April 15, 2008
Dear Children of Medjugorje,
Praised be Jesus and Mary!
1 - On April 2nd, Mirjana shared the following message after the apparition:
"Dear children, also today as I am with you in the great love of God I desire to ask you: 'Are you also with me? Is your heart open for me? Do you permit me to purify and prepare it for my Son?' My children, you are chosen because, in your time, the great grace of God descended on earth. Do not hesitate to accept it. Thank you."
Our Lady blessed everyone present and all the religious articles. "As she was leaving, behind her in the blueness was a most beautiful warm light," Mirjana said.
2 - Fire in the throat! Our friends at Vocepiu in Milan (Italy) have been putting out cassettes and CDs to spread the Word of God since the 70s. We collaborate a lot with them for Medjugorje, so we like to share the many amazing testimonies we find. It's so good to touch the power of God together! Recently they told us the story of a very surprising event that took place in 1997.
Their fraternity visited Israel on a pilgrimage. On the last day, while they were praying in front of the Cross at the Holy Sepulcher, Maria Luisa clearly heard a voice in her heart saying, "Do something for my Passion!" These words deeply touched her and upon returning to Milan, she decided to make a musical CD on the Passion of Christ. Extremely gifted in music, she decided to mix excerpts from the Bible with orthodox chants, messianic Jewish hymns and Gregorian chant. For the speaker who read the Biblical passages, her attention turned to her uncle who had a voice that resounded the love of God. She reserved a half hour to perform the recording at Miro-Productions Studio in Milan, but that morning her uncle fell ill and could not do the job. Maria Luisa determined not to give up the project. The studio time was pre-paid so each minute counted; and it wasn't very cheap! She had to find another speaker immediately! She decided to check out the business right next to Miro Studios called Mediaset Studio and ask for "a voice".
As she walked into the reception area where there was an information desk, Maria Luisa knew that she was in a different world, an altogether different class. The couches dripped with luxury, the paintings on the wall were refined and perfectly hung. There were glass tables and fancy desks and she thought, 'What am I doing here, this is not at all the type of place where I'll find what I need!' In the immediacy of her problem, she saw no other option, so she proceeded to the elegant looking woman behind the polished marble desk: "I am looking for a man who has half an hour free to record the reading of a text..." At that instant a very sophisticated man came down the stairs of the agency. He looked like a perfect ladies' man, used to charming others and obviously quite satisfied with himself. He drew near to Maria Luisa to find out more about her need that he overheard. He said he had 20 minutes before dubbing a voice for Television and for a Coca Cola advertisement. He seemed proud to say that he worked for such prestigious names. He introduced himself as Alfio. When Maria Luisa made clear that the recording was not for commercial purposes and he couldn't earn any money from it, to her surprise Alfio still agreed to do the recording. Maria Luisa remained deeply perplexed, wondering how this man could possibly enter the spirit of the Passion and get the right intonation to read the Word of God! She tried to tell him about this question, but Alfio, assured of his professional talents, simply raised his hand to calm her fears.
They went to the recording studio. Alfio took the text and adjusted the micro in front of him. The first verse chosen by Maria Luisa was on the Suffering Servant: "There was in him no stately bearing to make us look at him, nor appearance that would attract us to him. He was spurned and avoided by men, a man of suffering, accustomed to infirmity, one of those from whom men hide their faces, spurned, and we held him in no esteem." (Isaiah, 53:2-3)
Alfio read the first 3 words and stalled. He asked for a glass of water because, he said, he had something in his throat. He started again and had the same problem! Three times in a row he had to stop, helpless, and his eyes slowly filled with tears. Maria Luisa realized that there was something going on: Alfio could not read because he was having an overwhelming experience! On the third try, Alfio burst into tears, his sobs became uncontrollable.
"But who is this man?" Alfio asked with a broken voice. "Who was treated in such a way?"
"It's Jesus," Maria Luisa answered!
"Who is Jesus?"
The recording stopped. Alfio could not calm down. He wanted to know everything about this man. So Maria Luisa began to tell him about Jesus and Alfio bombarded her with more questions. He picked up his mobile phone and cancelled all his appointments for the day. He stayed more than four hours reading all the texts and listening to Maria Luisa's explanations. Overwhelmed and in a state of shock, he concentrated on each word, and asked Maria Luisa to repeat everything to him. He wanted the story of Jesus from the beginning. The Word of God had seized him completely!
At the end Alfio asked our friend, "How about you, why are you doing this work? Who do you think will be interested?" Maria Luisa answered, "Well…When I began this work, I told the Lord that if only one person would be converted thanks to this CD, it would be enough for me." Alfio then declared, "I am that person!"
The following days, at the office, Alfio started telling everyone about Jesus. He just could not help it. How could he keep quiet? He could not find anything else to talk about. But very soon people around him thought he was mentally disturbed. Alfio was fired! He remained jobless for 6 months before finding something in his specialty again. Immediately after his conversion, Alfio returned to his wife and daughter and resumed living with them. Since then, 10 years ago, they attend Mass together every morning.
