August 2, 2016 A.D.
Our Lady Queen of Peace of Medjugorje’s August 2, 2016 Message
Given through Mirjana on the Day for Non-Believers
The Battle Within
by a Friend of Medjugorje
Our Lady is not just appearing. She is walking with us 2,000 years after She lived upon the Earth. “…I have come to you—among you…” Medjugorje is not just another apparition—another Guadalupe, Ru de Bac (the Miraculous Medal), Lourdes, Fatima apparition. This is the apparition for all times, the last and the beginning of the age of Mary in fullness for all people of the earth to have a Mother whose Royal role is Queen—a Queen whose concern for Her subjects is not as a Queen, but as a Mother. We have entered an age of a future recognition of Mary, the Mother, The Woman of Revelation, as the Queen.
Our Lady is telling us that we are at war. The war is with “oneself.” The battle is against:
1. Your “Egoism”.
2. Your “Judgement”.
3. Your “Human Weakness”.
This battle of self has affected everything you are and will become. Battle makes you tired. How do you persevere? You must exercise your spirit. How? Our Lady says clearly how.
For what?
These interior wars within self are spiritual and are the fiercest battles against your soul’s soul. Your exterior battles with self are physical battles against your being. You can only conquer the physical by seeking and winning the
Our Lady tells us to “…come to the table, My Son will break bread for you…” Yes, the Eucharist is critical in this battle within. However, fasting on bread on Wednesdays and Fridays is a crucial weapon against your flesh physically. This is a physical “exterior battle” against one’s flesh. Sacrifice and penance assaults and tames the flesh that is always raging, trying to rule over the spirit. The clashes can be cataclysmic when conversion and/or continued conversion initiatives are launched. It is a battle within.
Our battles, our trials, are both exterior — “physical” and interior — “spiritual”. Our Lady wants us to enter into battle. A Cherokee Indian legend illustrates the most important battle of our lives—the one between good and bad:
“An old Cherokee Indian is teaching his grandson, who is sitting on his lap, about life. The young boy asks him why he is so serious. He responded: ‘A fight is going on inside me.’ The boy asks, ‘What kind of fight?’ The old Cherokee responded, ‘It is a terrible fight and it is between two wolves.’ The boy asks why are they fighting? He responded to the boy, ‘ One is evil—he is anger, envy, sorrow, regret, greed, arrogance, self-pity, guilt, resentment, inferiority, lies, false pride, superiority , and ego.’ He continued, ‘The other is good—he is joy, peace, love, hope, serenity, humility, kindness, benevolence, empathy, generosity, truth, compassion and faith. The same fight is going on inside you—and inside every other person, too.’ The grandson thought about it for a minute and then asked his grandfather, ‘Which wolf will win?’ The old Cherokee simply replied, ‘The one I feed.’” (Bolded words in this ancient legend are words which appeared in Our Lady’s message today. Reread today’s message in light of the Indian Legend.)
Love your enemy? The worst enemy is within. You are to seek out your enemy and destroy him. Why? Because Jesus seeks this of you. Our Lady said today:
and destroy the bad wolf’s traits. Once you do this, you can destroy the bad wolf in others. Even in your enemies. Your worst enemy lies within. You must ask yourself are you feeding yourself interiorly with what keeps you from being joyful? Having faith? Having serenity? What are the bad traits doing for you by continuing to feed them? You are to battle these enemies of self as one does on the battlefield.
“Battle within against Egoism, Judgement and Human Weaknesses”
What is the objective to defeat an enemy? To disempower them. To do so you must empower yourself. A major strength to possess is “cultivate the practice of gratitude.” No matter what befalls you, always say “I’m blessed because my situation is better than many others.” Our Lady’s serenity teaches us. Bitterness opposes gratitude. Bitterness is like acid. It destroys the container which holds it. There is no room for bitterness for those who claim to be Christian.
Many, when they begin to go through conversion, want to convert others. Yet, their own conversion is very fragile. One must focus first on one’s own wolves that you feed. Only after a lot of dealing with your own “concerns” and the “trials” that affect you, can you help others to starve their bad wolves.
