May 24, 2011Dear Family of Mary!"Today I wish to tell you that I have chosen this parish and that I am guarding it in my hands like a little flower that does not want to die.
I call you to surrender to me so that I can continue presenting you to God, fresh and without sin." (August 1, 1985)
At the National Conference on Medjugorje at Notre Dame on May 13-15, Jelena Vasilj-Valente shared about her experiences in the early days of the apparitions.
Jelena was a young girl when Our Lady first came to the visionaries.
But her memories are poignant and profound.
I have transcribed the beginning of her talk on Saturday afternoon, May 14.
She describes the village of Medjugorje, showing how it was really prepared for the apparitions by strong faith and courage.
It is clear that Our Lady chose Medjugorje for a reason!
The beginning of Jelena's first talk, Saturday, May 14, 2011:
"English is not my first language so please pray for me that I may do well.
Our Lady said to the visionaries that she didn't choose the best, so that frees me from having to be very entertaining here. (
J) We are very simple people coming from a very simple place like Medjugorje in a very simple country. At the point when Our Lady began appearing, we were also a very poor country, poor materially. We were living in communism that was in a way not allowing the country to grow. But the country was growing spiritually. There was a lot of faith. The Faith was really all we had in our country. This was what Our Lady said when she first came, "I came here because of the faith of the people." This faith did cost a lot for the people of Medjugorje. We also had martyrs in our village, people giving their lives for God. Not very far from Medjugorje, about 40 kilometers, there were also 30 Franciscan priests who were martyred after World War II, killed and burned up because of their faith. And this was going on through different decades. Simply, the faith was not allowed. Through school the communists were trying to convince us that God didn't exist and that God was only for the weak, but I remember as a child, still before the apparitions, how important the Faith was for us. How sacred prayer was. We were praying every morning. Really the faith was the most beautiful gift that we cherished in our families. And what was also incredible about Medjugorje, there were many vocations even before the apparitions. Almost every family had either a priest or a nun, and these consecrated people were really great instruments in preserving the faith in the people.
"So Our Lady had a certain terrain on which she could out-pour the graces she came with when she appeared. Of course, no one was expecting the apparitions but I must say that when the apparitions began, it wasn't difficult for the people to accept the grace. Everyone accepted this gift. And I remember as a child, the second day of the apparitions, for those of you who have been on the hill, the hill was full. There were already on the second day ten thousand people. The visionaries were not there yet and we were all waiting for them. And we could see them just flying up the hill, drawn by the interior force or the interior love, running to see Our Lady. Now when you see the hill today, it is all cleared out because so many people have walked there, but at that time the hill was really unreachable, because of all the bushes around, it was very hard to walk, so to see the visionaries drawn by this interior force, it was already a sign for us that they were encountering something incredible. So the first days were full of enthusiasm. People were seeing many signs and people were starting to convert and to listen to what Our Lady was saying." (Jelena Vasilj-Valente at Notre Dame, May 14, 2011) The people of Medjugorje were prepared to receive Our Lady through their hardships. They suffered persecution, poverty, marginalization, ridicule, and martyrdom for their faith. They chose to be outsiders in their own country rather than to turn their backs on the Church. This loyalty to God was made strong over many years. So Our Lady knew that she could count on them to stand firm when she began to appear. She knew they would accept her coming. She knew they would protect the children, stand up to the communists and accept the millions of pilgrims who would be drawn to their little village by Our Lady's presence. They would risk everything for her. And they did! To this day they are standing firm. We who have received the benefit of the faith of the people of Medjugorje, we who have stayed in their homes, eaten their food, accepted their hospitality and love, should give thanks to God for their steadfastness and pray for them as they continue to serve Our Lady and her children. Dearest Mother, continue to guard this parish you have chosen! May it remain a beautiful flower, fresh and without sin! Thank you for the people of Medjugorje! In Jesus and Mary!
Cathy Nolan
(c)Mary TV 2011
PS. We are in the process of posting all of the talks from the National Conference on Medjugorje at Notre Dame, May 13-15, 2011 on our website, www.marytv.tv ! You can find them on the home page, by scrolling down to the window that says, "Notre Dame Medjugorje Conference." The talks are wonderful! Thanks to Queen of Peace Ministries for allowing us to stream these talks. And thanks to Michael Nolan for digitizing and putting them up!
Posted via email from deaconjohn's posterous
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