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                                        EDITOR: JUNE KLINS    EDITOR EMERITUS: JOAN WIESZCZYK

 SPIRITUAL ADVISOR: MSGR. JAMES PETERSON

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VOL. 19, NO 5    Published Monthly     May 5, 2006

 

Current Monthly Message of April 25, 2006

ON THE 25TH DAY OF EACH MONTH, THE BLESSED VIRGIN GIVES A MESSAGE TO THE VISIONARY MARIJA, THAT IS TO BE GIVEN TO THE WORLD.

 

"Dear Children! Also today I call you to have more trust in me and my Son. He has conquered by His death and resurrection and, through me, calls you to be a part of His Joy. You do not see God, little children, but if you pray you will feel His nearness. I am with you and intercede before God
for each of you. Thank you for having responded to my call."

 

 

Happy Mother’s Day to all mothers, including our Heavenly Mother!

This picture was taken at the Cathedral in Mostar, not far from Medjugorje.

 

 

Medjugorje

 

   In Matthew’s gospel (24:10-12) Jesus says, “Many will fall away.  Men will betray one another and hate one another.  Many false prophets will arise; they will deceive many and with the increase of lawlessness, love in most men will grow cold, but the man who stands firm to the end will be saved.”

   It is hard to imagine the suffering in the heart of Christ when He foresees that the “love of most men will grow cold.”  On the cross, He said, “Father, forgive them, they know not what they do.”

   In the days of Lent and Passiontide, we tried to be more aware of Christ’s passion as the tremendous price He paid for our salvation.

  In Easter, we are invited to rejoice in the power and promise of the Resurrection. God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son so that through His death we might have eternal life. Much is the beauty of the Easter celebration; beautiful are the readings of the Easter Masses.

   But then we read the daily paper or see the TV news. And for us, we need to go to the heart of Mary, asking us and assuring us that peace will come as an answer to prayer.

   Christ will judge us by our response. If a brain surgeon does not do surgery when “surgery is needed,” he will some day hear the Christ-who-is-judge, “You saw Me when I needed surgery and you turned away.” That obviously raises many questions.

   To all of us He will say, “You saw Me in all parts of the world when I needed prayer, what did you do?”

   Prayer is a tremendous power.  The world needs it more than it needs brain surgery to bring all people to forgive.

That requires love.  And that is Mary’s plan to give meaning to Easter and Pentecost.

   Therefore, let us pray.


 

25th Anniversary

By June Klins

 

   Next month we will be celebrating 25 years of Our Lady’s apparitions. It is hard to believe that there are many people who still do not know about Our Lady’s apparitions in Medjugorje, much less Her messages. We have been sending out quite a few beginner’s guides lately thanks to your interest and generosity in helping to spread the messages of Medjugorje. Please see page 8 if you would like to help us in that endeavor. We remind you that another way to help spread the messages is through our book, The Best of “The Spirit of Medjugorje,” Volume I.

It is an extension of our beginner’s guide, and includes talks and interviews with the visionaries, testimonies, and articles on living the messages. When you donate to our book project (see page 8), the book is free. If you would like to look through the book, you can do so by going to www.amazon.com and typing in the name of the book.

   I will be headed to Medjugorje next month for the 25th anniversary. If you would like me to take your petitions, please mail them to the address on the front of the newsletter before June 16. If you have internet access, however, please send your petitions directly to Medjugorje at molitvene.nakane@medjugorje.hr  I regret that I will be unable to buy any religious items for people as I will need the space in my suitcase for items I will be purchasing for the newsletter apostolate. Please do not send any money for religious items. If you would like to purchase religious items right from Medjugorje, you can go to  http://emanuelmedjugorje.com/   Anita and Emanuel, the owners, will have your items blessed in Medjugorje before they mail them to you.

 

 

On Prayer

   Forgive me. I've been away for awhile. Anyway, I'm back. This time I want to tell you about, and encourage you, to pray for the Holy Souls in Purgatory. Oh, how they need our prayers! Lately I have realized this more than ever due to a special spiritual experience. Our Lady at Medjugorje, where I visited for a week way back in 1984, mentioned the importance of praying for the Holy Souls. Did you know that the English woman, Mother Mary Potter, founded The Helpers of the Holy Souls? Advised by St. John Vianney, this holy woman began an active order of religious Sisters who offered up all they did for the Holy Souls in Purgatory. The foundress is now known as Blessed Mary of Divine Providence and their schools and missions years ago in China did so much good. Let us be united and offer prayers and all we do for the Holy Souls in Purgatory. Until next time may Our Blessed Mother bless you.

