Totus Tuus - Totus 2us

NETHERLANDS - NEDERLAND

Pope Saint John Paul II was a pilgrim to the Netherlands in 1985 during his 26th apostolic journey.

Papa Benedict XVI gave a catechesis on the Dutch Saint Peter Canisius.

Here below are responses to Totus2us's podcasts given by Dutch people
- many thanks to you all  ♥

_{To download the free mp3 Totus2us audio recordings individually, right / double click on the play buttons - Om de gratis mp3-audio-opnamen individueel te downloaden, rechts / dubbel klikken op de play-knoppen.}

Amelia      

_{"Our Lady is our first mother."}

Father Bert FSO       

_{Father Bert Koppen, a member of The Spiritual Family the Work, talks of his road to the priesthood, which included a pilgrimage to Medjugorje in 1989 where, aged 35, he went to confession for the first time in many years.}

_{"A profession you choose yourself, a vocation is something that comes from God. I did not make the decision to be a priest, God did. I wanted to be an engineer but God wanted me as a priest. And I only had to say 'Yes. Yes God, I will do your will, I follow your way' and then He gives the strength for it; day by day, not in advance, years before. No. He gives His light, His graces, His strength at the moment you need it. And we have to go day by day His way, to hear His voice, to go His ways, work with the graces you're given at the moment, and in that you can far, far overcome yourself, because He wants it. And He doesn't want us to make borders, 'I can't get over that'. When God wants it, He asks only to jump over that border and go further in Him, with Him, and that is special for the priesthood, something great for religious. It is not something we can, we do, we live, but it is only every day, again and again, 'Yes God. I will go with you. I will follow your way, your vocation you have given to me.' And that is a great fulfilment that gives us a strength and makes us stand hold in all the difficulties life gives. It gives a hold for the 3 vows, virginity, poverty and obedience, that gives you the power to stand hold. And when you trust in God, when go on your knees and ask Him to be with Him, you can fulfil what He has asked you to do. It is not your own strength, your own powers, but it is God's will, God's powers."}

Elizabeth      

_{"My experience of Mary has been quite extraordinary, coming from a Protestant background where Mary is simply viewed as the mother of Christ. What I have found within the Catholic Church is what an incredible thing she had done by being obedient to God, under extraordinary circumstances which must have been very difficult for her being approached in the way that she was approached, and then accepting and agreeing to God's will; and what that has resulted in for us, having Christ in our lives, with us and in us every day."}

JJ (John James)      

_{"I started wearing a scapular in 2007 and from then on I would say the Blessed Mother has been a special companion when things are really difficult .. For me, when things are hard she's the one who leads the way, when it's dark she's the candle that burns, and she's just closer to the Lord."}

_{JJ gives his something about Mary in English and Dutch.}

Maartje      

_{"Our Lady means a lot to me; she's the most wonderful person to pray to and seems to be so accessible to all of us. When maybe sometimes God feels far away, she's always there close to us and shows herself to us in the most amazing ways."}

Malo      

_{"Mary is our mother. Mary is the Mother of Mercy. To Jesus with Mary! And I am glad to share the Divine Mercy in Holland because I know the Lord is asking us to spread his mercy with Mary. Ave Maria."}

Martijn      

_{"Mary has really been a help to me at times when it was really hard for me to pray. I felt completely out of touch with God and I experienced that Mary was very accessible. Especially the rosary was a help for me to stay in prayer and after some time I could pray again a little more easily and I experienced that she had brought me back to God. To me she's like a road sign pointing towards her son. If you know the way, that's ok, but if you get lost you can just use the road sign to guide you in the right direction."}

_{Martijn gives his iets over Onze Lieve Vrouw in English & Dutch.}

Sjoerd      

_{"Our Lady to me is the most beautiful tabernacle in the world."}

_{Sjoerd gives his iets over Onze Lieve Vrouw in English & Dutch.}

Theodora      

_{"For me, Mary is the holy chosen one, the virgin that God used through His Holy Spirit to give Jesus Christ to the world. The biggest love that God had had to start somewhere and it started in a simple, believing woman. She must have been a beautiful, beautiful faith woman … In faith she was the most beautiful thing God ever saw and in her womb He planted with His Spirit our Saviour Jesus Christ and that makes her worthy to make honour to, because in her we worship this Spirit."}

_{Theodora gives her something about Mary in English & Dutch.}