Commentary on the Monthly Message of December 25th 2004
& a monthly reflection

Also the annual apparition to Jakov (Dec. 25th) and the Dec. 2nd Apparition to Mirjana

Peace to all! Below is the official English translation of this month's Commentary  on Our Lady's message to the world through the visionary Marija & the monthly reflection as provided by the Information Centre in Medjugorje via The Medjugorje Web™

COME, Holy Spirit, come by means of the powerful intercession of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, your well beloved spouse. X3

Most Holy Spirit, open my heart, soften it, and fill it with light and love so that I may understand clearly what I will read, and act on it for my own spiritual benefit and for the delight of my Heavenly Mother, Your Beloved Spouse. May I read each word under Your guidance so that, free of all worldly desires and distractions, I may grow in wisdom and prudence enough to follow perfectly the wishes of the Most Blessed Trinity. Amen

"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." Monthly message of December 25, 2004

Our Lady has regularly said the messages are for each one of us individually so try to read them as if your own name was there; "Dear .........." - it can makes the messages so much more personal.

O Blessed Mother, help us hear your words to us. Teach us to listen ever more carefully to the words of your Son. Pray that our hearts will be transformed into the hearts he would have us have, and that we will always be open to His call. Amen.

top

Commentary:- I CARRY MY SON JESUS IN MY ARMS TO YOU

Mary is joyful because she is coming from the joy, the glory, from the celestial fatherland, which we must still join. She appears because she wants that we also arrive and be where she is. Her maternal desire to see us where she is, is as great as the joy that she is carrying in her heart. As on the first day of the apparitions, today also, she is carrying in her arms Jesus, her Son and our Saviour. In her arms and in her heart, she is carrying God, she is giving him to us and she is leading us towards him. Mary, our
Mother, desires that we also can hear and listen to the words of the angel, like the shepherds: "Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord." (Lk 2,10-11) The Saviour of the world is born for you and for me, for each person.

God is born, "and to as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God." (Jn 1,12) Jesus is unique in all the history of humanity. Because he lived, because he existed, we do not have the right to despair, whatever our cross, our illness and our suffering may be.

"For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life." (Jn 3,16) God gave his Son Jesus to save you, to save me. God so much loved the world that he desired to become man and to take upon oneself human life, human sufferings, even death, to destroy it.

We celebrate Christmas, the birthday of Jesus. It is a day of joy and of blessing for the earth, for all humanity. Since his coming, nothing is the same any more in the history of humanity.

"The people that walked in darkness have seen a great light: they that dwell in the land of the shadow of death, upon them hath the light shined." (Is 9,1) We also, we can leave our darkness, our illnesses and our fears, because God came in our darkness, in our sins and in our illnesses to destroy them.

The birth of Jesus was neither pleasant, nor idyllic. He was born in a manger, among the animals, "because there was no room for them in the inn." (Lc 2,7) The manger inside of us, it is the space in which live the animals. It is the space which we would like to hide of ourselves and of others. We are ashamed of it, because it is not clean and it does not smell good. But he wants to be been born today
in the manger of our heart, where all is not perfumed or pleasant. But Jesus wants to come in our hearts, to illuminate everything by his blessing, by himself.

It is such a God that Mary, our Mother, brings to us and offers to us today. We can be united with Jesus, because he is within us. We have the possibility of becoming almighty by the faith in him, because he is the Almighty and the Highest. Then, we can become courageous witnesses of the presence of God, and his Almightiness on this earth, in our situations and in the circumstances in which we live.

The Mother is with us, and with her, we are in safety. We are under her protection and her intercession. Let us do all that we can to be day after day closer to the heart of Jesus and of Mary. Let us allow her to take us by the hand and lead us to peace that God gives us.

Fr. Ljubo Kurtovic ~ Medjugorje, December 26th, 2004 ~ Official English Translation

top

Download printable page in .rtf format

top

Monthly Reflection :- 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 ~ (Medjugorje Information Centre Press Bulletin #205, 26th December, ‘04)

top

Annual Apparition to Jakov on December 25th 2004

At the last daily apparition to Jakov Colo on September 12th, 1998, Our Lady told him he would continue to have one apparition every year on Christmas Day.  This year's apparition began at 2:30 pm and lasted 7 minutes. Our Lady gave the following message:

"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."

Mirjana's 2nd December apparition

On December 2nd,  the visionary Mirjana received her (2nd day of the month) apparition under the green tent of the Cenacle, in Medjugorje. For years, Our Lady has been appearing to Mirjana to intercede for non-believers. Usually, Mirjana does not communicate a message following these apparitions but this month Mirjana wrote the message she had received and asked that it be translated in front of the people present. This is the English translation:- 

"I need you! I am calling you! I need your help! Reconcile with yourself, with God, with your neighbours. In this way you will help me. Convert the non–believers. Wipe the tears from my face!"

top

English translations of messages, commentaries and reflections are courtesy of The Information Centre in Medjugorje, usually received via The Medjugorje Web™ and gratefully acknowledged.  Sign up for The Medjugorje Web e-mail information service.

Message from Steve Shawl - The Medjugorje Web. "All of you know that we do not solicit our subscribers or recommend products or causes. But, we have been involved for over one year with an incredible relief effort called "Rebuild for Bosnia". The organization provides assistance to the forgotten victims of the horrors of the war in Bosnia-Hercegovina. The effort provides homes, medical attention, and help to the most severe and needy cases. Please take a look at the following page on our site: www.medjugorje.org/rebuildforbosnia.htm To help raise funds for this effort, we are selling excellent quality and unique videos about Fr. Slavko, and Medjugorje. Please note that all videos are in NTSC format only for the US & Canada. There is also a secure donation page for those who would just like to contribute to the cause. This initiative is a grass roots expression of living the Gospel and Our Lady's messages in Medjugorje!!" God Bless! - Steve Shawl

• See also our Humanitarian Aid links page

• Links to other commentaries are on the messages page

• Medjugorje Reflections index

last updated 1st January, 2005 - Praised be Jesus and Mary - His Peace to all! - ê¿ê