Međugorje
-160, March 26 2001
"Dear children! Also today I call you to open
yourselves to prayer. Little children, you live in a time in which God
gives great graces but you do not know how to make good use of them. You
are concerned about everything else, but the least for the soul and
spiritual life. Awaken from the tired sleep of your soul and say yes to
God with all your strength. Decide for conversion and holiness. I am with
you, little children, and I call you to perfection of your soul and of
everything you do. Thank you for having responded to my call." March
25, 2001 |
“Easter is not a day like all
other days. This is the day that we have not chosen ourselves, such as, May 1st.
This is the day that the Lord has made… God has acted – this is why we
celebrate Easter.
On the first day of the week –
according to the Gospels – the Risen Christ meets his witnesses. This is the
origin of Christian Sunday.” (F. Kamphaus)
Cyril Turowsky, a Russian preacher
from the 12th century, wrote about Easter and about it’s
significance, called the day of Easter “the day of the intronisation of Sunday”.
“From today onwards, Sunday is no more an ordinary day. More than that, Sunday
has been sanctified by the Resurrection. Now, Sunday is the most exalted of all
days, because on that day Christ is risen from the dead.” These words make us
understand why Russian Christians have given to Sunday the name of
“Voskersenie” (Resurrection).
Easter this year and the entire
Easter season are new occasions for us to recognize the holiness of the Day of
the Lord, which is the direct consequence of what has happened. “But at
daybreak on the first day of the week the women went to the tomb…” (Lk 24,1)
During this Easter season, I wish
for all of you to experience the same encounter the women in the Gospel
experienced: the faith and the joy of the Resurrected Christ. And – do not
forget Sunday, because of its significance and its content!
NUMBER OF COMMUNIONS AND NUMBER OF CONCELEBRANTS
In the month of February 20,000 communions were distributed and 635
priests concelebrated the Mass in Medjugorje.
In spite of the fact that February is a month when traditionally few
pilgrims come to Medjugorje, we noticed the presence of pilgrims from Latvia,
USA, Italy, Germany, Austria, Poland, Korea, Australia, France, Vietnam, the
Caribbean, Spain, Mexico, Argentina, and of course from Bosnia, Herzegovina and
Croatia.
Renovation
of the Confessionals
From the very beginning of the apparitions, both pilgrims and
parishioners felt a deep need in their hearts for the Sacrament of Confession.
Many priests were hearing confessions outside, in the open air. As a temporary
solution, in 1989, 20 confessionals were constructed on the East Side of the
church. Thousands of faithful found peace in God and peace with themselves there.
That is why Medjugorje has been called “the confessional of the world”.
These confessionals were in need of renovation, which was accomplished this
winter.
We invoke the blessing of God to all priests and all faithful who will
give and receive the sacrament of forgiveness in the new confessionals. We wish
for them to find there a place of “…peace with God and peace between man and
God…” (Our Lady’s message from the 26th of June 1981),
especially in this time of Lent, when many choose Medjugorje as a place for
their reconciliation with God.
The
8th International Meeting for
Leaders of Centres of Peace
The 8th International Meeting for Leaders of Centres of Peace
and Medjugorje Prayer-and Charity-Groups in the sanctuary of the Queen of Peace
in Medjugorje. It took place from February 26 to March 1st. The theme
of the meeting was “Peace and Reconciliation”. One hundred fifty
participants from over 20 countries gathered for this event. The speakers were
Dr. Fr. Božo Lujić, Dr. Fr. Ljudevit Rupčić, Dr. Fr. Tomislav Pervan, Fr.
Ljubo Kurtović, and Fr. Jozo Zovko. The host of this meeting was Dr. Fr. Ivan
Sesar, the pastor of Medjugorje. During four days, the participants had prayed
and meditated on the theme of peace and reconciliation. They also climbed
Apparition Hill and Mount Križevac, then shared practical questions linked
regarding the apparitions of Medjugorje. The gathering ended with a Thanksgiving
Mass celebrated by Dr. Fr. Ivan Sesar, the Pastor, who concluded the 8th
International Meeting for Leaders of Centres of Peace and Medjugorje Prayer- and
Charity-Groups.
Every year, the participants of these meetings adopt a common declaration.
This year, it states:
“For twenty years, we have been
witnessing that Jesus, the King of Peace, has become the centre of our pilgrim
journey to Medjugorje through His Mother Mary, the Queen of Peace.
Gathered for the 8th International
Meeting for Leaders of Centres of Peace and Medjugorje Prayer-and Charity-Groups,
we meditated on peace and reconciliation through speeches, prayer and sharing.
In order to better comprehend our role, we understood it is foremost for us to
live the Word of the Gospel: ‘And all this is from God, who has reconciled us
to Himself through Christ and given us the ministry of reconciliation, namely
God was reconciling the world to Himself in Christ, not counting their
trespasses against them and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation.’
(2 Cor 5,18-19)
We want to become better aware of
the Word of the Lord, Who founded the most fruitful soil in the heart of His
Mother and our Mother Mary; we want to imprint this in our hearts as a sacred
task and mission.
