The Blessed Virgin Mary for Children

The Children's section will offer a simplified introduction to the doctrine on Our Lady and suggestions as to how to cultivate a true devotion to Mary among children of differing ages. With time, we will add stories of Our Lady's dealings with children, as well as stories of the lives of children devoted to Mary. This will be ideal, both for the school and home-school setting.

WOULD YOU LIKE TO KNOW A SECRET?
Part 2

An article for older children aged 11 and over
(posted October 19, 2013)

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Dear Children!

In our last talk, we spoke about secrets and we said that a secret is something that only a few people know. We also revealed a secret to you that most of the world does not know — or, if it does know, they don’t care much or anything about it. The secret was about HEAVEN and HELL! While most of the world just thinks about the things of the world, there are some things more important than the passing things of the world—HEAVEN and HELL are far more important than anything the world has to offer. They are even far more important than life or death! Life lasts only a few years — 60, 70 or 80 years, if we are lucky. But Heaven or Hell last FOREVER AND EVER AND EVER!

So we said that we must avoid all worldly things because they risk making us lose Heaven and end up in Hell. We also said that to make sure we get to Heaven, we need to think more about God and the things of Heaven; read more about God and Heaven; talk more about God and Heaven; receive God in Communion as often as we can and to mix with people who put God and Heaven first, above all the things of the world. We finished by saying that we should focus more on God and God's grace! Forget the pleasures and treasures of the world. Do not live for them! Do not run after them! “Know you not that the friendship of this world is the enemy of God? Whosoever therefore will be a friend of this world, becometh an enemy of God” (James 4:4). That is the secret of getting to Heaven! That is the secret of avoiding Hell! In our next talk, I promised to tell you another secret — AN EVEN BIGGER ONE!

What could that bigger secret be? What could be greater than Heaven or Hell? I think you already know the answer, but, like many or most people, I don’t think you really believe it! What is there that you already know, in theory; but perhaps don’t really believe in practice?

Well, it’s this! GOD LOVES YOU! I will say it again. GOD LOVES YOU! I mean, GOD REALLY LOVES YOU!

Don’t believe me? Well let’s take a look at what Holy Scripture and the saints and mystics say.

THE BIBLE ON GOD’S LOVE FOR US

“For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son; that whosoever believes in Him, may not perish, but may have life everlasting” (John 3:16).

“Jesus, knowing that His hour was come, that He should leave this world to the Father: having loved His own, who were in the world, He loved them to the very end” (John 13:1).

“God is charity. By this has the charity of God been shown towards us, because God has sent His only begotten Son into the world, that we may live by Him. In this is charity: not as though we had loved God first, but because God has loved us first, and He sent his Son to be a payment for our sins” (1 John 4:8-10)

“For the Father himself loves you, because you have loved Me, and have believed that I came out from God” (John 16:27).

“You were once dead in your sins and offences, for in the past you walked along the paths of this world, led by the devil and his spirit, which now works on the children of the unbelievers. We followed and communicated with this spirit of the devil and world in times past, through the desires of our body, fulfilling the will of the body and of our thoughts; and we were children deserving the anger of God, just like all the rest. But God, who is rich in mercy, through His excessive charity, by which He loves us, even though we were dead in sin, brought us all to life in Christ (by whose grace you are saved) and has raised us up together, and has made us sit together in the heavenly places, through Christ Jesus” (Ephesians 2:1-6).

THE SAINTS AND MYSTICS ON GOD’S LOVE FOR US

There is a wonderful little book called Words of Love, compiled by Fr. Gottemoller, that takes quotes from visions that three mystics had of Our Lord — Sister Josefa Menendez (1890-1923); Sister Mary of the Holy Trinity (1901-1942); and Sister Consolata Betrone (1903-1946). Here are some of those quotes of Our Lord, concerning His love for souls.

"Ah! If only souls knew My Heart ... mankind is ignorant of My Heart’s mercy and goodness: that is My greatest sorrow." (The Way of Divine Love, Sister Josefa Menendez, p.82).

