"Dear children! In this time of grace, pray with me for the good to win in you and around you. In a special way, little children, pray united with Jesus on His Way of the Cross. Into your prayers put this humanity which wanders without God and without His love. Be prayer, be light, and be witnesses to all those whom you meet, little children, so that the merciful God may have mercy toward you. Thank you for having responded to my call."
A Medjugorje Moment
By Pat Berrier
On Apparition Hill, I saw what looked like the shape of
a large shoe print in a rock formation. I fit my foot into the
indentation and, for some reason, immediately thought of
one of my young nephews—my godson, Jason—who had
passed away suddenly. A wave of grief came over me. With
a heavy heart, I approached the statue that marks the spot
where Our Lady first appeared to the visionaries. I was
dazed by the many, many photos, cards, and prayer requests
left there by pilgrims.
While I was kneeling there, a butterfly kept flying around
me. It was starting to annoy me. At one point, it zoomed
toward me like a kamikaze, veered suddenly away and
landed on a white envelope in this huge pile—an envelope
that had… the name… 'Jason' on it. I froze. All I could do was
cry. Though I had seen the sun spin during my pilgrimage
and a fellow pilgrim's rosaries turn gold on the trek up
Apparition Hill, THIS was the most incredible experience
for me. I left with a very light heart.
When I was back home and handing out souvenirs to
relatives, I told Jason's grieving parents about my experience
at the statue. His
mother, trembling and
with tears in her eyes,
said that Jason loved
butterflies and had, in
fact, had her plant a
butterfly bush by their
front steps. She, who
had not wanted any of
my souvenirs, then
asked if she could have
a Medjugorje rosary. We knew that Jason had been with
me there on Apparition Hill. I hope Jason's parents think of
this often and feel the peace of Medjugorje every time. They
deserve to share in my hope, because it was their Medjugorje
moment as well as mine.
Editor's note: Pat is our proofreader. When she shared this story
with me, she added, "It really astounds me that my moment was
at the same spot as Joe's (last month's) and involved a deceased
person [like his story]!"