Bulletin
198
Medjugorje, May 26,
2004
“Dear children! Also
today, I urge you to consecrate yourselves to my Heart and to the Heart of my
Son Jesus. Only in this way will you be mine more each day and you will
inspire each other all the more to holiness. In this way joy will rule your
hearts and you will be carriers of peace and love.
Thank you for having
responded to my call.”
May 25, 2004
THE
UNKNOWN GOD
The
tradition and the first Christian literature report St. Paul’s journey to
Athens. Carried by his vocation of a preacher, he went to Athens, the city of
philosophy and the seat of the philosophers of the time. In the midst of them,
Paul stated to have come to speak about something that they do not know, the
unknown God in whom they believe without knowing him. Believing that they know
everything, the philosophers accepted with hesitation to listen to him. St Paul
evoked then the monument, which they set up in Athens in the honor of "the
unknown God".
This
same message could touch us at our time and in our space. St Paul and other
apostles could ask us the same question: Do we know our God or we believe in
something abstract, distant, something that we have not experienced? God of the
Christians is not an unknown and remote observer. Our God walks with us. He is
God who is present, alive.
In Medjugorje, many
pilgrims met the living God through Mary. Here, they could break the image of a
god who condemns and who punishes, and they met a gracious God who loves them
beyond everything else and despite everything. It is precisely here that the
apparitions of Our Lady find their fulfillment and their deepest meaning: Man
meets God. This God is not unknown any more, but he is somebody who strongly
manifests himself through his grace in the heart of the believer and of the
pilgrim.
A very known book carries
the title, "The meeting with the living God". This title seems to
become reality through Our Lady in Medjugorje. The believer, the pilgrim and any
person of goodwill stand in Medjugorje in front of the open door of Heaven. The
change of life and the comprehension of faith are fruits of the meeting with God
through Mary. Our faith is not a matter of reasoning or of philosophical or
scientific consideration. God is not a privilege of theologians and
ecclesiastical teachers. The heart is the one that can know God. Thus, let us go
to the encounter of God and break our idols and our false image of God. Our God
knows us fully.
He has written our
names in the palm of his hand. Let us write his name in our hearts.
NEWS
NUMBER
OF COMMUNIONS AND NUMBER OF CONCELEBRANTS
During
the month of April 2004, 114000 communions were distributed and 2003 priests
from this country and abroad concelebrated Holy Mass in Medjugorje.
In April, pilgrims were here from Austria, Italy, France, Germany, Canada, Belgium, Leetonia, Mexico, Spain, the USA, Poland, Korea, Czech Republic, England, Lebanon, Ireland, Romania, Switzerland, Hungary, Lithuania, Slovenia, Netherlands, Sweden, Vietnam, Brazil, Luxemburg, Croatia and Bosnia-Herzegovina.
First Communion in Medjugorje
On May 2nd, 2004,
87 children from the Parish Medjugorje received the Sacrament of First Holy
Communion in St. James’ Parish church. Holy Mass was presided by Fr. Boze
Milic and concelebrated by the pastor, Fr. Branko Rados, Fr. Petar Vlasic and
other priests. The day before, the children also made their First Holy
Confession. The occasion was embellished by the singing of the “Little Doves
of Peace” - children’s choir under direction of Sr. Slavica Kozul. Their
parents and catechists accompanied the children on the path, preparing them for
the Eucharistic Jesus. On this day, a very special atmosphere reigned in the
whole parish. Many local and foreign pilgrims joined the children and their
parents in this celebration. Among the
children were also three boys and one girl from Mother's village, the
institution founded by Fr. Slavko Barbarić for children without parental care
or coming from families which cannot offer them a suitable care.
BROTHER RICHARD FROM TAIZE
IN MEDJUGORJE
Brother Richard from the Taize Community visited Medjugorje on April 28. These
days, he is officially visiting different youth groups in Bosnia and Herzegovina
that went to Taize, or are praying together while drawing their inspiration in
this spiritual center. In his interview for Radio “Mir” Medjugorje, he said
that he came to bring hope to young people who, in this country, live in
difficult circumstances and in insecurity. Together with Fr. Mario Knezovic, he
visited the places of prayer at the Shrine.
Seminars in
“Domus Pacis”
In
the house of prayer “Domus Pacis”, there was one “Prayer and Fasting”
seminar for pilgrims from Ukraine and from Russia. Fr. Ljubo Kurtovic led these
seminars.
There
was a recollection for the altar boys from Herzegovina, led by Fr. Boze Milic.
The 12th
International Meeting for Leaders of Peace Centres and Medjugorje Prayer,
Pilgrim and Charity groups
The 12th
International Meeting for Leaders of Peace Centres and Medjugorje Prayer,
Pilgrim and Charity groups will take place in the New Hall in Medjugorje from
March 6 to 10 2005. The theme of this encounter is:
Sunday,
March 6, 2005
14:00
- Registration
17:00
- Evening Prayer Program in Church
Monday,
March 7, 2005
09:00
- Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament
09:30
- Lecture: “Spiritual profile and personality of the guide”, The Franciscans of Medjugorje
10:15
- Intermission
11:00
- Meeting and discussion with the lecturer
15:00
- Meeting with the Franciscans
17:00
- Evening Prayer Program in Church
20:30
- Meeting of the participants with the Parish priest
Tuesday,
March 8, 2005
09:00
- Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament
09:30
- Lecture: “Experiences in the preparation and the accompanying of the
pilgrims”, Kevin Leacy (Ireland), Hubert Liebherr (Germany)
10:15
- Intermission
10:45
– Meeting and Discussion and sharing between guides
11:30
- “Humanitarian Activities Linked to the Apparitions of Medjugorje” – Fr.
