THE MEDJUGORJE WITNESS

• To me, how mysterious your thoughts,

the sum of them not to be numbered!

If I count them, they are more than the sand;

to finish, I must be eternal, like you.

 

Psalm 138 : 17-18

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• Dear children! During these days people from all nations will be coming into the parish. And now I am calling you to love: love first of all your own household members, and then you will be able to accept and love all who are coming. Thank you for having responded to my call. 

 

Medjugorje Message, June 6, 1985

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• All the people shook with fear at the peals of thunder and the lightening flashes, the sound of the trumpet, and the smoking mountain; and they kept their distance. 

 

“Speak to us yourself” they said to Moses “and we will listen; but do not let God speak to us, or we shall die.” Moses answered the people, “do not be afraid; God has come to test you, so that your fear of him, being always in your mind, may keep you from sinning”.

 

The people kept their distance while Mose approached the dark cloud where Moses was.

 

Exodus 20 : 18-21

 

Dear children! Today, I invite you to decide for God, because distance from god is the fruit of the lack of peace in your hearts. God is only peace. Therefore, approach Him through your personal prayer and then live peace in your hearts and in this way peace will flow from your hearts like a river into the whole world. Do not talk about peace, but make peace. I am blessing each of you and each good decision of yours. Thank you for having responded to my call.

 

Medjugorje Message, February 25, 1991

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• Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by being cursed for our sake, since scripture says: Cursed be everyone who is hanged on a tree (Dt 21.23). This was done so that in Christ Jesus the blessing of Abraham might include the pagans, and so that through faith we might receive the promised Spirit.

 

Galatians 3 : 13-14

 

• I pray to Him to illuminate you with the miracle of the Holy Spirit so that you may stop, always anew, betraying, cursing and wounding Him.

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part message to Mirjana, September 2, 2014

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• Then Jesus looked around at them all and said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” He did so, and his hand was better. Luke 6 : 10

 

God blessed me with two hands, both to receive and to give. Which hand will I stretch out today? Will it be the hand that I have always kept to myself, the hand I refuse to offer to others, the hand that has withered in time. 

 

Will today be a sabbath day for me, a time to allow Jesus to heal and make my withered hand better and so become a willing hand once more?

 

Give your hand to me, your mother, and permit me to lead you.
August 2, 2006 

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• Love is the one thing that cannot hurt your neighbour; that is why it is the answer to every one of the commandments.

 

Romans 13 : 10

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• I couldn’t help but be reminded of a passage from John’s gospel when I saw on the TV news this evening the remarkable rescue of a man trapped and entombed for nine days in a tunnel below the ground, following the Nepal flood disaster. Some would consider his ‘resurrection’ a miracle.

 

“…Jesus cried in a loud voice, “Lazarus, here! Come out! The dead man came out, his feet and hands bound with bands of stuff and a cloth round his face. Jesus said to the people, “Unbind him, let him go free”. (John 11 : 43)

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• Today, Pope Leo XIV met with members of the Oriel College of Oxford University, and invited them to look to St John Henry Newman as an example of the inseparability of faith and reason.

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Report at the Vatican News website

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In the silence of my heart, 

may my faith revive. 

In the silence of my heart,

may my hope survive. 

In the silence of my heart,

may love come alive.

 

BG – 2009

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• There is a Catholic primary school close to my home, named after St Gregory the Great. My children were students there. The colours of the school uniform are claret blazers and jumpers, and light blue shirts.

 

They were chosen by the headmaster in the mid 1970s. Why claret and blue? Because the headmaster was a keen fan of Aston Villa, a local football club!

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• “Learn to dance, so when you get to heaven the angels know what to do with you.”

 

Saint Augustine of Hippo

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• Much about Saint Giles is shrouded in mystery, but it can be said that he was one of the most popular saints in the Middle Ages. Likely, he was born in the first half of the seventh century in southeastern France. That is where he built a monastery that became a popular stopping-off point for pilgrims making their way to Compostela in Spain, and the Holy Land.

