Commentary On The Messages Of Medjugorje

[kafka]

this is a commentary on select messages from the apparitions of Medjugorje which strike me, much like I like to do with Sacred Scripture, to make sense of and draw insights from the text. Mary's word will be in italicized. My commentary in brackets.

Initial thoughts: Mary is succinct and to the point with her messages much like Sacred Scripture. Prayer and fasting/self-denial (two of the three pillars of holiness) as well as conversion and penance is a main theme. Some messages are eschatological.

[b]Messages from 1981[/b]

the initial messages of 1981 are for the most part brief conversations between Mary and the children. As the years pass the messages become a little longer, subtler, and more focused. In the beginning Mary often corrects the children for being impatient and asking useless questions:

[i]"Don't ask useless questions dictated by curiosity. The most important thing is to pray, my angels."[/i] (September 30th, 1981)
[i]"You would have done better to attend Mass rather than to satisfy human curiosity."[/i] (October 8th, 1981)

SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 13TH 1981

Ivan's diary: "The students in the seminary prayed the rosary after they had gone to Confession." The Virgin came near the image of Jesus and said:
[i]There is your Father, my angel.
Go in the peace of God, my angels.[/i]

In the litany of the Holy Name is prayed, 'Jesus, Father of the world to come.' The Church was born from the side of Jesus on the Cross, symbolized by the blood and water. When Jesus preached he often called the crowd, who were adults, 'Little children.'

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 7TH 1981

The seers: "Is there, outside of Jesus, other intermediaries between God and man, and what is their role?"
[i]There is only one mediator between God and man, and it is Jesus Christ.[/i]

[So this is a basic doctrine always taught by the Church and summed up by Saint Paul: "For there is one God, and one mediator of God and of men, the man Christ Jesus (1 Timothy 2:5)]

On the request from Father Tomislav:
"Should we found here a community just like that of Saint Francis of Assisi?"
[i]God has chosen Saint Francis as His elected one. It would be good to imitate his life. In the meantime, we must realize what God orders us to do.[/i]

[this manifests the wisdom of Mary. Imitate the examples and teachings of the Saints, while following God's unique will for you]

MONDAY, OCTOBER 26TH 1981

The Blessed Virgin appeared smiling:
[i]Praise be Jesus. You are not to ask me any more questions on the subject of the sign. Do not be afraid, it will surely appear. I carry out my promises. As far as you are concerned, pray, persevere in prayer.[/i]

[Mary promised a permanent sign from the beginning of the apparitions which is yet to appear.]

OCTOBER 1981

In response to a question posed by the seers: "What will become of Poland?"
[i]There will be great conflicts but in the end, the just will take over. [/i]

[at the time Poland was in the communist bloc. The bloc ended without any great conflicts, so I think Mary is referring to the severe conflicts of the two wars of the first part of the Tribulation, the second of which concerns the great Catholic monarch of prophecy. Both wars will in part take place in Europe including Poland. At the end of the first part of the Tribulation there will be a brief era of peace and holiness when the just will take over during the reign of the great Catholic monarch.]

With respect to Russia:
[i]It is the people where God will be most glorified. The West has made civilization progress, but without God, as if they were their own creators.[/i]

[Sometime in the future Russia will be a great Catholic country, and this coincides with the messages of the conversion of Russia in the Fatima messages. The West has obviously fallen into some severe moral problems evident today.]

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 8TH 1981
(Feast of the Immaculate Conception).

Responding to a question from the seers with respect to their future:
[i]I would like for all of you to become priests and religious, but only if you desire it. You are free. It is up to you to choose. (L1, 136).
If you are experiencing difficulties or if you need something, come to me.[/i]

[Mary expresses her wish, yet she is humble enough to respect the freedom of the seers, just as God does not force himself upon our free will.]

[i]If you do not have the strength to fast on bread and water, you can give up a number of things. It would be a good thing to give up television, because after seeing some programs, you are distracted and unable to pray. You can give up alcohol, cigarettes and other pleasures. You yourselves know what you have to do.[/i]

[Mary teaches the children other ways of fasting which is basically any form of self-denial from that which is lawful in an ordinary life, ex. T.V.]

FRIDAY, DECEMBER 18TH 1981

"The Blessed Virgin did not respond to our questions.
She sang: 'Jesus Christ, in Your Name.' After the first verse, she said: "
[i]Come on, sing more joyfully. Why are you so pensive? [/i]

[most the Psalms have a joyful and uplifting tone. God is to be praised with joy since He is Goodness. He has given us Jesus and everything. The Catholic Christian Faith is one of joy even in the midst of our little crosses in this age of the Crucifixion. Mary while singing is experiencing the beautific union and vision of God, so this is a rather endearing and enlightening teaching for the children and us.]

MONDAY, DECEMBER 21ST 1981

[i]Be on your guard, my children. Prepare yourselves for difficult days. All kinds of people will come here.[/i]

[this prediction of Mary has come true. Literally millions have visited over the years. And there has been some difficulties and troubles.]