Ivan Landeka
Meeting
and discussion with the lecturer about humanitarian activities
15:00
– Rosary on Apparition Hill
17:00
- Evening Prayer Program in Church
Wednesday,
March 9, 2005
Day
of Prayer: Fr. Jozo Zovko, Fr.
Ljubo Kurtovic
09:00
– Prayer, lectures, sharing…
12:00
- Lunch for all the participants (bread and water)
14:00
– Way of the Cross on Krizevac (Cross Mountain)
17:00
- Evening Prayer Program in Church
21:00
- 22:00 - Adoration
Thursday,
March 10, 2005
09:00
- Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament
09:30
- Experiences of the Participants
11:00
- Holy Mass
Lunch
for all the participants
Lecturers:
Kevin Leacy, Ireland. The life of Kevin Lacey changed dramatically in 1991,
when his son Derek and his best friend found death in a fire. Little after this
tragedy, he saw on television the horrors of the war in Croatia, and he made the
decision: "If I save only one child, I will save at least to one family the
hell that I went through". When he gave to the hospital of Mostar the first
delivery of the medical material, he realized the gravity of the situation, and
it understood that there will be much work. Thus "Bosnia Refugee Aid"
was born: the assistance to the refugees of Bosnia and Herzegovina, which has
witnessed many miracles of human generosity during all these years. Throughout
the war, the Shrine of the Queen of Peace was a sure place of distribution of
humanitarian aid for Mostar and central Bosnia. One day, when Kevin Lacey
climbed Cross Mountain with his daughter, he observed the flames in the
neighboring villages under attacks. He was struck by the thought that God was
not responsible for the war or his family tragedy. He understood: God is the one
who heals, the one who can give us the strength to face the pain that life
brings to us. He started to speak about this experience in Medjugorje and about
peace that Our Lady gives to our hearts. In 1996, he accompanied his first group
of pilgrims to Medjugorje while raising the question: How is it that a sinner
that I am can du such a thing? He had thought that the humanitarian aid was
sufficient, but Gospa had other projects. While accompanying the pilgrims, he
saw people meeting God for the first time in their life, he saw physical and
spiritual healings, and he saw people finding peace for the first time in their
life. Pilgrimages from the North-East of Ireland continue to this day.
Hubert Liebherr was born in 1950 in Memmingen, in Germany. After his
baccalaureate in 1970 and the military service, he studied at the technical
Faculty of Karlsruhe where he graduated in 1977. From 1977 to 1981, he was a
technical director of a large building site in Algeria, then the director of the
branch for the production of the industrial machines in the family company
"Liebherr".
After his first visit to Medjugorje, he
received the call of Our Lady: “Leave all that you are and all that you have
and follow me!” With some friends, he founded the association "Medjugorje
Deutschland" in order to make known Medjugorje and Our Lady’s apparitions
in Germany, and to accompany pilgrimages. He gives witness during the prayer
gatherings and he contributes to the construction of the churches in Russia.
The 12th International Meeting
for Leaders of Peace Centers and Medjugorje Prayer, Pilgrim and Charity groups
will take place in the New Hall in Medjugorje from March 6 to 10 2005.
The
number of places is limited, and the number of participants is increasing from
year to year. This is why we ask you kindly to make your registration as soon as
possible, at the latest by the end of November 2004. You can send your
registrations by Tel + 387 36 651 988, by fax + 387 36 651 999 (for Marija
Dugandzic), or by e-mail: seminar.marija@medjugorje.hr
or personally in the Information Office.
Simultaneous
translation is available for all language groups. This is why we ask you kindly
to take with you a small FM radio with headphones.
The price of the seminar
is 60 € per person. This includes all the fees for the organization and
running of the seminar (lecturers, translations of texts, simultaneous
translation and lunch the last day). When you register and pay at the beginning
of the seminar, you will receive a badge, which will allow you to participate in
the seminar. We ask you kindly to organize personally your accommodation in
Medjugorje. We believe that this is not a problem for you, because you have come
to Medjugorje for many years now and have friends and acquaintances here.
We
are looking forward to your reservations and to welcoming you at this meeting!
The 9th International
Meeting for Priests
The 9th International
meeting for priests will take place in Medjugorje from July 5 to 10, 2004. The
theme of the meeting is “The
Identity of the Priest”.
You may
make reservations by e-mail: seminar.marija@medjugorje.hr,
at the Information Office personally, or by phone: +387-36-651-988 (for Marija
Dugandzic), fax: +387-36-651-999.
We ask
all priests who have arranged their own accommodation with a family in
Medjugorje to note in their application the name and the phone number of the
family where they will be staying. We will arrange accommodation for all the
priests who have no direct contacts and have not arranged their own
accommodation. (Please note in your application if you wish us to arrange
accommodation for you.)
Instead
of a monetary payment, we ask you to kindly celebrate five Mass intentions.
It is
necessary to bring with you: your celebret given by your superior, an alb and
stole, a Bible, a small FM radio with headphones (for simultaneous translation).
Many
priests who do not have access to Internet may not have been informed about the
existence of this international meeting in Medjugorje. Therefore, we kindly ask
all Organizers of pilgrimages, Prayer Groups and Centers for Peace to publish
this information as widely as possible by all means at their disposal, so that
as many priests as possible may participate. In as much as it is possible, we
also kindly ask you to financially assist the priests who would like to come but
do not have the necessary funds for such a journey. We thank you in advance and
pray for God’s blessing and the blessing of the Queen of Peace upon you and
your work.