THE MEDJUGORJE WITNESS

• God does not see as man sees; man looks at appearances but the Lord looks at the heart.

 

1 Samuel  16 : 7

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• Dear children! At this time while you are still looking back to the past year I call you, little children, to look deeply into your heart and to decide to be closer to God and to prayer. Little children, you are still attached to earthly things and little to spiritual life. may my call today also be an encouragement to you to decide for God and for daily conversion. You cannot be converted, little children, if you do not abandon sins and do not decide for love towards God and neighbour. Thank you for having responded to my call. 

 

Medjugorje message, January 25, 2002

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• There are in fact two blue crosses at Medjugorje – an upper and lower – located at the base of the mount known as Podbrdo or Apparition Hill . The upper blue cross is the original location; the lower blue cross was erected not too many years ago to accommodate Ivan’s prayer group. It is at the lower blue cross where Our Lady used to appear to Mirjana.

 

Pilgrims vouch for the power of prayer and peaceful atmosphere to be found at the Blue Cross. Countless apparitions and healings have taken place there over the long history of the Medjugorje phenomenon. My own conversion happened there during my first visit to Medjugorje.

 

There are varied accounts as to the origins of the Blue Cross and why it has become such a powerful place of prayer, but this explanation by an unnamed member of Ivan’s prayer group is probably the most reliable

 

• “Many pilgrims may not have the correct information concerning the Blue Cross. Many think that the Blue Cross was the site of the first apparition of Our Lady in Medjugorje. Many also think that the visionaries had apparitions at Blue Cross after they had been prohibited from having apparitions on the first place of the Apparition Hill. The correct information is as follows: The first apparition at the site of the Blue Cross occurred on 27 July 1982.

 

“A prayer group was regularly meeting at the first place of the apparitions, but soon the police discovered this. On the evening of July 27, we were walking to the site of the first place of apparitions when suddenly Ivan the visionary knelt down. This place where Ivan knelt became the site of today's Blue Cross. That same evening, Our Lady told Ivan not to proceed to the first place of the apparitions, as the ‘blue angels’ (the communist police) were waiting for them. Our Lady, on several occasions, stopped the prayer group at the Blue Cross, as they were on their way to the first way of apparitions. We travelled the back way to the first place of apparitions because we thought that only we knew that way – not even the police knew of that back way.

 

“In 1982, a member of the prayer group was building his house 200 metres below the Blue Cross. Today, this house is the closest to the Cenacolo Community. He wanted to mark the meeting place of the prayer group with a simple cross. From the framework of the house he was building, he and Ivan built a 3ft high cross. In order to protect this cross from the elements, Ivan found some paint that he had at home. He only had blue paint, that is why the Cross is blue!

 

“After a while, pilgrims started to gather there. They lit candles, and one day, the cross caught fire. One Italian pilgrim asked Marija the visionary if he could take home this wooden cross and replace it with an identical metal cross. This request was approved. He took a sample of the paint from the wooden cross, and in a laboratory, the contents of the blue paint was discovered and duplicated to paint the new metallic Blue Cross that is there to this day. This Italian pilgrim landscaped the Blue Cross area with the rock formations that you see today. He kept the original Blue Cross at his house in Italy, so that people could pray there. One day, I met this Italian pilgrim, and I jokingly asked him what happened to my Blue Cross. He was taken by surprise, thinking that we wanted it back. Of course, I had no intention of doing so. Let the people pray!

 

“There have been many, many apparitions at the Blue Cross. It is the most suitable outdoor place in Medjugorje for pilgrims who are sick, old or not physically able to climb Cross Mountain or Apparition Hill, because of its close proximity to the road and it is easily climbed. It is an ideal meeting place for the prayer group when there are not so many pilgrims, especially in winter. Even today, apparitions occur at Blue Cross when Ivan returns from America. For years now, however, the prayer group have met in a location in the vicinity of Blue Cross, as pilgrims overflow the area hours before any apparitions begin. (where the second blue cross is erected).

 

“The Blue Cross was a secret meeting place for the prayer group for only a short time. People soon discovered its meeting location because at night, our joyful singing could be heard from far and wide. The communist police tried many times to capture the group of ‘fanatics that walk on the mountains’, but they never succeeded, because Our Lady always protected us. She was always suddenly stopping us to warn us of the police. This also happened twice when we went to Cross Mountain. Today the prayer group meets at a secret place, where we do not sing. Even if somebody hears us, they do not disturb us.”

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• If there are any wise or learned men among you, let them show it by their good lives, with humility and wisdom in their actions.