So the 1981 messages are pretty brief.

Edited November 11, 2010 by kafka

[Tally Marx]

Very nice observations, kafka. Thank you for sharing.
I must admit that I know very little of Medjugorje. However, I have liked that which I have heard and have found nothing suspicious in what I've read.
I enjoyed the book [i]While You Were Sleeping, [/i]by A Friend of Medjugorje.

[kafka]

http://www.medjugorje.eu/messages/

[b]Messages of 1982[/b]

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 9TH 1982

At the fourth "Our Father," the Blessed Virgin- arrived. We always ask questions with respect to the sick:
[i]Pray for all the sick. Believe firmly. I will come to help, according to that which is in my power I will ask my Son, Jesus, to help them. The most important thing, in the meantime, is a strong faith. Numerous sick persons think that it is sufficient to come here in order to be quickly healed. Some of them do not even believe in God, and even less, in the apparitions, and then they ask for help from the Gospa! [/i]

[Mary acknowledges her finiteness, her limitations in helping, yet she reminds the children that all things may be accomplished by means of Faith. Gospa is the Croation meaning Dear Lady.]

MONDAY, MARCH 1ST 1982

She blessed many articles; she touched them with her hands. Since the Yugoslavian authorities demanded that they put an end to the prayer meetings for the young people, the Blessed Virgin was questioned and responded:
[i]It is better to temporarily suspend prayer meetings and those of meditation because of the authorities. Take them up later, when it will be possible.[/i]

[this counsel manifests a profound grasp of morality and prudence. The bad consequences of holding prayer meetings in the then communist Yugoslavia against the evil demands of the authorities would have outweighed the good consequences of gathering together in prayer in defiance to these demands. So she counsels to temporarily suspend them (also knowing the ban would eventually be lifted after the dissolution of Yugoslavia.)]

SUNDAY, MAY 2ND 1982

[i]I have come to call the world to conversion for the last time. Later, I will not appear any more on this earth.[/i]

[Mary is Christ's helper, just like Eve was Adam's helper, and so she is helping Christ prepare for His return by appearing on earth according to the will, grace and providence of God and his plan. She is helping Christ prepare the Church and the world for his Return. So apparently after this series of Apparitions is over, there will be no more until the actual Return of Jesus and Mary. It is my understanding that these apparitions will continue into the first part of the Tribulation, and then Mary will have fulfilled her role of helping the Church and world prepare for the Return of Jesus, since the Tribulation culminates in the Second Coming. And so she will appear no more.]

MONDAY, JULY 12TH 1982

Will there be a third world war?
[i]The third world war will not take place.[/i]

[This question was asked in the context of a tension between East and West, where many people thought it would escalate into a third world war. The communist countries eventually dissolved and there was no war. In my understanding this does not mean that another world war will not unfold in the future during the Tribulation (End Times).]

SATURDAY, JULY 24TH 1982

Answer to some questions which were asked:
[i]We go to Heaven in full conscience: that which we have now. At the moment of death, we are conscious of the separation of the body and the soul. It is false to teach people that we are re-born many times and that we pass to different bodies. One is born only once. The body, drawn from the earth, decomposes after death. It never comes back to life again. Man receives a transfigured body. Whoever has done very much evil during his life can go straight to Heaven if he confesses, is sorry for what he has done, and received Communion at the end of his life.[/i]

[Death as seperation of body and soul has always been taught by Catholic theologians. Mary teaches against the error of reincarnation. She mentions the body drawn from the earth, just as Genesis taught Adam's body was formed by God from the clay of the earth. Our first bodies, decompose, and we are given new transfigured bodies at the resurrection. This manifests a refined understanding of theology. A person may truly repent of all mortal sins on his conscience before that death, confess, recieve Communion and offer his death in reparation for his sins and go straight to Heaven. Such is the mercy of God]

SUNDAY, JULY 25TH 1982

A response to questions asked regarding Hell:
[i]Today many persons go to Hell. God permits his children to suffer in Hell due to the fact that they have committed grave unpardonable sins. Those who are in Hell, no longer have a chance to know a better lot.[/i]

[The kingdom of Heaven is not all inclusive. The unrepentant grave sins of a human person are unpardonable after the moment of death since the state of soul is finalized and the person is immediately judged by God and sent to Hell. Final unrepentance, or final impenetance is the sin of blasphemy against the Holy Spirit who gives the grace to the sinner up to the moment of death, though the sinner finally rejects it and cannot repent anymore.]

WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 18TH 1982

Asked with respect to a plan of marriage between a Catholic and an Orthodox:
[i]In my eyes and in the sight of God, everything is equal. But for you, it is not the same thing because you are divided. If it is possible, it is better if she were not to marry this man because she will suffer and her children also. She will be able to live and follow only with difficulty, the way of her faith.[/i]

[God will give the Catholic and Orthodox spouses the sacrament of marriage and will give His grace and blessings throughout their life together, however the division of beliefs will cause tension and make it difficult for the Catholic spouse to follow her Faith, and raise her children in the Catholic faith. So Mary counsels against it if possible.]

