PRAY TO THE HEART OF DIVINE MERCY - FOUNTAIN OF LIFE

Jesus said to Sister M. Faustina:

       This year on April 4 (unlike every year on March 25 because this year it was Good Friday on the same date) the Church celebrates the Solemnity of the Annunciation of the Lord. This great feast takes its name from the tidings announced by the angel Gabriel to the Blessed Virgin Mary concerning the Incarnation of the Son of God. This day’s message is about the mystery of Jesus and its revelation. It also deals with the vocation of Mary. This double revelation about the mystery of Christ and the vocation of Mary is for us a cause of holy rejoicing and fervent acclamation.
It is interesting to note why this celebration of the conception of Jesus Christ is celebrated on the particular date of March 25. In the early third century, Tertullian states definitely that Our Savior died on the cross on March 25. This is confirmed by St. Hippolytus of Rome as well as St. Augustine in his Treatise. De Trinitate states that, “Jesus died on the cross on March 25, the same day of the year as that on which He was conceived.”
      This date then, became the starting point for the Christmas cycle, since nine months from the Annunciation is the placement of the birth of Jesus on Christmas day. His circumcision follows on the eighth day, January 1, and His presentation in the Temple, the fortieth day after His birth at Bethlehem is placed on February 2.
      The Annunciation has its main focus on the Incarnation: God became man to save us. The prayers of the Mass as well as the preface stress the title virgin for Mary. Scripturally, both the Gospel of St. Matthew 1:18-25 and that of St. Luke 1:26-38 provide explicit evidence for Mary's virginal conception of Jesus. The Church teaches that Mary was a virgin before, during and after the birth of Christ. Mary conceived Jesus in her womb “by the power of the Most High”, (Lk 1:35) without the loss of her virginity.( Catechism, no.485) “She remained a virgin in giving birth to Jesus: His miraculous birth did not diminish her virginal integrity but sanctified it” (Vatican II, Lumen Gentium, 57) Following the birth of Jesus, Mary remained a virgin the rest of her earthly life, until she was taken body and soul into heaven, where she reigns as Queen.(Lumen Gentium, 59)
The Council of Nicea in the year 325 approved the formula “ex Maria virgine”, meaning born of the Virgin Mary and inserted it into the Creed. This was later confirmed by the Second Council of Constantinople in the year 553 and by the non-ecumenical Lateran Council, under Pope St. Martin I which, in 649, promulgated the perpetual virginity of Mary.
       It is important to understand Mary's perpetual virginity in light of the mystery of Christ (Eph.3:4,11) All of us are exhorted to imitate the great virtues of Mary: her fidelity, discipleship, charity and purity. (Lumen Gentium, 63-64) Her perpetual virginity primarily and unmistakably points to the importance of the Incarnation the Mystery of the Eternal Word becoming flesh in Mary's womb without the intervention of a human father, in a marriage of the human and the divine through the marvellous plan of Almighty God.

     Mistakes are effective teachers. Their consequences have a way of making lessons painfully clear. But those who learn from their mistakes are wise. John Mark was a good learner who just needed some time and encouragement.
Mark was eager to do the right thing, but he had trouble staying with a task. In his Gospel, Mark mentions a young man (probably referring to himself) who fled in such fear during Jesus’ arrest that he left his clothes behind. This tendency to run showed up later when Paul and Barnabas took him as their assistant on their first missionary journey. At their second stop, Mark left them and returned to Jerusalem. Two years later, Barnabas took Mark with him, and Paul chose Silas. Barnabas was patient with Mark, and the young man repaid his investment.
      Mark was a valuable companion to three early Christian leaders: Barnabas, Paul, and Peter. The material in Mark’s Gospel seems to have come mostly from Peter. Mark’s role as an assistant allowed him to be an observer. He heard Peter’s accounts of the years with Jesus over and over, and he was one of the first to put Jesus’ life in writing.
      Barnabas played a key role in Mark’s life. he stood beside the young man despite his failure, giving him patient encouragement. Mark challenges us to learn from our mistakes and appreciate the patience of others. Is there a “Barnabas” in your life you need to thank for his or her encouragement to you?

Strengths and Accomplishments:
Wrote the Gospel of Mark.
Provided the family home as one of the main meeting places for the Christians in Jerusalem.
Was an assistant and travelling companion to three of the greatest early missionaries.

Weaknesses and mistakes:
Left Paul and Barnabas for unknown reasons during the first missionary journey.

Lessons from his life:
Personal maturity usually comes from a combination of time and mistakes.
Mistakes are not usually as important as what can be learned from them.
Effective living is not measured as much by what we accomplish as by what we overcome in order to accomplish it.
Encouragement can change a person’s life.

Vital Statistics:
Where: Jerusalem
Relatives: Mother: Mary, Cousin: Barnabas
Occupations: Missionary-in-training, Gospel writer, travelling companion
Contemporaries: Paul, Peter, Timothy, Luke, Silas

Key verse:–
“Only Luke is with me. Get Mark and bring him with you, for he is useful in my ministry.” (Paul writing in 2Timothy 4:11)

Mentioned in :
      John Mark’s story is told in Acts 12:25-13:13 and 15:36-39. He is also mentioned in Colossians 4:10; 2Timothy 4:11; Philemon 1:24 and 1Peter 5:13.

