The Private Apparition of Our Lady Of Prince Edward Island (P.E.I.)

Tuesday, October 16, 2012

My Thirty-day Retreat – Part 7

Dear Friends,
Here is another part of My Thirty-day Retreat in Jerusalem. During these days Jesus is teaching me about the Contemplative Brothers and the Contemplative Sisters of Jesus.
Father Melvin

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          6th May 1990 – Early in the morning I prayed using the text of the Beatitudes in Matthew: Chapter 5, 1- 10. I especially dwelt on the Beatitude, which says: “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for what is right.” This means that we have to practice justice. I saw that the poor, especially the rural poor, are the first to suffer from injustice. Often schools are far away and the students cannot get to them. Often the teachers in those schools in Africa are poor, the schools are not repaired, and they often do not have the required equipment. There are few hospitals or clinics for these people. If they do have hospitals, there is no medicine. The roads in the rural areas are very poor, and the bridges ready to collapse. The African people do not get their fertilizer in time, and often their produce just rots on the side of the road because there is no transport. The rural poor have no voice, and have difficulty to organize themselves because they are not educated. These people need help, and a religious congregation is needed to help them. In the other periods of prayer, I simply prayed for the outpouring of the Holy Spirit, especially on the peoples of Africa. I asked the Lord to make His desires known for the poor in Africa, how He wants the Church to help these people.

7th May 1990: Day of repose – Early this morning (7:30) we piled into the bus for a trip to Jericho, the oasis near the Jordan River. We went first to the Orthodox Monastery of St. George Kaziba in the Wadi Kelt. This place is built in the mountains in the Judean desert. In fact the whole monastery is built in the side of the mountain. The road to get there is very steep and has to circle the mountain and in some places the drop is hundreds of feet which can make your head spin. In this monastery we met the Superior, a man from Serbia who has lived thirty years here. He leads ten monks, lost, as it were, in the desert. They have water because there is a spring just above the monastery. With this precious commodity they have trees and a small garden. We saw the Chapel where there are many Icons, and a good number of skulls and bones, and also the body of one of the monks who died in the 1800’s. We also visited the Chapel to our Lady – very beautiful, especially the floor made in the 6^thcentury. This monastery and all the monasteries in the Judean desert were destroyed in 614 AD by the Persians, and about 30,000 monks were killed. It was about 1200 years afterwards that the monks returned to build here. From this monastery we walked about one hour, following the side of the mountain and its small stream, to the town of Jericho. Along the way we saw caves where hermits used to live, and even today some do live there. At Jericho, which we had visited previously, we caught our bus and drove through Jericho to the mountain of the Temptations. The Gospels tell us about the temptations of Jesus in the desert. The bus could only bring us to the foot of the mountain. So we had to walk up a very steep path. We walked for about 20 minutes till we reached the famous Monastery of the Temptations built very high in the side of the mountain. With cliffs straight down. These cliffs are about 1,000 feet high. Standing on the balcony of the Monastery one can see straight down to the bottom of the mountain, and if one fell over the side, there would no chance of reaching the bottom alive. How they built this monastery in such a place is a mystery to me.
The few Orthodox monks allowed us in. They brought us to a place which is actually a cave where we were told that Jesus passed the 40 days and 40 nights praying. The monk explained that in 614 AD, 2,000 monks were attached to this monastery, and in that year they were all massacred. Today there are only 5 monks here. We were shown the Chapel with beautiful Icons of Our Lord and Our Lady, and others of angels. We were taken further up the mountain to another enclosed cave where we were told that this was the place where the devil had tempted Jesus. Here we read Matthew 4, 1- 11: the biblical text about the temptations. After exploring around for a while we made our way back down to the bus, and back to Jericho. Our guides brought us to the centre of town to a huge Sycamore tree. This is supposed to be the tree that Zacchaeus climbed up in order to see Jesus who was passing by. Jericho has a population of nearly 20,000 people. As most of us were thirsty, we managed to find a light drink before we boarded our bus to return to Jerusalem. We arrived back around 12:15, after passing the famous Samaritan Inn situated about half way between the two towns.
In the afternoon at 5:30 p.m. we celebrated the Eucharist in our various groups. Afterwards I spent an hour in prayer. I took as text Acts 2, 14 -36: the preaching of St. Peter after the descent of the Holy Spirit. At the end, Jesus spoke to me saying: “Keep meditating on the Acts. As regards prayer, you should do the following every day: half hour of meditation every morning, Breviary, the Eucharist, visit in the evening and rosary.”

