Children of Medjugorje October Newsletter

"Les Amis de Van" http://www.amisdevan.org/  The cause of beatification of Marcel Van.

© Children of Medjugorje 2008
Permission is given to spread the text of these reports under two conditions: 1) no words are changed,
2) "Children of Medjugorje" is cited along with our website   www.childrenofmedjugorje.com

                                                                                                                                                     

                                                                                                                
October 15, 2008

Dear Children of Medjugorje, praised be Jesus and Mary!       
                                                                                                                                                 
1 - On October 2, Mirjana Soldo received her monthly apparition at the Cenacle. After the apparition she gave us the following message, "Dear children! Again I call you to faith. My motherly heart desires for your heart to be open, so that it could say to your heart: believe. My children, only faith will give you strength in life's trials. It will renew your soul and open the ways of hope. I am with you. I gather you around me because I desire to help you, so that you can help your neighbors to discover faith, which is the only joy and happiness of life. Thank you."

Once again Our Lady called us to pray for priests, especially at this time.

2 - God is alive!  When I was a student in Paris, during the "68 Revolution", a student had written in huge letters on the wall of the Sorbonne University, "God is dead! (Nietzche)". The next day another inscription of the same size had been added by another student: "Nietzche is dead! (God)!"

It is impossible to live in Medjugorje without seeing how much God is alive! Anyone who spends just one day questioning groups of pilgrims would hear many marvelous testimonies! Among these multiple events I recently appreciated the story of Sister Andrea, from the United States.

Sister Andrea is my friend Mabel's sister and a gifted artist and teacher.  Mabel offered Sister Andrea a pilgrimage to Medjugorje in July 2007.  After she returned from her pilgrimage, Mabel couldn't believe the change she saw in her sister.  She recalled that there was something different about Andrea but she couldn't put her finger on what it was.  Finally she asked,  "Andrea, what did you change, there is something unusual about you?"  Then it clicked and she asked, "Where are your glasses?"  Andrea said,  " I don't wear them any more, I don't need them!"
    
The last day of her pilgrimage, Sr. Andrea was sitting in the back of the Adoration Chapel almost by herself, simply praying before the Blessed Sacrament. She removed her glasses and put them in the pew. Since the age of 14 she had been wearing glasses because of  a strong astigmatism that prevented her from seeing at a distance. Recently her sight had worsened and she was forced to wear trifocals, which were tricky to wear. She had to move her eyes constantly up and down between reading the partitions and leading the choir. These vision problems were a handicap that caused her great fatigue. So on that day, she casually mentioned to Our Lady that it would be nice not to have to wear those glasses any more! She wasn't actually asking, she was simply sharing her thoughts with her Mother in Heaven, just as two best friends would simply share. 

It wasn't until later that evening when she realized that she had spent the entire rest of the day without her glasses, seeing perfectly both at a distance and close!  Now, more than a year later, she continues to have no problem reading partitions, even the ones in small print!  Upon her return from Medjugorje, her doctor confirmed that her astigmatism still existed and she continued to need glasses.  However, the fact is that Sr. Andrea is able to see very well, as if there was no astigmatism at all!!  Here is how sister concluded her witness:

"I don't know if it is a miracle or a favor.  I just know that, not dealing with glasses is wonderful and a lot easier! It is certainly a lovely gift that Our Lady let me receive!

3 -  He's a Priest!
Not many people know about the wonderful little Van, from Vietnam, who died as a martyr in 1959 in a communist prison. I wish to share with you one of the splendid dialogues that Van had at the age of 18 with Our Lord Jesus:

Van: Little Jesus, tell me why you love priests so much? Every time you speak of them, I see that you have for them the deepest respect.

Jesus: it is because priests are in fact 'another Myself'.  Their dignity is higher than the dignity of my Mother. The dignity of our Mother Mary is not equal to that of the priests. However, Mary is more powerful, since she is my mother; and the priests, being other 'myself' are also children of Mary.  In Heaven, the soul of a priest will be venerated by all the Saints, including our Mother Mary (19-04-46 Colloques 478).

