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| Messages from Our Lady of Medjugorje can be summarised in five themes According to the united testimony of the Visionaries in Medjugorje, Our Lady on the occasion of her apparitions gave a series of messages, to be transmitted to the people. Even though there are many messages, they can however be summarised in five themes, because all the messages basically underline or lead up to these five. PEACE Already on the third day, Our Lady stressed peace as the first of her messages: "Peace, peace, peace and only peace!", after which she said twice, "Peace must reign between God and man and between people". Considering that Maria could see a cross, when Our Lady gave this message, the obvious conclusion is that this peace comes from God. God, who through Our Lady in Christ became our peace.(Ephesians 2:14)"For He is the peace between us"...This peace, “the world cannot give"(John 14:27)and that's why Christ commanded His apostles to bring it to the world(Matthew 10:11) so that all men could become "sons of peace"(Luke 10:6). That's why Our Lady as "Queen of Apostles" in Medjugorje specifically refers to herself as "Queen of Peace". Who better than she can more successfully convince today's world, which is faced with the threat of destruction, how great and how necessary peace is. FAITH The second of Our Lady's messages is faith. Already on the fourth, fifth and sixth day of apparitions, Our Lady exhorted those present to have strong faith. Understandably, she repeated this message many times. Without faith we cannot arrive at peace! Not only this but faith is itself an answer to God's Word, which he not only proclaims but actually gives to us. When we believe, we accept God's Word, which in Christ became "our peace"(Ephesians 2:14). Accepting it, the individual becomes a new creature, with a new life of Christ within, and a share in God's nature (1 Peter 1:4, Ephesians 2:18) In this way the individual ensures peace with God and with others. Once again there is no one who can better understand the necessity and efficaciousness of faith than Our Lady. That's why she stressed it on every occasion and charged the visionaries to bring the light of faith to others. Our Lady presented faith as an answer to everything, no matter whatever people were looking for. She presented it as the pre-requisite of all prayer, desires and demands, relating it to health, wholeness and to all other human necessities. CONVERSION Conversion was another one of Our Lady's frequent messages. This presupposes that she noticed either a weakness or a complete lack of faith in humanity today. And without conversion it is impossible to achieve peace. True conversion means, the purifying or cleansing of the heart, (Jeremiah 4:14), because a corrupt or 'deteriorated' heart is the basis of bad relations, which in turn brings social disorder, unjust laws, base constitutions etc. Without a radical change of heart, without the conversion of the heart, there is no peace. For this reason, Our Lady continually suggests frequent confession. The request is directed to all without differentiation because, “not one of us is just"...."all have wandered, not one does right"(Romans 3:11-12). PRAYER Almost daily, from the fifth day of apparitions onwards Our Lady recommends prayer. She requests everyone to "pray without ceasing" just as Christ himself taught.(Mark 9:29, Matthew 9:38; Luke 11:5- 13) Prayer, therefore stimulates and strengthens our faith, without which our relationship with God is disordered;-as is our relationship with each other. Prayer also reminds us of how close God is to us even in our daily lives: In prayer we acknowledge Him, we give Him thanks for His gifts to us, and we are filled with a hopeful expectancy of that which we need, but particularly our redemption. Prayer solidifies the equilibrium of the individual, and aids us in our 'ordered relationship with God', without which it is impossible to maintain peace either with God or with our neighbour. The Word of the Lord acquainted itself with all humanity and awaits humanity's response. It is precisely this which gives prayer it's "justification". Our response should be "spoken faith", or "prayer". In prayer, faith animates, renews, strengthens and sustains itself. In addition to this, man's prayer really bears witness to the Gospel, and to the existence of God, thus provoking a response of faith in others. FASTING Already on the sixth day of the apparitions, Our Lady often recommended fasting because it aids faith. That is, the practice of fasting aids and ensures control over oneself. Only the person who can dominate himself is truly free, and is capable of abandoning himself to God and to his neighbour, as faith demands. Fasting guarantees him that his abandonment to faith is secure and sincere. It helps him to free himself from every slavery, but especially to the slavery to sin. Whoever is not in the possession of oneself is in some way enslaved. Therefore fasting helps the individual to restrain himself from disordered pleasure seeking which in turn leads him to a futile and useless existence often wasteful of the very goods which are necessary to others just for basic survival. With fasting we also retrieve the gift, which creates within us a realistic love for the poor and the destitute, which up to a certain point eases the difference between rich and poor. It therefore heals the wants of the poor and also heals the excesses and over-indulgence of others. And in it's own way, it gives a dimension of peace which today in a special way, is threatened by the difference in the lifestyles of the rich and the poor. (e.g. North and South). To sum up, we can say that Our Lady's messages underline that v peace is the greatest good, and that faith, conversion, prayer and fasting are the means by which we can attain it. Special Messages Outside of the five messages which, as we have said are the important messages which Our Lady immediately gave to the whole world, she started from the 1st of March 1984, every Thursday, mainly through the visionary Marija Pavlović to give special messages to the Parish of Medjugorje and to the pilgrims who come. Our Lady therefore, outside of the six visionaries chose the Parish of Medjugorje together with the pilgrims who come here to be her collaborators and witnesses. This is clear from the first of the Thursday messages, where she says: “I am choosing this Parish in a special way and I want to guide it." She emphasized this once again when she said," I am choosing this Parish in a special way, which is dearer to me than others, where I joyfully went when the Almighty sent me."