The Spirit of Medjugorje Online

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 again call you to conversion. Open your hearts. This is a time of grace while I am with you, make good use of it. Say: “This is the time for my soul”. I am with you and love you with immeasurable love. Thank you for having responded to my call."

The days of Lent and Easter invite us all to share with Christ the willingness to make sacrifices and to suffer in the fulfillment of the work of redemption. St. Paul—in prison—writes, "I fill up by my suffering what is wanting to the suffering of Christ in His body which is the Church." Mary's messages over the last centuries have made clear that the uncomplaining offering of our hardships is part of the Divine plan for world peace.

It is also a prelude for our own sharing in the joy of the Resurrection. If we have died with Christ, we need to seek the things that are above.

And both those things bring us to Pentecost. We need to anticipate and prepare for a new outpouring of the Holy Spirit. For us as individuals, we should pray daily to be at peace in the Holy Spirit. In that peace we need to pray for the whole human family—and to respect one another, to share with one another, to forgive and accept forgiveness.

We yearn for peace that the world cannot give. When it comes, it will be an answer to prayer—your prayers and mine.

Statue from Mother's Village in Medjugorje

The Most Important Person On Earth

By Joseph Cardinal Mindszenty

The most important person on earth is a mother. She cannot claim the honor of having built Notre Dame Cathedral. She need not. She has built something more magnificent than any cathedral – a dwelling for an immortal soul, the tiny perfection of her baby's body.

The angels have not been blessed with such a grace. They cannot share in God's creative miracle to bring new saints to Heaven. Only a human mother can. Mothers are closer to God the Creator than any other creature; God joins forces with mothers in performing this act of creation.

What on God's good earth is more glorious than this: to be a mother?

Editor's note: A special thanks to Fr. Ed Krause, PhD, for sending this beautiful reflection to us.

«Vocation Shower»

Subscriber Paul Henry Flores from the Philippines has entered the seminary. Praise God! He has told us about a list of books he needs for his studies – some of these you may even have in your possession. We have agreed to be a kind of «bridal registry» for him. (His spouse will be the Church.) If you would like to help him by contributing a book, we can send you his list. If you send him a book, we will eliminate it from the list when we pass it on to others. You can email June at tnklins@velocity.net and put «vocation shower» in the subject line. Thanks in advance for your support!

On Prayer

It’s May! It’s May’s month! Try to say the Rosary each day. Or an extra one. Have a May Altar. Have a statue or image or Our Lady perhaps place it on a blue cloth and put lots of flowers with it. The could be real, silk or try making some flowers out of paper. Find out if there will be a May Procession near you and attend. Talk to Our Blessed Mother throughout the day. Why is May Mary’s month? Perhaps because in many places it is Spring and the weather is gentle and there are new flowers and it is all so lovely. Be sure to honor Our Lady on Mothers Day which, of course is in May. I hope you have a truly joyful Marian May.

You can contact Brother Craig through his community's website www.monksofadoration.org

Sunset in Medjugorje

Fr. Jozo Speaks about Rest

The following is Fr. Jozo's reflection on the July, 2006 message.

“Dear children! At this time, do not only think of rest for your body but, little children, seek time also for the soul. In silence may the Holy Spirit speak to you and permit Him to convert and change you. I am with you and before God I intercede for each of you. Thank you for having responded to my call.”

In the human nature God also created a need for rest. During creation, the Lord Himself created a day of rest and named it the Lord's Day. It is the day in which the Church places the Eucharist as a sign of a meeting with the Risen Lord. It is the day in which our body rests and the soul gets filled with grace. It is wisdom to harmonise the rest of the body and the renewal of the spirit. After the first missionary journey, Jesus sent His disciples to rest. The Apostles gathered around Jesus and reported to Him everything they did and taught. He said to them;“You must come away to some lonely place … and rest for a while. “ (Mk 6, 30)

In human nature there is a need to find a harmony between the body and the soul. Even pagans said: “a healthy spirit in a healthy body“ Care for the body is necessary, it is from God. However, anguished and excessive concern for the body is a deviation and develops into an unhealthy state. Today, the culture of the body and of what is physical is over exaggerated. Physical pleasure has become a goal. The promotion and the cult of the body has become the content of television programs, newspapers, films and other media. Man has lost his security and feels attacked because he has lost the harmony. It looks as if the truth in man has fallen, stumbled and disappeared. Unfortunately priority is given to error which gains ever more space and suppresses the truth.

