9/30/13
The Medjugorje Message: In the light of hindsight...
The Medjugorje Message: In the light of hindsight...: In hindsight, God’s light was shining more clearly than any glowing statue witnessed at Medjugorje... but the main attraction, the novelty l...
Glowing Statue to be analyzed by experts
by Jakob Marschner
On the evening of September 29, the statue that has glowed in the dark for six days in the room of visionary Vicka Ivankovic-Mijatovic was removed from her house and taken to the church. Experts will now analyze the statue. Locals and outsiders view the phenomenon quite differently.
Ecclesiastical authorities in Medjugorje took charge of the glowing statue in visionary Vicka Ivankovic-Mijatovic’s childhood room on Sunday evening when the statue was blessed, then taken to the local St. James Church to be analyzed by experts arriving on Monday.
The glowing statue has attracted thousands of locals and pilgrims to the room since Monday evening when the phenomenon was first noted. Before the statue was removed from Vicka’s room had been a phase when the visionary’s house was locked during Medjugorje’s evening prayer program, to be opened again at 7 pm.
“The statue was brought out by Stipe, Vicka’s brother. It was covered, behind him was the parish priest, Fr. Marinko Sakota. In the room next to it, Fr. Karlo Lovric prayed seven Our Father, Hail Mary and Glory Be with parishioners of Podbrdo (the Apparition Hill area, ed.), and blessed the statue room. The statue is now being kept in the Franciscans’ house while waiting to be analyzed” local resident Laura Marcazzan Budimir reported at Facebook on Sunday evening.
The locally-married Italian born further tells that local people view and experience the phenomenon of the glowing statue quite differently from the outside world.
“People out there are waiting for the analysis results. Here at Podbrdo, people wait for the statue to return to the house where it has been 30 years. No matter the results, it has already performed a miracle. A neighborhood has gathered to pray like 32 years ago. Perhaps people do not understand, but actually this is the most important of all. Their union is important for the future. I believe this” Laura Marcazzan Budimir tells.
Sunday also saw the visit of Annerina, the Italian lady who gave the statue to Vicka’s family in 1983. Source http://www.medjugorjetoday.tv/
On the evening of September 29, the statue that has glowed in the dark for six days in the room of visionary Vicka Ivankovic-Mijatovic was removed from her house and taken to the church. Experts will now analyze the statue. Locals and outsiders view the phenomenon quite differently.
Vicka’s brother Stipe carries the statue out of the family’s house on September 29. Photo: Laura Marcazzan Budimir
Ecclesiastical authorities in Medjugorje took charge of the glowing statue in visionary Vicka Ivankovic-Mijatovic’s childhood room on Sunday evening when the statue was blessed, then taken to the local St. James Church to be analyzed by experts arriving on Monday.
The glowing statue has attracted thousands of locals and pilgrims to the room since Monday evening when the phenomenon was first noted. Before the statue was removed from Vicka’s room had been a phase when the visionary’s house was locked during Medjugorje’s evening prayer program, to be opened again at 7 pm.
Vicka’s
room after the statue was removed. The glowing statue used to be in the
left corner of the drawer. Photo: Laura Marcazzan Budimir
“The statue was brought out by Stipe, Vicka’s brother. It was covered, behind him was the parish priest, Fr. Marinko Sakota. In the room next to it, Fr. Karlo Lovric prayed seven Our Father, Hail Mary and Glory Be with parishioners of Podbrdo (the Apparition Hill area, ed.), and blessed the statue room. The statue is now being kept in the Franciscans’ house while waiting to be analyzed” local resident Laura Marcazzan Budimir reported at Facebook on Sunday evening.
The locally-married Italian born further tells that local people view and experience the phenomenon of the glowing statue quite differently from the outside world.
“People out there are waiting for the analysis results. Here at Podbrdo, people wait for the statue to return to the house where it has been 30 years. No matter the results, it has already performed a miracle. A neighborhood has gathered to pray like 32 years ago. Perhaps people do not understand, but actually this is the most important of all. Their union is important for the future. I believe this” Laura Marcazzan Budimir tells.
Sunday also saw the visit of Annerina, the Italian lady who gave the statue to Vicka’s family in 1983. Source http://www.medjugorjetoday.tv/
9/29/13
Dear Family of Mary! Sep 30, 2013
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Glowing Ebay Statue Different From Vicka's
by Jakob Marschner
Though a glowing statue seemingly similar to the one that started glowing in visionary Vicka Ivankovic-Mijatovic’s room on September 23 has been for sale at eBay, the two statues behave differently in at least three ways.
Mystery around the statue of Our Lady of Lourdes that started glowing in the dark in Medjugorje visionary Vicka Ivankovic-Mijatovic’s childhood room on September 23 increased on Friday when it was clear that a seemingly similar statue glowing by means of a phosphor component was found for sale at eBay, the world’s largest e-commerce website.
However, the two statues behave differently though photo comparisons had the Croatian newspaper 24sata conclude they looked identical.
“On one of the largest online services for commerce, eBay, a similar statue of Our Lady is being offered. Moreover, it is almost the same as Vicka’s. The description says that the statue is in very good condition, the paint just peeled off in a few places. It is 63 and a half cm tall and comes from the French city of Toulouse. It weighs about ten pounds and can be purchased for around 1,400 kuna”24sata reported.
However, while the statue at eBay was advertised to be able to glow for three nights, the statue in Vicka’s house also glew on September 26 and 27, the fourth and fifth evening and night after the phenomenon began. Moreover, the light emanating from Vicka’s statue is bright and only appears green on photos – and still furthermore, the statue starts glowing as people start praying.