TUESDAY, AUGUST 31ST 1982

[i]I do not dispose all graces. I receive from God what I obtain through prayer. God has placed His complete trust in me. I protect particularly, those who have been consecrated to me. The great sign has been granted. It will appear independently of the conversion of the people.[/i]

[Mary does not dispose (dispense, give) all graces. Mary is not the Mediatrix of all graces. She does not mediate or dispense of the graces that directly flow from Christ's Divine to His human nature, there is no mediation in the hypostatic union. She does not dispense the graces, she herself recieves from the one Mediator Jesus. Mary helps Jesus dispense the graces effected by his salvific death on the Cross by praying at the feet of Jesus in Heaven. So in all other cases she is the Mediatrix of grace. This is a profound and subtle truth of the Faith.]

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 4TH 1982

[i]Jesus prefers that you address yourselves directly to Him rather than through an intermediary. In the meantime, if you wish to give yourselves completely to God and if you wish that I be your protector, then confide to me all your intentions, your fasts, and your sacrifices so that I can dispose of them according to the will of God.[/i]

[it is not necessary to always pray to Jesus through Mary.]

SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 6TH 1982

Frightened by the eighth secret, Mirjana prayed to the Blessed Virgin to preserve humanity from this calamity:

[i]I have prayed; the punishment has been softened. Repeated prayers and fasting reduce punishments from God, but it is not possible to avoid entirely the chastisement. Go on the streets of the city, count those who glorify God and those who offend Him. God can no longer endure that.[/i]

[Mary entrusted to Mirjana, one of the visionaries, a set of ten secrets on a parchment, which I think refer to the events of the first part of the Tribulation. The events of the Tribulation are just punishments for unrepentant severe sins in accord with the will, grace and providence of God who planned the Tribulation from Eternity seeing the many severe sins committed by members of the Church and the world. The events are predicted in Sacred Scripture which is infallible and inerrant. So they will necessarily come to pass. Mary is only able to soften the punishment of one of the events, but she cannot change what is already planned by God who sees all things from Eternity in One Pure Eternal Act which He is. Mirjana, through the desire of Mary, chose Father Petar Lujubicic to announce the secrets to the world three days before each event occurs or begins to occur. This obviously has not yet happened.]

Edited November 12, 2010 by kafka

[cmotherofpirl]

As a reminder, Medjugorje does not have the approval of the Church, so kindly use your prudential judgement in regards to the alleged messages.

[holly.o]

[quote name='kafka' timestamp='1289534559' post='2186612']


TUESDAY, AUGUST 31ST 1982

[i]I do not dispose all graces. I receive from God what I obtain through prayer. God has placed His complete trust in me. I protect particularly, those who have been consecrated to me. The great sign has been granted. It will appear independently of the conversion of the people.[/i]

[Mary does not dispose (dispense, give) all graces. Mary is not the Mediatrix of all graces. She does not mediate or dispense of the graces that directly flow from Christ's Divine to His human nature, there is no mediation in the hypostatic union. She does not dispense the graces, she herself recieves from the one Mediator Jesus. Mary helps Jesus dispense the graces effected by his salvific death on the Cross by praying at the feet of Jesus in Heaven. So in all other cases she is the Mediatrix of grace. This is a profound and subtle truth of the Faith.]

[/quote]

Hmmmmmm....

I'm confused by this. I think I somewhat understand what you're trying to say in separating being the Mediatrix of graces vs. being the Mediatrix of [i]all[/i] graces, but there are Saints and Church documents that do claim this. I'm thinking particularly of St. Louis de Montford's [i]True Devotion[/i]. There's a short explanation of the title Mediatrix of All Graces here: [url="http://www.ewtn.com/faith/teachings/marya4.htm"]EWTN article[/url]. One powerful quote from St. Maximillian Kolbe: "As the Mother of Jesus our Savior, Mary was the Co‑redemptrix of the human race; as the spouse of the Holy Spirit, she shares in the distribution of all graces.”

I do get that you're putting a limit on the power of Mary to distribute grace among the Blessed Trinity, but I don't think anyone is thinking of this kind of distribution (at the divine level, it's really sharing, isn't it?) when they refer to her as Mediatrix of All Graces. What is attributed to her in the message, from how I read it, is that she only bestows graces on those who ask for her intercession.

As I still don't know enough about Medjugorje & it's not approved by the Church yet, I say this hypothetically - I can see why Mary wouldn't claim that title for the reason you've explained. But it still seems pretty confusing, seeing that the Church has given her that title. As there is also a movement to have a dogma proclaimed with that title, I find it even more confusing...

[kafka]

[quote name='holly.o' timestamp='1289610871' post='2186784']
Hmmmmmm....

