоисступления, which means a state of extreme agitation or nervous stimulation with loss of self-control and the ability to act in a healthy and reasonable manner. —Trans.

[5] Borrowed from Elder Paisius Velichkovsky’s explanation of the prayer, Lord have mercy. From The writings of Elder Paisy, (Optina Monastery: 1847) [in Russian].

[6] St. Nilus of Sora, Preface to his Inheritance.

[7] “Stand silent, until all the senses have become quiet. Then begin without haste, without laziness, but with tender feeling, with contrition of heart, to say: Blessed is the man (Ps.1:1) and the rest, quietly and rationally, with attention, and not hurriedly: that the mind might also understand what is being said.” From the instructions before reading the Psalter.

 

source

Hoy es la Festa de San Charbel

Oración a San Charbel ¡Oh, San Charbel!, Tú que has vivido en este monasterio una vida santa, atrayendo a todo el mundo con los poderes milagrosos que Dios te ha dado. Estoy aquí al lado de tu tumba santa, he venido a darte las gracias por todas las veces que has estado a mi lado, especialmente en los tiempos difíciles y dolorosos, momentos en los que has sido un gran intercesor para mí y para mis seres queridos. He venido a rezártelo y tengo una gran confianza en tu bondad consoladora. Tú sabes lo que está en mi corazón y lo que necesito. Intercede por mí ante Dios. Sé que mi fe es débil, y tengo una gran dificultad a la hora de entregarme a la voluntad de Dios. Pero tú has vivido esta virtud fascinantemente y la has propagado con tus ideales y tu vida de silencio. Resucita mi fe y purifícala. Sé que estoy viviendo lejos de mí mismo y de Dios. Ayúdame a hacer que mi vida sea un testimonio vivo del Padre Celestial y a merecer ser Su hijo. ¡Oh, San Charbel! Date prisa en ayudarme, que soy pequeño y débil; aleja de mi vida el mal. Ayúdame siempre a poner mi confianza en Dios, especialmente en los momentos de dolor y de tentación. Bendice mi trabajo, bendice mi familia, y bendice a toda persona que se refugia en Tu intercesión, en todas partes del mundo, y especialmente a aquellos que vienen hasta aquí para estar delante de ti. Pon en sus buenos corazones el amor a los débiles, a los pobres y a los que sufren. ¡Oh mi amado y protector santo!, confío en tu valiosa intercesión ante nuestro Señor Jesucristo; por eso te pido que veas mi debilidad y que me bendigas. Amén.