“Tonight the statue began to glow at 7.20 pm. (…) When the people prayed, the light from the statue intensified. (…) At 00.30 we entered with a small group of parishioners from Bijakovici, and we prayed seven Our Father, Haiy Marys, and Glory Be. It was beautiful. Anyway, the statue is evenly illuminated, not with green light as you can see in the pictures, but with a white light as if it came from inside, but it is chalk! ” local resident Laura Marcazzan Budimir reported at Facebook on September 26.
“Tonight I entered the room at 7.15 pm. Parishioners and some of Vicka’s family members were already there in the dark praying the Rosary. The statue was not glowing. At 7.30 pm it lit up a little, and then nothing until 8.15 pm when Vicka’s nephew said, “We kneel down and pray” Laura Marcazzan Budimir reported at Facebook late in the evening of September 27.
“They asked me why I was in the room next to Vicka’s. I thought to myself, “the statue does not glow anymore”. At that time, the pilgrims started joining. (…) We entered at 8.45 pm, and clearly saw that it was well lit. You could tell the difference compared to the hour before dark, and the absence of light” the Italian-born local resident further reported late in the evening on Friday.
The local news portal Medjugorje Info also found the light intensified when people started praying before the statue.
“When the light went out, the statue scarcely lit up, almost not. But when we all began to pray, “Hail Mary, full of grace …”, the light was getting stronger and stronger” Medjugorje Info reported on September 26.
Source http://www.medjugorjetoday.tv/
Though a glowing statue seemingly similar to the one that started glowing in visionary Vicka Ivankovic-Mijatovic’s room on September 23 has been for sale at eBay, the two statues behave differently in at least three ways.
The glowing statue in Vicka’s room
Mystery around the statue of Our Lady of Lourdes that started glowing in the dark in Medjugorje visionary Vicka Ivankovic-Mijatovic’s childhood room on September 23 increased on Friday when it was clear that a seemingly similar statue glowing by means of a phosphor component was found for sale at eBay, the world’s largest e-commerce website.
However, the two statues behave differently though photo comparisons had the Croatian newspaper 24sata conclude they looked identical.
People waiting in line to see the glowing statue in Vicka’s house in the evening of September 27. Photo: Laura Marcazzan Budimir
“On one of the largest online services for commerce, eBay, a similar statue of Our Lady is being offered. Moreover, it is almost the same as Vicka’s. The description says that the statue is in very good condition, the paint just peeled off in a few places. It is 63 and a half cm tall and comes from the French city of Toulouse. It weighs about ten pounds and can be purchased for around 1,400 kuna”24sata reported.
However, while the statue at eBay was advertised to be able to glow for three nights, the statue in Vicka’s house also glew on September 26 and 27, the fourth and fifth evening and night after the phenomenon began. Moreover, the light emanating from Vicka’s statue is bright and only appears green on photos – and still furthermore, the statue starts glowing as people start praying.
“Tonight the statue began to glow at 7.20 pm. (…) When the people prayed, the light from the statue intensified. (…) At 00.30 we entered with a small group of parishioners from Bijakovici, and we prayed seven Our Father, Haiy Marys, and Glory Be. It was beautiful. Anyway, the statue is evenly illuminated, not with green light as you can see in the pictures, but with a white light as if it came from inside, but it is chalk! ” local resident Laura Marcazzan Budimir reported at Facebook on September 26.
“Tonight I entered the room at 7.15 pm. Parishioners and some of Vicka’s family members were already there in the dark praying the Rosary. The statue was not glowing. At 7.30 pm it lit up a little, and then nothing until 8.15 pm when Vicka’s nephew said, “We kneel down and pray” Laura Marcazzan Budimir reported at Facebook late in the evening of September 27.
“They asked me why I was in the room next to Vicka’s. I thought to myself, “the statue does not glow anymore”. At that time, the pilgrims started joining. (…) We entered at 8.45 pm, and clearly saw that it was well lit. You could tell the difference compared to the hour before dark, and the absence of light” the Italian-born local resident further reported late in the evening on Friday.
The local news portal Medjugorje Info also found the light intensified when people started praying before the statue.
“When the light went out, the statue scarcely lit up, almost not. But when we all began to pray, “Hail Mary, full of grace …”, the light was getting stronger and stronger” Medjugorje Info reported on September 26.
Source http://www.medjugorjetoday.tv/
Vicka: Glowing Statue A Sign To A Dark World
by Jakob Marschner
I believe the statue is a message from Mary to turn to light, peace, joy, and prayer. Our souls are filled with darkness, the world immersed in darkness, Medjugorje visionary Vicka Ivankovic-Mijatovic says about the statue that started glowing in her old childhood room on September 23.
Medjugorje visionary Vicka Ivankovic-Mijatovic believes the glowing statue in her old room is a genuine sign and a message from the Virgin Mary.
“I was on the road when my mother called and told me. I just told her, “This is Our Lady’s will. Pray!” Vicka tells the Croatian daily Slobodna Dalmacija.
- You have daily meetings and conversations with Our Lady. Did you ask her anything about the statue that glows, and if yes, what did she say?
“I neither asked, nor did she mention. She would tell me if it was needed. But I believe that the light on the statue is just another message of Our Lady to turn to the light, peace, joy, and prayer. Our souls are filled with darkness, the world is immersed in the darkness” Vicka says.
“Our Lady has appeared here for so many years, she is constantly sending us messages, and for us to understand them, we just have to open our hearts to them. Anyone can do that, and Our Lady speaks to everyone”.
- It seems interesting that the illuminated statue is not Our Lady of Medjugorje, but Our Lady of Lourdes. How do you explain that?
