MedjNews 69 - Our Lady of Medjugorje

Transcription

MEDJUGORJE NEWS
New Zealand
Issue 69 – September 2013
FREE
IN THIS ISSUE
* Latest Messages from Our Lady (p.3)
* From the Editor (p.4)
* Weakness can be strength (p.4)
* Crippled woman healed in Medjugorje (p.5)
* Vicka is unaware of claimed Bilocations (p.5)
* Injury keeps Vicka from Pilgrims (p.5)
* American testified to Vicka’s Bilocations (p.6)
* Strange light moved over Apparition Hill (p.6)
* Marija: We must respond with our lives (p.7)
* Ivan tells he was shown Heaven twice (p.7)
* Ten thousand attend anniversary (p.8)
*Intervention saved Mirjana’s secrets (p.8)
* The visionaries: Do not fear but prepare (p.9)
*Ivanka received no message (p.9)
* News from Medjugorje (Children of Medjugorje) (p.10-13)
* Martha and Mary (p.14)
* My faith journey (p.14-15)
* Visits to Medjugorje (p.16-18)
* The obstacle in the path (p18)
* Faith rediscovered (p19-20)
* Where is God (p.22)
* The Good Samaritan (p.23)
EDITOR:
Sarah Moran, Medjugorje News
PO. Box 287
DARGAVILLE 0340
Phone: (09) 439 6151 – (Fax: (09) 439 6182) - Email: [email protected]
Web site: www.medjugorjenews-nz.org
This newsletter is FREE
It may be copied and distributed free of charge. Further copies may be obtained from the address above.
The Editor relies entirely on Divine Providence for the expense of producing it and any
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(under the name of MEDJUGORJE NEWS TRUST) any donation of over $5.00 can be claimed for income tax
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As its name implies, the aim of this newsletter is essentially the spreading of the
messages received by the visionaries in Medjugorje, according to the wishes of Our
Lady.
The Medjugorje Story
On the evening of 24 June 1981, in the parish of St James in Medjugorje, six young people claimed to
have seen the Blessed Virgin Mary on Podbrdo Hill. The next day four of the six alleged another
meeting with Our Lady, and said they spoke with her. On this occasion, the four teenagers (three girls
and a boy) were joined by another young boy and a teenage girl. These six became the definitive
visionaries in Medjugorje; they are Ivanka Ivankovic, Mirjana Dragicevic, Vicka Ivankovic, Ivan
Dragicevic, Marija Pavlovic and Jakov Colo.
Since 1981, these six young people have been the centre of world attention, and medical and scientific
studies. Their principal claim is that practically every day to the present time, our Blessed Lady has
been appearing to one or more of them, and that from her they have received thousands of messages for
the parish of Medjugorje and the world. All six still claim apparitions, though only three of them now
on a daily basis, and each of the six says that he or she has received, or is in the process of receiving, ten
secrets. The first of the secrets is to be revealed to the world through Mirjana Dragicevic, and the third
is said to be concerned with a permanent sign that will authenticate the apparitions and be a help to
conversion, and will be evident to all at Medjugorje. The visionaries say that Our Lady identifies herself
to them as the Queen of Peace.
As a result of these claims, more than forty million people have visited Medjugorje from all over the
world and there have been many assertions regarding remarkable signs and wonders, cures and
spiritual healing. There is no doubt at all that those millions of people have found a pilgrimage to
Medjugorje one of the most spiritually significant experiences of their lives.
News from Medjugorje can be found at the official website:
http://www.medjugorje.hr/
We acknowledge and accept that the authority regarding the authenticity of apparitions, locutions and related
messages as well as all private revelations from Our Lord, Our Lady or any Saint rests with the Holy See of Rome
whose final judgement we will respect and obey.
We also affirm our total allegiance to our One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church, our Priests and
Bishops and our Holy Father, Pope Benedict XVI.
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THE MEDJUGORJE MESSAGE
The Blessed Virgin Mary proposes a six-point programme:
1. Faith - Belief in God and in the supernatural. It is your true vision. Therefore live by it.
2. Commitment to God - Let Him direct your life. Begin by turning away from sin in true conversion and repentance.
3. Prayer - Regular Mass, monthly confession, daily rosary and dedication to the Sacred Heart of Jesus and the Immaculate
Heart of Mary.
4. Fasting - Bread and water on Fridays (and Wednesdays) if you can. If not, at least cut back or practise some other form of
self denial.
5. Peace - In your own heart, in your family and neighbourhood and workplace, in all your human relations and reaching out to
the war-stricken world.
6. The Holy Bible - We should read part of the Holy Scripture every day.
The Messages of Mary are addressed not only to Catholics but to the whole human race, regardless of
beliefs or religion.
Our Lady’s Messages
25 April, 2013
‘Dear Children!
Pray, pray, keep praying until your heart opens in faith as a flower opens to the warm rays of the sun.
This is a time of grace which God gives you through my presence but you are far from my heart, therefore, I
call you to personal conversion and to family prayer. May Sacred Scripture always be an incentive for you. I
bless you all with my motherly blessing.
Thank you for having responded to my call."
25 May, 2013
“Dear Children!
Today I call you to be strong and resolute in faith and prayer, until your prayers are so strong so as to
open the Heart of my beloved Son Jesus. Pray little children, pray without ceasing until your heart opens to
God’s love. I am with you and I intercede for all of you and I pray for your conversion.
25 June, 2013
“Dear Children!
With joy in the heart I love you all and call you to draw closer to my Immaculate Heart so I can draw
you still closer to my Son Jesus, and that He can give you His peace and love, which are nourishment for each
one of you. Open yourselves, little children, to prayer – open yourselves to my love. I am your mother and
cannot leave you alone in wandering and sin. You are called, little children, to be my children, my beloved
children, so I can present you all to my Son.
25 July, 2013
“Dear Children!
With joy in my heart I call all of you to live your faith and to witness it with your heart and by your
example in every way. Decide, little children, to be far from sin and temptation and may there be joy and love
for holiness in your hearts. I love you, little children, and accompany you with my intercession before the
Most High.
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From the Editor
It all falls into place, even when I start to panic
that all is not ready, everything happens in His
timing, not mine. Mind you, this is what
happens in my life, I have to wait on The Lord
and his timing not mine and only then do I feel
a sense of peace.
The other amazing things happening at the
moment in our Parish, are the “Rediscovering
the beauty and depth of our Catholic Faith”
programmes as part of the year of faith.
Around 15 of us gather each week to discuss
our faith, always enlightening and enriching.
As I said before, we live in exciting times, the Lord is always
close at hand. Many blessings and graces to all.
Dear Friends of Medjugorje News,
Thank you to all who responded to the call of
our Lady regarding the finances.
Many
blessings to each and everyone of you.
Our Parish Priest recently thought it
would be a good idea to hear the faith journeys
of some of the parishioners. Bernadette and I
were asked to do testimonies, and it was
appropriate the Gospel readings were on
Martha and Mary, the testimonies you will find
on page 14 and 15. I am always amazed at The
Lord calling me, a nobody, to do His work. It is
not by my strength but by His, and this is so apparent when I
come to do the magazine each quarter, He and His Mother give
me direction as to what goes into the magazine.
Sarah Moran
Work of Mercy - Visiting those in prison – by writing
Would you like to become involved in a very special work of mercy by writing to long-term prisoners in a foreign country?
Divine Mercy Publications have set up a team of letter writers to correspond with the inmates of a maximum security jail in
Zambia, central Africa. Most of these are Catholics/Christians to whom we send reading and prayer literature as well as
clothes and toiletries.
The requests for pen pals are growing; the prison we write to has over 400 inmates, most of whom are in desperate need
of consolation and encouragement. They are served by an Irish Catholic priest, whom they see 2-3 times per month.
We wish to continue this important work of mercy and need helpers to ‘adopt’ a prisoner and write on a regular basis,
usually once every 1-2 months. Can you help?
There will be absolutely no cost to you, Divine Mercy Publications/Trust will cover all expenses including sending funds via
the prison Chaplain approximately twice per year to help the inmates purchase food, toiletries, medicines, clothes and in
some case pay a portion of their children‘s school fees to prevent them becoming ‘street kids‘.
All you need give is your time and mercy to these needy souls.
If you would like to know more please contact us.
Thank you for your consideration of this important request.
Divine Mercy Publications Trust Christchurch. PO Box 20266 Bishopdale Christchurch 8543 - Ph/Fax 03 359 2087
Weakness can be strength
A 10-year-old boy decided to study judo despite the fact that he had lost his left arm in a devastating car accident. The boy
began lessons with an old Japanese judo master. The boy was doing well, so he couldn’t understand why, after three months
of training the master had taught him only one move. “Sensei,”(Teacher in Japanese) the boy finally said, “Shouldn’t I be
learning more moves?” “This is the only move you know, but this is the only move you’ll ever need to know,” the sensei replied.
Not quite understanding, but believing in his teacher, the boy kept training.
Several months later, the sensei took the boy to his first tournament. Surprising himself, the boy easily won his first two
matches. The third match proved to be more difficult, but after some time, his opponent became impatient and charged; the
boy deftly used his one move to win the match. Still amazed by his success, the boy was now in the finals. This time, his
opponent was bigger, stronger, and more experienced. For a while, the boy appeared to be overmatched. Concerned that the
boy might get hurt, the referee called a time-out. He was about to stop the match when the sensei intervened. “No,” the sensei
insisted, “Let him continue.” Soon after the match resumed, his opponent made a critical mistake: he dropped his guard.