1-Nacimiento de San Charbel : Nació Youssef Antoun Makhlouf el 8 de mayo 1828 A.D. en Bkaakafra (Norte del Líbano) de padres maronitas: Antoun Zaarour Makhlouf y Brigitta Chediac. Tiene dos hermanos, Hanna y Bechara, y dos hermanas, Kaun y Wardeh. Se crió Youssef con una educación cristiana que lo convirtió en un adepto de la oración desde su infancia. Tuvo inclinación a la vida monacal y ascética, tomando como ejemplo a sus dos tíos maternos ascetas en la ermita del convento de San Antonio Kozhaya, donde recibió de ellos la antorcha de abanderado de las virtudes. Su padre falleció el 8 de agosto 1831 A.D. en Ghirfin, un pueblo cerca de Amchit, durante su retorno a casa, tras haber trabajado de balde para el ejército turco, y su madre lo crió siendo huérfano. Más adelante, se casó con Lahoud Ibrhim que se convirtió en pastor de la parroquia, adoptando el nombre de Abdul Ahad. Youssef estudió los fundamentos de los idiomas árabe y siríaco en la escuela del pueblo. Era muy piadoso hasta tal punto que los habitantes del pueblo le llamaban “El Santo”. Conducía a diario su pequeño rebaño al pasto, luego se dirigía a la gruta donde se arrodillaba ante la figura de la Virgen María y rezaba. Y así se convirtió la gruta en su primer oratorio y ermita, y más adelante en un lugar de peregrinaje para la oración y los fieles. 2- Su afiliación a la vida monacal libanesa maronita : En la mañana de un día del año 1851, Youssef abandonó su familia y su pueblo y se dirigió al Convento de Nuestra Señora de Mayfouk para ingresar en la vida monacal, donde pasó su primer año en el período de comienzo, luego al convento de San Marón – Annaya donde se afilió a la orden monacal maronita libanesa, adoptando para sí el nombre de Charbel, uno de los mártires de la Iglesia de Antioquia en el siglo segundo. Con fecha del 1 de noviembre 1853, mostró sus votos monacales en el mismo convento y tenía un profundo conocimiento de las obligaciones de dichos votos: la obediencia, la abstinencia, y la pobreza. Completó sus estudios teológicos en el Convento de San Cipriano y Justina, Kafifan – Batroun, de la mano de su maestro, San Naamatallah Kessab Hardini, siendo el ejemplo para los monjes y un retrato vivo de los grandes monjes santos en su vida privada y pública. En la fecha del 23 de julio 1859, el hermano Charbel Makhlouf fue ordenado cura en Bkerke, con la puesta de mano del Triple Misericordioso el Monseñor Youssef Al Marid, el Vice-Patriarca Maronita. 3- Su vida en el Convento de San Marón – Annaya en la Ermita de San Pedro y Pablo :El Padre Charbel vivió en el Convento de San Marón – Annaya durante dieciséis años, siendo obediente a sus superiores, acatando escrupulosamente su código monacal. Además, era duro con si mismo viviendo en la austeridad y las mortificaciones del cuerpo. Se abnegó de toda vida mundana dedicándose al servicio del Señor y a la salvación de su alma. Durante 1875, Dios inspiró al Padre Charbel de retirarse en la Ermita de San Pedro y Pablo dependiente del Convento de San Marón – Annaya, a pesar del rechazo usual de los superiores para estar a solas en la Ermita. Mientras el Padre Presidente estaba en dudas, le vino una señal del cielo en el milagro de la lámpara. Durante una noche, el Padre Charbel pidió del Siervo rellenarle la lámpara de aceite, y el siervo se la rellenó de agua en vez de aceite. Y para sorpresa de todos, la lámpara encendió de manera normal. Este milagro fue el inicio de los milagros charbelitos y logró en adelantar el día de su ascensión a su ermita deseada. En fecha del 15 de febrero 1875, el Padre se trasladó definitivamente a la Ermita, donde fue el modelo del santo y el asceta, pasando su tiempo en el silencio, la oración, la veneración y el trabajo manual en el campo. No solía abandonar la Ermita salvo por orden de su superior. Llevó la línea de los padres ascetas santos, arrodillado sobre un plato de caña ante la sacristía en veneración y éxtasis