“The Madonna is one, she wants that way to send her message. After all, the statue of Our Lady of Lourdes was brought me by Italian pilgrims exactly thirty years ago. They brought it from Lourdes. And, behold, it was Italian pilgrims who first noticed the light on the statue of Our Lady. It is Our Lady’s will, I do not decide anything” Vicka tells Slobodna Dalmacija.
Source http://www.medjugorjetoday.tv/
I believe the statue is a message from Mary to turn to light, peace, joy, and prayer. Our souls are filled with darkness, the world immersed in darkness, Medjugorje visionary Vicka Ivankovic-Mijatovic says about the statue that started glowing in her old childhood room on September 23.
Vicka during her public apparition in Corridonia, Italy, on September 1
Medjugorje visionary Vicka Ivankovic-Mijatovic believes the glowing statue in her old room is a genuine sign and a message from the Virgin Mary.
“I was on the road when my mother called and told me. I just told her, “This is Our Lady’s will. Pray!” Vicka tells the Croatian daily Slobodna Dalmacija.
- You have daily meetings and conversations with Our Lady. Did you ask her anything about the statue that glows, and if yes, what did she say?
“I neither asked, nor did she mention. She would tell me if it was needed. But I believe that the light on the statue is just another message of Our Lady to turn to the light, peace, joy, and prayer. Our souls are filled with darkness, the world is immersed in the darkness” Vicka says.
“Our Lady has appeared here for so many years, she is constantly sending us messages, and for us to understand them, we just have to open our hearts to them. Anyone can do that, and Our Lady speaks to everyone”.
- It seems interesting that the illuminated statue is not Our Lady of Medjugorje, but Our Lady of Lourdes. How do you explain that?
“The Madonna is one, she wants that way to send her message. After all, the statue of Our Lady of Lourdes was brought me by Italian pilgrims exactly thirty years ago. They brought it from Lourdes. And, behold, it was Italian pilgrims who first noticed the light on the statue of Our Lady. It is Our Lady’s will, I do not decide anything” Vicka tells Slobodna Dalmacija.
Source http://www.medjugorjetoday.tv/
Statue Glowing in Medjugorje
Received this E-mail from a friend Maureen
who is now in Medjugorje and has seen the statue of Our Lady in Vicka's
house that is glowing. Her comment. E.A.S.
This was something wonderful to see! As we waited in line with
thousands of other pilgrims and villagers last night here in Medjugorje the
anticipation was amazing. On entering the room and being in darkness the statue
of Our Lady was glowing in beautiful radiance! Her messages have enlightened
our minds and our hearts for over 32 years now, but tonight we saw the light of
her love with our eyes! This has attracted thousands and I have tried to think
of how it was in the first days of the apparitions with thousands arriving!
Thank you, Gospa, for your love for us!
9/28/13
Lay Fast for Priests 2013
The eighth annual LAY FAST FOR PRIESTS will take place on Saturday 19 October 2013. To join this global army of fasters, please go to
http://www.annaprae.com/layfast2013onlinesignup.html
http://www.annaprae.com/layfast2013onlinesignup.html
9/27/13
Dear Family of Mary
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9/25/13
Statue in Medjugorje Glowing
__________________________________________________
From Ana Shawl:
I just
wanted to write a little bit about an event that is happening in Medjugorje.
About a statue that was glowing. I got a call last night, Sept. 23, 2013 from a
good friend a little bit before midnight. He said that there are thousands of
people at Vicka's old house in Bijakovici, right at the foot of Apparition Hill.
I immediately called my son Stephen and asked him if he was asleep or where he
was. He was in front of St. James he said, as he had just come from a birthday
party at one of the pansions. I told him to just wait for me by the taxi
stand and I would be right there. Then, I called my neighbor who is a guide here
in Medjugorje and was going to ask her if she wanted to go, but when I called,
she was already there.
So, I picked up
Stephen and went. When we got to Vicka's house I did see many many people there,
huddled like it used to be when she used to give her talks on the
steps.
I saw her
brother outside and asked him when this all started happening. He said at about
9:00 is when someone noticed it. Later another guide told me that it was the
youngest brother Frane who was going to lock up in the evening and he noticed
that the Blessed Mother's veil and her dress were shining a light.
It took me and
Stephen about an hour and a half to finally get inside. There were the men who
helped Mirjana on the 2nd of the month and so they were helping with getting the
people up the steps and into Vicka's old room in an orderly manner and everyone
was really thankful for that.
So, up in the
room, it was completely dark and you could see a little bit, Our Lady's dress
and veil were slightly glowing. It was hard to see at first. The way that
others had described it was like the glow in the dark color. The people that
were in the room at the time, went up and kissed the statue and said prayers.
People were praying too outside before we got into the room, the
Rosary.
After this, we
went home and when I turned around, there were still many many people there
trying to get in and up the steps to the old room.
Today, Tuesday,
I walked to church and this is what everyone is talking about. All the
Croatians that live here, all the new pilgrims, old pilgrims, everyone is
talking about this so I thought I would ask the people what they thought without
putting in my own 2 cents. It was interesting the completely different points
of view.
One girl I
talked to said she believed immediately and she got chills and thought, could
this be Our Lady trying to wake us up, could this be the beginning of things?
She didn't doubt at all.
I asked
another lady, a Croatian shop owner who I know and talk to on the way to church
and she said, "I love Our Lady, and when my friend called me and told me to
come, she said, "I have Gospa here and everywhere. She is everywhere we invite
her to be, why are you looking for her over there?"