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In England, many ancient churches and hospitals were dedicated to Saint Giles. One of the sections of the city of Brussels is named after him. In Germany, Giles was included among the so-called 14 Holy Helpers, a popular group of saints to whom people prayed, especially for recovery from disease, and for strength at the hour of death.

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source: Franciscan Media

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• The image is detail from the painting, The Mass of St Giles, National Gallery, London

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• Herod sent to have John arrested, and had him chained up in prison because of Herodias, his brother Philip’s wife whom he had married. For John had told Herod, ‘It is against the law for you to have your brother’s wife.’ As for Herodias, she was furious with him and wanted to kill him; but she was not able to, because Herod was afraid of John, knowing him to be a good and holy man, and gave him his protection. When he had heard him speak he was greatly perplexed, and yet he liked to listen to him.

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 An opportunity came on Herod’s birthday when he gave a banquet for the nobles of his court, for his army officers and for the leading figures in Galilee. When the daughter of this same Herodias came in and danced, she delighted Herod and his guests; so the king said to the girl, ‘Ask me anything you like and I will give it you.’ And he swore her an oath, ‘I will give you anything you ask, even half my kingdom.’ She went out and said to her mother, ‘What shall I ask for?’ She replied, ‘The head of John the Baptist.’ The girl hurried straight back to the king and made her request, ‘I want you to give me John the Baptist’s head, here and now, on a dish.’ The king was deeply distressed but, thinking of the oaths he had sworn and of his guests, he was reluctant to break his word to her. So the king at once sent one of the bodyguard with orders to bring John’s head. The man went off and beheaded him in prison; then he brought the head on a dish and gave it to the girl, and the girl gave it to her mother. When John’s disciples heard about this, they came and took his body and laid it in a tomb.

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Mark 6 : 17-29

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• The image above is known as The Templecombe Head and is displayed at the Church of St Mary, Templecome and Abbas, Somerset, England.

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• Augustine was a prolific writer, an accomplished preacher, a monastic leader, a theologian, pastor, contemplative, and mystic. He died on August 28, 430 at almost 76 years of age, as North Africa was being invaded by the Vandals and the Church there was being devastated. His remains were taken to Sardinia and later to Pavia, Italy, where they are now preserved in the Basilica of San Pietro in Ciel d’Oro.

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Text source: augustinian.org

Image source: met museum.org

(Standing behind St Augustine while he preaches about the Trinity is his mother St Monica)

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• I always found it difficult enough to ascend Mt Krizevac without the added discomfort of attempting to make the journey in bare feet. But many pilgrims do take off their shoes to pray the Way of the Cross in their bare feet.

 

When Moses was looking after the flock of Jethro, his father-in-law, he led the sheep through the wilderness to Horeb, the mountain of God. There an angel of the Lord appeared to him in the shape of a flame of fire, coming from the middle of a bush. The bush was blazing but not burnt up. So Moses went closer to see why. It was then that God called to him from the middle of the bush and said “Come no closer. Take off your shoes, for the place on which you stand is holy ground.” (cf. Exodus 3 : 1-6)

 

While it is unlikely that pilgrims ascending and descending Mt Krizevac (Cross Mountain) will encounter a burning bush on their journey, it’s more than probable that God will speak to them in many ways. Imagine the Lord having a conversation at the same time with the hundreds of people that climb Krizavic daily! 

 

Every station and stop on the way – there are 14 – is an opportunity to meet with God and be reminded that the Way of the Cross is a walk on holy ground and a journey shared with Jesus.

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• Dear children, Today I am calling you: return to God, return to prayer, so that you may become carriers of peace. Pray, little children, for peace that is in danger; and may prayer begin to flow anew from your hearts and from your families, so that, in joy, you may feel the voice of Jesus in your hearts: “Peace be with you.” Be, little children, carriers of peace and prayer for all those who do not pray. I am with you and I pray for you before my Son Jesus. Thank you for having responded to my call.

 

With Ecclesiastical approval

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• From the rising of the sun to the place where it sets, the name of the Lord is to be praised.