What is this truth? It is a virtue to protect the soul. It is a virtue to find time to rest our soul, as Our Lady calls us to in this message. It is vacation time which is a time to renew the physical and spiritual strength. With leaving our home and our parish we must not leave behind our faith, prayer and spiritual life. We must not become the same as those who identify their rest with a repulsive life, entertainment and the like. Unfortunately, many Christians spend their rest in vain, without Holy Mass and without prayer. Today, the tourist centers, unfortunately, try to bring new content to the summer programs such as new forms of entertainment and uninhibited activities. In this way, during summer, holidays many fall to the very bottom in a moral and Christian sense. Instead of returning home with a rested body and soul, they return with wounded hearts and devastated spirit, marriage and life.

In a Motherly way, Our Lady calls us to every day find time to dedicate to our soul every day. Therefore, I must reflect on how this is possible. Here are several practical suggestions.

I need to go to my rest with the following:

with the Bible,
with my family Rosary,
with a book of Christian content,
with a decision to regularly go to Holy Mass,
with a decision to resist and avoid unchristian programs I come across,
with a decision to begin each day with prayer and to end it with prayer.

On vacation it is necessary to strengthen our family unity by taking walks together and speaking with our children and friends.

We must know how to seek silence. It is the Holy Spirit who wondrously speaks in silence. We need to become open to the inspirations of the Holy Spirit who changes and ennobles us. If we were just to look at a sunset and the wonderful colors created in the sky. Such wonderful experience of what is beautiful frees us from our burdens and frustrations. Rest is wonderful and beneficial when the Holy Spirit gives it to us. Then there is no frustration or overburdening and our soul is rested and free. As the prophet said:“Only in God is your rest my soul.“

What is Our Heavenly Mother saying to us and what is She teaching us? She is telling us that rest must build us and help us grow in faith, peace and love. She teaches us not to lose face and our soul on vacation, instead to use it for a benefit and the good of both our soul and body. It is Her desire that rest be an occasion for our growth and for our moral, intellectual and spiritual enrichment.

Dear brothers and sisters, I pray for all of you who do not have a possibility of going to rest and for all those of you who do. May the Queen of Peace accompany you all and protect you with Her blessing.

Mirjana's April 2, 2007 Message

Dear children, do not be of a hard heart towards the mercy of God, which has been pouring out upon you for so much of your time. In this special time of prayer, permit me to transform your hearts that you may help me to have my Son resurrect in all hearts, and that my heart may triumph. Thank you." Our Lady added: "Your Shepherds need your prayers.

Apparition Hill

“Renew My Church, Begin With Your Family”

By Wendy Ripple

September, 2003 marked the beginning of a new journey for the Ripple family. The journey began when I received a phone call from a nurse who apologetically reviewed the results of my biopsy with me, “I’m sorry, Dr. Ripple. I know everyone thought it was benign, but the pathology shows that you have breast cancer.” I sensed the woman’s empathy, and, somewhat dazed, heard myself thanking her for giving me the results. I hung up the phone, closed my office door and called my husband. Michael knew the reason for the call, and he knew the results before I was able to tell him. Little did we know, though, that the almond sized lump in my left breast was a gift from God that would forever change our life. Little did we know that the next two years of our life would take us on a journey of faith that would bring us home to the Roman Catholic Church. And, never did we expect that our direction and call would be orchestrated by the Blessed Mother and the miraculous events occurring in the small Croatian village of Medjugorje.