365-DAY BIBLE READING PLAN

BIBLE READING PLAN FOR THE MONTH OF APRIL:

Each chapter of the Gospel of Matthew can be outlined accordingly from the viewpoint of discipleship. Following the previous portions of the gospel, just like the last Bible Quiz, below are given the headings made from this viewpoint for Book Five (Chs.19-25) and Epilogue(Chs.26-28) in a random order. You have to read these Chapters carefully, match these headings in SetA with their Chapter wise divisions given in Set B. Also keep the answers Chapterwise.(in the order of SetB)

Praise be to Jesus! Thanks be to Jesus!
I have come here today to give the wonderful testimony of my family and to praise God for all His wonderful blessings bestowed on us because He has given us a new Life, He is the Truth and the Way for all. I have four children- two boys and two girls and my husband Puran Lal who is about 35 years old.
i) I had continuous back pain for the past 3 years and had tried all kinds of treatment but in vain. Having been informed about Jeevan Dham by my neighbour (6 months ago) I started coming here regularly for the prayer service. Through the grace and mercy of God I got rid of this pain gradually and now I am completely all right.
ii) I was suffering from hernia for the last one year and all the doctors had firmly recommended me to undergo an operation without delay. I got rid of it after coming here for the prayer service without facing the pains of operation. This painless and priceless gift of God strengthened my faith in God and helped me put steadfast trust in Him.
iii) My elder son Jitendra aged 12 years was having high fever for the last two weeks. I prayed for Him and we started praising at home yesterday when he saw Jesus coming to him in vision and very soon the fever left him.
iv) Even though our family is poor, yet the Almighty God is the Divine provider. Despite the financial problems, I got my daughter married without any obstacles coming in the way. Without His help we could have never even thought of getting my daughter happily married to a boy who is well-off and well educated. This is a great miracle for my family and me.
v) My younger daughter Rani aged 8 years had a serious problem since birth. Pus oozed out of her ears everyday and all the treatments were ineffective. We took her to several hospitals in Delhi and Barielly yet her ear disorder could not be healed. I stopped giving her medicine and brought her here in Jeevan Dham for the past few months. Merciful God blessed my child very soon and answered our prayers by healing her ears. For the past 2 months, she had no problem with her ears. Praise the Lord!
vi) My younger son Shivam aged 4 years had feeble hands since birth. His wrist was bent inside, he could neither open his fist nor could he raise his hands. But after coming here, within a few weeks, the powerful Word of God strengthened his hands and used him for His glory. Today, he could raise his hands, his fingers loosened a bit and he could open his fist. That was really incredible and awe-inspiring! I could not believe my eyes which have seen the work of Mighty God.
I am really indebted to God for all these and more and I assure you that if you put your trust in Jesus, our Saviour and Lord, you and your family too will be blessed like mine. Alleluia!

Vimala Devi (age-32 years),
Lakshmi Nagar, Delhi

“Believe on the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, you and your household.”(Acts 16:31)

B) INCURABLE LEUCODERMA HEALED BY THE WORD OF GOD!

Praise be to Jesus! Thanks be to Jesus!
I am giving my wonderful testimony for the favours that I have received from God. I was suffering from Leucoderma (white spots) for the past 10 years. It started with a small white patch emerging on my hand which gradually became bigger. After a few days, few more similar patches appeared on my back and legs. I was living in my village in Bihar and went for treatment starting from local doctors and physicians in my village to professional dermatologists in Patna, Bihar. All of them gave me a misleading hope that taking their medicine will cure me within a few weeks. But nothing happened and this disorder brought me to a hopeless situation at last. One doctor had even operated on my hand to remove the white patch from there but within a few days, another patch came up at the same place. For the last one year I have left taking medicine.
Last year one day my neighbour in Lakarpur told me about the healings and miracles taking place in Jeevan Dham during the prayer service. I believed in her words and came here the following Sunday with little faith. But my Lord helped my faithlessness and started blessing me from the first day itself. The white patches started darkening to the skin colour gradually and they disappeared altogether within a few months. It was the Word of God, not medicine that was working within me while I listened to Him and prayed to Him in faith. Through His Divine mercy, I am healed totally of this incurable disease and have brought my husband along with me here today to accompany me and see for himself the way God works among His poor people who put their complete trust on God.

Sudha Anand (age-30 years),
Faridabad

“But let all who take refuge in you rejoice; let them ever sing for joy. Spread your protection over them, so that those who love your name may exult in you. For you bless the righteous, O Lord; you cover them with favour as with a shield. “(Psalms 5:11-12)

C) THROUGH THE POWER OF HIS WORD, GOD GIFTED ALL THESE CHILDLESS FAMILIES WITH A CHILD AFTER MANY YEARS OF MARRIAGE