Medjugorje - Our Lady's December 25, 2008 Message

Below please find the official English translation of Our Lady's December 25, 2008 Christmas Message as provided by the Information Center in Medjugorje.

“Dear children! You are running, working, gathering – but without blessing. You are not praying! Today I call you to stop in front of the manger and to meditate on Jesus, Whom I give to you today also, to bless you and to help you to comprehend that, without Him, you have no future. Therefore, little children, surrender your lives into the hands of Jesus, for Him to lead you and protect you from every evil. Thank you for having responded to my call.”

Medjugorje - Commentary on Our Lady's November 25, 2008 Message

Peace to All! Below, please find the official English translation of Fr. Danko's commentary on Our Lady's November 25, 2008 message provided by the Information Center in Medjugorje.

PRAY FOR THIS TURBULENT WORLD WITHOUT HOPE

"Dear children! Also today I call you, in this time of grace, to pray for little Jesus to be born in your heart. May He, who is peace itself, give peace to the entire world through you. Therefore, little children, pray without ceasing for this turbulent world without hope, so that you may become witnesses of peace for all. May hope begin to flow through your hearts as a river of grace. Thank you for having responded to my call." Message of November 25, 2008


Advent has been called the time of grace since the very beginning of Christian tradition, as it is the time when the love of God is particularly efficient in making our faith stronger and inspiring us to be holy. In her last message Our Lady calls us to pray for little Jesus to be born in our hearts in this time of grace. There is also another reason to call the time we live in a time of grace: Our Lady has been near us in a very special way for over 27 years. Throughout all this time she has been teaching us in her school of love. In her last message she calls us again to pray as she often calls us to do so because she knows that we do not pray. We are all making a big mistake, and that is that we think we pray a lot and that we are good. The very moment when we realise and accept that it is not so, our conversion will start. John of Damascus says: «To pray is to lift your heart to the Lord». It means enjoying the closeness to God, His presence, love and peace. In recent times the world has been caught in a turmoil and all the leading countries have been faced with a financial crisis. The man of today is restless. Always in a hurry, but unable to catch up, which makes him feel even more uneasy. He is searching for peace in all the wrong places. Our Lady shows us the way to peace. It is Her Son and Our Lord Jesus Christ. In the Gospel of John he says: «Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.» (John 14:27). Those who have God have everything. Those who have encountered God become carriers of the peace of Christ.

Our Lady calls us to pray without ceasing for this turbulent world without hope. Hope is a theological virtue that makes us desire the Kingdom of Heaven and eternal life as the sources of our happiness when we place faith in the promises of Christ and relying not on our own forces, but on the help coming from the grace of the Holy Spirit. „Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful“ (Hebrews 10:23). The Holy Spirit „whom he poured on us generously through Jesus Christ our Saviour, so that having been justified by his grace, we might become heirs having the hope of eternal life“ (Titus 3:6-7), as we read in the Catechism (cf. CCC 1817). Thanks to hope it is easier for us to deal with everyday problems. Redemption is offered to us in the sense that we have been given hope, trustworthy hope, by virtue of which we can face our present: the present, even if it is arduous, can be lived and accepted if it leads towards a goal, if we can be sure of this goal, and if this goal is great enough to justify the effort of the journey, as Pope Benedict XVI teaches us in his Encyclical Saved in Hope.

In this short commentary of the message we will remember the eighth death anniversary of the late Fr. Slavko Barbaric. Fr. Slavko was devoted to Our Lady in a true childlike manner. He was tireless in his ministry. He was always ready to offer help to anyone asking for it, either in a spiritual or material way. We will include him in our prayers by thanking the Lord for having given us the chance of knowing him and at the same time learning from him.


Fr. Danko Perutina
Medugorje 26/11/2008

Erik's Commentary on the Indian Attacks

I think the news of the terrorist attacks in India really underscores the need to listen to the Virgin Mary's latest monthly message: a return to peace within our hearts so that, through our example, we can convert the entire world.

- Erik

Medjugorje - Our Lady's November 25, 2008 Message

Below please find the official English translation of Our Lady's November 25, 2008 message as provided by the Information Center in Medjugorje.


“Dear children! Also today I call you, in this time of grace, to pray for little Jesus to be born in your heart. May He, who is peace itself, give peace to the entire world through you. Therefore, little children, pray without ceasing for this turbulent world without peace, so that you may become witnesses of peace for all. May hope begin to flow through your hearts as a river of grace. Thank you for having responded to my call.”

Release of Ivan Dragicevic's Winter Speaking Schedule

Ivan Dragicevic's Winter speaking schedule was recently released! Click the big picture of Ivan (on the right hand side of my blog) to see when he will be in your area!