One Irish man
said, when he looked at it, he thought immediately that it was the same type of
color and intensity of a glow in the dark statue, the florescent neon and as the
night progressed, the glow got lighter and lighter as it does with the glow in
the dark rosaries. He thought though that it was nice that people got together
in the middle of the night and to jump out of bed to go and pray can't be a bad
thing but maybe someone put some glow in the dark spray paint on the
statue.
A Local
Croatian girl who works in one of the restaurants here said that she felt it was
a wake up call for the people here. She completely believes this is a gift from
Our Lady. She said, like Our Lady said, materialism it seems has gotten to many
people here and that's what she is feeling in Medjugorje that is maybe why Our
Lady did this.
One person said
she wished that everyone wasn't running around looking for the extraordinary
things but change their lives instead, and pray to show love and be good to
others. People pushing and shoving not showing any love by trying to push their
way into a room to get a glimpse of something special so they can feel
special.
So, there you
have it.
All in all, it
is really nice to see people coming out at all hours of the night to pray to Our
Lady. I know that these things have to be checked out. It could be
miraculous, or it might not be, I don't know but Our Lady loves us all and if
God wants to send a message, He can do it any way He wants.
God Bless you
all
love
Ana
Hvaljen Isus i Marija. Kraljica Mira, moli za nas
Medjugorje
9/24/13
Statue Glows
About 9 pm on September 23, a 40 years old statue of the Virgin Mary located in the childhood home of Medjugorje visionary Vicka Ivankovic-Mijatovic began to glow in the dark.
http://www.medjugorjetoday.tv/
HEARING AND DOING
Jesus "told them in reply, 'My mother and My brothers are those who hear the word of God and act upon it.' " -Luke 8:21
We can be Jesus' mother, brothers, and sisters if we hear God's Word and act on it. We can be in Jesus' immediate family and be so close to Him that He lives in us and we in Him (see Jn 6:56) - if only we hear (Ps 81:14) and do the Word of God.
However, we find it humanly impossible to hear God's Word. To hear His still, small voice (1 Kgs 19:12ff), we would have to be still and know that He is God (see Ps 46:11). To open our ears to His Word, we must stop our ears lest we hear of bloodshed (Is 33:15) and other things not of God. To hear God's Word, we must repent of not hearing God and then renew our baptismal promises, for in Baptism we were given the supernatural power of hearing God's Word.
After we hear God's Word, we must do His Word. "Act on this word. If all you do is listen to it, you are deceiving yourselves" (Jas 1:22). Doing God's Word requires the miracle of repentance from the selfishness of apathy and rebellion against God. Doing God's Word requires submission to the Lord and rebellion against Satan's tyranny. To do God's Word, we must say with Mary: "I am the servant of the Lord. Let it be done to me" according to God's Word (Lk 1:38).
By His grace, hear and do God's Word. Be mother, sister, and brother to Jesus.
Father, give me the ears and hands of Jesus' mother, Mary.
"May the God Who causes His name to dwell there overthrow every king or people who may undertake to alter this or to destroy this house of God in Jerusalem." -Ezr 6:12
9/23/13
The Medjugorje Message: Medjugorje Franciscans to meet with Pope Francis
The Medjugorje Message: Medjugorje Franciscans to meet with Pope Francis: Representatives from Medjugorje led by the parish priest Fr Marinko Šakota, along with other pastors from the village, are due to travel to ...
David Parkes Miracle Healing in Medjugorje
Given weeks to live David Parkes, professional soccer player and singer was miraculously healed of Crones disease in Medjugorje.
9/22/13
12 Year Old Girl Paints Heaven, Unbelievable!
Twelve Year-Old with Atheist Mom Paints Shocking Pictures of Heaven and Jesus and Wins Her to Christ
Posted by keephopealive
At four years old this precious girl had visions of heaven and Jesus. She wanted to paint the images that she saw, and when she did they were a true spectacle. Her gift was surely from God. Although she did not have all of the heavenly colors in her palatte, she created masterpieces that were soon to win her mother's heart for Jesus.
Man Saw Mary in Hospital Near Medjugorje
by Jakob Marschner on Sep 21, 2013
80 years old Salko Balavac, a Muslim, had never been to Medjugorje when he had a vision of the Virgin Mary floating in the air above St. James Church while in hospital in nearby Mostar on September 13. His memory, appetite and eyesight have all returned, and he says his life was changed.
Medjugorje was never too much on the mind of Salko Balavac, an 80 years old Muslim from nearby Stolac. Until September 13 when, in severe pain, he had been admitted to the hospital in Mostar. What happened to him that Friday has changed his life, he says.
“I was lying in the room, I could not move. At the window was a patient who had come in the evening and was in great pain, constantly invoking Jesus. I had my eyes cIosed but I saw a doctor and a nurse walk up to him” Salko Balavac tells the Mostar-based newspaper Dnevni List.
“As I was lying there, I suddenly saw the church in Medjugorje which I had previously only seen on television. The towers of the church were enlightened like gold, and between them was a young woman like a Barbie doll. She was in a pink and white dress and you could not get enough of how beautiful she was.”
According to Salko Balavac, the Virgin Mary then ascended into the air and headed for Mostar, saying: “I am going to save people.”
“When the lady came down and looked at the people, she said: “The barricades are down”. Again she ascended and returned at high speed to the point between the towers and disappeared” he tells.
“That Friday I jumped out of bed as if I am healthy, my appetite returned, and although I have had problems with my memory, I now remember names and people with ease. And most amazing of all, I have such an eyesight.”
Source http://www.medjugorjetoday.tv/
80 years old Salko Balavac, a Muslim, had never been to Medjugorje when he had a vision of the Virgin Mary floating in the air above St. James Church while in hospital in nearby Mostar on September 13. His memory, appetite and eyesight have all returned, and he says his life was changed.