durante las noches. Pasó en la Ermita veintitrés años, dedicándose al servicio del Señor y cumpliendo escrupulosamente y concienzudamente con el código de los ascetas. Durante la celebración de una misa con fecha del 16 de diciembre 1898, sufrió hemiplejia y estuvo en una crisis que duró ocho días durante los cuales sufrió con tranquilidad los dolores de la agonía, con quietud a pesar de los terribles dolores. En su lucha, el Padre Charbel no dejaba de repetir la oración que no pudo terminar en la misa: "O Padre de la Virtud, aquí tienes a tu hijo una ofrenda que le complace!..." así como el nombre de Jesús, María, San José, Pedro y Pablo los Santos de la Ermita. Por consiguiente, el alma de Charbel se liberó de su envoltura carnal volviendo a la morada del Padre, como el retorno de la oveja perdida a su redil, con fecha del 24 de diciembre 1898, en la víspera de Nochebuena. Fue enterrado en el Cementerio del Convento de San Marón – Annaya. 4- La luz milagrosa que resplandece de su tumba : Tras su fallecimiento, surgieron luces espirituales de su tumba, lo que motivó el traslado de su cuerpo que segregaba sudor y sangre a un ataúd especial. Por autorización del patriarcado maronita, fue colocado en una nueva tumba dentro del convento. Por consiguiente, las multitudes de peregrinos empezaron a acudir al sepulcro para beneficiarse de la bendición del santo, y Dios agraciaba a muchos con la sanación y la gracia espiritual. En 1925, fue remitida la solicitud de su beatificación y declaración de su santidad al Papa Pio XI de la mano del Padre Ignatius Dagher Al Tannouri y su Vicario General el Padre Martinos Tarabeih. Dicha solicitud junto con las del Padre Naamatallah Kessab Hardini y Sor Rafka El Rayess fueron aceptadas en 1927. En 1950, la tumba del Padre Charbel fue abierta en presencia de la comisión oficial con los médicos, quienes comprobaron el buen estado del cuerpo y redactaron un informe médico y colocaron el cuerpo en una caja dentro de la tumba. Asimismo, se acrecentaron los milagros de sanación diversa de forma espontanea y sorprendente, y decenas de miles de peregrinos de diferentes confesiones acudían al Convento de Annaya en busca de la intercesión del Santo. 5- Difusión de las virtudes y los milagros de San Charbel en el mundo entero:Los milagros de Charbel sobrepasaron las fronteras del Líbano. El gran número de cartas e informes guardados en los registros del Convento de San Maron – Annaya son un claro indicio de la difusión de su santidad por el mundo entero. Este fenómeno único provocó un retorno a los buenos modales, a la fe y a las virtudes, y el sepulcro de San Charbel se convirtió en un polo de atracción para personas de diferentes edades y diferente rango social, siendo todos ellos iguales ante él en veneración y adoración, sin distinción de credo, confesión o comunidad. Todos son considerados hijos de Dios. En cuanto a las sanaciones milagrosas inscritas en los registros del Convento de San Marón – Annaya que el Señor obró por la intercesión de San Charbel, sobrepasan las docenas de miles, salvo las sanaciones milagrosas que pululan el mundo entero, de todo tipo y en todo credo y toda comunidad, que no están inscritas en los registros del Convento. El diez por ciento de las sanaciones milagrosas tuvieron lugar con personas no bautizadas, y cada sanación tuvo lugar de un modo especial, sea por la oración y la intercesión, sea por el aceite y los inciensos, sea por las hojas de pino de la ermita, sea por el polvo de su sepulcro, sea por la visita de su sepulcro y tocar la puerta de su tumba, sea mediante su foto y estatua. Algunas de dichas sanaciones tuvieron lugar a nivel del cuerpo, pero la más importante es la sanación del alma. Cuantos arrepentidos han vuelto al señor por la intercesión de San Charbel, tras entrar en el portal del Convento de San Marón – Annaya o la Ermita de San Pedro y Pablo. http://www.saintcharbel-annaya.com/home.php?lgid=3