Michael and I shared a self-perceived strong faith in God. He was ordained a Roman Catholic priest and I was born and raised Roman Catholic – but we, at that time and by our own design, chose to worship and follow God on our terms, not His. As a result, we had left the Roman Catholic Church, not long after our son, Michael “Isaac”, had been baptized. We publicly denounced the Church by joining the Episcopal community, and Michael became an Episcopal priest. It was quite natural for us to turn to God in time of need. That very evening of my diagnosis, still amidst the shock, Michael leaned over me while I lay on the bed crying. He asked me what I needed. I replied, “I need Father Bill; I need the Holy Spirit; I need a Healing Mass.”

We had not seen, nor talked to Father Bill for some years, but Michael had shared in his healing ministry in the past. I believed in Father Bill’s gift of healing and in the power of the Holy Spirit and I knew this prayer and blessing were exactly what I needed to begin the course of cancer treatment. I did not know at the time that a spiritual healing was what I really needed to begin a more important journey. I believe, though, that this was the point of surrender for both me and my husband. The Blessed Virgin must have recognized this, too, and with the full cooperation of the Holy Spirit, She seized this moment to begin to lead us back to Her Son. One phone call and twenty-four hours later, Michael, Isaac and I were seated in a Roman Catholic Church outside of Butler at a Mass for Healing being celebrated by Father Bill.

The Mass felt familiar. I felt comfortable and at home even after several years of attending Episcopal services. However, I cried throughout the entire Mass – I am not sure exactly why I cried, but I cried. After Mass, we joined the ranks of believers filing up to the altar for laying on of hands. Isaac, silent, was right there with me and Michael. I prayed to be opened to the Holy Spirit, and to accept whatever healing God intended for me. I did not ask to be healed of cancer. Again, I am not sure why I did not ask for the obvious. I would like to believe that it was because I really knew that God knows what is best for me, but I am generally not that humble or accepting. I watched as Father Bill gave Isaac a blessing. Isaac teetered, and Father Bill gently placed his arm around my five year old son so he would not fall. I rested in the Spirit. Michael rested also. Isaac then began to cry uncontrollably. Prior to the blessings, I had never thought about how Isaac would be affected by this. Was he frightened? Was this too much for him? Was he crying because I was crying? Michael and I walked him out of the church and held him close until we all calmed down. Michael asked Isaac, “Why are you crying, bud? Are you afraid?” He looked right at us with his big brown eyes full of tears, shaking his head, and said, “No, I’m not afraid. I’m crying because I felt God go in me.” I knew we were healed that evening.

The grace that flowed from the Holy Spirit through the small hands of Father Bill into the entire Ripple family that night was immeasurable. God’s freely given, life sustaining gift of grace carried the three of us through six months of chemotherapy – complete with total hair loss, an intensive care admission when I lost consciousness and my heart stopped, and two surgeries. I was so sure that I had been healed that I felt guilty for continuing with chemotherapy and worried that my faith was not strong enough. But in my heart I knew that God healed through the hands of others, not just Father Bill, but physicians, also. The physical healing came with a very contained and nonaggressive tumor and in the fact that despite the rather large tumor size, there was no spread to the lymph nodes. The emotional healing allowed us to bask in God’s peace; He protected us from all anxiety and worry. We eventually even healed broken family relationships. God’s grace also continued to bathe Isaac, who saw the entire opportunity as a chance for me to be his “stay-at-home-mommy.”

Our Blessed Mother was also there comforting me. It was only She, through a constant litany of Hail Mary’s that could destroy the red serpent of acid indigestion and nausea. I had conjured up this image in an attempt at self-hypnosis to control the side effects of the chemotherapy. However, I was unable to visualize any means to rid myself of the image I had created. Instinctively I resorted to prayer. Only Mary was strong enough to destroy the serpent. My spiritual blindness, however, did not allow me to see this connection with Mary until many months later.

Something was happening to the Ripple family. We were, as a family, changing. At the time we thought it was just the beginning of the cancer perspective. We thought our life was changing because cancer makes you see things differently. We thought cancer was helping us to put our life into better perspective. Cancer does not do any such thing. God does. What we felt was God calling us back to Him. So, amidst the treatments and complications, Michael and I decided to make some changes that would allow us more time for family and more time for God. We decided to close my medical practice and find a position for me that allowed me more time with my family. Perhaps God was calling us to be a better, more holy family. We decided to move to Erie to be closer to Michael’s church so that we could be more a part of that Episcopal community. Perhaps God was calling us to embrace this congregation as family. We thought we had found a new home in Fairview and in St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church. It was about that time that we also began to feel the call to Medjugorje.