Salko Balavac. Photo: Dnevni List
Medjugorje was never too much on the mind of Salko Balavac, an 80 years old Muslim from nearby Stolac. Until September 13 when, in severe pain, he had been admitted to the hospital in Mostar. What happened to him that Friday has changed his life, he says.
“I was lying in the room, I could not move. At the window was a patient who had come in the evening and was in great pain, constantly invoking Jesus. I had my eyes cIosed but I saw a doctor and a nurse walk up to him” Salko Balavac tells the Mostar-based newspaper Dnevni List.
St James Church in Medjugorje
“As I was lying there, I suddenly saw the church in Medjugorje which I had previously only seen on television. The towers of the church were enlightened like gold, and between them was a young woman like a Barbie doll. She was in a pink and white dress and you could not get enough of how beautiful she was.”
According to Salko Balavac, the Virgin Mary then ascended into the air and headed for Mostar, saying: “I am going to save people.”
“When the lady came down and looked at the people, she said: “The barricades are down”. Again she ascended and returned at high speed to the point between the towers and disappeared” he tells.
“That Friday I jumped out of bed as if I am healthy, my appetite returned, and although I have had problems with my memory, I now remember names and people with ease. And most amazing of all, I have such an eyesight.”
Source http://www.medjugorjetoday.tv/
9/21/13
Daily Grace: The Prophets Cry
9/18/13
The Miracle Prayer
The Miracle Prayer-written by Fr. Peter Mary Rookey
Lord Jesus, I come before you, just as I am, I am sorry for my sins, I repent of my sins, please forgive me. In your Name, I forgive all others for what they have done against me. I renounce Satan, the evil spirits and all their works. I give you my entire self, Lord Jesus, now and forever, I invite you into my life Jesus, I accept you as my Lord, my God and my Savior. Please heal me, change me, strengthen me in body, soul, and spirit.
Come Lord Jesus, cover me with your Precious Blood, and fill me with your Holy Spirit, I love you Lord Jesus, I praise you Lord Jesus, I thank you Jesus, I shall follow you every day of my life. Amen.
Mary, My Mother, Queen of Peace, all the Angels and Saints, please come to me. Amen.
9/17/13
1000th Concert Trailer
Uploaded on Sep 15, 2013 Tajci Cameron
Tajci's personal invitation to the 1000th "I Do Believe" concert on October 26th in Cincinnati, OH
One last excerpt from Sr. Briege McKenna's testimony
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The Prophecies of Saint Catherine Labouré
The Prophecies of St. Catherine Labouré
Irapuato 14/09/2013 15:25:12
1) God wishes to make Mary better known in the latter times.50. God wishes therefore to reveal Mary, his masterpiece, and make her more known in these latter times:
(1) Because she kept herself hidden in this world and in her great humility considered herself lower than dust, having obtained from God, his apostles and evangelists the favour of being made known.
(2) Because, as Mary is not only God's masterpiece of glory in heaven, but also his masterpiece of grace on earth, he wishes to be glorified and praised because of her by those living upon earth.
(3) Since she is the dawn which precedes and discloses the Sun of Justice Jesus Christ, she must be known and acknowledged so that Jesus may be known and acknowledged.
(4) As she was the way by which Jesus first came to us, she will again be the way by which he will come to us the second time though not in the same manner.
(5) Since she is the sure means, the direct and immaculate way to Jesus and the perfect guide to him, it is through her that souls who are to shine forth in sanctity must find him. He who finds Mary finds life, that is, Jesus Christ who is the way, the truth and the life. But no one can find Mary who does not look for her. No one can look for her who does not know her, for no one seeks or desires something unknown. Mary then must be better known than ever for the deeper understanding and the greater glory of the Blessed Trinity.
(6) In these latter times Mary must shine forth more than ever in mercy, power and grace; in mercy, to bring back and welcome lovingly the poor sinners and wanderers who are to be converted and return to the Catholic Church; in power, to combat the enemies of God who will rise up menacingly to seduce and crush by promises and threats all those who oppose them; finally, she must shine forth in grace to inspire and support the valiant soldiers and loyal servants of Jesus Christ who are fighting for his cause.
(7) Lastly, Mary must become as terrible as an army in battle array to the devil and his followers, especially in these latter times. For Satan, knowing that he has little time - even less now than ever - to destroy souls, intensifies his efforts and his onslaughts every day. He will not hesitate to stir up savage persecutions and set treacherous snares for Mary's faithful servants and children whom he finds more difficult to overcome than others.
(St. Louis de Montfort Treatise on True Devotion paragraphs 49-50)
Given the fact that the apparitions at Rue de Bac are considered to be the beginning of this prophesied Marian age which precedes the Second Coming of Christ, it should be worth studying them in some more detail. Rev. Robert J. Billett provides an outline of the visions given to St. Catherine Labouré, the content of which she was instructed to incorporate into the Miraculous Medal:
The mission that God wanted to entrust to Catherine was made manifest to her on November 27, 1830. It was the mission of making and distributing the Medal of the Immaculate Conception, now known as the Miraculous Medal. That day was the Saturday before the first Sunday of Advent. The Sisters were gathered in the chapel as usual for prayers at five-thirty in the afternoon. Suddenly Our Lady appeared to Catherine.