Medjugorje - Commentary on Our Lady's October 25, 2008 Message

ARM YOURSELF WITH PRAYER AND FAST

"Dear children! In a special way I call you all to pray for my intentions so that, through your prayers, you may stop Satan's plan over this world, which is further from God every day, and which puts itself in the place of God and is destroying everything that is beautiful and good in the souls of each of you. Therefore, little children, arm yourselves with prayer and fasting so that you may be conscious of how much God loves you, and carry out God's will. Thank you for having responded to my call." Message of October 25, 2008


Our Lady invites us to pray for her intentions. If we give ourselves in prayer to the God, the satanic scheme will not be fulfilled on Earth. By this message, Our Lady asks for our cooperation. We are aware that Jesus and Our Lady can prevail over Satan without us, but they ask for our cooperation and our decision. God created us free and asks of us to take sides. God created us without our help, but He cannot saves us if we do not want it.

When Our Lady speaks about the satanic scheme on this Earth, she does not speak about the nature, but about the man and all the sins which mankind does when it fails before the satanic temptations, which are the various kinds of great sins: marriages of the same sex, abortus, killings, fornication, robbing of the poor, curses, drugs, alcohol, etc. The mankind today continuously puts itself in the place of God and repeats the mistake from the first pages of the Bible (Post 3). Human values have become more important than the Christian values. For many people, money has become a god. The consequence of this is that everything which is good and beautiful in the souls of men is being destroyed.

Our Lady gives us the tools to resist the satanic scheme, and these are the prayer and the fast. We all think that we pray a lot and that we have a deep faith. If we would make a poll, we would see that we do not pray so often. We spend more time talking on the phone, drinking coffees, reading newspapers or watching sport, than we spend praying. The fast and the prayer have been, from the Christian beginnings, the main tools in fighting the evil. If we do not pray and fast, we cannot believe, because the faith, i.e. the trust, is established in relation to someone, and this someone is God. The prayer is the encounter with God, and from this encounter, a strong and forceful faith is being born.

Our Lady invites us in the message from November 25th 1987. to pray that the Satan does not attract us with his vanity and false strength. She says: I am with you and I want you to believe me that I love you. Love and humility can be read from every message of Our Lady, and it is the main reason that so much people from the whole world visits Medugorje – because they feel they are loved.

Tonight’s message Our Lady ends with the words: do the God’s will. In 40th psalm, in 9th row, we can read: “It is dearer to me, my God, to do Your will.” A man who does God’s will is filled by joy and serenity. To do the God’s will means to stride toward sanctity. The humility is the characteristic of those who do the God’s will. They are obedient and meek. Those who do not respond to doing the God’s will are focused on the worldly matters and God is not in the first place for them. These are the people who are full of ambition and are trying to fulfill their goals by any means. These are the people who measure everything with this world’s measure, and consequently loose their joy.

Let us all together decide for God once again, let us heed the call of the Queen of peace, and we will become the true witnesses of the God’s love and the love of Our Lady, we will become such disciples as Jesus wants.


Fra Danko Perutina
Medugorje, October 26th 2008

Our Lady's October 25th Monthly Message to the World

Below is the English translation of the Virgin Mary's monthly message to the world, as provided by the Information Center in Medjugorje:



“Dear children! In a special way I call you all to pray for my intentions so that, through your prayers, you may stop Satan's plan over this world, which is further from God every day, and which puts itself in the place of God and is destroying everything that is beautiful and good in the souls of each of you. Therefore, little children, arm yourselves with prayer and fasting so that you may be conscious of how much God loves you and may carry out God's will. Thank you for having responded to my call.”

Fasting

Did you know the Virgin Mary has requested everyone who is able to fast on bread and water on Wednesdays and Fridays throughout the year?

In her message of July 21, 1982, the Virgin Mary said the following:


"The best fast is on bread and water. Through fasting and prayer one can stop wars, one can suspend the natural laws of nature. Works of charity cannot replace fasting... Everyone except the sick, has to fast."


You can learn more about the meaning of fasting and how to fast here.

A Powerful Dream and the Rebirth of a Blog

Hello, everyone. After a hiatus of a few months, I am back to doing my blog about the 26-year-long apparitions of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Medjugorje, a small village in Bosnia-Hercegovina. I strongly feel God calling me to take this up again (and would say I received a significant sign yesterday confirming that). But I also want everyone to understand how this all became important to me in the first place. I think this is especially important because many who have written books, blogged, posted videos, or organized talks about the apparitions have reported feeling an inner calling to do so. It's a common thread for those who work to spread the messages, and I am always fascinated to hear or learn what that calling is.


My story started with a picture:

On your left is the negative of a picture taken in 1968, at St. Mark's Coptic Church in Zeitoun, Egypt. It is the Virgin Mary, with a dove of white light above her. The Virgin appeared to hundreds of thousands of people in Egypt - if not millions - over the course of several years and the apparitions were approved by Pope Paul VI. Many Muslims and those of other faiths converted to Christianity as a result of the visions.

