THE MEDJUGORJE WITNESS

This is my last “Shorts” post for a while. Not sure yet if I shall continue posting for 2026. I intend to carry on posting a daily “Medjugorje Moments” photo from my collection on the home page.

 

Our Lady’s December 25th message to Marija will be posted at this link.

 

Thank you to all who have visited this website during 2025. I wish all of you and your families a most peaceful Christmas and blessings for the New Year.

 

BG

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There’s always a temptation before any of us to put people in their place – be they misinformed with their criticism or judgement of someone.

 

Then there is the other temptation to ‘punish’ the critic with a sharp tongue or clever response so as to belittle and warn them from making further comment. We try to turn the spotlight.

 

We may feel justified in our response and defence, but there is always the danger that we could also become the critic and the judge.

 

It is admirable to defend someone from any attack, to want to protect another person’s reputation. But there are dangers in doing so.

 

There is the danger that we can become ‘righteous’ – I’m right, you’re wrong. Slapping down others in this way can make us crusaders, defending the honour of others.

 

When the cohort came to arrest Jesus in Gethsemane, most of his disciples took flight. Peter didn’t. Instead he drew his sword to defend his Master, and the outcome was unpleasant for one man who found himself missing an ear.

 

Jesus took prompt action. He told Peter to put away his sword and then went on to heal the injured soldier.

 

Peter showed a tendency that many of us are quite capable of – to react first and fast, to knee-jerk, heavy and hard, with our defensive response.

 

Not even the archangel Michael, when he was engaged in argument with the devil about the corpse of Moses, dared to denounce him in the language of abuse; all he said was, “Let the Lord correct you”. (Jude 1 :  9)

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“When we seek the Sacrament of Penance we must not do so as if we were going to the laundromat to wash away the dirt.  No, we go to Confession to receive the love of the faithful God who always awaits us. Always!”

 

Pope Francis, March 22, 2018

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Dear children! In your life you have all experienced light and darkness. God grants to every person to recognise good and evil. I am calling you to the light which you should carry to all the people who are in darkness. People who are in darkness daily come into your homes. Dear children, give them the light! Thank you for having responded to my call. 

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Medjugorje message, March 14, 1985

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• “Every human being on earth has a positive way to contribute to making the world a better place, and we just have to keep spreading light. The world is a positive place and we need to show that and I know Eli would be saying that.”

 

Rabbi Zalman Lewis, cousin of Rabbi Eli Schlanger, one of the Bondi Beach victims.

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• All that came to be had life in him and that life was the light of men, a light that shines in the dark, a light that darkness could not overpower. John 1: 4-5

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Aston Villa football club is in fine form of late, winning their last eight games in all competitions. So what’s Villa’s connection to Medjugorje? There isn’t one. I don’t doubt that there are many of the club’s supporters who have found their way to Medjugorje at some time or another, and I enjoyed an association with the club for over 30 years. But that’s about it as far as I know.

 

However, I did come across a loose link some years back when I was in Medjugorje. The owner of the house where I was staying was expecting a very special guest to check in the same evening as I had. It was the Croatian footballer Boško Balaban who had a short spell at Aston Villa. The ‘Villans’ paid Dinamo Zagreb £6 million for his transfer in August 2001, but Balaban failed to live up to expectations and his first team appearances were limited to just eight games in two seasons.

 

Like many football clubs of the late 19th century, Aston Villa was formed out of links with a local church, Aston Villa Wesleyan Chapel. The team’s first opposition was another church club, St Mary’s, and the match, which villa won 1-0, was played in the autumn of 1874. Five years later, Aston Villa was acknowledged as one of the best football clubs in England.

 

I often wonder if one former Villa player ever travelled to Medjugorje at some time after his football career had ended. Eamonn Deacy was a tough-tackling, no-nonsense kind of player from Galway in Ireland. He played in the club’s Championship winning side of 1980-81.