 

But if at heart you have the bitterness of jealousy, or self-seeking ambition, never make any claims for yourself or cover up the truth with lies.

 

Principles of this kind are not the wisdom that comes down from above: they are only earthly, animal and devilish.

 

Wherever you find jealousy and ambition, you find disharmony, and wicked things of every kind being done.

 

Whereas the wisdom that comes down from above is essentially something pure; it also makes for peace, and is kindly and considerate; it is full of compassion and shows itself by doing good; nor is there any trace of partiality or hypocrisy in it.

 

Peacemakers, when they work for peace, sow the seeds which will bear fruit and holiness.

 

James 3 : 13-18

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• Dear children! At this time of grace, I call you to prayer. Little children, you work much but without God’s blessing. Bless and seek the wisdom of the Holy Spirit to lead you at this time so that you may comprehend and live in the grace of this time. Convert, little children, and kneel in the silence of your hearts. Put God in the centre of your being so that, in that way, you can witness in joy the beauty that God continually gives in your life. Thank you for having responded to my call. Medjugorje Message, May 25, 2001

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• One day when John’s disciples and the Pharisees were fasting, some people came to Jesus and said to him, “Why is it that John’s disciples and the disciples of the Pharisees fast, but your disciples do not?”Jesus replied, “Surely the bridegroom’s attendants would never think of fasting while the bridegroom is still with them? As long as they have the bridegroom with them, they could not think of fasting. But the time will come for the bridegroom to be taken away from them, and then, on that day, they will fast.” Mark 2 : 18-20

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• Dear children! Today I call on you to begin fasting with the heart. There are many people who are fasting, but only because everyone else is fasting. It has become a custom which no one wants to stop. I ask the parish to fast out of gratitude because God has allowed me to stay this long in this parish. Dear children, fast and pray with the heart. Thank you for having responded to my call.

 

Medjugorje Message, September 20, 1984

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On earth we are wayfarers, always on the go. This means that we have to keep on moving forward. Therefore be always unhappy about what you are if you want to reach what you are not.

 

If you are pleased with what you are, you have stopped already. If you say, “It is enough,” you are lost. Keep on walking, moving forward, trying for the goal. Don’t try to stop on the way, or to go back, or to deviate from it.

 

St Augustine of Hippo, Sermon 169, 18

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Little children, pray, pray, pray until prayer becomes a joy for you and your life will become a simple walk towards God. Thank you for having responded to my call. 

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(part Medjugorje message, February 25, 2013)

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Seeing Jesus coming towards him, John said, “Look, there is the lamb of God that takes away the sins of the world. This is the one I spoke of when I said: A man is coming after me who ranks before me because he existed before me. I did not know him myself, and yet it was to reveal him to Israel that I came baptising with water.” John 1 :29-31

 

• This detail of the lamb of God is taken from the first Mystery of Light station at Medjugorje: The Baptism of Jesus. Observe the purple crown of thorns outlining the lamb’s nimbus.

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Before them the earth quakes,

The heavens tremble,

The sun and the moon grow dark

And the stars lose their brightness.

 

Joel 2 : 10​

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“Medjugorje is just a tiny, bit-of-a-sign on the road – nothing else. You really need not pay too much attention to a sign on the road. But it is wonderful to see a sign. It is really exciting to see a sign and find out that you are heading in the right direction. It is really, really assuring and wonderful. But you don’t stop there; your destiny is not there; you continue. Pilgrimage continues.” Fr Svetozar Kraljevic OFM

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Jesus went out to the shore of the lake; and all the people came to him, and he taught them. As he was walking on he saw Levi the son of Alphaeus, sitting by the customs house, and he said to him, “Follow me.” And he got up and followed him.​ Mark 2 : 13-14

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When Jesus returned to Capernaum, word went round that he was back; and so many people collected that there was no room left, even in front of the door. He was preaching the word to them when some people came bringing him a paralytic carried by four men, but as the crowd made it impossible to get the man to him, they stripped the roof over the place where Jesus was; and when they had made an opening, they lowered the stretcher on which the paralytic lay. Seeing their faith, Jesus said to the paralytic, “My child, your sins are forgiven.” 

 

Mark 2 : 1-5

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A leper came to Jesus and pleaded on his knees: “If you want to” he said “you can cure me.” Feeling sorry for him, Jesus stretched out his hand and touched him. “Of course I want to!” he said. “Be cured!” An the leprosy left him at once, and he was cured.

 

Mark 1 : 40-42

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• I was very much taken by this thanksgiving prayer posted today by Hervé Reynaud on his Dear Gospa website. Hervé has given permission to share his prayer here, and I am grateful to him for his kindness.