"Yes, I love all souls, but with very special affection those who are the most weak and little." (The Way of Divine Love, Sister Josefa Menendez, p.399).

"Do not make Me out to be a God of rigor, whereas I am nothing but a God of Love!" (Jesus Appeals to the World, by Lorenzo Sales, I.M.C., p.36).

"I am all love, and how then could I treat severely those I so love?" (The Way of Divine Love, Sister Josefa Menendez, p.201).

"Write --'The Gentle Heart of Jesus' — for everyone knows that I am holy, but not all know that I am gentle!" (Jesus Appeals to the World, by Lorenzo Sales, I.M.C., p.36).

BUT WHAT DOES THIS ALL MEAN FOR ME?

GOD LOVES YOU! GOD REALLY LOVES YOU! The secret is that most Catholics know that to be true IN WORDS, but very few really believe that to be a DAILY REALITY. That is because most people limit their Faith to the closet of their mind, and never let it out into their daily world. There is a divorce between KNOWING and DOING. We KNOW MANY THINGS about the Faith, but we DO VERY LITTLE with that knowledge. It might be the same thing in our family life. We know that we love our parents, but we do very little about it. It is limited to just words: “I love you, mom!” “I love you, dad!” But the love is not shown by actions anywhere near as often as it should be shown.

The same works in reverse. We KNOW GOD LOVES US (in theory), but we FAIL TO EXPERIENCE GOD’S LOVE (in practice). We are blind to that love of God for us. That is because we want to be loved by receiving sweet things, nice things, or beautiful things. Yet God does not love us in that worldly way.

Remember the words of Our Lady to St. Bernadette at Lourdes? Our Lady loved Bernadette and so she said to Bernadette: “I don’t promise to make you happy in this world, but in the next!” Our Lord said something similar to His Apostles at the Last Supper. He loved His Apostles and so He said to them: “Amen, amen I say to you, that you shall lament and weep, but the world shall rejoice; and you shall be made sorrowful, but your sorrow shall be turned into joy” (John 16:20). They would suffer in this world, which would lead to eternal joy in Heaven. St. Peter, who was there that night, tells us: “You shall greatly rejoice, if now you must be, for a little while, made sorrowful in various temptations” (1 Peter 1:6).

The problem for most people, about loving God, is that they also want to love the world. They want to be loved by God and they want to be loved by the world. But Jesus said that this is impossible. We must choose one or the other: “No man can serve two masters. For either he will hate the one, and love the other: or he will sustain the one, and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon.” (Matthew 6:24). To this, St. James adds: “Know you not that the friendship of this world is the enemy of God? Whosoever therefore will be a friend of this world, becometh an enemy of God” (James 4:4).

AFRAID TO LOVE GOD

That is why we are almost afraid to be loved by God and to love God in return—because of what it would mean. For true love is “reciprocal” — that is a fancy word for what moderns might call “two-way-street”. In other words, love is two things: it is about giving and receiving. We receive love, we give love. We are happy to receive God’s love, but we are a little worried about returning it!

We are afraid that returning God’s love might mean doing certain things, or doing without certain things, that we are not ready to do at the moment! “Later!” “Tomorrow!” we say; but we find out later that tomorrow never comes — we always put it off to the next day, to another day, to a later day. That is why our relationship with God never really takes off — it goes only so far, and then we pull back, out fear of what it may cost. We take two steps forwards and then two steps backwards. We end up going nowhere fast in our love of God.

This was the case of the young man whom Our Lord loved and asked him to come and follow Him. The young man, who was doing many good things, could not return Our Lord’s love and answer his call, because, as the Bible says, he had many possessions that he loved. A case of God and mammon—not being able to love and serve both.