Instantly, the boy used his move to pin him. The boy had won the match and the tournament. He was the champion. On the
way home, the boy and sensei reviewed every move in each and every match. Then the boy summoned the courage to ask
what was really on his mind. “Sensei, how did I win the tournament with only one move?” “You won for two reasons,” the
sensei answered. “First, you’ve almost mastered one of the most difficult throws in all of judo. And second, the only known
defense for that move is for your opponent to grab your left arm.” The boy’s biggest weakness had become his biggest
strength. “But he said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.’ Therefore I will boast
all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.” - 2 Corinthians 12:9
When it comes to life, for some folks their biggest strength becomes their biggest weakness. For example, as Jesus said
about the wealthy man, “Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter
the kingdom of God.” – Matthew 19:24. The eye of the needle was referring to a door in the wall of the city (as it was
commonly called) which was too small for a camel to go through, meaning that it was impossible for a person who trusts in his
riches—or his fame, personality, power or position—to get into God’s heaven.
On the other hand, when we acknowledge our weaknesses and know that we need to depend on God for guidance, wisdom,
discernment, and deliverance from temptation – this can become our greatest strength.
Prayer: Dear God, please deliver me from the sin of pride and help me always remember to be dependent on you for
guidance, wisdom, direction, power to overcome temptation, and for my eternal salvation. Thank you for hearing and
answering my prayer. Gratefully, in Jesus’ name, Amen.
www.turnbacktoGod.com
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Crippled woman healed in Medjugorje
Jakob Marschner 23 April, 2013
After 18 years on crutches, Linda Christy from Canada arrived in Medjugorje in a wheelchair. Doctors are
unable to explain why she could leave it and walk on Apparition Hill. Because her spine is still deformed, and her
other medical tests also look the same as before she was cured.
Medical science cannot explain how Linda Christy from Canada left her wheelchair in June 2010 in Medjugorje,
after 18 years with a crippling spine injury. “I experienced a miracle. I arrived in a wheelchair, and now I walk, as
you can see. The Blessed Virgin Mary healed me on Apparition Hill” Linda Christy tells Radio Medjugorje. Last
year, on the second anniversary of her healing, she handed over her medical documents to Medjugorje’s parish
office. They testify to a double miracle: Not only did Linda Christy start walking but also her physical-medical
condition remains the same as before. “I brought all the medical findings that confirmed my condition, and there is
no scientific explanation as to why I am walking. My spine is in such a bad shape that there are places where it is
not even coherent at all, a lung has moved six centimetres, and I still have all the spine diseases and deformities”
she says. “After the miracle happened to my spine, it is still in the same poor condition it was, and therefore there
is no medical explanation as to why I can stand on my own and walk after I walked on crutches for 18 years, and
spent a year in a wheelchair.”
Vicka is unaware of claimed Bilocations
Jakob Marschner 21 May, 2013
Medjugorje visionary Vicka Ivankovic-Mijatovic has been seen in the homes of several people, even though it is
known that she was elsewhere when the sightings occured. Vicka confirms that people have told her of healings
through her visits, but says she does not know what happens.
Several people testify that Medjugorje visionary Vicka Ivankovic-Mijatovic has been present in their homes, and
that healings have resulted – by a time when Vicka was elsewhere. The phenomenon is called bilocation, and is
among the most rare gifts of the Holy Spirit. In recent decades, the ability to be present in more than one place at
the same time has also been associated with Saint Padre Pio. Though she has heard people tell her stories of her
presence, Vicka has no conscious awareness of possessing the gift, she tells the Irish author and Medjugorje
resident Finbar O’Leary in the new, updated version of his book “Vicka, Her Story”:- Your most recent gift, the gift
of bilocation, seems to be similar to St. Padre Pio, where you are coming to people all over the world. I have
heard some beautiful stories about this, that as a result of you appearing to them, people are healed of cancer
and many different sicknesses? the author asks Vicka.“I do not know. I pray about it. I cannot confirm or deny any
of that. They are mostly people who have some illness like cancer and perhaps are not able to move” Vicka
replies. “When they visit Medjugorje, they tell me that they experienced my presence in their homes, that I was
there. But I have no awareness of that” the visionary adds.
A woman from Italy shared with me a few months ago that she had been diagnosed with cancer and was
waiting to go into hospital. One night while asleep in her home, a beautiful young woman appeared, dressed in
white. Later in hospital, further tests showed the cancer was completely gone. Shortly afterwards she came to
Medjugorje with a small group of pilgrims from Italy. One morning they came to the yeard of your home, to hear
you speak. The moment she saw you, Vicka, she recognised you as the young woman who had appeared in her
home. “As I said, I have no awareness of this but I do pray about it.”
Injury Keeps Vicka from Pilgrims
Visionary Vicka Ivankovic-Mijatovic is going through complicated back therapy and cannot talk to pilgrims in the
months to come. Though another operation is not on schedule, it is unknown how long she will take to recover.
Once more, a push from a pilgrim is the cause of her absence.
Medjugorje pilgrims are unlikely to get a glimpse of visionary Vicka Ivankovic-Mijatovic when next month sees
the celebration of the 32nd anniversary of the Virgin Mary’s apparitions. In April, another close encounter with an
enthusiastic pilgrim ended up injuring Vicka’s spine, forcing her to leave Medjugorje for an unspecified time of
medical treatment.
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“She was taken to Rome for exams of her spine, and then treated in Zagreb. For the moment the doctors do not
plan on another operation, but she must undergo very delicate back therapy that might last some time” the
Medjugorje based French nun Sister Emmanuel Maillard writes in the recent newsletter of her organisation,
Children of Medjugorje. “So she will not be able to continue her marvelous welcoming of pilgrims in Medjugorje
during the coming months, and we do not know how long her absence will last” Sister Emmanuel adds. “We miss
her a lot! But she remains with us, more than ever, with her heart and her ardent prayer! God is in charge, and we
know that everything contributes to the good of those who love Him. Let us pray for Vicka, Mario and their two
children!”
American testified to Vicka’s Bilocations
In a fully conscious state, Scott Lannin from Michigan saw Medjugorje visionary Vicka Ivankovic-Mijatovic
smiling at him five years ago in his hospital room.
Told by his wife, his testimony is the first public one about Vicka’s bilocations that the seer says she is not
aware of herself. Medjugorje pilgrim Scott Lannin from Howell, MI, got a major surprise when he was in hospital
five years ago. He told his wife he was visited by visionary Vicka Ivankovic-Mijatovic. Vicka’s alleged gift of
bilocation was rumoured for years before she first talked about it in public, saying in a new book that she has
heard people tell her such stories, but can neither confirm nor deny them.
Scott Lannin and his wife Barbara had been in Medjugorje two years earlier when his mysteruous encounter
with Vicka took place. “While in the hospital either in May or June of 2008 Scott was in the hospital for either his
knee or his hip replacement. He has had over 20 surgeries since 1994. He has received The Last Rites many
times” Barbara Lannin tells Medjugorje Today. “On this particular night the people who took us to Medjugorje in
2006 came to visit Scott. When it was time for them to leave, I walked with them to the elevators and then came
back to his room. It was very strange because there should have been several nurses at the nurses station which
was right at Scott’s door but there was no one around.” “I went back into his room and sat in the chair next to him.
He said to me, “Did you see her?” I said “who?”, he said “Vicka” and I said “what are you talking about?.” And
again he said “Vicka, the visionary from Medjugorje! She was right here in the doorway of the room smiling at me.
She had on a pink golf shirt and she was smiling at me. She didn’t say a word she just kept smiling at me” says
Barbara Lannin.
She further tells Medjugorje Today that her husband was not a Catholic, and that she had “fallen away from the
Church” when they went to Medjugorje in 2006. “The experience changed both of our lives forever. I came back to
the Catholic Church and he became a Catholic. Today I belong to two Medjugorje prayer groups, and we spread
the word about Medjugorje every time we get the chance.”
Strange Light moved over Apparition Hill
For 2 minutes 39 seconds in the evening of May 24, locals and pilgrims saw a bright light hovering over
Apparition Hill. Captured by professional photographers, the light moved, rose into the sky, then stopped and
disappeared behind the hill. “We knew it was a miracle” they say.
Marketing professionals Mario Gerussi and Nadir Cukurija from the Bosnian company Innovattivo were in
Medjugorje to take photos for one of their clients. But in the evening of May 24, their cameras caught something
else. “Suddenly, at the site of Our Lady’s apparitions, a bright light appeared which literally hovered over the place
for a while. Then it began to move and to rise into the sky, then it stopped and disappeared behind Apparition Hill”
Mario Gerussi tells the Bosnian blog site Kapetan. The phenomenon lasted for exactly 159 seconds from 9.18.51
until 9.21.30 pm, little more than half an hour before visionary Ivan Dragicevic had a public apparition at the foot of
the hill, by The Blue Cross. “We were on the roof with mounted cameras aimed at the hotel where we were
shooting. The light appeared by itself, we knew it was a miraculous phenomenon we captured. It lasted only two
minutes and I can quite honestly claim that the photographic equipment was in perfect condition and that we have
done nothing to stage this spectacular event” Gerussi says.
His partner Nadir Cukurija notes that the moving light was seen by many people. “We are particularly happy
that we were not alone to see the mysterious light. It was noticed by many citizens of Medjugorje who silently and
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respectfully observed the movement of the light” he tells Kapetan. “We have high resolution photos that we will
gladly submit to any kind of analysis. What you need is to contact Innovattivo. Our team will be happy if the
experts can determine the origin of the mysterious light in order to reach a scientifically based conclusion” Nadir
Cukurija says.
Marija: We must respond with our lives
It is easier to preach than to live the Virgin Mary’s messages – but what works is the latter, as Christians are
called to lead by example, says visionary Marija Pavlovic-Lunetti who points to the Pope for inspiration.
To warn of the opposite she says the world offers a highway of perdition. Witnessing the Christian faith only
works when it is being lived, not merely talked about, Medjugorje visionary Marija Pavlovic-Lunetti said on May 25,
on the air on Radio Maria. She had just received the Virgin Mary’s new message which reads: “Dear children!
Today I call you to be strong and resolute in faith and prayer, until your prayers are so strong so as to open the
Heart of my beloved Son Jesus. Pray little children, pray without ceasing until your heart opens to God’s love. I
am with you and I intercede for all of you and I pray for your conversion. Thank you for having responded to my
call.”
