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March 26, 2002
MEDITATION
Dear children! Today I call you to unite with Jesus in prayer. Open your heart to Him and give Him everything that is in it: joys, sorrows and illnesses. May this be a time of grace for you. Pray, little children, and may every moment belong to Jesus. I am with you and I intercede for you. Thank you for having responded to my call." March 25, 2002
THANK YOU, VICTORIOUS JESUS
Dear friends, you who venerate Our Lady! I wonder if anyone can remain speechless facing the fact of the Resurrection of Jesus? Can anyone retain his feelings and withdraw himself from crying out to the Saviour: Thank you, victorious Lord! Bravo, Jesus! You are our salvation! In you is the source of life, in your light we see the light!
On the day of the Resurrection, what was the state of mind of Jesus´ executioners? What did they feel seeing what had happened? Out of shame and fear, could they show up in public?
Jesus´ opponents went terribly wrong. They wanted to kill Him, but he became eternally alive. They wanted to remove Him from the scene, and behold, He plays His role in the whole world. They wanted to ridicule and deride the King of the Jews, but they had to cry, and Jesus became the King of a Kingdom tha has no end.
Jesus´ opponents wanted to nail the hands of Jesus, to prevent Him from helping anyone. But they went wrong. Jesus is risen and since then His hands reach many sick, sinners to whom He grants forgiveness, through His hands is given the Blood and the Body of salvation. Since then, His hands are extended towards the poor, the suffering and the afflicted. Jesus´ opponents wanted to nail the feet of Jesus, to prevent Him from walking on this earth. Again, they were wrong. Since then, Jesus became a traveller who reaches the most distant countries, who knocks at every door and visits families and peoples… The world is full of Him. He is in all of the churches, consciences, human hearts. He walks in the world through His servants in Holy Communion and in the sacraments.
Further, Jesus´ opponents wanted to pierce Jesus´ heart, thinking that would be the end of His beating. Again, they were wrong. The heart of Jesus beats since then in the millions of persons, in countless Christians. Since then, every sinner can lay his hand on the heart of Jesus and hear the beatings of His love and acceptance. Jesus´ opponents wanted to shut Jesus´ thirsty mouth, giving Him a bitter vinegar to drink. Again, they did not succeed. Today, humanity receives from this mouth the salvific flow of words of peace, life, forgiveness, love and salvation.
In Medjugorje, Our Lady calls us to listen to these words.
Finally, the executioners lay Jesus in the tomb thinking that this will end the history of a person. However, the history of the New Man and of the world renewed by Him begins here. Death and hatred remained in the tomb and Jesus rose up to a new life. The tombstone is taken away and the door of the tomb became the door of life. What a paradox! What was incomprehensible until then becomes reality. This is why Fr. Rufin Silic, a renowned Franciscan, says: “Christ´s tomb became a mother´s womb where new children of God are born. For Christ´s faithful, the tomb is no more the end but the beginning of life. The cross is not any more the tree of death, but the tree of life.”
Fr. Mario Knezovic
NEWS
NUMBER OF COMMUNIONS AND NUMBER OF CONCELEBRANTS
During the month of February, 40,000 communions were distributed and 601 priests from this country and abroad concelebrated Holy Mass in Medjugorje.
Pilgrims were here from Korea, the USA, Austria, Germany, France, Hungary, Australia, Italy, England, Poland, Argentina, Slovenia, Brazil, Croatia, and Bosnia-Herzegovina.
THE ANNUAL APPARITION OF OUR LADY TO MIRJANA DRAGICEVIC-SOLDO ON MARCH 18, 2002
The visionary Mirjana Dragicevic-Soldo had daily apparitions from June 24th 1981 to December 25th 1982. During the last daily apparition, Our Lady gave her the 10th secret, and told her that she would appear to her once a year, on the 18th of March. It has been this way through the years.
This year several thousand pilgrims gathered to pray the Rosary, which began at 8:45 a.m.at the Cenacolo Community in Medjugorje. The apparition lasted from 9:27 a.m. to 9:34 a.m. and Our Lady gave the following message:
“Dear Children! As a mother I implore you, open your heart and offer it to me, and fear nothing. I will be with you and will teach you how to put Jesus in the first place. I will teach you to love Him and to belong to Him completely. Comprehend, dear children, that without my Son there is no salvation. You should become aware that He is your beginning and your end. Only with this awareness can you be happy and merit eternal life. As your mother I desire this for you. Thank you for having responded to my call.”