I'm confused by this. I think I somewhat understand what you're trying to say in separating being the Mediatrix of graces vs. being the Mediatrix of [i]all[/i] graces, but there are Saints and Church documents that do claim this. I'm thinking particularly of St. Louis de Montford's [i]True Devotion[/i]. There's a short explanation of the title Mediatrix of All Graces here: [url="http://www.ewtn.com/faith/teachings/marya4.htm"]EWTN article[/url]. One powerful quote from St. Maximillian Kolbe: "As the Mother of Jesus our Savior, Mary was the Co‑redemptrix of the human race; as the spouse of the Holy Spirit, she shares in the distribution of all graces.”

I do get that you're putting a limit on the power of Mary to distribute grace among the Blessed Trinity, but I don't think anyone is thinking of this kind of distribution (at the divine level, it's really sharing, isn't it?) when they refer to her as Mediatrix of All Graces. What is attributed to her in the message, from how I read it, is that she only bestows graces on those who ask for her intercession.

As I still don't know enough about Medjugorje & it's not approved by the Church yet, I say this hypothetically - I can see why Mary wouldn't claim that title for the reason you've explained. But it still seems pretty confusing, seeing that the Church has given her that title. As there is also a movement to have a dogma proclaimed with that title, I find it even more confusing...
[/quote]
it is not confusing, it is a refined doctrine. I've never seen a Magisterial document call Mary Mediatrix of all graces in an absolute sense. This is clearly impossible. Some of the Saints may have erred on some points. Their personal theology is not an act of Magisterium, infallible or inerrant, or their writings could simply be incomplete or need to be read in context. The teaching of Mediatrix of grace has to be understood that Mary's salvific role is limited and substantially different than that of Christ's salvific role.

I think Fr. Most erred in his teaching. In that article you linked by Father Most contradicts himself and the teachings of Vatican II:

"We notice that Vatican II did not add the words "of all graces." However, as many papal texts point out, Mary's role in dispensation flows logically from her role in acquiring all graces.

VII does not use "of all graces." But then he says many papal texts point out that she is the Mediatrix of all graces, but in fact he is giving his own interpretation of some very small citations.

Second Vatican Council: “Therefore the Blessed Virgin is invoked by the Church under the titles of Advocate, Auxiliatrix, Adjutrix and Mediatrix. This, however, is to be so understood that it neither takes away from, nor adds anything to, the dignity and efficaciousness of Christ the one Mediator.”

Pope John Paul II: “Beside the merciful Heart of Christ, we venerate the Immaculate Heart of the Blessed Virgin Mary, [b]Mediatrix of grace [/b]and of salvation.”

Pope Leo XIII: “The recourse we have to Mary in prayer follows upon the office she continuously fills by the side of the throne of God as[b] Mediatrix of Divine grace[/b]; being by worthiness and by merit most acceptable to Him, and, therefore, surpassing in power all the angels and saints in Heaven.

Pope Pius XI: “And now lastly may the most benign Virgin Mother of God smile on this purpose and on these desires of ours; for since she brought forth for us Jesus our Redeemer, and nourished Him, and offered Him as a victim by the Cross, by her mystic union with Christ and His very special grace she likewise became and is piously called a reparatress. Trusting in her intercession with Christ, who whereas He is the ‘one mediator of God and men’ (1 Timothy ii, 5), chose to make His Mother the advocate of sinners, and the minister and [b]mediatress of grace[/b], as an earnest of heavenly gifts and as a token of Our paternal affection we most lovingly impart the Apostolic Blessing to you, Venerable Brethren, and to all the flock committed to your care.”

Pope Pius XI: “Let them pray to Him, interposing likewise the powerful patronage of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Mediatrix of all graces, for themselves and for their families, for their country, for the Church….”

[notice Pius XI specifically say Mediatrix of all grace for particular groups of people: families, countries, the Church. Yet not all graces period.]

The reason I think this teaching is important other than the fact that it is true, is that it prevents people from falling into an idolatry of Mary. In addition some false private revelations teach that Mary is the Mediatrix of all graces, eg. Ida Peerdman. Last this movement to have the Magisterium teach about the fifth and final Marian dogma is supported by some theological errors and teachings of false private revelations. So we will see what happens in the future.

Edited November 13, 2010 by kafka

[kafka]

[quote name='cmotherofpirl' timestamp='1289590500' post='2186747']
As a reminder, Medjugorje does not have the approval of the Church, so kindly use your prudential judgement in regards to the alleged messages.
[/quote]
that is what I am doing.

It is interesting that Pope Benedict opened a commission to investigate Medjurgorje dispensing of the rule used in the past to wait for the apparitions to run their course:

http://www.catholicculture.org/news/headlines/index.cfm?storyid=5756

"The Vatican has confirmed the formation of a commission to investigate the reported Marian apparitions at Medjugorje, presumably leading up to a formal Vatican statement on the subject.

As was reported earlier this month, the commission will be headed by Cardinal Camillo Ruini, the retired vicar of the Rome diocese. A March 17 statement from the Vatican press office did not name any other members of the commission, but said the group would be "made up of cardinals, bishops, specialists and experts." The commission will work under the auspices of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith and present its findings to that body."

