"Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you" (Mt. 5:44) Jesus teaches us. A whole spirituality could be formed on this passage. And indeed have. Saints lived out their whole lives loving their enemies and praying for those who persecuted them and doing other good things for them. St. Thomas Moore who, it is true was a man who delighted in humor, tipped his executioner!

    Do we love our enemies - realizing that it may be the difficult person at work (who finds us just as difficult) rather than a uniformed soldier following the orders of world leaders safe in their homes?  Few of us will be persecuted, as are our brothers and sisters in Burma, China and elsewhere, but we may be insulted, hurt and ignored. Often by family members! We are called to forgive and do good things for them. Yes, "love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you." Brother Craig can be contacted at monkadorer@verison.net

The Medjugorje Crown

By Mike Golovich

   Medjugorje -  I’ve been there five times and each time something special happens to me.

   On the first pilgrimage I found a rose petal in front of the statue of Our Lady in Tihaljina, which after a few days showed the face of Jesus. I had prayer cards made with the picture of Our Lady and the rose petal, with the Memorare on the back. As of this writing, 27,500 prayer cards have been printed, and 22,000 have been distributed!

   On the second pilgrimage I was blessed to be at Mirjana’s apparition on May 2, 2005, and while waiting to get into Community Cenacola, another pilgrim and I led all four Mysteries of the Rosary outside the gate, with the Americans joining in. What an honor! Also, near Split I was able to videotape an unusual occurrence of the sun about the same time as the 6:40 PM apparition in Medjugorje.

   On the third pilgrimage, as I was praying the third Luminous Mystery following a trip to confession, I noticed that eight beads of my rosary were missing. I went from the Our Father back to the Glory Be so quickly, so I looked at my rosary and discovered only two of the Hail Mary beads, but the rosary was intact!  I have no idea what that was all about.  Also the Risen Christ statue seemed to be crying tears from the eyes and I videotaped it.  A third event was seeing two suns, as we prayed the Rosary on top of Mt. Krizevac. One had a white streak through it.

Krizevac three times. After the third climb, Debbie, another pilgrim in my group, called to me as we were returning to our pansion, “Where’s your camera? Here come the sheep!” A  flock of sheep was running up the street into traffic on the wrong side, with no shepherd in sight.  I went out, stopped the traffic and took a picture. They came up to me and stopped. I didn’t say anything.  They looked at me as if to say, “Who are you?” All of a sudden the leader turned right and they all followed. It was as if God called His lost sheep and they followed Him.

One night, around 10:30 PM, I was sitting in the dining room of the pansion and I heard a tapping on the window. I thought someone was working and wondered who would be working at that hour. The tapping continued, so I went to the window and saw a fellow pilgrim, and he motioned for me to open the door, and when he came in he said, “I locked myself out. I don’t know what I would have done if you weren’t here.”

   A few days later, I was in the dining room again about 11:30 PM, and decided to go out for a walk. I was walking down by the Risen Christ when I realized I didn’t have my key! So I went back to the pansion and knocked on the door. A dog barked, but no one came to the door. So I went to the police station and knocked on their door, but no one answered there either. I saw the door was open, so I walked in. I found a policeman, but he did not speak English. I showed him my rose petal card with my name on it and I wrote the name of the pansion where I was staying. I was hoping he would call them for me. Soon two other policemen came in and after about ten minutes one of them tapped me on the shoulder and pointed to the door. I had been kicked out of the police station! They didn’t even ask for my passport.

   Then I walked over to Columbo’s Restaurant , but no one there could help me either. I walked back by the Luminous Mysteries and the Risen Christ statue and prayed. After a while I began to imagine what it was like for Mary and Joseph when they were looking for a place to stay.

   After a while I went back to the pansion and still couldn’t get in. I walked by a neighboring pansion and a man standing outside smoking a cigarette invited me in for coffee. He even offered to pay for me to stay there. After an hour or so, the owner’s son said he saw one of our pilgrims going over to St. James. So I left and headed to St. James looking all over for him. I searched everywhere, even in the cemetery. Since I was there, I prayed at Fr. Slavko’s grave, hoping he could help me.

   About 2:30 AM, I walked back toward the pansion, praying most of the time. Then it occurred to me: “I was homeless in Medjugorje!”  It made a big impression on me what it was like to be homeless. I still think about it often.