“A certain man running up and kneeling before Jesus, asked Him: ‘Good Master, what shall I do that I may receive life everlasting?’ And Jesus said to him: ‘If thou wilt enter into life, keep the commandments.’ The young man saith to Him: ‘All these I have kept from my youth, what is yet wanting to me?’ And Jesus looking on him, loved him, and said to him: ‘One thing is wanting unto thee: If thou wilt be perfect, go, sell whatsoever thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in Heaven; and come, follow Me. And when the young man had heard this word, being struck sad at that saying, went away sorrowful: for he had great possessions. And Jesus looking round about, said to His disciples: ‘How hardly shall they that have riches, enter into the kingdom of God!’ And the disciples were astonished at His words. But Jesus again answering, said to them: ‘Children, how hard is it for them that trust in riches, to enter into the kingdom of God? It is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God’” (Matthew 19:16-24; Mark 10:17-25).

“But Jesus said to another: ‘Follow Me!’ And he said: ‘Lord, suffer me first to go, and to bury my father!’ And Jesus said to him: ‘Let the dead bury their dead: but go thou, and preach the kingdom of God.’ And another said: ‘I will follow Thee, Lord; but let me first take my leave of them that are at my house.’ Jesus said to him: ‘No man putting his hand to the plough, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God’“ (Luke 9:59-62)

DO NOT BE AFRAID, SAYS JESUS, FOLLOW ME

Our Lord encourages us go forwards: “Every one that hath left house, or brethren, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands for my name's sake, shall receive a hundredfold, and shall possess life everlasting” (Matthew 19:29).

“Jesus said to his disciples: If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me” (Matthew 16:24). “My sheep hear my voice: and I know them, and they follow Me” (John 10:27).

“He that loveth father or mother more than Me, is not worthy of Me; and he that loveth son or daughter more than Me, is not worthy of Me. And he that taketh not up his cross, and followeth Me, is not worthy of Me. He that findeth his life, shall lose it: and he that shall lose his life for Me, shall find it” (Matthew 10:37-39).

“Let us therefore love God, because God has loved us first” (1 John 4:19). “My little children, let us not love in word, nor in tongue, but in deed, and in truth” (1 John 3:18).

Jesus said: “Greater love than this no man hath, that a man lay down his life for his friends” (John 15:13), and St. John, His beloved Apostle says:

“In this we have known the charity of God, because he hath laid down his life for us: and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren” (1 John 3:16).

“Walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, and hath delivered himself for us” (Ephesians 5:2), for as Lord said: “As long as you did it to one of these My least brethren, you did it to Me.” (Matthew 25:40).

You will find PART ONE below
There are two versions: one for younger children up to the age of 10, and one for older children aged 11 and over

WOULD YOU LIKE TO KNOW A SECRET?
Part 1

For younger children aged approximately 7-10
The article for older children is found below this one
(updated & revised August 27, 2013)

secret_part_01_ages_7-10.pdf
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Just as we wash our food and wash our hands before eating--to wash away any germs or poisons--we also have to wash away any bad books, or anything that makes us grow cold or careless toward God, or things that can take us away from God and the things of God. There are many poisonous or dangerous things for the soul--that can kill God’s life in our soul (we call this the life of grace)—and we all know what happens if we die without grace in our soul, don’t we? (Ask the children to answer the question)

Yes! That’s right! We will go to Hell if we die without God’s grace in our soul! So the most important thing in our life is not having fun; nor playing games; nor having many friends; nor having lots of money and things to eat and drink, nor having lots of clothes to wear, nor having nice big houses! The MOST IMPORTANT THING IN OUR LIFE is to get the grace of God, to grow in the grace of God, to keep the grace of God and to die with the grace of God in our souls!

Grace is like food for the body or like gas for the car. If I don’t eat, I will be sick and weak and won’t be able to do much of anything. If I don’t fill my car with gas and keep refilling it with gas, then I won’t be able to go where I want to go! Now where is it that WE want to go? (Ask the children to answer the question)

If we don't eat good food, we will be sick and weak and won't have the strength to do all our duties

Yes, of course, we all want to go to Heaven! So we need the strength to be able to make the long journey through this life to Heaven, and, therefore, we need to fill our souls with lots of ‘spiritual food and spiritual gas’—which is the grace of God! That is the most important thing that we must always look out for—ways to get, keep, and grow in the grace of God.

