The apparitions of Medjugorje
The Queen of Peace
Medjugorje was a little village located in Yugoslavia whose name means, “between the mountains”: On one side there is the mountain Krizevac, on which a cross was built in 1933 in remembrance of the Holy Year of redemption. On the other side is the mountain Crnica whose foothills known as Podbro is the area where the first apparitions took place in the small village called Bijakovici. It is in Bijakovici where the visioners lived.
The first vision happened on June 24th, 1981, on a wednesday afternoon. It was the day of of St. John the Baptist, the Christian faith precursor who invited his contemporaries to conversion.
Two young schoolgirls, Ivanka Ivankovic (15 years old) and Mirjana Dragicevic (16 years old), were taking a walk when they saw a bright figure on a path on the outskirts of Podbrdo. It was a figure of a young woman holding a child in her arms. After a while Milka Pavlovic (12 years old) and Ivanka’s cousin, Vicka Ivankovic (17 years old), came to them. Finally, two more young boys, Ivan Dragicevic (16 years old) and Ivan Ivankovic (20 years old) came also.
The Lady with the child invited all of them to climb up to meet her, but they were afraid so they ran away. The day after, the four girls had decided to go back to the hill, but Milka was held back by her mother, as she needed help, so her sister Marija (16 years old),took her place, accompanied by the little Jakov Colo (10 years old).
The definitive group of six visionaries was created; they asked the bright figure who she was and they heard her say: ”I am the Blessed Virgin Mary”.
Since then the anniversary of the apparition is celebrated on June the 25th, as Our Lady herself explicitly asked them in 1982 on February the 2nd: “I wish the holiday in honour of The Queen of the Peace to be celebrated on June the 25th. Just in that day, indeed, the kids came on the hill for the first time”.
Overall, it’s important to remark the coincidence of the first apparition on the recurrence of St. John the Baptist, the prophet of conversion, the one who prepared the people of Israel to the coming of Christ: a very important choice by Our Lady that will be tied later with the starting day of the monthly messages, in 1987 on January the 25th, recurrence of St. Paul’s conversion. It’s evident how the Holy Virgin choosesher dates very carefully, remarking in this way that the main message of Medjugorje is not praying (yet stimulated many times) but conversion: “This is the most important message I gave you here!” She stated in 1996 on February the 25th .
In the meantime, the apparition holding the Child in her arms means, since the beginning, the aim to refer to Christ all apparitions.
More, it’s important the place where she appeared: the country was then one of the strongholds of communism. This historic location is very important as Our Lady, in 1991 on august the 9th , asked a specified issue: “I invite you to renunciation all along nine days, so that with your help is realized all I want to realize by the secrets I started in Fatima.”
So, on following December the 8th, on the solemnity of Immaculate Conception, the leaders of Soviet Republics joined together in order to declare the end of the Union by signing the solemn acts on December the 25th, day of Christ birth.
The main message, as is understandable by the name the Virgin Mary takes for herself (Queen of Peace) is peace (in its larger meaning: peace with God, peace between men, interior peace) and the visionaries state Our Lady told them it can be reached using these five instruments (some of them called them “the five pebbles” comparing them to the ones chosen by David to fight Goliath fitted out only with sling and stick):
- Prayer: Our Lady asks to pray by heart (meaning praying not only by words, but with care, faith and love) and to pray much; particularly She asked a full rosary a day at least, namely the Joy, the Pain, the Glory and the Light mysteries.
- Fasting: it is asked on Wednesdays and Fridays . The best fasting, She states, is by bread and water. If in illness it’s sufficient to take some little renounce. Fasting, as for prayer, is asked to be done by heart and not by habit.
- Reading of the Bible: a short piece every day to be read, meditated, believed and put into practice.
- Confession: once a month, at least, or before if urged to.
- Eucharist: attend to the Holy Mass receiving Communion every day, if it’s possible.
Naturally, each of these points are part of a personal interior path; everybody has different times and his conscience but - When you have a strong faith – Our Lady says – You can do everything -.
According to the messages, Our Lady helps our personal conversion through these instruments by her intercession, so that every man could receive such a strong faith so that, with the gifts sprung from it, lead us to the true peace.
Many people ask: Why so much prayer? The visionaries state that Our Lady asks overall praying for others with humility and love. Particularly for conversion of the sinners, for youth and families, for being able to put into practice her messages and to be way of example in our life and, moreover, according to her wishes.
In the age in which all people communicate each other by e-mails and sms , some consider that Our Lady seems to have anticipated times by her regular and more times repeated messages: on the beginning only for the visionaries, since 1984 every week (on Thursdays) for their parish and later every month (on 25th) for the parish and the whole world. This situation makes things so that the ones in Medjugorje are the longest apparitions in all modern history: an event still in progress.