   There was a patio outside my pansion with chairs, and even though it  was chilly, I was tired, so I decided to hang out there until I could get someone’s attention. About 4 AM, I saw a group of people in the dining room. I knocked on the window and a woman came to the window and then backed away. Finally her husband came and opened the front door for me and let me in. I went right to bed, and when I got up about 8 AM, a fellow pilgrim said, “What’s this about a "peeping Tom" in Medjugorje?”

   The funny thing is – the next night they had all night Adoration in St. James. Had it been the night before I could have stayed in the church all night!  The story of my life…..  but actually I learned some valuable lessons from this experience.

   The invitation for my fifth pilgrimage came about just two weeks before it was to start on October 20, 2008. I was home and a delivery truck brought 500 prints (8x10) of my picture of Mary from Tihaljina. I called to purchase my plane ticket. This time I was called by Mary it seemed, but I did not know why.

   When I was in Medjugorje, as I left my pansion, directly across from St. James Church, I noticed a crown on a statue in a shop. I went in later and asked if they sold crowns because a statue at Good Samaritan Church in Ambridge, PA, didn’t have one. It was a statue that was donated by a member of a Medjugorje (now called Marian) prayer group, which was possibly the first one in the US. [We wrote about this prayer group in the August, 2004 issue.] The pastor, Fr. Terry O’Connor, visited Medjugorje on a Fr. Jozo retreat, and afterwards wanted the Tihaljina statue of Mary. He got the statue but the crown could not be located.

   I didn’t have any intention to look for a crown when I went on this pilgrimage, but the clerk in the shop said the crown was available. As I exited the shop, a brilliant sun event was happening.  One day I prayed to Gospa in front of St. James and said a decade of the Rosary, and posed a question to Mary. I asked Her that if She wanted a crown in Ambridge, when I get to the Risen Christ statue, if it wept at the leg, it would be a sign, since the statue was not weeping much that year.  After walking and finishing the Rosary, on the way to the Risen Christ, I went to check the leg, and to my surprise it was oozing!

   I then tried to find out if it were possible to bring a crown back that size. When we went to Tihaljina I took a picture of the crown and how it was attached.  On November 1, after having other members of my group advise me of how it looked and if it would fit, I took a chance and purchased it.

   On November 6, I went to the rectory of Good Samaritan to see Fr. Terry. Father was thrilled with it and we went to the church to see if it would fit. I figured he would have a professional put it on because holes would have to be drilled. He said that since I had a drill and screws, we should put it on right then.  So on November 6, 2008, Our Lady had Her new Medjugorje crown.  When the Marian Prayer Group saw it they were delighted. Mary had been crowned with a crown from Medjugorje! She looks beautiful.

   On Divine Mercy Sunday when Mirjana came to speak at the Palumbo Center in Pittsburgh, I was surprised to see Our Lady’s statue there on stage with Mirjana, crown and all. Our Lady, I feel, called me to Medjugorje, to bring Her a crown.

   Medjugorje is a very special place. Something is happening there. Every time you go, you get spiritually rejuvenated. Thank you, Mary. I sure hope you want me to return soon.

Editor’s note: Mike is from Baden, PA.   

Prayer Groups Are Powerful

By Virginia Hogue

   “Dear Children!  Each of you is important, therefore little children, pray and rejoice with me for every heart that has converted and become an instrument of peace in the world.  Prayer groups are powerful, and through them I can see that the Holy Spirit is at work in the world.” (Blessed Mother, June 25, 2004)

   Delores is a member of the Medjugorje Prayer Group at St. Monica’s Parish in Edmond, Oklahoma.  A while ago Delores asked the prayer group to pray for her five year old granddaughter, Capri.  Delores told the group that Capri had a rare, and always fatal, disease affecting her liver, pancreas and lungs.

   Delores placed her request in the group’s prayer basket.  Each week when we meet, before we pray the Rosary, we ask the Blessed Mother to present our prayer intentions to Her Son, Jesus.

   At a later meeting, Delores joyfully reported to the group that researchers who were working on a cure for the more common form of Capri’s disease had stumbled on a cure for the rare strain that afflicted Capri.  Additionally, Capri has been chosen to participate in phase three of the clinical trials for the new medicine.  Phases one and two of the trials had already proven successful.  Capri’s story has been featured on local television stations.