 

I remember going to Galway and meeting him after he had retired from playing football. I asked how it felt sitting in the dressing room on a match-day alongside big-name stars. Did it unnerve him? Did he ever become overwhelmed at the thought?  “No” he answered, “I would just sit there with my beads and pray the rosary.” That was Eamonn’s way of relaxing before a big game. And what was the rest of the team’s reaction to him praying the rosary in the dressing room? “Not a problem” responded Eamonn, “They always respected me.”

 

Sadly, Eamonn died after suffering a heart attack in 2012 at the age of 53. Galway’s football stadium was renamed Eamonn Deacy Park in his honour. Boško Balaban enjoyed a successful International career making 35 appearances for Croatia’s national team.

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FROM THE ARCHIVES… December 22, 2015

 

At this time of the year the scanners at the shopping tills are busier than ever... all that information being calculated, stored and used to create a better shopping experience and analyse people’s needs in life. Commerce, it’s what makes the heart of the world beat, or so they say. “Shop ’till you drop” is another expression that comes to mind – and that can happen, too. 

 

Today (December 22, 2015) I underwent a cardiac MRI scan. The process took around 45 minutes of breathing in… and out… and then having to hold my breath for 10 second intervals, while the scanner continually took images of my heart.

 

I’m sure God has a complete picture of my heart already, physically and spiritually. 

 

But I doubt if the MRI scanner was able to pick up on my sins, so to speak, except for any possible signs of damage from addictions and over-indulgence in past years.

 

Anyway, the results are now digitised and available for inspection by cardiologists, probably sometime in the New Year. 

 

I went to confession a week ago. I found the experience uplifting. Had I scanned my heart for every sin committed since my previous confession, I daresay I might still be talking with the priest today. Isn’t it a grace how a kind and merciful word from a priest can repair so much damage done to a heart? Thank God. 

 

While in the MRI tunnel this morning I began to realise how in life we naturally scan for the heart of Jesus, his loving heart, in others and occasionally our own. But at the same time, like the scanner, we can also discover the damaged hearts, the hurting hearts. 

 

I don‘t have to wait until the New Year to discover the condition of the heart of Jesus. At this time of year there are many positive examples to remind me. And I can also scan Scripture, a treasured album of images which come alive and help me see the workings of his merciful heart. 

 

“Come and see,” invites Jesus, “come and rest in my gentle and humble heart.” 

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At yesterday’s  General Audience, Pope Leo XIV highlighted the importance of reflecting on death—especially in today’s world that tends to avoid doing so—to discover the power of Christ’s Resurrection and thus find a new meaning for our life.

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To know that death exists, “and above all to reflect on it, teaches us to choose what we really want to make of our existence,” the Pope said to the faithful gathered in St. Peter’s Square.

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“The secret to living authentically is praying, so that we understand what truly brings the Kingdom of Heaven, and letting go of what is superfluous and ties us to passing things," he continued. "We must remember that our time on earth prepares us for eternity."

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• Source and more detail at Vatican News

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• The Danse Macabre (Dance of Death) illustration (1816) is by Wenceslaus Hollar

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Jesus spoke to the crowds: “I tell you most solemnly, of all the children born of women, a greater than John the Baptist has never been seen; yet the least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he is. Since John the Baptist came, up to this present time, the kingdom of heaven has been subjected to violence and the violent are taking it by storm. Because it was towards John that all prophecies of the prophets and of the law were leading; and he, if you will believe me, is the Elijah who was to return. If anyone has ears to listen, let him listen!”

 

Matthew 11 : 11-15

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Come to me, all you who labour and are overburdened, and I will give you rest. Shoulder my yoke and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. Yes, my yoke is easy and my burden light.

 

Matthew 11 : 28-30

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Peace is not merely the absence of conflict, but an active and demanding gift… built in the heart and from the heart. It requires a commitment to renounce pride and vindictiveness and to resist the temptation to use words as weapons.

 

Pope Leo XIV, December 6, 2025

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Yesterday, I received my first Christmas card. It was sent from a friend in Ireland, and posted November 28.

 

My friend’s name is Marion Carroll. Many years ago, in 1989, she received a healing at Knock Shrine, a complete and instant cure of multiple sclerosis she had suffered with for seventeen years. Thirty years later, the healing was confirmed by the Irish Catholic Church as miraculous.