Father Bill had become a dear friend to our family following the cancer. Michael had invited him to St. Stephen’s, and on several occasions they celebrated ecumenical services with blessings for healing together. One evening following the service, I asked Father Bill about this gift for healing. He told the story of his first pilgrimage to Medjugorje, and how, after receiving a blessing from Father Jozo and attending a talk by Vicka in which their eyes met and his lips began to burn, he received the gift of healing. The talk quickly turned to Medjugorje and by the time Michael and I returned home, we had felt called to make a pilgrimage. Our pilgrimage would be one of thanksgiving for blessings received – or so we thought. Our pilgrimage would provide a wonderful ending to the difficult, but grace-filled, time of cancer and transition. Once again, little did we know that this was not the end of our journey back to God, but only the beginning.

Signs of the Blessed Mother’s intervention began to appear providing confirmation that we were, in fact, being called to Medjugorje. Father Bill had a trip planned that fit into our schedule. A check written for a new kitchen counter top had disappeared from the shop at which it had been ordered just about the same time Michael and I became concerned about financing the pilgrimage. The amount of the check just happened to be enough to cover the cost of three pilgrims, Michael, Isaac, and me. For a fleeting moment, Michael and I considered making the trip without Isaac, but he strongly protested. The two of us quickly remembered that Mary is a mother, and would have no objection to an almost seven year old making a pilgrimage. We also had a sense that we would be forever changed following the trip, and we wanted to be changed together – as a family.

For several months we immersed ourselves, again, as a family, in prayer. We began praying the Rosary together every night before bed. I began journaling an examination of conscience into a little notebook. Michael and I read everything on Medjugorje that we could find. We were all consumed! On April 1, 2005, one year and five months after being diagnosed with breast cancer, the Ripple’s arrived in Medjugorje. We were immediately witness to the miracle of the spinning sun. Our stay was blessed with an apparition of the Blessed Mother on April 2. Her presence could be felt like electricity in the air; Her message to Mirjana called for us to “renew My Church, begin with your family; I will be with you always….” We stood in prayer and in awe feeling that this message was specifically for us. But, our minds quickly began to wonder. How were we to renew Her Church? Were we being called to bring the messages of Medjugorje to the Episcopal Church? Was that the “family” She was speaking of? Was this why we were in Medjugorje?

Later that same night, Michael was at Eucharistic Adoration when Pope John Paul II died. As he heard the prayers for “the life and the death of Pope John Paul,” over the loud speakers of St. James church, he uttered a simple prayer asking for his Pope’s intercession in our lives. I did not find out about this prayer until some time after we returned home, however, his prayer was to be answered swifter than we could have ever imagined.

The next few days of the pilgrimage were extremely difficult. Michael and I seemed to be distanced from each other. The more I watched my husband, the more I felt that we had made a grave decision. He was ordained a priest. He was called by God. Now we were married and outsiders to our native faith. Was this sin? Was it my fault? Was I to blame for the fact that my husband could no longer receive the Holy Eucharist for which he had at one time dedicated his life? Even though he was an Episcopal priest, and even though he consecrated Holy Communion every Sunday as an Anglican – things suddenly made no sense. My husband needed to return to the Roman Catholic Church; he needed to return as a priest. These were my thoughts.

To be continued next issue ...

Wendy and Isaac in Medjugorje

Our Lady of the Blessed Sacrament

On May 13 we celebrate the feast of "Our Lady of the Most Blessed Sacrament.” The title of Our Lady of the Blessed Sacrament was first given to Mary by St. Peter Julian Eymard in May, 1868. St. Peter Julian Eymard, known as "The Priest of the Eucharist" and "The Apostle of the Eucharist," founded the "Congregation of the Most Blessed Sacrament" at Paris on May 13, 1856. He developed a very special love for the Eucharist and Our Lady at a young age, which was inspired by his mother's Eucharistic devotion. With the encouragement of Pius XI, St. Peter Julian Eymard founded the new congregation to perpetually adore Jesus in the Most Blessed Sacrament and to spread Perpetual Eucharistic Adoration throughout the world, and to honor Mary, the Mother of Jesus in the Most Blessed Sacrament.