We, in the Community of Caritas, are always paralleling our prayer with reading. What do we read along with the Bible and holy books? A lot of war books. All about battles. How do soldiers train for battle? What is required of them physically, what is required of them interiorly to be battle ready? These books fascinate us because the lessons within them parallel so much of what we live and how we seek to accomplish our mission that Our Lady has bestowed upon us in fighting and struggling to
February 25, 1995
Our mission at Caritas is a battle to spread Our Lady’s messages and way of life to the whole world. Despite many obstacles which are always fighting against us, we remain determined and steadfast. We first do this interiorly. It manifests out physically by our way of life and our witness.
Some of these military books are about training to become Navy SEALS. We often relate to them. Our Lady’s message, today, August 2, 2016, very much does the same in training us that we see that we are Our Lady’s Navy SEALS. The men who attempt to become Navy SEALs undergo several weeks of punishing training and severe conditioning before coming to what is known as “Hell Week.” Words can describe, but cannot really capture in fullness, what happens in Hell Week. It is a crucible. A trial by fire. Brutal is a word that can describe what these men endure physically, mentally, emotionally, psychologically, in the weeks before Hell Week begins.
During the whole training program, one can quit, but must go ring a bell 3 times and lay down his helmet. This bell taunts others who do not want to quit. “Am I next?” It is a torture to hear a man’s lifelong dream to become a SEAL shattered by this sound. These brave, tough men ring the bell in tears and shame even though just to get where they are is a great achievement few could ever reach. However, these trials are to purify out, down to a handful, those who do not make it to apostleship as a SEAL. They literally are crushed in every human aspect. It is not uncommon for more than three-quarters of a class of approximately 250 men, the best the Navy has, to quit during the extreme training before Hell Week even begins. Many more of those who make it and start Hell Week, quit within the first few hours of the first day of Hell week.
The following account from the book, The Heart and the Fist, is one SEAL’s account of his first day of Hell Week.
“We fought our way through Monday afternoon. We endured tortures, completed the exercises, ran the races. Usually any moment that passed in Hell Week was a good moment, but on Monday afternoon, we still had Monday night hanging over us.
“’OK, gentlemen, just a few more hours until the sun goes down.’ Laughter rolled through the bullhorn [from our trainer]. Monday night was infamous. The hardest night of all. ‘Steel Piers’ was coming. We’d heard that ‘Steel Piers’ would freeze you like, a soaked and naked man left to die at the North Pole. Monday night was feared. Monday night was the killer night. Monday night would be the worst night of your life.
“As the sunlight weakened, the instructors ran us out to the beach. We stood there in a line, and as we watched the sun drift down, they (the trainers) came out on their bullhorns [to mentally torture, interiorly, the men]:
‘Say goodnight to the sun, gentlemen, say goodnight to the sun.’
‘Tonight is going to be a very, very long night, gentlemen.’
“They reminded us that tonight was going to be our first full night of Hell Week. [For the next fives days, the men will sleep no more than a total of 4-5 hours and will be in constant activity.]
‘And you men have many, many more nights to go.’
“We watched the sun slip lower and make contact with the ocean.
“Then, when they really wanted to torture us they said, ‘Anybody who quits right now gets hot coffee and doughnuts. Come on, who wants a doughnut? Who wants a little coffee?’ *
“As we watched the sun slip away, something broke in our class. Out of the corner of my right eye, I saw men running for the bell. First two men ran, and then two more, and then another. The instructors had carried the bell out with us to the beach. To quit, you rang the bell three times. I could hear it ringing:
“Ding, ding, ding.
“Ding, ding, ding.
“Ding, ding, ding.
“A pack of men quit together. Weeks earlier, we had started our indoctrination phase with over 220 students. Only 21 originals from Class #237 would ultimately graduate with our class. I believe that we had more men quit at that moment than at any other time in all of BUD/S SEAL training.
“Who would have thought that after having to swim fifty meters underwater, endure drown-proofing** and surf torture and the obstacle course and four-mile runs in the sand and two-mile swims in the ocean and log physical training and countless sit-ups and flutter kicks and pushups and hours in the cold and the sand, that the hardest thing to do in all of BUD/S SEAL training would be to stand on the beach and watch the sun set?
“Each man quits for his own reasons, and it might be foolish to even attempt any general explanation. But if men were willing to train for months before ever joining the Navy, and then they were willing to enlist in the United States Navy and spend months in a boot camp and months in specialized training before they came to BUD/S, and if they were willing to subject themselves to the test of BUD/S and endure all of the pain and cold and trial that they had already endured up to this point, then it seems reasonable to ask, “Why did they quit now when they were only standing there, watching the sun go down?