 

It was Marion who persuaded me to join her group of pilgrims and make my first visit to Medjugorje in September 2000. I was very much a reluctant pilgrim. But what happened there one dark night at the Blue Cross changed my life forever.

 

But before that evening I had sat down for a coffee in Colombo’s next to a man who had also travelled with Marion’s group. His name was Gerry and I asked him how he came to know Marion. He answered: “I was the ambulance driver who took her to Knock Shrine and back on the day of her healing.”

 

My testimony is at this link.

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A short video testimony of Marion and her husband Jimmy is at this YouTube link:

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Many years ago, in 2007, fires broke out on Apparition hill, and as they widened and became more intense they posed a real threat to the community and houses at the base of the hill.

 

The visionary Marija issued an alarm call to the danger. Like any mother, she wanted to protect her property, her children and those around her from the fires that were spreading and making their way down the hill and toward the road and the houses in Bijakovici.

 



I compare this with Our Lady seeing her children very close to the fires of hell and nothing being done to avert the danger. She does not sit back without concern and let the threat continue. Instead, with God’s blessing, she takes action and presents herself to call on people and raise the alarm.

 



The message goes out (from Marija!) – we are in danger of being consumed! The people took her call seriously and responded with water, brooms and shovels, and whatever else they had at hand that would serve to avert the danger. 



 

The water is particularly significant as it represents prayer and is a grace. We saw Marija amongst the people, some who had become tired and weary with trying to quench the fire, fetching and carrying buckets of water in relay, from one to another – an action akin to prayer on the beads of the rosary! But we know that the praying the Rosary can work miracles! 



 

After the danger was averted all that was left for Marija was to thank those who responded to her call and to lead everyone in prayers of thanksgiving.

 



I think we can learn spiritually and understand a lot from the many recent disasters around the world brought on by extreme weather conditions, but especially from the fire on the hill at Medjugorje. 



 

I understand it as a visual sign to alert us to the danger to our souls if we do not attempt to quench the evil that surrounds us with the flowing grace that comes with prayer – an action Our Lady constantly calls us to commit to. 



 

This analogy may help us to remain alert (just as Marija stayed up all night, cautiously watching the fire get closer). By being attentive we will not forget the reason why Our Lady is still amongst us in Medjugorje. The danger has not gone away.

 

• photo by Mate Vasilj 

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Jesus reached the shores of the Sea of Galilee, and he went up into the hills. He sat there, and large crowds came to him bringing the lame, the crippled, the blind, the dumb and many others; they were put down at his feet, and he cured them. The crowds were astonished to see the dumb speaking, the cripples whole again, the lame walking and the blind with their sight, and they praised the God of Israel.

 

Matthew 15 : 29-31

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If somebody gave me £100 and they said, ‘Keep it, mind it,’ does anybody else have the right to take it from me? No – only the one who gave me the money. God is your owner, so do not allow the first hardship that comes your way to make you feel angry, finished or disillusioned. This could become a cancer. Do not allow yourself to be broken. God is the source of your joy and why should you allow somebody else to take it away? Please remember this: joy is a fruit, the fruit of your acts and reactions, of your heart and of your life. When you finally feel the Lord’s Spirit, despite everything, life is beautiful.

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Fr Mario Knezovic ofm​​

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Had my winter Covid jab this morning… but what pleased me most was my blood pressure reading: 117 over 77. “Excellent!” exclaimed the nurse.

 

Went for my flu jab about a month ago, so now, health-wise, I’m prepared for the challenge of the winter months.

 

Lord our God, help us to prepare for the coming of Christ your Son. May he find us waiting, eager in joyful prayer.

 

Opening prayer of the Mass for Monday of the first week of Advent.

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On pilgrimage we break the barriers of our own limits and selfishness; limits of language, culture, confidence, comforts – and the Lord controls. We allow the miracles, inspiration, hope and supernatural to enter, and hope that when we return home we allow this mentality, this attitude, to continue breaking down the barriers of fear.

