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Medjugorje
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Medjugorje
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explore this
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some useful EXTERNAL links: |
e-mail
link | Site is slowly being revised and page links may not work
temporarily. Please bookmark www.maryqueenofpeace.info for
your return. Do use the official & many other excellent linked
sites for very much more in depth information. "Lady"
and "Our Lady" = "Gospa" in
Croatian. |
MEDJUGORJE ( MEÐUGORJE
) information
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"Dear children! Today I invite you to peace. I have come here as the Queen of Peace and I desire to enrich you with my motherly peace. Dear children, I love you and I desire to bring all of you to the peace which only God gives and which enriches every heart. I invite you to become carriers and witnesses of my peace to this unpeaceful world. Let peace reign in the whole world which is without peace and longs for peace. I bless you with my motherly blessing. Thank you for having responded to my call." Our Lady's message of July 25, 1990 |
Some basic Medjugorje information & links to help you Many
millions of people world-wide believe that since the feast of St
John in June 1981, the Blessed Virgin Mary, Our Lady, ('Gospa'
in the local Croatian
language) has been appearing to six visionaries
from a small parish in western Herzegovina, Bosnia (part
of former communist Yugoslavia), giving messages of hope
to the world, which call for a return to belief in God, renewed peace
among mankind, renewed prayer in the family and our continuing
individual conversions. According to the testimony of
the visionaries, Our Lady says
these years are a "time of Grace" granted by God who has sent
her. She has come as the ‘Queen
of Peace’ and as our Heavenly Mother who intercedes for us all in
Heaven, calling us her 'dear' or
'little' 'children'. see
'tip' Our Lady invites each and every
one of us but it is up to us individually in the end so please consider
the testimony of the visionaries
with a cautious but open mind and heart, initially through the
introduction and links presented here and especially
on the comprehensive, multilingual website of the Shrine
of the Queen of Peace - Information Centre "Mir" Medjugorje
- the only official voice and source of
authentic information from Medjugorje, including
current news and events.
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top- The Five Main or 'Core' Messages- navigation bar
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I
GIVE YOU THE WEAPON |
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To avoid any confusion or conflict with the accepted authority of the Catholic Church, our visitors are asked to note that alleged apparitions anywhere will not be considered for full approval by the Catholic Church as being worthy of belief, until they cease. Only then can the appointed Investigative Commission conclude its necessary and lengthy process. The apparitions at Lourdes, Fatima and elsewhere were probably just as controversial at their times. Some use lack of Church approval for the time being, to attack or avoid what is happening but it is accepted that is entirely a matter for those individuals' personal beliefs, although to those who do believe, it is a reason for more and more prayer. Pope John Paul II has however given his unofficial approval and has always given his blessing to those bishops and priests who have asked him about visiting the shrine, asking them to pray for him there. In 1986, The Holy Father said, "Let the people go to Medjugorje if they convert, pray, confess, do penance and fast." The Shrine of Medjugorje has thus become a special place of prayer, conversion and peace. Private pilgrimages by Catholics including Priests and Bishops, are permitted within certain rules - for example, they must not lead Diocesan pilgrimages. Since the apparitions began, more than 30 million pilgrims of many Christian traditions and other faiths from all over the world, have been inspired by the messages, rediscovered faith in God and opened their hearts anew to a true peace and love towards God, themselves and humanity, leaving spiritually strengthened and renewed. Numerous sceptics or unbelievers (in the sense used by Our Lady in Her messages of those who have not yet found the love of God) have been converted and physically or mentally afflicted persons have been healed. These are some of the practical fruits on which authenticity will also be judged. (We are reminded to pray for unbelievers on the 2nd of each month. On August 15, 1985, Our Lady said regarding unbelievers to Mirjana: "My angel, pray for unbelievers. People will tear their hair, brothers will plead with brothers, they will curse their past lives lived without God. They will repent, but it will be too late. Now is the time for conversion. I have been exhorting you for the past four years. Pray for them. Invite everyone to pray the Rosary.") Our Lady issues Her invitation to us all so for our part we invite you to explore this and the linked official and other detailed websites and resources with a cautious but open mind and heart. Please recognise and accept as we do without pre-judging the outcome in any way, that the final judgement regarding the authenticity of the Medjugorje apparitions rests with the Holy See. In accordance with the decree of Pope Urban VIII and Act II of the Vatican Council, individual experiences, the terms 'apparitions, miracles, messages' as used herein, have the permitted value of personal testimony in this process. Unlike Holy Scripture, private revelations are never binding upon the conscience of the faithful. They may be a help to the individual in understanding the signs of the times and to live more fully the Gospel (Luke 12.56), (Catechism of the Catholic Church, n.67). Pope
John Paul II On Medjugorje
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Lady about Pope JPII
PILGRIMAGE
INFORMATION Medjugorje
[meaning 'between the hills'] is situated between Citluk and Ljubuski,
about 12 miles south west of Mostar. The parish of Medjugorje contains
four villages including Bijakovici where the 'Hill of Apparitions', Mt
Podbrdo, is situated. Mt. Kricevac, 'Cross Mountain' is also close by.