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Psalm 113 : 3

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• You are Peter and on this rock I will build my Church. And the gates of the underworld can never hold out against it. I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven: whatever you bind on earth shall be considered bound in heaven; whatever you loose on earth shall be be considered loosed in heaven.

 

Matthew 16 : 18-19

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• Dear children! Today I call you all to pray for peace and to witness it in your families so that peace may become the highest treasure on this peaceless earth. I am your Queen of Peace and your mother. I desire to lead you on the way of peace, which comes only from God. Therefore, pray, pray, pray. Thank you for having responded to my call. 

 

Medjugorje Message, April 25, 2009

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• Jesus showed himself to his disciples, and after they had eaten he said to Simon Peter, ‘Simon son of John, do you love me more than these others do?’ He answered, ‘Yes Lord, you know I love you.’ Jesus said to him, ‘Feed my lambs.’ A second time he said to him, ‘Simon son of John, do you love me?’ He replied, ‘Yes, Lord, you know I love you.’ Jesus said to him, ‘Look after my sheep.’ Then he said to him a third time, ‘Simon son of John, do you love me?’ Peter was upset that he asked him the third time, ‘Do you love me?’ and said, ‘Lord, you know everything; you know I love you.’ Jesus said to him, ‘Feed my sheep.’

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John 21 : 15-17

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• My memory isn’t what it used to be. But I am consoled that I can refer back to notebooks I kept from past visits to Medjugorje to recollect the many wonderful experiences and the people I journeyed with.

 

The photographs I took over the years also spark fond memories.

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• Now write down all that you see of present happenings and things that are still to come.

 

Revelation 1 : 19

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• Dear children! Today I invite you to prayer. Let prayer be life for you. A family cannot say that it is in peace if it does not pray. Therefore, let your morning begin with morning prayer, and the evening end with thanksgiving. Little children, I am with you, and I love you and I bless you and I wish for every one of you to be in my embrace. You cannot be in my embrace if you are not ready to pray every day. Thank you for having responded to my call.

 

Medjugorje Message, August 25, 1995

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• “The family that prays together stays together” Fr Patrick Peyton C.S.C.

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• I can’t be the only person in the world subject to intrusive thoughts and distractions, even during prayer. I refer to it as Junk Mail.

 

Junk Mail also arrives daily via my computer, and every day I have the opportunity and choice to delete all the unwanted messages and temptations with a simple command – Erase Junk Mail

 

But obtrusive thoughts are are not so quickly dealt with or erased. They require another process – frequent confession and discerning ways to shield myself against the fiery arrows aimed in my direction.

 

I’m consoled by the fact that Jesus was tempted in the desert. When Satan used Scripture to try and justify his demands, Jesus responded by quoting Scripture. Demons distort and disguise the truth. They set out to deliberately disturb one’s peace.

 

As Our Lady often repeats in her Medjugorje messages, “Satan is strong.”

 

St Padre Pio once said: “Temptation never ends until the blood runs out of your veins.”

 

So I guess the Junk Mail will continue to invade until the day I die, but I am consoled by the fact that whatever condition I find myself in, Jesus loves me, and his healing love is always balm for any wounds inflicted by fiery arrows.

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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 at hand. Repent, and believe the Good News.

 

Mark 1 : 14-15

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Dear children! Pray, work and witness with love for the Kingdom of Heaven that it may be good for you here on earth. Little children, God will bless your effort a hundred fold; you will be witnesses among peoples, souls of unbelievers will feel the grace of conversion and Heaven will be grateful for your efforts and sacrifices.

 

part Medjugorje Message, August 25, 2019

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• The summer heat in Medjugore is challenging, to say the least, and it can be difficult to find a cool and shady spot to settle and be quiet. Sometimes it must be like this for Jesus when he tries to find a restful place in our heart that is often unbearable with the heat generated by our hurried and busy lives. But there is a heartfelt heat that Jesus welcomes – a burning desire to love and be loved. A sacred heart.

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• Jesus said to his disciples, “I tell you solemnly, it will be hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven. Yes, I tell you again, it is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven.” When the disciples heard this they were astonished. “Who can be saved, then?” they said. Jesus gazed at them. “For men” he told them “this is impossible; for God everything is possible.”