 

Brother Craig can be contacted through his community's web site at www.monksofadoration.org

 

 

Panel Discussion with the Visionaries, Ivanka, Mirjana , Ivan , and Father Petar Ljubicic, 1993

(selected excerpts)

 

Q: When will we receive the story of Mary’s life?

 

A: Mirjana said at the very beginning of the apparitions, when Our Lady started to appear to them, they were able to ask Her questions. One question they asked Her was that they saw very little written in the Bible about Our Lady’s life, and being so important for salvation, they wanted to know about Her life. So Our Lady gave them a story of Her life as Mirjana has written in one notebook, Vicka was writing in three
Visionaries with Fr. Petar at 1993 conference

notebooks. It could be the same story, but they do not compare them. Ivanka also said She wrote down what Our Lady told her about Her life. So these stories will be revealed to the world when Our Lady says so, but for now it is still to be kept aside.

 
 Visionaries with Fr. Petar at 1993 conference

 

Q: Does Mary ever speak about disciplining your children? For example spanking them?

 

A: Mirjana said that when Our Lady came to them they were children. They were not perfect and they made mistakes. But She gave them an example of a Mother.  She always gave an example with a good word and with Her example as a Mother. They did not ask about spanking the children.  Ivanka said that all we have to be is be patient with our children and have perseverance as Our Lady is with all of us.

 

Q: Can Father Petar tell us the mission of Vicka?

 

A: As for Vicka - through her, Our Lady wants to tell us that the suffering we have in this world -  that if we can accept it, then  we can receive an abundance of grace. Even the illness itself should be accepted as a gift, as grace. And Jesus is an example in all of this, for all of us. Some of you may know, Vicka suffered for about three and a half years of an incurable illness. Sometimes it was so hard for her that she was unconscious for some time -  at times for about 40 minutes or so. Once, even her mother, seeing her suffering so much, asked, “Why wouldn’t you ask Our Lady to lessen your suffering?”  But she told her that she accepted this suffering herself as a penance. Vicka did not explain for what purpose.

 

Q: For Ivanka - How does  your experience of the Blessed Mother  effect your vocation as wife and mother?

 

A: Ivanka said she is not perfect, she is like everyone else here. When problems arise, every family experiences difficulties in the family one way or another. But with having Our Lady’s message in mind and following Her message, it is easier to keep her family in the spirit of Christ, to keep the family in the Christian spirit. It is easier for her, but for those who do not have such experiences, they might find it harder sometimes when the family is in a crisis. But for this reason it is easier to overcome problems.

 

Q: Do her children listen better because the Blessed Mother is teaching her?

 A: Her children are the same as yours!

 

Editor’s note:  We thank Queen of Peace Ministries for permission to transcribe the tape of this talk which was given at the National Conference on Medjugorje at Notre Dame University. This year the conference will be held May26-28. See www.QueenofPeaceMinistries.com for more information. We also thank Carolanne Kilichowski for transcribing the tape.

 

 

Mirjana’s Message of 4/2/06 

 

Dear Children, I am coming to you, because, with my own example, I wish to show you the importance of prayer for those who have not come to know the love of God. You ask yourself if you are following me.  My children, do you not recognize the signs of the times? Do you not speak of them? Come follow me. As a mother I call you. Thank you for having responded.

 

 

I  Finally Opened My Mother’s Day Gift

By Joe Kleczka

 

  I went to Medjugorje in May 1991 and was there the week of Mother’s Day. This was a very special time for me and I felt that my Heavenly Mother had given me a Mother’s Day gift instead of the other way around.  When I returned I was excited for awhile, but slowly became caught up in routine living.  It took nine years before the full impact of Medjugorje came to me, and I finally opened the gift. That is when I started praying the Rosary everyday and have continued ever since. 

   There were four distinct things that happened to me while in Medjugorje that I would like to share. For those of 

you who have been there it may bring back memories.  When I went, I was hoping to see something supernatural like so many had seen.  What I experienced was totally different, and it left a lasting impression on me.  These experiences were most natural in one sense but extraordinary in another sense.

