CARNATIONS FROM LJUBLJANA IN MEDJUGORJE

The feast of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary in the parish of Medjugorje was permeated with a unique and exceptional spiritual atmosphere. The multitude of faithful prepared itself for that feast day with a strict nine-day fast and long recollected prayer. The main idea of the highly attended devotional novena was to draw closer to the Immaculate Virgin with a heart as pure as possible. To that purpose the faithful under the guidance of the priests prayed special prayers to God for the eradication of one of the most basic human sins, like blasphemy, adultery, slander and drunkenness. Along with that each one publicly renounced his own sins before the altar and publicly pronounced his personal confession of faith.

On the very feast day of Immaculate Conception the church and the church yard in Medjugorje were filled with a multitude of the faithful from just about every part of the world. Special pilgrims arrived from Maria Bistrica, from Zagreb and from Ljubljana. A group of Orthodox faithful also arrived from Sapac and a group of Catholics from the island of Pag. The pastor specially greeted all those pilgrims from distant places and wished them a warm welcome. The pilgrims from Ljubljana brought with them sprays of fresh carnations and placed them as a gift to Our Lady in Medjugorje. Despite the overcast and wintry weather, the faithful attended the holy mass in exemplary recollection and patience. The church choir from the parish of Humac sang enthusiastically at the mass. A large number of the faithful also received the sacrament of hold confession. That is best confirmed by the fact that twenty priests continuously heard confessions for 4:30 PM till 9:00 PM.

There is no doubt that the spiritual fruits in Medjugorje are more and more visible, and that is what brings joy to all men of good will.

B. – L.
Naša Ognjišta, XII., 1, (79) Duvno-Tomislavgrad, January, 1982, p. 13.

AGAIN I WAS IN MEDJUGORJE

Here I am again for a while in my rocky Hercegovina. I arrived from Zagreb early on a wintry afternoon. I was tried and hungry. But I forgot all of that at the door as soon as I noticed mother’s smile and her warm “Forever Jesus and Mary.” And then mother embraced me, and then gave me a warm refreshment and sweetly began to tell me about everything that happened at home since I was gone. About the harvest, about the “scale”, about the healthy condition of the children at home, but above all about Our Lady in Medjugorje, whom she cannot mention with deep emotion. And I also remembered with emotion my own spiritual experiences in Medjugorje last summer. That’s why I wanted as soon as possible to go over there again. Right after my soul was comforted with mother’s words and my body with home-made bread under sauce and with freshly cooked rastika, I set out with my brother in the direction of Medjugorje. We started about 5 PM. When we crossed the Lukoc creek and with a strong north wind finished the rest of the way, just then the bells rang out that the evening mass was about to start. The church was already filled to the last place, but we somehow squeezed in among its broad arches. Right before the very beginning we joined in the community singing of the new Marian song, “We have come to your, dear Mother” which Fr. Stanko [Vasilj] led with the organ. At the mass all hearts and all voices were blended as one. The youth, the children, the old folks. God’s words from the epistle and the gospel, as well as the sermon of Fr. Tomislav [Vlasic] we all just drank into our soul. As never before, as never elsewhere. And after that the general prayers of the faithful flowed from the soul like fresh water from a spring. And then again a hymn “Hear us, mother”. And then the humble gift to Jesus who comes to us under the form of bread and wine, and the wholehearted praise song “Hail, body of Jesus”. Everything at first completely ordinary, but experienced in an unordinarily profound way. So too goes Holy Communion which six priests distributed and to which I approach more recollected than ever. And while I am receiving the Body of Jesus, the exclamation breaks out of the depth of my soul: Thank you, Jesus, for coming to me! Thank you, Mary, for leading us so surely to Jesus! The mass is ended, but the rapture endures. And also in that rapture all of us stayed in church. Still a long time in deep recollected prayer, during which we did not forget anyone. We knelt on our knees but our knees didn’t shake. With Fr. Tomislav and with the children-visionaries our rosary murmured more beautifully than the murmur of a forest creek.

On leaving the church both the acquainted and the unacquainted greet each other like blood brothers and sisters. And they dispersed to their houses with a Marian song and a prayer. The old folks, the youth, and very young, all the same. The ways are different: Medjugorje, Ljubuski, Listica, Mostar, Imotski, Duvno. But the thoughts are the same. And the joyful enthusiasm is the same for everyone.

And after all, I am sure of one thing: We are all more faithful, more sincere, we love more, we forgive more, we are more Christian, we are more human.

Thank you, Lord, for this enrichment! Thank you, Mary, for this fountain of grace!

A young female student.

Naša Ognište, XII., 2 (80) Duvno-Tomislavgrad, February 1982 p. 7.