For Immediate Release
August 24, 2015 A.D.
9-Day Bread and Water Fast
October 7 – October 15, 2015
IT IS ALMOST INCOMPREHENSIBLE the power that is available to us. A power which all armaments, such as weapons, bombs, ships, missiles, aircraft, and troops from all the armies of the world combined together, now in the present as well as all past history’s armaments, does not equal to one person’s fasting from the heart for one day. For all those things cannot move God to grant a request. Yet one man with a pure fast from the heart, full of love, can move all of Heaven into action. It can boggle the mind to see all the world’s medical technology, the best specialists in the world confront an incurable disease and be defeated, only to be outshined and confounded by a simple cure brought about by fasting and prayer.
We are seeing that we are living in a time of destruction of everything in society. Our Lady said on August 2, 2006:
Our Lady has also told us to use this time well. It is because this period of time is a time of construction in the midst of destruction. We’ve termed it growth through destruction. Because no matter how bleak things are, when we hold Our Lady’s hand we come out stronger and better through the trials of destruction. Construction is a lifelong process. Our Lady says on March 27, 1989, “…renew yourself through prayer. Construct yourself spiritually. This construction lasts until the end of your life…” A 9-day fast of bread and water is one of the quickest, most powerful, and most profound ways to renew and reconstruct yourself, your family and your nation and to have your intentions granted. Our founder has been offering 9-day fasts for over 29 years and the Community of Caritas in union with him offers several 9-day fasts throughout the year. Each year, for the past 16 years, Caritas invites the public to join the Community in a 9-day fasting novena on bread and water for the purification of our hearts, our families and our nation, plus your own special intentions. To fast nine days with hundreds of others for your intentions is a profound grace.
This year, we again call you to join us in this special fast, Wednesday, October 7 – Thursday, October 15, 2015.
We ask you to telephone us of your commitment and we will assign your 9-day fast to cover one day of this coming year 2016 for our nation’s healing. Your 9-day fast is offered for the intention, that on your day, assigned from 2016, satan will be bound, the day covered with prayer, and the people of our nation covered with grace and conversion.
We are encouraged by those who are calling to sign up knowing how much these souls will win graces to help change many things in a world gone wrong. Each additional person committing to the fast is a movement toward correcting a wayward world. This fasting novena includes a prayer below for your intentions and the intentions of the Community and mission of Caritas. This year covers each day of 2016 and is particularly consoling in that our nation is so in need of “exorcistic” prayer and fasting. Jesus relayed in scripture that some evil spirits will respond only to fasting. So please spread this information to your family and friends that each day of 2016 will be covered several times over. If you are unable to fast on bread and water for the nine days, please join us in making sacrifices during this time, praying extra rosaries, offering your Holy Communions, increasing your prayers, and uniting other penances to give to Our Lady with our fasting.
For those who desire to join in the fast, please call to sign up, 205-672-2000, between 8:30 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. central time USA, Monday through Friday. Or leave a message on ext. 315 with your name and phone number and that you are calling about joining the 9-day fast. We will call you back to tell you the day of 2016 that your 9-day fast will cover.
If you are unable to commit to all nine days, or if you are not able to fast only on bread and water, your sacrifices are important to us and will add to the grace we are seeking for our nation through this 9-day fast. But as we want to be assured that every day of next year is covered by at least one 9-day bread and water fast, we can only assign days for those fully participating in the 9-day fast. Thank you, and God Bless!
-Medjugorje.com
Caritas of Birmingham
Operated by the Community of Caritas
For information about fasting, with questions and answers, visit our newly released section here
RECITE EACH DAY OF THE NINE-DAY BREAD AND WATER FAST
WEDNESDAY OCTOBER 7 – THURSDAY OCTOBER 15, 2015
PRAYER FOR THE FASTING NOVENA
O Queen of Heaven, we unite ourselves with others across the land in a holy fast, reminiscent of the so many times ancient Israel cried out in repentance to their God. By their history, we know God the Most High will hear our cry. We humble ourselves because of our sins. Seek, Mary our Queen, on our behalf, that the Lord not look upon our sins, but the love we show Him through this fast. Persuade Him to not only forgive but also forget and blot out our sins, that through Your hands we will grow close to Him and know Him intimately as a Father, as our Protector.
O Mary, these days of fasting we wish to empty our hearts of everything useless. Cleanse us. Let this fast purify us and atone for everything that has defiled us. O Mary, Queen of Peace, let our hearts be refilled through Your hands with whatever graces are necessary to reconcile us, our families, and our nation back to God. We wish also to atone for any wrongs in advance for each day of the coming year 2016, so that all be consecrated to Your Immaculate Heart, to purify the body of believers in order for the rebirth and the ushering in of a new springtime for Christianity in our beloved nation.
We seek the healing of our hearts of all spiritual disease and illness and for You to fill our hearts especially during December 8th–12th. Please, please, dear Mother, please grant us these requests, and grant the three special intentions of the Community of Caritas as well as my own personal intentions of (name your personal intentions) along with the quick, successful conclusion of Retooling The Tabernacle of Our Lady’s Messages………I especially offer _________ ____, 2015 (Day assigned by Caritas), that on that day the plans of satan against ourselves, our family, and nation will be thwarted and grace will abound for conversion across our land.
We consecrate our hearts to You, Mary, and to Jesus. We want to give You and Jesus “title” of not only our souls, but also our bodies, as well as all we possess. We know Your words of January 1, 2001, when You revealed that satan was completely unchained, were followed with what our response should be. It was to give ourselves to You and Jesus completely, as a possession into Your and His hands, through the formal daily act of consecration, thereby, owned by You and Your Son, we are afforded protection through being Your possession.
January 1, 2001
We, therefore, present to You the intention to empty our hearts that You may refill them, as well as Caritas’ intentions and our personal intentions through this nine-day fast, prayers and consecrations, in order that You will present this novena with your Son before the throne of God. We ask for an unleashing of grace to be poured out upon ourselves, our families, our nation, and upon the countless numbers who are in need of conversion throughout our land, and Your intentions for all of the above intentions. Please intercede for us as our Mother and as our Queen. Amen.
For information about fasting, with questions and answers, visit our newly released section here
For your spiritual nourishment and strength:
Fasting
by A Friend of Medjugorje
Fasting is a cleansing, a washing of the spirit.
It cleanses the mind, knocks down ego, and raises humility… Fasting brings holiness. Holiness brings God’s blessing and favors.
