date: 12.03.2019.
“Set your mind on the things above, not on the things on earth” was the theme of the spiritual retreat held in Medjugorje for the regional members of the Franciscan Secular Order, on March 9, 2019. The retreat began at 3.30 pm with the introduction of Fr. Zvonimir Pavicic, spiritual leader of the Franciscan Secular Order of Medjugorje and then regional assistant Fr. Dane Karacic gave a short talk and said that the Church would be poor without the Franciscan Secular Order, calling them the flower of our church. Then, the Apostolic Visitor for the parish of Medjugorje, Mons. Henryk Hoser gave a lecture at the theme of the growth in the spirituality and said that it is quite upsetting today that there are not enough priests in some of the countries of the west Europe, for many faithful began to get used to the Church without the priests there.
''The Church without the priests is the Church without the Eucharist, without the food”, said Mons. Hoser who also spoke about the importance of the sacraments.
''The Confirmation is the sacrament of the spiritual maturity, but in many countries they say it is the sacrament of farewell of the young man with the Church. Once the youth receive that sacrament, they no longer come to the church, and this is the sacrament through which they are invited to become the witnesses of Jesus Christ”, said Archbishop Hoser and he also mentioned the Rosary, saying that ''the big treasure of Medjugorje is that all three mysteries are said each day. This is the true catechesis since all mysteries are the life of Jesus and Mary.“
At the end, he noticed that people today walk with the earphones in their ears without paying attention to the sounds around them and said: „People today are terrified of the silence, while God speaks in the silence. This is the silence I wish to you too. Amen.“ (foto)
