Wednesday, September 02, 2009




Medjugorje Headlines

Today in Medjugorje Our Lady Speaks of Betrayals


Another month has passed and the area surrounding the Blue Cross in Medjugorje was again completely inundated with many thousands of pilgrims who came to be with Our Lady for Mirjana’s second of the month apparition. It is a challenge to keep a clear path for Mirjana to walk up to the Blue Cross as pilgrims begin arriving during the night. By 5:00 a.m.  the area is already filled, despite the remaining four hour wait ahead of them.

As for the not so early risers, many who come later in the morning will scan the area and find ways to squeeze through the crowds to take possession of even the smallest space that will give them a better vantage point in seeing the Medjugorje visionary Mirjana. These pilgrims often block the view of those who had come much earlier. Amazingly, hands are many times extended to help them through, and people scoot together to try and make a little more space to accommodate the new arrival. Knowing that when out in the “real” world, the smallest provocation can turn into nasty words, shoves, even an all out fight, it is quite a testimony to see the generous spirit among these thousands of pilgrims here in Medjugorje. It’s as if everyone accepts that because they are here to be with Our Lady it is only right that room be made.
 
When Mirjana finally appears, there is absolutely no space left in the center area. The villagers and pilgrims are mostly sitting, standing or kneeling in very uncomfortable positions throughout the duration of Our Lady’s apparition. They consider this a small price to pay, however, in being so near to Mirjana, many of them having the grace to watch her face in ecstasy. Of course, with so many thousands gathered together in a small place, there is confusion, agitation, and annoyances that happen during the long wait, but all of that is forgotten the moment of Our Lady’s appearance. The crowd suddenly becomes silent and still, as their hearts are lifted up in prayer before the One who has drawn them there—before Our Lady, the Queen of Heaven. After She leaves, they prepare their hearts to receive Her words.
 
In the apparition today, Our Lady arrived about ten minutes before 9:00 a.m. Mirjana was seen crying throughout the apparition and afterwards. The beautiful emotion on her face, while being enraptured by Our Lady, disappeared after Our Lady left, and it is as though the life in her disappeared as well, at least for a time, until she has the opportunity to recover from the separation of Our Lady yet again. She appeared drained and sad after the apparition, but still made the effort to give a few smiles to those around her. Following is the message Our Lady of Medjugorje gave to Mirjana today, September 2, 2009:
 
“Dear children! Today, with a motherly heart, I call you to learn to forgive, completely and unconditionally. You suffer injustice, betrayals and persecutions, but by that you are closer to and dearer to God. My children, pray for the gift of love. Only love forgives all, as my Son forgives—follow Him. I am among you and am praying that when you come before your Father you can say: ‘Here I am Father, I followed your Son, I had love and forgave with the heart, because I believed in your judgment and trusted in you.’ Thank you.”

A beautiful message at first read. However, some questions make the message clearer. Is this a message for the present only? Or more so, a message for the future? What awaits us? What is coming? Will it be difficult persecution like the early Christians? Do you think you will escape severe injustices, betrayal, and persecution? How is that the case when Jesus, God’s own Son, did not? Do you think you will escape some of the pain Our Lady Herself suffered? Why, when Our Lady was the Spouse of the Holy Spirit, the Mother of God? Yet, God did not shield Her from injustices, betrayal, and persecution. Why not? Why have those who have followed Our Lady for years, even decades, gone through many injustices, betrayals, and persecutions? And in some cases extremely severe!
 
Character is built by adversity. Spiritual character is built by fire, forming one into the likeness of Jesus’ ways, therefore becoming closer and dearer to God. Why is that?
 
It is Our Lady in Medjugorje who said:
 
February 15, 1988
 
“Be the reflection of Jesus...”
 
Do we have a spiritual butterfly mentality that when you become a Christian in the fullness God offers that we go from flower to flower, eating only the sweetness of nectar? No, it is quite the opposite. It is Our Lady, the highest creature in the Heavens, exalted above all, even the archangels, who said:
 
November 25, 1997
 
“...Holy martyrs died witnessing: I am a Christian…”
 
To be an atheist, to be agnostic, is to be nothing. To be a Christian means to be something. To be the former is to wake up and not have a meaning for each day. To be the latter is to wake up and have a purpose for each day.
 
When one learns to forgive completely and unconditionally, one grows in the measure of spiritual character in good to the degree of how severe one suffers injustice, betrayal, and persecution from the bad. It is a given if you want to go to Heaven, if you want to be dearer to God, if you want to work as Our Lady’s missionary, you will suffer.
 
The mission of Caritas of Birmingham is what it is today because of suffering. The pen writing this article can write with authority what is written because of suffering. Suffering refines, and you will be better for it. Yet none can comprehend how great the fruit these trials will produce while they are occurring in your midst. Yet again, having gone through it, you are glad for what it formed you into. Providing the three things, which are injustice, betrayal, and persecution, will transform you to be love. By way of forgiving in completeness and unconditionally, you change into a new being, one dearer to God and one who will radiate out holiness, convicting and converting even the non-believers.
 