(25th March 1985). Our Lady gave a reason too for her choice saying: “Convert, you in the Parish, this is my second wish. In that way, all those who come here will convert."(8th March 1984)." I am asking you, especially the members of this Parish, to live my messages"(16th August 1984). First of all the parishioners and the pilgrims should become witnesses of her apparitions, and her messages, so that we can then unite with her and the visionaries in the realization of her plan for conversion of the world and reconciliation with God. Our Lady well knows the weaknesses and the nature of the parishioners and pilgrims with whom she wishes to collaborate in the salvation of the world. She is aware of the need for supernatural strength. That's why she leads them to the fount of that strength. This primarily is prayer. She ardently and continuously exhorts us to pray. Of all prayer, she especially stresses the Holy Mass, (7th March 1985, 16th May 1985) and recommends continuous devotion to the Blessed Sacrament (15th March 1984). She also encourages devotion to the Holy Spirit (2nd June 1984; 9th June 1984; 11th April 1985; 23rd May 1988, etc.) and the reading of Sacred Scripture (8th Sept. 1984; 14th Feb. 1985). With these special messages to the Parish and it's pilgrims, Our Lady wishes that the first messages, which in the beginning were intended for the whole world, are deepened, made more acceptable and understandable to others. From the 25th of January 1987 Our Lady began to give the message on the 25th of every month instead of every Thursday, through the visionary Marija Pavlović. This still continues today. Fr. Ljudevit Rupčić Professor of Theology and translator of Sacred Scripture into the Croatian language Fr. Rupčić is resident in Medjugorje ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ Be the light In the message of November 25th, 2001, Our Lady says: “That is why, you who live my messages be the light and extended hands to this faithless world that all may come to know the God of Love.” In all of Our Lady’s messages, we notice that they re-echo the biblical word. This message conforms this conviction, because the expression “be the light and extended hands to this faithless world that all may come to know the God of Love” can be another way of saying: "I am the LORD, I have called you in righteousness, I have taken you by the hand and kept you; I have given you as a covenant to the people, a light to the nations.” (Isaiah 42:6) and “You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden … let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.” (Mt 5:14-16) To be the light, we have to know what light means. The theme of the light traverses all the biblical revelation. The separation of the light from darkness was the first creative act of the Creator. (Gn 1:3) At the end of the Salvation History, God Himself will be the light of the new creation. (Rev 21:5) Old Testament In the Old Testament, God is the creator of light, enwrapped in light (Ps 104:2), He is light itself (Wisdom 7:27.29). The light is a gift of God and God, becoming man in Christ, is the light of the world. The coming of Christ is the fulfilment of the promises given to the prophets: “But for you who fear my Name, the sun of justice shall shine with healing in its rays…” (Malachi 3:20). “The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who dwelt in a land of deep darkness, on them has light shined.” (Is 9:1) “I am the LORD, I have called you in righteousness, I have taken you by the hand and kept you; I have given you as a covenant to the people, a light to the nations, to open the eyes that are blind, to bring out the prisoners from the dungeon, from the prison those who sit in darkness.” (Is 42,7). New Testament In the New Testament, the theme of light is developed in three main directions: · As the sun enlightens the path, so “light” enlightens our path to God. In the past, this was the Law, then the Wisdom and the Word of God (Ecc 2:13; Prov 4:18-19; 6:23; Ps 119:105), now it is Christ (Jn 1:9; 9:1-39; 1 Jn 2:8-11; cf. Mt 17:2; 2 Cor 4:6), who can be compared with the shining cloud from the time of the Exodus (Jn 8:12; cf. Ex 13:21; Wis 18:3). Every Christian who manifests God to the world is also the light: “No one after lighting a lamp covers it with a vessel, or puts it under a bed, but puts it on a stand, that those who enter may see the light.” (Lk 8:16). “Do all things without grumbling or questioning, that you may be blameless and innocent, children of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world…» (Phil 2:15) (See also: Mt 5:14-16; Rm 2:19; Rev 21:24). · The light is the symbol of life, of happiness and joy. Darkness is the symbol of death, of unhappiness and of sorrow (Job 30:26; Is 45:7; cf. Ps 17:15). We oppose to the darkness of slavery the light of freedom and of messianic deliverance (Is 8:22-9:1; Mt 4:16: Lk 1:79; Rm 13:11-12), which – through Christ the Light (Jn; Eph 5:14) reaches even the pagan nations (Lk 2:32; Ac 13:47) and which will be accomplished in the Kingdom of heaven (Mt 8:12; 22:13; 25:30; Rev 22:5; cf. 21:3-4). · Duality light-darkness is a sign of two opposite worlds, the