“We Christians speak with the witnessing of our lives. So many times we profess the faith but then, in practice,
we are not being consistent. From the beginning, the Madonna said: “Live my messages and put them into
practice” Marija commented. “So many times we speak of fasting, but do not fast. No! With our lives we must lead
by example. Even though it is difficult, and so it is easier to preach. There is no word as effective as life, as we
have seen with so many priests, with many people who have gone to Heaven before us.”
Marija mentioned “a generation of priests” in Medjugorje as examples, then pointed to Rome for a recent and
even more well-known one: “Pope Francis is responding with his life one hundred percent. With his life and with
little and simple messages he is giving a very strong example of simplicity, humility, devotion, and love. That is
what we should be doing all of us” Marija said before drawing up two clear alternatives: “Of course we know it is
not easy to be holy because, to go to Heaven, we must take the narrow path, not the broad one, but today the
world offers us the highway of perdition” the visionary said. Marija further told that, even after almost 32 years of
apparitions, the Medjugorje visionaries can also still ask themselves why God acts in certain ways and permits
certain things: “When faced with certain crosses, so much suffering, hunger, poverty and many other things in the
world, we (the visionaries) also wonder: why does God allow these things? That is why Our Lady calls us to be
strong in faith, attached to God, because if we have God, we have everything, as Saint Augustine said.” “Faced
with these questions, Our Lady tells us to pray and to offer up our suffering, so that our suffering has meaning”
Marija said. “I always say that our prayer has no limits, no boundaries, no walls.
Sometimes we can only pray, then the Lord gives, the Lord sees our good will, sees our request, our desire, our
suffering, our pain. When we are more concerned, we should pray. Our Lady asks us to pray hard and
relentlessly. And to those who struggle in faith, who loses it and walk away, she is asking us to give them an
example with our lives.”
Ivan tells he was shown Heaven twice
Jakob Marschner 11 June, 2013
Unlike other Medjugorje visionaries who tell the Virgin Mary showed them Heaven only once, Ivan Dragicevic
says Mary did so twice with him, in 1984 and 1988. Ivan describes the experience in the same way as visionary
Vicka Ivankovic-Mijatovic who tells she was in Heaven in 1981.
Medjugorje visionary Ivan Dragicevic has seen Heaven on two separate occasions, he reveals in an interview
with Radio Maria director Fr. Livio Fanzaga, published in the Italian daily il Giornale. - Our Lady showed the
visionaries the afterlife, to remind us that we are pilgrims on earth. Tell us about this experience? Fr. Livio asks.
“In 1984 and also in 1988, Our Lady showed me Paradise. She told me (she would) the day before. On those
days, I remember, Our Lady came, took me by the hand and in a moment I arrived in Paradise” Ivan replies.
“It is an area without internal frontiers as in the valley of Medjugorje, with no boundaries, where they are singing
songs. There are angels and people walking and singing, and all are wearing long dresses. The people looked the
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same age.” “It is difficult to find the words. Our Lady leads us to Heaven and every day brings us a little piece of
Paradise” Ivan says.
Ivan’s description of Heaven matches that given by visionary Vicka Ivankovic-Mijatovic who tells she was taken
to Heaven in her body in the Autumn of 1981, along with visionary Jakov Colo. People looked for them for half an
hour, but were not able to find them.
Ten Thousands attend anniversary
Jakob Marschner 24 June, 2013
The 32nd anniversary of the apparitions is celebrated by great crowds of believers, a local news portal reporting
expectations of 100,000 people present. Cross appeared in the clouds during Mass on June 22. Public apparition
to visionary Ivan Dragicevic on top of Apparition Hill tonight.
Medjugorje is flooded with pilgrims gathering to mark the 32nd anniversary of the Virgin Mary’s apparitions on
June 24-25. Without citing sources, the local news portal Brotnjo Online reports that 100,000 people are expected.
Though this figure is likely too high, Medjugorje being unable to house this many pilgrims, many come from
nearby areas which could serve to make the expected number more credible. “For several days, numerous
columns of Catholics from home and abroad have travelled day and night to be present in “the oasis of peace”,
once again experience true peace and reconciliation, gain spiritual strength, strengthen their faith, and give thanks
to the Queen of Peace in Medjugorje for all the graces they have been endowed with” Brotnjo Online reports.
“From several directions, numerous pilgrims are on the march from Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina and other
countries. Many will hike dozens or even hundreds of kilometres, some even barefoot.”
During the evening Mass on June 22, many among the waiting pilgrims got a special treat when a Cross
appeared in the clouds. This morning saw the 22nd traditional peace march from Humac to Medjugorje, starting at
6 pm. At 10 pm on Monday, visionary Ivan Dragicevic will have a public apparition on top of Apparition Hill. The
evening Mass on June 25, the formal anniversary day, will be led by the new Franciscan Provincial, Fr Miljenko
Steko, previously the director of Radio Mir Medjugorje.
Intervention saved Mirjana’s secrets
Jakob Marschner 23 July, 2013
During the war in Bosnia, the parchment outlining visionary Mirjana Dragicevic-Soldo’s 10 prophetic secrets was
in Sarajevo, inaccessible to her. But a Spanish soldier felt an urge to enter her family’s house, found the
parchment, then heard a voice tell him to deliver it in Medjugorje.
Wartimes are extraordinary times, and during the war in Bosnia it took extraordinary means to save the
parchment containing the 10 prophetic secrets the Virgin Mary has entrusted to Medjugorje visionary Mirjana
Dragicevic-Soldo. The parchment, impossible to decipher to anyone else than Mirjana, was in Sarajevo, the
besieged capital of Bosnia and Hercegovina, hidden inside a bag. When the war broke out, Mirjana was in
Medjugorje and could not return to retrieve the document. That the parchment had stayed in the inaccessible
house in Sarajevo worried Mirjana. During an apparition, she asked the Virgin Mary about it. In response she was
told: “Do not worry about it. My Son will take care of this” Miljana Barbaric, a niece of the late Medjugorje priest Fr.
Slavko Barbaric tells Gabriel Paulino, the editor of Medjugorje Brasil.
Ms. Barbaric is a distant relative of Mirjana, as Fr. Slavko was also the uncle of Mirjana’s husband, Marko
Soldo.
“Shortly after, a Spanish soldier from the UN peacekeeping forces felt a strong call to enter Mirjana’s family
home. Upon entering, he saw the bag and took it. When he opened it, he saw the parchment inside. Then the
soldier heard a voice telling him: “Go to Medjugorje and deliver this to Mirjana Dragicevic-Soldo” Miljana Barbaric
tells.
When the prophetic secrets are about to take place, Mirjana will hand over the parchment to the Franciscan
priest Fr. Petar Ljubicic who, Mijana tells, will be able to decipher only the secret related to the event just about to
take place. Then he and Mirjana will pray and fast for 10 days. Three days before each event, Fr. Peter will reveal
what will happen.
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The visionaries: Do not fear but prepare
In spite of their knowledge and despite that the later secrets made all the visionaries sad, they have repeatedly
said that no one should fear the 10 secrets. Instead they have repeatedly urged everyone to prepare – by making
good use of this time which the Virgin Mary has called “a time of grace”: A time to convert and return to God
through prayer, fasting, confession, going to church and reading the Bible.
Mirjana - chosen for a key role when the secrets are to be revealed
“People always ask me curious questions about the secrets. But I tell them that
the Virgin Mary has said that we should not talk about the secrets, but that we
should pray. Anyone who accepts the Virgin Mary as his Mother and God as his
Father does not have to worry about anything”, Mirjana said in 2001 and, indeed,
on many other occasions.
“There is no need to frighten people. The Virgin Mary does not come to frighten
anyone. That is not her goal. She comes to help us”, Ivan said in 1992 and,
again, on many other occasions.
“With prayer and penance the chastisement can be lessened. I can only say: Prepare. If you do, you will thank
God for all eternity”, Vicka has said.
Ivanka received no message during
her annual apparition
JUNE 26 (Medjugorje Today) - Visionary Ivanka Ivankovic-Elez had her annual apparition on June 25, and
afterwards told Medjugorje's parish office that the Virgin Mary had given her motherly blessing whereas she had
not given her a message.
Further unlike in previous years, Ivanka did not report of having been reminded of one of the 10 prophetic
secrets the Virgin Mary has entrusted to her.
Ivanka had her last daily apparition on May 7th 1985, and has had an apparition per year since 1986, always on
June 25, the anniversary of the first apparition.
Tuesday's apparition took place in Ivanka's home, with only her family present.
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We therefore grossly deceive ourselves in not allotting more time to the study of divine
truths. It is not enough barely to believe them, and let our thoughts now and then glance
upon them: that knowledge which shows us heaven, will not bring us to the possession
of it, if it remain slight, weak, and superficial.
- Saint Apollinaris the Apologist (d. 175), Feast Day January 8
The day you learn to surrender yourself totally to God, you will discover a new world, just
as I am experiencing. You will enjoy a peace and a calm unknown, surpassing even the
happiest days of your life.
- Blessed Jaime Hilario Barbal (1898-1937), Martyr, Feast Day January 18
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Excerpts from
Children of Medjugorje
From Sister Emmanuel - http://www.childrenofmedjugorje.com/
On June 2, 2013, Mirjana received her monthly apparition at the blue cross, surrounded by a huge crowd of
pilgrims. After the apparition, she conveyed the following message:
"Dear children! In this restless time, anew I am calling you to set out after my Son - to follow him. I know of the
pain, suffering and difficulties, but in my Son you will find rest; in him you will find peace and salvation. My
children, do not forget that my Son redeemed you by his Cross and enabled you, anew, to be children of God; to
be able to, anew, call the Heavenly Father: 'Father'. To be worthy of the Father, love and forgive because your
Father is love and forgiveness. Pray and fast, because that is the way to your purification, it is the way of coming
to know and becoming cognizant of the Heavenly Father. When you become cognizant of the Father, you will
comprehend that He is all you need. I, as a mother, desire my children to be in a community of one single
people where the Word of God is listened to and carried out.* Therefore, my children, set out after my Son.
