The Medjugorje Star Vol. 26, No. 2 Published for the Glory of God April/May 2012 The Word of God Cannot Fail Reflection on the Message of Our Lady by Fr. Charles Sellars, omi God s Children The following is a testimony by Fr. Dominic given in a homily in Medjugorje, dedicated to Mary the Mystical Rose. Thanks to the Medjugorje Herald for printing such inspiring homilies. Yes, as the rain and the snow come down from the heavens and do not return without watering the earth, making it yield and giving growth to provide seed for the sower and bread for the eating, so the word that goes forth from my mouth does not return to me empty, without carrying out my will and succeeding in what it was sent to do Isaiah 5:10-11. When Our Lord and His Mother decide to accomplish something, they always get what they want. They get their way sooner or later with or without our cooperation. Tragically, some souls obstinately refuse to cooperate, but that does not deter them from their plan. My paternal grandmother became pregnant by a Canadian Indian. Racism was rampant at the time. To raise a Métis child [of mixed blood] was seen as shameful. Many recommended abortion. Her parents opted instead to hide the child s origin from him and pretended his mother was really his sister and they were the parents. The young mother was demented by the secrecy and the humiliation and died of tuberculosis in a sanatorium. In the delirium of her final hours, she addressed him as her son: Come here, my son. I want to see you and call you my son before I die. Her parents tried to convince him that she was delirious, that [her father] was his father. He subsequently learned the truth about his parents. Fr. Dominic continued on page 2. Messages of Our Lady of Medjugorje March 25, 2012 April 25, 2012 The shepherd knows his sheep and they know him. Our relationship is one of knowing with our heart. We can read about love, but that is not the same as being in love. A person living on the equator can read about snow and even see pictures of it. But that is not the same as feeling the crunch of snow. Knowing about Christ and being in relationship with Him are on two different levels. One is in the head, the other in the heart. We are God s children by reason of our Baptism. In Baptism we are remade into the image of the risen Christ, with full rights of inheritance as children of the King of kings. We are God s children by our relationship with the only begotten Son of the Father, Jesus Christ, who calls us His brothers and sisters. As a child imitates the parent, we are called to be imitators of God, growing from holiness to holiness into His very image. D ear children! Also today, with joy, I desire to give you my motherly blessing and to call you to prayer. May prayer become a need for you to grow more in holiness every day. Work more on your conversion because you are far away, little children. Thank you for having responded to my call. D ear children! Also today I am calling you to prayer, and may your heart, little children, open towards God as a flower opens towards the warmth of the sun. I am with you and I intercede for all of you. Thank you for having responded to my call.
Fr. Dominic continued from page 1. He approached a priest and spoke of his desire to become a priest and work as a missionary among the Canadian Indians. That will never happen, he was told. You are a disgrace to your family and relatives who are religious and priests in this diocese. You will never be respected: nobody will listen to a half-savage. The bishop will never agree. Besides, there is a stipulation in Canon Law that forbids anyone with mysterious or unknown origins to become a priest. It will be used against you, and you will never see the inside of a seminary. Go; get married far from here, far from the Cathedral of St. Boniface. My mother and father met just after the Second World War and, incidentally, were married in the St. Boniface Cathedral on his return from the war. Having been dissuaded from becoming a priest himself, my father promised the Lord that he would try to foster vocations to the priesthood and religious life. In gratitude to Our Lady for surviving the war, he promised he would do the utmost to give a priest to Mother Church. They had eight children without any complications. During the ninth pregnancy another fight for life ensued. Doctors told my parents that their duty was to choose The visionary Mirjana Dragicevic-Soldo had daily apparitions from June 24, 1981 to December 25, 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. Several thousand pilgrims gathered to pray the Rosary at the Blue Cross. The apparition lasted from 14:00 to 14:05. Dear children! I am coming among you because I desire to be your mother - your intercessor. I desire to be the bond between you and the Heavenly Father - 2 an abortion to save my mother s life. She was in her middle forties. The world did not need another unwanted baby, and my parents already had enough mouths to feed, they were told. They