 | Wednesday April 1, 2009 |
Marija, Visionary:
“Every blessing from Our Lady that we receive in the apparition
is not only a grace for us, but also…our families will receive blessings…”
The following is an interview that a Friend of Medjugorje did with Marija on February 24, 2004. Marija was going to be with us May 1-5, 2004 and she shared with us the following to encourage as many people as possible to come and be in the presence of Our Lady. We share this interview with you now, in the hopes that it will touch many hearts and encourage many to come and be with Our Lady this year for July 1-5, 2009 (click here). Please pause and pray before reading it as the words have the ability to penetrate your heart and place a fire in it.
Q: Marija, why did Our Lady say that She is happy to see us in such large numbers when She is referring to those gathered?
A: Every time I receive Our Lady, when there are many numbers present in the apparitions, Our Lady blesses us and She asks, really from everyone of us, to be more near to Her and to be Her instruments. The more people are with Her, the more Her plan is fulfilled.
Q: So you would say it is important to be in the presence of Our Lady?
A: Yes. Also the blessing of Our Lady is important.
Q: How does the apparition affect our soul when we are in Her presence?
A: Always we should be open for the graces Our Lady wishes to give us. Our Lady has said, “Pray for my intentions. The moment you pray for my intentions, it is then possible I can help you.” Then our hearts, our minds are open for the blessing of Our Lady, of the presence of Our Lady, and so in this way you become more open to receive grace from Our Lady and your soul is affected.
Q: So, being in the presence of Our Lady, even if loved ones are not with us, does it affect our loved ones and our family back home?
A: Yes. Our Lady always says, “You are instruments. I invite you, dear children,” and so Our Lady said that you will become more of an example for others, when you’re back with them. You bring blessings to them of the apparitions. To us, Our Lady gives graces in the apparitions, when we are present with Her. For our family, our loved ones, the people who are near to us in our family, who thought it may not be possible for them to come and be blessed by Our Lady in an apparition, they, too will receive blessings from those who pray for them in preparation for and during the apparition. And so, every blessing from Our Lady that we receive in the apparition is not only a grace for us, but also…our families will receive blessings and we are able to give these graces to other people.
Q: Our Lady said in 1984 that there are particular graces available during the moment of the apparition. Can you explain what some of these graces are?
A: I always say, the presence of Our Lady is a “big” grace for every one of us. Many times it is possible that we are tired, we don’t understand, we have unimportant problems, sicknesses, and we always are asking Our Lady only for help with these situations. But Our Lady desires to give us more, much more larger number of graces. Not only does Our Lady give the grace of blessing you, but also She grants many other gifts for those present, to be more open for God’s Word and more open for graces that She desire to give to us, not only these days, but also throughout all our life. Also, She desires to give the grace for us to give thanksgiving to God for Her presence in the apparitions. This is a great grace. Our Lady said pray. The moment when you pray, you become more open and your heart is more open, and it is then that She can intercede before God and help you with many other graces She wishes to give you.
Q: Marija, when everything in your day goes wrong and your crosses bear down real hard on you, what happens to those life burdens at the moment you see Our Lady?
A: Every time at the moment of the apparition, we, the visionaries, forget everything and we then become aware only of Our Lady and Her presence and more beautiful things are in our hearts. But in our mind, ‘we remember’ also those people who are present and in a special way, those who are physically sick, and those who are spiritually sick.
Q: So, if we are in the presence of Our Lady with you can we experience the same grace of our life’s burden being lifted as you, and how do we so this?
A: Yes. Our Lady said pray. And I have seen, from the beginning, that Our Lady asks from us to be more open for prayer every day, more open for sacrifice, for fasting and after, we will see the fruit of prayer in our personal conversion, and with our conversion, we help also other people to convert and to be near to God.
Q: So, we can experience, in a sense, the same thing you experience in the apparition in regards to our life burdens being lifted?
A: Yes. We have this experience in the beginning – Our Lady appeared and She became more important for us, and life’s problems, less important. Then, little by little Our Lady said, “I am not important. God needs to be in the center of your life.” In this way, Our Lady helped us to give our problems to God and instead of having problems, we had God.
Q: Why does Our Lady bless everyday in Her apparitions?
A: Our Lady blesses us and I think the most beautiful thing is this blessing of Our Lady that is for everyone.
Q: In the early days, one priest said, we do not clearly understand the full significance of this daily blessing, but that it has some profound effect upon the whole world. Do you understand what he means by that?
A: I think Our Lady’s presence is the same for us. We do not understand it at the moment, but one day, God will give us the possibility to understand more.
Q: Marija, several of the visionaries on various occasions said that these are the last apparitions on earth. What did Our Lady say to you about this?
A: Our Lady said from the beginning that these are the last apparitions on earth in which we can hear Our Lady, touch Our Lady, speak with Our Lady, where we can pray with Our Lady, apparitions where it is possible that we ‘have’ Our Lady. In other apparitions – people have spiritual experiences – but not like us, the six visionaries; where Our Lady speaks to us. This is really the last and special grace. Normally one person may see Our Lady (like Bernadette or St. Catherine of the Miraculous Medal who also touched Our Lady). But here, six visionaries are a number which is very credible. But this is the last where we can touch Our Lady, speak to Her, etc., in this way.
Q: So why are these the last apparitions on earth?
A: Our Lady wants to help teach us and to help us understand everyday more and more that Her presence and God’s presence are to be always in our daily lives.
Q: Also, is it after the secrets are revealed, will there not be any need for the apparitions?
A: Our Lady is with us so She can give us knowledge of the secrets and to help us through the secrets. After the secrets are realized, Our Lady will not need to come anymore. Also, I always say that the secrets are a secret at this moment. It is not possible for me to speak of the secrets.
Q: So, is it also because so much is being given through these apparitions of the Blessed Mother that these manifestations of the real, physical presence of the Virgin Mary is sufficient to the end of the world, whether it be 100 years or 2000 years away?
A: Also because Our Lady gives every day so many graces that we, everyday, are able to live more and more this presence of Our Lady.
Q: Vicka has also said very clearly that these are the last apparitions on earth. What would you say to those who try to re-qualify that Our Lady didn’t really mean this, that this is not really what Our Lady said?
A: I say always, for us, who accept Our Lady’s words, this is a big grace…for other, we must pray. Here, we receive many graces and so for other people to be close with Our Lady, to live Our Lady’s messages, we must pray more and more everyday for them that they become more and more closer to God. And through Our Lady, as with us, God will become the center of their life. Not only is holiness for priests, but also for mothers and fathers and others. In this way, holiness spreads as Our Lady invites us all here in Medjugorje.
Q: So, what do you say in regards to the importance of those who can come be in the presence of Our Lady in Alabama – for your visit and for Our Lady’s apparitions?
A: What I always say. To be ready to pray. Come and be ready to open your heart to Our Lady’s messages, and that Our Lady will help us all the more every day.
Q: So, what would you tell people in preparation for the pilgrimage to Alabama?
A: To prepare through prayer and sacrifice. Make sure you give Our Lady many prayers each day before you come.
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