One of the other villages is Surmanci, where an icon of the Divine
Mercy is displayed. PRAYER
GROUPS Penzance
Medjugorje (Queen of Peace) Prayer Group meets on the second
Wednesday each month in St. Mary's Haven Chapel at 7.15 p.m. |
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The
Rosary
“Through the rosary open your heart to me” The Apostolic letter of the Holy Father, “ Rosarium Virginis Mariae” on the Holy Rosary, published on October 16, 2002, proclaimed the 'Year of the Rosary'. The Pope said, “With the Rosary, the Christian people sits at the school of Mary and is led to contemplate the beauty on the face of Christ and to experience the depths of his love. Through the Rosary the faithful receive abundant grace, as though from the very hands of the Mother of the Redeemer.” (RVM 1) In many messages, Our Lady spoke about the Rosary. In the message of August 25, 1997, she said: “I call all priests and religious brothers and sisters to pray the rosary and to teach others to pray. The rosary, little children, is especially dear to me. Through the rosary open your heart to me and I am able to help you.” Our Lady also tells us: “If you so wish, grasp for the rosary. Even the rosary alone can work miracles in the world and in your lives.” (25.1.1991) and:- “Little children, prayer works miracles. When you are tired and sick and you do not know the meaning of your life, take the Rosary and pray; pray until prayer becomes for you a joyful meeting with your Saviour.” (25.4.2001) (external links) How to pray the Rosary ~ Read about Pope John Paul II's announcement of the "Luminous Mysteries" or "Mysteries of Light" ~ See also the "Virtual Rosary" link above for some scriptural reflections. |
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Newsflashes and other past news items to be updated Section last updated May 2010 ~ ê¿ê |
The
Miraculous Medal and Medjugorje After Fr. Jozo was released from prison, he eventually was stationed at the Immaculate Conception Church in Tihaljina, one of the poorest parishes in the Mostar diocese. The church roof leaked, there was no phone service, and the dirt road leading to the church needed repair. Fr. Jozo realized that one of the treasures to be found there was an exceptionally beautiful statue of the Blessed Virgin Mary. It was a statue of Our Lady of Grace, [see image above] the image that appears on the back of the Miraculous Medal which is an approved sacramental of the Catholic Church. Fr. Jozo used this image in his Medjugorje Apostolate. Every pilgrim who came to visit him at Tihaljina received a portrait of this statue which had a prayer or message on the back. We produced the first English version of a portrait for him which had a consecration to the Blessed Virgin on the back. Our pilgrim groups use to bring the portraits to him by the thousands to be distributed to the English speaking pilgrims who visited with him at Tihaljina. Today, we still distribute the same portrait all over the world. We even published a book about Fr. Jozo’s apostolate entitled, "The Story of a Picture". It tells about Fr. Jozo’s Medjugorje apostolate at Tihaljina and the many miracles and graces that have been given through the use of this picture in prayer, consecration, and devotion. Our Lady of Grace said that many graces would be given to those who sought her intercession and there is no doubt that her sacramental blessings are event to those Medjugorje pilgrims and devotees who make use of her image in their spiritual endeavors. Some of our Medjugorje pilgrimages stop in Paris to visit the Shrine of the Miraculous Medal before continuing on to Medjugorje. This provides pilgrims with a unique way of integrating both Marian devotions. Your servant in Jesus and Mary, Charlie Toye, Director The Send Your Spirit Medjugorje Center In 1830,
Our Lady, Mother of God, appeared to a young novice nun Sr. Catherine
Laboure in a church at Rue de Bac, Paris. During the apparition, she
saw an oval-shaped light surrounding Our Lady. Around the top part of
this light was written: "O Mary conceived without sin, pray for
us who have recourse to thee" When you pray the novena by yourself, you should pray all the prayers from this devotion. The Feast of the Miraculous Medal is 27th November. On Monday 27 November 1989, Our Lady gave a message to Ivan’s prayer group. Here is an account of the apparition and Our Lady’s message, as recorded by Nedjo Brecic, the founder of the International Internet Prayer Group: " ... The meeting was only for the prayer group, at Blue cross at 10pm. This message was given to Marija, who was standing in for Ivan. Our Lady came joyful and she said": "These days, I want you to pray in a special way for the salvation of souls. Today is the feast day of the miraculous medal, and I want that you pray, in a special way, for the salvation of those people who are carrying this miraculous medal. I want you to spread the devotion and the carrying of this medal, so that more souls may be saved, and that you pray in a special way." Prayer to Our