Father Tomislav Vlasic. As many of you are aware, after Rome suspended Fr. Tomislav Vlasic, the Media attempted to damage Medjugorje by associating it with his mistakes.  However, after some time, they've slowed down their attack. In fact, linking the fate of Father Vlasic with the fate of Medjugorje so dangerously misconstrued the situation that the media lost much of their credibility in the process.  The interview of Fr Ivan Sesar, the Franciscan Provincial of Mostar, has clarified many essential points in the debate.  (To read it, see PS2)

It is obvious to the righteous hearts in search of truth that there has been no official link between Father Vlasic and the parish of Medjugorje since 1987, when the teachings of Fr. Vlasic began to exhibit theological errors.  Along with Agnes Heuspel, a woman from Germany, Fr. Vlasic founded a community in Medjugorje.  Later, he relocated it to Italy.  Little by little, it seems that Father's discernment was blinded: it was not the Shepherd leading the sheep but the sheep leading the Shepherd.  For him, the 'inner locutions' that this woman from Germany claimed to receive became rapidly a stumbling block and, as he did not wish to let go of her locutions  or the community, (regardless of the insistent warnings of his brother priests), he was slowly led into the tragedy that we see today. It is important to underline here two points that will help us understand:

When a mystical phenomenon appears in the Church, the classical response from the Evil one is to create confusion so as to annihilate it. This is how a great number of false mystics surface.  There are many famous cases surrounding Lourdes, Fatima and other approved apparition sites.  Medjugorje is not immune to this phenomenon. 

On the other hand, when a believer receives inner locutions, it is absolutely essential that these events be assessed by someone competent in the Church. In fact, nobody can be at the same time the receiver and the interpreter of what he receives, and even less the one who imposes what he has received on others. A third party must do that for him, and must distance himself prudently in order to escape the enemy's trap. The tree is not to judge the value of its own fruits, but the gardener. Here obedience is key, as well as humility.  Satan will never defeat someone who is obedient!  The Church's wisdom and the mystics have affirmed this process. In the case we are looking at today, the 'locutionist' had become the leader, and her words were becoming law above the prudent pastoral guidance expressed by the Franciscan superiors.  Here lies the first mistake, and it is so common nowadays! In some prayer groups for example, some messages impose themselves on the community as direct, unavoidable revelations from God through the person receiving them. Without the safety net of the Church, it is no wonder that all sorts of deviant behaviors ensue, especially in the domain of morals, and we may end up crediting God with saying things that are objectively contrary to the Gospel.

As for Medjugorje, it is far from being condemned.  On the contrary, it seems that the perspective from the Holy See is positive. On September 16th, when the waves of scandals against Medjugorje were inundating the media, the visionary Ivan Dragicevic was invited to participate in an evening of prayer in the big Cathedral St. Stephen in Vienna (Austria), where thousands of faithful attended! (See PS3). At 6:40 pm he received his daily apparition of Our Lady while a deep silence enveloped the church!  This event speaks for itself.  On the other hand, it is highly possible that in the near future, Rome makes known some changes of its new commission for Medjugorje which should give some new direction for the life of the parish in Medjugorje. Fra Ivan Sesar said last month, "We are ready to welcome a new commission for Medjugorje."

4 -  Let's act!  Each one of us is free to believe or not believe that Mary appears in Medjugorje, and even the visionaries express a deep detachment about it, "I am telling you what I see, and you are free to do what you please with it", they answer, smiling to whoever states he doesn't believe in these apparitions.  But if a priest of Jesus Christ is hit in his priestly ministry because of a failure, no one can consider himself as detached, even less can he rejoice at this tragedy.  A priest remains a priest for Eternity, and his being put aside from his ministry is a deep suffering for Christ and for His body of which we are members.  This is why, rather than dwelling on this sad story, I wish to propose a concrete action for us: since we will celebrate Fr. Slavko's birth into Heaven on November 24th, let's start a 30-day novena to him, starting on October 24th, for the sake of Fr. Vlasic and those who are still following him!  Let's also extend this prayer to our favorite Franciscan saints: St. Francis, St. Anthony of Padua, St. Padre Pio, the 30 martyrs of Siroki Brijeg, etc… Doing so, we will actively help Jesus heal His Church, Her most beloved sons, all priests, and in a particular way, Her son Tomislav, our brother!
What sort of novena?  We can choose by our own effort, but let's unite in a common decision, namely to say a spontaneous prayer each day, from the heart, to those Franciscan saints named above, and let's offer Our Lady at least a decade of the Rosary for this intention.  As a sacrifice, let's have at least one Mass celebrated. The Mother of God said to Mirjana,  "Priests do not need your judgments, rather your prayer, your love and your help! Priests are also human beings, and today it is difficult for a priest to remain faithful.  May your pastors be in your hearts and in your prayers."
O Mother of the High Priest and of all the priests, please intercede with us
for the sanctity of the priests, and give us many holy priests!

