May 2, 2006
Message of April 25, 2006
"Dear children! Also today I call you to have more trust in me and my Son. He has conquered by His death and resurrection and, through me,
calls you to be a part of His joy. You do not see God, little children,
but if you pray you will feel His nearness. I am with you and intercede
before God for each of you. Thank you for having responded to my call."
Trust is such an important dimension in our human and Christian life. A
child must have trust in his parents and those around him. They speak the truth to him and he accepts everything with trust. This has an
essential influence on him and his formation. A student must have trust
in his teacher and his knowledge. He leans on the teacher's knowledge,
accepting it as his own. A believer must have trust in his priest and
Catechist, in his spiritual director, that they are telling him the truth and are transmitting the faith to him from their experience and the experience of their Church. A person who is sick must have trust in his doctor and his diagnosis and therapy. A guest in a restaurant must have trust in the kitchen and in the food that he is served. Our entire life is permeated with, and leans on, trust. When trust in someone or something is lost, then the entire relationship with that person or movement sinks.
Unfortunately, this happens very often. The sick lose trust in the medicine and the doctors because they do not give them the desired results. Everyone can break the trust which needs to be built and invested in. For this reason every educator, parent, priest and doctor must daily grow and invest maximally in their education and knowledge.
Our Lady, the Queen of Peace, asks for more trust in her and in her risen Son Jesus. Why? At this time, the enemy has moved the hearts of many to write false articles, to confuse the hearts of the faithful and sadden the souls of the uninformed. Every day Satan finds a way and a means to sow his weeds. While pilgrims come to Medjugorje with full trust in the Queen of Peace, to meet her and to enthusiastically accept and live her messages, the enemy speaks ill, attacks in print and at various occasions and presentations. Our Lady desires for us not to be shaken by any gossip or misinterpretation. Our Lady desires for us to have trust in her and in her messages so that the graces that flow through her into millions of hearts do not become blocked by a barrier of mistrust.
How much anguish and pain did Thomas the Apostle, cause his community. He did not believe their experience. He rejected their witness.
Although Jesus continued to contact him, it was as an unbeliever. For this reason, Jesus comes through the closed door before everyone to console them. He calls Thomas, who is present, to look at Him, to touch Him and to place his hands into His wounds. All of this helped Thomas but it also helped the Apostles. In fact, they were all healed. Trust was born and
renewed and Thomas confessed, "You are my God and my Lord." Jesus,
however, did not praise this declaration as a virtue. To the contrary, he
taught his followers for all times that "blessed are those who do not see
but believe" - who believe Jesus, their community and the Church.
For 25 years certain individuals have rejected the experience of the Church. They do not accept the fruit nor value it. They have the courage to stand up against the messages which are fundamental references of Christianity and faith: The call to daily prayer together, the call to live the Eucharist and to celebrate Sunday as the "Lord's Day", the call to daily living of the Word of God and the call to sacrifice, confession and penance as the way of conversion. Where does the audacity come to devalue conversions that we are witnesses of? These are wondrous changes of life at the level experienced by the apostle Paul, before and in Damascus.
People, have lost trust because of gossip and casting of shadows on the
visionaries by proclaiming them as manipulators. We are all witnesses
of these six visionaries and their difficult and responsible journey before God, the Church and millions of pilgrims. They are not deceivers who run away from the place of events, from the battle-field with such powerful godlessness of our time. Instead, with fasting, vigils, prayers, sacrifices and their personal witness, they always show the way to new pilgrims.
We are grateful for the perseverance of so many priests who accompany
their pilgrims and gather their precious experiences of immeasurable
graces and gifts which Our Lady gives to them. We are grateful to, and in awe of, the priests in Medjugorje who in humility serve the millions of needy hearts which desire to remove 'the old person' in the Sacrament of Confession. We are grateful to them for making the daily Mass and Liturgy solemn - a real Feast.
The Queen of Peace desires to tell us not to give in to gossip and lies and not to be disturbed by the propaganda of the enemy. Instead, she desires for us to have a simple trust in her graces and plans, in her messages and fruit that, until now, she has given to her people. Those who have converted do not permit us to place the messages and the Queen of Peace in discussion. All those who were healed from incurable illnesses, do not permit us to doubt in the apparitions and the Queen of Peace. All of the graces that changed millions of hearts do not permit us to debate about the writings of the unbelievers.
How are we to stop the spreading of mistrust? Only with fasting and prayer. The enemy shakes before a Christian who fasts and prays and the
dust that he raises is blown away by the wind. Fear not. All of that is a sign that we are on the right way - Jesus' way, Our Lady's way.
My Dear chosen brothers and sisters, do not only have more trust but a
complete trust in the Mother and Jesus. As always, let us enthusiastically respond to the call. Let us cling to the messages that through the Mother, we may be a part of His joy and peace. We pray and that is why we feel God. We pray and that is why we meet our God who guarantees to us "Wherever there are two or more of you gathered in my name, there I will be." Dear Jesus, each time we have felt your Divine nearness and love.
Thank you.
This month we will pray for the following intentions:
1.For all the millions of pilgrims who are preparing to come to Medjugorje to meet the Mother and find peace and conversion.
2.For all the Croatian Bishops and priests whom our Pope calls to be
"Bridge builders" Builders of peace, love and unity.
3.For the success of our annual meeting on May 27th and 28th 2006, that
they will be the days of our Pentecost.
My dear brothers and sisters, I am so happy because I sent home a group
of Koreans from the seminar who are preparing for their Baptism. I met
the greatest surgeons and musicians of todaywho converted in Medjugorje. I am grateful for you and your prayers and fasting. I warmly greet you, I pray for all of you and I wait for you at the annual meeting.
Yours most Sincerely,
Fr. Jozo Zovko, OFM
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