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September 26, 2004
PRESS BULLETIN - English
MEDITATION
“Dear children! Also today, I call you to be love where there is hatred
and food where there is hunger. Open your hearts, little children, and let
your hands be extended and generous so that, through you, every creature
may thank God the Creator. Pray, little children, and open your heart to
God’s love, but you cannot if you do not pray. Therefore, pray, pray,
pray. Thank you for having responded to my call.” September 25, 2004
MY GOD AND MYSELF
When Jesus asked his disciples, “What do people say, who am I?”, they
answered hastily: “John the Baptist, Elijah, one of the prophets…” When He
asked, “And you, what do you say, who am I?”, they hesitated. Peter dared
to say: “You are the Messiah!” (Cf. Mc 8, 28-30)
It is very important for us to know who our God is. My God, your God, is
not something. He is Someone. God is a concrete person and not something
distant and imaginary. He is not in the clouds. He is in your heart. He
completely reveled Himself in the God-Man, Jesus Christ. But which are our
images and our ideas of God? It happens often that we want to reduce God
to our measures, instead of allow Him to melt us and to mold us. Sometimes
we reduce God to an instrument of satisfying our needs, our projects and
our desires. Then, disappointed, we raise our eyes towards heaven,
believing that God has forgotten us, simply because He has not done what
we wanted Him to do for us.
The first degree of life with God and in God, is to put one’s own will at
the disposal of God. For that, Mary is our model and our fellow traveler.
She is doing what God wants, and not what she wishes, and this is why she
could say her “FIAT”. In his last writings, the spiritual author Dietrich
Bonhoeffer speaks about two basic Christian attitudes: the resistance and
the abandonment. We want God to intervene in our lives, but at the same
time, we resist: we put limits to Him, we reduce space for his action, and
thus, we make out of our God an idol, a pagan deity.
Through the messages that Our Lady is giving in Medjugorje, she wants us
to follow Jesus, to follow Him in all, without picking and choosing! The
choice to follow Jesus is not just a declaration; it must be a vital act
and a decision. To walk on the ways of God means to accept God’s plans,
and not to maintain one’s own projects. This is why it is very important
to know who is God in whom I believe, and what I expect from Him. And
finally: is my God really the “God of Jesus Christ”?
Fr. Mario Knezovic
NEWS
NUMBER OF COMMUNIONS AND NUMBER OF CONCELEBRANTS
During the month of August, 221000 communions were distributed and 4763
priests from this country and from abroad concelebrated Holy Mass in
Medjugorje.
In August, pilgrims were here from: Italy, Austria, Poland, Korea, the
USA, England, Ireland, Lebanon, France, Slovakia, Holland, Argentina,
Germany, the Czech Republic, Hungary, China, Spain, Slovenia, Rumania,
Lithuania, Mexico, Australia, South Africa, Belgium, Canada, Croatia et
Bosnia-Herzegovina.
25TH ANNIVERSARY OF PRIESTLY ORDINATION OF TWO HERZEGOVINIAN FRANCISCANS
Two Herzegovinian Franciscans, Fr. Ivan Cilic and Fr. Mate Cilic,
celebrated in Medjugorje the 25th anniversary of their priestly
ordination. They spent most of their priestly life in pastoral service in
Germany.
The solemn Holy Mass in St. James’ parish church was presided by two of
them, in concelebration with numerous priests, among whom Fr. Slavko
Soldo, Franciscan provincial in Herzegovina. Fr. Branko Rados, pastor of
Medjugorje, gave the homily.
MONS. FRANCISCO VITI, RETIRED ARCHBISHOP OF HUAMBO (ANGOLA) CAME TO
MEDJUGORJE
Mons. Francisco Viti, retired archbishop of Huambo (Angola) spent several
days in Medjugorje in September 2004.
He told us: "As a Christian and as a believer, I came to pray and to adore
the Lord. I thank the Lord for the experience of faith that I made here,
especially concerning the sacrament of reconciliation and the Eucharist. I
had a special joy in experiencing the spirit of prayer here. The ecclesial
communion that reigns here between the pilgrims is a special grace of the
Lord."