world of Good and the world of Evil. So, in the New Testament, two “kingdoms” are shown: One is submitted to Christ and the other to Satan (2 Co 6:14-15; Col 1:12-13; Ac 26:18; 1 P 2:9). One tries to overcome the other (Lk 22:52; Jn 13: 27-30). Men are divided between “sons of the light” and “sons of darkness” (Lk 16:8; Ep 5:7-8; Jn 12:36), according to if they are under the influence of the light (Christ) or of darkness (Satan). (Mt 6:23; 1 Th 5: 4; 1 Jn 1:6-7; 2:9-10). “But you are not in darkness, brethren, for that day to surprise you like a thief. For you are all sons of light and sons of the day; we are not of the night or of darkness. So then let us not sleep, as others do, but let us keep awake and be sober … since we belong to the day, let us be sober, and put on the breastplate of faith and love, and for a helmet the hope of salvation. … Therefore encourage one another and build one another up, just as you are doing. (1 Th 5:4-11) “Sons of the light” are recognized by their works (Rm 13:12-14). “For once you were darkness, but now you are light in the Lord; walk as children of light (for the fruit of light is found in all that is good and right and true), and try to learn what is pleasing to the Lord. Take no part in the unfruitful works of darkness, but instead expose them.” (Ep 5:8-11) This separation (judgement) between men was manifested by the coming of the Light, which demands each one to decide for or against it (Jn 3:19-21; 7:7; 9:39; 12:46; cf. Ep 5:12-13). “The night is nearly over; the day is almost here.” (Rm 13:12), darkness will flee before the light: “The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.” (Jn 1:5). The entire First Letter of John develops the theme of the Light and of Love. It is the best explanation of this Our Lady’s message: “And by this we may be sure that we know him, if we keep his commandments. He who says, "I know him" but disobeys his commandments is a liar, and the truth is not in him; but whoever keeps his word, in him truly love for God is perfected. By this, we may be sure that we are in him: He who says he abides in him ought to walk in the same way in which he walked. Beloved, I am writing you no new commandment, but an old commandment, which you had from the beginning; the old commandment is the word, which you have heard. Yet, I am writing you a new commandment, which is true in him and in you, because the darkness is passing away and the true light is already shining. He who says he is in the light and hates his brother is in the darkness still. He who loves his brother abides in the light, and in it there is no cause for stumbling. But he who hates his brother is in the darkness and walks in the darkness, and does not know where he is going, because the darkness has blinded his eyes.” (1 Jn 2:3-11) “The righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. He who has ears, let him hear.” (Mt 13:43) (Cf. Vocabulary of Biblical Theology; Bible of Jerusalem) |
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| Messages; Our Ladys Messages to the Visionaries in Medjugorje |
| Medjugorjepilgrim.com |
The Virgin Mary gave ten secrets to the visionaries of Medjugorje during her apparitions. The Medjugorje secrets are said to include miracles and events that will change the world forever. As of mid-2006, visionaries Mirjana, Ivanka and Jakov had received all ten secrets from the Blessed Mother. The other three seers -- Ivan, Marija and Vicka -- have received nine of the ten secrets. According to the seers, the secrets will be revealed and will begin to unfold soon after all six visionaries have received the ten secrets. The following is a letter that was sent from Fr. Tomislav Vlasic to Pope John Paul II. The letter sheds light on the questions of the ten secrets of Medjugorje. Father Tomislav Vlasic's Letter to Pope John Paul II After the apparition of the Blessed Virgin on November 30, 1983, Maria Pavlovic came to me and said, 'The Madonna says that the Supreme Pontiff and the Bishop must be advised immediately of the urgency and great importance of the message of Medjugorje.' This letter seeks to fulfill that duty. 1. Five young people (Vicka Ivankovic, Maria Pavlovic, Ivanka Ivankovic, Ivan Dragicevic, and Jakov Colo) see an apparition of the Blessed Virgin every day. The experience in which they see her is a fact that can be checked by direct observation. It has been filmed. During the apparitions, the youngsters do not react to light, they do not hear sounds, they do not react if someone touches them, they feel that they are beyond time and space. All of the youngsters basically agree that: "We see the Blessed Virgin just as we see anyone else. We pray with her, we speak to her, and we can touch her." "The blessed Virgin says that world peace is at a critical stage. She repeatedly calls for reconciliation and conversion." "She has promised to leave a visible sign for all humanity at the site of the apparitions of Medjugorje." "The period preceding this visible sign is a time of grace for conversion and deepening the faith." "The Blessed Virgin has promised to disclose ten secrets to us. So far, Vicka Ivankovic has received eight. Marija Pavlovic received the eigth one on december 8, 1983. Jakov Colo, Ivan Dragicevic and Ivanka Ivankovic have each received nine. Only Mirjana Dragicevic has received all ten." "These apparitions are the last apparitions of the Blessed Virgin on earth. That is why they are lasting so long and occurring so frequently." 