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• The word of the Lord was addressed to me as follows,

‘Son of man, tell the ruler of Tyre, “The Lord says this:

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Being swollen with pride,

you have said: I am a god;

I am sitting on the throne of God,

surrounded by the seas.

Though you are a man and not a god,

you consider yourself the equal of God.

You are wiser now than Danel;

there is no sage as wise as you.

By your wisdom and your intelligence

you have amassed great wealth;

you have piles of gold and silver

inside your treasure-houses.

Such is your skill in trading,

your wealth has continued to increase,

and with this your heart has grown more arrogant.

And so, the Lord says this:

Since you consider yourself the equal of God,

very well, I am going to bring foreigners against you,

the most barbarous of the nations.

They will draw sword against your fine wisdom,

they will defile your glory;

they will throw you down into the pit

and you will die a violent death

surrounded by the seas.

Are you still going to say: I am a god,

when your murderers confront you?

No, you are a man and not a god

in the clutches of your murderers!

You will die like the uncircumcised

at the hand of foreigners.

For I have spoken – it is the Lord who speaks.”’

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Ezekiel 28 : 1-10

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• Jesus said to the young man, ‘If you wish to be perfect, go and sell what you own and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; then come, follow me.’ But when the man heard these words he went away sad, for he was a man of great wealth.

Matthew 19 : 21

 

I wonder what Jesus had in mind when he spoke about treasure in heaven? Peace of mind, heart and soul, perhaps? 

 

Dear children! Today I call you all to pray for peace and to witness it in your families so that peace may become the highest treasure on this peaceless earth. I am your Queen of Peace and your mother. I desire to lead you on the way of peace, which comes only from God. Therefore, pray, pray, pray. Thank you for having responded to my call. 

 

Medjugorje message, April 25,2009

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• “The first week in August never fails to be my favourite of the year. I live in Scotland, and as a practising Catholic in my early twenties, I know what it is to feel isolated because of my faith.

 

“If I could thank my parents for one thing, it would be for bringing us to Medjugorje. The events in this little town have profoundly impacted the faith of my family, as well as millions of others. Every pilgrimage made here has resulted in me returning home with a deeper love of Jesus and enough hope to see me through until the next visit. It also serves as a constant reminder that I am part of something bigger; that the global Church is my family.”

 

• You can read the rest of Martha’s Postcard from Medjugorje at The Tablet website.

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• How can one understand or make sense of the tragic road accident that took the lives of and injured many Polish pilgrims on their return home from Medjugorje this weekend?

 

Personally, I can only view the accident as part of life’s pilgrimage when lives are taken in the most unexpected and unforeseen circumstances.

 

None of us knows either the day or the hour when we shall leave this world, but in Our Lady’s messages she often calls us to prepare for the coming of Jesus, though the call is usually related to Christmas.

 

May we always be prepared to meet Jesus at any time in our lives through daily prayer and accept that this life is a journey and a pilgrimage to our Heavenly home.

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• The Medjugorje parish has erected a new set of prayer stations along the path that leads to the bronze statue of the Risen Christ.

 

The five stations are devoted to the Way of Francis whose 800th anniversary is celebrated this year. They provide an opportunity for pilgrims to pause and reflect on the saint’s life, connecting each stop with the messages of the Queen of Peace.

 

The stations are the work of Toni Kozarić and the meditations were written by Fr Ivan Hrkać.

 

More details can be found at the Medjugorje parish website at this link.

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• On the occasion of the Medjugorje Youth Festival, Pope Leo XIV extends his cordial greeting to all participants and urges them to return, AD FONTEM, that is, to Christ, the source of a new life and the authentic joy. He therefore invites them to rediscover, through prayer, listening to the Word of God, and the sacraments, the beauty of a personal encounter with the Lord, who quenches every heart and gives the strength to always begin anew.

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His Holiness encourages young people to sincerely seek the truth that sets them free, without being seduced by the illusions of fleeting happiness. In following Jesus, each person can embrace even the most difficult questions and the restlessness of the heart as an opportunity for discernment and growth in faith.