THE NINTH INTERNATIONAL MEETING FOR GUIDES AND LEADERS OF PEACE CENTRES AND MEDJUGORJE PRAYER, PILGRIM AND CHARITY GROUPS TOOK PLACE
The Ninth International Meeting for Guides and Leaders of Peace Centres and Medjugorje Prayer, Pilgrim and Charity Groups under the theme “Pray, Pray, Pray…” took place in Medjugorje from February 17th to 21st, 2002. 170 leaders and priests accompanying these Medjugorje organisations in the world attended the meeting. The lecturers were Dr. Fr. Ivan Dugandzic, Fr. Ivan Landeka. Fr. Jozo Zovko, and Fr. Ljubo Kurtovic. In the name of the organisers, Fr. Branko Rados (Pastor) and Fr. Mario Knezovic (Director of the Information Centre “Mir” Medjugorje) welcomed the participants and coordinated the meeting. During the five-day seminar, there was also a day of prayer and fasting. At the end of the encounter, the participants adopted the following declaration:
DECLARATION
The Ninth International Meeting for Guides and Leaders of Peace Centres and Medjugorje Prayer, Pilgrim and Charity Groups was held at the beginning of the Lenten graceful time of prayer, fasting, penance and conversion, and under the shelter of the Queen of Peace in Medjugorje. At the meeting under the title, “Pray, Pray, Pray…” 170 participants from 15 countries from all over the world gathered.
Aware that, as Christians, we are called to follow Christ completely (Lk 5:1-11), we understand our responsibility for the tasks given by our Saviour in this contemporary, sometimes godless world.
The world and each individual can be open to the grace of God through prayer and thus establish a dialogue with the Creator of the world (Mt 6:7-15). Precisely in Medjugorje, the prayer movement represents a specific way of renewal of the Church and a specific response to the generosity of God.
Our Lady calls us with perseverance to pray with the heart for this peaceless world (message of September 25th, 2001), which tears itself down in hatred and selfishness. This is why we, the participants of this seminar invite everyone to abandonment in prayer, because this is the road that can lead the world and each individual to Christ, who is our peace.
Encouraged by the presence of Our Lady in this Shrine and by her motherly patience and love for us, we invite all human hearts to recognize Our Lady´s voice that calls us to prayer and conversion.
In the time of Lent, we encourage in a special way generosity, renouncement and fasting as a form of encounter with Christ in those who are hungry, thirsty, imprisoned… (Mt 25:31-46).
From this meeting held in the spirit of prayer, and from this place, which has become a sign of encounter and prayer of the whole world, we invite everyone to pray for unity of the Church, for peace in the world, and for the conversion of sinners.
Obedient to the message of Our Lady, we tend also to make her voice present in every heart, and to implant her school of prayer into our parish communities and our families.
Although coming from different parts of the world, through prayer we were united in one family. May this fruitful sign speak to the contemporary humanity, which is so disunited.
Medjugorje, February 21st, 2002
The participants
THE SECOND INTERNATIONAL SEMINAR FOR MARRIED COUPLES TOOK PLACE
From February 28th to March 3rd, 2002, the Second International Seminar For Married Couples “AWAKEN LOVE IN YOUR FAMILIES” took place, where approximately 40 couples from 9 countries from 4 continents gathered: from France, Belgium, Italy, the USA, Argentina, Korea, Slovenia, Poland, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Fr. Branko Radoš, the Pastor of Medjugorje, welcomed them, and the seminar was directed by Fr. Ljubo Kurtovic. Lecturers were Fr. Jozo Zovko, Fr. Mate Dragicevic, Fr. Milan Loncar and Fr. Branimir Musa. They spoke about prayer, faith, dialogue and fidelity. Mirjana Dragicevic-Soldo gave witness about Our Lady´s messages, especially for the families.
The couples participated at the evening prayer programme in the church, they prayed the Rosary at the Apparition Hill and the Way of the Cross at Mount Krizevac. They also had two special meetings with the director of the seminar, where wives and husbands separately could express their joys and sorrows, their desires and needs, as well as the graces received. The last day of the seminar, during Adoration before the Blessed Sacrament, they renewed their marriage promises and confided their union to Jesus.
PILGRIMAGE FOR DEAF PERSONS FROM THE USA
A group of deaf persons from the USA came on pilgrimage to Medjugorje at the beginning of March, 2002, organised by “Medjugorje Web”. There was also a priest with them who knows sign language, as well as two interpreters.
There are very few of those who know sign language, so it is very difficult for deaf persons to find a priest who could hear their confessions. During this pilgrimage, all of them could experience the special grace of God given in this “confessional of the world”.
YOUNG FRANCISCANS FROM SPLIT ON PILGRIMAGE TO MEDJUGORJE
On March 9th, 2002, a group of young Franciscans from the Province of the Most Holy Redeemer (Split, Croatia) with their Masters Fr. Anto and Fr. Simo, came on a pilgrimage to Medjugorje. They were received by the Pastor, Fr. Branko Rados, who explained to them the local and the international significance of this place of pilgrimage, as well as the spirituality, which attracts here hundreds of thousands of pilgrims every year. After Holy Mass, they continued on their way to the Franciscan monastery of Slano, where they will have a spiritual retreat.
SEMINARS IN “DOMUS PACIS”
In January and February, there were four “Prayer and Fasting” seminars for groups from Italy, Poland and France, as well as week ends of spiritual recollection for Franciscan Youth from Herzegovina and young people from Croatia and from Bosnia.