2. The Blessed Virgin no longer appears to Mirjana Dragicevic. The last time she saw one of the daily apparitions was Christmas 1982. Since then the apparitions have ceased for her, except on her birthday (March 18, 1983). Mirjana knew that this would occur. According to Mirjana, the Madonna confided the tenth and last secret to her during the apparition on December 25, 1982. She also disclosed the dates on which the different secrets will come to pass. The Blessed Virgin has revealed to Mirjana many things about the future, more than to any of the other youngsters so far. For that reason I am reporting below what Mirjana told me during our conversation on November 5, 1983. I am summarizing the substance of her account, without word-for-word quotations: Mirjana said that before the visible sign is given to humanity, there will be three warnings to the world. The warnings will be in the form of events on earth. Mirjana will be a witness to them. Three days before one of the admonitions, Mirjana will notify a priest of her choice. The witness of Mirjana will be a confirmation of the apparitions and a stimulus for the conversion of the world. After the admonitions, the visible sign will appear on the site of the apparitions in Medjugorje for all the world to see. The sign will be given as a testimony to the apparitions and in order to call the people back to the faith. The ninth and tenth secrets are serious. They concern chasticement for the sins of the world. Punishment is inevitable, for we cannot expect the whole world to be converted. The punishment can be diminished by prayer and penance, but it cannot be eliminated. Mirjana says that one of the evils that threatened the world, the one contained in the seventh secret, has been averted, thanks to prayer and fasting. That is why the Blessed Virgin continues to encourage prayer and fasting: "You have forgotten that through prayer and fasting you can avert war and suspend the laws of nature." After the first admonition, the others will follow in a rather short time. Thus, people will have some time for conversion. That interval will be a period of grace and conversion. After the visible sign appears, those who are still alive will have little time for conversion. For that reason, the Blessed Virgin invites us to urgent conversion and reconciliation. The invitation to prayer and penance is meant to avert evil and war, but most of all to save souls. According to Mirjana, the events predicted by the Blessed Virgin are near. By virtue of this experience, Mirjana proclaims to the world: 'Hurry, be converted; open your hearts to God.' In addition to this basic message, Mirjana related an apparition she had in 1982, which we believe sheds some light on some aspects of Church history. She spoke of an apparition in which Satan appeared to her, and asked Mirjana to renounce the Madonna and follow him. That way she could be happy in love and in life. He said that following the Virgin, on the contrary, would only lead to suffering. Mrjana rejected him, and immediately the Virgin arrived and Satan disappeared. Then the Blessed Virgin gave her the following message in substance: "Excuse me for this, but you must realize that Satan exists. One day he appeared before the throne of God and asked permission to submit the Church to a period of trial. God gave him permission to try the Church for one century. This century is under the power of the devil; but when the secrets confided to you come to pass, his power will be destroyed. Even now he is beginning to lose his power and has become aggressive. He is destroying marriages, creating divisions among priests and is responsible for obsessions and murder. You must protect yourselves against these things through fasting and prayer, especially community prayer. Carry blessed objects with you. Put them in your house, and restore the use of holy water." According to certain Catholic experts who have studied these apparitions, this message of Mirjana may shed light on the vision Pope Leo XIII had. According to them, it was after having had an apocalyptic vision of the future of the Church that Leo XIII introduced the prayer to Saint Michael which priests used to recite after Mass up to the time of the Second Vatican Council. These experts say that the century of trials foreseen by Leo XIII is about to end. Holy Father, I do not want to be responsible for the ruin of anyone. I am doing my best. The world is being called to conversion and reconciliation. In writing to you, Holy Father, I am doing only doing my duty. After drafting this letter, I gave it to the youngsters so that they might ask the Blessed Virgin whether its contents are accurate. Ivan Dragicevic relayed the following answer: 'Yes, the contents of the letter are the truth. You must notify first the Supreme Pontiff and then the Bishop.' This letter is accompanied by fasting and prayers that the Holy Spirit will guide your mind and your heart during this important moment in history." Yours, in the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary, Father Tomislav Vlasic Medjugorje, December 2, 1983 ***************************************************************************** The FIVE MAIN or 'CORE' MESSAGES Dear children, I invite you for your individual conversion. The time is for you! Without you God's plan cannot be realised. Dear children grow day by day closer to God through prayer. I GIVE YOU THE WEAPON AGAINST YOUR GOLIATH, HERE ARE YOUR FIVE LITTLE STONES: 1. Prayer with the heart: Holy Rosary 2 . Holy Communion 3. Holy Bible 4. Fasting. 