As St. Peter stated so often, the Blessed Mother was the first and most perfect adorer of Jesus. She adored Jesus from the very first moment of conception in Her womb. After Jesus ascended into Heaven, according to early church fathers and theologians, Our Lady continued to adore and receive Jesus in the Eucharist. St. John would have provided the Eucharist for Our Lady, as he cared for Her and ministered to Her wants. The early church historians write that Our Lady spent most of Her days and nights in Adoration of Jesus in the Holy Eucharist. (In the times of the early church the Eucharist was generally reserved in the homes of Christians.)

Another May 13 occurrence of great importance was the apparition of Our Lady in Fatima, Portugal in 1917. Could the May 13, 1856 founding of the Congregation of the Most Blessed Sacrament by St. Peter Julian Eymard and their entrustment to Our Lady under the title of "Our Lady of the Most Blessed Sacrament" be a prophetic foreshadowing of Her May 13, 1917 Fatima apparition?

Source : Missionaries of the Blessed Sacrament, www.acfp2000.com

Family Scripture Time

By Bonnie Brown

I have recently struggled with how to incorporate reading scripture into my family's time together and I realized the best way was to do as Our Lady did with the visionaries and start slow and work up to longer periods of time. This worked with the Rosary. We started with a decade a night and are working our way up. With the scripture I started making a game of Bible Trivia during dinner. I would ask them questions like, “Who can name the most apostles?" Of course I didn't scold for wrong answers, as I didn't expect them to know them all. ( I'm still learning a lot myself.) When they are wrong I point out the correct answers and then over the next couple of nights we review. The cutest thing happened with my 9 and 12 year-old boys last week. I asked them if they could tell me the fruits of the Spirit,, not expecting them to know at all. The 9 year old shouted out, "I know....it's grapes!" Before I could laugh the 12 year old looked at him and said, "No it's not - it's apples." We all had a great laugh and I was able to teach them about love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, gentleness and self control. They laughed so hard seeing me laugh so hard. It was a true God moment and now they are so much more eager to "play."

Editor's note: Bonnie is form New Orleans, LA.

Children with their rosaries from Medjugorje

Rosaries to the Philippines

By June Klins

Last year Marifel, one of our subscribers from the Philippines, asked if we could send rosaries to her for some children whose homes had burned down, so I sent her 26 luminous rosaries from Medjugorje. On May 16, I received a letter from Marifel, who is being sponsored by one of our generous American subscribers. She said, « God Bless you - the rosaries arrived today....Thank you, June! ...I'm so happy that it arrived in the month of May, for we have a tradition during the month of May, right after Mass, the children approach the statue of Our Lady, one by one, and offer Her flowers, so as they finish offering... I asked Bobby Choy to hand the rosary from Our Lady as an exchange, Her personal gift to each one!”

Later Bobby Choy sent me a picture and a note: “Last December 21, 2005, a fire broke out that totally razed all the houses, and only the grotto of Our Lady of Lourdes was left undamaged and not hot after the fire. They saw the image shed blood tears. After a month the children approached me and asked me to teach them the cenacle. They started learning the Rosary…Their number started to grow in number to 25 children. The Rosary is prayed every evening... Thank you, Mama Mary.”

A special thanks to our subscribers for their generous donations that make it possible for us to help those in other parts of the world to live Our Lady’s messages.

Jakov with his translator

Questions and Answers with Jakov, 6/21/06

This is the last in the series of questions and answers session with Jakov from 6/21/06.

Q: What about the influence of television in our lives?

A: Are we forced to watch television? (The crowd shouts, «No!») You see, nobody is forced to watch TV, so we should not allow television to bring up, raise our children. We raise our children. We educate our children. You see, we are the ones who place televisions in our homes, and when we look at our homes, do you know where the television is placed? It is always in the center of our living rooms. Is that right? (Heads shake in agreement as the crowd says, «Yes.») And let’s try to imagine – let’s place a cross instead of a television. You see, it’s not wrong to watch television. That’s not wrong, but we are those who choose what we are going to watch on television.

