The Beginnings of Pilgrimages to Medjugorje

By Father Leonard Orec. Source: http://www.medjugorje.org/orec.htm

It all began at the end of June when six children began to insist that Our Lady was appearing to them. She introduced herself as the Queen of Peace, and was inviting the world to peace and reconciliation. "Peace, peace, peace between man and God, and among mankind." This not only succeeded in bringing Medjugorje to the attention of the whole world but it also marked the beginning of an extraordinary flow of graces, attracting millions of pilgrims from all corners of the earth, men women and children, rich and poor, the sick and the healthy, the unconverted and the purer ones, the sinners and the saints. The uninterrupted stream of pilgrims are ever increasing. Interest is ever deepening, reactions are ever intensifying, and are becoming ever more spiritual and ever more important (Rupcic: "Medjugorje in the History of Salvation" Duvno 1998 page 5).

In later apparitions of Our Lady, she repeatedly invited to conversion and to a change in our relationships, first with ourselves through fasting. This liberates us from all forms of addiction and eases a change in our relationship with others through forgiveness and reconciliation. This, ultimately leads to the fulfillment of acts of love.

Even though the question of the supernatural origins of the apparitions is officially unresolved, we have to admit that the way that the Church-life is lived in Medjugorje is directly in response to Our Ladies messages. In her messages Our Lady concretely asks us to partake in the Holy Mass, in such a way that it becomes the center of our lives as individual Christians but also as a Christian community. It is the wish of the Blessed Mother that our "mass becomes an experience of God" (16th of May 1985) "I want to call you to a "living through" of the Holy Mass" (3rd of April 1986) "May Mass be your whole life" (25th of April 1988).

She also invites us to adore Jesus in the Most Holy Sacrament of the altar: "Unceasingly adore Jesus in the Most Holy Sacrament. I'm always present when the faithful are in adoration. It is then that special graces are given"(15th of March 1984). "Today I invite you to fall in love with Jesus in the Most Holy Sacrament of the altar. Adore Him, little children, in your parishes and in that way you will be one with the whole world.......When you are in adoration you are close to me"(25th September 1995).

On the eve of the feast of the Ascension 1984 Our Lady gave this message through the visionary Ivan Dragicevic : " I would like the world to pray increasingly for me in these days. To fast on Wednesdays and Fridays. To pray every day at least the rosary, joyful sorrowful and glorious mysteries"( S Barbaric "Pray with your hearts" Medjugorje 1994 page 41) "Pray the rosary every evening" (8th of October 1994) "I invite you to exhort everyone to pray the rosary! With the rosary you will have the victory over every misfortune which Satan wants to inflict on the Catholic Church. Pray the rosary, all you priests! Give time to the rosary" (25th June 1985) "Dear children! Today I call you like never before to prayer . Let your prayer be a prayer for peace....If you want...accept the rosary! The rosary in itself is enough to work miracles in the world and in your lives" (25th January 1991)

Our Lady also recommended prayer in front of the Cross (30th August 1984). "Pray especially in front of the Cross, from which special graces are given"(12th September 1985) "Meditate on Jesus' sufferings and unite your lives with Jesus"( 25th of January 1986)

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