8th May 1990 – Today I saw my director early at 8:15 because we were celebrating the Eucharist at 11:00 a.m. at the Cenacle where the Apostles had gathered for the last Supper, and at Pentecost. My director spoke about the Movement of the Cenacle. He also gave me a book by Cardinal Martini of Milan called, “Peuple en marche“, a retreat He gave on the Acts of the Apostles. Fr. Luc has decided that I should meditate on the Acts from now on. The first three meditations were all connected with Pentecost. At Pentecost, under the impulse of the Holy Spirit, the Apostles baptized 3,000 people in a single day. Today the Church has spread throughout the world, beginning from this place: Jerusalem. The Event of Pentecost is continuing throughout the world as people come to believe in Christ and are baptized and are committed to Him. Yet there are still so many who have not heard of Jesus, and those sent to preach the Good News are so few. The missionaries are so few in Africa, especially in the rural areas. How important that this New Society be born, and work to bring about a New Pentecost for the world. The beautiful passage of Acts 2, 42 – 47 is a glimpse of Heaven how the disciples loved each other and shared everything they had. This indeed is the goal of Christianity: to be completely transformed in Christ. Unfortunately this beautiful life did not last long, and today it only exists in monasteries where the monks and the nuns have everything in common. Let this text be a fundamental one for our new Society.
In the evening we had 45 minutes of adoration in the chapel. It was for me a time to praise and adore God and the Lord Jesus. This will be part of the life of the members of the Society every day as they meditate and praise and adore God in the Church.

Sunday, October 13, 2012

My Thirty-day Retreat – Part 6

Dear Friends,
I send you another part of my book “My Thirty-day Retreat” and this is Part 6. May the Lord bless you all.
Father Melvin

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          3rd May 1990 – The first hour of prayer was filled with great joy as I contemplated the scene in Galilee (Mt. 28, 16 – 20), where Jesus appears to the Apostles and sends them out to go and make disciples of all nations and at the end He said: “I am with you all always, until the end of the age.” At the end He spoke to me about the new Society saying, “I will give you a prayer to My Blessed Mother which all members will recite daily.” He then dictated it to me and I wrote it down as the words came. Here is the prayer:
Prayer to the Blessed Virgin Mary – Most Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of God, Mother of the Church and Mother of all believers: you are the bright star of our lives. We venerate you, Mary, Mother of Jesus, conceived without sin, ever virgin. We come to you, your children, full of love and respect. We ask you to protect us and may you always show your maternal care to us all.
We dedicate ourselves to you today, dear Mother, to work in close union with you for the spread of the Kingdom of God in our midst. We resolve to follow Jesus, your divine Son, by a life of poverty, chastity and obedience, modelled on the life He led while on earth. Obtain for us dearest Mother, the grace, the strength, and the resolve to work only for Jesus without counting the cost. Help us we pray, to sow love among all the people we meet, and bring us all one day with You in Heaven to live in happiness with the Father, with Jesus, our Brother, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.
What a beautiful prayer from Jesus this is! It shows what love Jesus has for His Mother and we too must have this same love. We see also what role our Heavenly Mother has in our salvation. She can give us the graces we need on our journey. At the end of this hour Jesus said, “Don’t be afraid, I will guide you. I love you.”
At the second hour I was again filled with great joy in the presence of Jesus. I spent the whole hour praising and glorifying Him. What Easter joy! What great love!
At 2:30 I began my third prayer session and during this time Jesus spoke to me about the Society, “The members will have a strong family spirit, be welcoming to everybody, and open to each other. They will share intimately among themselves, especially at community meetings. All must feel at home. Certain feasts are to be kept for the building up of this spirit. Among them the birthdays of the members will be celebrated. As regards the liturgical feasts they will be celebrated in a solemn way. These feasts are Christmas, Easter, Epiphany, the solemn days of Holy Week, Ascension, Pentecost, and the feast of our Mother: the Annunciation, the Assumption, the Immaculate Conception and Her Birthday. Every year the 4^th May will be celebrated as the Feast of the Society called the Feast of Jesus, our Brother, and Mary, our Mother. You will celebrate these feasts with a special “agape”, and I will be present in spirit. At the beginning of the meal there will be a passage of the Gospel read, a hymn will be sung and a prayer will be recited. The Servant will give all the members a special greeting. Brothers will wear their religious habit at all community meals. Visitors can be invited to partake of the feast and the meal. As we are on the subject of meals, I remind you that on ordinary Fridays, there will be no meal in the evening for the members of the Society. This is in remembrance of my suffering and death for each of you.”
During the last period of prayer, I prayed especially for the Church. Jesus’ words were, “Pray for the Church, the Pope, the Bishops, the priests, the religious, the families and the youth. Pray for the whole Church that all may have a deeper commitment to Me.”