resisted adamantly and decided to carry the baby full term. Doctors persisted with their efforts and even accused them of stubbornness. Their reply was to talk to God and see what He thinks. When my mother was in the hospital for the delivery, she was convinced that the medics were still determined to perform an abortion. Consequently, she refused any form of anesthetic. A Caesarean section was performed. As the doctor held a protruding foot in his hand, he said, This is your last chance! Allow me to terminate this pregnancy before it kills you. You have lost too much blood. It is breech birth; the umbilical cord is wrapped around his neck; he will be retarded and deficient. No, she responded. I will die before him. We will both die if it is God s will. But if I die, I will die giving birth, not taking it. She lost consciousness soon afterwards. When she came to, a baby boy was brought to her. Her husband came into the room and together they decided that his baby must belong to God in a special way. They called him Dominic, a name that means belonging to the Lord or the Lord s own. The Annual Apparition of Our Lady to Mirjana Dragicevic-Soldo, March 18, 2012 your mediatrix. I desire to take you by the hand and to walk with you in the battle against the impure spirit. My children, consecrate yourselves to me completely. I will take your lives into my motherly hands and I will teach them peace and love, and then I will give them over to my Son. I am asking you to pray and fast because only in this way will you know how to witness my Son in the right way through my motherly heart. Pray for your shepherds that, united in my Son, they can always joyfully proclaim the Word of God. Thank you. They decided not to tell the boy of the circumstances of his birth until after he had chosen a vocation in life. In this way he would not feel any pressure or obligation to become a priest. If he did make that choice, it would be out of love for the Lord. My father died when I was seven years old. He was never able to tell me the story. When I entered the seminary, my mother did tell me. Today, she has dementia and sometimes confuses me with other members of the family. Every time I remind her that I am a priest, I renew her great joy that she has given a priest to the Church and the world. My mother passed away on May 20, 2011. I was there with the family for her. She waited until I arrived from presiding at a funeral. I gave her the Last Rites and said, Mother, you gave me what I needed for life. I give you what you need for eternal life. You can go now and see Dad and your two sons. She gave her last breath and went to her reward. Praise the Lord! The visionary Marija is back from Lebanon! O n the 10 th and 11 th of March 2012, at the Beirut forum at Karantina, Marija prayed and gave her testimony in front of more than 60,000 people. Members of every religion of Lebanon were present; it was an exceptional event for this territory so often stained by the blood of divisions between Christians and Muslims. During the rosary, Marija publicly received the apparition of the Blessed Mother on both days. During these apparitions, Marija entrusted all the people of Lebanon to Our Lady, asking her to bless them, as well as all those whom they carry in their hearts. On Sunday, Marija asked her if she had a word for them. So the Blessed Mother gave this message to the Lebanese people: Do not forget that I am your Mother and that I love you! What a beautiful reminder of what is essential! Children of Medjugorje www.childrenofmedjugorje.com
by Hubie Mule I From the Heart The Greatest Prayer for Peace! (Part 3 of 3) n this final series on peace from the Pastoral Constitution on the Church in the Modern World of the Second Vatican Council, I hope to encourage and give insight into the seemingly impossible mission of fostering world peace. Traveling tirelessly at the age of 84 to the four corners of earth, His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI is probably our most effective ambassador for world peace and love. His latest quest for peace and human rights was to Cuba and Mexico. Pope John Paul II and his predecessors also shared in this same role. Missionary priests are a powerful witness internationally to peace. That is why it is so important to support and pray each day for the Pope, bishops, priests, missionaries, laity and all those who witness. Archbishop Gregory M. Aymond composed a prayer for the family in the New Orleans, LA diocese. He invited the pastors of each parish to have his parishioners pray it together at every Mass. Part of his prayer reads, Bless parents that they may form their children in faith. Bless and protect our youth that they may be peacemakers of our time. Give consolation to those who have lost loved ones through violence. In my own parish, St. Matthew the Apostle in River Ridge, LA, and in several parishes throughout the diocese, we studied the new changes of the Mass. We met and discussed the new publication of the book by Monsignor James