"PEACE, PEACE, PEACE, AND ONLY PEACE! PEACE MUST BEGIN TO REIGN BETWEEN GOD AND MAN AND BETWEEN MEN",
Thus said the Blessed Mother, June 24, 1981. Hill of Apparition


Via Delorosa, Way of the Cross on the mountains

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Days 09 and 10, Saturday & Sunday Oct 13 &14, 2007


The ferry crossed the Adriatic Sea all night since the 9PM departure to arrive at the Split harbor at 7AM in the following morning. The bus passed the first Croatia checkpoint not too far from it. Away from the harbor city, the landscape changed into sparingly rural settings. We crossed into Bosnia after passing the border checkpoint for another one hour of driving. Our tour guide Ed advised about the border situation with the old comme regime; Ed explained, "either a coke or wine bottle would ease the guard", who walked up through the bus isle, looked at each one of us with the passport. No problem after all.

Yet our bus continued more than an hour going through the countryside. Houses are shanty, scattered. The soil was harsh with rocks in yellowish color. This area was well known in the movie "Behind Enemy Lines" describing a story of the shotdown jet flown by an US Navy aviator and later rescued safely. The village landscape and economy were drastically changed lately in the free market world for the recent past 10 years; especially the flow of pilgrims had arrived from all over the world bringing with them the prosperity. Our original driver from Fatima, of Portugal, was very skillful commanding the bus through the narrow two-lane roads going through small towns, somewhat dusty and minimum road signs and guidance. Here was Medjugorje, as we arrived to farthest eastern destination of the pilgrimage.


We got to the town before noontime, and went straight to St James for the first Mass, but missed our time window; another Mass in other language filled in our time slot. We instead went to an orphanage mission for our Mass, through our tour guide arrangements, House of Orphan gallery.
We headed back to the hotel after the first Mass. The hotel was off the main road accessing through a short alley, P1030267.jpg in the Town Medjugorje gallery. The luggage was hauled to our room in an organized fashion, and managed by the family members, helper, mom, dad, young children. Very much helpful affairs of family business, and one of best services of the entire trip, so was the dinner service with full table etiquette's and services. The hotel business in this area was the family prize possession, they were all built well. The 4-story hotel we stayed was built with class in brick and tile marbles, from the entry to stairways, to bathrooms. The room was equipped with modern heating unit; the settings were the same or better built than Europe, yet in plain decors, with good services, even though the language was not quite transparent. There were 4 to 6 style bunk beds on the floor without legs to accommodate the volumes of pilgrims. No TV in the room. The room cost was about 140 Euro for this particular place, as posted.

Children were playing outside in the late afternoon, in the back of their houses or in the field with kites flying peacefully up in the sky. The White Cross Mountain of 5,700ft was in the back drop of our hotel, P1030271.jpg in the Town of Medjugorje folder inviting our divine climb prepared for the next day. Exciting! To see the Cross at the top, was the thought. The view was very divinely inviting for pilgrims.

We could hear the children playing outside, or the echoing paging system of the parish mass from St James about 1 mile from our place. The weather was mild, and somewhat chilly at night in the mid of November. There was no snow in the winter here, as we were told.

We stayed for 2 days at Medjugorje attending St James Church, especially experienced the climbing of the 2 mountains, Apparition Hill, and the White Cross mountain, a device encounter of one's lifetime.

We returned to Split harbor the same way as we came in at the end of our staying.



+ ___________________________THE INVITATION to MEDJUGORJE______________________________+

Since 1981, in a small village in Bosnia-Hercegovina named Medjugorje, the Blessed Virgin Mary has been reportedly appearing and giving messages to the world. She tells us that God has sent Her to our world and, these years she is spending with us are a time of Grace granted by God, "I have come to tell the world that God exists. He is the fullness of life, and to enjoy this fullness and peace, you must return to God".

�From the ground location P1030164_65.jpg, Gallery Apparition Mtn, where the children was summoned with a flash of her apparition high on the mountain. They all climbed up to see Her.�

Our Lady's mission is one of Peace and Love. Our Lady continues to give messages to six people from the village of Medjugorje: Ivan, Jakov, Marija, Mirjana, Vicka, and Ivanka. These six people, the visionaries, have had apparitions of the Blessed Virgin Mary since June 24, 1981. In addition to these messages, Our Lady is to give each of the six visionaries a total of ten "secrets" or happenings that will occur on earth in the near future. Some of the secrets pertain to the whole world while others concern the visionaries themselves or their local village. Only one of the secrets so far has been revealed by the visionaries. Our Lady has promised to leave a supernatural, indestructible, and visible sign on the mountain where she first appeared.
Our Lady said: "This sign will be given for the atheists. You faithful already have signs and you have become the sign for the atheists. You faithful must not wait for the sign before you convert; convert soon. This time is a time of grace for you. You can never thank God enough for His grace. The time is for deepening your faith and for your conversion. When the sign comes, it will be too late for many."

When each of the six visionaries has received all ten "secrets", Our Lady will stop appearing to them on a daily basis. Currently, Marija, Vicka, and Ivan have received nine secrets, and Our Lady still appears to them every day, wherever they are, at 5:40pm during daylight savings time, and 6:40pm the rest of the year.