[kafka]

Here is a section of Pope Benedicts new Apostolic Exhortation, Verbum Domini, released two days ago, concerning private revelations:

"Consequently the Synod pointed to the need to “help the faithful to distinguish the word of God from private revelations”[44] whose role “is not to ‘complete’ Christ’s definitive revelation, but to help live more fully by it in a certain period of history”.[45] The value of private revelations is essentially different from that of the one public revelation: the latter demands faith; in it God himself speaks to us through human words and the mediation of the living community of the Church. The criterion for judging the truth of a private revelation is its orientation to Christ himself. If it leads us away from him, then it certainly does not come from the Holy Spirit, who guides us more deeply into the Gospel, and not away from it. Private revelation is an aid to this faith, and it demonstrates its credibility precisely because it refers back to the one public revelation. Ecclesiastical approval of a private revelation essentially means that its message contains nothing contrary to faith and morals; it is licit to make it public and the faithful are authorized to give to it their prudent adhesion. A private revelation can introduce new emphases, give rise to new forms of piety, or deepen older ones. It can have a certain prophetic character (cf. 1 Th 5:19-21) and can be a valuable aid for better understanding and living the Gospel at a certain time; consequently it should not be treated lightly. It is a help which is proffered, but its use is not obligatory. In any event, it must be a matter of nourishing faith, hope and love, which are for everyone the permanent path of salvation.[46]"


so while we are analyzing these messages we have to decide if they are orientated toward Jesus Christ who is the sum and culmination of Divine Revelation. If the messages contain teachings contrary to the teachings of faith and morals of Divine Revelation: Sacred Tradition and Sacred Scripture, then it is a false private revelation. This is the test.

[holly.o]

[quote name='kafka' timestamp='1289613959' post='2186801']
it is not confusing, it is a refined doctrine. etc...
[/quote]

Thanks for the info. I'm still sorting it out in my head. In particular regarding [i]True Devotion[/i], as it seems to blatantly state Mary is the Medatrix of all graces, like here:

[quote]"She is his [God's] mystic channel, his aqueduct, through which he causes his mercies to flow gently and abundantly.

"God the Holy Spirit entrusted his wondrous gifts to Mary, his faithful spouse, and chose her as the dispenser of all he possesses, so that she distributes all his gifts and graces to whom she wills, as much as she wills, how she wills and when she wills. No heavenly gift is given to men which does not pass through her viriginal hands. Such indeed is the will of God... Such are the views of the Church and the early Fathers."
[/quote]

As I know so many great Saints, even Pope John Paul II, loved St. Louis de Montford's book and followed the path of consecration described in it, this does create confusion for me when seen in the light of what Mary is supposed to have said at Medjugorje regarding this.

I don't mean to be rude at all, and I really do appreciate your insights on many things. Please don't take this as argumentative - I'm really just hoping to clarify this issue for myself and others.

[kafka]

that is fine. The writings of the Saints have to be read in light of all the teachings of Tradition, Scripture, Magisterium. Mary does not dispense the graces which flow from the Divine Nature to the human nature of Christ, and she does not dispense of the graces she herself recieves. In all other cases, she helps Jesus dispense the graces he merited by his salvific death on the Cross: to all angels and all men. And she does this through prayer as she said in the above quote.

grace and peace to you. May your search of truth be fruitful.

Edited November 13, 2010 by kafka

[kafka]

one message I forgot from 1982 I forgot to add:

WEDNESDAY, JULY 21ST 1982

A response to a question on fasting:
[i]The best fast is on bread and water. Through fasting and prayer, one can stop wars, one can suspend the laws of nature.
Charity cannot replace fasting. Those who are not able to fast can sometime replace it with prayer, charity and a confession; but everyone, except the sick, must fast. [/i]

[the three pillars of holiness are prayer, self-denial (fasting, etc.), works of mercy.
Works of mercy (Charity in the above) cannot replace fasting on the Way of holiness because human nature is fallen and selfish, so one needs to deny one's own nature and set in order from day to day. Concupiscence, the selfish self-centeredness of fallen human nature is a contant battle 24/7 since we cannot escape our own nature, which is inherently good yet fallen as a just punishment for Adam's sin. Having to deal with concupiscence which on some days is worse than others is one of the little crosses of this Age of the Crucifixion as I call it.]

[b]Messages from 1983 [/b]

the messages from 1983 can be summed up as one exhortation and training in prayer. Most of the messages in the second half of the year are addressed to Jelena, who seemed to be struggling at the time. So Mary exhorts to prayer and illuminates certain aspects of prayer, what prayer may accomplish, how to pray, when, etc. These teachings are echoes of the Gospel.