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The Holy Father also urges young people to let themselves be led by the Holy Spirit and to entrust themselves to the intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of the Church, so that they may become shining witnesses of the Gospel, promoters of fraternity, and builders of peace in society.

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Assuring them of his remembrance in prayer, the Supreme Pontiff invokes upon all an abundance of divine grace, heartily imparting his apostolic blessing.

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Cardinal Pietro Parolin
Secretary of State of His Holiness

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Oh, come to the water all you who are thirsty;

though you have no money, come!

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Isaiah 55 : 1

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• The founder of the Jesuits was on his way to military fame and fortune when a cannon ball shattered his leg. Because there were no books of romance on hand during his convalescence, Ignatius whiled away the time reading a life of Christ and lives of the saints. His conscience was deeply touched, and a long, painful turning to Christ began.

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• More at Franciscan Media

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• Jesus said to the crowds: ‘The kingdom of heaven is like a dragnet cast into the sea that brings in a haul of all kinds. When it is full, the fishermen haul it ashore; then, sitting down, they collect the good ones in a basket and throw away those that are no use. This is how it will be at the end of time: the angels will appear and separate the wicked from the just to throw them into the blazing furnace where there will be weeping and grinding of teeth.”

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Matthew 13 : 47-50

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• The above image is detail from the Fishermen panel of the St Vincent Panels polyptych. It shows a dragnet covering several men, including a Pharisee, St Paul and St Matthew.

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• In the early hours of Tuesday, under the cover of darkness, a person set out with the intention of causing damage to some of the places of prayer at Medjugorje.

 

The external damage and defacements can be repaired; and through the loving mercy of God so can the soul of the person responsible, but prayer is neccessary.

 

The annual Mejugorje Youth Festival begins on Saturday. Imagine if all the thousands of attendees offered prayers for the perpetrator during the six-day event, and the resulting graces bestowed. Imagine if all pilgrims who have ever visitited the holy site did the the same. 

 

In a message given by Our Lady to Marija, she said: “Dear children! Also today I am with you and with joy I call all of you: pray and believe in the power of prayer. Open your hearts, little children, so that God may fill you with His love and you will be a joy to others. Your witness will be powerful and everything you do will be interwoven with God’s tenderness. I am with you and I pray for you and your conversion until you put God in the first place. Thank you for having responded to my call.” (May 25, 2015)

 

* Jude 1 :9

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• The Medjugorje Message is like the yeast a woman took and mixed in with three measures of flour till it was leavened all through.

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cf. Matthew 13 : 33

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• “Last night, Medjugorje was the victim of terrible acts of vandalism. The statues of the Blessed Virgin Mary at the Blue Cross and on Apparition Hill were partially covered in black paint (notably the Virgin's face and hands) as well as satanic inscriptions. Furthermore, a large fire was lit on the outdoor altar (under the rotunda), causing significant damage.” 

 

source: Dear Gospa

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The Medjugorje parish office has published a statement on its website.

 

“It is with great sadness that we received the news of the act of vandalism that damaged the prayer areas in our parish. We immediately began cleaning and repairing the damage so that all areas would be properly prepared for the prayer again. We thank all those who, with their work and selfless help, participate in ensuring that the sanctuary remains a place of encounter with God, a place of peace, and a place where the Blessed Virgin Mary, Queen of Peace, is honored.

In a special way, we invite all faithful to respond to this event in the way that Our Lady has been teaching us for over forty years in Medjugorje: with prayer, fasting, and forgiveness. We pray for the conversion of the hearts of those who committed this act, that the Lord may touch them with His grace and lead them on the path of goodness. We also pray for peace in the hearts of all people. Our Lady constantly invites us to be carriers of peace. May this event encourage us to take her invitation even more seriously: not to return evil for evil, but to witness love, forgiveness, and hope with our lives. The shrine remains open to all pilgrims. The prayer program is taking place regularly, and all the spaces are being rapidly cleaned and prepared so that they can once again be a place of prayer and encounter with the Lord through the intercession of the Queen of Peace.

 

Parish Office Medjugorje

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