   When we first arrived it was close to the time for the evening Mass, so we all went to St. James Church. We  started to pray the Rosary along with everyone there. At one point the whole church fell silent and everyone in the church stopped praying and remained silent for a period of about 10 minutes. This was while the Virgin Mary was 

appearing to the visionaries.  It was ordinary, but at the same time so extraordinary that It took my breath away.

   The second thing that I observed were the teenagers at Medjugorje. These were not the visionaries, but the young people from the village who were crowded into the church with us. They were respectful and truly in deep prayer. They did not act overly pious, but were just themselves. They were not attempting to draw any attention to themselves, but were genuinely reverent. This really impressed me deeply.

   The third thing that I observed was that the birds would sing around the clock.  I remember one evening walking back to our house, after the Adoration of the Cross at St. James Church, at about 10:00 PM, the birds were singing.  Early one morning, while in Medjugorje, I awoke at about 1:30 AM and went out on the balcony to get some fresh 

air and  I heard the birds singing.  Also, the birds used to all stop chirping in unison when Our Lady would appear to the visionaries and start chirping again in unison when She left. I remember saying to myself what kind of birds are these. I thought they may be a special breed of bird in Yugoslavia.

   The fourth thing I observed while making the walk up Apparition Hill were the goats that met us at the bottom of the hill and led us up to the cross on top of the hill.  I was thinking to myself these goats are probably accustomed to having people feed them and that is why they are doing this, but when we reached the top and all knelt down to say the Rosary so did the goats!  After the Rosary the goats got up and went back down the hill.

   I used to be most curious about the secrets, especially the miracle, but in time I realized that following the call of our Blessed Mother was more important to me. I had a lot of questions when going to Medjugorje in 1991.  I wanted to know where Mary fit into my understanding of prayer. This question was answered as I found a loving Mother that loved me and was leading me to Her Son.

Editor’s note:  Joe is from White Rock, New Mexico.

 
                  Billy goats on Apparition Hill 

 

 


Statue at Mother' s Village in Medjugorje

 

Mother of God

By Judy Krantz

 

  I recently wrote the following song for a prison weekend retreat in Louisiana. I actually wrote it the morning that the retreat started.  We sang it each morning of the retreat.  The prisoners loved it, so I encouraged them to keep it in their Bibles and say it daily. Even if you don't have the melody, it's still a powerful little prayer.   

                  Mother of God 

Mother of God, we honor you.

Mother of God, this day's for you.

Mother of God, stand by me.

Mother of God, pray for me.

 

Mother of God, you held Jesus' hand.

Mother of God, you searched for Him.

Mother of God, reach out for me.

Mother of God, pray for me.

 

Mother of God, yes we have strayed.

Mother of God, call out our names.

Mother of God, we hurt you see.

Mother of God, mother me.

                             by Judy Krantz @ 2006             

Editor’s note: Judy is from Tarentum, PA. If you would like the music for the song, you can write to her at  krantzj@verizon.net.

 


Pope Benedict XVI, taken by Sue Kempen, a subscriber from the Vatican

 

God is Love !

 

  In her March report, Sr. Emmanuel wrote the following: “On March 2nd, the visionary Mirjana Soldo received her monthly apparition at the Cenacolo.  After the apparition, Mirjana stated that the Gospa was very sad.  She spoke sorrowfully with Mirjana about the situation of the world.  There was no message, but three times the Blessed Mother exclaimed, ‘God is love!  God is love!  God is love!’  The rest of the conversation was private for Mirjana.
We know that the Holy Father, Pope Benedict, has just published his first Apostolic Letter, precisely called
’God is love.’  I think this is not by chance…   At the dawn of life, when this world disappears from our sights, we will be judged on love.  Then, why not concentrate right now on the essential?”