Be one with him. Be God's children. Love your shepherds as my Son loved them when he called them to serve
you. Thank you."
* Our Lady said this resolutely and with emphases.
June is a month rich in feasts for the Church! There is the celebration of Corpus Christi, the Sacred Heart,
the Immaculate Heart of Mary, and the Holy Trinity! Contrast these with the "feast" celebrated by the President of
the United States who has again declared the month of June "gay pride month," and the "feasts" of some French
who stormed three different cathedrals in rebellion against the Catholics who oppose gay marriage which was
legalized there in May. So, it is more important than ever that we welcome the immense graces that come through
our celebrations of God and His saints. These graces are a light in the middle of the darkness that is now
overtaking so many children, young people and older people. "He who looks to him will be radiant", says the
Psalmist. And looking to Him simply means adoring Him.
In addition to celebrating the graces offered by God during the feasts this month, we can also prepare our hearts
for the anniversary of the apparitions in Medjugorje by saying the prayer given by the Angel of Fatima to the 3 little
shepherds in 1916 from the bottom of our hearts as often as we can. The novena celebrating the 32nd
Anniversary of the Apparitions begins on June 15th and ends on the anniversary itself, June 25th. This prayer
dispels so much darkness! It would be a lovely gift of thanksgiving to offer Mary for her 32 years of apparitions!
God alone is able to dissipate the density of evil that attacks us every day, but the worshiper powerfully assists
God's action by begging for His mercy. One can always hope for better politicians, but he who can and will
change things is you, today! It is you, it is I, it is us, those who wish to adore the Living God in spirit and in truth.
May the true worshipers grow in number and in quality, and the face of the world will be changed!
Here is the prayer that came to us from heaven at Fatima:
"Most Holy Trinity, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, I adore you profoundly. I offer you the most Precious Body,
Blood, Soul, and Divinity of Jesus Christ, present in all the tabernacles of the world, in reparation for the outrages,
sacrileges, and indifference by which He is offended. And through the infinite merit of His Most Sacred Heart, and
the Immaculate Heart of Mary, I beg of you the conversion of poor sinners."
Miracle in Buenos Aires! In 1996, when Pope Francis was the auxiliary bishop of Cardinal Quarracino in
Buenos Aires, a remarkable Eucharistic miracle occurred. The present Pope himself examined the issue and
requested that the object of the miracle be photographed. The results are amazing.
On August 18, 1996, at 7 pm, Father Alejandro Pezet was celebrating Mass in the church that is in the centre of
the city. He was about to finish distributing Holy Communion, when a woman came to tell him that she had found
a host that someone had thrown away at the back of the church. Fr. Alejandro went to take a look and saw the
host. It was in poor condition and soiled. Because he could not consume it, he put it in a small bowl filled with
water and then placed it in the tabernacle of the chapel of the Blessed Sacrament.
On August 26 he opened the tabernacle, and to his great amazement he saw that the host had become a kind of
bloody substance. He informed Mgr Jorge Bergoglio, who gave instructions to have the host photographed by
professionals. These photographs, taken on September 6th clearly show that the host, which had become a
fragment of bleeding flesh, had significantly increased in size. For several years, the host remained in the
tabernacle, and the entire matter remained a secret. Because the host was not undergoing any kind of visible
decomposition, Mgr. Bergoglio decided to have it scientifically analyzed.
On October 5, 1999, in the presence of Mgr. Bergoglio's representative, (who had become Archbishop in the
mean time) Dr. Castanon took a sample of the bloody fragment and sent it to New York to be analyzed. Because
he did not want to influence the results of the examination, he decided not to tell the team of scientists where the
fragment came from.
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One of the scientists was the famous cardiologist and forensic pathologist, Dr. Frederic Zugiba. He determined
that the analyzed substance was actual flesh and blood containing human DNA. He stated that: "The analyzed
material is a fragment of the heart muscle which is found in the wall of the left ventricle, near the valves. This is
the muscle that contracts the heart. We must remember that the left ventricle of the heart acts as a pump that
sends the blood through the entire body. The heart muscle is in a state of inflammation and contains a large
number of white blood cells. This indicates that the heart was alive at the time when the sample was taken. I
confirm that the heart was alive, because white blood cells die outside of a living organism. They need a live
organism in order to remain alive themselves. Therefore, their presence indicates that the heart was alive when
the sample was taken. In fact, these white blood cells had penetrated into the tissues, which is an even stronger
indication that the heart had been subjected to intense stress, as if its owner had been severely beaten on the
chest."
Two Australians, journalist Mike Willesee and attorney Ron Tesoriero, witnessed the tests. Knowing the origin
of the sample, they were taken aback by Dr. Zugiba's statement. Mike Willesee asked the scientist how long the
white blood cells could have stayed alive if they had come from human tissue kept in water. Dr. Zugiba told him
that they would have ceased to exist after a few minutes. The journalist then revealed to the doctor that the
substance from which the sample was taken had first been preserved in ordinary water for one month, and that
after three years, it was preserved in a bowl filled with demineralized water. Only then was a sample taken to be
analyzed. Dr. Zugiba was very embarrassed by this information because he said that there was no way of
explaining it scientifically.
Dr. Zugiba then asked the following question: "Please explain the following to me: if this sample comes from a
dead person, how is it that while I was examining it, the cells of the sample were moving and pulsating? If this
heart comes from someone who was alive in 1996, how can it still be alive?" Only then did Mike Willesee reveal to
Dr. Zugiba that the analyzed sample came from a consecrated host (white bread with no leavening), which had
mysteriously been transformed into human flesh and blood. Astounded by this information, Dr. Zugiba said: "How
and why could a consecrated host change its nature and become living human flesh and blood, this will remain an
inexplicable mystery for science - a mystery completely beyond its competence."
Then, Dr. Ricardo Castanon Gomez arranged for the laboratory reports written after the Buenos Aires miracle to
be compared to the reports that were written after the Lanciano miracle, again without revealing the origin of the
test samples. The experts who proceeded with this comparison concluded that the two laboratory reports had
analyzed test samples coming from the same person. They further pointed out that the two samples revealed an
"AB positive" blood type. This blood had the characteristics of a man who was born and lived in the Middle East.
Only faith in the extraordinary action of God can give a reasonable answer! God wants us to be aware that He is
truly present in the mystery of the Eucharist. The Eucharistic miracle of Buenos Aires is an extraordinary sign,
witnessed by science. Through this sign, Jesus wishes to awaken in us a living faith in His Real Presence in the
Eucharist, real, and not symbolic. It is only with the eyes of faith, and not with our human eyes, that we can see
Him in the form of consecrated bread and wine. In the Eucharist, Jesus sees us and loves us and wishes to save
us.
Filip Pavlovic. On July 3rd, the nephew of the visionary Marija Pavlovic-Lunetti will be ordained a priest at the
church of St James in Medjugorje. He received his calling at the age of 4, and since then never thought of
changing his direction. Let us pray with him and for him! As Mary tells us, let us love our shepherds as her Son
loved them when He called them to serve us!
On July 2nd, Mirjana received her monthly apparition at the Blue Cross. The Hill of Podbrdo was covered with
huge crowds! After the apparition, she gave the following message:
"Dear children, with a motherly love I am imploring you to give me the gift of your hearts, so I can present them
to my Son and free you - free you from all the evil enslaving and distancing you all the more from the only Good my Son - from everything which is leading you on the wrong way and is taking peace away from you. I desire to
lead you to the freedom of the promise of my Son, because I desire for God's will to be fulfilled completely here;
and that through reconciliation with the Heavenly Father, through fasting and prayer, apostles of God's love may
be born - apostles who will freely, and with love, spread the love of God to all my children - apostles who will
spread the love of the trust in the Heavenly Father and who will keep opening the gates of Heaven. Dear children,
extend the joy of love and support to your shepherds, just as my Son has asked them to extend it to you. Thank
you."
I have just come back from Lourdes where my community celebrated its 40th anniversary since its
foundation. The celebration was magnificent, and experiencing it together in this blessed place further added to
the grace. There were over 2000 of us, including members of The Beatitudes community and our friends. A
young man asked me "Why do you come to Lourdes when you live in Medjugorje?" Funny question! Here is the
answer I gave him, and to explain it, I have to share with you some aspects that are quite personal.
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- First of all, because I love my community and a 40th anniversary must be properly celebrated! That alone was
enough to make me travel all the way from Hercegovina.
- Also because my Community assigned me to give several talks, both at the large assembly and for young
adults and teenagers, so how could I possibly say no? The idea of conveying something positive to my dear
country of France, was a strong motivation, especially now when our politicians are doing everything possible to
evict God and our most vital values from the country. Poor politicians! Striving to evict our Creator and Saviour
has never worked, they should do some research!
- Also because for me, Lourdes has a double history. In the summer, my family would travel to the seashore
near Saint Jean de Luz, on the Atlantic Ocean, and each year my father would take us at least for a day to
Lourdes, in order to pray and bathe in the blessed waters. How I bless him for this family tradition that he enabled
us to keep for so many years! Given all the trials my family went through, this anchoring in the Heart of Mary
saved us from many evils.
- Now let me share a beautiful personal experience, since many pilgrims ask me why I love Lourdes so much. At
the age of 28, when Jesus called me to belong to Him completely (but not in a convent), I discovered the new
Community of the Lion of Judah in June 1976. I felt strongly called by the life I saw there, which fit my own hopes
and aspirations. The Lion of Judah was the first name of the Community, which was renamed "Community of the
Beatitudes" in 1992. However, before making a decision to enter it, I needed to receive a sign from Heaven,
something really concrete. At the end of my one week visit to the Lion of Judah community, I was supposed to
travel to Lourdes for the huge Pentecost gathering, which was organized by the prayer group "Emmanuel", to
which I belonged in Paris since my conversion. I had prepared this Pentecost through a novena to the Holy Spirit,
asking Him to shed light on the place Jesus had chosen for me to live out my consecration.