   About a year ago, another member of St. Monica’s Medjugorje Prayer Group, Pat, came to the weekly meeting appearing obviously distressed.  She told the group she had just taken her son, Kevin, to the airport.  Kevin, a sergeant in the Army Reserve, was being deployed to Iraq.  An intention for Kevin’s safe return was placed in the prayer basket. 

   At a later meeting, Pat told the group that she had just talked to Kevin who was now in Mosel, Iraq.  She asked him to pray, and he replied, “I do pray, I just don’t feel it.”  Pat then petitioned Heaven to allow the Holy Spirit to touch Kevin and that he would grow in faith.  At the next prayer meeting Pat reported that she had talked to Kevin again.  She said she had told him that many people were praying for him, and he replied, “I know Mom, I can feel their prayers. I really can feel the prayer.”

   Kevin returned home from Iraq in June.  Since being home he has shared the stories of the daily battles and of the 33 soldiers that were killed during his tour.  On three separate occasions Kevin was involved in battles or attacks that he should not have survived, yet he escaped without a scratch.

   These are just two examples of God’s blessing that resulted from the combined prayer of the prayer group at St. Monica’s. God has answered many of our prayer requests including an unexpected conversion, the returning of estranged children to the families that love them and many, many more. Praise Be To God!

   “All those who pray, and are members of prayer groups, are open to God’s will in their heart and joyfully witness God’s love.”  (Blessed Mother, February 5, 2000)    

Prayer Groups Are Powerful

By Virginia Hogue

   “Dear Children!  Each of you is important, therefore little children, pray and rejoice with me for every heart that has converted and become an instrument of peace in the world.  Prayer groups are powerful, and through them I can see that the Holy Spirit is at work in the world.” (Blessed Mother, June 25, 2004)

   Delores is a member of the Medjugorje Prayer Group at St. Monica’s Parish in Edmond, Oklahoma.  A while ago Delores asked the prayer group to pray for her five year old granddaughter, Capri.  Delores told the group that Capri had a rare, and always fatal, disease affecting her liver, pancreas and lungs.

   Delores placed her request in the group’s prayer basket.  Each week when we meet, before we pray the Rosary, we ask the Blessed Mother to present our prayer intentions to Her Son, Jesus.

   At a later meeting, Delores joyfully reported to the group that researchers who were working on a cure for the more common form of Capri’s disease had stumbled on a cure for the rare strain that afflicted Capri.  Additionally, Capri has been chosen to participate in phase three of the clinical trials for the new medicine.  Phases one and two of the trials had already proven successful.  Capri’s story has been featured on local television stations.

   About a year ago, another member of St. Monica’s Medjugorje Prayer Group, Pat, came to the weekly meeting appearing obviously distressed.  She told the group she had just taken her son, Kevin, to the airport.  Kevin, a sergeant in the Army Reserve, was being deployed to Iraq.  An intention for Kevin’s safe return was placed in the prayer basket. 

   At a later meeting, Pat told the group that she had just talked to Kevin who was now in Mosel, Iraq.  She asked him to pray, and he replied, “I do pray, I just don’t feel it.”  Pat then petitioned Heaven to allow the Holy Spirit to touch Kevin and that he would grow in faith.  At the next prayer meeting Pat reported that she had talked to Kevin again.  She said she had told him that many people were praying for him, and he replied, “I know Mom, I can feel their prayers. I really can feel the prayer.”

   Kevin returned home from Iraq in June.  Since being home he has shared the stories of the daily battles and of the 33 soldiers that were killed during his tour.  On three separate occasions Kevin was involved in battles or attacks that he should not have survived, yet he escaped without a scratch.

   These are just two examples of God’s blessing that resulted from the combined prayer of the prayer group at St. Monica’s. God has answered many of our prayer requests including an unexpected conversion, the returning of estranged children to the families that love them and many, many more. Praise Be To God!

   “All those who pray, and are members of prayer groups, are open to God’s will in their heart and joyfully witness God’s love.”  (Blessed Mother, February 5, 2000)    

August 5 is Our Lady’s “real” birthday according to the visionaries, although the Church celebrates Her birthday on September 8.  Happy Birthday to Our Lady! What gift can you give Our Lady for Her birthday? Maybe join a prayer group???  She needs you. (See p.2).

