PREPARE OUR HEARTS FOR CHRISTMAS!

Hello everyone
I pray that the infant Jesus would fill you with his joy this Christmas.

The last couple of weeks I have been speaking at Parish missions and in schools. First of all I was in Mullagh in Co. Cavan. It was a truly blessed mission with many people being touched by the love of God. On the final night the Priest said he had more confessions during the week of the mission than he had in the previous 14 years.

After this I travelled down to Tullycross in Connemara for another mission and had the opportunity to speak in the local secondary school. The young people are so open and hungry for the truth of God's plan for their lives and it doesn't matter where you go in the world they are facing the same struggles and the answers are only to be found in God.

Next I travelled to Galway to meet a friend of mine Mike Short who runs a Christian cafe in the town. They do incredible work and it is always an inspiration to visit them. Mike had set up a number of talks in schools all of which where very blessed.

I asked Mike to say a prayer with me and while we were praying he got an image of a high powered electric cable which he thought represented the power of God, then he saw that to handle the powerful cable it had to be held in thick insulating material. This insulation represented the humilty which is absolutely necessary for the power of God to be manifested in our lives, because we can do nothing by just our own strength or wisdom, but we can do everything in him.

So if you sometimes feel weak and broken, that is no obstacle to God using you powerfully, in fact it is probably an advantage. As St Paul says "when I am weak, then I am strong". So when God does work miracles we don't think it is because of us.

Let us prepare our hearts to welcome our God who comes to us in the form of a helpless child this Christmas, so that we would not be afraid to draw near to him. May the prince of peace fill you with his deep peace and heal all the wounds of our lives so that we may bring his light into our world.

God bless you and all those you love,
John Pridmore

ONLY IN GOD IS MY SOUL AT REST

Hello Everyone

I hope you are at peace.
As always the last few weeks have flown by, the mission in Sligo was a great blessing, the Cathedral being full every night and many people coming back to their faith. I heard of one man who went back to confession for the first time in 59 years. What joy he must have brought to Gods heart.

After the mission I had the chance to spend a few days at home and I took the opportunity to tile the bathroom, which I really enjoyed because it is always nice when you finish a job to look at the work you have done. I'm sure the Lord loves to look at us and even though we are not the finished article, we are his creation and he rejoices in us.

Next I went to speak in several schools across Ireland. After the first school I spoke in I received an email from a girl Who had been really suffering from loneliness and was feeling at rock bottom, she was also self harming. She felt that no one loved her. Thank God that after hearing my talk and speaking to her by email she is feeling a lot better and I know that God has great plans for her life, so please pray for her that she would truly know the deep love that Jesus has for her and how he loves to be with her.

I went to speak in Blackrock College in Dublin and was deeply impressed by the RE department, the Chaplain and the Principle who are instilling a profound sense of the faith and how each boy can make an incredible difference in this world. There was a great response to my talk from the boys and many of them took books. I have so much hope for the future when there are still schools like this who put God at the centre of all they do.

After the schools were finished I headed for Donegal for a short break. The hotel I had booked had changed the original dates and had given me my stay for a discount, otherwise I probably would have gone somewhere else. But as always God had his plan. While I was eating in the restaurant the first night I got talking to a married couple and I ended up sharing my story with them and I gave them a copy of my book "from Gangland to Promised Land". The next day I saw the man sitting in the Lobby reading my book, so I asked him what he thought of it. He answered me "To be honest John I have been very emotional while reading it" I could see tears in his eyes and he told me that he hadn't been to mass in a long time. It reminded me once again that there is no such thing as a holiday from God, he wants to use us to reach his beloved children wherever we are and whatever we are doing, and that is what I live for.

Also in Donegal I met up with two of the Priests of the local church and went out for a meal with them, what a joy to make new friendships in the Lord. I have found that the promise Jesus made when he said whatever we give up for him, he will give us a hundredfold in return, is totally true and what greater gift could he give us than friendship, firstly with himself and then with so many others that he puts in our paths.

Finally I met up with my old friend Fr Eamonn Kelly from Letterkenny and spent some time with him. His mother has 19 children and is still going strong. when I met her this time she was praying her Rosary by the fireside in her house. She looked so content and peaceful and that is the gift that God imparts to us when we place him in the centre of our lives.

Please know that you are in my heart and in my prayers.
God bless you in his deep love
John

THE HARVEST IS RICH BUT THE LABOURERS ARE FEW.

Hello Everyone

May the Lord fill you and all who you love with his peace.

At the end of the week of the mission in Wigan a man told me a beautiful story. He had been to confession for the first time in 40 years and he had a deep experience of Gods love. After the mission he went into his local pub and was talking to one of his friends and telling him his experience, he gave him a prayer card and went off to speak to someone else. Ten minutes later he returned, the man had read the prayer card and tears were running down his cheeks, he then said that he wanted to know how to join the Church. It was inspiring for me to hear how quickly this man had begun to spread the blessing he himself had received. God wants to use all of us to bring his light and love to others in all places.

I spent a few days in York, a place I've always loved and where I've often felt very close to God. I got speaking to a priest in one of the Parishes and he asked me if I would like to come and speak to a group of people who were joining the Church. It was a very blessed talk and afterwards a man came up to me and told me his story. A couple of years ago someone had given a copy of my book (Gangland to promised land) to his wife. At first she didn't read it and put it down somewhere in the house. A few months later she saw me on television (EWTN) telling my life story. Then she picked up the book to read it and was very moved by it. She gave it to her husband (who wasn't a Catholic) to read, and God really spoke to him through it. He decided to become a Catholic and was doing the RCIA course where I turned up to speak. Only God could have arranged this run of events, it's a source of great peace to know he is in control of every situation when we hand over our lives to him.

Next I headed to Amsterdam to speak at an event arranged for young people. At the hotel I was staying I met a man from Limerick in Ireland. I told him a bit of my story and what I did, then gave him a copy of my book. Afterwards he told me he told me he was inspired to hear of an Englishman who loved the Catholic faith and that he was going to take his faith more seriously from that moment on.