There are many pictures and films that were taken.


I viewed this picture, and many others of this apparition, during my time at the University of Massachusetts at Amherst. I was interested mostly out of curiosity about the supernatural.

My curiosity about the supernatural led me to start watching a television show called Crossing Over with John Edward. For those unfamilar with John, he claims to be a psychic medium who can communicate with the deceased loved ones of those he meets. His show fascinated me not only because of the general accuracy with which he gave information, but also because his message was pure: Communicate with, appreciate, and validate your loved ones while they're here on Earth. There was something about John's work which gave a stark reality to the afterlife for me, and the messages of the deceased loved ones he passed along were always those of humility and understanding that nothing "of this world" is worth a care in the world. Our purpose on Earth is to love each other and strive for Heaven. It was a really hopeful message, and made me feel as though there was a "better way" for the world.


This is right about the time things started to get really interesting. As Emeril Legasse would say, we were about to "kick it up a notch."


I graduated from college and Kristen (my then-girlfriend and current-fiance) and I decided to get an apartment together in Amherst, Massachusetts for the summer. With about a week to go before we were scheduled to move in, we spoke with the person we were renting the apartment from and they told us they had rented to someone else! Needless to say, we were in quite a bind, especially in a town surrounded by many colleges. Finding an apartment at the last minute was not going to be easy! And we already had summer jobs lined up. Our alternative would be to move home, but to find jobs that late in the game would have been really tough. We were really desperate, and were pulling out all of the stops.

It was at that time that I got down on my knees and started praying the Rosary for the first time in my life. I remembered from all of my Zeitoun reading hearing about something called "Fatima" and how the Virgin Mary requested everyone pray the Rosary. I was going to do anything it took at this point. I didn't even have a Rosary or know how to pray the Rosary, so I just said "Hail Mary, Full of Grace" over and over and over again.

Through what would appear at the time as an amazing coincidence (but which time revealed as a major blessing), one of Kristen's former co-workers answered one of our calls to local realtors in our frantic search for a summer home. This person was now a real estate agent, and was going to show us a few places around town. She took us to a beautiful apartment that we soon put a deposit on. What a relief! I certainly felt like, at the time, it was a great blessing, but a few days after moving in the magnitude of what had just occurred really hit me:

In addition to our realtor being a former acquaintance (and someone who was able to pull some much-needed strings for us regarding certain things), I opened the window shades one day and suddenly realized our apartment was right across the street from this:

It's a church, obviously. That's pretty remarkable in itself, especially considering I had prayed my simple version of the Rosary in desperation while looking for an apartment. But it isn't just any church. It's Notre Dame Parish. For those of you who don't know French, Notre Dame means "Our Lady". This is "Our Lady's Parish". And, as if for emphasis, this church was founded by French Canadians over 100 years ago, and part of my family's heritage is French-Canadian.


Right about then I started to freak out. What had just happened in the course of the week was beginning to come into focus. This was not a coincidence. Something very profound had just happened.


I knew I had to keep on this path of learning more about the Blessed Virgin Mary. Why had she appeared in Egypt? What was she trying to tell us? What was this place called Fatima? And I had heard about something happening now, in a place called Medjugorje. What was that all about? I told myself I had to learn more about spiritual life. I began reading book after book about spirituality. I couldn't get enough.

One such book, recommened by John Edward, even gave step-by-step instructions on how to actually introduce yourself to your guardian angel, which he claims in the source of his incredible gift. I had to try.

One afternoon I decided I was going to follow the steps. I surrounded myself with perfect quiet and peace and began an hour-long session of deep meditation and breathing exercises. As recommended, I imagined myself in a serene place - a peaceful beach.

And nothing happened.

John said it would take several of these sessions to actually "meet" (feel the presence of) your spirit guide. So eager to experience something supernatural, I was a little frustrated, and put this aside for another day.


And then two days later it happened - the most powerful dream I have ever experienced in my life.


Before I relay the contents of the dream I need to emphasize there is a clear separation between this dream and any other I have ever had in my entire life, for two reasons:

1. It involved a physical feeling. I felt a feeling of what I can best describe as magnetism in the dream. I was being pulled in various parts of the dream. It's tough to describe, other than to say it has never been replicated in any dream before or since.

2. It is the only dream in my life in which I changed ages. I went from being a young adult to a child. Again, never happened before or since.



Here's what happened:


The dream starts and I am on a beach (see above for its relevance) at a lake. One of the many remarkable things about the dream is that I could feel the warmth of the beach. I could feel the warm sand and warm breeze through my hair, as if I was actually there. I see lots of other people at the beach, but feel as though I am there alone. I feel as though I was brought there to be shown something.



