Medjugorje Press Bulletin 216

MEDITATION

"Dear children! Also today I call you to pray, pray, pray until prayer becomes life for you. Little children, at this time, in a special way, I pray before God to give you the gift of faith. Only in faith will you discover the joy of the gift of life that God has given you. Your heart will be joyful thinking of eternity. I am with you and love you with a tender love. Thank you for having responded to my call." November 25, 2005

A CALLING CARD

Recently, I received the calling card of an Irish pilgrim. Of course, as it should be, on the calling card was written the information on the person and the contacts. This calling card however had literally its "other side of the medal": I was agreeably surprised to see printed on the back a message given by Our Lady. It seemed to me that, precisely on the back, I could find more information on this person that on the face, where his name was, his telephone number, his e-mail address... This message on the back goes more in-depth. On the face, we read information, and on the back the identity, the choice, the aspiration of the person.

This Irish pilgrim, well employed in Dublin, wants thus to spread the message of God among people, and to say what is important for him. He does not hesitate to give these calling cards to all those that he meets. In an environment of hide-and-seek games, in which very often we keep silent about our Christian identity, this is an example of how to be coherent. Jesus never accepted to play with several options. He said to us that we could not serve God and the mammon. He often made reproaches to the scribes and the Pharisees.

A great theological and psycho sociological question is why the Christians flee a public demonstration of their faith? Why do they think that they will have less success if they hide their fidelity to Christ? It goes so far that some of them eliminate Christian symbols from their offices, from their cars, from their neck. Although it is said to us, and repeated high and strong, that faith is a private business, it is also a public affair of universal range. To suppress something, which characterizes us in an essential way, means to disavow the One in whom we believe, and into whose hands, especially in distress and pain, we place our trust.

Jesus says clearly that he will disavow, in front of his Father and in the Kingdom of heaven towards which we aspire, those who disavow Him on earth. Therefore, the message printed on the calling card reminds us that it is necessary to express publicly and confess discreetly our faith, and to invite others to conversion. In fundamental questions, we should not step back. Jesus did not step back in front of those who wanted Him to deny that He was to One who was supposed to come. He remained coherent at the price of the cross and of death.

Fr. Mario Knezovic

NEWS

NUMBER OF COMMUNIONS AND NUMBER OF CONCELEBRANTS

During the month of October 2005, 150000 communions were distributed and 3442 priests from this country and from abroad concelebrated Holy Mass in Medjugorje.

In October, pilgrims were here from: Italy, Germany, Vietnam, Malawi, France, the USA, Ireland, England, Korea, Lebanon, Poland, Netherlands, Denmark, Belgium, Switzerland, Australia, Ukraine, Canada, Hungary, Rumania, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Spain, Greece, Croatia and Bosnia-Herzegovina.

FOUR BISHOPS IN MEDJUGORJE

On Friday, November 4, four bishops came to the Shrine of the Queen of Peace in Medjugorje. Mons. Thomas Msusa, actual bishop of the diocese of Zomba, his retired predecessor Mons. Allan Chamgwera, and Mons. Remi Joseph Gustave Saint-Marie, bishop of Dedza, came from Malawi. Mons. Joseph Faber MacDonald, bishop of the diocese Saint John in New Brunswick, came from Canada.

All four bishops have a positive opinion about Medjugorje, and they are glad to be in this worldly renowned Our Lady’s shrine. At the presbytery, they met the pastor, dr. Fr. Ivan Sesar, and other Franciscans from Medjugorje. They especially underlined the importance of Medjugorje as the largest confessional of the world.

SECRETARY GENERAL FOR THE MISSIONS IN MEDJUGORJE

Fr. Vinzenzo Brocanelli, Secretary general for the Missions of the OFM Franciscans, and Fr. Sime Samac, Definitor general of the Franciscan Order, visited Medjugorje on Saturday, October 22, 2005, at the occasion of the World Mission Day. They concelebrated the Evening Mass, which was presided by dr. Fr. Ivan Sesar, pastor of Medjugorje. Fr. Vinzenzo Brocanelli gave the homily in which he spoke about the importance of the mission and about love for those who are most in need.

SEMINARS IN "DOMUS PACIS"

Six "Prayer, Fasting and Silence" seminars took place in “Domus Pacis” led by Fr. Ljubo Kurtovic, for pilgrims from Poland, Slovakia, Germany, Lithuania, France and Austria.

The franciscain sisters led two seminars for girls. Four seminars were organized for members of Franciscan Youth Fraternity, for the Franciscan Third order and for young people from Montenegro.

THE ELEVENTH INTERNATIONAL SEMINAR FOR PRIESTS

The eleventh international seminar for priests will take place in Medjugorje from July 3 to 8, 2006. The theme of the seminar is: "Spirituality of the priests". ("Let us pray, little children,... so that the Church may resurrect in love" - message of March 25, 1999.)

Published by: INFORMATIVNI CENTAR MIR - Svetiste Kraljice Mira (Information Center MIR - Shrine of the Queen of Peace), 88266 Medjugorje.
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