At the event for young people, I met a woman called Stephanie who had arranged for me to come and speak to the young people. She was on fire for God, and in a country (Holland) where there seems to be a lot of confusion in the Church, She showed me once again that anyone who truly gives their life over to God and spreads his love and truth will make an immense difference. I thank God for people like her because the harvest is rich but the labourers are few.
Mother Teresa said "If you give young people the truth they have the chance to choose the truth". I have always seen that people, young and old, are thirsty for the truth and recognise it when they hear it.

Just to say that you are all in my prayers and please pray for me because I will be doing a lot a talks in schools over the next couple of weeks.

God bless you all in his deep love
John

MANY ARE CALLED BUT FEW ARE CHOSEN

I hope you and your families are well and at peace.

Since the last update, I have led two parish missions, one in Tullamore, Co. Offaly, and the second in Ashton-in-Makerfield, in Wigan.


During the week in Tullamore, more than 1,500 people came to the church each evening to take part in the mission, and about 500 were there for the 7 and 10 am morning mass each day. A friend of mine, Fr. Marius from the Franciscan Friars of the Renewal, flew from New Jersey to help hear many of the confessions that week. Some of the days, he would hear confessions for more than four hours as well as counselling those who came to him with their various problems. There were 25 priests on hand to hear confessions on the Tuesday night, where for more than two hours people continued to go to Jesus and find His loving embrace, and share their hearts and pain with Him. It never ceases to amaze me how God touches the deepest parts of our hearts and draws us to Himself. I thank God everyday for the gift of confession, and how it renews me and gives me the strength to continue to try and live like Jesus.
Each day during the week I was in three different secondary schools speaking to the young people, sharing with them my conversion, and letting them know about the love of God for them. Many of the students from those schools came along to the evening sessions and attended the early morning mass before they went off for classes.
There are so many distractions in our world today, and with the constant buzz of television, mobile phones, and computers, it is hard for us to hear the voice of God, who speaks to us in silence. I would always encourage people to make time for prayer, because it is through prayer that we come to know the one who created us, and loves us unconditionally. As soon as we take something to prayer, it begins to change. Whether we are coming to Him with our problems, our various needs, or just to say thanks, Jesus loves to hear from us.

Early on in the mission one of the priests mentioned to me that there was a gang of youths who would hang around the church at random times and had been causing trouble and making life difficult for some of the elderly of the parish. I came across them one afternoon, and after speaking to them for a few minutes, I asked them a bit about themselves, and they began to open up and share what their lives were like. Some of them said how they had dropped out of school early, others had family members in prison, and how life was difficult at home. Each of them came along to the evening sessions, and I am sure God was sowing many seeds of His love in their hearts.

Last Sunday morning I went to speak in HMP Liverpool Prison, to over 130 inmates there. Even though there can be a heavy feeling of intimidation and bravado that the prisoners try to put over, underneath it all they are like children to God, in need of the same love as each one of us. After the talk, I went up to one man and said to him
‘I have a book for you’
He looked somewhat surprised as I handed it to him, and he said,
‘Why did you pick me out from all of the others?’
I said, ‘I felt inspired by the Holy Spirit to give it to you.’
By the tears in his eyes I could see that this really touched him and he went on to say,
‘Do you know this is the second time this has happened to me. Just last week there was another person in here speaking to us, and they picked me out too.’
‘That is God showing you how special you are to Him, and that He has great plans for you.' I added.
God knows each one of us in an intimate and personal way. None of us are numbers to Him, He carries each of us in His heart as if we were His only child. Scripture says ‘even the hairs of our head are counted’ and that God ‘has carved us on the palm of His hand’. It meant so much for this man to know that God understood him, accepted him, and had a plan for his life. We all need to know the gift of His love, it is something we can not earn, but we can receive it freely any time we ask for it. I know for myself, that without God’s love, life is meaningless, but with His love, every day is a miracle and my eyes can be opened to the wonder of the world He created.

This week I have been in Wigan leading a week of mission in Our Lady Immaculate Church. Each day of the week I went into St. Edmund Arrowsmith Secondary school and spoke at an assembly, to more than 1,100 students. The school was named after a local martyr who laid down his life in witness to the faith.
It was through the same blood of the martyrs in the early church that Christianity began to spread so rapidly in the Middle East and in Europe. From the 12 apostles to those who still risk their lives to proclaim the good news, our faith has been passed down by their example and sacrifice. We can pray to have the same desire and passion to love Jesus as they did and in the words of St. Teresa of Avila ‘We will set the world ablaze'

I will be sharing my story in St. Anthony’s church, in Bradford on Monday October 20th at 7:30, and will prepare to travel to Holland to speak at a youth conference there before returning to Ireland for a mission in Sligo Cathedral November 3rd- 7th at 7:30 p.m.

I thank you all for you prayers and emails, and you are in my heart and prayers.

May God bless you in His deep love, and may Mary our Mother enwrap you with her peace.


God Bless

John

THE GIFT OF GODS LOVE

I hope you and your families are well and at peace.

Since coming back from speaking at a Marian Conference in Arizona, in the United States, I have led two week long missions in Ireland. The first one was in Kilcloon, Co. Meath, and the second was in the Cathedral in Cavan Town, Co. Cavan.

