Međugorje
– 162,
May 26 2001
"Dear
children! At this time of grace, I call you to prayer. Little children, you work
much but without God’s blessing. Bless and seek the wisdom of the Holy
Spirit to lead you at this time so that you may comprehend and live in the
grace of this time. Convert, little children, and kneel in the silence of
your hearts. Put God in the center of your being so that, in that way, you
can witness in joy the beauty that God continually gives in your life. Thank you for having responded to my call." May
25, 2001 |
Twenty
years since the beginning of the events of Medjugorje is enough time to give us
a sufficient distance to observe the beginnings and the ensuing development. A
greater chronological distance facilitates a sober distinction between what is
central from what is secondary, and allows the focusing on what was essential
all the time, without ever being questioned.
What
is the permanent content of the events of Medjugorje throughout all these years?
What can be considered as central, permanent and generally valid for the life of
Christians today? In discerning the phenomenon of Medjugorje, this has to be
continuously examined and underlined.
In the life of a Christian, there are forms of behaviour and substance, which are irreplaceable. These elements were given and repeated to us by Jesus. Two millenniums of Christianity have - without any doubt – shown the righteousness of the basic elements of the life of a believer.
One
of the main elements in the messages of Our Lady is that piety and spirituality
are not to be hidden or to be ashamed of. Our Lady underlines this at a time,
which is unfavourable for expressions of piety and of spirituality, which are
indispensable for life. Let us not forget that these themes are very poorly and
shyly represented in the preaching of the Church.
While
we hear more and more about renouncing food for the sake of bodily beauty, Our
Lady speaks of renouncing food – fasting – as an exercise in the imitation
of the life of Jesus, and finding inner peace. While the opinion prevails that
prayer can be replaced, as it is supposed to be just demanding and asking –
Our Lady calls to prayer, without necessarily saying why or for whom. While
speaking of reconciliation, we strongly think about its underlying political,
social and public aspect - Our Lady speaks of reconciliation with God and with
oneself. Integral reconciliation means reconciliation of inner tensions and
enmities within a person, because these tensions and enmities remain within man
even when political, social and public peace is assured. All this says that
Medjugorje and similar movements in the world are a real need of Christianity
today, and that – if we approach them with faith – they will fulfil their
role in a period of the life of the Church. They will fulfil it also because, in
their way, they underline principally what is essential in the Gospel.
Fra
Ivan Landeka
In
the month of April, 115.000 communions were distributed and 1925 priests
concelebrated Holy Mass in Medjugorje.
Pilgrims were here from Slovenia, Germany, Italy, Albania, Romania, Poland, Belgium, Holland, Ireland, France, Malaysia, Slovakia, The Czech Republic, Austria, Switzerland, the Caribbean, Hungary, Latvia, Letonia, USA, Canada, Luxemburg, Korea, Indonesia, Brazil, Vietnam, England, Scotland, Mexico, Lebanon, La Reunion, Argentina, Chile, Croatia and Bosnia-Hercegovina.
MEETING
OF THE PRAYER GROUP «PRAY TOGETHER WITH A JOYFUL HEART»
On
Sunday April 22, the prayer group “Pray Together With a Joyful Heart” met
for the fourth time in Medjugorje. This prayer group was founded by fra Slavko
Barbarić, with the desire to gather the friends of the Queen of Peace for
prayer on the radio-waves “Mir-Medjugorje”. Every Tuesday from 8 to 9 pm (in
summer from 9 to 10 pm) and several times the year in Medjugorje itself, it
reunites hundreds of faithful within the broadcasting range of radio “Mir-Medjugorje”.
This
Sunday, 400 members first gathered on Apparition Hill to pray the rosary, then
they met in the parish hall to share their experiences, suggestions and personal
needs and they ended the day taking part in the Evening Prayer Program in the
parish church. During the meeting, they made some simple decisions regarding
prayer to keep them united outside their regular meetings on Tuesdays on the
radio: Every day, they will pray 7 Our Fathers, 7 Hail Marys and 7 Glory Bes for
the intentions of the Queen of Peace, and they will join the Novena to the Queen
of Peace, which will unite all Medjugorje prayer groups and Centres in the world.
Fra
Branko Radoš, who accompanies them during their regular meetings in Medjugorje,
distributed Membership Cards, with which they give witness of their belonging to
the Catholic Church and to the Queen of Peace, as well as medals – signs of
perpetual prayer - and images of fra Slavko Barbarić, the founder of the prayer
group.
The
next meeting in Medjugorje will take place around the Anniversary of the
Apparitions.