At first Mary appeared standing on a globe and dressed in white having with a long white veil which fell to her feet. The Virgin held in her hands, at the height of her shoulders, a golden ball which she seemed to be offering to God as she raised her eyes to heaven. Her fingers were covered with rings whose precious jewels sparkled brilliantly and showered down innumerable rays of light on the globe beneath her feet, almost obscuring the view of her feet. Mary lowered her eyes and looked directly at Catherine. Mary said nothing, but Catherine heard this message, "The ball which you see represents the world, especially France, and each person in particular. These rays symbolize the graces I shed upon those who ask for them. The jewels which give no rays symbolize the graces that are not given because they are not asked for." Then the apparition changed.
Our Lady appeared with a white dress, a blue mantle, and a white veil which draped back over her shoulders. She was still standing on the globe, and had one foot on the head of a serpent which lay at her feet. The 1830 was marked on the globe. The Virgin had her arms and hands pointed downwards, and a cascade of rays was falling down from both hands onto the globe. An oval frame formed around the Blessed Virgin, and written around within it, in letters of gold, was the beautiful prayer, "O Mary, conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to you." This was the front side of the medal that was to be made.
Then the vision revolved to show the reverse side of the medal. Catherine saw a Cross with a bar at its feet with which was intertwined an "M." Beneath the "M" were the Hearts of Jesus and Mary, both surmounted by flames of love, one having a crown of thorns, and other pierced with a sword. Encircling all of this were twelve stars around the oval frame.
(Rev. Robert J. Billett, C.M.F. St. Catherine Laboure and the Miraculous Medal http://www.marys-touch.com/Saints/medal/medal.htm)
The apparitions of the Virgin Mary to St. Catherine Labouré share some striking imagery with the Third Secret of Fatima, and there is clearly an intention here to invite us to draw a point of comparison between the two. The rays of light which emanate from the hands of Our Lady to shine down graces upon the world in the visions of St. Catherine Labouré is reflected in the Third Secret of Fatima, when the Virgin Mary issues dazzling radiance from her right hand in order protect us from the flames of the Angel's flaming sword - which threatens to consume the world in chastisement for its sins:
After the two parts which I have already explained, at the left of Our Lady and a little above, we saw an Angel with a flaming sword in his left hand; flashing, it gave out flames that
looked as though they would set the world on fire; but they died out in contact with the splendour that Our Lady radiated towards him from her right hand: pointing to the earth
with his right hand, the Angel cried out in a loud voice: ‘Penance, Penance, Penance!'.
The front and back images shown on the Miraculous Medal are presented here side-by-side
The rays of light shown falling down upon the world from the hands of Virgin Mary on the
Miraculous Medal thus represent the graces which flow from the hands of Our Lady during the Triumph of her Immaculate Heart. We can be doubly sure that this vision concerns the Triumph of
the Immaculate Heart of Mary in the fact that St. Catherine Labouré saw her standing with one foot crushing the head of the Serpent upon a globe representing the earth. The crushing of the Serpent's head is directly related to the Triumph of the Immaculate Heart of Mary. The twelve stars depicted on the reverse side of the Miraculous Medal inform us that this is the Woman Adorned with the Sun in the Book of Revelation, who is presented with twelve stars around her head (Rev 12:1). And chapter 12 of the Apocalypse is in turn a prophetic expansion of the Protoevangelium of Gen 3:15:
"I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring; he shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise his heel.”
(Gen 3:15)
Rev 12 informs us that when the head of the Serpent has finally been crushed, the Great Dragon is thrown down to the earth, and becoming ever more enraged, continues his pursuit of the Woman, threatening to carry her away with a flood:
Now war arose in heaven, Michael and his angels fighting against the dragon. And the
dragon and his angels fought back, but he was defeated, and there was no longer any place
for them in heaven. And the great dragon was thrown down, that ancient serpent, who is called the devil and Satan, the deceiver of the whole world—he was thrown down to the
earth, and his angels were thrown down with him. And I heard a loud voice in heaven, saying, “Now the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God and the authority of his
Christ have come, for the accuser of our brothers has been thrown down, who accuses them day and night before our God. And they have conquered him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, for they loved not their lives even unto death. Therefore, rejoice, O heavens and you who dwell in them! But woe to you, O earth and sea, for the devil has
come down to you in great wrath, because he knows that his time is short!”
And when the dragon saw that he had been thrown down to the earth, he pursued the woman who had given birth to the male child. But the woman was given the two wings of the great eagle so that she might fly from the serpent into the wilderness, to the place where she is to
be nourished for a time, and times, and half a time. The serpent poured water like a river out of his mouth after the woman, to sweep her away with a flood.
(Rev 12:7-15)
In the vision of St. Catherine Labouré, the Virgin Mary stands victorious over the wicked Dragon as the new Eve, having trod down the Ancient Serpent under her heel. The Immaculate Heart of Mary itself appears on the reverse side in this vision, sharing the same side of the Miraculous Medal as the right hand of the Virgin, from which the Third Secret tells us issues the radiance of flowing grace to save the world from flames, recalling God's promises in the Book of Malachi:
“For behold, the day is coming, burning like an oven, when all the arrogant and all evildoers will be stubble. The day that is coming shall set them ablaze, says the LORD of hosts, so that
it will leave them neither root nor branch. But for you who fear my name, the sun of righteousness shall rise with healing in its wings. You shall go out leaping like calves from the stall. And you shall tread down the wicked, for they will be ashes under the soles of your feet, on the day when I act, says the LORD of hosts. “Remember the law of my servant Moses, the statutes and rules that I commanded him at Horeb for all Israel. “Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the great and awesome day of the LORD comes. And he will turn
the hearts of fathers to their children and the hearts of children to their fathers, lest I come and strike the land with a decree of utter destruction.”