“They quit, I believe, because they allowed their fear to overwhelm them. As the sun went down, and the thoughts of what was to come grew stronger and stronger, they focused on all of the pain that they thought they might have to endure and how difficult it might be. They were standing on the beach, perfectly at ease, reasonably warm, but they thought that they might be very cold and very pained and they thought that they might not be able to make it. Their fear built and built and built. The mind looked for a release, and the men who quit found their release in the bell. [They failed the battle within.]
“Others found their release in the self-detachment of humor…
“Others simply didn’t let fear come to rest in their minds. They’d learned to recognize the feelings and they’d think, Welcome back, fear. Sorry I don’t have time to spend with you right now, and they’d concentrate on the job of helping their teammates…
“Still others just focused on the moment. What a pretty sunset. This is all I have to do to make it through Hell Week right now? Stand on the beach. This is great…
“Finally the bell stopped ringing and the sun slid beneath the ocean and the night was upon us. We formed into boat crews and started running again. The steel piers were located on the San Diego Bay side of the Naval Compound. The water was calm and cold and dark and we jumped in wearing boots and cammies. We all spread out and began to tread water.
“After the cold grabbed hold of our bones, the instructors yelled, ‘Now take off your T-shirts and blouses.’ Still treading water, we took off our T-shirts and camouflage tops and threw them onto the steel piers. ‘Boots!’ We struggled in the cold water as we continued to tread water and we untied our boots, teeth chattering and hands shaking, and we threw our boots onto the piers. ‘Out of the water!’ We climbed up on the quay wall, and we stood on the concrete on feet numb with cold. ‘Pushups!’ We felt our blood begin to flow again. ‘Get down to the piers!’ We stood on the piers. The instructors were oddly silent, and we all heard our teeth chattering. Then a voice came over the bullhorn. ‘Some of you might be here because you thought that being a SEAL was cool, or glamorous. You thought that you could be tough, Hollywood. You should know right now that this is what being a SEAL is about. A whole lot of misery. You can leave here and go on to serve you country in a lot of other ways. You don’t all need to be SEALs.’
“We stood on the steel piers. ‘Enter the water,’ and we all jumped into the black cold water again. We treaded water with our teeth chattering and our hands and feet numb.”
From The Heart and the Fist (pgs 185-188)
The following quotes are from another SEAL book entitled, Lone Survivor, which helps you grasp the closer you work with Our Lady the more that is demanded of you. Reading the following, you will grasp why we read these books. The words are often as though Our Lady is coaching us:
“He closed by telling us the real battle is won in the mind. It’s won by guys who understand their areas of weakness, who sit and think about it, plotting and planning to improve. Attending to the detail. Work on their weaknesses and overcome them. Because they can.” (pg. 123) [Our Lady said in Her message today, “human weaknesses.”]
“First of all, I do not want you to give in to ‘the pressure of the moment.’ Whenever you’re hurting bad, just hang in there. Finish the day. Then, if you’re still feeling bad, think about it long and hard before you decide to quit. Second, take it one day at a time. One evolution at a time.” (pg. 124)
“Don’t let your thoughts run away with you, don’t start planning to bail out because you’re worried about the future and how much you can take. Don’t look ahead to the pain. Just get through the day, and there’s a wonderful career [as Our Lady’s apostle] ahead of you.” (pg. 124)
“Late that Friday, we assembled in the classroom to be formally addressed once more by Captain Maguire, who was accompanied by several instructors and class officers.
“’Everyone ready for Hell Week?’ he asked us cheerfully.
“Hooyah!
“’Excellent,’ he replied. ‘Because you are about to experience a very searching and painful test. Each one of you is going to find out what you are really made of. And every step of the way, you will be faced with a choice. Do I give in to the pain and the cold, or do I go on? It will always be up to you. There’s no quotas, no numbers. We don’t decide who passes. You do. But I’ll be there on Friday when Hell Week ends, and I hope to shake the hand of each and every one of you.’” (pg. 129)
We know the visionaries have said once you consecrate yourself with the heart, without restrictions, to Our Lady, satan knows he cannot have you, but he will make your life as miserable as he can, a continuous Hell Week. Our Lady said:
August 8, 1985
For those who may think this writing is too “militaristic,” just a short while ago in the Church the believers in the pews were called the Church Militant. In addition, St. Maximilian Kolbe called his own disciples “the Militia.” The devil never sleeps and is always working to undermine the Church. We are losing every battle in the culture today. That wouldn’t be happening if we were winning the most important battles–the interior battles over our own hearts.