Sister Emmanuel +
(translated from French)
_____________
Nota Bene: Check out the DVD section of our website at www.childrenofmedjugorje.com.  There you will find stories like those in paragraph 2 to fill your hearts with joy, wisdom and unforgettable stories from Medjugorje told by Sr. Emmanuel.

PS 1-  See the website of "Les Amis de Van" http://www.amisdevan.org/  The cause of beatification of Marcel Van was open on March 26, 1997 in the diocese of Ars (France).

PS 2 - http://www.vecernji.hr/newsroom/news/bih/3165720/index.do (Link to the Croatian daily Vecernji List of Sept. 14th 2008). This text is in English and in Italian on our website: www.childrenofmedjugorje.com

PS 3 -  See at:  http://www.gebetsaktion.at/aktuelles/aktuelles.php?idAktuellesID=305

PS 4 - Read it. Spread it! The Hidden Child of Medjugorje by Sr. Emmanuel. You won't regret giving this book to a friend as a shower gift, a wedding gift, or as a fall stocking stuffer! In the US go to our COM store: www.childrenofmedjugorje.com then click "Shop COM".  $19 + postage.  In UK, 7£, Tel +44 2920 460 189. In Ireland, Veritas, Dublin, Tel: +353 1878 8177 - sales@veritas.ie
In French, 17,50€ www.editions-beatitudes.fr  Spanish, 7€, "Hijos de Medjugorje", Barcelona, Spain - +34 629 79 28 49 - gsba15@yahoo.es  In Portuguese (holding an Imprimatur!) at Diel, Lisboa, 13€, www.dielnet.com. German, 22€, Parvis Verlag, Swizerland. Tel: +41 269 159 399 - www.parvis.ch  Polish, 8€, Wyd. Marianow, Warsaw - Tel: +48 22 642-5082 - www.wydawnictwo.pl  Italian, Editrice Shalom, Ancona, 9€ - Tel: +39 071 745 0440 - www.editriceshalom.it Dutch, 15€, n.imkamp@tele2.nl or veys.stefaan@skynet.be - Tel: +32 56 777373. Lettonien, tél: +371 29544267 - info@dzivibasstraumes.lv
Bookstores may contact us at pray@childrenofmedjugorje.com

PS 5 – On Oct 19th, Louis and Zélie Martin (Little Flower's parents) will be beatified in Lisieux!  Let's entrust to their prayer the fate of all our families and their issues of today!

PS 6 -  On Nov 4th, as the American people will elect a new President, let's support them with intense prayer! Many are praying and fasting prior to this election.  If you wish to receive help fasting through an inspirational book on fasting written by Sr. Emmanuel, see the website under books: Freed and Healed Through Fasting!  Or, purchase the CD: "Fasting, Door to God's Power", or a DVD with Father Slavko explaining the power of fasting!  May the whole country reclaim the beautiful faith of their founding fathers and put God at the center of their lives!

PS 7 – Sign up today! In order to receive Sr. Emmanuel's monthly report, please contact:
In English:        pray@childrenofmedjugorje.com
In French:        wmmedjugorje@childrenofmedjugorje.com
In Spanish:                  gisele_riverti@mensajerosdelareinadelapaz.org In South Africa, Tel: +27 393 172 825. In Medjugorje at the Parish bookstore, at "Devotions" and Catholic bookstore, 9€.  
In Italian:                     info@vocepiu.it   
In Croatian:                 rsilic@yahoo.com
In German:                  pray@childrenofmedjugorje.com
In Portuguese:            medjugorjeport@yahoo.com

© 2008 Children of Medjugorje, Inc
www.childrenofmedjugorje.com
PO Box 18430, Denver CO 801218  Tel: 877-MIR-MEDJ