I hear someone cry out "Look!" as they point across the water. I look out and, coming across the water, very quickly, is a white statue. I immediately recognize this as a statue of the Virgin Mary. It's flying right toward me, about two feet above the water's surface. This is when I experience that feeling of magnetism I mentioned. I feel as though I am attracting the statue to myself, and that there is an invisible force that is causing that. Fearful of the statue crashing into me, I put out my hand and realize I can direct where the statue is going. Using that magnetic force I felt, I use my hand to steer the statue to my right.



Upon doing so, the statue slows down and comes to a rest about 100 feet to my right, in a picnic area at the park. The statue is immediately surrounded by a group of 10 to 15 children and the statue then comes to life! It is the Virgin Mary, and it's as if the children know who she is. They gather around her and are very joyful she is there. I immediately run over to the statue and, for some reason, my instinct is to give the Virgin Mary a hug, as if we were long, lost friends.



The dream suddenly cuts to black. I am now back at my childhood home, in Medway, Massachusetts. I am in the lower level of our split-level house, and I'm instantly conscious of the fact that I am no longer someone in their 20s (as of the start of the dream) but I am now a young child (maybe 7-10 years old). I am sitting at a school desk in a small, close circle, with two other children (whom I don't recognize), who are also sitting at desks, and the Virgin Mary (also at a desk). We are going around the circle, trying to recite prayers. It comes to my turn and I don't know the words. The children and I laugh and giggle about it and the Virgin, in a motherly kind of way, puts her head in her hands, shaking her head and smiling, as if to say "You need to learn these!" It feels as though the Virgin Mary was teaching us the prayers of the Rosary.



The dream suddenly cuts to black again, and now I am slowly walking up the stairs of our home. I realize I am back to my current age. As I approach the top of the stairs, I look over the bannister, into the living room to my left, and see members of my immediate and extended family. Everyone is seated, watching the television. They're watching a Catholic television show. My impression is they know the Virgin is in the house and feel as though they need to watch this show now. There is a sense of urgency is the way they are watching the television. The dream this time fades to black, and I am left with not audible words, but this inner feeling:



"Teach them to pray the Rosary every day."



Upon waking up from this dream, I immediately turned to Kristen and just said "Wow."



Since that dream, I have dedicated myself to learning as much as possible about the apparitions occurring in Medjugorje. I have read most of the most popular books about the apparitions, twice been present as one of the visionaries received an apparition and spoke afterward, and conversed with those who have visited Medjogorje (including, I now realize not coincidentally, Kristen's grandparents).

I don't know exactly what I'm supposed to do with the information I now have, other than to pray and listen for God's direction. I started this blog as a way of disseminating to friends, family, and all others who are interested the messages we're receiving from God through the Blessed Virgin Mary in Medjugorje, as well as all of the resources out there to help you learn more. I put it down for a while but now feel a very urgent calling to pick it up and tell you again.


Through the messages of the past 26 years, the Virgin Mary has repeatedly, emphatically stressed the importance of prayer, fasting, and penance. This is also what we know:

• Mary has stated the apparitions in Medjugorje will be her last on Earth because, as she said herself, after the events that will take place "it will no longer be necessary."
  
• We are currently in a time in which great graces are available from God to those who live the Virgin's messages.
• The Virgin is here to bring us back to God because the world, as a whole, is very far from living a life in honor of God and is "clouded in darkness".
  
• Mary is confiding 10 secrets to each of the six visionaries in Medjugorje. Some of the secrets will be warnings to the world for converstion of heart, others concern the visionaries privately, and the most grave concern chastisements for the world. The secrets will at least begin unfolding during the visionaries' lifetime.

I mention the secrets because, as in the tradition of Fatima, they are a serious part of what is happening here. The Virgin has relayed that the reason she has appeared for all of these years in Medjugorje is because this is the final harvest of souls before world-changing events take place. For those who do not take to heart what is being given to us, it will be too late.

But the Virgin has also told us through the visionaries that we should not focus on the secrets. We should focus on living a life in honor of God, of being peaceful and loving, of dropping anger, lust for money, and anxiety. Because if we do that, the unfolding of the secrets will have no bearing on us. This is a time of God's greatest graces. We've been told that while we cannot eliminate the chastisements to come (because not everyone will convert), we can alleviate them through prayer, fasting, and penance. This is a serious time, but also a time to come to an understanding of what life should be: pure peace through devotion to God.

In one of her early messages to the visionaries in Medjugorje, the Virgin summed up her appearances in this way:


"I have come to tell the world that God exists. He is the fullness of life, and to enjoy this fullness and peace, you must return to God"


This blog will serve as my way of sharing with you the messages as well as what I have learned. I have many weaknesses, as everyone does, and am also using this as my personal inspiration to work each day to live a more holy life, as well.

