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The Mary 'Queen of Peace' Prayer Group (Medjugorje)

is currently not meeting - useful information is below

latest messages || video 'Our Lady Queen Of Peace' YouTube (5:46 mins) || Mary Queen of Peace website

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"How can I [understand] unless someone instructs me?" ~ Acts 8:31
Try Mary's motherly encouragement, insistence, cajoling & guidance - the beacon of His Light!

Brief History: Our prayer group was open to all and welcomed other denominations. "For where two or three are gathered in my name, I am there among them." Matthew 18:20

With support from Mother Philomena, the Sisters and Fr. Cormac, parishioners interested in the Medjugorje apparitions, where Our Lady was said by the visionaries to have asked for prayer groups in every parish, arranged regular meetings from about 2003, as 'The Medjugorje Prayer Group'. 

It was felt by those attending to be a time 'nurtured' by Our Lady, with prayer guided by the Holy Spirit. Later it was known as the 'Mary Queen of Peace' prayer group, remaining a gentle way to discover praying together and experience locally 'Our Lady's School of Prayer', where She always points us towards Jesus.

Meeting for an hour, mainly in the peaceful 'upper room' setting of St. Mary's Haven Chapel, or sometimes in the church or a parishioner's home, to offer unhurried thanks, praise, song and intercessory prayer, for current world concerns especially an end to terrorism; for justice, peace & unity; for inner peace and healing for ourselves, our families, friends and parish; for our priests; vocations; the sick; and holy souls particularly those having no one to pray for them; the Pope's prayer intentions for the month; also personal intercessions + everything else inspired by the Holy Spirit at each meeting.

A wide traditional and contemporary prayer base encouraged extemporary individual prayer, with time for reflection in silence.

Many attendees had already or later experienced the Catholic charismatic renewal movement through 'Life in The Spirit' seminars, meetings and groups elsewhere in the Diocese.

Some scripture and occasional personal testimony, reading through Her messages as testified by the Medjugorje visionaries. latest available here. Meeting notes included message commentaries with other wide content.

Music was both traditional and contemporary including Taize. A small library was kept in the Chapel.

No one attending needed to have visited Medjugorje or have any desire to go, though many did so. Only a desire or initial curiosity to discover deeper prayer with others was needed.

Meetings stopped at the end of 2016, the usual meeting times being taken up by other parish group study sessions then. The chapel was later closed and now part of St. Mary's Haven Nursing Home.

 

New Prayer groups will be able to meet in the extended parish church buildings after current works are completed.

Divine Mercy Sunday services were arranged in Eastertide and many other events, video presentations, outside visits etc.

The Rosary Group met separately, guided by the Sisters.

visit the 'Medjugorje' pages for other information and links, click here or below

'Prayer is powerful! It fills the earth with mercy. The mercy and clemency obtained through the power of prayer will always produce its generous and saving effects in people.' ~ Saint Frances Xavier Cabrini  (1850-1917)

"Prayer is the raising of one's mind and heart to God or the requesting of good things from God." But when we pray, do we speak from the height of our pride and will, or "out of the depths" of a humble and contrite heart? He who humbles himself will be exalted; humility is the foundation of prayer, Only when we humbly acknowledge that "we do not know how to pray as we ought," are we ready to receive freely the gift of prayer. "Man is a beggar before God." ~ Catechism of the Catholic Church #2559

Let the message of Christ, in all its richness, find a home with you. Teach each other, and advise each other, in all wisdom. With gratitude in your hearts sing psalms and hymns and inspired songs to God. ~ Colossians 3:16

How to Start a Medjugorje Prayer Group in your Parish

Prayer advice and links

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    Some relevant Medjugorje messages

 * July 25, 1990 "Dear children! Today I invite you to peace. I have come here as the Queen of Peace and I desire to enrich you with my motherly peace. Dear children, I love you and I desire to bring all of you to the peace which only God gives and which enriches every heart. I invite you to become carriers and witnesses of my peace to this unpeaceful world. Let peace reign in the whole world which is without peace and longs for peace. I bless you with my motherly blessing. Thank you for having responded to my call."