4th May 1990: The Apparitions – This morning at 6:15 – 7:15, I read the text: John 20, 19 – 23: The Apostles see Jesus. What joy filled their hearts and mine. At the end I prayed for all missionaries that they may have Jesus’ strength to convert the world. Jesus told me, “I will help you. Pray, pray every day.”
The second period of prayer was 8:30 to 9:30, and the text was on the doubting Thomas: John 20, 24 – 29. During the meditation, it came very strong to me the importance of a strong confirmation by Jesus that He wants me to begin the Brothers and Sisters of Jesus. Otherwise I could suffer like Thomas, from grave doubts that I’m fooling myself, and that the inspiration does not come from Jesus. I prayed, “Lord, Help my weak faith.” Jesus spoke about the importance of prayer in the Twin Societies. He said, “The Brothers and Sisters of mine will not neglect prayers. They will pray every day like this: 1. half hour meditation (or contemplation) daily preferably in the morning; 2. pray the Breviary; 3. participate in the celebration of the Holy Eucharist; 4. pray the rosary; 5. make a visit every day to the Blessed Sacrament together; 6. recite together the prayer to Our Lady. Besides these there will be the monthly recollection, the Sacrament of Reconciliation or confession, and an annual retreat. Once a year the Brothers and Sisters will undertake a pilgrimage and call the people to join them. All those who can will walk to the place chosen for the pilgrimage.”
Jesus added these words concerning work, “The main work of the Society will be the evangelisation of the people in the world and preferably the rural people. I must penetrate the hearts and minds of all. So, bring them to me, with them we will build a strong Church. All will be well trained for their work. They will be dedicated to me and devoted to their work. They will remind themselves continuously that it is my work they are doing, and that they should do it with me. Let them see their work as a prayer. I command you to: work with love, love for the people with and for whom you work. You must treat each person as if he or she was I.”
In the last two periods I took this text: John 21, 1 – 25. Jesus’ appearance to the Apostles near the lake, and the threefold question addressed to Peter, “Do you love me more than these?” Jesus had addressed this very question to me at the beginning of the retreat. He wants me to love Him more. I offered myself totally to Him. During the last period, Jesus brought me to visit Our Lady once again. How happy She was. What joy it was for Her to see Jesus again. She told us about Her suffering at the foot of the Cross seeing Jesus in such suffering. She then turned to me, her priest-son, and very tenderly said, “How important it is for you to bring the people to Jesus, that they may know Him. Evangelization will be the most important work for the Society. They will have to be taught right from the beginning the proper method to follow. Don’t wait till they enter the seminary to be taught these things. Once they are taught, they can start to do many things after six months in the Society. Train them to do the following:
1. How to visit the people having a purpose in mind; 2. How to start Small Christian Communities and how to train the leaders; 3. How to teach catechetics to the young; 4. How to animate groups for the young; 5. To teach the young how to pray alone and in church or in groups; 6. To teach about the sacraments and self-denial; 7. How to bring them to Jesus and love Him; 8. To give the young a horror of sin; 9. How to pray the rosary; 10. To teach the young the meaning of all that is done and used during the celebration of the Holy Eucharist.”
Our Lady also spoke about the habit of the Twin Society. She said, “I am a woman, so I am very interested in symbol and clothes. I would like to impress on you that it is important to have a religious habit, and to wear it at all times. You have already a design which is a long white garment with a red or blue yoke on which are two crosses, one in front and one in the back. The white symbolizes purity, purity of heart which all will acquire, and the yoke, and the cross symbolizes the Passion and Death of Jesus on the Cross. It should remind you constantly of the great love that Jesus has for you as a member of the Society. The title, Brother or Sister of Jesus, is very significant as each one is to have a special relationship with Jesus who is their Brother. This relationship will have to be strengthened daily through prayer and work.” I thanked Our Lady for the inspiring words She gave me, and I thanked Jesus for His company.