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• Dear Gospa, on June 25, 2007, in Medjugorje, you told us: “Little children, do not forget that you are all important in this great project that God is leading through Medjugorje.” As these words resonate in our hearts, Virgin Mary, we want to give thanks to God for our magnificent Medjugorje family. Yes, we want to thank Him for all that the members of this great family do, wherever they are, so that others may know your messages and love you. Some organise pilgrimages, write books, or produce documentaries... Others form prayer groups, create charitable organisations, or organise large events... Still others give talks, run websites, share their testimonies in the media, or discreetly spread your messages in their parishes... All of this is so beautiful, Virgin Mary! Yes, all of this is so beautiful!! Virgin Mary, today we also want to thank God for our place—the place he has given us—in this great Medjugorje family! Yes, we thank him from the bottom of our hearts for the special mission he has entrusted to us. And it doesn’t matter if this mission seems "unimportant" in the eyes of men; it doesn’t matter if no one talks about it. We know, in fact, that we are all very important to God, and the simple fact of knowing that we are doing his will, whatever it may be, fills us with joy!!! Hail Mary...​

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In the morning, long before dawn, Jesus got up and left the house, and went to a lonely place and prayed there. Simon and his companions set out to search of him, and when they found him they said, “Everybody is looking for you.”

 

Mark 1 : 35-37​

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It is the Lord who gives life and death,

he brings men to the grave and back;

it is the Lord who gives poverty and riches.

He brings men low and raises them on high.

 

1 Samuel 2 : 6-7​

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After John had been arrested, Jesus went into Galilee. There he proclaimed the Good News from God. “The time has come” he said “and the kingdom of God is close to hand. Repent, and believe the Good News.” Mark 1 :14

 

“Why do you ask so many questions? Every answer is in the Gospel.”

(Medjugorje message, 19 September 1981)

 

“Do not forget, my children, to read Holy Scripture. Put it in a visible place and give witness with your lives that you believe and live the Word of God.”

Medjugorje message, 25 January 2006

 

“Read and meditate on Sacred Scripture, and may the words written in it be life for you.”

Medjugorje message, 25 February 2012

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Jesus went with his disciples into the Judaean countryside and stayed with them there and baptised. At the same time John was baptising at Aeon near Salim, where there was plenty of water, and people were going there to be baptised.

 

John 3 : 22-23

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I once asked one of the Medjugorje visionaries a question: “For the people who, for whatever reason, are unable to travel to Medjugorje, how does Medjugorje come to them?”

 

I expected the visionary to give an answer that would mention prayer and fasting. But she didn’t, and surprised me when she smiled and replied: “Through you. Be an example, a good example.”

 

After Jesus had washed the feet of his disciples he said: “I have given you an example so that you may copy what I have done to you.” (John 13 : 15)

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Medjugorje is often referred to as the “confessional of the world” because of the vast number of pilgrims that continue to make peace with God through the Sacrament of Reconciliation and Penance.

 

But the Sacrament of Confession and its healing power is not just restricted to Medjugorje. All Catholic churches provide a facility for parishioners and visitors to reconcile with God.

 

I remember some many years ago making a visit to Ireland to see my mother and other family members. She was well on in age and prone to loss of memory. One day I offered to drive her and two of her sisters to Ards Friary, set back on the main road between Creeslough and Dunfanaghy. 

 

On arrival and entering the chapel the three sisters decided it would be a good idea to seek Confession. A priest could be summoned by ringing a bell at the entrance.

 

Not many minutes passed when a Capuchin friar appeared and walked down the aisle to greet the sisters. But before he reached the women I intercepted him on his way to explain about my mother’s difficulty with her memory. He told me not to be concerned and that all would be okay.

 

My mother was first to enter the confessional and in very little time she made her exit. I asked her, “How was it?” She answered “Fine, son.”

 

I’ve never forgotten that occasion, even though it was 20 plus years ago, and recently the event came to mind again. I found myself asking what prompted my mother to ask for confession when she was struggling to remember what day of the week it was. And then the answer was given to me. 

 

In her humility and forgetfulness, she was still able to recognise and accept she was a sinner. 

 

It reminded me of the tax collector’s prayer in Luke’s gospel (18 :13) who stood in the temple beating his breast and said: “God, be merciful to me a sinner”, and then went home again at rights with God – just like the millions of pilgrims who return home from a pilgrimage to Medjugorje “at rights with God.”

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Dear children, you whom my Son loves, you whom I love with an immeasurable motherly love, do not permit for selfishness, for self love, to rule the world.

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part message to Mirjana, February 2, 2018

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