Through today's blog post I have given you something very personal and central to my life. It has become the core of who I am, and something I am using as a foundation to build my life upon from here on.

Please, when you feel a calling, share with me and others, through the "comments" feature on this blog, your own experiences of God and how these messages are impacting your life.

Let's use this as a place to inspire each other on how to live the messages.

- Erik -

Medjugorje - Commentary on Our Lady's April 25, 2008 Message

Peace to All!

Below please find the official English translation of Fr. Danko's reflection on Our Lady's April 25, 2008 message as provided by the Information Center in Medjugorje.

God Bless!
Steve and Ana Shawl
The Medjugorje Web

SEARCH FOR THE GOD'S WILL AND DO GOOD

"Dear children! Also today, I call all of you to grow in God’s love as a flower which feels the warm rays of spring. In this way, also you, little children, grow in God’s love and carry it to all those who are far from God. Seek God’s will and do good to those whom God has put on your way, and be light and joy. Thank you for having responded to my call." Message of April 25, 2008


In the beginning of the message of April 25th 2008, Our Lady invites us to grow in God’s love. To grow in love means to open to God like flower, to let Him shine on us, envelop us and permeate us. It can happen only in the atmosphere of prayer, because the prayer is like a channel, like a tube, through which God sends His love and His mercy to this earth. True prayer can come only from the heart which allows the might of God’s love to envelop and permeate it. Such God’s love can permeate only the one who prays from the heart, with his/her whole being. God’s love searches for the answer, and the answer is faith. Faith-filled heart can be compared with the light. Like the light, faith chases away darkness, anguish and despair, gives security and strength. In some way, it lightens the way of the people who have it, and leads them, like the dark and light clouds which have led the Israelites through the desert. Those who expect clear and tangible evidence from the faith must be disappointed, because faith is above proofs and arguments. Faith cannot be measured only by knowledge, because it is above all life, i.e. life direction, which cannot always be told through the knowledge. Faith can be compared with the stars which lead the sailors through the night. They do not light the waves upon which the sailors sail, but show them the direction.

Our Lady invites us to search for the God’s will, and it is revealed to us completely only in the personal encounter with Christ. Only searching for and doing God’s will can lead us to the Kingdom of Heaven. Jesus says: “Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven (Mt 7,21). God’s will is more important than our will. To search and do God’s will does not mean to get lost or to disown one’s own freedom – on the contrary, it means to get free from the daily slavery and sin. It means to get free from the imprisonment of the small gods like: power, money, other people’s opinion etc. All these idols take your life, only God gives it. All other gods promise a lot, and do not give anything in return. Our Lady accepted the God’s will, she agreed to serve only the one true God and to do His will. By uttering only one word fiat – let it be so for me – she changed the course of history, with the God’s mercy.

By doing the will of God, we enter into the friendly relation with Him. When they said unto him, Behold, thy mother and thy brethren without seek for thee. And he answereth them, and saith, Who is my mother and my brethren?And looking round on them that sat round about him, he saith, Behold, my mother and my brethren! For whosoever shall do the will of God, the same is my brother, and sister, and mother. (Mk 3,33-35).

At the end of her message, Our Lady invites us to do good to all people and to be the light and the joy. The light and the joy can be only the one who confirms God’s love every day, like Mother Teresia did. To be the witness means to give oneself completely into the God’s hands, to give one’s whole being, to live the message of the Gospel before we tell it to others, to live in the personal encounter with the God who became Man, to live with the Lord, who died and was ressurected.

Let Mary, Mother of Christ and Mother of Church, help us to carry the message of peace, joy and forgiveness wherever we go – the message which will change the world.


Fra Danko Perutina
Medugorje 26.4.2008

Medjugorje - March 25, 2008 Message

“Dear children! I call you to work on your personal conversion. You are still far from meeting with God in your heart. Therefore, spend all the more time in prayer and Adoration of Jesus in the Most Blessed Sacrament of the Altar, for Him to change you and to put into your hearts a living faith and a desire for eternal life. Everything is passing, little children, only God is not passing. I am with you and I encourage you with love. Thank you for having responded to my call.”

Update on Fasting

My mother, a Registered Dietitian, made a good point about my last post on fasting. Here's what you should know:

While it was requested by Our Lady, for the conversion of sinners and unbelievers, it is not for everyone. If you are sick, physically infirm, or have a medical condition requiring important nutritional balances, you should not in any way feel guilty for not fasting.

Read here to see what Our Lady said about fasting.

If you're unsure if fasting is for you, I think the obvious answer is pray about it and you will know!

Thanks, Mom!

Medjugorje - Annual Apparition to Mirjana - March 18, 2008

Peace to All!