P. Moroney, titled The Mass Explained. It fit perfectly into this year s Lenten theme of 2012. I recommend this book to understand the Mass changes, and also the revised daily and Sunday missal. Both are a must read for growth in understanding our faith. The book notes the significance of the blessing and dismissal at Holy Mass. Following the 2008 Synod on the Eucharist, Pope Benedict XVI, at the request of the Synod Fathers, added three new dismissal formulas to the conclusion of the Mass: Go and announce the Gospel of the Lord. or: Go in peace, glorifying the Lord by your life. or: Go in peace. We are one body in Christ. Mary, the Mother of Jesus, tells us the best prayer is the Holy Mass. That s what we can do! Individually we can frequent Mass and pray for peace: peace in our hearts, peace in our family, peace in our nation and peace in the world. May we be encouraged by Our Lady s appearances and messages in Medjugorje. Mary s role has always been and still is great in the mystery of salvation. Let us join her in prayer for peace and conversion that Jesus may be glorified through our witness. The Mass Explained and the revised missals are offered on page 5. Hvaljen Isus I Marija! (Praised be Jesus & Mary!) From the Pastoral Constitution on the Church in the Modern World of the Second Vatican Council (Gaudium et spes, nn. 88-90) The Christian duty of working for peace Christians should cooperate, willingly and wholeheartedly, in building an international order based on genuine respect for legitimate freedom and on a brotherhood of universal friendship. This is all the more urgent because the greater 3 part of the world still experiences such poverty that in the voices of the poor, Christ Himself can be heard, crying out for charity from His followers. There are nations many of them with a majority of Christians which enjoy an abundance of goods, while others are deprived of the necessities of life, and suffer from hunger, disease and all kinds of afflictions. This scandal must be removed from among men, for the glory of Christ s Church and its testimony to the world are the spirit of poverty and the spirit of love. Christians, especially young Christians, deserve praise and support when they offer themselves voluntarily in the service of other people and other nations. Indeed, it is the duty of all God s people, with bishops giving a lead by word and example, to do all in their power to relieve the sufferings of our times, following the age-old custom of the Church in giving not only what they can spare but also what they need for themselves. Without being uniform or inflexible, a method of collecting and distributing contributions should be established in each diocese and nation and on a worldwide level. Wherever it seems appropriate, there should be joint action between Catholics and other Christians. The spirit of charity, far from forbidding prudence and orderliness in social and charitable action, in fact demands them. Those intending to serve the developing countries must therefore undergo appropriate and systematic training. In order to foster and encourage cooperation among men, the Church must be present and active in the community of nations. It must work through its own public organizations with the full and sincere cooperation of all Christians in their one desire to serve all mankind. This end will be more effectively achieved if the faithful are themselves conscious of their human and Christian responsibilities and seek to awaken among those in their own walk of life a readiness to cooperate with the international community. Special care should be taken to give this kind of formation to young people in their religious and secular education. From the Heart continued on page 4.
Ivan in Baton Rouge, Louisiana How to Defend the Faith Without Raising Your Voice (Civil Responses to Catholic Hot Button Issues) by Austen Ivereig This book is about winning friends, not arguments. It is about shedding light, not heat. It is about reframing the argument so that hearts can be opened and minds can be inspired. It is a new sort of apologetics. It is for those moments when you are thrust into the spotlight as the token Catholic whether the spotlight is simply at the office water cooler or whether it is front and center at the in-laws holiday celebration. How to Defend the Faith without Raising Your Voice gives Catholics a fresh way of explaining the Church s teachings on contentious issues compellingly, succinctly, and with clarity. It is offered on page 5. Harry Potter & the Paganization of Culture by Michael O Brien Essential reading that teaches parents how to discern harmless stories from those that are destructive to heart, mind & spirit. Offered on page 5. From the Heart continued from page 3. Finally, it is to be hoped that, in carrying out their responsibilities in the international community, Catholics will seek to cooperate actively and constructively with other Christians, who profess the same Gospel of love, and with all men who hunger and