Once a month, Herzegovinian Franciscan School Sisters continue to gather young girls around the theme “Seek Peace and Pursue it”.
Contact for “Prayer and Fasting” seminars: Fr. Ljubo Kurtovic, Zupni ured Medjugorje, Gospin trg 1, 88266 Medjugorje, Bosnia and Herzegovina. (Fax: 00 387 36 651 444)
A BISHOP FROM VIETNAM AT THE SHRINE OF THE QUEEN OF PEACE
Msgr. Nguyen Quang Tuyen, Bishop of Bac Ninh, with his secretary, and Msgr. Nguyen Chan Hung, Administrator of Hai Phong from Vietnam, were in Medjugorje from March 16 to 18, 2002.
THE 7TH INTERNATIONAL MEETING FOR PRIESTS – AN APPEAL TO ALL ORGANISERS OF PILGRIMAGES, PRAYER GROUPS AND CENTRES FOR PEACE
The 7th International Meeting for Priests, “PRIEST AT THE SERVICE OF HEALING AND DELIVERANCE”, takes place in Medjugorje from July 1st (morning) to July 6th (noon) 2002. Lecturers are Don Gabriele Amorth, Dr. Philippe Madre, Fr. Dominic Hession and Fr. Jozo Zovko. The Coordinator is Fr. Ljubo Kurtovic. (Programme and presentation of the lecturers: on the web-page www.medjugorje.hr under the title International Meetings - The 7th International Meeting for Priests - Programme)
Many priests who do not have access to Internet may not have been informed about the existence of such an international meeting in Medjugorje. Therefore, we kindly ask all Organisers of pilgrimages, Prayer Groups and Centres for Peace to diffuse this information as largely as possible by all means at your disposition, so that as many priests as possible may participate. We also kindly ask you, as much as it is possible, to materially help priests who wish to come, but who do not have the necessary funds for such a journey. Thank you, and may the Lord and Our Lady, Queen of Peace, bless all your efforts in spreading Gospa´s message of peace.
You may make reservations by e-mail: lidija.paris@medjugorje.hr or by fax: +387-36-651-444, in the Information Booth personally, by phone/fax: +387-36-651-988 or by e-mail: informacije@medjugorje.hr.
In place of financial payment, we ask the priests to kindly celebrate five Mass intentions. The ACCOMMODATION for all the priests IS A GIFT FROM THE PARISHIONERS, WHO WILL RECEIVE THEM IN THEIR HOMES.
Bring with you: an alb and stole, a Bible, a small radio and head-phones with an FM frequency (for simultaneous translation).
QUESTIONNAIRE: “THE SPIRITUAL MOVEMENT OF THE QUEEN OF PEACE IN THE WORLD “
Inspired by the theme of the Ninth International Meeting for Guides and Leaders of Peace Centres and Medjugorje Prayer, Pilgrim and Charity Groups “Pray, Pray, Pray…”, we started in February 2002 a project called “Questionnaire: The Spiritual Movement of the Queen of Peace In The World”.
The movement inspired by Our Lady´s apparitions in Medjugorje includes pilgrimages to Medjugorje, the creation of Peace Centres and prayer groups all over the world, as well as pastoral, editorial, humanitarian and other activities…
We have prepared a questionnaire to be published on our web page in various languages, which will give us the possibility of having a better idea of the worldwide dimension of this movement at the service of the Universal Church, which will also enable us to better know each other and to better communicate with different groups all over the world, as well as to grow better together in prayer and in service.
This is why we ask all of the guides and leaders of Peace Centres and Medjugorje prayer, pilgrim and charity groups to kindly fill in this Questionnaire and send it to the Shrine of the Queen of Peace in Medjugorje by e-mail to lidija.paris@medjugorje.hr or by fax to +387 36 651 444.
SUMMER SCHEDULE AT THE SHRINE: MAY 1ST, 2002
The summer prayer programme schedule at the Shrine of the Queen of Peace in Medjugorje begins this year on May 1st. Prayer of the Rosary in the parish church will begin at 6 pm. Holy Mass will be at 7 pm, followed by the prayer programme according to the day of the week. Eucharistic adoration on Wednesday and Saturday will begin at 10 pm. Rosary on the Apparition Hill and the Way of the Cross on Krizevac will begin at 4 pm.
Published by: INFORMATIVNI CENTAR MIR - Svetiste Kraljice Mira (Information Center MIR - Shrine of the Queen of Peace), 88266 Medjugorje.
Director: fra Miljenko Stojic.
Information Office: 00387-36-651-988
Parish Office: 00387-36-650-206; 650-310; 651-333
Fax: 00387-36-651-444
Radio: 00387-36-651-100; fax 651-300
E-mail: medjugorje-mir@medjugorje.hr; Internet: http://www.medjugorje.hr
Automatic Message: 060-325-325. By calling this number you can hear the latest message of Our Lady in Croatia, Bosnia-Hercegovina, Slovenia, Austria, Switzerland and Germany, as well as also the meditation and the news from Medjugorje which is updated every Wednesday.
Last Modified 03/26/2002