5. Monthly confession Talk by Fr JOZO ZOVKO OFM One lovely day in the history of Israel, the figure of Goliath came forth. He was a strong man, proud and invincible. Although Israel was incapable of imagining how it might defeat such a strong warrior, the Lord knew how to do it. He chose a young boy, a shepherd named David. The Lord told him to gather five stones in the river and face the giant, trusting only in God’s help David went forth; he defeated and killed Goliath. Our Lady has chosen you, like David; you who are small, just as you are. She has suggested that you put five stones into your sack in order to overcome the atheism that surround us, that paganistic mentality that is being disseminated and seems invincible. Neither the Church, nor we, are capable of conquering materialism on our own. Our Lady has appeared in Medjugorje to declare that this is possible. Here are her five stones: Prayer, Fasting, the Mass, the Bible and Confession. With these simple weapons we overcome the world. First Stone • PRAYER Our Lady insists upon prayer. She wept when She appeared upon Krizevac, because Christians no longer pray. Her tears are a medication for you; they fall upon your heart made of stone in order to transform it. Our Lady tells us that to pray means to live as the Church lives. The gifts, the five stones, have not been given to us as a gratuitous perfection, but in order to develop our spiritual potentialities, to cause the growth of the seeds, which will sprout forth if they fall upon fertile soil. Let us take the gift of faith: it is developed if a family prays together, if we learn to live with the Lord. He who prays knows how to love, he who loves knows how to pray. Many families no longer live love because they no longer are united in prayer. This month the leaves have fallen from the trees. Next Spring we will see nature transform and renew itself once again. He who prays transforms quickly. What is the significance of prayer? Let us recall St Augustine’s words, “Man lives if he breathes; prayer is the breath for the Christian.” The Christian who stops praying, dies. Prayer is the first weapon in your knapsack. You must begin praying now so that you may be transformed and raise yourself up and others as well. Priests, parents, everyone, must pray. Prayer is a gift and a principal weapon given to the Church. The Church is neither an idea nor a political party; it is a family that prays, a family that loves. This is the reason Our Lady insists that prayer is needed in order to transform the world. Second Stone • FASTING The second gift, another stone in your sack, is fasting: from cigarettes, from television, from an evil thought, from a negative project, and from food. Fasting demonstrates your individual capacity to love and affirms that you are important for everyone. Fasting is medicine and a sacrifice. With fasting egoism is defeated. He who knows how to fast is capable of hearing his neighbour, of being available for others, and of understanding how to love the entire world. He who fasts sees himself and others truthfully and is aware of how to cleanse his inner self. Our weakness is nothing if we possess the ability to love. Even our own physical sufferings, if offered to the Lord, are a gift. Third Stone * Holy Mass The Mass is the third stone. In May, Our Lady admonished us, “You do not know how to live the Mass.” The Mass is not simply a rite; it is a mystery and a gift of the Lord. It is a sacrament which cannot be comprehended without humility. We are unable to celebrate the Mass without a humble heart, which casts aside the garment of pride. The white garment of the priest is a symbol of humility and of liberation from sin. In the Mass the Incarnation occurs, the transubstantiation of the bread and wine. This is also a sign of our transformation: from death we are brought to life. The Mass transforms the Christian, transforms the Church, because with the Mass Jesus is offered completely to the Church. The Mass is the origin of the Church, the Mystical Body. The Mass-Sacrifice renders the Church a holy family. In the Mass one is born again if one’s own life is placed upon the altar as a sacrifice, in the manner of Jesus. We are the drop of water poured into the wine; the Church is united with the Blood of Jesus. Therefore you must not only listen to the Holy Mass but live it. Without the Mass the Church does not exists; without it the Church is an orphan. Fourth Stone • THE BIBLE The Bible which illuminates the path in the dense fog of ideologies, is the fourth stone for the Christian of today. I am sure you know where the salt is, where the flour is, and where to find the sugar in the kitchen. But where is the Bible in your home? When do you read the Bible with your family? The Bible is not one one of many books, it is the Christian’s flag. Deprived of the Bible, the Christian is no longer the same person. The Bible is born from the heart of the Lord; it is His Word. Therefore it must remain in first place within the family. It must be set in a place of honour, and that place must be sacred for us. It must be the source of our prayer. The Bible illuminates the Christian’s walk amid doubt and conflicting ideologies today. Fifth Stone • CONFESSION Confession is the fifth stone. Our Lady requests monthly confession of us. I have been informed that in Italy and Switzerland, at many churches, the people rarely confess. This displeases me. The Italians, I state with certainty, are prepared to renew the Church, but they must not neglect confession. The purpose of Confession is not to recount one’s actions; it is not a psycho-analytical session. It is a sacrament and a source of peace with oneself in the meeting with the Lord. In confession I obtain the peace of the Lord so that I may transmit it to others. A proud person does not know how to confess; humility leads to confession and conversion. To confess well we must prepare ourselves with fasting and prayer. The proper attitude is that of opening ourselves up before the Lord: “I have brought you my heart. Transform it for me, and give it back to me renewed.” This is what occurs in Confession, which is both a sacrament and a mystery. These are the five stones we must place in our sack as we return to our homes from Medjugorje. Our Lady heals us here. Prayer, Fasting, the Mass, the Bible, and Confession are the true medicines that restore us to health once again, the way through the Red Sea, leading us to the shore where we find peace. *********************************************************************** |
| General overview of the Messages Extract from Medjugorje Web |
| Special Messages |
| Be the light |
| The Ten Secrets of Medjugorje |
