112
March 10, 1999

T E M P T A T I O N

With the beginning of every Lenten season there is also an encounter with the event of Jesus' temptation after his forty-day stay in the desert. The basic question according to that is not how could it happen that Jesus was tempted, but rather how He resisted the temptation.

What Satan was trying to tell Jesus as soon as he tempted Him was the effort to show Him that what He did in the desert was useless and worthless. Retreat into prayer and fasting is unnecessary and does no good.

Of what value is it to Him when after it all he is hungry and has nothing by which to relieve his hunger? Satan, on the contrary, offers his solution to that: glory, influence, and wealth instead of his real vocation.

Our Lady in her messages warns us that Satan is strong and that he wishes to destroy God's work. Therefore the times of temptation and examination have not come to an end. Nor indeed have we been left without clear teaching, namely that teaching of Jesus: "Satan, get away from me. . .you shall not test the Lord, your God. . .Man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that proceeds from the mouth of God".

Fr. Ivan Landeka

N E W S

NUMBER OF HOLY COMMUNIONS AND CONCELEBRATIONS

This past month is the time of year with the least number of pilgrims visiting. In the parish of Medjugorje during February 35,000 Holy Communions were distributed and at the masses there were 584 concelebrations by priests from home and abroad.

During February the more numerous pilgrim groups were those from: Mexico, France, Poland, Slovakia, Austria, Germany, Korea, Italy, Switzerland, Australia, USA, Czech Republic, Canada, Brazil, Spain and, of course, Croatia.

EDUCATIONAL-PRAYER SEMINAR

The sixth Educational-Prayer Seminar for leaders of prayer groups, pilgrim groups, and centers of peace throughout the world, was held in Neum from February 28 till March 5, 1999. For the work of this seminar the theme was "Pilgrimage - Part of Our Journey of Faith". About 150 participants from ten countries attended the seminar. The purpose of these seminars which have now been conducted for six years in a row, is a better acquaintance and exchange of experiences for those who work with pilgrims in Medjugorje and in their own regions throughout the world.

At the end of the seminar a Declaration was drawn up which the participants of the seminar adopted as their community statement. The declaration will be published in the next number of the Press Bulletin.

ANNIVERSARY OF THE MEDJUGORJE-MIR ASSOCIATION

We are a little late in reporting the news of one anniversary. The sixth anniversary of the establishment of the humanitarian association Medjugorje-Mir in Split was observed and celebrated on February 28th in the monastery of St. Anthony in Split. The Holy Mass was led by Fr. Jozo Vasilj, a Franciscan Provincial in the Congo. Fr. Jozo was born in Medjugorje and for a number of years has been preaching the Word of God in that African country.

After the celebration of Holy Mass Fr. Leonard Orec, the president of the association, referring to the work of this humanitarian organization during the course of these past years. Fr. Leonard announced that we have to be grateful to those who are helping us, and that is our duty to assist those who do not have while we do have and continued:

"While the majority of Medjugorje communities migrate away from this region, and many natives are closing their doors, it seems to us that our doors are opening up all the more and that the need for solidarity is all the greater. Thanks to the Medjugorje centers, an invisible network of solidarity has been created of which we too are a part. In that way this association has so far distributed more than 42 thousand tons of aid in food, clothing, medicines, medical aids and technical equipment. In addition to that that we are helping establish a quicker return of normal conditions of life to those territories that were affected by the war.

On this occasion was also observed the fifth anniversary of activity of the Association of Prosthesis which is employed in the procuring and production of orthopedic aids. In this past period of time more than two thousand different prostheses for invalids were generated."

We want to take this opportunity in the name of all of you, our esteemed readers. to wish this Association complete success in its further work.

Published by: INFORMATIVNI CENTAR MIR - Svetiste Kraljice mira (Information Center MIR - Shrine of the Queen of Peace), 88266 Medjugorje, BiH, fax number: +387-88-651-444.
Director: fra Miljenko Stojic.
You can receive the latest issue of the Press Bulletin at any time on your own fax machine in the tone mode by dialing the
Robofax in our Information Center at +387 88 65 15 55.
E-mail: medjugorje-mir@medjugorje.hr; Internet: http://www.medjugorje.hr
Published every other Wednesday.

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Last Modified 03/10/99