Lady of The Miraculous Medal Further information available on the multilingual official website of The Chapel of the Rue du Bac The following book which can be read online free on the EWTN website, has been recommended, "Saint Catherine Laboure of the Miraculous Medal", by Fr. Joseph I. Dirvin C.M. (copyright 1958). ~ The holy farm girl who as a young Daughter of Charity received the Miraculous Medal devotion from Our Lady herself. Try also:-
Stephen
Breen - St. Catherine Laboure and the Miraculous Medal. The
story of Our Lady's appearances to St. Catherine Laboure in Paris,
France in 1830. Section last updated 10th May, 2007 ~ ê¿ê |
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If you found it useful, please bookmark page and re-visit each month. The latest messages and commentaries are added asap after the 25th. If you link here, please use the address www.maryqueenofpeace.info (site will move across when time permits!) Page
originally created 24th May 2000 & last updated 3rd December 2010
v.5b.33 ACKNOWLEDGMENTS:now on one Acknowledgements page for source credits and links Link: Bernard Gallagher's Weblog link with a large and useful Photo Gallery on connected sites, also Kricezvac & Medjugorje witness Recordings
made in Medjugorje in May 2000
The
Way of the Cross on Mount Krizevac We
fly to Thy protection, O Holy Mother of God; despise not our prayers
in our necessities, but ever deliver us from all evil, O glorious and
Blessed Virgin! Our Lady, Queen of Peace and
Reconciliation, please pray for those who
have recourse to you Entrusted to Mary | Our Lady of the Millennium | Marian Links page
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As
I kneel before you All
I have, I give you |
Ave
Maria! Gratia plena Ave
Maria! Gratia plena Words & Music: Maria Parkinson |
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ABOUT: As well as the official Medjugorje Shrine website, there are an ever increasing number of excellent sites that it seems superfluous to have another. This website was originally created in May 2000 after my first pilgrimage, to help widen the distribution of the above painting by fellow pilgrim and friend Adrian Mills, helping in a small way with his ministry. It has grown as a means of further promoting knowledge of Our Lady's apparitions and Her messages, and as my personal interest with grateful thanks for many blessings received, also on behalf of many friends who share this interest. As the website grew in depth and links, it has become increasingly a way of understanding better the impact and challenge of living the messages, which is not easy. It is also a source for much material used in our local prayer group and answers to frequent questions. Perhaps my approach will interest, help and encourage you and that the links to the wider resources will be very useful. It is essential to visit the official site for a full view (navigation to links above). I pray that you will find this website useful even though it is not as complete or as organised as I would like. Do use the many excellent external links for more. I much appreciate the kind and encouraging comments and contributions regularly received by e-mail. (site author) Our
Lady has called us all to spread her messages of prayer, peace, faith,
love, fasting, penance and conversion. Let us all strive to answer the
invitation Our Lady gave on February 25, 1995. "Dear children!
Today I invite you to become missionaries of my messages, which I am
giving here through this place that is dear to me. God has allowed me
to stay this long with you and therefore, little children, I invite
you to live with love the messages I give and to transmit them to the
whole world, so that a river of love flows to people who are full of
hatred and without peace. I invite you, little children, to become
peace where there is no peace and light where there is darkness, so
that each heart accepts the light and the way of salvation. Thank you
for having responded to my call." The
final authority of the church is fully accepted. To avoid misunderstandings, please note that the "Information Centre "Mir" - Medjugorje", along with the priests who are working in Medjugorje, are the only official representatives of the shrine. No one else can be or is that, even if they live and work in Medjugorje. (from Authenticity Statement on Official site). Please note that the spelling 'MEÐUGORJE' is the more modern but the older Croatian spelling (Medjugorje) appears to be more common on website links. It may depend on when sites were started and whether "Ð" (alt+0208) was available on fonts. When searching, try both spellings.
visitors to this
page >> |
Miscellaneous
messages, jottings / links of interest /
items assembled for separate new pages under construction - so you may as
well have them here for now!
