date: 20.08.2019.
Thousands of pilgrims came to be in Medjugorje for the Solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Many came walking and many climbed the Apparition Hill and visited pilgrims’ destinations around the church. The solemn Holy Mass in the evening was celebrated by the Archbishop of Avignon, Msgr. Jean-Pierre Cattenoz, along with 98 priests and bishops concelebrating, as well as with the Apostolic Visitor for the parish of Medjugorje, Msgr. Henryk Hoser, the Provincial of Herzegovinian Franciscan Province, Fr. Miljenko Šteko, OFM, and Medjugorje parish priest Fr. Marinko Šakota, OFM.
Msgr. Jean-Pierre Cattenoz referred in his homily to the Gospel on Visitation and said that the first thing Mary did, was stood up and went on a journey.
Mother of Jesus received the new motherhood and we are all Her children, so it is not surprising that our Mom comes to care for us, since She, here in Medjugorje, really wishes to show how Mother needs to be with Her children.
If you know John’s Gospel well, remember that the evangelist wrote: ‘From that moment, he took Mother of Jesus with himself.’ This Gospel was translated from the Greek language, while the Aramaic language of the Gospel says something like this: ‘From that moment, the Mother of Jesus took him with Herself.’
Indeed, we enter into Mary’s house. She becomes the Mother of each one of us. Once again, Elisabeth is reminding us that as soon as Mary’s greeting touched her ears, the child began to dance and jump of joy in her womb. Today, just knowing how many abortions there are all over the world each year, and I wonder how someone can claim that fetus and embryo are not human beings, because this excerpt from the Gospel tells us that these two embryos were talking! So, as one writer wrote, we are indeed persons from our mother’s womb to the grave, said Msgr. Cattenoz and invited us to pray for all the unborn children. He also invited us to read the Holy Bible.
Since Our Lady, here in Medjugorje, told us that we should be reading the Holy Bible, and you while you are on your holiday, read John’s Gospel. Whenever you encounter the verb to believe, you will see that St. John puts few words next to it so he would describe us that does it mean to believe.
To believe it means to accept, to receive Jesus! To believe it means to dwell with Him! To believe it means to listen to His Word! To believe it means to receive His Body and His Blood! Finally, to believe it means to be in Him. There, we can find one beautiful pearl – Blessed is the one who believed that the words the Lord announced to Her shall be revealed!, said Archbishop Jean-Pierre Cattenoz and emphasised how important it is to receive the Word of God so it finds roots within us, so it is incarnated in us and starts living in each of us. In that way, we shall be blessed too, for we would be transformed in Christ with Mary, our Mother.'' (PHOTO)