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Fr Svetozar Kraljevic ofm

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Rocks are a familiar sight at Medjugorje; all shapes and sizes are located everywhere. There is a rather large one resting in a field at the rear of St James church and close to the bronze statue that represents both the Crucified and Risen Christ. It has an unusual look about it, a feature likely unnoticed since the boulder was first placed there.

 

I’ve created a new page to explain the feature at this link: LEAN ON ME

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Pope Leo XIV’s visit this morning to Istanbul’s ‘Blue Mosque’ reminded me of the time I stepped inside the building many, many years ago. I was 18 at the time and had hitch-hiked from England through Europe during the summer break from college studies.

 

My most vivid memory of the visit was not so much the grandeur of the mosque but having to remove my sandals before I entered. I wondered if they would still be there when I made my exit. I should have known there was no need to have been concerned. The sandals were still where I had left them along with many others.

 

Strangely enough, when I finally returned home to England it was in bare feet. To this day I still can’t remember exactly where I lost my sandals, but I suspect it may have been the time when I hitched a ride over the Swiss Alps as a pillion passenger on a Lambretta scooter. Happy and carefree days!

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Stay awake, praying at all times for the strength to survive all that is going to happen, and to stand with confidence before the Son of Man.

 

Luke 21 : 36

I gazed into the visions of the night, and I saw, coming on the cloud of heaven, one like a son of man. He came to the one of great age and was led into his presence. On him was conferred sovereignty, glory and kingship, and men of all peoples, nations and languages became his servants. His sovereignty is an eternal sovereignty which shall never pass away, nor will his empire ever be destroyed. Daniel 7 : 13-14

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In Matthew’s gospel there is a passage that tells of the time Jesus cured Simon’s mother-in-law of her fever. Mark 1 : 29-39

 

Some years ago, I returned home from a healing service where this passage had been the Gospel reading during Mass. It prompted me to give my very sick and bed-ridden mother-in-law a ‘miraculous’ medal. Lily wasn’t a church-goer or a religious woman in any sense of the word. But she willingly accepted the medal.

 

A few hours later, she cried out from her room. She was in a lot of pain and told me the medal didn’t seem to be working!

 

Not many weeks afterwards Lily died very suddenly in her bed – on her birthday, November 27 – the Feast of the Miraculous Medal!

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When I later took my wife and her two sisters to the funeral parlour to finalise Lily’s burial arrangements, I waited in the car until they returned. As soon as they entered the vehicle they were overcome with a strong scent of lilies and asked was there an air freshener in the car. I replied that there wasn’t. Besides, I could not pick up on the scent. The gift of scent was for Lily’s three daughters, not for me, but I sensed it was also my mother-in-law’s way of thanking me for the gift of the medal.

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Four words stood out for me in Our Lady’s November message given through the Medjugorje seer Marija Pavlovic-Lunetti: “ALL WILL BE GOOD”.

 

They reminded me of a famous quote given by the medieval mystic and anchoress, Julian of Norwich: “It is sooth that sin is cause of all this pain; but all shall be well, and all shall be well, and all manner [of] thing shall be well”. 

 

It is a message of hope based on God’s love and providence that Julian wrote in her book, Revelations of Divine Love.

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“The writing reads: Mene, Mene, Tekel and Parsin: The meaning of the words is this: Mene: God has measured your sovereignty and put an end to it; Tekel: you have been weighed in the balance and found wanting; Parsin: your kingdom has become divided and given to the Medes and the Persians.” Daniel 5 : 25-28

 

• Dear children! At this time, in a special way I call you: ‘pray with the heart’. Little children, you speak much and pray little. Read and meditate on Sacred Scripture, and may the words written in it be life for you. I encourage and love you, so that in God you may find your peace and the joy of living. Thank you for having responded to my call.  Medjugorje message, February 25, 2012

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• The picture is detail from a 15th century fresco discovered recently at the Palazzo Nardini in Rome and built by Cardinal Francesco Nardini who was Governor of Rome at the time. The fresco also inspired the reference to Nardini and Balshazzar’s Feast in Sandro Botticelli’s fresco in the Sistine Chapel, depicting the Temptations of Christ.