As soon as I arrived in Lourdes, I ran to the Grotto where Mary appeared in 1858, and I bowed down in the very
place where Bernadette had stood. (The spot is marked on the ground.) And I prayed to the Virgin with great
fervour, I thanked her for my being there and told her about my situation. After having prayed for a long time with
my nose to the ground, my back started aching and I stood up. And that is when I understood! Mary had not
answered me with words, even less so with a vision (with me, she never does that). But she had oriented my
heart without my even realizing it! She had delicately moved my heart to lean toward God's will, so that when I
stood up, my question had completely disappeared. It was as if I had tipped over to the other side with great
peace, I was already a member of the Lion of Judah, she had mysteriously given me this sense of belonging - this
had become completely clear, obvious. This is typical of her way of doing things, humble and hidden, but how
deep and efficient! I was filled with joy and thanked her, but I needed the approval of the founder of the
Emmanuel, Pierre Goursat, who was also present in Lourdes. He had given me some small responsibilities in
Paris, and he could have said, "Out of the question, you stay with us!" But he was a man of God, and very
inspired, and he said: "Yes, this Community is very well suited to you, go ahead!" I also needed the approval of
the founder of the Lion of Judah, Ephraim. This went through with no problem and I was able to join the
Community in the summer of '76. And I am still in it, thanks be to God.
Even though the Blessed Mother hasn't appeared there in a long time, Lourdes is a place where she is still
present, offering all her maternal love to her children and her powerful action to change their hearts. Wherever
Mary is present, we are transformed. It is like in Fatima or Guadalupe - she is there, that's all, and it is a great
thing! One day, Medjugorje will also become a place where she will no longer appear. She has said so. But she
also said, "My eyes and my heart will be here, even when I no longer appear." (Message to Mirjana, March 18,
'96)
Congratulations, Guardian Angel! Last week in Lourdes, I absolutely wanted to go bathe in the pools,
especially for a person suffering a great deal. One morning, I received the grace of being invited to go there with
a group of children, together with the supervisors. But because the pools were quite damaged by the floods,
some of them were closed, and you had to stand in line for several hours, which was impossible for me that day.
However, as I walked by the pools, I saw one of our sisters on the other side of the fence, with the children. She
had been waiting for her turn for a long time. It was impossible for me to join her, because in Lourdes, the
entrance to the pools is carefully guarded, and the guards are strict! But nothing is impossible for God, and I
didn't want to give up. So I called upon my great heavenly friend, my guardian angel, and I briefed him in a few
words, "It is impossible for me NOT to go bathe, this person for whom I have come here would be much too
disappointed! So here is your job: please get me in! Find a way, you are an angel, you can do it!" So I kept
walking along the separation fence and suddenly, I saw something that should never have happened: the 3
guards had disappeared from in front of the door! Wasting not a single minute I jumped at the opportunity. I
walked through the door looking unconcerned, and sat down next to my sister. 20 minutes later I was in the
water!
So congratulations, my Guardian Angel! And the same phenomenon of grace took place in the bath. Though
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plunging into this dirty and ice-cold water is a real penance, the grace that one receives at the same time is simply
uplifting! After bathing in the pools, you really feel as if you are wrapped in the maternal mantel of Our Lady, it just
makes you melt inside.
If you go to Lourdes, do not miss the pools! The experience is just as powerful as being present at an
apparition!
Blessed mockery! A French pilgrim came to see me in Medjugorje. "Sister," she said to me. "Let me tell you
how Jesus and Mary caught me!" A few years ago I was walking around the open market in my village, all
leisurely. I walked up to a stand that sold all sorts of different things; I bought a piece of clothing and paid for it.
As I was leaving, the sales woman called after me, saying, "Here, take this audio tape, it's free! I'm sick of it! It's
all nonsense!" The audio tape was about Medjugorje. I listened to it the same day, and I cried from beginning to
end. I listened to it 50 times, it was like light shining in my darkness and I couldn't get enough of it. Then I
decided to look for information about the Christian faith, which I had never practiced. And that is how I was
converted, and it gives me such joy!".
You never know what trick is up the sleeves of Our Lady. She will find anything to reach her children! She
infiltrates everywhere and uses every possible means. Even mockery is useful to her! How had that tape landed
with this anti-Christian sales woman? Whose heart had prayed? Whose hands had given? The summer gives us
new opportunities to do good deeds. Let us pray to be guided in the smallest gestures of our daily life, and sow
generously! In the great plan to save humanity, nothing is too small before God. "Dear children, I need you,"
Mary tells us over and over again, waiting for our answer without ever getting tired!
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Recently our Parish Priest decided that parishioners should give their faith journey at Mass, I have
included Bernadette and My testimonies. Bernadette and I work together on many ministries within our
parish as well as the Medjugorje News. Hope you enjoy our journey. Regards, Sarah
Martha and Mary
By Sarah Moran
Father Oliver used to call Bernadette and I, Martha and Mary, and I always used to wonder who is Mary and who is Martha. Now I
know, we are both Martha and Mary, Martha one of action and Mary one of prayer. Both Bernadette and I have a prayer filled life and
also have various ministries in our parish.
I am the second eldest of 10 children, born into a family of parents who I would say had a casual relationship with God. We were
baptized in the Anglican Church, but I can remember going to the Methodist, Salvation Army and I think the Open Bretheren Church,
because Mum liked the people involved. My first association with the Catholic Church, was that most of the kids in our neighbourhood in
Te Kopuru were Catholic and they used to go off to CCD on a Monday night.
My relationship with Noel coincided with my first conscience knowledge of a relationship with God. I used to go to Church with
Harold and Audrey, Noels parents, I was fascinated with the rituals of the Church. I do remember thinking when they used to bow to
something in the front, and I am thinking you got to be joking, no way am I ever going to do that. Also the standing, kneeling, sitting, it
was all so confusing. What did impress me though, was the devotion of Harold and Audrey, the reverence, they may not have expressed
anything in words but their actions left a mark on me. I thought I want some of that, whatever that may be.
I remember Harold saying to me, after Noel and I had been together for a while, we must have been talking about marriage. He stated
quiet categorically that if we got married, we would be married in the Catholic Church. I remember thinking, yea rite, if I get married, I
am going to get married in that lovely Anglican Church in Te Kopuru, the wedding photos would look so fantastic and romantic.
When Audrey died suddenly, it left the question, what are we here for, there has to be something more than this. And that is when The
Lord started directing me or maybe that is when I started listening. I approached a Priest and started the journey of becoming a Catholic. I
seriously had my eyes on Noel Moran as future Husband material but I can say the journey to Catholicism was purely for me.
I became a Catholic, it took me 12 months of preparation, attending a meeting with the Parish Priest each week. He tried to cover all
aspects of the Catholic faith, but I must say I am still learning something new each day. Towards the end of 10 months of preparation, I
began to think how long is this going to take and I asked the Priest, and he said I wondered when you were going to ask. You must be
ready, I wished I had asked sooner. Within 12 months of being received into the Church, Noel and I were married. (In the Catholic
Church in Dargaville, my romantic notions had changed.) Then began the honeymoon period with the Church and Noel. Everything was
so new and wonderful. Then came the children four years later and the honeymoon was over.
When our children started school, at St Josephs, we decided that we had better start going to Mass on a more regular basis. We thought
we had to give the children a role model with going to church, practice what you preach. So back to regular Mass, sacramental
programmes, altar servers and camps. It was lovely, the community of the Church, interacting with other families who put their family
first. A wonderful time for us and as the children got older, a more intimate relationship with God and Mary, asking/begging them to look
after our children. Especially when they were out at night with their friends, praying that they would come home safely.
Now the children have nearly left, we still have Jono at home with us, it is a time for giving again to the church, more time on our
hands, and a commitment to God. A faith that is in our blood, a faith that I could not be without, something that I cherish everyday. I
don’t know how anyone survives without that belief, I could not, I do not want to be without my faith. I cling to The Lord everyday.
The family tree is about to be extended, our son Greg lives in Brisbane and he and his partner are expecting our first grandchild in
February. Obviously we will be spending a lot of time in Australia, cherishing the beginning of new life. And we want to be there, not
only as doting grandparents but also as role models, not only by our words but by our actions, just as Harold and Audrey were to me many
years ago. The circle of life continues.
In the 31 or so years, of becoming a Catholic, The Lord has taken me on an amazing journey. I know he is always there by my side,
He has introduced me to His Mother Mary whom I love very much. He helps me every day and I know if I listen to Him in the depths of
my heart, actually sometimes He yells, He will guide me along my life to my Home in Heaven. He has prepared a place for me, He knew
me before I was born, He knows me inside and out, and … He still loves me. He gives me a deep sense of peace. Amen
MY FAITH JOURNEY
By Bernadette Isaacs
I was born of a Catholic Mother and a Catholic Father. Both their parents were catholic also. I remember both my grandmothers being
very diligent and dedicated to praying the rosary. I have been very blessed and fortunate to witness my Fathers very dedicated and
disciplined prayer life. From a very young age I remember my Father coming in from milking, having his breakfast then kneeling at his
bed praying. This happened every day at the same time, day in day out and now that he is retired it still happens, only a bigger portion of
his day is spent in prayer. I know it is his prayer that has helped get me where I am today.
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I was educated at both primary and secondary catholic schools. After leaving school I wanted a life of fun and adventure and told myself
I didn't really need God or church to make me happy. In fact this would just get in the way of living the good life.
I will never forget the first time I made the decision not to go to Sunday Mass. All day I felt something was missing, it was a terrible
feeling. Even knowing this horrible experience I persisted in missing Mass and soon I didn't even think about it and I lost touch with God
and my church family.
When I was about to get married I decided I would have a simple wedding at home. I went to tell Dad my plans, his very gentle but
authoritative voice said “you can't do that you need to get married in the church.” His words were like a sword that pieced my heart, I felt
his pain and sadness. I also knew he was right.