Throughout the mission in Kilcloon, I was giving my testimony in secondary schools during the day, before the evening sessions which began at 8:00 in St. Oliver Plunkett’s Church. On the Tuesday morning of the mission I was invited in to speak to about 200 students in a school in Kilcock. After speaking to the principal for a few minutes and encouraging him to put in as many students as possible, he began to organize for me to speak to the entire school in the gymnasium for a hour. Because of his openness to the Holy Spirit, I was able to speak to the whole school which numbered over 750 young people and share with them the hope and love that Jesus offers them in their lives.
I went on to tell them how it was through the sacrifice of their ancestors, and the blood they had spilled during the penal times that there is a Catholic faith in Ireland. And how not so long ago that their own family members in previous generations made incredible sacrifices, even to the point of risking their lives, to even be able to go to mass and receive Jesus. I reminded them that if they wanted to find out the answers in regards to their faith, they would have to be willing to ask the questions. Finally, I encouraged them to pray everyday, because it is only through prayer that we can come to know Jesus and recognise His voice in our hearts.

On the Tuesday night of the mission, I gave a talk on the gift of God’s Mercy. It was through the grace of making an honest and open confession that I came to experience the great gift of God’s forgiveness in my life, more than 17 years ago. It is always a privilege to have the opportunity to try and lead others to that same gift that I received. After sharing about my own experience in confession, and why it is so important for us to make a new start with God in this sacrament, more than 10 priests took their places around the church to hear the confessions of the more than 600 parishioners who came. It was beautiful to witness people coming back to Jesus as the prodigal son came back to the Father, (Luke Ch. 14 Verse 11) and seeing first-hand the love and forgiveness of God who has always been waiting to embrace his children and shower them with his love.

Later in the week I returned to speak in the secondary school in Maynooth, speaking to the fifth and sixth year classes.
I talked to them about how each of us have a part of our heart that can only be filled and made complete by the love of Jesus, and that in my own life I looked everywhere but Jesus to find something things to fill it. No matter how much money I made as a gangster, how many drugs I took, or how much power I got, I never found satisfaction or fulfilment in my life. There was always emptiness, and if we don’t look to Jesus to fill that void in our hearts, we will never know the joy of what it is to really live and love. At the end of the talk one young lady came up to me and thanked me for what I had said, and went on to say how much she really needed to hear that. I know that if the whole talk was just for her to come to understand that love of God for her, it was all worth it.

The following week, I led the mission that was held in the Cathedral in Cavan town. When I gave my testimony on the Monday night, the church was full up with more than 1,500 people in attendance. Even at the 7 am mass in the morning there was over 250 people who came to support the mission. On the Tuesday night there were 26 priests who heard confessions, for more than two hours. I saw many leaving that sacrament with tears in their eyes and smiles on their faces, as they left their burdens and pain with the Lord, and received the grace of His complete forgiveness for them.

On the Wednesday morning I went to St. Patrick’s College and spoke to the 500 students there, sharing my story and encouraging them to come along to the evening session in the Cathedral. More than 100 students come along to experience the Eucharistic healing service held that night.

The next day after the 10 a.m. mass as people were leaving the church one woman came up to me and shared how much she was enjoying the mission. As she continued to speak, tears formed in her eyes, and she thanked me for what she had received during the week. I could see that she had been touched by God, and from her response of shedding tears, I knew a miracle had happened in her heart.

On the Friday, which was the final night of the mission, dedicated to the Holy Spirit, I went before Jesus in the tabernacle to pray before my talk. As soon as I knelt down, I felt the incredible love of God for me, and I began to cry, as I felt overwhelmed by His love and care. I said to Jesus that I would not be able to speak if he kept filling my heart with his love because it was too much to take. I saw in a new way from that experience that no matter how many years we spend trying to get to know God’s love for us, we will never come to a full understanding of it until we are united with Him in heaven. That is the joy we can carry in our hearts in this life, that when we do meet Him, that love which we can never completely know on earth is ours for eternity. Coming to know the love of God for us, is the most important thing we will ever need to learn in our lives. When we open our hearts to Him, He takes away all fear and anxiety and grants us His peace, and if we listen carefully we can hear His voice, ‘My beautiful child, in whom I am well pleased.’




I will be in Tullamore, Co. Offaly, in the Church of the Assumption from Monday September 29th to October 3rd giving my testimony and talks in the evening at 7:30, and at the morning masses at 7a.m. and 10 a.m. It would be great to see you if you there if you can make it.

I remember you all in my prayers and I thank you for yours.



May God Bless you in His deep love

John

>> Connect with me at Xt3.com by visiting my personal page.

INTO THE WILD WEST!

Hello everyone, I hope you are well and at peace.

The last few weeks of the summer have been spent traveling home from Australia via New Zealand and the United States. It was a great joy for me to go into a school in Auckland to speak to the young people about Gods love for them. At that school there was a brilliant teacher who seemed to really love the students. He invited me to come and speak to some of the older lads from the school who met together on a Friday evening. Whilst speaking to them I felt very moved by the Holy Spirit because each one of them was so important to him and that these were young men who would stand up and witness to their faith in a powerful way in their lives. I noticed that many of them had tears in their eyes and that they felt the same passion to do Gods work I as did.

Often we hear about the darkness in our world but with young people like these and lots of others that I’ve met, we need not fear the future but look forward with hope to whatever God is preparing.

Many months previous to even having planned to visit New Zealand, God had given me a friendship with a Carmelite nun from Christchurch who had read my book. She said it would be great if I could come and speak to young people in New Zealand. It seemed a very unlikely prospect at that time, but you can never underestimate what God will do once these sisters start to pray for something.

The moment I stepped off the plane I felt Gods peace and I knew that I was right where he wanted me to be. All the talks were really blessed and the entire week we were there it seemed the Lord was guiding everything we did.

We decided to head North to the Bay of Islands for the weekend, on the journey it began to rain heavily and I saw a girl hitchhiking and stopped to pick her up, sure enough she was heading to the exact same destination as us. She asked me what
I did, so I told her my story and how Gods love had transformed my life. I mentioned about how one of the turning points in my life had come when I felt the Holy Spirit for first time. She explained that she had been raised in communist East Germany and she seemed to be searching for answers in her life. After a few minutes she asked
a beautiful question “Tell me more about this Holy Spirit?” We had a great chat and she really understood the need for the forgiveness and healing of Jesus in our lives. She was so open to God and I know he will guide her to a deep knowledge of him. There were so many incidents like this that I could write a book for them alone
and I thank God for the prayers of the Carmelites and all those who pray for me.