Praying with you for Strength for the Interior Battle Within,
Who is a Friend of Medjugorje?
*The energy needed through food kept the men starving for more. To eat they had to typically run one mile to get their meal at the chow hall, and then run one mile back—six miles per day just to eat, all on top of several other miles of regular running. During the entire Hell Week, the trainees carry small, but heavy, inflatable sea worthy boats in teams over their heads wherever they go, including to and from meals. Meals don’t last long, with instructors always yelling at the trainees to get moving. About 7 minutes is allotted to eat their meals.
**Some literally drown and must be resuscitated. In some cases, the men were not able to be revived.
It is not enough to read the message. It is not enough to even read about the message. It is important to stay connected to a source of direction. Be sure to listen to Radio WAVE with a Friend of Medjugorje, discussing Our Lady’s August 2, 2016, message today. To listen to the Aug. 2, 2016 Radio WAVE titled, Just Like Them Horses, visit here.
Spiritual Life is a Real Battle
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9 thoughts on “The Battle Within”
Dear Friend of Medjugorje, Thank-you for your insights on the battle within. I feel that I’ve been able to keep the battle in check with fasting, prayer, adoration and now mass. However, there are some areas that are easily reopened due to past incidences. When I pray for forgiveness for all the individuals that I have interacted with that have been difficult–I have found that being in nature is helpful and healing. Right now that seems to be the most comforting. Thank you again.
Dear Friend of Medjugorje, Thank-you for your insights on the battle within. I feel that I’ve been able to keep the battle in check with fasting, prayer, adoration and now mass. However, there are some areas that are easily reopened due to past incidences. When I pray for forgiveness for all the individuals that I have interacted with that have been difficult–I have found that being in nature is helpful and healing. Right now that seems to be the most comforting. Thank you again.
Dear Friend of Medjugorje, Thank you very much for the writings. what you have shared with us has encouraged me in the trials I am currently facing now and all of what you have said has encouraged me to go on and not give up it has encouraged me to pick up my cross and follow Christ. I LOVE our Blessed mother and i have read many of your writings. May God Bless you and thank you for what you do. Please pray for me.
Thank you Friend of Medjugorje. Once again, an excellent insight for Our Lady’s followers/apostles.
Mother Thank you for your Love! This is the time of mercy, for the mankind. Thank you all of Caritas, for sending this great messages of Our Lady! Last year I have managed to send a donation for you but couldn’t because it’s difficult to send. In near future I will do my best! May God bless you all!
We all need to hear that the best military training can be compared to our spiritual training. The spiritual life in many cases can be a more difficult interior battle because just as A Friend of Medjugorje points out, our “hell week” continues longer than a week. Thank you to A Friend of Medjugorje for never “ringing the bell.” Countless souls across the world are watching the sunset with you…your strength strenghtens our resolve. ( Thank you also to all our SEALs and military ).
I served four years in US Army (1976-1980), two of these years overseas. I went in with no rank and was honorably discharged four years later as a non-commissioned officer (Sergeant) with Good Conduct and Army Commendation medals. I was hardly anything compared to the Navy Seals, our true heroes, but what you write and what you quote apply so well to my service to our country then and my service to our Lord thru Our Lady now. You make me proud to be a veteran and a Caritas Field Angel. Thanks is an inadequate expression for the gratitude I have in my heart for you all at Caritas!
Thank-you. I am glad Our Lady has sent someone who understands. I am glad she has chosen someone who can communicate not only the cost, but how to authentically afford the cost, and do so with resilience and success. Tracey
I was spell bound with this example of what Faith, Hope & Love of God can do. This couldn’t have come at a better time as I have found myself slipping in feeding my faith. It is hard not to argue with oneself when it comes time to choose what is easy or hard. I am grateful for this reading. Thank you for explaining things in such a simple way. Pray for me. Thank you.