How do we do this? We receive and grow in grace by going to Holy Communion and Confession often, not just once in a while. We grow in grace by talking often to Jesus and Mary, as well as the Angels and Saints. We grow in grace by reading, thinking and talking about God and the things of God. We grow in grace by making sacrifices and doing penances. These things are FAR MORE IMPORTANT than eating, drinking, partying, playing; watching TV, DVD's, or videos; playing computer games; listening to music and having fun all the time. That is why the Angel said to the children at Fatima, when he found them playing: "Children! Why are you playing? Don't play, but pray! The Hearts of Jesus and Mary are watching and listening for your prayers!"

That is why Jesus said: "Seek first the kingdom of God and then all the things that you need on earth will be given to you by God!" (Notice that Jesus says the things we NEED, and not the things we WANT—for we always WANT more than we NEED!) So if we put God first, then He will look after our needs! If the most important thing in our lives is getting to Heaven, then we WILL get to Heaven—God will see to that!

But for now, until we meet again, let us think about how much more important HEAVEN and HELL are than the things of this life—even more important than things like life and death. Let us understand that God wants us to enjoy Heaven forever! God does not want us to live on earth forever. God does not want us to just think about enjoying life and having fun in this world forever. We were made for Heaven, not for this world. Once we REALLY, REALLY, REALLY understand this, then we will pay less attention to the things of this world and we will pay more attention to the things of Heaven! We will think less about the money of this world and the many things that money can buy for us, but we will think more about the ‘money’ of Heaven—which is GRACE—and which buys us the never-ending joys of Heaven! If our treasure is in the things of this world, then that is all that we will think about and talk about. If our treasure is Heaven, then we will, more and more, think and talk about Heaven.

Where our treasure is, there also is our heart! Jesus told us to love God with ALL our heart, not just a little part of our heart! Jesus also told us that we cannot serve or be friends of both God and the world, because the world is going in a different direction, or along a different road, to the path that God wants us to take. The road of the world is broad and wide and leads to Hell. The path of God is straight and narrow and leads to Heaven. As the Bible says: “Know you not that the friendship of this world is the enemy of God? Whosoever therefore will be a friend of this world, becometh an enemy of God” (James 4:4).

That is the secret of getting to Heaven! That is the secret of avoiding Hell! In our next talk, I’ll tell you another secret—AN EVEN BIGGER ONE!

Also, why not tell someone else about this little secret that you now know? You might be planting the seed of Heaven in someone else’s soul! Too many people have forgotten what it is that REALLY matters in life! It is not only adults that teach children. Children can also teach adults. So if you see adults living and acting the wrong way, let them into the secret that Heaven matters much more than the silly—and sometimes sinful—things of this life. The more we surround ourselves with other people who are living for Heaven and not living for this world, the easier it will be to get to Heaven! So let someone else into your secret! Share it!

May God bless you and Our Lady watch over you until we meet again for our next talk!

WOULD YOU LIKE TO KNOW A SECRET?
Part 1

An article for older children aged 11 and over
(posted August 27, 2013)

secret_part_01_ages_11_and_over.pdf
File Size:	376 kb
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1. Open the PDF file by clicking on the PDF file icon, and then save the opened PDF file to a folder your computer.
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3. Or simply read the article below and print this page from your printer if desired.

Dear Children!

We feel proud when someone tells us: “I’m going to tell you a secret!” A secret is something that only a few people know—or else it wouldn’t be a secret if everyone knew about it, would it? When someone tells us a secret, we feel proud, because they have picked us out as one of the few who can be trusted with their secret. It shows us that we are part of the few people who will know and be trusted with their secret!