MONDAY, JANUARY 10TH 1983

Questioned on the subject of Purgatory, the Blessed Virgin says:
[i]There is there, different levels of which the lowest are close to Hell and the highest gradually draw near to Heaven. It is not on all souls day, but at Christmas, that the greatest number of souls leave Purgatory. There are in Purgatory, souls who pray ardently to God, but for whom no relative or friend prays for them on earth. God makes them benefit from the prayers of other people. It happens that God permits them to manifest themselves in different ways, close to their relatives on earth, in order to remind men of the existence of Purgatory, and to solicit their prayers close to God who is just, but good. The majority go to Purgatory. Many go to Hell. A small number go directly to Heaven.[/i]

[Again, Heaven is not all-inclusive. Many go to Hell. The majority of those who die in the state of grace are assumed to Heaven by way of Purgatory. This is a reasonable assertion, since life even for those who are very holy is difficult and includes some venial sins. A small number who are very holy go directly to Heaven, or it may happen that some of these small number were great sinners, truly repented, were forgiven, and offered their deaths in a perfect act of love to make up for all the temporal punishment of their forgiven mortal and venial sins. Sometimes the last are first.]

MONDAY, APRIL 25TH 1983

Message received by Jelena, these last days:
My heart is burning with love for you. It suffices for you to be converted. To ask questions is unimportant. Be converted. Hurry to proclaim it. Tell everyone that it is my wish, and that I do not cease repeating it. Be converted, be converted. It is not difficult for me to suffer for you. I beg you, be converted.
I will pray to my Son to spare you the punishment. Be converted without delay. You do not know the plans of God; you will not be able to know them. You will not know what God will send, not what He will do. I ask you only to be converted. That is what I wish. Be converted! Be ready for everything, but, be converted. That is all I wish to say to you.[b] Renounce everything.[/b] All that is part of conversion. Goodbye, and may peace be with you.

[A continual renunciation of everything is an essential aspect of a continual conversion: "But far be it from me to glory, except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom the world is crucified to me, and I to the world." (Galatians 6:14) The punishment mentioned is the future events of the Tribulation.]

SUNDAY, JUNE 12TH 1983

Ivan: May the priests begin new work around the church or must they request authorization from the authorities?
[i]Do not begin the work until receiving permission from the authorities. Otherwise, someone will inform the latter and the works would be forbidden. Go, and kindly request the authorization. It will be given to you.[/i]

[Mary respects the leaders of the Church]

TUESDAY, JUNE 14TH 1983

Ivan: What do you wish that the priests preach during the ten anniversary days of the first apparitions?
[i]Have them do what they think is best. It would be good to remind the faithful of the events which have been revealed here in relation to my coming. Have them remind them the reasons for my coming here.[/i]

[Priest have a role of leading and teaching the faithful, so Mary defers to what they think is best.]

FRIDAY, JUNE 24TH 1983

[i]You cannot imagine what is going to happen nor what the Eternal Father will send to earth. That is why you must be converted! Renounce everything. Do penance. Express my acknowledgement to all my children who have prayed and fasted. I carry all this to my Divine Son in order to obtain an alleviation of His justice against the sins of mankind.[/i]

[The events of the Tribulation/End Times will be stupendous, beyond imagination, even though one may through prayer and meditation of Sacred Scripture get some idea of their magnificence and severity. An alleviation of the events of the End Times is limited since they are infallibly and inerrantly predicted by God in Sacred Scripture. God from Eternity has already seen that a significant portion of mankind will not repent and so the punishments are necessary for the sake of Justice, Mercy, Love, Truth and so on. The alleviation will be for the faithful who are cooperating with God's plan of the End Times, not those who are fighting against it. Though God will continue to provide for all for the sake of everyone's eternal salvation, even though some will always reject to the end.]

FRIDAY, AUGUST 12TH 1983

This was an exceptionally long apparition (38 minutes). The Blessed Virgin gives the seers instructions to guide their lives which only concerned them:
[i]Pray more for your spiritual life. Do your utmost in this sense. Pray for your Bishop.[/i]

[Mary is not in anyway bitter toward Bishop of the diocese and his rulings]

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 21ST 1983

[i]The important thing is to pray to the Holy Spirit, so that He may descend on you. When one has Him, one has everything. People make a mistake when they turn only to the saints to request something.[/i]

[our prayer life should be ordered first toward the God: Father-Son-Spirit, and second to Mary, third to the Angels and Saints. Over-emphasizing the Saints in one's prayer life is a disorder.]

Edited November 14, 2010 by kafka

[kafka]

I just spent about an hour reading and writing a commentary on the 1984 messages and it disappeared when I pushed post. I must have spent to long on it and automatically logged off and I didnt save.



oh well, I will skip 1984 and do 1985 tommorrow.

but the 1984 messages were excellent.

[kafka]

or maybe I will rewrite a commentary on the 1984 ones tommorrow night. They are too good to pass up.

[kafka]

[b]Messages from 1984[/b]

SUNDAY, JANUARY 1ST 1984

[i]My children, pray! I say again, pray, because prayer is indispensable to life.[/i]

[prayer is the first pillar of spiritual life. It is essential for the life of the soul.]

SUNDAY, JANUARY 15TH 1984

[i]I know that I speak to you very often about prayer, but know that there are many people in the world who do not pray; who do not even know what to say, in prayer. [/i]

[it seems the majority of Catholics in the West have also abandoned prayer, and do not know how to pray anymore.]