     * July 25, 1994 "Dear children! Today I invite you to decide to give time patiently for prayer. Little children, you cannot say you are mine and that you have experienced conversion through my messages if you are not ready to give time to God every day. I am close to you and I bless you all. Little children, do not forget that if you do not pray you are not close to me, nor are you close to the Holy Spirit who leads you along the path to holiness. Thank you for having responded to my call."

    * February 25, 1995 "Dear children! Today I invite you to become missionaries of my messages, which I am giving here through this place that is dear to me. God has allowed me to stay this long with you and therefore, little children, I invite you to live with love the messages I give and to transmit them to the whole world, so that a river of love flows to people who are full of hatred and without peace. I invite you, little children, to become peace where there is no peace and light where there is darkness, so that each heart accepts the light and the way of salvation. Thank you for having responded to my call."

     * June 25, 2000 - 19th Anniversary "Dear children! Today I call you to prayer. The one who prays is not afraid of the future. Little children do not forget, I am with you and I love you all. Thank you for having responded to my call."

     * September 25, 2000 "... Today I call you to open yourselves to prayer. May prayer become joy for you. Renew prayer in your families and form prayer groups. In this way, you will experience joy in prayer and togetherness. All those who pray and are members of prayer groups are open to God’s will in their hearts and joyfully witness God’s love. I am with you, I carry all of you in my heart and I bless you with my motherly blessing. Thank you ..."

    * April 25, 2001"Dear children! Also today, I call you to prayer. Little children, prayer works miracles. When you are tired and sick and you do not know the meaning of your life, take the Rosary and pray; pray until prayer becomes for you a joyful meeting with your Saviour. I am with you, little children, and I intercede and pray for you. Thank you for having responded to my call."

  * March 25, 2002 "Dear children! Today I call you to unite with Jesus in prayer. Open your heart to Him and give Him everything that is in it: joys, sorrows and illnesses. May this be a time of grace for you. Pray, little children, and may every moment belong to Jesus. I am with you and I intercede for you. Thank you for having responded to my call."

     * March 25, 2003 "Dear children! Also today I call you to pray for peace. Pray with the heart, little children, and do not lose hope because God loves His creatures. He desires to save you, one by one, through my coming here. I call you to the way of holiness. Pray, and in prayer you are open to God's will; in this way, in everything you do, you realise God's plan in you and through you. Thank you for having responded to my call."

* other messages mentioning: prayer > love > peace & to save space, all marked "...! or "... begin with: 'Dear children!' and all marked ..." end with: 'Thank you for having responded to my call.' Suggestion: add YOUR own name, "Dear * * * * "

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Pray in whatever way works best. To keep intercessory prayer from being mechanical and boring, it helps to do what works best for us, and vary the way we do it. Some options: (original source of these notes has been mislaid)

a.. Use our own words - whatever we feel like saying, however we feel like saying it.

b.. Repetitive prayer, e.g., Lord's Prayer, the rosary, litanies.

c.. Scripture passages, especially ones related to a need, e.g., Lk 8:43-48.

d.. Contemplative prayer (i.e., praying without words).

e.. Prayers of praise. "Do not worry about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God." (Phil 4:6)

f.. Put requests in a notebook, then set it before the Lord in prayer.

g.. Gather with others to pray. This is an especially powerful option for intercessory prayer. It supports us in faith and can heighten our awareness of the Risen Lord's presence with us. Confidentiality is essential in this setting: Whatever is said and prayed within the room, stays in that room.

Avoid pitfalls: Most intercessors eventually discover challenges with this form of prayer. Two common pitfalls:

a.. Telling God what to do. This may take the form of "claiming the promise" of a Scripture passage, or saying a special prayer for so many days, or simply storming heaven for a specific result. ("Lord, make my son go to an AA meeting this week.") Whatever the form, when we tell God what to do, we treat the Creator of the universe like a personal valet, ready to respond to every request in precisely the way we want him to respond. "All things are possible with God," Jesus told his disciples. True! That is why when we pray for a need, we can leave results up to the Lord of possibilities, who sees and knows more than we can ever see and know.

b.. Focusing on power rather than love. Power-oriented prayers may involve raised voices. ("Jesus, HEAL Sue's husband!") They also may centre mostly around deliverance prayers, where intercessors end up paying less attention to God than they do to binding and casting out evil spirits. However we choose to pray, our primary focus needs to remain on God, not on Satan.