Well, I am going to tell YOU a secret! A very important secret! A secret so great, that it is even MORE IMPORTANT than life or death! But what on earth can be more important than life or death, you may ask? There IS something more important than life or death! It is what happens AFTER life and death! It is… (Ask the children: "What do you think it is?")

Yes! It is HEAVEN and HELL! That IS far more important than life or death! Life lasts only a few years—60, 70 or 80 years, if we are lucky. But Heaven or Hell last FOREVER AND EVER AND EVER! Heaven and Hell will never end, but our life on earth will end one day! If only we would take just as much care over our eternal life as we take care of our earthly life, then we would be safe and would be sure and certain of going to Heaven! Just think of the many, many ways in which we are very careful not to get hurt or risk our life in our daily activities!

We look both ways before crossing a busy road, so that we don't get run over by a car. We don't go too close to a bonfire, in case we get burnt. We keep away from insects that can hurt us, such as spiders, wasps, bees, hornets and similar insects. We stay away from certain kinds of fierce, growling dogs, or even snakes, in case they bite us. We stay well clear of skunks, in case they spray us and make us smell like a skunk for days and days afterwards. We wear seat belts in cars to protect us if there is a car crash; we lock the doors of our homes at night so that we can sleep safely; we have fire alarms and burglar alarms at home or in the school to warn us of a fire or a break-in. We have doctors to heal our illness or even save our lives after serious accidents; we have police to patrol our towns to protect us from criminal activity.

We do and have all these things and many more besides, just to protect and save our earthly lives. But our eternal life is FAR more important than our earthly life. Yet we THINK SO LITTLE about it and we DO SO LITTLE to make sure that we get to eternal life in Heaven. Jesus said: “But seek ye first the Kingdom of God and His justice, and all these things shall be added unto you.” (Luke 12:31) and St. Paul adds: “For what things a man shall sow, those also shall he reap. For he that soweth in his flesh, of the flesh also shall reap corruption. But he that soweth in the spirit, of the spirit shall reap life everlasting.” (Galatians 6:8).

So if we are very careful about what we eat and drink, so that we don’t become sick and perhaps die, because of some poisonous food; how much more must we be careful of what we ‘eat and drink’ in our soul! We should 'eat' the Bread of Life in Holy Communion as often as we can, not just on Sundays. Jesus also said: "It is written, Not in bread alone doth man live, but in every word that proceedeth from the mouth of God.” (Matthew 4:4). That means that we should READ GOOD RELIGIOUS BOOKS, in which we will find the word of God that Jesus is talking about.

Just as we wash our food and wash our hands before eating--to wash away any germs or poisons--we also have to wash away any bad books, or anything that makes us grow cold or careless toward God, or things that can take us away from God and the things of God. There are many poisonous or dangerous things for the soul--that can kill God’s life in our soul (we call this the life of grace)—and we all know what happens if we die without grace in our soul, don’t we? (Ask the children to answer the question)

Yes! That’s right! We will go to Hell if we die without God’s grace in our soul! So the most important thing in our life is not having fun; nor playing games; nor having many friends; nor having lots of money and things to eat and drink, nor having lots of clothes to wear, nor having nice big houses! The MOST IMPORTANT THING IN OUR LIFE is to get the grace of God, to grow in the grace of God, to keep the grace of God and to die with the grace of God in our souls!

Do you remember the story Jesus told us about the man who lived only for the himself and the world? Jesus said: “The land of a certain rich man brought forth plenty of fruits. And he thought within himself, saying: ‘What shall I do, because I have no room where to bestow my fruits?’ And he said: ‘This will I do: I will pull down my barns, and will build bigger ones; and into them I will gather all things that are grown to me, and my goods. And I will say to my soul: “Soul, thou hast much goods laid up for many years take thy rest; eat, drink, make good cheer”. But God said to him: “Thou fool, this night do they require thy soul of thee: and whose shall those things be which thou hast provided?” So is he that layeth up treasure for himself, and is not rich towards God. And Jesus said to His disciples: ‘Therefore I say to you, be not worried about your life, what you shall eat; nor for your body, what you shall put on. The life is more than the meat, and the body is more than just clothing. Consider the ravens, for they sow not, neither do they reap, neither have they storehouse nor barn, and God feedeth them. How much more valuable are you than they?” (Luke 12:16-24)