THURSDAY, JANUARY 26TH 1984

[i]Thank you for adoring my Son in the Sacred Host. That touches me very much. With respect to you, pray! I desire to see you happy.[/i]

[Mary encourages adoration of Jesus in the Eucharist. True happiness and peace proceed from a strong prayer life.]

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 1ST 1984

[i]It is raining at this time, and you say: 'It is not reasonable to go to church in this slush. Why is it raining so much? Why doesn 't the rain stop?' Do not ever speak like that. You have not ceased to pray so that God may send you rain which makes the earth rich. Then, do not turn against the blessing from God. Above all, thank him through prayer and fasting.[/i]

[We should thank God for everything. We should have a spirit of gratitude toward God for all good things.]

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 9TH 1984

[i]Pray, pray! How many persons have followed other beliefs or sects and have abandoned Jesus Christ. They create their own gods; they adore idols. How that hurts me! If they could be converted. Like the unbelievers, they are many. That will change only if you help me with your prayers.[/i]

[Mary desires the reunification of all Christian sects, Protestant and Orthodox with the One Catholic Church. Jesus Christ stands for all teachings of Sacred Tradition, Sacred Scripture, and Sacred Magisterium. If one picks and chooses which teachings of Jesus to follow without following all as one whole, it is easy to fall into idolatry, e.g. some Protestants idolize certain preachers who teach what they want to hear. One must remain in the Church and accept magisterial teachings because this is one of the three pillars of truth: But, if I am delayed, you should know the manner in which it is necessary to conduct yourself in the house of God, which is the Church of the living God, the pillar and the foundation of truth. (1 Timothy 3:16) Without accepting the pillar of the Church's teachings one is easily led astray]

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 17TH 1984

[i]My children, pray! The world has been drawn into a great whirlpool. It does not know what it is doing. It does not realize in what sense it is sinking. It needs your prayers so that I can pull it out of this danger.[/i]

[the world is currently in a state of severe evil and alienation from God.]

THURSDAY, MAY 17TH 1984

To Maria for the parish:
[i]I am happy today because many of you have desired to consecrate yourselves to me. I thank you for it. You have not been mistaken. My Son Jesus Christ wants, through my intercession, to extend the graces of predilection over you. He rejoices that you are consecrating yourselves to Him. [/i]

[Jesus, the One Mediator, dispenses the graces he merited by his salvific death on the Cross, with the help and assistance of Mary. Mary helps and assists Christ in dispensing his graces through prayer/intercession.]

MAY 1984

To Jelena, after inquiring about August 5th, 1984, if they would be celebrating her two thousandth birthday:
[i]Throughout the centuries, I have given myself completely to you. Is it too much to give me, three days? Do not work on those days. Take your rosaries and pray. Fasting has been forgotten during the last quarter of the century, within the Catholic Church.[/i]

[Mary has given her entire being in service of Jesus and his work of redemption for the entire human race, and this role of Mary continues in Heaven, which is beyond all space and time, through the centuries. Over the past half century (this message is twenty five years ago) the majority of Catholics do not observe the friday fast prescribed in Canon Law which is the bare minimum for fasting.]

TUESDAY, JUNE 26TH 1984

[i]When I say pray, pray, pray, I do not want to say to only increase the number of hours of prayer, but also to reinforce the desire for prayer, and to be in contact with God. Place yourself permanently in a state of spirit bathed in prayer.[/i]

[it is not possible to say recited prayers throughout the day, but it is possible in cooperation with grace, to have a prayerful heart always. Mary in this message and in others is teaching the same at Saint Paul, to 'Pray without ceasing.' (1 Thess 5:17).

In the messages there is an interplay of Mary's words with with the word of God, much like Pope Benedict taught in Deus Caritas Est: “The Magnificat – a portrait, so to speak, of her soul – is entirely woven from threads of Holy Scripture, threads drawn from the word of God. Here we see how completely at home Mary is with the word of God, with ease she moves in and out of it. She speaks and thinks with the word of God; the word of God becomes her word, and her word issues from the word of God. Here we see how her thoughts are attuned to the thoughts of God, how her will is one with the will of God. Since Mary is completely imbued with the word of God, she is able to become the Mother of the Word Incarnate”.]

THURSDAY, JULY 5TH 1984

Message to the parish:
[i]Always pray before your work and end it with prayer. If you do that, God will bless you and your work. These last days, you have prayed little and worked very much. Pray more. In prayer, you will find repose. [/i]

[Ora et Labora. Pray and work. Over-emphasizing work to the neglect of prayer is a disorder.]

MONDAY, OCTOBER 8TH 1984

[i]Let all the prayers that you say in the evening in your homes, be for the conversion of sinners, because the world is truly in sin. Recite the rosary every evening. [/i]

Jakov was sick that day and received this message at his home:
[i]Dear children! All the prayers which you recite in the evening in your homes, dedicate them to the conversion of sinners because the world is immersed in a great moral decay. Recite the rosary each evening.[/i]

[the world is in a dire state.]

