An Overview - This Month's Newsletter

As a child, I used to enjoy paging through a thick book my parents kept on the coffee table called The Lives of the Saints.
I tried to imagine if I could have endured the sufferings like my patron saint (St. Christina) had during the Roman persecutions, or wondered if I could I have set my fears aside and ministered to the lepers as Fr. Xavier had.

As I grew older however I struggled more and more with prayer. It seemed like all I did was ask for things... "God, give me this or God please give me that". Additionally I really didn't "feel" anything at all as I prayed. In short, I had no relationship with God and didn't know how to "get it". It was therefore easy to drift away from Him and the Church when the distractions and realities of life happened. I managed to ignor the whole thing until about 4 years ago when my husband fell on our stairs and suffered a traumatic brain injury. When faced with the potential reality of his being a "vegetable" from that point forward, I suddenly dropped to my knees. The stresses and strains of 24/7 care of an invalid husband propelled me to continue to deal with the spiritual vacuum in my life. One day, exhausted and in tears, I told my sister, "I don't care if my husband isn't cured, I just need to know that there is a God "out there" and that He hears me, and sees me and all of this has meaning somehow." Then "by chance", I met Alex Avendano. As I stared at the stigmata on his hands and listened to his humble message, the reality of Christ, his sufferings and message, and our role in His plan suddenly all made sense to me. Christ was suddenly REAL - TODAY - not just a historical figure of 2000 years ago.

A couple of days ago, the newspapers highlighted a new book about Mother Teresa which describes her own internal crisis in faith. I was stunned at her ability to cope with her doubts and her lack of a "feeling" for 66 years and still achieve the highest levels of sainthood on earth that has escaped so many of us. I have attached two articles on her. This first one from (Time Magazine) is rather long but it really describes her philosophy and the depth of her passion for serving others. I encourage you to read as much as you can. The second one (Time Magazine - Crisis in Faith) outlines her personal spiritual crisis. It is 6 pages but it is definitely worth reading. It is somehow comforting to see someone like her struggle with the same issues as the rest of us. Of course, it also makes us realize that we too are each called to respond to God's unique plan in our lives just as she did.

The private revelations that are at the end of this newsletter cover a multitude of themes.
• Why and how we should pray
• Why we should not seek greatness but rather goodness
• Jesus' message that He helps us grow through our trials and sufferings
• As we each strive for holiness, we not only secure our place in heaven but help Him, help others achieve their's

Hope you enjoy this month's newsletter!
Christine

THIS MONTH'S PRIVATE REVELATIONS:
There are two kinds of revelations: (1) universal revelations, which are contained in the Bible and form the core of our faith. These ended with the preaching of the Apostles and must be believed by all; (2) private revelations which are constantly occurring among Christians even to this day. You are under no obligation to believe the latter. When the Church approves private revelations, she declares only that there is nothing in them contrary to the faith or good morals. Private revelations contained here are approved by the Church's appointed Spiritual Advisors.

AUGUST 25, 2007 - MEDJUGORJE MESSAGE

"Dear children!
Also today I call you to conversion. May your life, little children, be a reflection of God’s goodness and not of hatred and unfaithfulness. Pray, little children, that prayer may become life for you. In this way, in your life you will discover the peace and joy which God gives to those who have an open heart to His love. And you who are far from God’s mercy, convert so that God may not become deaf to your prayers and that it may not be too late for you. Therefore, in this time of grace, convert and put God in the first place in your life. Thank you for having responded to my call.
*****

August 1, 2007 - "ANNE" - DIRECTION FOR OUR TIMES

Jesus

A small child often prays that God will help him to be good. This prayer is pleasing to God. Indeed, which prayer is more pleasing? A child prays this prayer in humility and simplicity from a pure heart seeking even greater purity. It is this purity of heart that all apostles must seek. Each day should be filled with brief prayers of this kind. If an apostle wishes to reside with the Father, that apostle must become the child of the Father. God has no equal. Do not seek greatness. Seek goodness. My beloved ones, you know that I love you and that I am grateful for your service. You know that I am pleased with your progress. Do you wonder why your Jesus calls you constantly further into holiness? Do I do this for My benefit? Yes. I do. I take great joy in seeing you advance, it is true. And yet, it is for your own personal benefit, also, that I call you to strive for higher heights. I want you to become as holy as you can. As your holiness increases, my friends, so does your peace. As your peace increases, so does the peace in this world. It is for many reasons, all similar to these, that I beckon you to come further and further into My heart. You are called to come closer to Me and move further from distractions. You turn your face toward heaven and in doing so you turn your face away from the world, which seeks to draw you away from Me. For today, pledge your allegiance to the Father and then strive to become holier. “Father, help me to be good.” In each moment of your life there is an opportunity for goodness. Find the opportunities and try. Exert yourself, my beloved ones. Work for your holiness. If you were participating in a game, you would try to win. I want you to participate in your movement to holiness. I want you to make efforts throughout each day to choose the holiest course. I am with you in each moment, helping you. If you, my beloved apostles, will work with Me to become holier, I can reach others through you. But that is My affair. Your affair is to try to become as holy as possible. Have no fear. You are loved. 

*****
AUGUST 2007 - ANN P. (ALEX'S FRIEND) SACRED HEART MESSAGES TO A CONVERTING SOUL

(Aug. 20th) Jesus: 

My children; I ask that you do My will and obey My commands.  Obedience is a necessary condition in receiving the Spirit.  If you love Me, you will obey My commands.
I received the Spirit after 30 years of obedience to My Father, to Joseph, My foster father and My dear Mother.  Accepting My Father’s command, to bear the Cross, was another act of obedience.  It was also true that only after obedience, the Spirit was given to My apostles.  So to, have My believers receive My Spirit through obedience.  The Spirit has taught new truth by recalling the old truth and has recalled old truth in the teaching of the new.
When the Spirit was sent, I explained that there will be a refreshment of memory and a conviction of truth.  The Spirit of truth that comes from My Heavenly Father and Myself will cause truth to enter your soul in such a way as to make it a reality.  To know My Father one must know Me, and to know Me, one must have the Spirit.  The Spirit will reveal Me, for I am truth.  If all that your world needed was a teacher, then man would long ago have been holy.  For there have been many teachers.  But it takes more than the spirit of man to make a man holy or to know the truth.  Human truth can be known only by living them and Divine truth can be lived only by living in the Spirit.  Your loving Jesus.

(Aug 13th) Jesus: 

I was closely bound to humanity by My trials and tested in every way as you are each and every day, only I was without sin.  It is part of My discipline to make My love ones perfect through trials and sufferings.  This is the part of My mission which the Devil attacked.  The temptations that I endured were meant to divert Me from My task of salvation through sacrifice.  My people refused to believe that Satan exists and he is just fine with this.  To those who do not believe in him he has very little trouble, for they are already on his side. 
My people are tempted by lust and gluttony, pride and envy and greed.  But I say to you, good men are not tempted in the same way as evil men.  The temptations of an alcoholic are not the same as the temptations of a saint through pride.  The human flesh which I took upon Myself was not for leisure but for battle.
Those who believe in Me, must hold to the faith even when starved and weak, even when they are imprisoned and scourged.  I fasted so that one can never say that I do not know about hunger.  I fasted for forty days.  It is by sacrifice, when I am seen on the Cross, that I really drew men to Myself.  I must win followers with My Blood and with love.  Ponder on these words, have faith, hope and trust in one who loves you unconditionally. 
Continue to take up your cross and follow Me all the days of your lives. 
Your loving Jesus.