Bulletin
205
Medjugorje,
December 26, 2004
“Dear
children! With
great joy, also today I carry my Son Jesus in my arms to you; He blesses you
and calls you to peace. Pray, little children, and be courageous witnesses of
Good News in every situation. Only in this way will God bless you and give you
everything you ask of Him in faith. I am with you as long as the Almighty
permits me. I intercede for each of you with great love. Thank
you for having responded to my call.”
THE LIGHTS OF MEDJUGORJE
The Lord told us: “I am the light of the world. Who follows me will have
the light of life.” (Jn 8,12) People do not like darkness. Darkness and
obscurity are places of doubt. To be in darkness means to be blind in spite of
the eyes that we have. So, what should we do? Go to the light. Be light.
All recently, in Dubrovnik was organized the first presentation of the
documentary “The lights of Medjugorje”. This title immediately raises the
question: which are these lights and who are these lights? Three young men who
came to Medjugorje almost by chance made this documentary. Here, they decided to
bring light to the life of the their colleagues, and wherever there is darkness.
Flooded with light, they want to carry the light to the others. This light, they
encountered it in Medjugorje through the intermediary of Our Lady. Inspired by
this light, they made the documentary “The lights of Medjugorje”. A title
which hides and which reveals much. This title contains all the children of
Marie who came to know Jesus and who broke darkness of their own life.
Millions of people received the light in Medjugorje itself, and thus, carrying
light, they transmit to the whole world the message of Jesus who is the Light of
the world.
A new year is beginning. A new time is given to us. We have a new chance given
by God. Let us make use of it. It is a challenge to be a lamp in a dark corner.
To be light means first and foremost to be a witness of hope and of joy, that
come from the faith in Christ. In his message for this New Year, the Pope Jean-Paul
II writes: “Do not let yourself be overcome by evil, but be victorious over
evil by good.” Yes, the evil does not sleep. The hope is threatened and
darkness is spreading in an aggressive way, as if it wanted to darken the rays
of the sun. In such a context, only people of faith and people that are
enlightened in the spirit can be mediators of God. Guided by Mary towards Jesus,
let us make our own film of testimony, with the title that we will give. This
new year gives us a chance for that.
Fr.
Mario Knezovic
NEWS
NUMBER
OF COMMUNIONS AND NUMBER OF CONCELEBRANTS
During
the month of November 2004, 33600 communions were distributed and 927 priests
from this country and from abroad concelebrated Holy Mass in Medjugorje.
In
November, pilgrims were here from: Korea, France, the USA, Slovenia, Canada,
Malaysia, Italy, Germany, Poland, Slovakia, Bosnia-Herzegovina and Croatia.
The
fourth death anniversary of Fr. Slavko Barbaric
The fourth anniversary of Fr. Slavko’s death was commemorated in Medjugorje on
November 24. He died on November 24, 2000, at 3.30 pm, after the weekly prayer
of the Way of the Cross. Numerous parishioners and pilgrims climbed Cross
Mountain praying the Way of the Cross. At the place of Fr. Slavko’s death,
between the 13th and the 14th station, they remembered the
moment of his passing into eternity. The Way of the Cross was led by Fr. Mario
Knezovic and Fr. Ljubo Kurtovic. The evening Mass at the parish church was
presided by Fr. Ljubo Kurtovic and concelebrated by numerous local and foreign
priests. During the whole day, parishioners and pilgrims were coming on Fr.
Slavko’s grave, which has become one of the evident prayer places of
Medjugorje.
Father Slavko Barbaric was born on March 11, 1946. He entered into the
Franciscan order at the age of 19. He was ordained a priest in 1971. He had a
doctorate in religious pedagogy and the title of psychotherapist. He was at the
service of Medjugorje pilgrims from the time when he finished his studies and
came back to the country, in 1982.
During his service in Medjugorje, he wrote numerous books that were translated
into more then 20 languages and published all over the world. He was tireless in
giving conferences for pilgrims, leading adoration of the Blessed Sacrament,
veneration of the Cross, the rosary up the Apparition Hill, the Way of the Cross
on the Mount Krizevac, where he finished his earthly life. He animated annual
international meetings for priests and youth; he started the seminar for married
couples; in the house of prayer “Domus Pacis” he led “Fasting and prayer
retreats”. The destructions of the war inspired him to found and lead an
institution for the education and care of the young, the “Mother’s Village”.
His psychotherapeutic education allowed him to work in a competent way with drug
addicts in the Community of Sister Elvira. For young men in need, he founded the
Community of the Merciful Father. He directed the help received from the whole
world in two Foundations: for young talented people and for war orphans.
Father Slavko has traveled throughout the whole world, spreading Our Lady’s
message of peace and reconciliation. He had wonderful gifts: knowledge of
languages, facility of communicating with people, education, simplicity, care
for human beings in need, inexhaustible energy, diligence, and above all piety,
humility, charity. He prayed and he fasted a lot, he loved Our Lady with a
childlike love. The essence of his life was to bring souls to God through Mary,
the Queen of Peace, by means of prayer and fasting.
We
will always miss him.
MEDJUGORJE
YOUTH IN THE FOOTSTEPS OF ST. FRANCIS
Within the framework of
the Parish Medjugorje is gathering also the Franciscan Youth Fraternity –
FRAMA, which brings together young people who desire to follow Christ according
to the example of St. Francis. On the First Sunday of Advent, 26 young members
of the Parish were received in the Fraternity, 21 made their first promises and
11 renewed their promises of living according to the example of St. Francis. The
Eucharistic celebration was presided by the Chaplain for youth of the Province
Fr. Sreten Curic, who also received their promises, and concelebrated by Fr.