Since 1981, in a small village in Bosnia-Hercegovina named Medjugorje, the Blessed Virgin Mary has been appearing and giving messages to the world. She tells us that God has sent Her to our world and, these years she is spending with us are a time of Grace granted by God. In Her own words She tells us, "I have come to tell the world that God exists. He is the fullness of life, and to enjoy this fullness and peace, you must return to God". Our Lady's mission is one of peace and love. She has come to earth to reeducate us and to help us convert and recenter our lives back to God. Our Lady's role has always been one of guiding people to Her Son, Jesus. What a fantastic opportunity we have before us! It is important that we understand both the magnitude and the urgency of Our Lady's call to conversion, and that we respond to it with all our hearts. Our Lady continues to give messages to six young people from the village of Medjugorje: Ivan, Jakov, Marija, Mirjana, Vicka, and Ivanka. These six young people (referred to as "visionaries") have had apparitions of the Blessed Virgin Mary since June 24, 1981. In addition to these messages, Our Lady is to give each of the six visionaries a total of ten "secrets" or happenings that will occur on earth in the near future. Some of the secrets pertain to the whole world while others concern the visionaries themselves or their local village. Only one of the secrets so far has been revealed by the visionaries. Our Lady has promised to leave a supernatural, indestructable, and visible sign on the mountain where she first appeared. Our Lady said: "This sign will be given for the atheists. You faithful already have signs and you have become the sign for the atheists. You faithful must not wait for the sign before you convert; convert soon. This time is a time of grace for you. You can never thank God enough for His grace. The time is for deepening your faith and for your conversion. When the sign comes, it will be too late for many." When each of the six visionaries has received all ten "secrets", Our Lady will stop appearing to them on a daily basis. Currently, Marija, Vicka, and Ivan have received nine secrets, and Our Lady still appears to them every day, wherever they are, at 5:40pm during daylight savings time, and 6:40pm the rest of the year, Medjugorje time. Mirjana, Jakov, and Ivanka have received all ten secrets, and Our Lady appears to them once per year, and will do so for the rest of their lives. For Ivanka who received her 10th secret on May 7, 1985 it is on the anniversary of the apparitions, June 25 each year. For Jakov who received his 10th secret on September 12, 1998, it is on Christmas day each year. And for Mirjana who received her 10th secret on Christmas 1982, it is on her birthday, March 18 each year. Our Lady has also been appearing to Mirjana on the 2nd of each month since August 2, 1987 for the express purpose of praying for all unbelievers. Mirjana tells us that it is very important that all of us pray for the unbelievers in the world, who are defined as those who do not yet know God's love. Sometimes these appearances on the 2nd of each month are in apparitional form, and sometimes as locutions. No one knows when Our Lady will give the tenth secret to Marija, Ivan, and Vicka. There will then be three secrets revealed as warnings to the world. Mirjana will witness the warnings and they will ocurr on the earth. Ten days before each of the warnings, she will advise the priest of her choice (Father Petar Ljubicic), who will then fast and pray for seven days. Then, three days before the warning is to take place, he will announce to the world what, where, and when the warning is to take place. Fr. Petar has no choice and must reveal each warning. Mirjana's testimony will be a confirmation of the validity of the apparitions and an incentive for the conversion of the world. After the first warning, the others will follow within a rather brief period of time. So it is that people will have time for conversion. After the three warnings, the permanent visible sign will be left on the mountain where Our Lady first appeared in Medjugorje. Those who are still alive will have little time for conversion. For that reason, the Blessed Virgin calls for urgent conversion and reconciliation. The permanent sign will lead to many healings and conversions before the messages become reality. The ninth and tenth secrets are grave matters. They are a chastisement for the sins of the world. The punishment is inevitable because we can not expect the conversion of the entire world. The chastisement can be lessened by prayers and penance, but it can not be suppressed entirely. An evil which threatened the world according to the seventh secret, had been eliminated through prayer and fasting. For that reason the Blessed Virgin continues to ask for prayer and fasting. The invitation to prayer and penance is destined to ward off evil and war and above all to save souls. Our Lady says: "You have forgotten that with prayer and fasting you can ward off wars, suspend natural laws." Since the apparitions began in 1981, millions of people of all faiths, from all over the world, have visited Medjugorje and have left spiritually strengthened and renewed. Many bring back stories of miracles in the form of healings (of mind, body and soul), supernatural visual events, and deep conversions back to God. You owe it to yourself and your loved ones, to investigate with an open mind and heart the messages which are given to us by Our Lady of Medjugorje. I invite you to read these messages and decide for yourself how this messenger from Heaven will affect your life and that of your family. It is important to note that Our Lady's messages are meant to be assembled like a mosaic. To understand the full meaning and depth of Our Lady's messages, we should read and put them all together. A single stone removed from a mosaic looks plain or ordinary, yet if we look at the