The Spirit of Medjugorje

"Dear children, in this time of grace when you are called to conversion, I am encouraging you, little children: offer me your prayers, sufferings and tears for conversion of hearts that are far from the Heart of my Son Jesus. Pray with me, because, little children, without God you do not have a future or eternal life. I love you, but I cannot help you without you; therefore, say 'yes' to God. Thank you for having responded to my call. (With Ecclesiastical approval)"

Click Here to Browse All Messages

Click Here to Browse All Issues

Click Here to Browse All Featured Articles

Staying in Medjugorje at Visionary Marija's Guest House

By Angeline Wilkes

     David and I went to Medjugorje in October 2022 and stayed at Marija Pavlović Lunetti's guest house. She is one of the six visionaries who has been seeing our Blessed Mother Mary every day since June 25, 1981. We returned to Medjugorje to mark the 25th year anniversary of our visit to Medjugorje in 1997, when David arrived an agnostic but left a convert.
     During the first few days, we didn't see Marija because she has a home in Italy and also in Medjugorje, but we were expecting to see her about three days into the pilgrimage. While I was in the large foyer of her guest house, I recognized her walking past me. I could see she was busy, helping the staff manage the guest administration after her late arrival from Italy. What struck me immediately was the youthful, joyful and relaxed expression on her face. She noticed me looking at her and smiled. I said "Hello, Marija!" She must have picked up that I was mildly star-struck and removed any discomfort by warmly greeting me with a hug. We exchanged a few words, including that she had been stuck in traffic as there were long delays on the drive from Italy. As a result, she had only a couple of hours of sleep. I commented to her how it was possible that she looked so joyful and youthful with only 2 hours sleep. She smiled, shrugged, and said something along the lines of "perhaps I'm reflecting Our Lady, who always comes positive and joyful."
     In the basement of the guest house is a large chapel. In the evening at 5 pm, Marija rings a bell and calls everyone to Rosary. The chapel fills up and the Rosary is led by invited priests or religious at the front, in English, Croatian, Italian or other languages. All pray in their native tongue. As it gets close to the time of the apparition, Marija kneels down and continues praying. We know when Our Lady arrives, as Marija stops praying and gazes upwards. Everyone falls silent for the duration of the apparition. We were lucky to take part in this three times. On the third occasion, there was a little baby girl standing on her mother's lap, facing outward toward Marija. She was perhaps 18 months old. During the silence of the apparition, the baby called out, "Mumma! Mumma!" It was so wonderful to hear. Later, one of our pilgrims overheard this mother tell another pilgrim that the baby had never said "Mumma" before; this was the first time. After the apparition, Marija would share that she recommended everyone and their prayer intentions to Our Lady. Marija often mentions that Our Lady asks us for our prayers and sacrifices, for peace – starting first with peace in our hearts, then peace in our families, and peace for the world.
     In the evenings, after the day's events, pilgrims would often gather in the large foyer where there are many lounges and coffee tables. Marija would often join, and said she very much enjoyed practicing her "English" with us. The night before we were due to depart, our Chaplain had just finished blessing religious articles set out on a coffee table. We were gathered around, recounting our time during our stay, having a few laughs, and lamenting that the pilgrimage had come to an end. Marija joined us for a lovely chat. She stayed quite a while, but spoke mostly about the day-to-day aspects of Medjugorje, the people and some history. However, my heart started to burn with questions about Our Lady, though I dared not ask. I didn't want to be one of those overly curious, tiresome pilgrims she'd likely encountered all too many times. But I wanted to hear more about what Our Lady is like. How did She address her? Was it formal or informal?

      Finally, after a prayer, I summoned up the courage: "Marija, when you speak with Our Lady, does She speak to you at the level of the world, or does She speak to you on a personal level?" Maria looked at me; I could see she wanted to answer me fully so I would understand, and the answer she gave in her broken English, though simple – was full and comprehensive. "Our Lady is first Mother, but she is also Queen." I then sought clarity: "Oh, so there is distance between you?" Marija quickly corrected me, "No, no, not distance, respect." I sat and let that sink in. Marija also said that Our Lady has a most beautiful and regal posture. One of our pilgrims, Philip, interjected: "Oh, so She stands like a queen?" Marija looked at Philip, put her hand on his arm and said, "Not like a queen. She IS Queen." The silence that followed as we all weighed that up was so appropriate. Marija then went on to say, "When Our Lady looks at you, you are like Her only child. She looks at you with such love, it reaches through your soul, right down to your little toe." Smiling, Marija asked for the English word for the smallest (pinkie) toe. Finally, she said, "When you meet a very famous person, you might feel very excited at first. After a while, that feeling goes. With Our Lady, that feeling never goes; it is always like the first time."
     These simple words conveyed a deep meaning to me. The paradox that Our Lady can command such deep respect merely by Her queenly presence, yet convey a love that is so deep and personal simultaneously, is a mystery to behold.
     When we left the following day, having been given this gift from Marija – she came out to say goodbye. I asked if she would bless my children as I pointed the phone camera at her. She gave me a big smile and made a hand gesture of blessing, and warmly wished us all the best.
     As we pulled out, I had such peace in my heart. I noticed the sun looked so very much like a host in the monstrance. It is said that the heart of Medjugorje is Adoration, where thousands gather on their knees and adore Christ in the host. The silence and sense of communal peace among so many faithful and mutual adoration for Our Lord, in one place, is unequaled. In the parting sky image, I felt God calling me to try and visit Him more in the Blessed Sacrament. In doing so, my relationship with Jesus has only deepened.
     I'm looking forward to returning to Medjugorje on May 31st this year. For the first time, David and I will escort pilgrims through our new pilgrimage company, Saintly Travel. We'll be staying with another visionary, Mirjana Soldo, who is also a beautiful, humble sister in Christ. We'll be led by her long-time friend and English interpreter, Miki Musa. I can barely wait.
     Editor's note: Angeline is from Sydney, Australia. Her testimony, including the conversion of her husband, is in our February 2023 issue, which can be read here.