Below please find the official English translation of Mirjana's yearly March 18 apparition as provided by the Information Center in Medjugorje. Our next mailing will be Our Lady's March 25 message to the world. God Bless! Steve and Ana Shawl The Medjugorje Web http://www.medjugorje.org

The annual apparition of our Lady to Mirjana Dragicevic-Soldo on march 18, 2008

The visionary Mirjana Dragicevic-Soldo had daily apparitions from June 24th 1981 to December 25th 1982. During the last daily apparition, Our Lady gave her the 10th secret, and told her that she would appear to her once a year, on the 18th of March. It has been this way through the years.

This year several thousand pilgrims gathered to pray the Rosary at the Cenacolo Community in Medjugorje. The apparition lasted from 14:01 to 14:08.

Mirjana transmitted the following:

I have never seen Our Lady address us in this manner. She extended her hands towards us and with her hands extended in this way, she said:

"Dear children, today I extend my hands towards you. Do not be afraid to accept them. They desire to give you love and peace and to help you in salvation. Therefore, my children, receive them. Fill my heart with joy and I will lead you towards holiness. The way on which I lead you is difficult and full of temptations and falls. I will be with you and my hands will hold you. Be persevering so that, at the end of the way, we can all together, in joy and love, hold the hands of my Son. Come with me; fear not. Thank you."

Medjugorje - Commentary on Our Lady's February 25, 2008 Message

Peace to All! Below please find the official English translation of Fr. Danko's commentary on Our Lady's February 25, 2008 message as provided by the Information Center in Medjugorje.

Our next mailing will be Our Lady's March 18 annual message to Mirjana.


God Bless!
Steve and Ana Shawl
The Medjugorje Web
http://www.medjugorje.org
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WITH PRAYER AND RENUNCIATION TOWARDS HOLINESS

"Dear children! In this time of grace, I call you anew to prayer and renunciation. May your day be interwoven with little ardent prayers for all those who have not come to know God's love. Thank you for having responded to my call." Message of February 25, 2008


Throughout almost 27 years of Our Lady's apparitions, we have been the witnesses of her care for us, just as a true mother cares for her children. She finds each and everyone of us important. No one is excluded from her plan. She wants to bring all of us to her son Jesus Christ.

In her tonight's message, Our Lady draws our attention to the dedication so characteristic of the time of Lent we are living right now. During Lent God gives us another chance to become better people, to start to change. We should be concrete as prayer is the encounter of a true and concrete man with the true and concrete God. We are asked to become better as people in all areas of our lives. Our Lady provides us with the means that will help us in our fight – by prayer and renunciation.

Jesus is our first teacher of prayer. When asked by his disciples to teach them how to pray, he taught them to pray Our Father. It is a prayer that must not turn into a mere pronunciation or repetition of words. It must be a true address to the Father for his kingdom to come. In the Father we have everything. The only thing we have to do is to listen attentively to what He says to us in prayer. Everything else will be just added to that. We should be persistent in our prayer, and open to God's spirit which will provide us with strength when things happen in a different manner than we expect them to.

Together with Jesus, Our Lady is our first female teacher of prayer. Some wonder why Our Lady often mentions prayer and calls us to it. Those wondering about that are people who do not pray, those who want to turn everything, even prayer, into sensation. These are the people not yet embraced by the spirit of the Gospel. They still feed on mundane spirituality. Our Lady calls us to prayer as she too has prayed and is aware of the importance of prayer more than we are. She prayed in all the crucial moments of her life: before the embodiment of her son Jesus Christ, when Christ's conception was announced, on the day of Pentecost when Church was born, the Body of Christ. At God's offer from heaven she replies with her whole being and full of grace: «I am the Lord's servant. May it be to me as you have said.» (Luke 1,38). That is why she stands before us as the example of deep faith and prayer.

Another important means of growth in our spiritual life is renunciation. Not for the sake of renunciation itself, but in order for us to create room in us where God can be at work. Every renunciation is a sign of spiritual growth. One should renounce first the thing other than God that one puts first in his life. This thing may be people, fame, power, money, human considerations, we ourselves or something else. God must be put first. Only then everything we have renounced is given its true sense.

Every day in this time of grace we are called to grow through our prayers by which we intercede for those who have not yet come to know God's love. We are called to pray for the forsaken, lonely, unhappy, aborted, for the souls in Purgatory, for all those who are in need for prayer. May our Blessed Virgin Mary, the Queen of Peace, help us and bless our noble-minded effort.


Fr. Danko Perutina
Medugorje 26/2/2008

Fasting: It's Not Easy

Our Lady, through the visionaries, has requested each of us fast strictly on bread and water every Wednesday and Friday. I'm doing it, and it's not easy.

Why am I having such a difficult time with it?