5th May 1990 – During the first period of prayer, Jesus spoke to me again about the Society. He said, “This Society will play an important role in bringing my salvation to the world. It is not a Society only for Zambia, but it is for the whole world. You must be open to the whole world: to other countries in Africa, to the Moslem world, to the Americas, to Asia and to Europe. Make sure that you don’t accept or copy the ways of the religious in the West.
You will fight secularism in all its forms. Remain poor as I was poor. Melvin, you must have a wide vision. I will use the Society to Christianize the cultures, the ways, the mentalities of the various people of the world. How important it is that the Brothers and Sisters have this mentality that I am giving you. The whole Society will be centred on me. Bring everything to me in prayer, and don’t act before I have given my consent. I want to be the heart of this New Society. Let pictures and statues of me abound in the house to remind all that it is my Society. The Brothers and Sisters will come forward with their own special art. Put texts of mine and my Father’s everywhere, i.e. the story of Tabor. Every room should remind you of me, and that I live there. I would like a picture of myself made by a member of the Society. This picture will express the artist’s idea of myself as his or her Brother. This picture will be multiplied and will be displayed everywhere. I tell you all this because I want to be the soul of the Brothers and Sisters of Jesus. In this way each one will be aware of my presence at all times. I will be in them, and they will be in me. Read John Chapter 17. This text is a foundation text for the Society.” My meditation was on the text of John about the appearance at Tabor, and the words of the Father: “This is my Son, the chosen one, listen to Him.”
At about 12:00 noon I felt a great desire to pray. This special grace stayed with me the whole afternoon and during my two periods of prayer I was drawn to God by this grace. It was impossible to think or to have any mental activity but only to be concentrated on Jesus. I am just there, as if before God, and my heart, my soul, my spirit is adoring God. There is a great peace, but God is silent. I am just carried as if I am going to pass out of this life. I could not concentrate on any text.
In my last period I took the Beatitudes in Luke: 6. I spent all my time on the first Beatitude: How happy are you who are poor. I saw how Jesus loves the poor. I’ve lived with the poor in Zambia for over twenty years and I know what it is. For the love of Jesus I would work with them all my life.