The next stop was Los Angeles where I met a friend who is a film producer. An incredible Man of faith who wants to try and make as many films with a Christian message as possible. He showed us round the city and took us to places where tourists
would seldom see. Wherever I went I carried Miraculous medals with me and I gave these to the people we met. One old woman in a shop gave me a massive hug when she received a medal and another woman was moved to tears when I gave her a medal for her child. Our Lady said in one of her apparitions “If you knew how much I love
you, you would weep for joy”.

We drove across the desert into the wild west, from Los Angeles to Phoenix and I received a totally unexpected grace. I was aware of the prayers and presence of my Dad who had died a few years previously. He had always been a massive Western fan (John Wayne was his and my favourite) I felt he was with me and that he was proud of me. I was so thankful to God and it filled my heart with joy.

When we arrived in Phoenix a lovely Lady called Ann had arranged for us to visit the grand canyon, it was a truly awesome experience. Only God could create something so beautiful. I'm always amazed at the places God takes us when we say yes to him in our lives. I can honestly say I have never been so fulfilled. Somebody once said that the word faith could stand for a "Fantastic Adventure In Trusting Him".

The last appointment of my summer travels was for a big conference in Phoenix, but I also had the grace to be able to speak to two large groups of students at a local high school. Sometimes I don't get the chance to speak to all the people I would like to at the talks because there are often time constraints, but I thank God for the gift of the email contact I have with people, many of whom share deeply their struggles and also joys.

please know that you and those you love are in my heart and prayers.
God bless you
John Pridmore.

GOD"S PERFECTION

Hello everyone, I pray that you are well and at peace.

After world youth day ended we had another couple of weeks before we were due to leave Sydney and nothing had been arranged in the way of talks.It was to be an amazing time when God really intervened with the things he wanted us to do.

First of all a Sydney businessman called Peter arranged for me to speak in his son's school ( Kings college ) to 1200 boys, I felt thankful to God for this chance to speak to his children and for the grace that came from it. Because of Peter's help this opened the door also to speak in Barker college to 3 different groups of students, each of around 300. Many of the young people told me how much hope my story had given to them. It is a great joy that God will guide us in even the smallest things if we really surrender our lives to him.

Next we headed off to the Hunter Valley for a 3 day break to see a bit of Australia. The first morning I was there, I went to confession to the local Priest. To my amazement he had purchased my book at World Youth Day and he ended up asking me to speak at the weekend masses. Again I felt the joy of knowing this was all God's plan. After the talks Two different men came up to me with tears rolling down their faces and explained how much God had helped them through my story and strengthened them in his love. Each one of us is so precious to God that he is always looking for new ways to show that love. There are no coincidences if our eyes are open to him working in and around us.

After one of the Masses a young boy called Matthew, who had heard me speak, came up to me and asked me if I would come and speak in his primary school. He had already spoken to the local nun Sr Mary and she was in agreement that I should come. How could I say no? Children are so open to God and are a great witness to me of how they keep things simple and joyful. Sure enough I was in the school on the monday morning speaking to 300 primary school kids. I didn't feel tired after these talks, I felt renewed and refreshed, once again the words of Jesus "There is more joy in giving than receiving" rang true in my heart.

The last day (Sunday) that we spent in Australia we went to visit a community called the Servants of Jesus, they are an ecumenical community with both Catholics and Protestants working together to serve the Lord. What a blessing it was to share with them the story of God's mercy in my life. It was incredible to see the power of God working in them and their openess to the Holy Spirit and the great desire they have to serve him in whatever way he chooses. I knew I was exactly where God wanted me and I thanked him for letting play a part in his plans.

The day before my visit to the Servants of Jesus, I received a phone call from my old friend Fr Richard Aladics. He had just arrived in Sydney to start in his new post as chaplin to Campion College. He asked if I could come and speak to the students on the Sunday afternoon. I said it would be my pleasure and when I looked at the Map to see where Campion college was located I saw that it was five minutes away from the Servants of Jesus. I was just blown away by the perfection of God and how he moves us around like pawns on a chess board if we let him. It was so great to meet up with Fr Richard and at same time share my story with his students and to see the great plans God has for their lives.

You and all your loved ones are in my prayers.
John Pridmore

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YOU WILL RECEIVE POWER!

Hello Everyone,

I hope you are well and that you have peace in your heart. It has been an incredible last couple of weeks in Sydney, one of the first talks I was asked to do was to a group of leaders of different youth groups, just before I was due to speak there was a time of praise and I was thanking God for being here and the prospect of speaking to hundreds of thousands of young people at the World youth day events. As I was praying I received an image in my mind of myself as a little child kneeling before Jesus and him just looking at me with complete love and acceptance and all the other things that seem so important in the world were stripped away and all that was there was my relationship with him, and my heart was filled with joy because I knew that was the what I live for. During the talk afterwards I really felt God had incredible plans for all these young people coming to Sydney and he would make them his witnesses in the world.

The thing that has struck me is that God wants to work in every situation that we find ourselves in, one evening I was walking down by the harbour in Sydney and I bumped into a group of pilgrims from Guam and I gave one of the girls a book and I don't think she knew what to make of it at first. A week later she turned up at one of the talks I had done and told me how God had really touched her heart. There are no coincidences with God.

One morning during Mass the Priest got up to give his homily and he said a man came to him yesterday and said it had been fifty years since his last confession, "I was walking down George street in Sydney and I saw the joy in the young people from all over the world and I thought THEY ARE RIGHT! and so I have come to confession to start again with God." God was working through those young peoples witness and they hadn't even known it.

At Barangaroo on friday night I was speaking to over 100,000 young people at the Receive the power live event, and I really felt the power of God and his message for them Not to be afraid of the Darkness in our world because it can never put out the light of Christ which burns within us.

