date: 16.03.2022.
The 27th International Spiritual Retreat is taking place in Medjugorje for organisers of pilgrimages, leaders of the Peace Center and leaders of Medjugorje prayer and charity groups. About 300 pilgrimage organisers, peace center leaders and Medjugorje prayer and charity groups from 40 countries are participating in this spiritual retreat. This morning (March 16, 2022) Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament of the Altar was led by the parish priest of Medjugorje, Fr. Marinko Šakota, who then gave his speech at this spiritual retreat, in which he spoke about prayer, gave an example how Jesus teaches us to pray, but also called for prayer for peace in Ukraine.
''Prayer is not about giving something to God in the first place. No, it is about receiving it. Because God wants to give us. In fact, He had already given us a lot even before we asked him. That is why Our Lady so often invites us to open our hearts. And the heart opens to receive something, it is better said to receive someone. Because God wants to give Himself to us. Primarily in the Eucharist, in the word and in the bread. I want to give us your love. He wants to fill us with his love. I want to give others what we have received,'' said Fr. Marinko Šakota, emphasizing Jesus' call to vigil.
"Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour. The reason for vigil is not to be left without the Holy Spirit, because it is vigil and prayer that enables His coming. It is necessary to be vigilant because evil also works and deceives man. Evil is like a thief. He easily steals from us love, peace, joy, fellowship, and these are the gifts of the Holy Spirit. The evil one takes away our oil, "turns off the lamp", steals the reasons to love others, to greet others, to forgive ... '', said, among other things, Fr. Marinko Šakota, and after him the lecture was given by Fr. Danko Perutina.
At the beginning, when he saw the plaques with the names of the countries from which people came here, for this spiritual renewal, he said that the United Nations is not in New York, but in Medjugorje, "where the nations are united." He then greeted all participants in this spiritual renewal who arrived from as many as 40 countries, from: Peru, Bolivia, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Venezuela, Spain, Brazil, Curacao, Argentina, Colombia, Costa Rica, Chile, El Salvador, Panama, Paraguay, Bonaire, Malta, Romania, USA, Ireland, England, Canada, Italy, Poland, Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Germany, Switzerland, Austria, Lithuania, Ukraine, Korea, Belgium, France, Hungary, Slovakia and Russia.
In his lecture, Fr. Danko spoke about conversion, and he also said that he would pray for peace in Ukraine.
''When a man embarks on the path of conversion, he gets everything, but not everything can be gained. Something is lost. Sin is lost, and heaven is gained'', said Fr. Danko, mentioning that Medjugorje feeds the whole world with its fruits, because the fruits are good and that more than 2,000 spiritual vocations have their source in Medjugorje.
"We need more prayer groups, we need to print more books, we need to spread Our Lady's messages even more, because all of us who come to Medjugorje feel God's love and Our Lady's nearness. Everyone I talked to when asked: 'Why do they come and come back?', says that they come because of God's love and Our Lady's nearness because no one said he came for food, for hotels, for skiing on Križevac or Podbrdo, no one said he came to see a beautiful church from the 12th century", said Fr. Danko Perutina, reminding that "prayer is the light and joy of the soul and that we have distanced ourselves from God".
"But God never separates from us, except when he puts us to the test, like Job," said Fr. Danko, explaining the Gospel parable of the prodigal son, and finally urging everyone to remain silent and reminisce that "the only reason we exist is that God loves us."
Participants of this spiritual renewal after the morning lectures, prayed at Križevac, and then, as every evening, participated in the prayer program in the church of St. James.
Fr. Marinko gave a lecture the day before, and the participants in the spiritual renewal were greeted by Archbishop Aldo Cavalli, Apostolic Visitator with a special role for the parish of Medjugorje.
"I have noticed faith and prayer in people here, but faith is something that is not ours. Faith comes from God. We get faith from revelation. God reveals Himself and removes that veil to show us who He is, where He is, and how He lives. We know God, only because he wanted to reveal himself and become one of us", said Msgr. Cavalli added, emphasizing that "people who come here, motivated solely by faith, want to seek God through the Scriptures." (PHOTO)