I then had to tell Athol that we had to get married in the Catholic Church. I was pretty scared and thought this might be the end of our
relationship. But no Athol was all good. We had our marriage preparation with Father Phil and this is where my journey back to my faith
and belonging to my church family began again.
The next new beginning on my journey was the birth of our first child Roanna. God put a great and burning desire on my heart to have
her Baptized. I wanted the very best for my child and Baptism was the beginning. This time I wasn't scared about asking Athol could she
be baptized in the Catholic Church and once again he said yes and supported me in every way. Athol has been Baptized an Anglican, so
really he could have asked why not his church.
As each child arrived Baptism was the first event of their lives to be celebrated. Not only was my faith being rekindled, but the ripples of
God's grace and love were also eminent within our growing family. Soon it was time for Roanna to receive her First Holy Communion
and Confirmation. I became involved in this preparation and once again there was a new awakening for me. Walking this journey with
each child was a wonderful experience and a strengthening of our family life.
One of the topics we cover with the children is “Belonging”. I remember this word “Belonging” caught my attention but I never did
anything about it. As the years past, I attended more and more programmes that the parish offered. I remember the Alpha course was very
simple but so enlightening for me. And it was while being involved with this programme that i realized how important prayer is. I
searched through my family and picked four members who were really dedicated to their prayer life, that i knew were constantly praying,
and asked them to specifically pray for one of my children. Which they said “yes” to. To this day my children are covered in prayer each
day.
After this God put in my path the Eucharistic Convention which is held every year just after Easter. I began attending this also taking my
children. They would have a special time for the youth. It was a weekend away in the city and totally about God.
Somewhere around this time Mrs Mona Gilmour gave me a book on Medjugorje, she often talked to me about it, but I was to busy with
four young children and couldn't afford it anyway so dismissed it. Our Lady had a different agenda for me and out of the blue while on
holiday in a quiet moment I had an overwhelming desire to go to Medjugorje. My desire was to take my children. I then had a thought I
could take two and Athol could take two. Not long after this it was time for the Eucharistic Convention again, so off I went with my
children. While i was there I prayed to Our Lady and asked that if that desire was of her would she grant that desire and that I could take
my children.
The next September Roanna and I were off to Medjugorje. We stopped off in Rome and visited St Peters Basilica. When we walked in
one of our group said with such passion “this is where we belong this is ours, can't you feel it?” There's that word belong again and no I
don't feel like I belong. I was thinking what’s wrong with you lady we are across the other side of the world.
We arrived in Medjugorje, and I didn't care weather I ever saw home again, I had three other children and a husband back there, how
could I feel like that I wondered. The peace I experienced I cannot describe its nothing that the world could ever give and that’s why I felt
like I did. I receive a love for the Mass and prayer while there and I'm sure a love for God's people was also given to me.
As it has turned out my girls have all been and Athol is still to go. My hope is that one day he and I will go as I feel I have unfinished
prayers there.
God has slowly and gently knitted me into this parish that now it is part of me and I truly feel I belong to a very loving and supportive
community.
So you see in my journey I have had both Martha and Mary times, but most important I have had great role models and now I am able
to come and sit at Jesus feet and be still.
May God Bless you all and may we continue to encourage and inspire each other in this our journey of faith.
My beloved Jesus, I embrace all the tribulations You have destined for me until death. I beg You, by
the merits of the pain You suffered in carrying Your Cross, to give me the necessary help to carry
mine with perfect patience and resignation. - Saint Alphonsus Liguori (1696-1787) Doctor of the
Church, Memorial day August 1
15
VISITS TO MEDJUGORJE
by Christine Thomson
As I start to write this article on my most blessed and amazing visits to Medjugorje over the last 18 years, I
realise I have journeyed a very, very long way as regards to my faith. I firstly wish to confirm how very
REAL Medjugorje is - how very alive the faith is to be seen and enjoyed and how many spiritual events are
happening there on a daily basis - my account cannot do justice to the enormity of Our Lady's apparitions
in Medjugorje! A place where you meet and enjoy the most amazing people. In May 1995 I first travelled there
with an English group from the Centre for Peace in Ilford Essex. Nearly half the group were Anglican. All had a
great love of Our Lady. I wrote about this for the Medjugorje News in Issue 11 - September 1998, after I had
visited again - this time with my eldest daughter Rachel, who at that time was nursing in London. The first visit
was marked by the accounts of those with me - stories of healing and conversion. A mother and daughter had
both had amazing experiences - the mother had been healed of a deep depression, and her daughter had brought
her 5 year old son with her to Medjugorje - he had a crippling bone disease and was under a Harley St specialist.
The healing took place on Mt Krizevac! Now these two women were returning with others.
I just loved the packed Masses, Adoration and visiting the Holy sights. I also experienced 3 most unusual
events. Firstly while praying by the Blue Cross using crystal rosary beads suddenly the bead I was praying on
became a deep red (Sacred Heart of Jesus?) and the following 2 turned the deepest of blues (Our Lady). This
lasted for a few moments. A lovely experience. During a Mass being said by a Ugandan Cardinal a voice said
something to me - very personal to my life at that time. After climbing Krizevac with our group - praying the
Stations of the Cross as we went, we rested at the top, and just as we started to descend, someone in the group
drew our attention to the sun! The sun was spinning - the shape of a large Host was hovering out from the sun,
streamers of small hosts were flying out from the big Host- colours also circled the sun - green, red, gold. We all
saw this amazing sight. On the way back down, for some reason, I began to doubt a little what I had seen and
thought that I should check our sun when I got home!! I looked back, and this time I saw red around the sun and a
red heart above it. The Dean of the Dundee Cathedral was beside me and he confirmed what I had seen. My 5
days there were amazing.
As I said earlier, my second visit was with my eldest daughter Rachel. As one of 5 children Rachel was keen to
have quality time with her Mum, and I very much looked forward to our time together. I hoped she would be
touched in some way to help her with life's journey. We spent a very special 6 days there in 1997. We met some
very interesting people including a couple from Memphis USA - Chuck and Lyn. Chuck was taking part in the
Deaconate program in the States. He was also working for a company that produced sails for the America's cup
boats so we met up with them again when they came to Auckland for the next challenge.
One evening Rachel, Lyn and I went to visit Nancy Latta - Fr Jozo's English interpreter. Lyn had brought a handful
of prayer intentions from prisoners at a Memphis jail. I had a bunch of intentions from home. The door was
opened by a young kiwi guy who had gone to the same college - Rosmini - as our two sons! Visiting Nancy was
like visiting an angel. Nancy gave Lyn some amazing spiritual material to take back to the prisoners. Were there
some conversions among the recipients?!I hope so. Nancy would make sure these prayer intentions would be
present at one of Our Lady's apparitions. After this visit in 1997 I really felt the desire to take a group
to Medjugorje. I prayed about this of course and in 2001 after lots of phone calls, prayer and wonderful help I met
my group of 10 at Auckland Airport and our journey began. Another kiwi joined us at our destination. We spent a
day in Rome on the way and a day in Dubrovnik. We spent a wonderful 7 days there soaking up the graces and
beautiful Masses, Adoration, talks and visionary visits. Our ages ranged from 15 to 80 years! It is so hard to pick
highlights as every day was special. One evening after Mass and Adoration we were driven to the Blue Cross
where Ivan was to have his daily apparition at 10pm. A huge crowd was gathering- the darkness broken only by
people's torches. People were singing. We managed to get surprisingly close. Three of our group in particular Pat,
Anne and Jade managed to get very near the Blue Cross. It became incredibly quiet right down to the road when
the apparition took place. From where I was I became aware that something was happening by seeing the faces
of Anne and Jade. A young Lebanese woman had seen Our Lady and with tremendous joy was reaching up- she
fell backwards supported by others. We were told that Our Lady had appeared with angels, was joyful and
blessed us all. She prays for the sick and for PEACE in the world. I questioned later how clearly I had been able to
see Anne and Jade's faces as it was 10pm and dark!! The 9th of September - Feast of the Triumph of the Holy
Cross. With the help of our guide we left the house at 6.45am to walk 3 hours to get to the top of
Mt Krizevac along with approximately 100,000 other pilgrims. Mass was celebrated and Communion distributed. I
marked this as a day never to be forgotten! We had other special experiences and managed to get some news of
what had happened in America on September 11th. Some of us rang home to be shocked by what we heard.
Such a special group for this pilgrimage.
In 2004 another special opportunity to visit Medjugorje. This time it was a visit unique in every way! This time
16
my husband Peter and I were going. We had been married for 34 years. Peter was not a Catholic - very
supportive when it came to our children being Baptised and educated in Catholic schools, however he had made it
very clear he was "not interested in that kind of thing" so didn't come to church with me and I had not really been
able to share my faith with him. After a difficult time in our lives in the late 90s he had started coming to Mass with
me. This was incredibly special, and so when we were planning our trip to the UK to see our 2 sons, who were at
that time living there, I decided to ask him if he would like to visit Medjugorje with me and he said YES. Our first
challenge was arriving at Edinburgh Airport and learning that the airline we were booked to fly to Zurich to catch a
Croatian Air flight - had gone out of business a year before!! Panic! A very helpful British Airways lady was able to
get us on other flights and we arrived in Dubrovnik pretty jaded but to be greeted by a most spectacular sunset!
Our 2 days in Dubrovnik were well worth it and we were driven through to Medjugorje by our hosts son Joseph.