Saturday, October 13, 2012

My Thirty-day Retreat – Part 5

Dear Friends,
Here is another three days of my retreat in Jerusalem. I wrote more for these days and I hope you understand as they are at the peak of my retreat.
Father Melvin

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          30th April 1990 – During the first hour I meditated on the Crucifixion and Death of Jesus on the Cross. I heard Jesus utter the seven last words on the Cross very slowly with long pauses in between. It is only when He uttered the words “I thirst” that He spoke to me from the Cross. He said, “It is not so much physical thirst I have, but the deep thirst in my heart and soul for the hearts of all the people, that they come to know me, believe in me and that I may save them all. I also thirst for justice, peace and love throughout the world. Oh, let wars, hatred and inhumanity cease everywhere. I wish to bring all to a life close to me where dire poverty is eliminated, ignorance is overcome, and division gives way to unity. I want all to come to know and follow me.” Then He turned to me on the Cross and said, “I thirst for you too, for your love, for your service, for your intimate friendship.” After He said this He cried aloud saying, “It is accomplished”, and gave up His spirit and died.
Immediately all my suffering, pain and sorrow stopped, and everything was still as if dead. I remained a long time in that state contemplating the dead Jesus. After the burial I found myself with Our Lady as if I was walking home with Her. She told me, “Jesus has accomplished the great work He was sent to do: to redeem the world through a life of love and suffering and a martyr’s death. We can only thank Him, love Him and follow Him.”
During the 2nd hour (14:30 – 15:30) I presented myself before the Heavenly Father to express my great love and appreciation and thanks for Jesus’ great act of Redemption by dying on the Cross for us. I also thanked Him for uniting me with Jesus in a perpetual union. I then asked the Heavenly Father for His divine blessing. He began, “I am very pleased to bless you, Melvin, my son, because I love you very much. You are Jesus’ bosom friend and this is why He has given you a share in His Passion. Indeed He has an important work for you. He will tell you about it Himself. In blessing you I am giving you a special gift of knowledge which is a share in my wisdom. This is a very great gift, which will help you in your work. You will have to write much especially on spiritual matters and this will help you. Always remain close to Jesus and refer everything to Him. May you love all people like Jesus. May you be blessed my dear son and remain always in my love.”
Afterwards I went to St. Anne’s Church which is in our courtyard here and is the place where the Blessed Virgin Mary was born. She might have stayed there after the burial of Jesus. I came to keep Her company in Her great sorrow. Talking to Her I asked Her to mother me, to shower me with Her love for I am Her son. She said, “Melvin, I hold you in my arms. I love you, my dearest son, as I love Jesus. Jesus has great plans for you–remain humble and close to Him always. I am daily showering you with God’s graces. Come to your Mother often and I will console you. Pray the rosary daily. It is a powerful prayer for the salvation of the people of the world.” In the evening I went to the Holy Sepulchre and I spent an hour in mourning.

1st May 1990 – At all the prayer periods of the day I find myself at Jesus’ tomb simply waiting with patience. I pray for the following intentions: for a renewed creation, a renewed world, a renewed humanity and a renewed me. As St. Paul says in Romans 8: “the whole world is groaning as if in the act of giving birth.” Yes, away with false ideology such as communism, capitalism; away with false philosophy such as hedonism, materialism, consumerism; away with oppression and tyranny as we find in so many African and Asian countries; away with hunger, ignorance and disease in the third world; away with hatred, selfishness, injustices, self-indulgence, love of money, egotism. The world is longing and awaiting its deliverance. When Lord is our rebirth? Oh! may the Kingdom of God appear in our midst! May the new civilization based on love be born!
In the afternoon while in mourning I turned to my Heavenly Father and prayed especially for the Church of Jesus Christ. I prayed for a renewal among all the members that they may have a change of heart and be converted and so become intimate friends of Jesus. I then asked the Father for a word of wisdom. He began to speak saying, “I too want a renewal, a new Pentecost over the whole world, that all people may come to believe in Jesus, My Son, and to follow His way as shown by the Church. How many are stuck in their ways and false beliefs: Moslems, Hindus, Buddhists, Shintoists, Traditionalists, etc. How difficult it is for them to change. In Africa there is the terrible slavery to fear caused by the belief in witchcraft. This is an enslavement by the devil. Only by a strong faith in Jesus and a deep commitment to Him can they slowly overcome this devilish belief.” At the end He said, “Jesus will have much to talk to you about, for He has plans for you.”
Afterwards I went to Our Lady to keep Her company for a while during this time of waiting. She told me, “Pray, pray often. Prayer is a powerful weapon to bring the renewal needed. Remember you are Jesus’ dearest friend. He loves you very much. Listen to Him, love Him and follow Him.” I thanked my Heavenly Father and my Blessed Mother for their kind words. At 20:00 hrs. I went to Calvary and to the Holy Sepulchre to pray for an hour. I offered all the peoples especially those in Africa and P.E.I. and the rest of Canada, to Jesus.