  We present for you here an excerpt from this inspired encyclical by Pope Benedict XVI :

 

   “Mary's greatness consists in the fact that she wants to magnify God, not herself. She is lowly: her only desire is to be the handmaid of the Lord (cf. Lk 1:38, 48). She knows that she will only contribute to the salvation of the world if, rather than carrying out her own projects, she places herself completely at the disposal of God's initiatives. Mary is a woman of hope: only because she believes in God's promises and awaits the salvation of Israel, can the angel visit her and call her to the decisive service of these promises. Mary is a woman of faith: “Blessed are you who believed,” Elizabeth says to her (cf. Lk 1:45). The Magnificat—a portrait, so to speak, of her soul—is entirely woven from threads of Holy Scripture, threads drawn from the Word of God. Here we see how completely at home Mary is with the Word of God, with ease she moves in and out of it. She speaks and thinks with the Word of God; the Word of God becomes her word, and her word issues from the Word of God. Here we see how her thoughts are attuned to the thoughts of God, how her will is one with the will of God. Since Mary is completely imbued with the Word of God, she is able to become the Mother of the Word Incarnate. Finally, Mary is a woman who loves. How could it be otherwise? As a believer who in faith thinks with God's thoughts and wills with God's will, she cannot fail to be a woman who loves. We sense this in her quiet gestures, as recounted by the infancy narratives in the Gospel. We see it in the delicacy with which she recognizes the need of the spouses at Cana and makes it known to Jesus. We see it in the humility with which she recedes into the background during Jesus' public life, knowing that the Son must establish a new family and that the Mother's hour will come only with the Cross, which will be Jesus' true hour (cf. Jn 2:4; 13:1). When the disciples flee, Mary will remain beneath the Cross (cf. Jn 19:25-27); later, at the hour of Pentecost, it will be they who gather around her as they wait for the Holy Spirit (cf. Acts 1:14).

  “The lives of the saints are not limited to their earthly biographies but also include their being and working in God after death. In the saints one thing becomes clear: those who draw near to God do not withdraw from men, but rather become truly close to them. In no one do we see this more clearly than in Mary. The words addressed by the crucified Lord to his disciple—to John and through him to all disciples of Jesus: “Behold, your mother!” (Jn 19:27)—are fulfilled anew in every generation. Mary has truly become the Mother of all believers. Men and women of every time and place have recourse to her motherly kindness and her virginal purity and grace, in all their needs and aspirations, their joys and sorrows, their moments of loneliness and their common endeavors. They constantly experience the gift of her goodness and the unfailing love which she pours out from the depths of her heart. The testimonials of gratitude, offered to her from every continent and culture, are a recognition of that pure love which is not self- seeking but simply benevolent. At the same time, the devotion of the faithful shows an infallible intuition of how such love is possible: it becomes so as a result of the most intimate union with God, through which the soul is totally pervaded by him—a condition which enables those who have drunk from the fountain of God's love to become in their turn a fountain from which “flow rivers of living water” (Jn 7:38). Mary, Virgin and Mother, shows us what love is and whence it draws its origin and its constantly renewed power. To her we entrust the Church and her mission in the service of love:

Holy Mary, Mother of God,

you have given the world its true light,

Jesus, your Son – the Son of God.

You abandoned yourself completely

to God's call

and thus became a wellspring

of the goodness which flows forth from Him.

Show us Jesus. Lead us to Him.

Teach us to know and love Him,

so that we too can become

capable of true love

and be fountains of living water

in the midst of a thirsting world.”

 

 

 

Medjugorje Saved My Marriage

By Mike McSpedon

 

   God answers prayers.  My wife and I were on the brink of divorce five years ago. Our prayer lives had diminished to the point where we were barely surviving spiritually. We were vulnerable to Satan's tricks and attacks and were attacked often. I personally had grown comfortable with my sins and I doubted my ability to change and God's ability to change me. My marriage was in a downward spiral. I was not praying or going to confession regularly and neither was my wife. We seemed to be caught in a trap that was too powerful for us. The problems we faced were substantial, and they were destroying us. Yet there was hope for us.

   When I was at my lowest point, I remembered about Medjugorje. I knew that our Mother was appearing on Earth, and I had believed this since I first heard about it in 1987, but I had drifted far away through a lack of prayer and through sin. Finally I went seeking Our Lady of Medjugorje. I found Her through Her messages at ww.medjugorje.org, and I opened my heart and believed, again...  Only this time I had been humbled and I knew in my heart that “I must follow like a child” what She says; I must let Her messages penetrate my soul and change me. And I have been praying and trying my best to follow ever since. I am on a life long journey of conversion, but I am a new person today, free and happy, and so very thankful that our Mother is so full of love and patience for each and every one of us and a refuge for sinners like me!  And so very thankful for the blessed fruit of Her womb, Jesus!