I am sure all Europeans watch the soccer World Cup. And I’m sure all of you are going to cheer for Croatia!

Q: Can you tell us how Our Lady picked Medjugorje for Her apparitions?

A: Can’t you see – Medjugorje is so beautiful?! (Crowd claps in agreement.) We asked Our Lady at the beginning of the apparitions why She chose Medjugorje, and Our Lady said only once, “ I have found a strong faith, that people are faithful to God in this parish.” And we can explain it – you see, we used to live in a Communist country, and in a certain way it was forbidden to attend Holy Mass and to be Catholic, but in spite of all these problems we used to have people stay faithful to God and we prayed and we always believed in Him. And I think this is a great gift from God to all of us, for entire Medjugorje, but also this is a gift for the entire world.

Q: What were your feelings when Our Lady gave you the tenth secret and Our Lady said She would not appear on a daily basis any more?

A. You have to understand, I was having apparitions on a daily basis for 17 years, and I grew up with Our Lady. And you see, I knew only about this life and this is my life. And of course, it is normal when I was given the tenth secret and when Our Lady told me that She would not appear to me on a daily basis any more, I cannot describe the pain I felt in my heart. And I can tell you that this was the most difficult moment in my life. You see, you ask yourself then many questions. How will I be able to continue my life? How is it possible that I do not see Our Lady any more? And what am I going to do in that hour when I was meeting Her? But also Our Lady says, “Pray and you are going to get all answers.” And I really understand and, you see, I had this gift from God – I was able to see Our Lady and I’m thankful to God every moment of my life for this gift He gave to me. And now when I’m not able to see Our Lady on a daily basis any more, I know that She is with me all the time. It is more important to have Our Lady in our hearts and She wants to be in every single heart. But also, I can’t wait for Christmas to come! (Our Lady told Jakov that She would appear to him every Christmas Day for the rest of his life.)

Inside the invitation card

Invitation to Return to the Faith

By June Klins

Many priests will say that the prayer intention they hear the most is for adult children to return to the faith they were brought up in. Last year at a retreat, my pastor, Fr. Larry Richards, spoke about how to bring people, in general, to the faith, but the steps he mentioned can certainly apply to those who are praying for their adult children to return.

Father Larry said that the first thing to do is to write down their names and to start praying for them that they surrender their lives to Jesus. He said that when you pray for someone you become like a magnifying glass for the rays of the Holy Spirit (like the effect of a magnifying glass with the sun). Then Father went on to talk about 3 steps.

Step 1 - Do NOT talk to them about Jesus first. You must PRAY first. He suggested praying the Divine Mercy chaplet for them and imagining a drop of Jesus' Blood falling from the cross on each one.

Step 2 - You LOVE them. They have to know that you love them and that you will go out of your way for them. Our Lady of Medjugorje tells us the same thing – not to preach, but to pray and be a good example.

Step 3- You talk to them last. Ask the Holy Spirit to tell you the time that they would be the most open to it. DO NOT move ahead of the Holy Spirit. If you are not comfortable talking, give them a tape or CD.

About two years ago Fr. William Rice of Fryburg, PA, was inspired to design an invitation card as a response to all the parents who are praying for their adult children who have left the faith. Our bishop thinks it is a great idea too. He said it is sometimes hard for parents to bring up the topic with their children. He said, "I think many people will find this to be an excellent way to begin the conversation." Rather than preaching to your children (which can sometimes push them away), the card comes across as a "soft touch." If you are interested in obtaining one of the cards you can e-mail Fr. Rice at willar@venustel.com or contact us for his phone number.

Thank you to Ima Garland, Louise Lotze, Vilma Smith, Mary Baylie, and Lenora LeMay for making us more prayer cloths. Thank you to Diana Stillwell for her photos.

The Spirit of Medjugorje

P.O. Box 6614

Erie, PA 16512