(Mal 4)
Without the coming of Elijah to restore the Church, to "turn the hearts of fathers to their children and the hearts of children to their fathers", the earth would be met with a decree of utter destruction in blazing flames, and no one would be saved. Yet in one final outpouring of Divine Mercy before the Day of Judgment, God gives the Two Witnesses to the Church, when the Woman is given "the two wings of the great eagle so that she might fly from the serpent into the wilderness" (Rev 12:14). The arm of the angel with the flaming sword is stayed by the radiance which issues from Our Lady's motherly hands, in order to allow for a period of penance and conversion.
The Immaculate Heart is depicted on the Miraculous Medal as being pierced by the sword of Our Lady of Sorrows (Luke 2:35), and is shown alongside the Sacred Heart of Jesus. The positioning of the Sacred Heart of Jesus alongside the Immaculate Heart of Mary recalls the fact that the consecration of the world to the Sacred Heart of Jesus by Pope Leo XIII in 1899 took place at the beginning of the 100 years of Satan's greater power, and was framed at the end of the 20th century by Pope Bl. John Paul II's consecration of the world to the Immaculate Heart of Mary. This may suggest that it these consecrations that must take place before the head of the Serpent is finally crushed, and Satan is cast from heaven at the end of his period of greater power. Devotion to the Immaculate Heart of Mary is described by Our Lady as the remedy to the vision of hell seen in the first part of the Secret, and it is only through this devotion that the head of the Serpent can be crushed:
"You have seen hell where the souls of poor sinners go. To save them, God wishes to establish in the world devotion to my Immaculate Heart. If what I say to you is done, many souls will
be saved and there will be peace".
(Second Part of the Secret of Fatima)
The vision of St. Catherine Labouré also appears to be connected to Our Lady of Lourdes, given
the fact that the prayer inscribed upon the Miraculous Medal invokes the Virgin Mary as the Immaculate Conception: "O Mary, conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to you." This immediately brings to mind the most famous words of Our Lady of Lourdes: "I am the Immaculate Conception", which were spoken to St. Bernardette Soubirous at the Grotto of Massabielle on 11th February, 1858 - just shortly after the Dogma of the Immaculate Conception was infallibly defined by Pope Pius IX in 1854. The dogmatic teaching of the Immaculate Conception, which is binding on all Catholics, affirmed as a Divinely revealed truth that the Virgin Mary was conceived without the stain of original sin. St. Bernardette, a poor, uneducated peasant girl, could not have possibly known the complicated theological implications of this recently pronounced dogma, and this statement was one of the indicators that confirmed the validity of these apparitions.
This dogmatic teaching provides us with a unique insight into the eschatological significance of the Protoevangelium. Just as sin was introduced into the world by a woman succumbing to the
temptation of the Serpent during the creation, so the world would be saved by a woman born
without sin during the new creation. A woman who would appear as the Morning Star to announce the coming of the new dawn, when the Second Coming of Christ would usher in the creation of the new heaven and the new earth. The timing of the apparitions of St. Catherine Labouré, which took place on the Saturday before the first Sunday of Advent, reminds us that the Triumph of the Immaculate Heart of Mary takes place just before the Second Advent of Christ, when a woman
born free from the stain of original sin finally brings the events of the fall of mankind to its final conclusion, and paradise is finally restored.
The combination of deeply symbolic imagery shown on the Miraculous Medal leads to us to the understanding that St. Catherine Labouré's vision illustrates how the victory of the Woman Adorned with the Sun over the Serpent is won through the devotion to the Immaculate Heart of Mary, linking together the apparitions of Lourdes and Fatima through the eschatological significance of the Dogma of the Immaculate Conception. It may thus be of some relevance that the events leading up to the consecration of the world to the Immaculate Heart of Mary on October 13th this year, began on the feast of Our Lady of Lourdes - on 11 Feb, 2013, when Pope Benedict first announced his intention to abdicate the papacy. And the lightning that struck St. Peter's Basilica within hours of this announcement was not the only deeply symbolic act of nature that has taken place this year in connection with Our Lady of Lourdes. The flooding which inundated Lourdes on 18th June, 2013, has been similarly looked upon by many Catholics as some sort of heavenly sign or warning - especially given the dramatic nature of this event. Video footage of the flooding at Lourdes showed the statue of the Virgin Mary at the Grotto of Massabielle threatening to be swept away by the flood waters, which were highly reminiscent of the words of the Apocalypse:
The serpent poured water like a river out of his mouth after the woman, to sweep her away with a flood. But the earth came to the help of the woman, and the earth opened its mouth
and swallowed the river that the dragon had poured from his mouth. (Rev 12:15-16)
http://unveilingtheapocalypse.blogspot.co.uk/2013/09/the-consecration-comet-ison-and.html
Sr. Briege tells the story of the prophetic beginnings of Medjugorje
 St. James Church
(c)Mary TV 2013
J.M.J.
September 17, 2013
St. Robert Bellarmine
Dear Family of Mary!
"...For the sake of
Jesus, for the sake of my Son, love those whom He has called and long for the
blessing only from the hands which He has consecrated. Do not permit evil to
come to reign. Anew I repeat - only alongside your shepherds will my heart
triumph. Do not permit evil to separate you from your shepherds. Thank
you." (Message to Mirjana, (09/02/13)
In listening to Sr. Briege
McKenna's testimony on "Fruit of Medjugorje, Episode 30" I realized something.