                Fr. Jozo blessing a marriage

 

   My wife and I pray together now each morning to renew our baptismal vows and consecrate ourselves to the Sacred Heart of Jesus and to the Immaculate Heart of Mary. In the evening we turn off the TV and with our children we read and discuss a short passage from the Bible and we say the Rosary for unbelievers and for our Mother's intentions. I really look forward to prayer now. It is difficult for me to describe to you the joy and peace I have experienced and continue to experience through prayer.

   Although I don't see Her, I know our dear Mother is with me, watching over my family, interceding for us, and I believe She has obtained pardon for me with our Lord; I was lost and now am found, dead, but alive again!  At times I feel She holds my soul in Her loving arms, doting the way She does over baby Jesus, giving me grace upon grace, joy, peace, and love that fill my soul to overflowing!  It is true that if we only knew how much She loves us, we would cry with joy!

   When we were picking a saint earlier this year, we picked Mary the Mother of God. Well, after we had finished picking our saint on Dec. 31, we went to Mass the next day (Feast of Mary) and discovered that our parish was

unveiling and dedicating a new statue of our Mother at that Mass, a beautiful life-size statue of Her holding Baby Jesus in Her arms, doting over Him cheek to cheek. I knew it for sure, there and then, that Mary had indeed picked us. As I prayed in front of that statue, I knew in my heart that She really does hold the souls of each of Her children in Her loving arms and dotes over them, lavishing the same love and attention as She did on Jesus. What a joyful surprise!

   My wife is in our Mother's prayer school, too. And our relationship has been blessed with grace to heal and become new; our home has been blessed with peace. Oh, we have still have our trials, but I can truthfully say that

prayer has become life for us because without prayer, life was becoming death for us. Praised be Jesus!

Editor’s note: Mike is from Spotswood, NJ.

 

Shaping up for the 25th Anniversary

 

By Bernard Gallagher

 

   The village of Medjugorje is shaping up in preparation for the 25th anniversary of Our Lady’s apparitions. The new parish office center is near completion and now an underground parking facility is being developed. Trench work is very visible around the church grounds for new cabling and pipes. Pilgrims making their way to Apparition Hill will discover new paving on the approach to the hill. It is estimated up to 250,000 pilgrims will be in Medjugorje on the day of the Anniversary.

                                                                                      

“The Medjugorje Message,”

                          http://crownofstars.blogspot.com

 

                                                                                            Construction in Medjugorje

 

 


St. Monica with St. Augustine, her wayward son for whom she prayed for 30 years.

 

Reflections of a Mother

Author Unknown

 

I gave you life, but cannot live it for you.

 

I can give you directions, but I cannot be there to lead you.

 

I can take you to church, but I cannot make you believe.

 

I can buy you beautiful clothes, but I cannot make you beautiful inside.

 

I can give you love, but I cannot force it upon you.

 

I can teach you to share, but I cannot make you unselfish.

 

I can teach you respect, but I cannot force you to show honor.

 

I can advise you about friends, but cannot choose them for you.

 

I can advise you about sex, but I cannot keep you pure.

 

I can tell you about alcohol & drugs, but I cannot say "no" for you.

 

I can tell you about lofty goals, but I cannot achieve them for you.

 

I can teach you about kindness, but I cannot force you to be gracious.

 

I can pray for you, but I cannot make you walk with God.

 

I can tell you how to live, but I cannot give you eternal life.

 

I can love you with unconditional love all of my life....and I will.

 


 

 

 

25 Years of Messages

By June Klins

 

When I heard the above poem read at a funeral, I thought of how it could also be applied to our Heavenly Mother.  She might say to us:

I can teach you to pray, but I cannot make the words come from your heart.

I can direct you to read the Bible, but I cannot read it for you.

I can advise you how Confession is a remedy for the world, but I cannot make you go to Confession.

I can request that you make Holy Mass your life, but I cannot make you attend and participate.

I can teach you the way to have peace in your hearts, but I cannot make you love and forgive.

I can challenge you to conversion, but I cannot make you open your heart.

I can tell you that by fasting and prayer wars can be stopped and the laws of nature suspended (like hurricanes and the bird flu), but I cannot make you fast and pray.

I can repeat these messages for 25 years, but I cannot make you listen and obey.

I can love you with unconditional love and pray for you with all my heart ....and I will.

 

"Mother & child" in front of St. James in Medjugorje

 

Our thanks to Bernard Gallagher, Diana Stillwell, Carolanne Kilichowski and Helen Bell for their pictures.