3rd day: We pray for all Parishioners
Through the years I’ve heard incredibly inspiring stories of the parishioners of Medjugorje. The people of this parish are vitally important part in fulfilling God’s plan, with Mary herself guided the parish for years with weekly messages for 3 years. Here is a report of this incredible grace, along with the first 3 messages, which are extremely profound and beautiful:
“A new development took place in Medjugorje at the beginning of 1984.
Our Lady told Jelena Vasilj that she wanted the parishioners of St.
James Church to come together at the church for one evening a week so
that She could direct them in their spiritual life. The priests chose
Thursday. From March 1, 1984 through January 8, 1987, Our Lady gave
messages to the parish every Thursday. The messages come to the parish
through the six seers and almost entirely through Marija Pavlovic. On
January 8, 1987, Our Lady said that She would give messages monthly, on
the 25th of each month.
March 1, 1984 “Dear children! I have chosen this parish in a
special way and I wish to lead it. I am guarding it in love and I want
everyone to be mine. Thank you for having responded tonight. I wish you
always to be with me and my Son in ever greater numbers. I shall speak a
message to you every Thursday.”
March 8, 1984 “Thank you for having responded to my call! Dear
children, you in the parish, be converted. This is my other wish. That
way all those who shall come here shall be able to convert.”
March 15,1984 “Tonight also, dear children, I am grateful to
you in a special way for being here. Unceasingly adore the Most Blessed
Sacrament of the Altar. I am always present when the faithful are
adoring. Special graces are then being received.”
http://medjugorje.org/msg84.htm
Surely these weekly messages from heaven enabled many to stand up for their faith and in defense of the visionaries even when it meant enduring great suffering at the hands of the Communist government and police – some even losing their lives, their livelihoods or their freedom.
The parish website tells us the
Croatian people had already been tried in a crucible of suffering
throughout the centuries – this also must have prepared them for the great
hardships the Communist police and government imposed on them following
the beginning of the apparitions. This is an excerpt of the their history following WWII:
“During the Second World War, the losses of the Croatian people were
immense. At the end of the war itself, when the cease-fire had already
been officially declared, about 300,000 civilians and soldiers lost
their lives at Bleiburg and at what is called the “Way of the Cross” of
the Croatian people. According to attained agreements, the Allies were
supposed to offer refuge to Croats after their surrender, and to others
who were seeking to evade communism. But the Allies, according to the
order of the field-martial general Harold Alexander, handed the soldiers
and the civilians over to the communists – the partisans. In Bleiburg
alone a multitude lost their lives, while the rest of them had to form a
60km long line taking them to the communist Yugoslavia and it’s
concentration camps. This was the beginning of the Croatian Golgotha,
the so-called “Way of the Cross,” which extended from the most northern
to the most southern point of the new multi-ethnic state of Yugoslavia.
The Partisans killed the Croatians while walking, without trial, without
establishing their eventual culpability, at their own discretion.
Especially persecuted were the Croatians from Herzegovina.
The communists killed 630 priests and nuns from Croatia, Bosnia and
Herzegovina. Alone in the Herzegovinian Franciscan province, 70
Franciscans were killed. The Second World War took 344 lives from the
parish of Medjugorje.
In the parish of Medjugorje, life under communist rule was hard.
People were beaten and sentenced to years in prison just because they
were Catholics and Croatians. In schools, just as elsewhere in Croatia,
the communists tried to separate children from their national identity
and their faith. Thanks to the strong faith of the people, they didn’t
succeed in this.