Lastly I had the honour to speak at the vigil in Randwick to over 250,000 people. I was originally meant to speak for 10 minutes but someone didn't turn up and I was given 30 minutes. It was a beautiful sight to see so many young people gathered together and I thank God for such a blessing and knowing that every single one of them is precious to him and that he has a plan for all of them to bring his love to the world. As the theme of the world youth day said " You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you, and you will be my witnesses". I pray that will come true in all of our lives.

God bless you and know that you are in my prayers.

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Randwick photo from sydney morning herald

DOWN UNDER

Originally posted 05/07/2008 05:55:22

Hello everyone

I pray that you have peace in your heart at this time. It has been a very interesting last couple of weeks with a lot of traveling. I set off for Australia via singapore and this was to be for me the longest flight I had ever taken (almost thirteen hours) and because I'm quite big and I've got a bad leg I asked God for a seat with a bit more space, after trying to book an exit seat online but it not being possible. Sure enough at the airport the airline moved me to the most spacious seat I've seen.

God really does care about the little things if we entrust them to him. Whilst flying I was reflecting back on how nine or ten years ago I was terrified of flying and even though I used to do it, it was always an ordeal. The issue had been control, I didn't like the idea of the pilot having my life life in his hands. But as the years passed and Gods grace worked on me in this area he slowly showed me the reasons for my controlling and brought healing to those roots of fear, and of course the reality is that God is in control of every situation if we will hand them over to him. For me it's a miracle that I can actually enjoy a flight and that is the freedom that Jesus wants to bring to every area of our lives.

Singapore is a very busy city with many people working twelve or more hours per day. Me and my friend Niall were walking back to our hotel after dinner one night and in front of us was a man in his late fifties with a girl who was at most seventeen years of age. He made it clear to us that the girl was a prostitute and to him just someone to be used, he said to us "You can take her if you want"

The girl was beautiful and I had incredible sadness in my heart that she should be treated this way. All I could do was pray that she might know that love above all loves. I remember a few years ago whilst I was living in The Bronx in New York, I was passing through a red light district when one of the young women who worked the streets came up to me and asked for a cigarette. I started to tell her the story of a girl who was searching for love, the first boy she had fallen for, she had sex with him because she thought that was the price she had to pay to earn his love, but after this he dumped her and it felt like her heart had been ripped apart. with the next guy it was the same story and this happened again and again until eventually she thought she was worthless and ended up selling her body on the streets to survive from day to day.

But one day she met a man who seemed to look right into her soul and loved her for who she was and didn't want anything from her. So she fell to her knees and washed his feet with her tears and dried them with her hair. That girl was St Mary Magdelene and the man was Jesus. When I said this the the woman began to cry and said "please pray for me" I handed her a Miraculous medal and promised her that I would. It just reminded me how important and how powerful it is to pray for those caught in this trap (men as well as Women) that God would show them how precious they are to him and lead them to a better way.

After arriving in Australia the first week has been filled with many media interviews including Sky news and various others and it's obvious the World Youth Day down under is going to be incredibly powerful.

For those of you who can come I'd really encourage you to, but if not your prayers would be a great blessing. Here are just a few of the events I will be speaking at. Mon 16th July Sydney university 6.00pm, Wed 16th July State theatre 3.00pm, Thurs 17th July Sydney convention and exhibition centre 8.00pm, Fri 18th July Receive the Power live Barangaroo Darling Harbour 7.00pm, Sat 19th July World Youth Day vigil Randwick race course 3.45pm. Please God over the next few days we are going to see miracles and I'm just very thankful to be here.

Be assured of my prayers for you and those you love.
John

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THE FATHERS LOVE

Originally posted 21/06/2008 14:32:21

Hello everyone!

As summer arrives I pray that you are truly at peace. After arriving back from my break in Canada I was looking forward to a tour of Schools in England which I had been praying for for a long time. One of the first schools I spoke in was a boys School in North London, during the talk I started to tell them that God is a good Father who will never turn his back on us and will always look for new ways to help us understand his deep and lasting love for us, no matter what we may think of ourselves. As I was speaking I noticed that several of the boys began to cry and I realised that they had probably never known the love of a Father in their lives and I thanked God that he was showing that to them in their hearts. We all need to know that we are accepted by at least one person, God, and his opinion of us never changes.

I received an email from one girl who said that after listening to my talk she was deeply touched by Gods love and she decided that she wants to be confirmed and to start to take her faith seriously. I was confirmed when I was 27 and I can honestly say it was a major turning point in my life because it is during confirmation that we receive all the gifts of the Holy Spirit. For my Comfirmation Saint I chose St Thomas Moore who has been an inspiration and a help to me every day of my life since then.

As we travel around the schools it is always amazing to hear how God is working in the lives of those who invite me to speak. One woman who had asked me to a school in Oxford told me that a few years ago her life was in a real mess and she wasn't practicing her faith, but one day she wandered into the Padre Pio bookshop in London and someone who worked in the shop gave her a copy of my book (From Gangland to promised land) She ended up coming back to God and to a deep faith in him, and it is obvious to see that she is doing incredible work reaching out to others who are struggling.

It is often said that wherever our own wounds are, that is the very place our mission can be for God. He turns everything on its head and brings good even out of evil. That is the joy that we can experience if we give our lives to him.

The Chaplin of the final school I went into on the tour told me that while he was reading my book he came to the part part where I didn't understand that Jesus was really present in the blessed sacrament. So The next time I went to Holy communion I said to Jesus "If this is really you, Show me because I don't understand" and all I can say is that every good feeling I had ever felt was magnified a million times and I knew that it was Truly Jesus and I also knew that I would be a Catholic to the day I die. After reading this he realised that he didn't really understand either so he said the same prayer and he said for the next 2 hours he wept because of the love that Jesus showed him and that he really was present in Eucharist. I just reminded me of how simple our relationship with God can be, he is our best friend and he has the answers to all our questions.