I actually found the answer while reading a book about the Medjugorje apparitions. But I'll start with the background on why I'm fasting.

Our Lady has told the Medjugorje visionaries fasting is a means of giving yourself to God and showing Him we are in control of our bodies. It's apparently important to God that we exhibit control over cravings, addictions, and the like because a separation from the things of Earth is important in our spiritual growth.

That makes perfect sense. If we can gain control over our bodies, we get more in touch with the spirit we really are and understand more closely how much we rely on God for what we have.

But I've got to tell you...I am really struggling with it.

I'm typically fine for most of the day. The nature of my job (I'm a technical support representative for an email marketing company) means I'm constantly busy all day and that the day goes by quickly. My workplace offers free Dasani bottled water and I bring bread with me to work, so it's not a big deal.

It's usually the ride home that starts to get me. We're allowed to eat as much bread as we need to, but it's not very satisfying. It becomes tougher when I'm driving home from work and see billboards showing enormous steak and cheese sandwiches or French fries. I typically cave somewhere between my Waltham, Massachusetts office and my Allston home.

But if this is something we're supposed to be doing for God, why is it so incredibly difficult? The answer, claim the visionaries, lies in the foundation we lay for ourselves in our daily lives.

In interviews in The Visions of the Children, by Janice T. Connell, the visionaries state fasting is not only difficult but practically impossible without deep prayer in preparation for it. While some fasting, such as giving up meat on Fridays, is possible without such dedication, the strict fasting Our Lady requests of us is meant to be a serious sacrifice not only for our own spiritual betterment but also for that of unbelievers, the souls in Purgatory, peace in our world, and for the sins of mankind.

These are grave concerns and, thus, require quality time with the Rosary and deep prayer in the days leading up to fasting.

It's something I will continue to work at and, for those who do achieve this sense of spirituality, something that should be rewarding not only in the depths of one's own soul but also for all of humankind.

Erik Haan

Medjugorje - Our Lady's February 25, 2008 Message

Peace to All! Below please find the official English translation of Our Lady's February 25, 2008 message to the world as provided by the Information Center in Medjugorje.

Message of February 25, 2008

“Dear children! In this time of grace, I call you anew to prayer and renunciation. May your day be interwoven with little ardent prayers for all those who have not come to know God´s love. Thank you for having responded to my call.”

MEDJUGORJE - OUR LADY'S JANUARY 25, 2008 MESSAGE

Peace to All!

Below please find the official translation of Our Lady's January 25, 2008 message to the world as translated and provided by the Information Center in Medjugorje.

Our next mailing will be Fr. Danko's commentary on Our Lady's message at the end of the month.

God Bless!
Steve and Ana Shawl
the Medjugorje Web
http://www.medjugorje.org
------------------------------

Message of January 25, 2008

“Dear children! With the time of Lent, you are approaching a time of grace. Your heart is like ploughed soil and it is ready to receive the fruit which will grow into what is good. You, little children, are free to choose good or evil. Therefore, I call you to pray and fast. Plant joy and the fruit of joy will grow in your hearts for your good, and others will see it and receive it through your life. Renounce sin and choose eternal life. I am with you and intercede for you before my Son. Thank you for having responded to my call.”

A SPECIAL MESSAGE ABOUT THE MEDJUGORJE WEB

PURCHASE A ROSARY BLESSED BY OUR LADY DURING AN APPARITION IN MEDJUGORJE!

Steve and Ana Shawl, the site administrators for The Medjugorje Web, have made their annual appeal for prayers and donations for their site.

Steve and Ana do God's work by operating all of this without a revenue source. They rely on prayers and donations to allow them to keep spreading Our Lady's messages around the world.

If you can offer something, Steve and Ana certainly welcome any amount. If not, they ask that you please pray to Our Lady for financial support in their endeavor.

You can make donations through the official Medjugorje Web donation page. Here are some suggested amounts (though all amounts are welcome):

$25 - receive a wooden Rosary blessed by Our Lady during an apparition in Medjugorje

$50 - receive a Rosary crafted from stones on Apparition Hill

$100 - a Mass in Medjugorje will be send for your intention

For more information, please contact Steve and Ana through The Medjugorje Web. Steve can also be reached at sshawl@medjweb.com

Sincerely,

Erik Haan

Medjugorje - Commentary on Our Lady's December 25, 2007 Message

Peace and Happy New Year to all! Below please find the official English translation of Fr. Danko's commentary on Our Lady's December 25, 2007 as provided by the Information Center in Medjugorje.