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Dear children! In this time of grace, I am calling you to follow me. Pray for those who do not pray and do not want peace and joy, which only the Most High can give. May your souls be united in the joy of expectancy and your heart will be filled with peace. You will be convinced,  little children, that all will be good and that God will bless all; because the good that you give will return to you, and joy will enfold your heart because you are with God and in God. Thank you for having responded to my call. (With ecclesiastical approval)

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Thou shalt know him when he comes

Not by any din or drums

Nor by the vantage of his airs

Nor by anything he wears

Neither by his crown

Nor his gown

For his presence known shall be

by the holy harmony

that his coming makes in thee.

 

anon

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The above image is detail from The Raising of Lazarus, part of a 15th century triptych that Sotheby’s will  auction on December 6. Until recently the painting was housed for over 600 years at the Almshouse of St John the Baptist and St John the Evangelist in Sherborne, England.

 

The artist is unknown, but there are several Netherlandish painters in the scene, one illustrated as belonging to the Sadducees. Lazarus is depicted as the Flemish painter Jan van Eyck. In some of his paintings Van Eyck featured or referred to the burial cloth of Jesus and what is now known as the Shroud of Turin, hence the continuous winding cloth or shroud wrapped around Lazarus.

 

• More details at THIS LINK

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“To look to Jesus is the first thing to which we also are called. The reason for our being here, in fact, is faith in Him... in this time we have more than ever the need to place Jesus Christ at the centre and, on the road indicated by Evangelii gaudium, to help people to live a personal relationship with Him, to discover the joy of the Gospel.”

 

Pope Leo XIV, at Assisi, November 20, 2025

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Meditating one night on the fourth Joyful Mystery of the Rosary – Jesus is presented in the Temple – I became aware that the Mystery focuses on lives dedicated to God.

 

The infant Jesus is brought to the Temple by Mary and Joseph to fulfil the Law of consecrating every first-born male to the Lord. 

 

Then we meet Simeon, a devout and upright man dedicated to God and waiting with expectant faith for the promise made to him by the Holy Spirit to be fulfilled. 

 

There is also mention of the prophetess Anna, 84 years old and, like Simeon, reaching the end of her life. She never leaves the Temple, serving God night and day with fasting and prayer. 

 

Anna’s dedication is a beautiful witness of remaining in God’s heart, the Temple, through prayer and fasting.

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All the people mentioned in this passage are examples of faithful dedication to the Lord as they journey through life. Even the Temple building is testimony of the people’s dedication to God – so also the sacrifice of the two turtle doves.

 

Pope Francis once spoke in an Angelus address about the need to “pray always, without growing weary”, that we must “cry out to the Lord day and night” because the daily struggle against evil requires “patience and resistance”. 

 

It’s never too early or too late to pray, to dedicate our lives to God and serve him through prayer. Our Lady invites us to dedicate our time to the Rosary (June 25, 1985) and in the message below she teaches that through prayer Jesus will reveal himself to us in fullness.

 

Simeon and Anna know the truth of that promise. 

 

• Dear children! Today also I want to call you all to prayer. Let prayer be your life. Dear children, dedicate your time only to Jesus and he will give you everything that you are seeking. He will reveal himself to you in fullness... September 25, 1987

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Dear children! Also today I am with you and I am looking at you and blessing you, and I am not losing hope that this world will change for the good and that peace will reign in the hearts of men. Joy will begin to reign in the world because you have opened yourselves to my call and to God’s love. The Holy Spirit is changing a multitude of those who have said ‘yes’. Therefore I desire to say to you: thank you for having responded to my call. 

 

Medjugorje Message, January 25, 2011

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The above image is a disproportionate, expanded version of a painting that was auctioned yesterday by Christie’s at the Rockefeller Center, New York.

 

The original work by Mark Rothko, painted in 1958, is titled: Number 31 Yellow Stripe. It was sold at hammer price for $53.5 million dollars. The final price with premium pushed it to $62.2 million.