We spent 7 lovely days there together. We visited Siroki Briege to hear Father Jozo Zovko speak. He was the
parish priest in Medjugorje when the apparitions started and was imprisoned and badly treated by the
communists. (Currently he is living in Austria). Walking around Apparition Hill we ran into Father
Rory Morrisey with a group from N Z. We could not go to Ivan's apparition by the Blue Cross on the Friday as
there was thunder and lightning. We joined the big crowds attending the English and Croation Masses. We were
struck by the rudeness of people rushing into the church for the English Mass, often when Communion was still
being distributed at the German Mass which preceded it - even though the priest had asked people not to! I was
so pleased to see last year that the back doors are now held by volunteers and are not opened until the German
pilgrims have left by the side doors. Huge numbers of pilgrims from all around the world, during the summer
months, often attend Mass outside at the rear of St James Church. We walked for miles and just soaked up the
joyful experience. Over dinner one night I asked Peter if he would like to be a Catholic! He answered by saying he
probably would before he turned 60 - and indeed he did! A tremendous blessing and Medjugorje miracle after
nearly 40 years of marriage at that time. Our last evening there we spent at the Croation Mass, followed by
prayers for healing and the Glorious Mysteries and such beautiful singing.
In 2008 Peter and I visited our eldest son Anthony and his fiancé Kylie, plus our second daughter Melanie and
her husband Sean, who were living in London at that time. During our time with them we all flew to Split and
picked up a rental van and Anthony drove us - via Dubrovnik! - through to Medjugorje. We spent 4 amazing days
there and I attempted to show the family around and explain the events there. Kylie wanted me to mention how I
fell coming down Mt Krizevac and gave everyone a big fright! I have been up and down the mountain many times
safely- not at all easy as many will know! Fortunately there was no blood or broken bones just a bruised and
swollen right arm and with lovely help from the family and the medical people at the Maltesar Centre I carried on as you do! The day before this we had a special moment with Vicka. My sense of direction around those windy
paths between St James Church and Apparition Hill has not improved and so after the English Mass we found
ourselves walking the long way round, on the dusty road, away from Apparition Hill, then a right turn which took us
past Vicka's house. What a wonderful surprise for there she was on her front steps just finishing talking to a group
of pilgrims. And even more surprising was the way she greeted us. She caught sight of us as we came into view
and smiled that amazing smile and waved! Melanie said "She knows you Mum!" I went into the little courtyard and
she prayed over me with both hands- fingers firmly on my head! My prayers were very much for Rachel, who was
married and living back in NZ, and had now been diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis.
2012 presented another opportunity to visit Medjugorje with our youngest daughter Lisa, who was now living in
Berlin. Earlier in the year I had contacted Patricia Parsons who takes groups there every year from New Zealand.
It seemed to me a good idea to be part of a group again. Accommodation would be taken care of and also being
able to be part of events which take place there continuously! Patricia and I communicated through the year and
how special it was to discover that the date Lisa and I had been booked to arrive in Split was the same date
Patricia was due to arrive with her group via Rome!! Lisa and I flew in from Berlin - we arrived within half an hour
of each other. How awesome of Our Lady to organise our travel in such a perfect way. We were so very blessed
to be part of Patricia's group! She looked after us so well - great people, many special events and yet time to
ourselves which I believe is very important as ultimately we are called individually to consecrate ourselves to Our
Lady's Immaculate Heart and the Sacred Heart of Jesus and especially our children and all our family. There were
many highlights to this visit. Lisa and I had such a lovely time together. On the first afternoon we decided to go up
Apparition Hill. Lisa's observation was "You weren't exaggerating about the rocks and how difficult this is to climb!"
For me now that I am a lot older and also it was mid-afternoon and the temperatures were in the mid-30s, so it
was challenging but so very worth the effort. We then headed down to the Blue Cross one step at a time - a place
of great serenity. That evening we walked up to the St James Church for the Croatian Mass which is preceded by
the Joyful and Sorrowful Rosaries. During the summer months this continues to take place behind the church in a
very big open area. The huge altar and many priests for the concelebrated Masses are on a raised area behind St
James. As we walked along the area beside the church, I noticed people looking at the sun as it was not far off
setting - I called Lisa and others in the group to look at how beautiful it was - Spinning with a large Host in front,
17
also colours of pink, purple and orange around it as it continued to dance! Lisa saw a huge sun that seemed very
close and she managed to take a photo.
During the Croation Mass we became aware of the smoke hovering around as lots of ash started to fall on the
congregation. And there was a curious thing. We noticed over three night’s fires burning behind Apparition Hill.
These were scrub fires and no sign of helicopters with monsoon buckets or fire appliances! On the third night we
could see lots of flames which was a concern as we were about to move to a pansion near the base of Apparition
Hill. The next morning the fires were gone! Thousands of mainly Italian pilgrims were there and I have never seen
so many coaches pouring in, and out, of Medjugorje. We were now staying in Ivan's brother's house and how
special it was to see Miryana leaving her home, at 8.15 in the morning, surrounded by several protective Croatian
men and heading to the Blue Cross for Our Lady's message for the 2nd September. Later that day we took our
petitions to place near the altar in Ivan's chapel and remained during his apparition. Our amazing time came to an
end. On our last night we walked back from St James along the dusty well-worn pilgrim path, in complete
darkness, with the aid of a small torch. We were so happy to see all the beautiful lights that now illuminate the
path up Apparition Hill Lisa and I caught a 6am bus to Dubrovnik the next morning and the following morning
another 6am bus to Split, to catch our flight back to Frankfurt.In conclusion: I have been very blessed with my
experiences of Medjugorje. At no point did I want this article to sound "preachy" as I am just an ordinary person
working my way through life as best I can, with the constant help of Our Lord and His Blessed Mother.
A spectacular view of the sun
Miryana walking to the Blue Cross
The Obstacle in the Path
Author Unknown
In ancient times, a King had a boulder placed on a roadway. Then he hid himself and watched to see if anyone
would remove the huge rock. Some of the king’s wealthiest merchants and courtiers came by and simply walked
around it. Many loudly blamed the King for not keeping the roads clear, but none did anything about getting the
stone out of the way.
Then a peasant came along carrying a load of vegetables. Upon approaching the boulder, the peasant laid
down his burden and tried to move the stone to the side of the road. After much pushing and straining, he finally
succeeded. After the peasant picked up his load of vegetables, he noticed a purse lying in the road where the
boulder had been. The purse contained many gold coins and a note from the King indicating that the gold was for
the person who removed the boulder from the roadway. The peasant learned what many of us never understand!
My 2 cents
Every obstacle presents an opportunity to improve our present condition. We often fail to see beyond the
obstacle. Problems are there in every person’s life but the way we look at the problem is what matters. We can
make a mess of our lives or we can chose to handle our problem. We need to go beyond the problem to get the
solution. Trials make us stronger. Life is full of challenges but God will help us to face these challenges and make
us bold.
“Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial, because when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown
of life that God has promised to those who love him.” James 1:12
“Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance.”
Romans 5:3
18
Faith Rediscovered
By Tom Darte
I fell away from the Catholic Church during my college years, and it took 30 years for me to find my way back.
My story is about the loss of faith, not switching churches. I crossed over from childish belief to adult skepticism
and came back with a mature understanding of faith. How could a cradle Catholic, an altar boy, who had the
wonderful benefit of eight years of parochial school under “the wings” of the Dominican sisters, fall so far? I recall
one day in the classroom, probably in seventh or eighth grade, Sister Mary Evelyn warned us about the danger of
losing our faith. It happened to one of her relatives and I wondered in a childish way how this could happen to
anyone. I was convinced this could never happen to me. How is it that I remember this one little prophetic moment
in the classroom so many years ago?
Cradled in Catholicism. I grew up in a small rural town in the heartland of America, surrounded by farmland as
far as the eye could see. The two Catholic churches in my hometown — one ethnically German and the other Irish
— recalled an earlier time in American history when immigrants settled in a new land filled with opportunity and
freedom. God and country resonated in this post World War II America. I loved growing up in that little town, but
when I was fifteen, my family moved. My mom, a cradle Catholic, made sure that my two younger brothers and I
always went to Mass and said our prayers. She worked in a shoe factory and sacrificed a lot for us kids. My dad
didn’t go to church, but this never bothered me. He was a hard working coal miner in the early days and a U.S.
Navy frogman in World War II; he left the matters of religion to mom. I am sure that my mother prayed for me
every one of those 30 years I was out of the church and I owe a lot to both of my parents.
A fallen-away Catholic. So, how does it happen? How does a person lose faith after such a wonderful
upbringing? It was a gradual process. I went to a public high school and attended Mass regularly during the late
50s. Once in college, however, things began to slide. Even though I still lived at home while commuting to an
urban university, it was easy to miss Mass. At first, it didn’t occur to me to question Catholic teachings, but my
best friend in college was a fallen away Catholic and a self-professed atheist. Several of my classmates were
atheists, or at least had serious questions about religion. I lost track of the few Catholic friends that I had after high
school. I car-pooled with a classmate who would grill me about why I believed what the Catholic Church taught.
I started out defending my faith, but gradually I felt I had nothing to fall back on. I knew what I had been taught,
but when challenged, I could only refer vaguely to the Bible. This was a big problem for me, because I had never
actually read it. I lacked the depth of an adult understanding of the Catholic Faith and Scripture. When I would
mention the Bible, my best friend (the fallen away Catholic) would say, “I gave up believing in fairy tales when I
was a child.” Those words struck me hard in my youth and still resonate with me today. I pray that he will read the
Bible one day and reconsider his atheism.
A distant deity. My best friend and I were studying to be engineers and we both elected to take three
semesters of philosophy, which was offered to supplement our scientific training. One philosophy professor
admitted to being an atheist. The books that we read ignored religion or approached God as if He were a distant
deity. I am not sorry that I studied philosophy, but it raised many questions and provided few answers. Gradually
over the next five years, I began to doubt everything I was taught as a Catholic. I even questioned the existence of
God. I wasn’t against religion or Catholic teaching, but it was easier to just forget about it. I stopped going to
church altogether, except sometimes at Christmas and Easter. I stopped receiving the Sacraments, which (in
hindsight) made matters worse. Why search for the un-knowable, the un-provable? Just live the “good life,” and
after all, it was the 60s. Peer pressure, atheists, and the 1960s culture had me seriously confused. I had crossed
over to a point that I call the “Dark Side;” a point from which I thought I could never return. I was sort of
“brainwashed.” I rarely sought help during my faith crisis, and when I did, I was told to just pray about it, but how
can you pray when you don’t have any faith?