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 11TH 1984

Message for the parish:
[i]Dear children! Thank you for offering all your afflictions to God, even at this time when He is trying your patience as you reap your crops.[/i] (Our Lady is alluding to prolonged rain which came in the middle of the harvesting and caused great damage.)[i] Be aware, dear children, that He loves you and that it is for that reason that He tests you. Always present your burdens to God and do not worry. [/i]

[God tries and tests our patience to strengthen love.]

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 18TH 1984

[i]Dear children! Today I ask you to read the Bible in your homes every day. Place it in a visible place there, where it will always remind you to read it and to pray.[/i]

[reading Sacred Scripture has a very important place in the life of the Faithful.]

[kafka]

[b]Messages from 1985[/b]

FEBRUARY - MARCH 1985

[i]Dear children! You have always prayed that I not abandon you. Now I ask of you, in turn, not to abandon me. Satan wants especially during these days to disperse you. For that, pray very much these days.
Dear children, I came again to thank you. You have not yet understood what that means. To give joy to my heart. It is a very great thing. I ask you only to persevere in prayer. As long as you pray I will have words for you. Good-bye, I thank you dear children. My love for you is unlimited; be happy with me, because I am happy with you.[/i]

[Mary says her love is unlimited. All human persons are limited, finite, however the supernatural virtue of love is based in and freely flows from God who is Unlimited by means of grace. Therefore those human persons who have the supernatural virtue of love and cooperate with supernatural grace, have in one sense a love which is boundless, and eternal. And true love includes love of all human persons, and love of God who is Infinite and Eternal.]

SATURDAY, MARCH 9TH 1985

[i]You can receive a grace immediately, or in a month, or in ten years. I do not need a hundred or two hundred 'Our Fathers.' It is better to pray only one, but with a desire to encounter God. You should do everything out of love. Accept all annoyances, all difficulties, everything, with love. Dedi cate yourselves to love.[/i]

[the quality of prayer is greater and more effective than the quanity.]

THURSDAY, APRIL 4TH 1985 (Holy Thursday)

Message to the parish:
[i]Dear children! I am thankful that you have begun to reassure more highly in your hearts the glory of God. Today is the day that I wanted to stop giving messages because certain people do not accept them. The parish has responded and I wish to continue to give messages to a degree, such as has never before been witnessed in the world, since the beginning of history. Try to remain in my heart. Do not remain on the side. [/i]

[the messages given by Mary at Medjugorje are prolific, spanning now, almost 30 years. And then there are still the ten secrets to be disclosed to the world by Fr. Petar and Mirjana at a future point in time.]

THURSDAY, APRIL 25TH 1985

Message for the parish:
[i]Dear children! Today, I invite you to pray with your heart and not only through habit. Some come here but do not pray with their hearts. Therefore, as your mother, I beg you to pray that prayer may prevail in your hearts at every moment. [/i]

[genuine prayer begins in the spiritual heart, the will]

THURSDAY, JUNE 6TH 1985

To Maria, for the parish:
[i]Dear children! Many people of all nationalities will come to the parish and now I am calling you to love. Love first of all the members of your own family and then you might be able to accept and love all those who are coming. [/i]

[this prediction in 1985 has come true, people from all over the world make the pilgrimage to Medjugorje.]

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 17TH 1985

To Maria, for the parish:
[i]There is a time for each thing. Today, I invite you to begin to work on your hearts. At present, all the work in the fields has ended. You find the time to clean the most neglected places, but you set your hearts aside. Work more now, with love, to clean each of the recesses of your heart. [/i]

[Ecclesiastes: All things have their time (3:1)]

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 14TH 1985

To Maria, for the parish:
[i]I, your Mother, love you. I encourage you to pray. I never get tired. I call you even when you are far from my heart. I feel badly for each person who is lost. But l am your Mother; Iforgive easily, and I experience joy for each child who returns to me. [/i]

[There is great joy in Heaven for the repented sinner: "So I say to you, there will be joy before the Angels of God over even one sinner who is repentant." (Luke 15:10)]

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 21ST 1985

To Maria, for the parish:
[i]I am anxious to tell you that it is a special time for you and for the parish. During the summer, you say that you have to work very much. At this time, there is no work in the fields. Thus, I invite you to work on yourselves. Come to mass; the time is being provided for you.
Dear children, there are many who come; in spite of the bad weather, because they love me, and want to prove their love to me. I ask all of you to prove your love to me by coming to mass. The Lord will reward you generously for it. [/i]

[in many of the messages I am not posting for the sake of brevity, Mary encourages devout attendance of Mass, praying the rosary, prayer, fasting, etc. All Catholic practices which are essential.]
THURSDAY, DECEMBER 5TH 1985

To Maria, for the parish:
[i]I wish io invite you to prepare yourselves for the feast of Christmas; through prayer; penance; and acts of love. Do not worry so much, dear children, about material things, because in this manner, you will not be able to live the feast of Christmas. [/i]

[materialism has taken away from the feast of Christmas, so Mary warns against it.]