FIRST
COMMUNION IN THE PARISH OF MEDJUGORJE
In
the Parish of Medjugorje, the young children traditionally receive their First
Communion on the first Sunday in May. This year, 81 children received this
sacrament of unity with the Eucharistic Jesus.
On
Saturday, May 5th, the children experienced their First Holy
Confession, in order for Jesus to become their truth and their peace. The
following day, Sunday, May 6th, they received their First Holy
Communion, so that Jesus may transform, teach and protect them. Their Godparents
accompanied them in the procession into the Church along with Sister Slavica Kožul,
Father Branko Radoš, and other Franciscan sisters and priests. Celebrating this
most special day with them, were their parents, who gave them the good example
in the family. Older children in the parish choir also helped them with their
singing to prepare their hearts for the meeting with Jesus, so that He may
manifest Himself in them.
In
the message of February 25, 1998, Our Lady said: “Only if you come closer to Jesus will you comprehend the immeasurable
love He has for each of you… you will become more open to the gift of faith
and love towards the Church and the people who are around you.”
Let
us pray for these children and for all people in the parish of Medjugorje, that
they may always be faithful to its mission in the Church!
On
May 13th, in the parish church of Posušje, Fra Dobroslav Begić, fra Marko
Dragićević and fra Leonard Oreč celebrated in a solemn eucharistic
celebration 50 years of their priesthood. In the Mass, the homily was given by
fra Milan Lončar, director of the ZIRAL editions in Mostar.
Through
a prayer-tridium, the faithful prepared themselves for this great jubilee, which
is important not only for the priests, but also for the faithful, for whom they
cared untiringly during 50 years. All three Franciscans are linked to Medjugorje:
fra Marko Dragićević was born in the parish of Medjugorje, Fra Dobroslav Begić
was its chaplain from 1991 to 1995, and fra Leonard Oreč was its pastor from
1988 to 1991, and later Director of the humanitarian association “Medjugorje-Mir”,
based in Split.
The
great number of faithful who gathered for solemn Holy Mass shows the important
role the Franciscans played in the Church of Hercegovina in the past. In the
name of all our parishioners and those who came to Medjugorje during the last 20
years, we convey our best wishes and thanks to them for all they have done.
a peruvian bishop in
Medjugorje
Mgr.
José Antúnez de Mayolo, Bishop from the archdiocese of Ayacucho in Peru, came
for a private visit to Medjugorje from May 13 to 16, 2001. These are his
impressions:
“I
heard about Medjugorje for the first time several years ago from a cousin of
mine who lives in Germany and who had come to Medjugorje. She invited me to come
to Medjugorje and, because I have to go to Rome this year, I decided to come to
Medjugorje with her. This is a beautiful sanctuary where I find much faith,
where I find faithful who live their faith, where faithful come for confession.
I was hearing the confessions of Spanish pilgrims. I participated in Eucharistic
celebrations and I liked everything very, very much. It is really very beautiful
here. It is right that Medjugorje is called a place of prayer for the whole
world and “the confessional of the world”. I have been to Lourdes, but it is
a very different reality. Lourdes and Medjugorje cannot be compared. They are
two different realities. In Lourdes, the event has ended, but here, everything
is still developing. Here, faith can be felt in a much stronger way than in
Lourdes. Medjugorje is still quite unknown in Peru, but I promise to become an
apostle of Medjugorje in my country. The faith is strong and alive here, and
this is what attracts so many pilgrims from the whole world. I should like to
tell them to have a strong love for the Blessed Virgin Mary. Let them love Her
mightily, because She is our Mother and because She is always with us. This is
why, those who live and work here have to love Her, but so do the priests who
come from abroad. Pilgrims who come here have already started their spiritual
journey towards the Blessed Virgin Mary and they already have faith. But many
are still without faith. Here, I didn’t feel their presence. I shall come back,
I shall surely come back! It is beautiful here. Thank you for your fraternal
welcome, for all you have done for me, personally, and for all the pilgrims who
visit this place. May God, through the intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary,
bless you and your country!”
In
the house of prayer “Domus Pacis” several seminars took place during the
month of April.
April
20-22: 30 members of the Franciscan Youth, leaders in their parishes in
Hercegovina, accompanied by Franciscan sisters.
April
18-20: 33 youths from Montenegro with their chaplain.
March
26 to April 1: 17 German pilgrims for a Prayer and Fasting seminar
April
2-7: 23 Croatian pilgrims for a Prayer and Fasting seminar
April
28 to May 1: 28 pilgrims from Zagreb and its region, members of the Legion of
Mary.