Who knows the unbelievable power of the Word of God! Jesus visits us even at moments we do not expect Him. A single Biblical verse was enough to change this heart radically!
Dearest Gospa, filled with the Word of God, please help us treasure it and devour it!
May the Fire it contains reach out to all the 'Alfios' in the world still wandering in the darkness!
Sister Emmanuel +
(Translated from French)
___________
PS 1 – Become Fishers of Men! GRASSROOTS FILMS presents "Fishers of Men". Don't miss this magnificent vocational video requested by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. It relates the story of some of the most courageous men in the world. http://services.catholique.org/bonus/17924-devenez-pecheurs-d-hommes. To purchase the video for your parish, school or community, visit the website: http://www.grassrootsfilms.com/main.html.
PS 2 - A call to the Irish! As Sr. Emmanuel's book, The Hidden Child of Medjugorje, is spreading well in UK and the US, we would like to make it available to the Irish as well! For this we are looking for a skilled person to manage distribution of books in Ireland. In the meantime, Irish may get the book from "Les Enfants de Medjugorje-UK" at Mrs. Romilly Fenlon, 59 Colchester Ave, Penyla Cardiff CF239 AX, Great Britain. Tel: +44 / 2920 460 189. Cost: 7 £ + shipping. r.fenlon@ntlworld.com
A call to the Canadian, South African, Malaysian, Indian, and all English speaking countries: please read the call above, the same one applies for your countries! Please be the hands of Providence for your fellow citizens!
PS 3 - Read and present to your friends Sister Emmanuel's new book, "The Hidden Child of Medjugorje"! Available in the US through COM store: www.childrenofmedjugorje.com , click "Shop COM". $19.00. Also available in Medjugorje at "Devotions": Tel. +387 36 651 497, or the Catholic bookstore for 9 euros: Tel. +387 36 650 917. The Spanish version is now out in Spain for 7 euros at: "Hijos de Medjugorje", Barcelona - +34 629 79 28 49 - gsba15@yahoo.es - German, Parvis Verlag, Swizerland. Tel / fax: +41 269 159 399 - book@parvis.ch - www.parvis.ch . Polish, 7 Euros, Wyd. Marianow, Warsaw - Tel: +48 22 642-5082 - www.wydawnictwo.pl . Italian, Editrice Shalom, Ancona - Tel: +39 071 745 0440 - www.editriceshalom.it
PS 5 - We need help at Children of Medjugorje! We are looking for well-trained translators who could translate a few texts from Sr. Emmanuel from English- Slovakian, English-Japanese and English-Slovenian. Please contact us at pray@childrenofmedjugorje.com
PS 6 - This month, comments flew back and forth through the internet about an interview with Cardinal Puljic in Sarajevo conducted by Ivan Tolic for Vecernji List, March 21, 2008. The Cardinal was asked: "The recently published interview with Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone, (the Secretary of the Holy See), [revealed] that the case of Medjugorje should be re-examined, [and it] inspired various speculations. Has the Bishops' Conference of BiH discussed this matter, and is it true that Medjugorje shall be officially examined once again?"
The Cardinal answered: "Our Bishops' Conference has not discussed this matter, because the phenomenon of Medjugorje does not come within our competence. At the moment when the Holy See takes the decision and gives a task, we shall think about what to do. This is why it is not necessary to speculate, unless concrete instructions come. After the work of the Commission, the BC has already decided to accompany the phenomenon pastorally. This is nothing new…"
Therefore, it's clear: Nothing new has happened for Medjugorje!
Let's continue in peace with the Cardinal's words: "It is not necessary to speculate!" One may know when something happens through Rome's media channels, the Bishops' Conference of Sarajevo ways of mass communication, and of course the Parish of Medjugorje would not keep such a story hidden! Otherwise, we run the risk of magnifying a simple word and making it into a huge event, and doing so we just lose our time that could be used for prayer instead! (See: http://medjugorje.hr.nt4.ims.hr )
PS 7 - In order to receive this monthly report from Sr. Emmanuel in English, please go to our website: www.childrenofmedjugorje.com click "Get Involved" and then "Join Us". Or, you may contact the addresses below:
in English: pray@childrenofmedjugorje.com
In French: wmmedjugorje@childrenofmedjugorje.com
In Spanish: gisele_riverti@mensajerosdelareinadelapaz.org
In Italian: info@vocepiu.it
In Croatian: rsilic@yahoo.com
In German: pray@childrenofmedjugorje.com
In Portuguese: medjugorjeport@yahoo.com
The website http://www.childrenofmedjugorje.com offers these reports in other languages.
© 2008 Children of Medjugorje, Inc
www.childrenofmedjugorje.com
PO Box 18430, Denver CO 801218
877-MIR-MEDJ
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