May this Lent which has begun be a
fruitful time on this journey!
Medjugorje, 1st of March
2001
The oldest
pilgrim of Medjugorje
In the beginning of March, one of the oldest pilgrims came to Medjugorje:
it is Ceil Tomaszewski, 97 years old, from the USA. She had worked for 40 years
serving handicapped persons in an American hospital. Today she continues to help
immobile persons attend church. This woman with numerous life experiences stated,
“we live in a strange time, when the world has forgotten God. Our Lady with
Her messages will help everyone come back to God, and it is especially important
for young people who have gone far away from God.”
Mrs. Tomaszewski wishes to spend her 100th birthday in
Medjugorje.
THE Annual
Apparition of Our Lady to Mirjana Soldo on March 18, 2001.
The visionary Mirjana Dragićević-Soldo had daily apparitions from June
24th 1981 to December 25th 1982. During the last daily
apparition, Our Lady gave her the 10th and last secret, and told that
she would appear to her once a year, the 18th of March. It has this
way during these 19 years.
Several thousand pilgrims gathered to pray the Rosary, which started at 9
a.m. in the Cenacolo Community. The apparition lasted 5 minutes from 9.45 to 9.50 a.m. Our
Lady blessed everyone and gave a message. She was resolute and clear in Her
words.
"Dear children! Today I call
you to love and mercy. Give love to each other as your Father gives it to you.
Be merciful (pause) - with the heart. Do good works, not permitting them to wait
for you too long. Every mercy that comes
from the heart brings you closer to my Son."
SEMINARS AT “DOMUS PACIS”
Several seminars took place during these last few weeks in the house of
prayer “Domus Pacis”.
Beginning on March 2-4, members of the Franciscan Youth from Herzegovina
gathered for a recollection directed by Fr. Danko Perutina.
A Lenten recollection was organized also for elementary school children
from the town of Žepče in Bosnia. Their spiritual Fathers, the Salesians,
accompanied them.
On March 15 - 22, 21 pilgrims came from France for a Prayer and fasting
seminar.
Tips and
Information for Pilgrims
Dear pilgrim!
In the name of all priests serving in this parish, I am pleased to
welcome you to Medjugorje.
Thank you for your desire and readiness to visit this place of grace and
prayer. May the Almighty God, through the intercession of our Heavenly Mother,
Queen of Peace, reward you for all the efforts you undertake to come here!
As I would like your stay in Medjugorje to be as pleasant and helpful as
possible, I am giving you some recommendations, and I ask you sincerely to read
them carefully and to abide by them:
1.
Holy Mass is celebrated only in the parish church. It is possible to
celebrate Mass in the Adoration chapel, with the prior permission of the pastor.
According to an official diocesan directive, it is forbidden to
celebrate Holy Mass in pensions, in private homes you are staying in, on the
hills and in any community or chapel located in the parish of Medjugorje.
For any explanation or information, please contact the Information Office in the
sanctuary.
2.
Prayer meetings within the parish can be organized only with the
permission of the pastor.
3.
Only priests
working for the parish have the permission to meet pilgrim groups and give
conferences in the church area. All others have to obtain the permission of the
pastor.
4.
No one has the permission to “pray over” any person either in or
around the church area.
5.
If you are a
priest, you are invited to concelebrate at the evening Mass (bringing what is
necessary: alb, stole, celebret…), and - if you have the permission to hear
confessions - to be at the disposal of pilgrims for confessions in your language,
or in the language you speak.
6.
Leaders of
pilgrim groups must arrange their meetings with priests of the parish or with
visionaries through the Parish Information Office.
7.
Each pilgrim
group should employ a parish-trained and qualified guide during their stay in
Medjugorje. The service of a parish-trained guide should be requested at the
Information Office.
8.
Pilgrimage group-leaders
should announce the arrival of their group and the number of participants by
phone/fax + 387 36 651 988 or by e-mail: informacije@medjugorje.hr.
9.
You are asked not
to make any other arrangements during the evening prayer program in the church.
10.
The area around
the church, on Apparition Hill and Cross Mountain, are places of prayer. I ask
you to please respect them as such, to behave in harmony with their significance
and to dress appropriately, as to not disturb prayer and meditation. I ask you
also to preserve the cleanliness of these places.
11.
No candles are to
be lit on Apparition Hill or on Cross Mountain. They may be lit only at the
place provided on the west-side of the church, near the Wooden Cross. Votive
offerings, religious articles, photos – nothing should not be left on
Apparition Hill or on Cross Mountain.
12.
Smoking is not
allowed in and around the church.
13.
Conscious of the
presence of God, and in order to protect the atmosphere of prayer and meditation,
it is not allowed to take photos during Mass and during Adoration.
14.
It is forbidden
to solicit any money, apart from the offerings during Holy Mass. If you notice
anybody trying to do this, please contact the Information Office of the
Sanctuary.
15.
Mass intentions,
pledges or donations for the maintenance of the Sanctuary of the Queen of Peace
are to be given to the Parish Office. Thank you!
With God’s blessing,