Father Jozo Zovko now lives in the Monastery of Badija, Croatia. He is well! But in Medjugorje we are bombarded with questions about him, and all sorts of stories are circulating. Do not worry! The best way to help Father return to us quicker, is indeed by living with the same spirit that the Gospa has:- less talk, more prayers!
During the yearly Meeting of the Guides this month in Medjugorje, the Provincial of the Franciscans, Fr. Ivan Sesar, reminded leaders that Father Jozo had requested to take a sabbatical year, and his request had been granted. He added that, “As a member of the Herzegovinian Franciscan Province, he has all the rights and obligations as every other solemnly professed member of this Province.”
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Fr. Jozo - a Great Man of Peace
Fr. Jozo is an incredible priest, and a saint. If he requested a year of sabatical we must obey his wishes and keep him in our prayers. For those who do not believe in the events of Medjugorje, and have made some slanderous statements against Fr. Jozo they are dead wrong.
Medjugorje is true, and Fr. Jozo is a true apostle of Jesus. Since 1988 I have been very close to the events in Medjugorje, and have witnessed a number of miracles there, including being healed of very painful bone spurs on my feet while walking up the mountain of Krizevac in 1990. Also in 1991 - 2001 I was very close with the brother of one of the visionaries who died of kidney failure.
Let me just say a lot of positive things will be released soon on the events of Medjugorje. This info will leave little doubt about the authenticity of the apparitions, and about what Fr. Jozo has been preaching all these years. In the meantime, May God and Our Lady continue to Bless Fr. Jozo, the visionaries and the people of Medjugorje and the world.
From
Tim Downey
an American Pilgrim
I have been priviledged to attend a healing Mass in Medjugorje with Fr JOzo in 2004. He prophesied that day that America was moving toward giving up personal rights and freedoms towards socialism . HE warned us to pay closer attention to politics, out politicians and our sins -sexual, abortion, and materialism. Communism and atheism are not good. As be spoke, those words I saw the Blessed VIrgin Mary behind him. I took it to mean, this is my son, listen to him.
A few years later he spoke of our Lady in MIami. He takes his earthly mission to bring souls closer to Our Lord and his mother her seriously. He is God's servant and OUr Lady's assistant.
Tim Downey writes:
"Let me just say a lot of positive things will be released soon on the events of Medjugorje. This info will leave little doubt about the authenticity of the apparitions, and about what Fr. Jozo has been preaching all these years".
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Tim, could you elaborate a bit more on that? It sounds truly awesome, like events we have all been praying for.
Please be very careful who you describe a saint! Remember always that our faith belongs to God and not to men. People will always disappoint and let us down , but God never will...
one thing Jesus asked (and even required) of us is "FAITH" . . . to believe in the face of unbelief and disbelief and even when it seems "unbelievable" - to trust in Him and in His word.
and so it follows also that "faith" will alwasy be required in every area of our "walk with Jesus" . . .
and while on our pilgrimage journey to heaven, we encounter numerous voices . . some genuine . . . som diingenuous . . . some real . . some deceitful . . .and Jesus gave us the way to know the difference: "by their fruits you shall know them" . . . a bad tree never gives forth good fruit.
in the world we live in today, so many anti-God voices scream and mock and ridicule the very idea of "Faith" . . . society dismisses "faith and morality anchored in faith" off to the fringes and even out of the social/political/living arena . . .
it doesn't surprise me that church hierarchs don't give officail endorsements to each and every spiritual experience that manifests itself . . . it DOES, however, surprise me to find some ecclesiastics outright sabbotaging or dismissive of spirtitual events which call people back to the essentials and basics of "Faith in God" and in the Gospel . . . that call people out of the morass of modern faithlessness to "believe" and "to pray . . . and pray . . . and pray" . . .
one should never cut down the tree that is bearing good fruit . . .
today, believers must take note of every opportunity to stand up against the prevailing world secular winds . . . Medjugorje has opened the spiritual eyes of so many over the past decades . . . there is no need for ANY church voice to condemn it or slur it . . . let the tree stand . . . and let the fruit grow . . . what is of God will stand . . . what is not, will wither. (and Medjugorje has shown little sign of withering) . . . it is miraculous in itself that Medjugorje has stood constant and consistant against the waves of modern atheism, secularism and unbelief which have dulled modern man.
michael g. batcho
Wow, you sound really defensive. Why does this truth and prudence upset you? I just think we should ask ourselves, that what if things there are not what they seem? Where is our faith, would we lose it? Is it strong? Is your faith more in the seers or in the church? We need to pray for discernment of the spirit. As St John says"test every spirit"
Dear Tim Downy,
If you know of somehting significant that is about to happen, please share it with us.