Lastly, Please pray for all the Young people at World youth day in Sydney where I'll be speaking during July.

May God continue to bless you and show you his plans for your life

John Pridmore

>> Connect with me at Xt3.com by visiting my personal page.

GODS AWESOME CREATION

Originally posted 30/05/2008 23:04:30

Hello again!

I hope you and all those you love are at peace. The last few weeks have been an incredible time of grace. I was running a Parish mission in Oldham and many people went to confession for the first time in years and it always amazes me how God can work so many wonders in peoples hearts even through broken people like myself, but then people know that it really is God working!

After oldham I travelled up to Glasgow to run the first Parish mission I have done in Scotland. It was a real blessing to see the faith of the people and how many turned out each night at the Parish of St John the Baptist in Uddingston. One of the highlights of the mission was being able to go into the secondary schools and share with the young people about the love of God and how it doesn't matter how desperate a situation is, as soon as we ask God into it he can turn it all around.

It is always very moving to read the emails the young people send and to hear of their struggles, and it often moves me to tears. I thank God every day for the Gift of being able to love and I think that part of that is really feeling the pain of others. I know I have lived through that pain in my life but I also know there is great hope because God always wants to make up for those times of suffering by surrounding us with his love.

After the mission I travelled over to America, where I was speaking at a conference in Notre Dame University in Indiana. I was amazed because after my talk I was signing books and spoke to the people as I was signing and again I saw the deep struggles that people have and I felt Gods compassion for each of them, no one is forgotten by him and if we really knew that there would be no fear in our lives. St Padre Pio said that "fear is a greater evil than evil itself" and I know this is true for fear is the one thing that can take the joy out of our lives.

After the conference I flew up to Canada and we spent a few days in Banff, deep in the Rocky mountains. The beauty of the surroundings would take your breath away and we have even seen a bear eating away merrily about twenty yards from us. But one of the things that struck me is that Banff is a place where a lot of young people come searching for something and all too often it seems they seem to only find emptiness even among all this beauty. It reminded that no matter where we go or what we do the only real happiness or joy come from our relationship with Jesus who is always with us and will never let us down.

Please keep me in your prayers because I will be going to World youth day in Australia to speak and it promises to be something special.

God bless you and know that you are in my heart and prayers.
John

COME HOLY SPIRIT

Originally posted 09/05/2008 12:59:06

I pray that you and your loved ones are well and at peace in this time leading up to Pentecost. Over the past 3 weeks I’ve led two Parish missions, one in Dungloe, Co Donegal and the other in Oldham, Lancashire. Both were very blessed and in particular, being able to speak to the students in the local secondary schools was a high point for me. It was a very encouraging to see a lot of these young people come along to the evening sessions of the mission. I received many moving emails from them telling of how God had touched their lives.

After the week in Dungloe I had some time of prayer before the next mission and I decided to visit Our Lady’s shrine in Knock, Co Mayo. There were some things on my heart that I really felt I needed to bring to confession and to put right with God. During this confession I asked the priest for tough penance to make up for what I’d done. He replied “Our God doesn’t punish, he just loves” and it reminded me once again just how patient and gentle God is with us.

Later that week I flew to London to do some work preparing for the World Youth Day in Sydney this July where I will be speaking at various events. On my trip I spent some time with my Godson Stuart. I met him for the first time nine years ago when after doing a talk in his school, he came along to a weekend retreat that I was running. We needed special permission from social services for him to come because he was living in foster care and he was already in trouble with the police despite the fact he was only twelve years old. During the retreat Stuart went to a Priest to confess even though he wasn’t a Catholic and the Priest prayed for him that he may know Gods forgiveness and love.

Later that evening at a healing service, where Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament comes to each person individually, I was kneeling next to Stuart as Jesus came to him and tears started to roll down his face and he threw himself into my arms saying “for the first time in my life I know that I’m loved”. Six months afterwards he was baptised a Catholic and I have the honour to be his Godfather. Stuart just celebrated his twenty first birthday and he has a great heart which he shares with everyone he meets.

Last Sunday evening I went to give a talk at the SPEC centre in London, which is a place where they run retreats for young people from all over Westminster Diocese. One of the team who now runs these retreats is a young man called Will. I first came across Will four years ago when I was speaking in a Church in his home town of Glastonbury.

At that time he was taking drugs, spending most of his time on the streets and getting in trouble with the police. The day I was due to speak he saw a poster advertising the talk outside the Church that said “Come and meet the man behind the machete” he liked the sound of this and wanted to see for himself. I spoke to him after the talk and gave him one of my books and told him I would be praying for him. A few months later I received a phone call from his mum asking if I could help as he was about to be kicked out of school. I told her that for it to make a difference he would have to come and spend some time with me in Ireland.

During the two weeks he spent with me he started to open up about some of the problems in his life and I spoke to him about forgiving those who had hurt him. We said a prayer with him and he said he experienced Gods love deep in his heart. Over the next year Will continued to struggle with peer pressure especially at school and gradually fell back into trouble. Eventually Will came and spent six months on the team giving his testimony in Parishes and schools where he had a great effect on many people who heard him speak.

Last Easter Will became a Catholic and went to confession for the first time which had a profound and lasting impact on him. It’s incredible to think that this same young man who had so many struggles and difficulties is now leading others to Christ in such a powerful way. Will is looking forward to travelling to Australia for his first World Youth Day this summer.

Thinking back over all that God has done, my heart is full of gratitude and I look forward to the many miracles he is going to work in the future.

I thank you for all your prayers and I remember you in mine every day.

May God bless all of you in his deep love.
John

CHRIST IS RISEN ALLELUIA!!!!!