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Miscellaneous
messages- see
'tip' | Fasting:- Our Lady's messages of peace are necessary to save us and we must begin by first creating peace in our own hearts. This can be done in the following manner: [communicate with God, faith, prayer,]fasting on Wednesday and Friday on bread and water [unless you are not in good health or sick][& frequently receiving the Holy Sacrament.] If you are ill then instead of bread and water:-"It would be a good thing to give up television, because after some programs you are distracted and unable to pray." ~ December 8, 1981 "Dear children! Today I call you to renew prayer and fasting with even greater enthusiasm until prayer becomes a joy for you. Little children, the one who prays is not afraid of the future and the one who fasts is not afraid of evil. Once again, I repeat to you: only through prayer and fasting also wars can be stopped – wars of your unbelief and fear for the future. I am with you and am teaching you little children: your peace and hope are in God. That is why draw closer to God and put Him in the first place in your life. Thank you for having responded to my call." (25/12/2001) <:))))<>< The
visionaries say that they need to start praying the day before in
order to have a good fast day. The evening before, you might say a
prayer from your Heart for a good fast day and also to Fr. Slavko for
his help and intercession with our living and renewing the messages
that we're entrusted with. Our Lady says we all need to fast. She says
the best fast is on bread and water, but for those who might not be in
great health or might have an illness then although she still asks for
fasting, our Lady asks to choose something equally as difficult, a bad
habit, a particular fault we have and fast from this. "Dear
Children: Today, I invite you to start fasting with the heart. There
are a lot of people who fast because others do so. Fasting is a habit
nobody wants to give up. I ask the parish to fast out of gratitude
that God allowed me to stay in this parish so long. Dear Children,
fast and pray with the heart! Thank you for having responded to my
call" Recommended
reading:- "FASTING" by Father Slavko Barbaric. 1988
Franciscan University Press Sermon on fasting by St. Peter Chrysologus, Bishop ~ from Liturgy of the Hours, Office of Readings for Ash Wednesday.
“There are three things, my brethren, which cause faith to stand
firm, devotion to remain constant, and virtue endure. They are prayer,
fasting, and mercy. Prayer knocks at the door, fasting obtains, mercy
receives. Prayer, mercy and fasting: these three are one, and give
life to each other. Fasting is the soul of prayer, mercy is the
lifeblood of fasting. Let no one try to separate them; they cannot be
separated. If you have only one of them or not all together, you have
nothing. So if you pray, fast; if you fast, show mercy; if you want
your petition to be heard, hear the petition of others. If you do not
close your ear to An
excerpt from "A Man Named Father Jozo": But
there is something else that I would like to tell you in order to help
you recognize what Our Lady wants from us. The first step along the
path of conversion on which Our Lady invited us was (as we have
already heard) prayer, prayer with the heart, daily praying of the
rosary. The second step along this path of conversion is fasting. Our
Lady says fast. <:))))<>< "Fasting
cleanses the soul, raises the mind, subjects one's flesh to the
spirit, renders the heart contrite and humble, scatters the clouds of
concupiscence, quenches the fire of lust, kindles the true light of
chastity.......Fasting loves not many words, deems wealth superfluous,
scorns pride, commends humility, helps man perceive what is frail and
paltry.." St
Augustine: Sermons on Fasting, 11.,11#147 (Added 05/08/07) This section and more on fasting may be moved to a new page. <:))))<>< "I, the Mother, love you all. And in any moment that is difficult for you, do not be afraid! Because I love you even then when you are far from me and my Son. ... Therefore, dear children, pray, pray, pray!" ~ May 24, 1984 "If you are experiencing difficulties or if you need something, come to me." ~ December 8, 1981 "Little children, love bears everything bitter and difficult for the sake of Jesus who is love. Therefore, dear children, pray that God come to your aid, not however according to your desire, but according to His love. Surrender yourself to God so that He may heal you, console you and forgive everything inside you which is a hindrance on the way of love." ~ June 25, 1988 "Dear
children, behold, also today I want to call you to start living a new
life as of today. Dear children, I want you to comprehend that God has
chosen each one of you, in order to use you in a great plan for the
salvation of mankind. You are not able to comprehend how great your
role is in God's design. Therefore, dear children, pray so that in
prayer you may be able to comprehend what God's plan is in your
regard. I am with you in order that you may be able to bring it about