Today is the Feast of St. Sharbel Makhluf

St. Sharbel Makhluf
(1828-1898)

Joseph Zaroun Makluf was raised by an uncle because his father, a mule driver, died when Joseph was only three. At the age of 23, Joseph joined the Monastery of St. Maron at Annaya, Lebanon, and took the name Sharbel in honor of a second-century martyr. He professed his final vows in 1853 and was ordained six years later.

Following the example of the fifth-century St. Maron, Sharbel lived as a hermit from 1875 until his death. His reputation for holiness prompted people to seek him to receive a blessing and to be remembered in his prayers. He followed a strict fast and was very devoted to the Blessed Sacrament. When his superiors occasionally asked him to administer the sacraments to nearby villages, Sharbel did so gladly.

He died in the late afternoon on Christmas Eve. Christians and non-Christians soon made his tomb a place of pilgrimage and of cures. Pope Paul VI beatified him in 1965 and canonized him 12 years later.

Comment:

Blessed John Paul II often said that the Church has two lungs (East and West) and it must learn to breathe using both of them. Remembering saints like Sharbel helps the Church to appreciate both the diversity and unity present in the Catholic Church. Like all the saints, Sharbel points us to God and invites us to cooperate generously with God's grace, no matter what our situation in life may be. As our prayer life becomes deeper and more honest, we become more ready to make that generous response.

Quote:

When Sharbel was canonized in 1977, Bishop Francis Zayek, head the U.S. Diocese of St. Maron, wrote a pamphlet entitled “A New Star of the East.” Bishop Zayek wrote: “St. Sharbel is called the second St. Anthony of the Desert, the Perfume of Lebanon, the first Confessor of the East to be raised to the Altars according to the actual procedure of the Catholic Church, the honor of our Aramaic Antiochian Church, and the model of spiritual values and renewal. Sharbel is like a Cedar of Lebanon standing in eternal prayer, on top of a mountain.” The bishop noted that Sharbel's canonization plus other beatification cases prove “that the Aramaic Maronite Antiochian Church is indeed a living branch of the Catholic Church and is intimately connected with the trunk, who is Christ, our Savior, the beginning and the end of all things.”
source

Un eccentrico personaggio fino ad oggi in ombra, ma più che mai attivo come consulente dell’operazione poliziesca nel triumvirato del commissariamento dei Francescani dell’Immacolata.

La posta in gioco delle riforme

(di Danilo Quinto) La sentenza della Corte d’Appello di Milano sul “Caso Ruby” – che ha cancellato a Silvio Berlusconi una condanna a sette anni comminata in primo grado – ha un effetto immediato sul piano politico: l’accelerazione delle riforme sul nuovo Senato e sulla legge elettorale, in base agli accordi presi con il cosiddetto “Patto del Nazareno”, siglato dal Presidente del Consiglio e dal leader di Forza Italia all’inizio dell’anno. Avrà …[ leggi tutto ]

Le “Nazioni Unite” dettano la legge sull’aborto all’Irlanda

(di Lupo Glori) Lo scorso 15 luglio il Ministro della giustizia irlandese, Frances Fitzgerald, è stato sottoposto ad una dura requisitoria da parte del Consiglio per i diritti umani delle Nazioni Unite di Ginevra, a causa della legislazione sull’aborto dell’Irlanda, colpevole, secondo le accuse, di violare le norme internazionali sui diritti umani. L’attuale legge, The Protection of Life During Pregnancy Act, in vigore dal luglio 2013, infatti, consente il ri…[ leggi tutto ]

Il fallimento della pastorale progressista

(di Mauro Faverzani) Se davvero a soffocare la frequenza alle Messe e le vocazioni nei Seminari fosse una Chiesa ricurva su sé stessa e conservatrice, come pontificano (a sproposito) molti soloni del post-Concilio, la Germania dovrebbe rappresentare in tal senso un “unicum”, una sorta di “isola felice”, un’esplosione di vitalità ecclesiale. Ha la maggior percentuale di vescovi “ribelli”, ipercritici verso Roma, iperprogressisti ed aperti al nuovo pur…[ leggi tutto ]

Chi è Mario Castellano?

(di Emmanuele Barbieri) A un anno di distanza dall’inizio del commissariamento dei Francescani dell’Immacolata, la sorte dell’Istituto è ormai in mano ad un triumvirato composto da padre Fidenzio Volpi, il commissario designato dalla congregazione dei Religiosi, dal padre Alfonso Bruno, il Francescano “parricida”, e da un eccentrico personaggio fino ad oggi in ombra, ma più che mai attivo come consulente dell’operazione poliziesca: il “professor” M…[ leggi tutto ]

Notizie dalla rete

22/07/2014
Galantino, buchi e toppe (peggiori…)