Marriage and my wife’s influence. Try as I might, God didn’t let me forget about Him. It was soon after
college that I met my future wife, Mary Ann, who was Catholic. She wanted a church wedding, which meant I
would have to at least try to be in good standing with the Church. What was I going to do now? With what little
faith I had left (and a little heroism), I went to Confession, hoping to make a turn-around, but I soon reverted back
to my former lifestyle. Mary Ann tried to encourage me to attend Mass, but I only went occasionally, and even
then, I just sort of sat there. For years to come, I pretty much left it up to her to take care of getting our two
children to Mass. Does that sound familiar? I was just like my dad, but the similarity didn’t occur to me at the time.
Throughout this period of about 10 years, I could never forget about my Catholic upbringing. It kept prodding me,
somehow. Eventually, I decided to take a Bible study taught by a lay theologian at a Catholic church in town. I told
him my story after class and he was extremely nice to me. He was a young man about my age, recently married,
and had a child at home. This was my first real encounter with the Bible — and it was interesting! I didn’t actually
read it, though; I just listened to him talk about it, mainly the Old Testament.
Events that caused me to rethink my loss of faith. One afternoon after class, I questioned — maybe
“challenged” is a better way of putting it — the teacher about the basis for belief in the Holy Spirit (coincidentally,
belief in the Holy Spirit was what I was lacking). At first, it was just the teacher and I, but eventually the pastor
19
walked through to close the church. They both spent time trying to explain the Holy Spirit in Scripture, but I
couldn’t — or stubbornly wouldn’t — understand. The discussion carried over outside to a beautifully quiet
summer evening. It was dark and we were still discussing the Holy Spirit when suddenly the outdoor light fixture
came crashing down on the concrete not more than a hundred feet away from where we stood. I said to the
teacher, “Wasn’t that a coincidence?” “Maybe,” he said with a wry smile. Well, I still didn’t read the Bible at that
time, but this incident had a long-lasting impression.
One day at the golf course, I met a priest. We began talking and, after a while, I told him about my situation. He
told me that before he became a priest, he was a captain in the U.S. Navy. He had quite a reputation and had a
girl in every port. He was trying to tell me that we are all sinners and that, no matter where you have been, it is
possible to come back to the Faith. Sadly, before I could arrange to talk with him further, he died from cancer. I
still thank him today for how hard he was trying to help me.
Sometime later, I was driving at high speed when I heard a noise. I stopped to check my car and I found that the
tire tread had separated and there was no tread left — none! I was riding on the inner tubing of the tire. I was in a
very dangerous place on a two-lane, back road and I could have easily been killed. I recalled a previous time
when I lost control of my vehicle and slid sideways down the middle of the road. The last thing I remember seeing
were the headlights of an oncoming vehicle. Miraculously, I survived the crash and no one was hurt. Was God
trying to tell me something?
Meanwhile, Mary Ann kept urging me to go to church with her. Around 1994, I finally agreed and we began to
attend Mass together. Although I still had this “faith” problem, I found I really liked the priest at her church. His
homilies were all based on Scripture and, as it turned out, he was a bomber pilot in World War II before becoming
a priest later in life. Was it just a coincidence that both priests I liked had a military background?
Keeping an open mind. I learned this priest was teaching a class for non-Catholics who were considering
becoming Catholic (RCIA). I decided to attend and keep an open mind, but I was still skeptical. Mary Ann
attended with me and we studied from a book that presented the Faith with a lot of scriptural references. Later, we
studied from the Catechism of the Catholic Church. I also noticed the numerous references to the Bible as I read
through the Catechism. I didn’t tell the priest about my lack of faith, but I recall one question that I asked him had
to do with the topic of faith. He said, “You should believe so that you can understand, not try to understand so you
can believe.” This idea really struck me. So it happened! I made an appointment to meet with this priest. I told him
about my loss of faith and how I was unable to overcome it. “Why don’t you just go to Confession?” he said. I
could tell that he meant face-to-face — right then! The last time I went to Confession was when I was married and
that was behind a screen, 20 years ago! He said, “I will help you through it,” as he put on his stole. Somehow I
knew when I made the appointment that he would ask me to go to Confession. I thought I wouldn’t do it, but I did!
After absolution, I felt a great sense of relief. It was a dramatic moment as I knelt to receive Holy Communion the
next Sunday after all of those lost years.
Looking at Scripture in a new “Light”. I had just taken a leap of faith, but did I just “magically” believe at that
point? No, of course I didn’t. However, in order to help my unbelief, here is what I did: I read the New Testament
from beginning to end! I read the New Testament first, because it was easy to read and understand. I made notes
in the margins and underlined certain passages. The “key” for me was to actually read it thoughtfully and
prayerfully, not just to hear someone talk about it or to teach it. While reading, I searched for the teachings of the
Catholic Church within the Scriptures. This changed my point of view. Like St. Paul, the “scales” fell off of my
eyes. Now, I knew not only what I was taught, but I could see the truth of the Church teachings in the beautiful,
written Word of God. I no longer needed to worry about a distant deity as I was taught in philosophy; I was able to
see God in the Person of Jesus Christ! I was no Bible scholar, but I didn’t need to be one. Just by reading
Scripture in conjunction with the Catechism of the Catholic Church, I knew I would not be in danger of
misinterpreting what I read. Now, when I hear the Gospel at every Mass, I can truly identify with it in the context of
the deeper understanding I received by reading the Bible as an integrated whole.
Now, I have crossed from the “Dark Side” back over to a place I call “The Light.” There is no doubt that my wife,
Mary Ann, prayed for me and helped me to see that Light. I credit the Holy Spirit, prayer from loved ones, and
help from priests for my reconversion. Receiving the Sacraments helped heal my soul, but reading the Catechism
and the New Testament helped restore my faith.
The Coming Home Network International.
Now, we must help each other to get to Heaven.
- Blessed Charles of Austria (1887-1922), Feast Day October 21
20
à
True Life in God N.Z. Assn.
"these terrible sights I see coming"
Saint Mary speaks to Vassula Ryden (now 71) about
fasting.
The Dictation reads: "My Eyes dissolve in tears of blood at all
these terrible sights I see coming; today if I tell you all this, it is
not just to impress you or frighten you, but to ask you to pray for
Peace... allow Me therefore to transform your hearts into a
beautiful garden for the Holy One.... I am happy to see so many of
you fast on bread and water..." (dictated on 3/11/1990).
To read this Dictation and others, please go to www.tlig.org (international website).
Literature available on request from True Life in God NZ Association, 6 Chatham Mews, Flaxmere, Hastings 4120.
TEL (6) 8797 055 Email enquiries: [email protected]
God sees every one of us; He creates every soul for a purpose. He needs, He deigns to
need, every one of us. He has an end for each of us; we are all equal in His sight, and we
are placed in our different ranks and stations, not to get what we can out of them for
ourselves, but to labor in them for Him. As Christ has His work, we too have ours; as He
rejoiced to do His work, we must rejoice in ours also.
- Venerable John Henry Cardinal Newman (1801-1890), Feast Day October 9
Where is God
He was just a little boy, on a week’s first day. He was wandering home from Sunday School, and dawdling on
the way. He scuffed his shoes into the grass; he found a caterpillar. He found a fluffy milkweed pod, and blew out
all the “filler.”
A bird’s nest in a tree overhead, so wisely placed on high, Was just another wonder that caught his eager eye. A
neighbour watched his zig zag course, and hailed him from the lawn, Asked him where he’d been that day and
what was going on.
“I’ve been to Bible School,” he said and turned a piece of sod. He picked up a wiggly worm replying, “I’ve
learned a lot of God.”
“M’m very fine way,” the neighbour said, “for a boy to spend his time. If you’ll tell me where God is, I’ll give you a
brand new dime.”
Quick as a flash the answer came! Nor were his accents faint. ”I’ll give you a dollar, Mister, if you can tell me
where God ain’t.” www.turnbacktoGod.com
Faith together with works,
chastity together with humility,
fasting together with moderation,
poverty together with generosity,
patience without resentment,
work without grumbling,
religion without hypocrisy all these things are contained in holiness.
- Saint Colman of Elo (d. 610), Feast Day September 26
22
The Good Samaritan
Today, Jesus speaks in a parable what the world must never forget--the parable of the Good Samaritan.
A seminary professor once gave an assignment to his graduate students. Each was to prepare a 20 minute
presentation on the parable of the Good Samaritan, to be delivered to the entire faculty of the theology
department. One by one, the students were called, on short notice, and told when and where they were to
appear.
In their rush to prepare their presentations, each student had to pass a man who had obviously spent the
night outside the campus. He was filthy, with a long beard, dishevelled hair and a slur to his words that
indicated
intoxication,
or
perhaps
a
medical
emergency of
some
sort or other.
One by one the students made their apologies--or their excuses--on their way around the man (one even
going so far as to jump over the man in his haste). Unfortunately for these eager students, that man was
their professor in disguise and their treatment of him was the basis for their final grade!
The message was a clear one. If we want to see Jesus Christ in our lives, we need to look into the very
eyes of our brothers and our sisters in need—our very own neighbours! How embarrassed the young scribe
must have been when Jesus questioned him at the end of the story: "Which of these three in your opinion
was neighbour to the robber's victim?"
The young man was unwilling to even say the word "Samaritan," so he said instead, "the one who treated
him with mercy." Jesus generously gives him credit for the right answer.
By the way, if you or I had been in that professor's class, I wonder what our grade would have been.
Msgr. Paul Whitmore [email protected]
Faith renders meaningless such words as anxiety, danger, and fear, so that the believer goes
through life calmly and peacefully, with profound joy, like a child hand in hand with his mother.
- Blessed Charles de Foucauld (1858-1916)
MY SOUL IS THIRSTING FOR YOU, OH LORD - Volume II
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MedjNews 69 - Our Lady of Medjugorje

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