in all its fullness. Thank you for having responded to my call." October 17, 1985 "Dear children! Everything has its own time. Today I call you to start working on your own hearts. Now that all the work in the field is over, you are finding time for cleaning even the most neglected areas, but you leave your heart aside. Work more and clean with love every part of your heart. Thank you for having responded to my call." May 22, 1986 "Dear children! Today I wish to give you my own love. You do not know, dear children, how great my love is, and you do not know how to accept it. In various ways I wish to show it to you, but you, dear children, do not recognize it. You do not understand my words with your heart and neither are you able to comprehend my love. Dear children, accept me in your life and so you will be able to accept all I am saying to you and to which I am calling you. Thank you for having responded to my call." July 31, 1986 "Dear children! Hatred gives birth to dissensions and does not regard anyone or anything. I call you always to bring harmony and peace. Especially, dear children, in the place where you live, act with love. Let your only instrument always be love. By love turn everything into good which Satan desires to destroy and possess. Only that way shall you be completely mine and I shall be able to help you. Thank you for having responded to my call." September 25, 1986 "Dear children! By your own peace I am calling you to help others to see and begin to seek peace. You, dear children, are at peace and not able to comprehend lack of peace. Therefore, I am calling you, so that by your prayer and your life you help to destroy everything that is evil in people and uncover the deception that Satan makes use of. You pray that the truth prevails in all hearts. Thank you for having responded to my call." December 18, 1986 "Dear children! Once again I desire to call you to prayer. When you pray you are much more beautiful, like flowers, which after the snow, show all their beauty and all their colours become indescribable. So also you, dear children, after prayer show before God all so much more what is beautiful and are beloved by Him. Therefore, dear children, pray and open your inner self to the Lord so that He makes of you a harmonious and beautiful flower for Paradise. Thank you for having responded to my call." February 25, 1987 "Dear children! Today I want to wrap you all in my mantle and lead you all along the way of conversion. Dear children, I beseech you, surrender to the Lord your entire past, all the evil that has accumulated in your hearts. I want each one of you to be happy, but in sin nobody can be happy. Therefore, dear children, pray, and in prayer you shall realize a new way of joy. Joy will manifest in your hearts and thus you shall be joyful witnesses of that which I and My Son want from each one of you. I am blessing you. Thank you for having responded to my call." June 25, 1987 "Dear children! Today I thank you and I want to invite you all to God's peace. I want each one of you to experience in your heart that peace which God gives. I want to bless you all today. I am blessing you with God's blessing and I beseech you, dear children, to follow and to live my way. I love you, dear children, and so not even counting the number of times, I go on calling you and I thank you for all that you are doing for my intentions. I beg you, help me to present you to God and to save you. Thank you for having responded to my call." January 25, 1988 "Dear children! Today again I am calling you to complete conversion, which is difficult for those who have not chosen God. God can give you everything that you seek from Him. But you seek God only when sicknesses, problems and difficulties come to you and you think that God is far from you and is not listening and does not hear your prayers. No, dear children, that is not the truth. When you are far from God, you cannot receive graces because you do not seek them with a firm faith. Day by day, I am praying for you, and I want to draw you ever more near to God, but I cannot if you don't want it. Therefore, dear children put your life in God's hands. I bless you all. Thank you for having responded to my call." There is nothing so great, my children, as the Eucharist. If you were to put all the good actions in the world against a Communion well made, it would be like a grain of dust against a mountain. -- St. John Vianny What does it avail to know that there is a God, which you not only believe by Faith, but also know by reason: what does it avail that you know Him if you think little of Him? -- St Thomas More Many people would like to attain union with God but they cannot bear the contradictions he sends them. They hate the sickness which strikes them, or the poverty they suffer, or the insults they receive. Since they cannot be resigned, they never succeed in reaching total union with God. -- St Alphonsus de Liguori
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Hvaljen Isus I Maria! (Praised be Jesus and Mary!) |