21/07/2014
Francesco parla, Scalfari trascrive, Brandmüller boccia

20/07/2014
Ultimatum per gli ultimi cristiani di Mosul: conversione, tributo o spada

18/07/2014
Che papocchio!!!! colpo basso in Vaticano dei tifosi di “papa Scalfari”

16/07/2014
Noi sacerdoti, celibi come Cristo

15/07/2014
I lefebvriani asintomatici di Padre Angelo Geiger

15/07/2014
Legge contro omofobia: Arcivescovo contro amministrazione comunale – LETTERA

13/07/2014
 Conciliatore

www.corrispondenzaromana.it

 

 

Roberto de Mattei O Concílio Vaticano II Uma história nunca escrita

 

Roberto de Mattei

O Concílio Vaticano II

Uma história nunca escrita

Cinquenta anos volvidos sobre o concílio, o historiador Roberto de Mattei tenta recolher os dados necessários para uma história sobre o mesmo que ainda não tinha sido contada.

É esta a nova proposta da editora Caminhos Romanos.

O Concílio Ecuménico Vaticano II, o vigésimo primeiro na História da Igreja, foi inaugurado por João XXIII, a 11 de Outubro de 1962, e encerrado por Paulo VI, a 8 de Dezembro de 1965. Não obstante as expectativas e esperanças de muitos, a época que se lhe seguiu não representou para a Igreja uma “Primavera” ou um “Pentecostes”, mas, como reconheceram o próprio Paulo VI e os seus sucessores, um período de crises e dificuldades, nomeadamente nos âmbitos doutrinal e litúrgico, mas não só. Esta é uma das razões pelas quais se abriu uma viva discussão hermenêutica, na qual se inseriu, já enquanto cardeal, e sobressai hoje, a autorizada voz do Papa Bento XVI, que veio convidar a ler os textos do Concílio à luz da Tradição da Igreja.

Para o debate em curso, Roberto de Mattei oferece o contributo não do teólogo mas do historiador, através de uma rigorosa reconstrução do evento, das suas raízes e consequências, baseada sobretudo em documentos de arquivos, diários, correspondências e testemunhos daqueles que foram os seus protagonistas. Deste quadro, assim documentado e apaixonante, emerge «uma história nunca escrita» do Concílio Vaticano II, que nos ajuda a compreender não só os acontecimentos de ontem, mas também os problemas religiosos na Igreja de hoje.

Edição e encomendas:

Caminhos Romanos - Unipessoal, Lda.

www.caminhosromanos.com

Rua de Pedro Escobar, 90 r/c 4150-596 Porto

Telefone e fax: 220 110 532 Telemóvel: 936 364 150

e-mail: caminhos.romanos@hotmail.com

PVP: 25 € (IVA incluído)

Não cobramos portes de correio

Pagamento: - Transferência bancária (NIB: 0033 0000 4531 6998 933 05)

- Cheque à ordem de: “Caminhos Romanos”

- Envio contra reembolso

Spiritualité de la Sainte Messe . L'assistance à la Messe, source de vie spirituelle

 

Spiritualité de la Sainte Messe :

• Avec Jésus, vers le Père (par le R.P Gourbillon o.p)
  
• Etre l'hostie avec l'hostie (par P. Philipon - Les sacrements dans la vie chrétienne)
  
• L'offrande du Corps et du Sang du Christ (Monseigneur Chevrot - Notre Messe)
  
• Le Trésor caché (par Saint Léonard de Port-Maurice)
  
• Jésus dans la Sainte Eucharistie (par le Bienheureux Père Charles de Foucauld)
  
  
  

La Sainte Eucharistie

Le Saint Sacrifice de la Messe La Présence réelle L'adoration eucharistique La Communion Un seul Corps Prières Poésies Normes et respect de la Liturgie Sanctification du Dimanche Textes de référence (liens)

L'assistance à la Messe, source de vie spirituelle

De Salve Regina.