The Lord sent Our Lady to Medjugorje as an answer to the heart felt cry of a
priest! Sr. Briege tells the story of the prophetic beginnings of Medjugorje,
which took place at a priest's retreat in Rome in 1981. It is a fascinating
account of how the Holy Spirit worked in the heart of the priests at a retreat
in Rome, to prepare the way for Our Lady's coming. Listen to Sr. Briege:
Yes it was a
very big surprise to me when I finally heard about my part in Medjugorje. I was
in Brazil and I didn't know anything about it because I didn't remember the
priest or the prophecy I had given him until I was down in Brazil about to give
a retreat. I was invited by the government to speak to the government officials
and I had really begged the Lord about what I was supposed to speak on. I got a
message that I was supposed to promote the Rosary, penance, prayer, and I was to
speak on Our Lady. So I went to this meeting where all the cabinet members were
going to be. The president had been sick that year, and he asked me to come and
pray with him. So I went there armed with a bag of Miraculous Medals. I felt Our
Lady prompting me when I was with the president, to ask him if he was practicing
his faith, and I felt a voice saying "Miraculous Medal" so I gave one to him.
And he said, "Oh, sister, I'm going to consecrate the country to Our Lady! And
after he told me about it, my interpreter and myself came out of the room, and I
received a letter telling us about the apparitions in Medjugorje. I hadn't heard
of it. It was about a year after Medjugorje had happened. You know you can be
living in the world and not know these things are going on. So we read through
the letter and we were absolutely stunned. My interpreter said, it was
absolutely amazing that we got the very same message to give in this country
which was about to be consecrated by the Vice President who was flying to
Aparecida to consecrate it to Our Lady on the Feast of the Rosary, October
7.
And in the
letter it said that Sr. Briege McKenna had been to Rome, and this is when I
realized what had happened. I had been invited to go to the International
Conference for Priests. And because I am in a ministry for priests, I was asked
by the priests to pray with them. So what we did was put them into groups
according to country, and so I met with the group of priests from what was then
Yugoslavia, because all those countries were under Communism. Then it all came
back...the memory is like a great computer, so when the right button is pressed
it comes up! I remember a Friar in his Franciscan habit saying to me that he was
frustrated because he was the youth director for the diocese of Mostar. (I had
never heard of Mostar, or any of these places...) He went on to tell me that the
youth were being seduced by the communists who were taking them to cell meetings
and using all kinds of propaganda to draw them away from Christ and from what he
was trying to give them. So he asked me to pray that he could find a way. And
one of the things I always do in my ministry is to say that it is not good to
know too much about the priest beforehand. I tell them, "You know, Father you
don't have to tell me everything about yourself. Not that I don't want to hear
your story, but we are human and we can be influenced by what we hear. I don't
really trust myself, it is better not to know anything about you."
But it so
happened that on that day as I prayed with him... (I get these images. I tell
people, you know your imagination can run away with you, but the Lord can use
the imagination like an overhead projector. He can through images on it that can
be the key for that person's life.) And what I saw was this Croatian priest
sitting in the main celebrant's chair in front, and he was looking into the body
of the church, and it was packed with young people. And from behind him on the
altar there were streams of water, like rivers flowing, and the young people
were cupping it and drinking it, and after they would drink it they would go out
and bring others in. I said to him, "You know Father you don't have to worry,
because many young people will come to your church." I shared this with him.
Later he said that I told him that I saw a church with two huge steeples. And
when I said this, almost immediately, Father Emile Tardif, who is a Sacred Heart
Priest, a missionary, whom I have known, and who has died since, God rest his
soul...walked over and got this prophetic word. He could not have heard what I
had just said because I was speaking to another priest who was translating to
the Croatian Friar. But Fr. Tardif walked over and said, "You know, Father, Our
Lady is going to visit your church."
Now the
extraordinary thing about it was that Fr. Tomislav (the Croatian priest) was not
in Medjugorje yet. Medjugorje hadn't happened yet. None of us knew about a
church with two steeples. It was completely news to him, bizarre, and he was
probably thinking to himself, what does all this mean. He says that when he was
sent there by the bishop, after Fr. Jozo was sent to prison, being the brilliant
man that he was, the hope was that he would find out that this was not really
true. And like any priest should do, he began to see the external signs and
thought there was something extraordinary going on, but seeing the outside of it
doesn't always make you believe. You can see things and still not believe. So
what he did was really begin to pray because when he thought of these beautiful
children, how could this be fabricated??
He began to
struggle. I always tell people to remember that when Our Lady was asked to be
the Mother of Jesus, she used her intelligence because to conceive a child you
have to be married and have relations with a man, and so she asked a question,
"How can this be?" God didn't reject her for that but the beautiful thing was
that immediately she said "yes". Well Fr. Tomislav really prayed to the Lord to
show him, and then he got this word: He heard my voice like a gramophone, he
heard my voice and then he remembered the image. And it wasn't that he just had
to imagine, because he heard the French Canadian priest saying, "Our Mother will
visit your church." And he said, at that moment his heart was converted and he
realized that it was like the Old Testament. At the time the word didn't have an
impact on him, but now he had to make a decision because he heard the message
[and experienced the reality] ("Fruit of Medjugorje, Episode 30")
Well, Our Lady came to
Medjugorje, the village with a church constructed with two big steeples, and she
began to pour out graces upon everyone there. Now, 32 years later, the graces
are still pouring out of the Church. The rivers of grace are only increasing, it
seems. Sometimes it seems like the river that is described in Ezekiel 47. The
waters are creating life where ever they flow, and they just get deeper and more
life giving all the time!
It is wonderful to hear Sr.
Briege recount the prophetic beginnings of Our Lady's coming. Thanks be to God
for such a coming! We need our Mother so very much.
In Jesus, Mary and Jospeh!
Cathy Nolan
©Mary TV 2013
"Medjugorje is the spiritual center of the world!"
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