The Period of Conversion and the Ten Secrets

The following is an excerpt from an interview with Vicka. This was broadcast live by Radio Maria Italia from Medjugorje on January 2, 2008:

PADRE LIVIO – One of the reasons these apparitions are so important has to do with something the Madonna said after the first year the apparitions began. The Madonna made certain pronouncements which I would like for you to comment on, giving your interpretation of them. The Madonna said: “My apparitions at Medjugorje are the last ones for humanity. Hurry to convert” (April 17, 1982) and, “I came to call the world to conversion for the last time. In the future I will come no more upon the Earth. These are my last apparitions” (May 2nd, 1982). Do you think this means that Medjugorje are the last apparitions of the Madonna here on Earth?

VICKA – For me the message that the Madonna has given is very clear: this is the last time that She will be present here on Earth in the way She has been present at Medjugorje for such a long period of time. I heard Her speak those words because I was the one who received them personally; the words of the other message I did not receive personally and maybe the other seers could add something more. Still today the Madonna is inviting us to conversion, because it is today that we are living this time of grace. We must not wait for tomorrow in order to convert, we must do so today because tomorrow could be too late. The Madonna says, everything that you can do today, do today. And also, our conversion isn't something that happens on just one day, but it continues over our entire life. Mary calls us in order to bring us closer to Her Son. She has never said that She should have the first place. I have never heard this from Her mouth. Always when the Madonna speaks She says, "Put my Son first; I come second." She says, "When you pray, always pray to my Son first, and then afterwards to me, and then the many graces God gives to me, I can give to you." The Madonna is only a go-between between God and men. God gives these graces to the Madonna and then She gives them to us.

PADRE LIVIO – I was really struck by what the Madonna said about the third secret, which concerns the sign on the mountain. You seers said that it will be a visible sign, an indestructible sign that comes from God. However, She also added, “Hurry and convert yourselves. When the promised sign on the hill will be given, it will be too late” (Sept. 2, 1982). Another time She also said, “And even after I've left this sign on the hill which I have promised to you, many will not believe. They will come to the hill, they will kneel, but they won't believe” (July 19, 1981). Why is it, in your opinion, that people will see the sign but they won't convert?

VICKA – The third secret is about a sign that She will leave here [Medjugorje] on the mountain of the apparitions. This sign will remain forever. It is given above all for those people who are still far away from God. The Madonna wishes to give these people who will see the sign a chance to believe in God. I was able to see this sign...

PADRE LIVIO – You have already seen the sign?

VICKA – Yes, I saw it in a vision.

PADRE LIVIO – Jakov once said in an interview with Radio Maria that in order to see the sign it will be necessary to come here to Medjugorje, is that true?

VICKA – Yes, it's true. The sign will remain on Podbrdo and one will have to come here to see it. This sign will be indestructible and will remain in that place forever. I want to say about those people who will see it and not believe, the Madonna leaves everyone free to believe or not, but those are ones whose hearts are too closed. It's the same thing as the Madonna said to us, "If one wants to go to Heaven, he will go to Heaven, if one wants to go to hell he will go to hell". Those people who are far away from God and do not want to believe, these will not believe in the sign. For those who [do not know God] but have good intentions and a desire to love, these will be benefitted by the sign. But I think that those who do everything against God, they will run away from the sign, they will not believe.

PADRE LIVIO – [...] So, this is a time of grace, this is the time of conversion, "Don't wait for the sign in order to convert yourselves," the Madonna said. Well, so why leave a sign like some last extreme help: is it in order to move the Church to recognize the apparitions as authentic?

VICKA – Yes, certainly it will be for the Church, so that they will have no doubt that the Madonna had been among us and it is also for those who are still far away from God. So the Madonna is thinking about both groups of people, and then it is up to us how to be ready to respond to the sign. To respond to Her call through the sign. Everyone who comes, who will see, you know, you can say, "I don't believe it" and that is your personal idea, that's what you believe, but that the Madonna is here, that She is present, that She leaves this sign, a sign that no man can make; it is something only God can make and so nobody will be able to say that it is a small thing or something else. This arrives in such a way that they won't have words to say what it is.

PADRE LIVIO – This means that when the time of the secrets comes, the fourth through the tenth secrets, secrets which are evidently rather arduous, it means that in any event, in the time of the secrets, we will always have the sign of the Madonna which will comfort us. But you also said the last time, last year, that during the time of the ten secrets one of the seers will still have the daily apparitions [of the Madonna].

VICKA – Yes, it is certain, it is something I repeat now. We will see who it is, there is still me, Marija and Ivan. Afterwards we will see who the Madonna has chosen, who [of us three] remains with the apparitions. Or maybe it will be someone else that the Madonna has chosen.