Aller à : Navigation, rechercher

Spiritualité de la Messe
Auteur :	R. P. Réginald Garrigou-Lagrange, O.P.
Source :	Revue La vie Spirituelle, n° 187
Date de publication originale :	1er avril 1935
Difficulté de lecture :	♦♦ Moyen

Sommaire [masquer] 1 L’assistance à la Messe, source de sanctification 1.1 L’oblation toujours vivante au cœur du Christ 1.2 Les effets du sacrifice de la messe et nos dispositions intérieures 1.3 Comment nous unir au sacrifice eucharistique ?

Fr. Daniel Heenan, FSSP offered his first Mass at the chapel of Christendom College in Front Royal

 Fr. Daniel Heenan, FSSP, ordained in Leesburg, Virginia, on Saturday June 14, 2014, offered his first Mass the next day at the chapel of Christendom College in Front Royal, Virginia. Fr. John Brancich, FSSP, was Assistant Priest, with Fr. Rhone Lillard, FSSP, assisting as Deacon, and Fr. Joshua Curtis, FSSP, assisting as Subdeacon.

 

 

 

 

source

Mary: God’s plan for your life is hidden in my heart, kept safe and waiting to be revealed.

7. Every Needed Gift

 

Jul 22nd, 2014

Mary
My heart holds innumerable gifts for you. These are very personal gifts, designed by God himself to bring you to as full and complete happiness as is possible on this earth, and to eternal happiness in heaven.
You must search, not from time to time, but every day. Seeking your gifts in my heart must be your daily task. Why do I say this? All that you can become and all that you must accomplish on this earth is already contained (and paid for) in my heart.
Why purchase by fruitless labor what I provide as a gift? Why try to bring about in an imperfect way, what has already been perfectly fashioned for you and is waiting in my heart?
This is the mystery that I am revealing. People take charge of their own lives. They set their goals. They choose their paths. They give themselves totally. Then, they are disillusioned.
Years go by and they cannot understand why they feel so empty. They have constructed their own image of themselves while the true gift lay ready for them in my heart.
Seek everything in my heart. I will reveal to you what you should do, how to accomplish it, who will help you and how you can avoid failures. Come, it is not too late. Before you make any decision or take any action, ask me and I will give you the gift for that moment.
Comment: St. Louis deMontfort teaches that when we learn the secret of Mary, we accomplish everything quite easily. Also, she makes our sufferings so much less.



6. Revealing God’s Plan

 Jul 21st, 2014

Mary
God’s plan for your life is hidden in my heart, kept safe and waiting to be revealed. As you enter my heart, I will share with you my greatest gift, a deep desire to know and to do only God’s will.
Before I reveal God’s will, I must purify your heart of all your other desires, for if you cling to them you will not treasure God’s plan. When you want only God’s plan for your life, then I will reveal the first step.
You will see what you should have been doing all along. You will understand who should be in your life and who should not be with you. You will see the enormous amounts of time that you have wasted on useless pursuits. You will see the decisions you must take and those who can guide you.
As this light comes, you must act. Do not delay because I want to reveal the next steps in God’s plans for you. As your mother, I do not want you to get lost on this road of life.
Comment: Our life is successful if we fulfill God’s plan. Otherwise, we have wasted our years. There is always, always time to find God’s road.


5. Past and Future Secrets

 Jul 20th, 2014

Mary
In my heart you will find all of God’s secrets. The Father has placed your secrets in my heart and wants you to find them there. These secrets are his plan for your life.
These secrets are both past and future. Concerning the past, they will reveal to you why certain things have happened to you. Some were blessings from God. Others were the results of your own decisions, good and bad. You will see your life as God sees it. This is a moment of great light.
Once you have opened and received this gift, the secrets of your future are easy to discover. In this light, you can see the path to walk. You must accept this full light about your past and, in this light, choose the correct future path.
After this beginning gift, there will be many more secrets, all that God has planned for you. These cannot be revealed until the conversion light is received and accepted. When Jesus said to Peter
“Come, follow me”, he was revealing a secret that was important for Peter. Only because Peter accepted that secret and followed Jesus, could he receive all the other secrets that were in Jesus’ heart, that he was to be the rock on which Jesus would build his Church.
All that God intends you to be, all the many blessings for your whole life, are secrets hidden in my heart but so quickly revealed if you but search.
Comment: For each person, Our Lady’s heart holds unique secrets, the mystery of each life and its purpose.