Mirjana, Jakov, and Ivanka have received all ten secrets, and Our Lady appears to them once per year, and will do so for the rest of their lives.

For Ivanka who received her 10th secret on May 7, 1985 it is on the anniversary of the apparitions, June 25 each year. For Jakov who received his 10th secret on September 12, 1998, it is on Christmas day each year.

For Mirjana who received her 10th secret on Christmas 1982, it is on her birthday, March 18 each year.
For Mirjana on the 2nd of each month since August 2, 1987 for the express purpose of praying for all unbelievers. Mirjana tells us that it is very important that all of us pray for the unbelievers in the world, who are defined as those who do not yet know God's love. Sometimes these appearances on the 2nd of each month are in apparitional form, and sometimes as locutions.

No one knows when Our Lady will give the tenth secret to Marija, Ivan, and Vicka.

Once Our Lady stops appearing there will be three warnings given to the world. Mirjana will witness the warnings and they will ocurr on the earth. Ten days before each of the warnings, she will advise the priest she chose for this task (Father Petar Ljubicic), who will then fast and pray with Mirjana for seven days. Then, three days before the warning is to take place, Fr. Petar will announce to the world what, where, and when the warning is to take place. Fr. Petar has no choice, and must reveal each warning. Mirjana's testimony will be a confirmation of the validity of the apparitions and an incentive for the conversion of the world. After the first warning, the others will follow within a rather brief period of time. So it is that people will have time for conversion. After the three warnings, the permanent visible sign will be left on the mountain where Our Lady first appeared in Medjugorje. Those who are still alive will have little time for conversion. For that reason, the Blessed Virgin calls for urgent conversion and reconciliation. The permanent sign will lead to many healing and conversions before the messages become reality.

The 9th and 10th secrets are grave matters. They are a chastisement for the sins of the world. The chastisement can be lessened by prayers and penance, but it can not be suppressed entirely. An evil which threatened the world according to the 7th secret, had been eliminated through prayer and fasting. For that reason the Blessed Virgin continues to ask for prayer and fasting. The invitation to prayer and penance is destined to ward off evil and war and above all to save souls. Our Lady says: "You have forgotten that with prayer and fasting you can ward off wars, suspend natural laws."
Since the apparitions began in 1981, millions of people of all faiths, from all over the world, have visited Medjugorje and have left spiritually strengthened and renewed. Many bring back stories of miracles in the form of healing (of mind, body and soul), supernatural visual events, and deep conversions back to God.

It is important to note that Our Lady's messages are meant to be assembled like a mosaic. To understand the full meaning and depth of Our Lady's messages, we should study all the messages she has given us over these 25 years. "By means of the messages, I wish to make a very beautiful mosaic in your hearts." (November 25, 1989). Our Lady has asked that we continually read, study, and meditate on the messages which she has given us. She has said: "Little children, read everyday the messages I gave you and transform them into life. I love you and this is why I call you to the way of salvation with God." (December 25, 1989).


+___________________THE CHURCH POSITION____________________+

The Church has NOT banned, condemned, or disproved the reported apparitions in Medjugorje. The investigation of Medjugorje by the Committee of Bishops is ongoing. No final directive or conclusion has been reached.
In 1991 Bishops Conference in Zadar: "On the basis of investigations so far it can not be affirmed that one is dealing with supernatural apparitions and revelations.". The Church must be prudent and cautious regarding its approval of any alleged apparition site. Glas Koncila, August 15, 1993: "We bishops, after a three-year-long commission study accept Medjugorje as a holy place, as a shrine. This means that we have nothing against it if someone venerates the Mother of God in a manner also in agreement with the teaching and belief of the Church. . .Therefore, we are leaving that to further study."

While no "official" pilgrimages can be endorsed or organized until a final decision has been reached, private pilgrimages are accepted and encouraged by many clergy, including Pope John Paul II.


+_______________BY THE FRUITS YE SHALL KNOW THEM___________________+

Today pilgrims-both Christian and non-Christian-arrive at Medjugorje from every corner of the world. With more than 16 million visitors, the site has become the scene of an exceptional spiritual revival. More confessions are heard in Medjugorje than in any other parish of the entire world; more than 150 confessors work without interruption here every day. In the year 1990 (before the outbreak of civil war), 1,900,000 people took Communion (more than at Fatima); 30,000 priests and bishops have visited the site. Many conversions are reported, even among those who come out of curiosity, or simply to accompany friends or relatives. In the USA 600 Medjugorje prayer groups have been formed; in Austria 500; and several hundred in Italy.

The Medjugorje visionaries are generating an effective spiritual crusade. Their message has reached more than 16 million visitors; even the war which ravaged Bosnia for over four years never stopped the flow of pilgrims. The present rate is over a million each year. During the war years, in the midst of bombardments and battles, over 200,000 visitors came to the site.


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The Ladys Messages from 1984-2007
http://www.medjugorje.org/olmpage.htm
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The most documented sites of Medjugorje are located at 2 web pages:
www.medjugorje.org
www.medjugorje.net

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Return to the EU Pilgrimage page
www.pbase.com/shaunwin/pilgrimage_eu2007

Return to the Home page
www.pbase.com/shaunwin

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