Originally posted 25/03/2008 10:40:38

Hello again,

I hope you and your loved ones are having a truly blessed Easter season. Over the past two weeks I have been giving Parish missions in two places in Ireland. The first one was in Killiney, Co. Dublin, in the parish of Our Lady of Good Counsel. It was my first week back after the Easter Holidays and it was a real joy and grace to be able to give my testimony there, and see so many people coming out to support the mission.

The following night, was a night dedicated to God’s Mercy and 9 priests came to hear the confessions of more than 500 people. Many of the priests were touched and told me afterwards that it was a great experience to see so many people coming back to God and experiencing His loving touch in their lives. During these missions, it is always in the sacrament of Reconciliation where lives and hearts are touched in such a deep and profound way that we can experience the freedom that God wants us to have. He created us to be happy and have the fullness of life and by opening our hearts to God and his tender mercy for us, we can come to experience Jesus in such a way that our lives are never the same.

Later in the week, I gave a talk on the Gift of Mary. And of the five nights of the mission, this one holds a special place in my heart. Mary really comes with her peace, and she brings her love for each of her children. The more I give my heart to Mary, the more I know I am growing closer to Jesus. Recently a man told me that the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke, are quite different in the way that they are written, when compared to the Gospel of John. The Gospel of John has a unique touch, and a beautiful insight into the heart and love of Jesus. This is because after Jesus was crucified and rose again, St. John took Mary into his home and she lived the rest of her life on earth with him. She would have shared with him many things about Jesus that only she would know as his mother for carried Him in her womb, raised Him, and watched Him die and be resurrected for our sins. So when we make time to know Mary in a deeper way in our hearts, our hearts are opened to that love and insight that Mary has of Jesus.

Last week I was in Kilbeg, Co. Meath, beginning another five- night mission in the parish there. On the Monday night, I was touched to see the church so full that even the front porches and galleries were stacked full of people who came along to the mission. Many students from the Primary and Secondary schools of the parish came and brought with them other family members, making it a special week for the renewal of family prayer. On the Thursday night each person received a prayer placard with different devotional prayers, as a little reminder of the importance of taking time out of our busy schedules to make room to speak to God and one another as families. There was a famous priest who went around Ireland preaching missions, and promoted the Rosary, who said, ‘A family that prays together, stays together.’ Maybe each of us can make that extra effort during this Easter season to spend time in prayer and thanksgiving to God for all that He has done in our lives and the lives of those whom we know.

I am very much looking forward to my trip to Australia with XT3 for World Youth Day. Also there is much excitement over the new website XT3.com which is a safe place to meet new people, and find out all that will be happening over in Sydney in July. I would ask your prayers for all of the people, young and not so young, who will be travelling to Australia to celebrate with Pope Benedict XVI, World Youth Day 2008, and that this time would be one of grace, blessing, and renewal for all. You are in my prayers daily, and I thank your for your prayers.

May God Bless you in His Deep Love,

God Bless

John

OUR LENTEN JOURNEY WITH JESUS

Originally posted 12/02/2008 15:25:52

I hope you and your families are well and at peace. Over the past few weeks I have just finished parish missions in Banbridge, Co. Down, Ballygawley, Co. Tyrone. Each of theses weeks came with many graces and blessings, and was a privilege to be a part of them.

During the week in Banbridge, the curate of the parish shared the following with me. He said how he did not hold out much hope that people would come to confession during the reconciliation service, and was not looking forward to that part of the mission. But as the night began people began to flock to confession and many people who had been away for many years came to him and he and the other 8 visiting priests were hearing confessions for two hours non-stop. He said how touched he was to see people coming back to Jesus with such honest and sincere hearts. As the week went on I spoke in the local secondary school to the students there and shared my story with them. On the Wednesday I went and spoke in Hyde Bank Young Offenders Prison in Belfast. It was a privilege to speak to so many of the prisoners about the love and mercy of God. I spoke to them about how only Jesus can bring fulfilment and peace into our lives, and that His great love for us has bought for us the free gift of redemption.

As the week carried on the attendance at the 7am and 10am mass increased each day, as word spread about the mission. Many of the students from the primary and secondary schools came along and took part in the evening devotions, and it was great to see so many of them there. As the week came to an end, I travelled to Ballygawley, Co. Tyrone, to begin a mission the following week. It was a great week for a mission as we made our way further into the season of Lent, and right from the start the crowds at the 7 am and 10 am masses were incredible with more than 200 people attending each of them. Each of the mission evenings, the church was filled to capacity as people came out in great numbers to support the mission.

I thank God for His faithfulness and love that creates so many miracles during these missions and changes so many lives when they encounter Him in a new way.

I have just begun a new mission in Palmerstown, Co. Dublin last night and it will be carrying on throughout the week each evening at 7:30. Tomorrow I will be speaking to more than 200 students in the local secondary school, so I ask you to please keep that in your prayers, that the young people may see God’s hand in their lives and know that His love for them is real and always there.

I have found that this time of Lent has been a real blessing for me, as I try to rely more on God and His will for my life. We can always look to the example Jesus left us of how to follow God’s will for our lives, and practice living as He did. He lived completely for God, and He served with all of His heart and being. He came to show us how to love God and love neighbour. His great love for us is without end, and is always reaching out to help us whenever we fall, or feel down. As we continue to journey with Him through Lent and towards Easter, I pray that our hearts may become more like His, and give freely of ourselves the gift of love that we have received from Him.

I remember you all in my prayers daily, and I thank you for the prayers and emails you have shared with me. Please keep me in your prayers, especially for my health, as at the moment I feel quite tired.

May God Bless you and your families in His Deep Love, and may the Love of Our Lady watch over and guide you all.
God Bless
John

BEGINNING THE NEW YEAR WITH A UK TOUR

Originally posted 23/01/2008 11:20:52

Over the last two weeks I have been on a tour of speaking in secondary schools, parishes, and prisons around the London area and in the north. I began the tour giving my testimony in a secondary school in London speaking to more than 250 students. Before I got up to give my talk, one of the students who was only 15 years old, got up to say a few words. He said how I gave my talk to his Confirmation group a few years before, and that it had changed his life. It took real courage for him to get up before his classmates and give that witness of God’s grace in his life. It is very easy to be ruled by the peer pressure that is around us everyday, and by standing up and speaking from his heart this young man brought real grace to his classmates and his school by witnessing for God and not worrying about what other people thought of him.