4. A “Yes” to God

 Jul 19th, 2014

Mary
How do you get to my heart so you can discover my treasures? You are already there because I hold the whole world, and every human person, in my heart. I carry all your sins and failures. I carry all your hopes and desires. Most important, I carry God’s will for you. When I said to the Angel Gabriel, “Let it be done according to your word”, I said those words for you. I accepted fully God’s will for myself and for the whole world.
When Eve, and her husband Adam, said “no” to God, human history became a vast and resounding “no”. Then, the light of revelation began, a beginning “yes” in Noah and Abraham and the prophets. Divine revelation came to its greatest moment when Gabriel revealed that God would become a man and I was chosen to say “yes” for the whole human race.
At that moment, you were placed in my heart. More important, your “yes” to all that God wants for you was placed there. That is my gift for you today. Do you always want to say “yes” to God?
Here, take your gift. I place it right now in your heart. Quickly, you will experience its divine power. You will be attracted to the light. You will want to forsake the attractions of evil.
Just say “yes” to this new gift in your heart. That is what I did all my life – a constant stream of “yes”.
Comment: Your life is filled with decisions. May you always say “yes” to God’s will for you.

3. The Trinity’s Gifts

 

Jul 18th, 2014

Mary
When you seek the treasures in my heart you will find gifts from the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. The Father, who created, has placed the fullness of life. This fullness was meant to be given to everyone by Adam, the first father of the human race, but he lost these treasures by sin. So, the heavenly Father has placed the fullness of life in the safety of my heart, knowing that I would never commit sin and lose this life.
The Son has placed all of his virtues in my heart. In these gifts, each person can live as Jesus did, in perfect union to the Father’s commands.
Finally, the Holy Spirit has placed his gifts of fecundity. By his power I was able to conceive. By the Spirit, new blessings will burst forth in surprising ways.
For many people, the Three Divine Persons are a hidden mystery, but if they enter my heart and receive my gifts, I will share with them the greatest gift. They will come to know and experience the Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
Comment: The greatest of all gifts is a relationship with the Father, Son and Spirit.



2. On Shooting Down the Plane – Special Locution

Jul 17th, 2014

Jesus
You see Satan’s evil, his plan always unfolding, always surprises, always much suffering, and always unforeseen ramifications. Some say that Putin has made a mistake but Satan has not. All is according to Satan’s plan.
Putin will withdraw more and more from the West. As this happens, he will become more dangerous. These events show that the time is short and the timetable has again been moved ahead.
Putin will rely more and more on the spirit of nationalism that is sweeping Russia. He must show results to his people because they suffer from the sanctions. He must enter new alliances. Because the West is closed, he will turn East to China.
The downing of the plane will radicalize the Ukrainian situation. He is forced back to the table because the pro-Russians will be attacked and he cannot let them be beaten. They are his constituency.


1. Receive Without Cost

Jul 17th, 2014

Mary
In my heart are many treasures and I invite the whole world to come, seek and find. Even if a person searches for their own selfish interest, this is not important. I will grant their requests and will use this gift to attract them to my more important treasures.
Some will come to my heart, receive their gift and walk away. Others will come and receive their blessing. However, they will notice that my heart contains many other gifts. They will stay in my heart and seek my deeper gifts. In this way, I will attract every heart.
There will be a third stage when my heart reveals its deepest gift, a sacrificing love that serves others. This love is the treasure placed in the field, the pearl of a great price (which no one can really pay for but was already purchased by Jesus’ blood). What a gift, the ultimate and greatest gift, to love God with all one’s heart.
I will begin to explain the gifts in my heart and invite the whole world to come and receive. Do not forget. Jesus has already paid for them by his death on the cross. As the prophet Isaiah wrote “Come, without paying and without cost, drink wine and milk”. (55:1)
Comment: All of God’s treasures lie in Mary’s heart and she will reveal them.