NINTH
INTERNATIONAL MEETING FOR LEADERS OF CENTERS OF PEACE AND MEDJUGORJE PRAYER
GROUPS
The
8th meeting for Leaders of Centres of Peace, Charitable and Prayer Groups will
take place in Medjugorje from February 10 to 14, 2002. The theme of the meeting
is “Pray, pray, pray…”
15:00
Inscriptions
17:00
Evening Prayer Program in Church
08:30
Morning prayer
09:00
Lecture: “Prayer in
Holy Scripture” Fr. Ivan Dugandžić, ofm
10:00
Intermission
10:30
Meeting and Discussion with
the lecturer
11:30
“Humanitarian Activities Linked to the Apparitions of Medjugorje”
– Fr. Leonard Oreč, ofm
Dinner
14:00
Meeting of the German-speaking
group with the Parish priest
15:00
Meeting with the Franciscans
17:00
Evening Prayer Program in
Church
20:00
Meeting of the English-speaking group with the
Parish priest
Tuesday,
February 12, 2002
08:30
Morning prayer
09:00
Lecture: “Prayer in the Messages of Our Lady” – Fr.
Ivan Landeka, ofm
10:00
Intermission
10:30
Meeting and Discussion with
the lecturer
11:30
Meeting of the Italian-speaking
group with the Parish priest
Dinner
13:30
Meeting of the Spanish-speaking
group with the Parish priest
15:00
Departure for Hill of
Apparitions
17:00
Evening Prayer Program in
Church
20:00
Meeting of the French-speaking
group with the Parish priest
21:00
Meeting of the Polish-speaking
group with the Parish priest
Wednesday,
February 13, 2002
Ash
Wednesday: Day of Prayer: Fr. Ljubo Kurtović, ofm and Fr. Jozo Zovko, ofm
09:00
Lecture, Prayer, Discussion
12:00
Dinner (bread and water)
14:00
Departure for Križevac (Cross
Mountain)
17:00
Evening Prayer Program in
Church
21:00
- 22:00 Adoration
Thursday,
February 14, 2002
08:30
Morning Prayer
09:00
Experiences of the Participants
11:00
Holy Mass - Fr. Ivan Sesar, ofm
Community Dinner
Lecturers
for this year’s seminar are:
Fr.
Ivan Dugandžić, ofm – Franciscan priest, member of
the herecegovinian Franciscan province. He was born in 1943 in Krehin Grac, Čitluk,
Hercegovina. After his baccalaureate in Dubrovnik in 1962, he entered the
Franciscan order. He studied theology in Sarajevo and Königstein (Germany). He
was ordained priest in 1969, after which he continued his studies in Königstein
(Germany), where he obtained a doctorate in theology. Since 1990, he lives and
works in Zagreb (Croatia), where he teaches the exegetics of the New Testament
and Biblical theology at the Faculty of the Catholic Theology and its institutes.
He published numerous articles in special theological revues and in diverse
religious papers, where he treats diverse biblical themes in modern ways. He
lived and worked in Medjugorje from 1970 to 1972 and from 1985 to 1988.
Fr.
Ivan Landeka, ofm – Franciscan priest, member of the
Hercegovinian Franciscan province. He was born in 1954 in Rastovača, Posušje,
Hercegovina. He attended elementary school in Posušje, and attained his
baccalaureate in the Franciscan classical lyceum in Visoko. He entered in the
Franciscan order in 1973. He studied theology in Sarajevo and Augsburg (Germany).
He was ordained priest in 1981. Until 1988, he lived and worked in the parish of
Humac, and from 1988 to 2000 in the parish of Medjugorje. He is the author of
numerous articles linked to the events of Medjugorje, and of the book “Glas
Mira” from Medjugorje. At present, he is parish priest in Humac.
As
the number of places is limited due to space and the number of participants is
increasing from year to year, we ask you to register as soon as possible, but no
later than the end of November 2001. You can register either by fax:
00387-36-651-300 (for Marija Dugandžić), by e-mail: medjugorje-mir@medjugorje.hr,
personally at the Information Office of the Shrine or by telephone at
00387-36-651-988.
Simultaneous
translation will be organized for all language groups. The fee for the entire
seminar is DM 120,-- per person. Included in the fee are the expenses for the
organization and the work of the seminar (speakers, translation of texts,
simultaneous translation and the community dinner on the last day). Upon paying
the fee at the beginning of the seminar, each participant will receive an
accreditation enabling him to participate in the work of the seminar. Everyone
it asked to personally arrange the lodging in Medjugorje. We believe that this
will not cause any difficulties for you, since you have been coming to
Medjugorje for many years, and you have your friends and acquaintances here.
Radio and earphones for simultaneous translation should be brought along,
however, they will also be made available during the seminar.
We
are looking forward to your reservations and to welcoming you at this meeting!