thirst for true peace. by Darrell Goudeau F 4 or those who didn t get to go to Ivan s (the visionary from Medjugorje) talk and apparition on January 31, 2012, he talked about two hours. Towards the end, he described the evening s apparition. He said: Words are not enough to describe it (the apparition). I begin to feel Mary s presence while we are all praying the Rosary. I first see a light, the light of heaven, and then I don t see anything else and I don t feel time or space. The light of heaven is nothing like you see on this earth. Sometimes behind Our Lady you can see people walking and the flowers and beautiful colors. She is so beautiful. We asked her one time why she is so beautiful. She said it is because she loves. She said the more we love, the more beautiful we will become. Mary came joyful and happy. She said, Praise be to Jesus. My dear children, today in this time of grace I call you in a special way to pray more. Pray in adoration before the cross, in your families, pray before the cross. Pray that the Holy Spirit pours out on you and your families. Pray for those distant from my Son. Then she prayed over the priests that were here and prayed over all of us with her hands extended and over the sick that were here. She blessed us all and the holy articles we had. Ivan said he recommended all of the sick and all of us and all our petitions to Mary. He said that he and Mary talked and that remains private. Then she prayed for vocations and departed in a light and with the sign of the cross and said, Go in peace. Major points of Ivan s talk: We are here because we are hungry for God, hungry for the truth, hungry for peace. We can only find those things in God, not in the world. Mary comes to show us a new way, not the way of the world. She shows us the path to Jesus. Jesus says, Come to Me all you who are tired and heavily burdened. We have come to drink and be filled. We have come to Holy Mass which is the center of our lives. Mary says tonight, If you knew how much I love you, you would cry with joy. Mary says we will only have a healthy Church if we have holy families. In our families, we must pray and read the Holy Scriptures with our children. Families no longer pray. Parents have no time for their children, husbands and wives have no time for each other. How many sit together at the table for dinner and share a meal and the day s concerns? We must bring the family back. That is where Our Lady is leading us. Today there is a falling apart of morality. She is calling us to put God first in our lives. If we do, we will have peace. Our Mother comes to us as a Mother of peace. If a person has no peace in his life, there can be no peace in the world. The world is not just in an economic recession; it is in a spiritual recession.our Mother is awakening us. She is concerned for our eternal salvation. She says, You are my living Church. If you are strong, the Church will be strong. If you are weak, the Church will be weak. We must set time aside for prayer. She says if you wish to attend the school of prayer, there are no weekends off. To pray more is to pray better. You say you don t have time to pray. Time is not the problem. Love is the problem. I wish you could have all been with us. Blessings and peace.
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the Mir Response... By Mimi Kelly, Director Emeritus of The MIR Group SPIRITUAL MOVEMENT OF THE QUEEN OF PEACE! In March, New Orleans was blessed with a visit from Medjugorje visionary Ivan Dragicevic. I was privileged to have discussions with him concerning the movement of Medjugorje - meaning the devotion of people in general concerning spreading the message of Our Lady. I asked him about a few things in particular about Medjugorje centers and their work, about small home-type prayer groups, and about vocations. While he didn t put a number on the Medjugorje centers, he believes that there are still many throughout the world, not as many as in the early days of the apparitions, but still many, that are faithfully disseminating the message of Our Lady (peace, prayer, fasting, reconciliation, conversion). As for small in-thehome prayer groups, he said that this is something that Our Lady really encourages. She wants to see families and groups meeting in the homes to pray. I asked about vocations to the priesthood. He said that 1,200 vocations have been documented because of an experience of Medjugorje. Personally, I think that number is low. How many men do you know whose lives were changed and became priests because of their pilgrimage to Medjugorje? As I prepared for this issue, I began to think about my conversations with Ivan and how Medjugorje has impacted New Orleans and wondered how it has impacted each city in the U.S., and, in fact, the world? What do you see in your area which has a direct link to the influence of Medjugorje? In 1985 a small contingent of local women went to Medjugorje after hearing of the apparitions. They shared their story on a television program, and it all