At the same time, the area was systematically economically neglected,
with the aim of having as many people as possible leave the area… The
pilgrims, who came here at the very beginning of the apparitions, saw
all this in action. They found here a very poor region and very rude
policemen. The administration didn’t permit the slightest help in
accommodating the pilgrims; instead, many of them – together with the
locals – were persecuted and imprisoned, just because they said that Our
Lady was appearing. However, the local people were hospitable and had
their standards.”
http://www.medjugorje.hr/en/parish/history/
Mary’s school has surely helped form the generosity and goodness of so many parishioners in harboring and serving pilgrims in their homes – many of whom rise before any of their guests are awake to attend the 5:00 am Croatian Mass during the summer months (said so early so that Masses in every major language can be said the rest of the morning), while also taking part in the 2-3 hour prayer program each night (that began with Father Jozo within the first days of the apparitions – see Day 2 for the prayer program’s history).
You came to us to lead us to God.
Obtain for us the grace not only to say:
“Be it done to me according to Your will!”, but to live it, as You did.
Your hands we put our hands, so that You may lead us to Him amidst
these afflictions and woes. Through Christ, our Lord. Amen.
Come Holy Spirit, Creator, come
best gift of God above,
the living spring, the living fire,
sweet unction and true love.
Thou Who are called the Paraclete,
from Thy bright heavenly throne,
come, take possession of our souls,
and make them all Thine own.
Thou who are sevenfold in Thy grace,
finger of God’s right hand,
His promise, teaching little ones
to speak and understand.
first video is a slide slow of music and images of the entire mysteries
of the Rosary found in Medjugorje. There are no words.
Texts for Meditation
Whoever remains in me and I in him will bear much fruit, because without
me you can do nothing. Anyone who does not remain in me will be thrown
out like a branch and wither; people will gather them and throw them
into a fire and they will be burned. If you remain in me and my words
remain in you, ask whatever you want and it will be done for you. By
this is my Father glorified, that you bear much fruit and become my
disciples. As the Father loves me, so also I love you. Remain in my
love. If you keep my commandments, you will remain in my love, just as I
have kept my Father’s commandments and remain in his love. I have told
you this so that my joy might be in you and your joy might be complete.”
(Jn 15,5-8)
MESSAGE FROM HEAVEN
offered me these days. Little children, I invite you to open yourselves
to me and to decide for conversion. Your hearts, little children, are
still not completely open to me and therefore, I invite you again to
open to prayer so that in prayer the Holy Spirit will help you, that
your hearts become of flesh and not of stone. Little children, thank you
for having responded to my call and for having decided to walk with me
toward holiness.” (Message, June 25, 1996)
CATECHISM OF THE CATHOLIC CHURCH
gestures, it is the whole man who prays. But in naming the source of
prayer, Scripture speaks sometimes of the soul or the spirit, but most
often of the heart (more than a thousand times). According to Scripture,
it is the heart that prays. If our heart is far from God, the words of
prayer are in vain. (2562)
Concluding prayer:
call to remain with the heart in Your love and to bear much fruit. Thank
You for having chosen this parish in a special way, by giving it to
Your Mother, the Queen of Peace, with the mission to call the world to
peace and reconciliation, to conversion through the renewal of fasting
and prayer… Thank You for the openness of each heart, which knew how to
receive Her, and allowed Her to make each of them a visible sign for
those who come here. Today we pray to You, O Lord: make this parish an
even greater sign of the Kingdom of God, and help the parishioners to
become joyful and holy fruits of the presence of Our Lady. Amen.
The Medjugorje Hymn
To the Mother and Queen of Peace
Click Here for .mp3 –
We come to you, dearest Mother,
from all quarters, from all nations;
bringing to you all our troubles
ardent wishes, aspirations.
Look upon us and console us,
lay your gentle hands upon us;
intercede with Jesus for us,
Mother of Peace, do pray for us.
All the faithful look up to you,
you the lodestar of salvation;
cleanse, embrace us, we pray to you,
bless all in the congregation.
Bijakovo, Medjugorje,
little hamlets spread the story,
bearing witness to your beauty
to your name and to your glory.
For all your love, dearest Mother
all the wonders that we have seen,
we give to you solemn promise
to be better than we have been.
Complete Novena found here:
http://medjugorje.org/anniversarynovena.htm
© Updated 2020. Janet Moore 2019. All Rights Reserved.