MONS. MAURO PARMEGGIANI IS INVITING TO THE "FIRST EUROPEAN MEETING OF
EUCHARISTIC ADORATION YOUTH GROUPS" IN ROME
Mons. Mauro Parmeggiani from Rome came on pilgrimage to Medjugorje during
the Youth Festival 2004. Mons. Parmeggiani is recommending us to do all
that we can, so that "Medjugorje may preserve the simplicity, the
austerity and the intensity of prayer, so that all may encounter Mary, and
through her, her Son Jesus, who are inviting us to conversion and the
essential Christian experience today".
In the diocese of Rome, Mons. Parmeggiani is especially charged with the
pastoral work with youth, and he is preparing the "First European Meeting
of Eucharistic Adoration Youth Groups", which will take place in Rome from
October 6th to 10th, 2004. The theme of this encounter is, "The Eucharist:
Source and Fulfillment of Mission". More about it: Servizio Diocesano per
la Pastorale Giovanile - Vicariato di Roma, Piazza S. Giovanni in
Laterano, 6/A, 00184 – Roma, Italia. (http://www.adoremus2004.org,
[email protected]).
SOLEMNITY OF THE EXALTATION OF THE HOLY CROSS
For the solemnity of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross, celebrated in
Medjugorje on the first Sunday after the feast of the Nativity of the
Virgin Mary, about 50,000 local and foreign pilgrims gathered at the
Shrine of the Queen of Peace. As every year, pilgrims were streaming to
Medjugorje even during the night. Many of them traveled hundreds of
kilometers, some of them barefoot. The solemn Holy Mass on Cross Mountain
was concelebrated by 57 priests and presided by Fr. Ivan Sevo.
For local and foreign pilgrims who could not climb Cross Mountain, there
was a Holy Mass in the parish church at noon, presided by Fr. Tomislav
Pervan.
The Evening Mass concelebrated by 68 priests was presided by Fr. Ljubo
Kurtovic.
As a visible sign of the eternal light shining from the Cross, one week
before the feast, the cross on Cross Mountain was illuminated, reminding
us of its significance, and preparing parishioners and pilgrims for this
feast.
SEMINARS IN "DOMUS PACIS"
There were two "Prayer and Fasting" seminars led by Fr. Ljubo Kurtovic for
pilgrims from Poland, from Slovakia and from Lithuania.
Twenty-two Franciscan seminarians from Croatia and from Bosnia-Herzegovina
made there a retreat in preparation for their final vows.
THE FIFTH INTERNATIONAL MEETING FOR MARRIED COUPLES
The 5th International Meeting for Married Couples will take place in
Medjugorje from November 3 to 6, 2004. The theme of the seminar is "How to
heal the marriage and the family?"
It is recommended to ring with you a small FM radio with headphones (for
simultaneous translation) and a Bible.
The seminar will take place in the Hall behind the church. Participation
per couple: 30 €. You may make reservations by e-mail:
[email protected], or by fax: +387-36-651-999. The number of
participants is limited by the available space, se we ask you to send your
registration as soon as possible, latest by the end of September. All the
participants are invited to individually provide their accommodation in
Medjugorje.
WINTER SCHEDULE OF THE PRAYER PROGRAM AT THE SHRINE
On Monday, September 13th, began the winter schedule of the prayer program
at the Shrine. The prayer of the Rosary in the Parish church begins at
5pm, Holy Mass is at 6pm, followed by the blessings and the third part of
the rosary. Eucharistic adoration is every Thursday after the evening Mass
and on Wednesdays and Saturdays at 9pm. The Veneration of the Cross is
every Friday after the Evening Mass.
He Rosary on the Apparition Hill and the Way of the Cross on Cross
Mountain begin at 2pm. The occasion for confessions is every evening
during the evening prayer program.
Published by: INFORMATIVNI CENTAR MIR - Svetiste Kraljice Mira
(Information Center MIR - Shrine of the Queen of Peace), 88266 Medjugorje.
Director: fra Miljenko Stojic.
Information Office: 00387-36-651-988
Parish Office: 00387-36-650-206; 650-310; 651-333
Fax: 00387-36-651-444
Radio: 00387-36-651-100; fax 651-300
E-mail: [email protected]; Internet: http://www.medjugorje.hr
Automatic Message: 060-325-325. By calling this number you can hear the
latest message of Our Lady in Croatia, Bosnia-Hercegovina, Slovenia,
Austria, Switzerland and Germany, as well as also the meditation and the
news from Medjugorje which is updated every Wednesday.
Last Modified 09/28/2004