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• Further details at news.artnet.com

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Dear children! I invite you to decide again to love God above all else. In this time when due to the spirit of consumerism one forgets what it means to love and to cherish true values, I invite you again, little children, to put God in the first place in your life. Do not let Satan attract you through material things but, little children, decide for God who is freedom and love. Choose life and not death of the soul, little children, and in this time when you meditate upon the suffering and death of Jesus I invite you to decide for life which blossomed through the Resurrection, and that your life may be renewed today through conversion that shall lead you to eternal life. Thank you for having responded to my call. Medjugorje message, March 25, 1996​​

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Look, I am standing at the door, knocking. If one of you hears me calling and opens the door, I will come in to share his meal, side by side with him. Revelation 3 : 20

 

Jesus entered Jericho and was going through the town when a man whose name was Zacchaeus made his appearance; he was one of the senior tax collectors and a wealthy man. He was anxious to see what kind of man Jesus was, but he was too short and could not see him for the crowd; so he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore tree to catch a glimpse of Jesus who was to pass that way. When Jesus reached the spot he looked up and spoke to him: “Zacchaeus, come down. Hurry, because I must stay at your house today!” And he hurried down and welcomed him joyfully. They all complained when they saw what happening. “He has gone to stay at a sinner’s house” they said. But Zacchaeus stood his ground and said to the Lord, “Look, sir, I am going to give half my property to the poor, and if I have cheated anybody I will pay him back four times the amount! And Jesus said to, “Today salvation has come to this house, because this man too is a son of Abraham; for the Son of Man has come to seek out and save what was lost. Luke 19 : 1-10

 

• Are there occasions in your life when you find yourself up a tree and unpopular with others; or a time when you are called to put aside the business of money-making because something more important has hit town, a time when you just have to find out what all the fuss is about, a time for Jesus?

 

Even with the wealth he accumulated for himself and the Roman authority that ruled at the time, Zacchaeus still fell short on many things, not only in height but also in love. He was despised and looked down upon by the people for the way he extorted money and profits from collecting taxes. No way were they going to let him push through the crowds to get sight of Jesus coming through Jericho. Instead he was forced to secure a view by scrambling up a sycamore tree.

 

This struggle doesn’t stay with Zacchaeus. Too often it is the lowly in life who draw the ‘short’ straw, who are unable to tower above those that stand tall. But never in the eyes of Jesus.

 

While the people preferred to look down on Zacchaeus, it was Jesus who looked up to him perched in the tree. It was Jesus who honoured him by inviting himself to the hated tax-collector’s house. While Zacchaeus may have gained reward in exploiting others, it didn’t compare to the joy he experienced when Jesus enriched him with his presence. But one man’s joy can be another man’s suffering – and the crowd complained when they saw what happened! They were outraged that Jesus, a respected teacher and healer, was prepared to stay at a sinner’s house.

 

Jesus never loses sight of those with shortcomings, those considered tainted and unworthy of love by others. Jesus has eyes for everyone – for those who stand proudly tall, and for the those who fall ashamedly short.

 

Consecrate your heart and make in it the home of the Lord. May he dwell in it forever.

 

part Medjugorje message, March 18, 1996

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To confess a wrongdoing and say sorry before God and the whole world is a great grace of both courage and humility.

 

“I would like to say, humbly, I’m sorry for taking part in the toxic politics; it’s very bad for our country… I’ve been working on this a lot lately — to put down the knives in politics. I really just want to see people be kind to one another. And we need to figure out a new path forward that is focused on the American people, because, as Americans, no matter what side of the aisle we’re on, we have far more in common than we have differences.” 

Marjorie Taylor Greene

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Dear children! Also today, with great joy in my heart, I call you to conversion. Little children, do not forget that you are all important in this great plan, which God leads through Medjugorje. God desires to convert the entire world and to call it to salvation and to the way towards Himself, who is the beginning and the end of every being. In a special way, little children, from the depth of my heart, I call you all to open yourselves to this great grace that God gives you through my presence here. I desire to thank each of you for the sacrifices and prayers. I am with you and I bless you all. Thank you for having responded to my call. 

 

Medjugorje Message, June 25, 2007

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Photo credit: Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images

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