For the one who will not forgive completely and unconditionally, suffering affects one in an opposite way, not only spiritually, but psychologically as well. Instead of growing one’s strength in spiritual character, one grows in mental anguish, depression, anger, and weakness. Many mental illnesses can be rooted back to not forgiving unconditionally, and often brooding and anger. Forgiving is doing good for yourself. By not doing so, you suffer self-inflicted harm. But what of those who inflict suffering and harm to you?
 
In Scripture Christ teaches us to take joy when you have been given suffering, because you have been given a measure of "Mine". To be unrighteous and suffer injustice is to inherit its harshness as a punishment. To be righteous and suffer injustice is to inherit dearness to God as a reward.
 
We have many stories where people assailed us with hatred, meanness, or jealousy, etc., and we stood our ground in love, and many of these people are now our friends, are now some of our biggest advocates. One of our favorite messages from Our Lady Queen of Peace of Medjugorje was given in the Bedroom:
 
November 30, 1988
 
"I wish that all your life be love, only love. Everything that you do, do it with love. In every little thing, see Jesus and His example. You also do as Jesus did. He died out of love for you. You also offer all you do with love to God, even the smallest little things of everyday life."
 
Once one of our Caritas community members was being persecuted and was all alone in Europe. The following was actually a letter written to her:
 
To Love, By A Friend of Medjugorje ©SJP Lic. COB
Our Lady of Medjugorje has spoken to us here at Caritas several times about love. Once from the Bedroom of Apparitions here at Caritas, Our Lady said,
 
December 3, 1988
 
“I give you my love, so you give it to others."
 
Another time in the Bedroom of Apparitions when we were under very severe persecution, Marija asked Our Lady for words that would help the Caritas community to endure any attack that would come, especially in light of all the conversions that had just taken place through the apparitions during a five day prayer gathering. Our Lady said, in regard to the question, how She wanted us to respond to the persecution:
 
May 6, 2004
 
"I give you my love. You give it to others."
 
We must realize in today’s September 2nd, 2009 message, Our Lady of Medjugorje is saying clearly we are headed into a new time in which we will see and experience what the early Church saw and experienced. The rebirth of Christianity cannot come any other way than how it was birthed in the beginning. Through a trial by fire we are headed for serious days. Maria Valtorta says that Jesus said to her, “Then it will be the time of upright people who plough the earth to prepare it for the Word, the Word ruling only one time over the earth before the disappearing of the world.” * We now have the words from Heaven coming from Our Lady of Medjugorje to us.

Tune in tonight at 7:00 pm central standard time for a special segment preceding the Radio Wave broadcast. Radio Wave’s broadcast tonight will be discussing Our Lady’s message and the darkness now descending down upon the whole earth. To find your local broadcast time see the live Radio WAVE player here
A Friend of Medjugorje

 


*Maria Valtorta, an Italian mystic from the 1940s authored the writing The Poem of the Man-God, on the life of Jesus and the Virgin Mary. The work became pop-ular when the Virgin Mary in Medjugorje was asked if these books could be read by the faithful. Our Lady responded by strongly encouraging the reading of these books

Crowd gathering at the apparition of September 2, 2009

Pilgrims gather early this morning at the Blue Cross on Apparition Mountain, September 2, 2009, for Our Lady’s apparition to Mirjana. The time this picture was taken was 4:45 a.m. and these pilgrims had already been gathered for some time. It must make Our Lady smile seeing the fervency of some hearts who denied themselves sleep and breakfast to come so early in the morning and sit for hours on uncomfortable terrain so to be as close as possible to Her when She arrives.


Mirjana in ecstacy on September 2, 2009

The open hands and smile of Mirjana told the gathered crowds who could see her that Our Lady had just arrived this morning, September 2, 2009.


Mirjana crying during the apparition of September 2, 2009

Mirjana is here receiving the September 2, 2009 message from Our Lady.


Mirjana reflecting after the apparition of September 2, 2009

Mirjana becomes reflective just after Our Lady leaves in today’s apparition of September 2, 2009. Peace and serenity are on her face, but also resignment that though she would rather go with Our Lady and be with Her in Heaven, she will remain to fulfill her calling as an apostle of Our Lady.


Pilgrims leaving after the apparition of September 2, 2009

September 2, 2009 - Month after month the pilgrims continue to come from all over the world to be with Our Lady. The second of the month apparitions show the magnitude of the influence Our Lady is having in the world today. Twenty-eight years of apparitions and the apparitions continue to be heavily attended.
 

No comments:

Post a Comment

Please no anonymous comments. I require at least some way for people to address each other personally and courteously. Having some name or handle helps.

Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.