A quote from Pope Benedict from his general audience of April 25, 2012: "If the lungs of prayer and the Word of God fail to nourish the breath of our spiritual life, we risk suffocating in the middle of a thousand daily cares: prayer is the breath of the soul and of life," the Holy Father affirmed. "And there is another precious reminder that I would like to emphasize: in our relationship with God, in listening to His Word, in conversation with God, even when we find ourselves in the silence of a church or in our room, we are united in the Lord with so many brothers and sisters in faith, like an ensemble of instruments that, though retaining their individuality, offer to God one great symphony of intercession, of thanksgiving and of praise."

Medjugorje message April 25, 2012: “Dear children! Also today I am calling you to prayer, and may your heart, little children, open towards God as a flower opens towards the warmth of the sun. I am with you and I intercede for all of you. Thank you for having responded to my call.”

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footnotes: 1. "When you pray, rather let your heart be without words than your words be without heart." 

2. ". . . Prayer is the best weapon we have; it is the key to God's heart. You must speak to Jesus not only with your lips but with your heart. In fact on certain occasions you should speak to him only with your heart." ~ Saint (Padre) Pio of Pietrelcina (1887-1968)

3. "Brothers and sisters: The Spirit comes to the aid of our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes with inexpressible groanings. And the one who searches hearts knows what is the intention of the Spirit, because he intercedes for the holy ones according to God's will." ~ Romans 8:26-27

send a prayer petition to Medjugorje by e-mail anytime

Medjugorje visionary Ivan stated: “Prayer groups are the hope of the Church and the world.” - Several of Our Lady’s messages mention formation of prayer groups in parishes and families: “All people should be part of a prayer group."; "Every parish should have a prayer group."; "I would like to recommend that all my priests start a prayer group with the youth and teach them, giving them good advice."; "Today I call you to renewal of family prayer in your homes. The field work is over. Now let all of you be devoted to prayer. Let prayer take the first place in your families." (Nov 1, 1984); "Pray, especially before the cross from which great graces are coming. Now, in your homes make a special consecration to the cross of the Lord." (Sept 12, 1985)

How to Start a Medjugorje Prayer Group in your Parish also search 'Medjugorje Prayer Groups' for more information

"Little children follow and obey their father. They love their mother. They know nothing of covetousness, ill-will, bad temper, arrogance and lying. This state of mind opens the road to heaven. To imitate our Lord's own humility, we must return to the simplicity of God's little ones." ~ Pope Saint Hilary of Poitiers (d. 468) Feast day: Feb 28.

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Prayer group past meeting notes - click links for pdf - earlier years were not uploaded.

2009: Mar '09 | Apr '09 | May '09 | June '09 | July '09 | Sept '09 | Oct '09 | Nov '09| Dec '09 

2010: Feb '10 | March '10 | Nov '10 | Dec '10  

2011: Jan '11 | Feb '11 | Mar '11 | Apr '11 | May '11 | June '11 | July '11 | Aug '11 | Sept '11 | Oct '11 | Nov '11 | Dec '11

2012: Jan '12 | Feb '12 | Mar '12 | Apr '12 | May '12 | June '12 | July '12 | Aug '12 | Sept '12 | Oct '12 | Nov '12 | Dec '12

2013: Jan '13 | Feb '13 | Mar '13 | April '13 | May '13 | June '13 | July '13 | Aug '13 | Oct '13 | Nov '13 | Dec '13

2014: Jan '14Feb '14Mar '14April '14May '14July '14 | Sept '14

2015: March '15 | April '15 | July '15 | November '15 | Meetings were suspended after December 2015, being replaced then by the many parish group study sessions. The chapel has since closed and is now part of St. Mary's Haven Nursing Home. updated gif image Prayer groups of any style will be able to meet in the extended parish church buildings after current building works are completed.

for some other Medjugorje and related Marian links click here

update February 2022 v1.79 JMJ +AMDG (admin ~ ê¿ê )

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