2nd May 1990 – I woke up very tired this morning because I was sick during the night–mostly indigestion, I suppose. At 8:30 I took as my text Mark 9, 33 – 37: Who is the greatest? Jesus says it very plainly: the greatest is to be the servant of all. This means for me obedience to my superiors and to the Church leaders. It also means to listen to the other with an open mind. It means working together with others as a team. I must ask for God’s help every day and I must not be afraid of work. It also means to accept everyone as equal. I must serve Jesus wherever I find Him. As I began my second period of prayer (14:30 – 15:30) I knew then that something important had happened. At 14:00 when I awoke from siesta, I felt great joy in my heart. This joy was the sign that Jesus was risen from the dead. So, I was hardly at prayer when I was flooded with joy, light, happiness, sunshine. All was new I could only repeat Alleluia over and over again. I was completely taken by the risen Jesus. After a while I went into singing in tongues. After a short time Jesus began to speak to me saying: “I embrace you, I love you, my dearest brother. Yes, the time has come to renew the whole world. My Passion and Death was the terrible price I willingly paid to redeem the world. I suffered so that every person may become my brother or sister and be united with me for eternity. I have a great plan for you in order to bring to reality what my Passion and Death has accomplished. I will develop it every day as we go along. It has to do with the Society of the Brothers of Jesus, which I told you about 13 years ago. (It was only on 14th May that He began to speak about the Sisters of Jesus). Now the time has come to begin the Congregation. You are to be the founder and you will write the Constitutions. All the preliminary decisions have to be taken.” After these words Jesus said, “Let us go and visit our Mother.” At our Lady’s, there was great joy. She sang the Magnificat for us. Jesus told Our Lady about the New Society and He asked Her to be our Protectress and Patroness. She agreed wholeheartedly saying, “I will be a Mother to you all.”
During the next period of prayer I was with Jesus the whole time and He spoke again about the Society. He spoke about the spirit that should animate the members saying: “If they are my brothers then they have to be animated by my very own Spirit. Let them recognize their great dignity, and respect one another. They should see me in each brother and have the same attitude towards each other as they would towards me. Let them greet each other with my greeting: “Peace be with you.” They will acquire my Spirit through meditation on the Gospels spending time on all major episodes of my life and taking my teachings to heart. You will narrate your experience (that of 1977 and 1990) so that they can identify with you and enter into the fundamental experience which is at the foundation of the Society. It is through service to others that they will imitate me. The spirit of the Society can be described as that which flows from an intimate friendship with me through prayer and service, and this will be expressed in a daily loving relationship with the members and with the people with whom they come in contact. All of this is based on my commandment, ‘Love one another as I have loved you’. It shows itself in active community life, zeal for the Kingdom, perseverance in prayer, loving service, self-abnegation, prompt obedience, purity of heart, love of the Church, and application to study. Let them form Small Christian Communities among themselves where they will have Bible sharing. This experience among themselves will help them to form Communities among the Christians and to animate them. Indeed, Melvin, we have much to talk about.”
During adoration this evening Jesus gave me a special Easter Blessing, “May you always remain in my love, ask for whatever you wish in prayer and I will grant it to you. Afterwards He spoke about the Society saying, “The formation of the members is of great importance. Their initial formation will last two years: one year as postulancy and the second as novitiate. They will take vows, temporary at first and after a suitable time, perpetual vows. They will work for the people in the rural areas and also for those in the urban areas. They must not forget the people of the rural areas.”