The Candlelight Ceremony before the Holy Cross! Incredible
August 3, 2021
Day 3 of the Youth Festival
Dear Family of Mary!
Today is Day 3 of the Youth Festival! Already so many beautiful memories have been made! Yesterday the young people climbed Apparition Hill to pray at the apparition site. It was at 6:00 am!
And then from 10:00 am to Noon, there was Catechesis and testimony! Sanja Barisic shared the story of her life, which included so much suffering due to drugs. Sanja wandered for many years in pain until one day Our Lady reached into her life and saved her.
We also heard from Fr. Matthew, from France, who shared his own miraculous conversion in Medjugorje! He is now a powerful priest, full of the Lord's love!
You will not want to miss the conclusion of the Evening Mass when there was Veneration of the Holy Cross, and the lighting of candles. It was spectacular!!
You can watch these events and all the sessions of the Festival in the Archive "Youth Festival 2021" at this link:
I would like to share some of the comments in the homily from last night's evening Mass. They convey the wonder of Our Lady's presence in Medjugorje. Fr. Miljenko Steko was the main celebrant for the Evening Eucharistic Celebration. He is the Franciscan Provincial of the area of Medjugorje, and has been part of the events of Medjugorje for many years. He spoke so tenderly of Our Lady. He said:
"To this Youth Festival in Our Lady's Medjugorje, with particular joy I speak to you, and I wish for you to feel the way man can feel, the way man can feel in the embrace of the most favored Mother, the Mother who became our Mother in the order of grace, that you may be happy. That you may be joyful and feel merciful and blessed while you are here. In the embrace of the one who is always here for you. Who unobtrusively lays her hand of grace on you and guides you thorughout your whole life.
"Of the Mother who loves unconditionally! That is the word that the Holy Father used in the message that he gave to us (yesterday). He spoke about the unconditional love. It is the Mother who loves so much and embraces you under her mantle and receives you, and intercedes for you. And only the man who receives the love of his Mother can witness peace, happiness, welfare...the feeling when we are not afraid to say anything, because she would understand us!
"The feeling that all of our worries, all of our anxieties and all of our difficulties can be surrendered into the hands that always greet us and embrace us with goodness.
"She is the Mother of Reconciliation! And of those who are reconciled, she is the Mother of Salvation and of Faith.
"She passes on to us what we have heard in the Gospel. What encouraged her life? 'Do not be afraid of the living God! Do not be afraid.' If it wasn't for those words in your heart, I do not know how you would pass through so many borders and arrive here during this pandemic. And you came from all over the world. And you came from various peoples. You carry different cultures and you speak different languages. You dress in different ways. You eat different things. In many ways you are different. And yet, this is not an obstacle to your being here, joyful in God's family! You can be one heart and one soul, united with Mary in prayer! Just like the Apostles were in the Cenacle
.
"The Most Holy Virgin, completely directed to Christ, is the foundation of the Church and its faith experience. She becomes for you the privileged way to Christ, who is the Supreme Mediator.
"The Cardinal (Cardinal Sarah) reminded us of that in the last words of his homily, when he said in his final sentences that we may be converted by Our Lady of Medjugorje!
"The secular people, when they see such gatherings of the youth, are astonished and they wonder why these people gather in such great numbers. What is it that gathers them? What moves them to take on so many efforts, to overcome so many obstacles to come here? The world lives as if God does not exist. The world cannot understand it as long as they remain the way they are.
"You are not the news for the great "media" of the world. If there was a scandal here, that would be news for them. Because the world is surprised that you are leaving behind the world of entertainment and you come here in this hot weather to pray for a week! The world cannot understand that.
"But God and the Mother of God are here for them, and they patiently wait for them to accept the grace and consolation and to realize that man does not only live on bread but every word that comes from the mouth of God.
"You, dear young brothers and sisters, know why you are here!! What gathered you here. You were gathered by the safety that God loves you immensely. He makes you capable to love yourself. By the power of His love He makes you brothers and sisters. He gathers you into one family of God's people. It is so strong that after this encounter that love will go to all parts of the world. Because you will know that you are loved. And the one who knows that he is loved will not remain passive, but will respond in the same way, by love.
"With Our Lady's intercession in your hearts, you can penetrate the words of the Lord, "Love one another, just as I have loved you." In that way you will love one another. That inner strength of love brought you here, despite all the difficulties, so that you may show that you are loved. So that you may witness to the world, that still does not know God, or who consciously refuses God, the patience that is God and His love...." (The first part of the Homily for the Evening Mass on Day 2 of the Youth Festival, Fr. Miljenko Steko!)
Here is the link to Fr. Miljenko Steko's homily:
Fr. Steko spoke so beautifully of the powerful love of Our Lady in Medjugorje! As you can see, he is totally aware of Our Lady's presence in Medjugorje, and of her motherly guidance and care for all who come to her there!! We are all her children!! May we feel her presence in these days and rely completely upon her!
Here is the Schedule for Tuesday, Day 3 of the Festival! Join us at Mary TV!!
TUESDAY, 3. 8. 2021
10.00 - Prayer, Catechesis, Testimonies
12.00- The Angelus
RECESS
16.00 – Daily Rosary ( Denis & Cathy )
17.00 - Testimonies
18.00 – Parish Rosary
19.00 – Evening Holy Mass
20.30 – 21.30 Procession with Our Lady’s statue and Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament
In Jesus, Mary, and Joseph!
Cathy Nolan
Mary TV 2021
PS. Pray for our team! They are working day and night to provide the most spectacular coverage of the Festival!! Thank you, Mary TV Team in Medjugorje!!!
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