just exploded from there. Between then and 1991, when the war started in Croatia, thousands upon thousands went to Medjugorje (pilgrimages continue to this day!) The result was that pilgrims returned with a renewed faith and a desire to grow in faith and to become active in their church and community. Medjugorje centers started (The MIR Group being one of them), individuals began prayer groups in their homes, the faithful were encouraging pastors to open Perpetual Adoration chapels, as well as those inspired by Our Lady s message found their way to ministries helping the poor, working for pro-life, and many other similar works of charity. It truly was an explosion of love throughout the region. Have you ever considered how Medjugorje has impacted your area? Have you shared this news with Medjugorje? Are you aware that the Medjugorje Information Center in Medjugorje has requested that Medjugorje centers send them information concerning the work of each center throughout the world? As the new Vatican commission, which is studying the apparitions, continues to investigate, it is important to know the good fruits of Medjugorje. Surely the many, many prayer groups formed because of the inspiration of Our Lady s message is important to the investigation. The paragraphs below are taken directly from the official Medjugorje website - www.medjugorje.hr. I kindly ask that if you are a center or group which brings pilgrimages to Our Lady s shrine, that you go to the website and fill out the forms and thereby assist in providing the Vatican committee with details of how Medjugorje has affected your area. Our Lady Queen of Peace, Pray for us! Spiritual Movement of the Queen of Peace - www.medjugorje.hr The movement, born after the apparitions of the Queen of Peace in Medjugorje, includes pilgrimages to Medjugorje, the setting up of Peace centers, prayer and charity groups all around the world, as well as pastoral, publishing, humanitarian and other kinds of activities... This questionnaire will give us the opportunity to have a better grasp of the worldwide dimension of the movement in the service of the Universal 7 Church. It will help us to get to know each other better, to have better communication with various groups worldwide, as well as to grow better in our prayer and service. We kindly ask all the leaders of Peace centers, prayer and charity groups, as well as organizers of pilgrimages, to fill in the questionnaire and to send it to Medjugorje to fax no. + 387.36.651.444, or to write to centar@medjugorje.hr in order to receive the questionnaire by email.
The Medjugorje 2627 David Drive Metairie, LA 70003-4509 Star DATED MATERIAL is published bimonthly. Subscription is by donation. If you mail this newsletter to anyone, you must fold the newsletter in half, tape it closed and place a FIRST CLASS stamp over permit number. Permit is invalid for individual mailing. Please notify us when your address changes by giving us your old and new address. The Star is not forwarded by the post office. Our purpose is to spread information about the apparitions of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Medjugorje, Bosnia-Hercegovina. Any article in this newsletter can be copied in whole with credit given to. There is no subscription fee. This newsletter survives solely on your donations and purchases of books and religious items. Your prayers are requested for this ministry of spreading Our Lady's messages worldwide. A Life of Blessings by Michael Brown Michael s newest book helps us to focus on the blessed part of life with a compilation of inspirational articles from Spirit Daily. Life is short and a challenge, but we can live it with joy. This book helps us tap into the goodness God has reserved for each one of us. It is offered on page 5. THE MEDJUGORJE STAR 2627 David Drive Metairie, LA 70003-4509 Phone (504) 889-1713 FAX (504) 889-1714 Editor: Kay Mule Secretary: Ellie Rodrigue Printer: Roberson Advertising (504) 832-1481 To get by email, send your email address to medjugorje@mindspring.com The Holy Father s Visit the Silver Chapel The Medjugorje Star is located near the Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport. Join us for prayer in the Silver Chapel noon Angelus, 3 pm Divine Mercy Chaplet. N W E Williams S Airport Airline Hwy Power Veterans Blvd I-10 David Dr. Non Profit Orgn. U. S. Postage PAID New Orleans, LA Permit No. 1301 General Intention for May 2012 The Family. That initiatives which defend and uphold the role of the family may be promoted within society. General Intention for June 2012 Christ, Present in the Eucharist. That believers may recognize in the Eucharist the living presence of the Risen One who accompanies them daily. 8 Spiritual Director: Fr. Charles Sellars, omi Oblate Madonna Residence 5722 Blanco Road San Antonio, Texas 78216-6680 (210) 348-1466 Patron Saint of TMS: St. Anthony Mary Claret Visit our home page http:// medjugorje.home.mindspring.com/ for message & stories Store Hours Mon.-Fri. 9:00-5:30 Sat. 9:00-4 CST