JESUS CHRIST IS THE KING OF OUR HEARTS

"Dear children! With great joy I bring you the King of Peace for Him to bless you with His blessing. Adore Him and give time to the Creator for whom your heart yearns. Do not forget that you are passers-by on this earth and that things can give you small joys, while through my Son, eternal life is given to you. That is why I am with you, to lead you towards what your heart yearns for. Thank you for having responded to my call." Message of December 25, 2007


On this day, on Christmas, Our Lady tells us in her message how joyfully she brings us the King of Peace, who will give us his blessing. Christmas is surely one of the most beautiful days of the year, even for the people who perceive it in their own, different way. It is the most beautiful day in the history of mankind, because the King of Peace was born.

The life agenda of Jesus, and our life agenda, is summarized in the angel song which was sung at His birth: "Glory be to God in the highest Heavens, And on earth peace among men who please Him!" (Lk 2, 14). Every time we speak to God in our prayers, God comes to us and fills our heart with peace. We can spread peace around us only if we are filled with the God's peace. Human heart becomes reckless if it is infested with the sin, or if it turns away from God. The sin corrupts the man, who is made on God’s image, and he/she spreads dissatisfaction. For the man, the only way to convert, change and return to the original state of the son is the sacrament of confession, which many took these days, making their peace with God. Every time when Jesus comes to us, into our heart, He makes it beautiful, because this is why He came to earth.

Our Lady invites us to give more time to the Creator for whom our hearts yearn. To give more time to the Creator means to pray more. If we expand our daily prayers only a little bit, our friendship with Jesus grows, He enters our life, blesses our day and everything we do, enlightens our mind and warms our heart.

On this earth, we are only passing by, we are only pilgrims. They who came before will leave earlier. Small things of this world can sometimes prevent us from reaching greater good. In Jesus, the doors of eternal life are opened for us. Through all these years of appearances, Our Lady teaches us in her school of love how to reach the eternal life and how to pray.

Our Lady also reveals us the true meaning of Christmas We can understand it better by watching Her, who was from the beginning present in the mystery of Christ’s salvation, full of virtues like faith, hope, love, humility, silence and joy. Humility is the key which helps us to open our hearts to God, so He can enter and transform it. Only by complete dedication to God can we find a way from the heart filled with the false pride or vanity to the heart filled with true humility and love.

Fra Danko Perutina
Medugorje, December 12th, 2007

The Visions of the Children

When reviewing a book or movie, especially one concerning the apparitions in Medjugorje, I generally take a stance much like the Catholic Church.

The Church, when deciding upon the validity of reported apparitions and miracles, waits until they have ceased before making a final decision. They like to gather all of the facts first.

Much in the same way, I generally like to read an entire book before deciding whether or not it's one I want to recommend, but in this case I'm changing things up a bit.

The book I'm currently reading, The Visions of the Children, by Janice T. Connell, is one of the most interesting books on the Medjugorje apparitions I have come across. I'm currently only a couple of chapters in but the book is like a magnet to my intellect and I felt the need to share some of it with all.

It features a wonderful introduction to the miracles and visions that have occurred in Medjugorje over the past 26 years. But I think the book's most valuable treasure is the question-and-answer format with each of the visionaries.

Check out some of these excerpts. The first one is from an interview with Mirjana Dragicevic Soldo, one of the visionaries to whom ten secrets about the fate of the world have been revealed. The questions are posed by the author of the book, Janice T. Connell.

"Q. Mirjana, you certainly seem to have great responsibilities. You are the one who has been chosen to announce the day and date of the unfolding of the ten secrets that the Blessed Mother has given for the whole world. Do you carry the responsibility for the unfolding of the final days of the planet?

A. I will anounce each secret to Father Petar. He will make whatever public announcement is to come..."


This excerpt is from an interview with Marija Pavlovic Lunetti:

"Q. How serious are the effects of sin?

A. Sin wounds us gravely. It separates us from God, who is our source of love and goodness and abundance and joy.

Q. How does this happen?

A. Sin darkens our capacity to choose wisely.

Q. Do many people live in darkness today?

A. The Blessed Mother says a cloud of darkness has enveloped the whole planet.

Q. What can be done?

A. Heed the messages of Medjugorje: prayer, fasting, reconciliation, peace, and conversion are a call from the Mother of God to all people on earth to restore God's kingdom of light and love and peace and joy to all people on earth."


This excerpt is from an interview with Ivan Dragicevic:

"Q. How does Satan get involved in marriages?

A. Many ways. One of his favorite ploys is to divide a husband and wife, then go after the children one by one.

Q. That sounds like the age-old divide-and-conquer theory of war, Ivan.

A. Satan is very smart. He has a large intellect. He knows all of our weaknesses."


These are just some of the pages and pages of interviews with the visionaries. It's at the same time fascinating and educational. The words from the mouths of the visionaries to the pages of this book are about as blunt as it gets. If you want to know how to live, if you want to understand the times in which we live, if you want to protect yourself from Satan's power and live in the good graces of God, I highly recommend this book.

It can be purchased new or used from Amazon: