date: 02.02.2015.
As every February, Medjugorje is going through a very quiet period with fewer pilgrims, and there are smaller groups from Italy, France, Austria and the USA. The Feast of the Presentation of Our Lord was solemnly celebrated on Monday, February 2, when four Holy Masses were celebrated in Croatian language and one in Italian, German, French and English. The evening prayer programme began with the Rosary led by Fr. Karlo Lovric, and Fr. Dragan Ruzic was the main celebrant, with five other priests concelebrating. Fr. Dragan said that this feast is celebrated since the 4th century and its celebration began in Jerusalem and spread to the rest of the Christian world. “Forty days after Christmas, the pilgrims who were coming to Jerusalem, were renewing the event of Jesus’ presentation in the temple. By doing that, they remembered what Joseph and Mary did, when they fulfilled law of every Jewish family presenting their first born male child in the temple. At the same time, it was the act of thanksgiving to God for the gift of life, and parents, according to their financial situation, were also giving the sacrificial offering for their child. All of that was in the memory of saved first born sons during the Egyptian slavery”, said Fr. Dragan and reminded that also on this day, the Church celebrates the Day of Consecrated Life. “Today in the special way, we thank God for all those who are witnessing to the world the beauty of following the Christ according to the evangelic vows of poverty, chastity and obedience. Holy Father decided to declare this year as the Year of Consecrated Life and thereby, this year will be for all period of special grace, and for all religious opportunity to evangelise their vocation and witness the beauty that comes out of imitating Christ. Let us decide today to pray for them so they could wake up the world with prayers and bring it to life with their prophetic witnessing, the presence among the poor and rejected ones.”