PADRE LIVIO – Well, you know me, I have no scruple about asking certain questions... Someone said something to Mirjana like "Vicka said that during the time of the ten secrets there will be one seer who will continue to have the daily apparitions" but Mirjana said that she didn't know anything about this. What does that mean? That this was told to you personally by the Madonna?

VICKA – Yes, the Madonna told me personally. Afterwards we shall see, the Madonna didn't say, "Vicka, it will be you" [...]. Now we just wait to see who it will be. She said that when the time comes, to the person who will continue to have the apparitions, She will explain every 'how and what' to that person.

                                                                                                                                                                   www.radiomaria.it

Medjugorje Bumper Magnet

By June Klins

   I was so excited when I opened a package I received on the feast of the Immaculate Heart of Mary. Inside the package was an awesome gift - a bumper magnet for my van to help spread the message of Medjugorje. This was sent to me as a gift from Vicky Kaduck, the same lady who had the billboard of Medjugorje put up in Florida that was pictured in our March newsletter.  When I called to thank Vicky for the bumper magnet, she told me that the billboard is still up, but in a different location, so she can see Her when she leaves and enters her home development.  How awesome is that?!!! 

   The bumper magnet looks exactly like the billboard with a beautiful picture of Our Lady of Grace and the words "I have come to tell the world that God exists."   I have been getting a lot of good feedback on my bumper magnet, including from my not-quite 3 year-old grandson Thomas who looked at it and said it was “pretty nice.”

   It is a great way to evangelize!  Think of how many different cars would be behind your car and see it in just one day!  And how many people would see it when you are parked in a parking lot!

   Vicky’s first order of 100 of the bumper magnets dwindled quickly and she will be ordering more. Although I prefer a bumper magnet, Vicky also has them available as bumper stickers   It might be a good idea to keep some of our beginner’s guides handy too for those who may have questions after seeing the bumper magnet. We just got a new supply of the guides. To order the guides, see p. 8.

   My dream would be for every one of our subscribers to have one of these bumper stickers or magnets to help spread the messages of Medjugorje.  Remember what Our Lady said in the July 2 message: “I need you.”

Editor’s note:  If you are interested in a Medjugorje bumper sticker or magnet, or in putting up a Medjugorje billboard in your area, you can email Vicky at vkaduck@yahoo.com or contact me for her phone number.

Year of the Priest

By Carole Jones

   Our beloved Pope Benedict has declared this the Year of the Priest.  Our pope is asking us all to pray for our priests and he has named St. John Vianney as Patron Saint of the Priests.  I pray you will all help in remembering to pray daily for your priests.  Our pope is also asking how many of us would be willing to offer a Holy Hour or an hour of Adoration weekly for our priests.  We put up a poster in our Adoration Chapel just asking if anyone would be willing to offer an hour of Adoration for our priests and this past year over 1000 hours of Adoration have been offered and thousands of Rosaries have been said!   We just asked them on the poster to initial the poster with the date they offered their Adoration so we could keep track of the hours.  So simple, and yet so very powerful.  We can help our priests, they need our prayers; they need our help and support.  Maybe somebody could come up with a website for Rosaries for our priests or Adoration Hours for priests so our priests could see how much we love them and are praying for them. Any volunteers?

Editor’s note: Carole is from Maple City, Michigan.

“ Love the Church, revere the Holy Father, receive the sacraments often, frequently visit  Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament, be very devout to the Blessed Virgin, offer Her your  heart, and you will be able to overcome all battles and allurements.” ~ St. John Bosco

Websites of Interest

If you want to send a petition to Medjugorje to be lifted up to Our Lady at an apparition to Vicka or Ivan (when he is there) you can send it to molitvene.nakane@medjugorje.hr . It will be completely confidential. Only Our Lady will know the content.  And if you want to listen to music from Medjugorje, you can visit the following website: www.mladifest.com/medjugorje/songs.htm

Thanks to Chris Maxwell, Dianne Yochim, Marge Spase, Vickie DeCoursey, Barb Sirianni, Sue Taccone and Amelia Perino for help with the July mailing. Thanks to Martha Herron, Regina Darraugh and Sadie Holloman for making us more prayer cloths. Thanks to  Dr. Steven Miller and Joel Vidonish for their photos in this issue.

Please pray for our proofreader Ginny spaeder who is battling cancer.