9. The Path to War

Jul 16th, 2014

Mary
It is too late when the fires of war break out. The task of peace is when there are no wars. This demands vigilant hearts, nations that are sensitive to justice, and leaders who are filled with charity.
If human life is always a clash of interests, a domination of rich over poor and control by the powerful, then wars are inevitable. These wars destroy valuable resources. The victor claims what he wants. The vanquished are worse off and the seeds of future wars are sown deeper into people’s memories. Such is the cycle of war.
When I propose a different path to peace, people and nations cry out “unrealistic”. As they reject my path of peace, only the path to war remains. The world travels this path so quickly these days.
Comment: Our Lady’s plan is not superficial. It demands changed hearts and changed policies.

8. American Arms Sales

 Jul 15th, 2014

Mary
The diplomats get on planes. They travel here and they travel there. They talk and discuss. However, how many nations are ready to change their own hearts? To them, peace is like a chessboard.
Is world peace a series of moves and countermoves? This is called a manipulative peace, as if peace could be engineered or manufactured.
The path to peace is much deeper than diplomatic travels because the causes of war lie in a nation’s decisions. World peace cannot be pulled out of a hat like a magician’s rabbit and it cannot be brokered by astute diplomacy and clever moves.
People have memories. The sins of the past remain alive, powerful and uncontrollable forces which constantly boil over.
The world is now faced with intelligent, powerful, coordinated and growing forces. Satan has placed these in the hearts of millions. The fires you have witnessed are as nothing compared with the fires that are still hidden and these fires cannot be extinguished by flying diplomats. They are only fought by a complete turning back to my Son Jesus, the Prince of Peace. But nations do not want to hear these words. They do not want to hear about their own sins, their own fires and their own dishonesty.
Let me end with one single question. I ask everyone who reads these locutions to demand an answer. In the past 40 years, “How many billions of dollars has accrued to America by selling weapons to other nations?” Your greed, America, has fueled the fires and your weapons that are used everywhere. You sell weapons and then send your diplomats to play their chess games.
Comment: Every year, America leads the world in selling weapons abroad. For decades, America has armed the whole world.

« 6. The Personal Road to Peace

8. American Arms Sales »

7. The Long Difficult Path to Peace

 Jul 14th, 2014

Mary
Many set out on the path to peace but are quickly diverted by selfish interests. Seeing advantages that they can gain, they forget the goal. This only hinders peace. When one nation or group takes advantage over another, this becomes an issue, an obstacle to peace.
No, you cannot take your eyes away from the goal. You cannot allow short-term gains to divert you. You must sacrifice all that is selfish to bring others to the vision of peace. All selfish interests which jeopardize peace must be set aside.
You can see the road to peace is not of one day or of one year. It might not even be of one lifetime. It is a long and arduous road, walked only by those whose hearts are firmly set upon peace. This is a path of sacrifice, of thinking of others and of seeking their good.
In this light, look at your weapons. This has been the false path to peace. Weapons, weapons, weapons. They are everywhere, even in the hands of children. This is my promise. If even just a handful take up this road of peace, if they do not abandon it, if they truly try to bless others, if they seek no self-interest, I will bless their work. All will see the great results. Even if only a small portion of the world walks this path to peace, I will keep them safe.
Some might even lay down their lives for peace.
Comment: Our Lady speaks honestly that the path to peace is long and difficult.

http://www.locutions.org/2014/07/7-the-long-difficult-path-to-peace/