Boze Milic, the spiritual assistant of the Medjugorje-FRAMA. Young FRAMA-members
from several parishes from Herzegovina sung during Mass. After Mass, they
remained in Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament together with the parishioners,
and then they went to the Parish house to celebrate together.
FRANCISCAN
NOVICES IN MEDJUGORJE
The novices of the Franciscan province of Bosnia and
the Herzegovinian province came on pilgrimage to Medjugorje on December 4. They
came with their educators, Fr. Vitomir Silic and Fr. Ivan Sesar who also
presided the evening Mass. The novices animated the songs during Mass.
Christmas at Medjugorje
The parishioners, the
faithful from neighboring parishes and the pilgrims prepared themselves for
Christmas by a novena. In addition to the evening prayer program in church, the
Rosary was prayed on Apparition Hill.
During Advent, two fasting
and prayer seminars were conducted at "Domus Pacis", the House of
Prayer. About 100 Croatian and German pilgrims participated in these seminars,
desiring through prayer and fasting to prepare for Christmas. The days before
Christmas confirm that Medjugorje is “the confessional of the world”: large
crowds come from everywhere to receive here the sacrament of reconciliation.
During the Christmas
holidays, peace prevailed at the shrine of the Queen of Peace with an atmosphere
of prayer and unity among the faithful who arrived from all parts of the world.
For Christmas itself, there were several hundreds of foreign pilgrims. On
Christmas Eve, several thousands of pilgrims participated in evening Holy Mass.
The Vigil began at 10 p.m. and ended with Holy Mass at midnight. The feast of
Christmas itself passed in the Christmas peace and joy of pilgrims and
parishioners gathered around Mary, their Mother.
On
December 19, the Children’s Choir from Dubrovnik “Little Singing
Dubrovnik” and the small parish choir from Medjugorje “Little Doves of Peace”
gave their 5th Christmas Concert. The choirs so wished a Merry
Christmas to the faithful and to Medjugorje pilgrims from all over the world.
Again,
this year, the members of the “Cenacolo” community (former drug addicts)
presented to the parishioners and the pilgrims a production of the Living Manger
three times. Through a specific musical and scenic presentation, they showed to
the faithful their desire to come from darkness to light.
Annual Apparition to Jakov on December 25th
2004
At
the last daily apparition to Jakov Colo on September 12th, 1998, Our Lady told
him that henceforth he would have one apparition a year, every December 25th, on
Christmas Day. This is also how it was this year. The apparition began at 2:30
pm and lasted 7 minutes.
“Dear children! Today, on a day of grace, with little Jesus in my arms, in a special way I call you to open your hearts and to start to pray. Little children, ask Jesus to be born in each of your hearts and to begin to rule in your lives. Pray to Him for the grace to be able to recognize Him always and in every person. Little children, ask Jesus for love, because only with God’s love can you love God and all people. I carry you all in my heart and give you my Motherly blessing.”
Seminars at “Domus pacis”
In
2004, 44 different seminars for 1515 faithful took place in the house of prayer
“Domus Pacis”.
22
“Prayer and Fasting” seminars were held for 728 pilgrims from Austria (3),
Germany (2), Poland (2), France (3), Ukraine (1), Russia (1), Lithuania (1),
Slovakia (1), the Czech Republic (1), Italy (2), Korea (1), Croatia, Slovenia
and Bosnia-Herzegovina (4). During 6 days, the faithful were deepening
their faith in the Lord, while answering Our Lady’s call to prayer, fasting
and inner silence. Fr. Ljubo Kurtovic held these seminars.
245
members of the Franciscan Youth Fraternity as well as the altar boys from
Herzegovina gathered together for 7 spiritual recollections.
The
Franciscan School sisters led 6 seminars for 190 young girls.
Different
spiritual movements organized 11 other seminars for 352 participants.
Illegal copying, distribution and selling of
CD’s, audio and videocassettes edited by the Shrine
The
Parish Office Medjugorje, the Information Center “Mir” Medjugorje and Mother’s
Village Bijakovici-Medjugorje kindly ask organizers and guides to inform the
pilgrims that they have given to nobody the right to copy, distribute or sell
CD’s, audio and video cassettes edited by them. The exclusive copyright for
these works belongs to the Parish Office Medjugorje, the Information Center
“Mir” Medjugorje and/or Mother’s Village Bijakovici-Medjugorje, and the
income is used to carry on humanitarian activities and the development of the
Shrine. The originals can be purchased only at the Souvenir shop of the Parish
Medjugorje. Production, selling and reselling of cheaper copies that can be
found in other shops is entirely private and illegal. We thank all the pilgrims
and friends of Medjugorje for their understanding.
Youth
Festival 2005: The Eucharist – Invitation to the composers
The Youth Festival 2005 will have for the theme the EUCHARIST. The organizers of
the Festival invite young authors to compose songs inspired by this theme, and
to send their partitions by fax to: 00 387 36 651 444. The text should be short
and concise, in the spirit of the Adoration led in Medjugorje, so that the song
may be translated and sung in different languages. The chosen songs will be sung
during the Festival. Contact: medj.lidija@medjugorje.hr