whole mosaic, it is a rich and beautiful picture. "By means of the messages, I wish to make a very beautiful mosaic in your hearts." (November 25, 1989). Our Lady has asked that we continually read, study, and meditate on the messages which she has given us. She has said: "Little children, read everyday the messages I gave you and transform them into life. I love you and this is why I call you to the way of salvation with God." (December 25, 1989). The technique of teaching which Our Lady uses, reeducates us to be Christians. She accomplishes this by walking with us and guiding us step by step, message by message. Today, many people think it is not important to be a Christian. Others want to live a superficial form of Christianity which is easier or more convenient than living a true Christian life. Our Lady wants to show us through Her messages the real face of Christianity. This is a very long process because we as a society have strayed far from the truth and God and are slow to learn. This is true both in the church and outside the church. We have to accept being totally reeducated, little by little, by the Mother of God. The problem with mankind is not so much that people have bad intentions, there are plenty of good hearted people. The problem is that we sometimes don't see the truth; we are in darkness, and many of us are just blind. We do not realize that we have put ourselves into the hands of Satan because we do not know how to tell the difference between right and wrong. Many of us become the image of Satan without even knowing it. I don't think that anyone could argue, regardless of religious orientation, that today's world is in a state of crisis. All one has to do is read the newspaper or watch television to be see how eroded the morals of our world have become. It is shocking to see and hear of the examples of inhumanity, cruelty, violence, abuse, drugs, war, crime, etc., etc. Much of the world has strayed far from a life centered around God and family. The answers which we need to redirect our life can be found by reading and living Our Lady's messages and the Scriptures. "You are ready to commit sin, and to put yourselves in the hands of Satan without reflecting." (May 25, 1987) "Do not allow Satan to gain control of your hearts, so you would be an image of Satan and not of me." (January 30, 1986) "Children, darkness reigns over the whole world. People are attracted by many things and they forget about the more important." "Light won't reign in the world until people accept Jesus, until they live His words, which is the Word of the Gospel." "Dear children, this is the reason for my presence among you for such a long time: to lead you on the path of Jesus. I want to save you and, through you, to save the whole world. Many people now live without faith; some don't even want to hear about Jesus, but they still want peace and satisfaction! Children, here is the reason why I need your prayer: prayer is the only way to save the human race." (July 30, 1987) We must realize that Satan is real. He uses us for his own end and purposes. His main purpose is destruction. Destruction of love, peace, faith, family, and life. Just as God gave David 5 stones with which to defeat Goliath, Our Lady is also giving us 5 Stones or Weapons we can use to defeat satan. They are: Daily Prayer (Of the Rosary) Fasting on Wednesdays and Fridays Daily Reading of the Bible Monthly Confession Holy Communion See above, for a detailed look at these 5 Stones or Weapons to conquer satan. We must realize that Our Lady's plan is for the entire planet, that this war is a war of love against destruction, and that Our Lady's goal in this struggle is the reign of love, and the return of souls to God. Our Lady tells us that our personal role is "Great". We cannot do enough to live the messages. We must be willing to abandon ourselves completely. When put in proper perspective, our homes, our money, and our businesses are not nearly as important as gaining eternal life in Heaven after this life. Matthew 16:25-27 "Whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it. What profit would a man show if he were to gain the whole world and destroy himself in the process? What can a man offer in exchange for his very self?" |
| Our Ladys Mission in Medjugorje |
| Talk by Fr Jozo Zovko OFM |
| URBI ET ORBI MESSAGE OF HIS HOLINESS POPE BENEDICT XVI CHRISTMAS 2007 “A holy day has dawned upon us. Come you nations and adore the Lord. Today a great light has come upon the earth.” (Day Mass of Christmas, Gospel Acclamation) Dear Brothers and Sisters! “A holy day has dawned upon us.” A day of great hope: today the Saviour of mankind is born. The birth of a child normally brings a light of hope to those who are waiting anxiously. When Jesus was born in the stable at Bethlehem, a “great light” appeared on earth; a great hope entered the hearts of those who awaited him: in the words of today’s Christmas liturgy, “lux magna”. Admittedly it was not “great” in the manner of this world, because the first to see it were only Mary, Joseph and some shepherds, then the Magi, the old man Simeon, the prophetess Anna: those whom God had chosen. Yet, in the shadows and silence of that holy night, a great and inextinguishable light shone forth for every man; the great hope that brings happiness entered into the world: “the Word was made flesh and we saw his glory” (Jn 1:14). “God is light”, says Saint John, “and in him is no darkness at all” (1 Jn 1:5). In the Book of Genesis we read that when the universe was created, “the earth was without form and void, and darkness was upon the face of the deep.” “God said, ‘Let there be light’; and there was light.” (Gen 1:2-3). The creative Word of God is Light, the source of life. All things were made through the Logos, not one thing had its being but through him (cf. Jn 1:3). That is why all creatures are fundamentally good and bear within themselves the stamp of