All the money, treasures, possessions, toys, games, clothes, friends or whatever else, will not save our souls at the moment of death. It is ONLY the GRACE OF GOD that can save us and give us a HAPPY ETERNITY IN HEAVEN! Without the grace of God in our soul, we will suffer a MISERABLE ETERNITY IN HELL. Possessions count for nothing with God on judgment day—as Jesus said: “For what shall it profit a man, if he gain the whole world, and suffer the loss of his soul?” (Mark 8:36). Grace is the fuel that we need to take us to Heaven,

Grace is like food for the body, or like gas for the car. If I don’t eat, I will feel faint and weak, or even get sick, and won’t be able to do much of anything. If I don’t fill my car with gas and keep refilling it with gas, then I won’t be able to drive to where I want to go!

Now where is it that WE want to go? Yes, of course, we all want to go to Heaven! So we need the strength to be able to make the long journey through this dangerous and difficult life to Heaven, and, therefore, we need to fill our souls with lots of ‘spiritual food and spiritual gas’—which is the grace of God! That is the most important thing that we must always look out for—ways to get, keep, and grow in the grace of God.

If we don't eat good food, we will be sick and weak and won't have the strength to do all our duties

How do we do this? We receive and grow in grace by going to Holy Communion and Confession often, not just once in a while. We grow in grace by talking often to Jesus and Mary, as well as the Angels and Saints. We grow in grace by reading, thinking and talking about God and the things of God. We grow in grace by making sacrifices and doing penances. These things are FAR MORE IMPORTANT than eating, drinking, partying, playing; watching TV, DVD's, or videos; playing computer games; listening to music and having fun all the time. That is why the Angel said to the children at Fatima, when he found them playing, told them to leave their games and to start praying, saying: “What are you doing? Pray! Pray a great deal! The Hearts of Jesus and Mary have merciful designs upon you. Offer prayers and sacrifices continually to the Most High.”

That is why Jesus said: "Seek first the kingdom of God and then all the things that you need on earth will be given to you by God!" (Notice that Jesus says the things we NEED, and not the things we WANT—for we always WANT more than we NEED!) So if we put God first, then He will look after our needs! If the most important thing in our lives is getting to Heaven, then we WILL get to Heaven—God will see to that!

But for now, until we meet again, let us think about how much more important HEAVEN and HELL are than the things of this life—even more important than things like life and death. Let us understand that God wants us to enjoy Heaven forever! God does not want us to live on earth forever. God does not want us to just think about enjoying life and having fun in this world forever. We were made for Heaven, not for this world. Once we REALLY, REALLY, REALLY understand this, then we will pay less attention to the things of this world and we will pay more attention to the things of Heaven! We will think less about the money of this world and the many things that money can buy for us, but we will think more about the ‘money’ of Heaven—which is GRACE—and which buys us the never-ending joys of Heaven!

As Jesus so truly pointed out: “For where thy treasure is, there is thy heart also” (Matthew 6:21). If our treasure is in the things of this world, then that is all that we will think about and talk about. If our treasure is Heaven, then we will, more and more, think and talk about Heaven. “Jesus said to him: ‘Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with thy whole heart, and with thy whole soul, and with thy whole mind’” (Matthew 22:37); for, as Our Lord explained: “No man can serve two masters. For either he will hate the one, and love the other: or he will hold to the one, and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon.” [mammon means the pleasures, the treasures and the money of this world] (Matthew 6:24 & Luke 16:13). Focus on God and God's grace! Forget the pleasures and treasures of the world. Do not live for them! Do not run after them! “Know you not that the friendship of this world is the enemy of God? Whosoever therefore will be a friend of this world, becometh an enemy of God” (James 4:4).