I am no prophet. It's easy to see the turmoil everywhere. I am saddened that so many people put their faith in seers and people even to the point of disobedience of Holy mother Church. I to was once very much a Medjugorje follower for about 15 years, however many things have come to light that makes me more cautious. Again, we have all we need for our salvation right here at home namely the Holy Sacraments.
It is good for Fr. Jozo to take a break. The work is very draining.
It is also good that people take a break from medjugorje to see if the fruits do endure. Another place to experience right here in the USA is Rome City, Indiana where the Our Lady of America apparitions (canonically approved by Archbishop Leibold and Archbishop Burke) happened in 1956 at Sylvan Springs.
You can read about the apparitions and messages at www.oltiv.org
Our Lady is there as well.
People seem to misunderstand when they say we put everything into the visionaries. they are people, humans like everyine else, not infallible but... We listen to Our Lady of Medjugorje, Our Lady of Peace and what she is saying to the world... everything she has said is valuable. Dont ignore her. Listen and do as she says. Renew yourselves in the beautiful faith Jesus has given us and please dont Judge people. Thats for Jesus,not us..God Bless Fr Jozo. I hope he has a much needed rest. Im sure he is praying very hard for all of us. GB,Cathy I love Mother Mary. Thank you for your messages begun in Medjugorje.
In the early days of Medjugorje Our Lady referred to Fr. Jozo as being a saint. So it is not an error to say that he is a saint.
But Medjugorje is not about Fr. Jozo, and Fr. Jozo has said this many times himself. The Lord calls all of us to be saints. There have been other saints who have lived among us, Padre Pio being just one of them.
That statement alone is cause for prayer. Do you really think Our Blessed Mother would over ride the authority Holy Mother Church and declare someone a saint while he is alive?? To the risk of his immortal soul. St Pio would be the first to scold anyone who would say such a thing about him. She has never in all approved apparitions ever said such a thing. Obedience and humility to the local authority of the church have always been the marks of the approved apparitions. As in Mexico, she has no problem bringing to fruition her wishes to a doubtful local authority. Africa has been approved. I'm not trying to hurt or upset anyone. Just trying to make us pray for the gift of discernment and to be prudent. Again, we have all the sacraments which is infallible. I pray that great and true faith will penetrate to our very marrow.
My feeling on Medjugorie is that it is a place of special graces and where Our Lady is coming..but that does not exclude it from human weaknesses, human sin or bad behavior. Even the seers can display that.
We place our faith in our Lord as He is within His church in His sacraments, and within all of us. And yet there too we are still sinners. There have been bad popes, and popes who make mistakes.
And yet the church endures.
If Medjugorie endures even longer than it has, it is due to the presence of the Divine since humans beings alone cannot offer graces to anyone.
I was privilaged to spend 5 days with Father Jozo in an English Retreat. He was the closest thing to an Apostle that I think I will ever see/meet. I don't know what this "sabatical" is about, but I think it might be religious politics. However, do not underestimate this saintly Priest who survived imprisonment, torture and,as always, ridicule...sound like anyone you know? I love him dearly, he changed my life, and touched and changed the lives of probably 10's of thousands! I just pray that he is back at it soon, but he really, really needed a break, so good always comes out of evil. Love to Father Jozo, Catherine
Dear Cathie Lee,
I just think that Father Jozo needed a long deserved rest. I'm sure that he will come back to us.
I believe that Fra Jozo Zovko and the Medjugorje visionaries are authentic. They all have the gift of the Holy Spirit, and that is why Fr. Jozo is an authentic witness to the apparitions of Our Lady of Medjugorje, the Queen of Peace. Fr. Jozo Zovko bears witness to the truth of the apparitions (by being filled with the Holy Spirit), and Ivan, Jacov, Marija, Vicka, Mirjana & Ivanka are also "filled with the Holy Spirit." Wow!! What an awesome gift!!
I believe I felt the presence of Our Lady and Jesus in Medjugorje especially during the Rosary at St James's Church. I never wanted to stop praying while in Medjugorje, i wanted to stay their forever, but had to come home. I felt such peace in Medjudgorje every where I went, I learned about Father Joso through a book. I think or feel he is a Saint, as I could not put down his book, and it is the only time I felt ok not praying. Only a Saint can bring you there; to the place of prayer through Love.
Thank You for your comment Karen.
God Bless
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