During the tour God created miracle after miracle not only in the talks and meeting with students and teachers but also in the time spent travelling between the schools. One of the afternoons I was in a small town just outside Manchester and went to get fish n chips for lunch. While the man behind the counter was serving up my dinner I struck up a conversation with him and during that conversation I felt inspired to give him a copy of my book. When I gave it to him he said thanks and said he looked forward to reading it. I left with my fish and chips and knew that it was a God instance. About a week later I received an email from him and he said how he read the book and it really spoke to him about the love of God for him. I was really touched by his honesty in the email and I was thanking God that He creates the miracles in the everyday ordinary meeting that we have with others. All we should try to do is do God’s will in our lives and we will see and live his miracles everyday.

On the Friday of the tour I visited a young offenders prison in Wigan, where I spoke to the young men about the hope that Jesus holds for them, and the love that He longs for them to know. After I gave my talk, the priest who organized for me to come in and speak to the prisoners began to cry. I could see that he was touched and he said he was so thankful to see the change in them as they heard me speak. I told him that he should realize the grace that he brings to them, and continue to try to love and guide them by his witness. He smiled and shared with me this story. A few years before there was a young man who was put in prison for attacking his own father, who was hospitalised after the attack. While the young man was serving his sentence, he went into the chapel, and when he entered it, he experienced the love of God, and his heart was changed. He went from someone who was incredibly angry and aggressive, to taking the step to contact his father and ask for forgiveness. Soon after his father came to visit him and the two were able to reconcile and begin a new relationship. After leaving prison he went to live with his father and took a course at University. A short while later, he came back to the prison to share what had happened to him to the other prisoners, trying to give hope to them, and let them know that God’s love is there for them. It was truly a blessed few weeks and these are just some of the graces that God showered down upon the two-week tour.

After the tour I returned to Ireland and began a parish mission in Ballykelly, Co. Wexford. The first two nights of the mission the church was full with many of the young people from the local primary school attending and bringing their parents. Last night many people came to experience the love of God for them in the sacrament of confession. It is always my favourite night of the mission, and to see people coming back to the God who loves them after many years away, brings a joy and happiness to my heart. This week I will be going to Knock for a time of prayer and retreat, to pray for all of the upcoming work on the missions and in the schools. I will remember all of you and your intentions during my time there at Our Lady’s Shrine.

A special thank you to all of you who have emailed me to share with me your stories and prayers. May God continue to bless you and your families throughout this new-year.

May God Bless You in His Deep Love


John

WISHING YOU A NEW YEAR FILLED WITH CHRIST'S BLESSINGS

Originally posted 19/01/2008 20:13:47

I pray that you and your families experience the deep peace and love of Jesus in this new- year.

Since finishing the Parish Mission in Willesden Green, London, I spent three weeks resting and being renewed by God before I continue with the work of parish missions and school retreats for the new year. I went to New York with my mother, where I was able to meet up with some of the Franciscan Friars of the Renewal, who are based in the Bronx there. Some of you may remember them from the time that I spent there which I wrote about in my first book From Gangland to Promised Land. It was a real blessing to see some of them, and share with them what I have been up to and see how they are getting on. Over the Christmas break I have had a chance to feel renewed by God and have had more time to spend with Him, as well as with friends and family. I have just begun two weeks of speaking in schools and prisons around England before I begin my first parish mission of 2008 in Ballykelly in Co. Wexford.

(A list of the schools and times I will be speaking at them can be found at the end of the blog.)

This week we as Catholics celebrate the feast of the Epiphany, where the three wise men came to seek out the Baby Jesus to worship Him and see the new- born King. Since just celebrating the birth of Jesus on Christmas this is a beautiful time where once again we can adore the Lord who came to us as a helpless baby in the arms of Mary, to bring peace, joy, and salvation to our world. I am always touched by the thought that God would make Himself so small and weak as to be a baby, so that He might reveal His love to each one of us. Christmas is also a great time for us to begin again with Jesus, by renewing our faith and trust in Him. Each year we get to celebrate His coming into the world at Christmas and we can in a special way make room for Jesus in our hearts and once again invite Him in with His unconditional love for us.

A special thank you to all of you who have kept me in your prayers. Know that I remember all of you in my prayers also

May God Bless You in His deep love
God Bless
John

Monday January 7th- Bishop Challoner, Hardlinge St, London E10 AB

Tuesday January 8th- Bishop Challoner, Harlinge St London E10 AB

Wednesday January 9th, Bishop Challoner, Harlinge St London E10 ABS

Friday January 11th
St. Joseph's Church, New Malden Surrey, KT33 QW.

Saturday January 12th- Catholic Charismatic Renewal, Good News Office, 28 Allen Hall London, Beaufort St, SW35 AA,

Monday January 14th- St. Bede’s, Redhills, Surrey, 64 Carlton Rd, RH1 2DD
9-10 am

Tuesday January 15th- St. Joseph’s College, Stoke on Trent, London Rd ST45 MT
11:00- 11:50 am

Tuesday January 15th- All Hallows C.S. Maccersfield, Brookland Ave, Chester, CK88 LB 1:15-2:15pm

Wednesday January 16th- Holy Cross R.C. Highschool, Chorley, Lancashire PR7 3NT 12-12:50pm

Thursday January 17th- Cardinal Langley School, Rochdale Rd, Middleton, Manchester, M24 2GL 9:30-11:50

Friday January 18th- Hinley Prison, Wigan, Gibson St, WM2 5TH 9-11am

This is a video of my testimony