God, a spark of his light. Nevertheless, when Jesus was born of the Virgin Mary, the Light himself came into the world: in the words of the Creed, “God from God, Light from Light”. In Jesus, God assumed what he was not, while remaining what he was: “omnipotence entered an infant’s body and did not cease to govern the universe” (cf. Saint Augustine, Sermo 184, No. 1 on Christmas). The Creator of man became man in order to bring peace to the world. For this reason, during Christmas night, the hosts of angels sing: “Glory to God in the highest, and peace on earth to those whom he loves” (Lk 2:14). “Today a great light has come upon the earth”. The Light of Christ is the bearer of peace. At Midnight Mass, the Eucharistic liturgy begins with this very chant: “Today true peace has come down to us from heaven” (Entrance Antiphon). Indeed, it is only the “great” light manifested in Christ that can give “true” peace to men: that is why every generation is called to welcome it, to welcome the God who in Bethlehem became one of us. This is Christmas – the historical event and the mystery of love, which for more than two thousand years has spoken to men and women of every era and every place. It is the holy day on which the “great light” of Christ shines forth, bearing peace! Certainly, if we are to recognize it, if we are to receive it, faith is needed and humility is needed. The humility of Mary, who believed in the word of the Lord and, bending low over the manger, was the first to adore the fruit of her womb; the humility of Joseph, the just man, who had the courage of faith and preferred to obey God rather than to protect his own reputation; the humility of the shepherds, the poor and anonymous shepherds, who received the proclamation of the heavenly messenger and hastened towards the stable, where they found the new- born child and worshipped him, full of astonishment, praising God (cf. Lk 2:15-20). The little ones, the poor in spirit: they are the key figures of Christmas, in the past and in the present; they have always been the key figures of God’s history, the indefatigable builders of his Kingdom of justice, love and peace. In the silence of that night in Bethlehem, Jesus was born and lovingly welcomed. And now, on this Christmas Day, when the joyful news of his saving birth continues to resound, who is ready to open the doors of his heart to the holy child? Men and women of this modern age, Christ comes also to us bringing his light, he comes also to us granting peace! But who is watching, in the night of doubt and uncertainty, with a vigilant, praying heart? Who is waiting for the dawn of the new day, keeping alight the flame of faith? Who has time to listen to his word and to become enfolded and entranced by his love? Yes! His message of peace is for everyone; he comes to offer himself to all people as sure hope for salvation. Finally, may the light of Christ, which comes to enlighten every human being, shine forth and bring consolation to those who live in the darkness of poverty, injustice and war; to those who are still denied their legitimate aspirations for a more secure existence, for health, education, stable employment, for fuller participation in civil and political responsibilities, free from oppression and protected from conditions that offend against human dignity. It is the most vulnerable members of society – women, children, the elderly – who are so often the victims of brutal armed conflicts, terrorism and violence of every kind, which inflict such terrible sufferings on entire populations. At the same time, ethnic, religious and political tensions, instability, rivalry, disagreements, and all forms of injustice and discrimination are destroying the internal fabric of many countries and embittering international relations. Throughout the world the number of migrants, refugees and evacuees is also increasing because of frequent natural disasters, often caused by alarming environmental upheavals. On this day of peace, my thoughts turn especially to those places where the grim sound of arms continues to reverberate; to the tortured regions of Darfur, Somalia, the north of the Democratic Republic of Congo, the border between Eritrea and Ethiopia; to the whole of the Middle East – especially Iraq, Lebanon and the Holy Land; to Afghanistan, Pakistan and Sri Lanka, to the Balkans and to many other crisis situations that unfortunately are frequently forgotten. May the Child Jesus bring relief to those who are suffering and may he bestow upon political leaders the wisdom and courage to seek and find humane, just and lasting solutions. To the thirst for meaning and value so characteristic of today’s world, to the search for prosperity and peace that marks the lives of all mankind, to the hopes of the poor: Christ – true God and true Man – responds with his Nativity. Neither individuals nor nations should be afraid to recognize and welcome him: with Him “a shining light” brightens the horizon of humanity; in him “a holy day” dawns that knows no sunset. May this Christmas truly be for all people a day of joy, hope and peace! “Come you nations and adore the Lord.” With Mary, Joseph and the shepherds, with the Magi and the countless host of humble worshippers of the new-born Child, who down the centuries have welcomed the mystery of Christmas, let us too, brothers and sisters from every continent, allow the light of this day to spread everywhere: may it enter our hearts, may it brighten and warm our homes, may it bring serenity and hope to our cities, and may it give peace to the world. This is my earnest wish for you who are listening. A wish that grows into a humble and trustful prayer to the Child Jesus, that his light will dispel all darkness from your lives and fill you with love and peace. May the Lord, who has made his merciful face to shine in Christ, fill you with his happiness and make you messengers of his goodness. Happy Christmas! |