Interview with Vicka on Peace, Prayer, Fasting...

Source: http://www.childrenofmedjugorje.com/medj/reports/03_15_03.html

Two days ago, along with our film crew, my wife, Cathy, Sr. Emmanuel and I visited Vicka... Speaking in Italian Vicka said that two months have passed since the birth of her little girl:

Vicka: I think that I will soon go back to my small stairway.

Question: Oh, your stairway? People will be very happy!

Vicka: For me also it will be a big joy! You see, I am happy with my family, with my daughter, but I also want to say that being with the pilgrims is a great joy, a joy that fills my heart. Giving them the messages of Our Lady, and being able in my turn to give others the love that our Lady has given me...

Question: There is a lot of talk about the war. Can you explain how we can maintain peace?

Vicka: Our Lady never talks about war. And you know well, sister, that we had a war here. For me, Our Lady had never given any message that there would be a war here. But you could tell, you could see - on her face, from her behavior, the way she presented herself. She had a great pain. And little by little war came. Nevertheless, she never frightened us by saying that war was going to start, that we should do this or that. Yet, so many times before the war began she told us (as she does now) that by our prayers and fasting, wars could be stopped. Thus, we must help her by our prayers and fasting, so that these wars do not happen.

Question: According to the school of the Gospa, what is true peace, peace that is divine and not simply human?

Vicka: As Mary has already taught us, the first thing to do is clean ourselves from the negative feelings in our hearts, purify them of all the negative things. And then ask this grace of peace from Our Lady. When I ask Our Lady to give me true peace, serenity, when I ask from the heart, she gives it to me! We need only ask! But ask with trust and love! And also ask to be changed. Peace does not come as simply as a word! You understand that today so many people say, I want peace, I want peace! These are only words. I want to change, I want to clean my heart, and with this inner purification peace comes in my heart...

Question: This time is a little strange for the world. How is the face of Our Lady? How does she present herself to you?

Vicka: As for me, she's rather content. I cannot tell she's very content, but rather content. Actually I can read her face, like you and I can see each other's face now...

Question: In your opinion, what is this Year of the Rosary going to change?

Vicka: As you know, everything depends on us, on the way we listen to the Pope. For a long time Mary has been recommending that we pray the Rosary! And now that we have these new mysteries, we are praying it even more. It certainly is great joy to live them. One must not say, OK, now there is a new Rosary, so what do we do? No, we must start right now! It is only after starting that we will feel in our hearts what it means, what the Lord wants. First we act, then we see the fruits...

Question: Here is a little strange question : Imagine that President Bush came to see you here, what would you tell him?

Vicka: I can tell you this: At the moment I am praying for Iraq, for America. Whether Bush comes or not, I tell the truth the way it is! You see, if he came now, I would not tell him special words; as the Blessed Mother said, she loves everyone with the same love. I also try to take her love - to love everyone the way Our Lady does. Whether Bush or someone like Saddam came here, I would say this: they should act according to their conscience. That's it. For the rest, we only pray. We pray and we recommend them to Our Lady so that she may help. ...to be continued.

Interview continued below... Source: http://www.childrenofmedjugorje.com/medj/reports/04_01_03.html

Question: Our Lady has spoken about fasting in a recent message. Could you answer those who are afraid of fasting and who find it too hard?

Vicka: You know, what we do without putting our heart in it is difficult! So it is better not to do it. I can tell myself, OK, today it is hard for me, my head feels fuzzy, I am hungry, etc., then it is better not to fast for God never forces us. It is for you to feel in your heart that you have to respond to Our Lady's demands with the heart. Our Lady wants us to respond with the heart, but if you do not have the heart, it is better not to do it, for God does not force anyone. If you say, I have a headache, I feel dizzy, etc, these are excuses, you see, only excuses not to respond. But Our Lady wants us to purify our hearts by fasting. This is the most important fasting! She asks that we fast on bread and water on Wednesdays and Fridays. The only way to fast well is to be firm when deciding to fast. With a strong will, one can do everything! It is the same for sin. Fasting will purify me of my sin and of all these things that confuse me. This is what pleases Our Lady more. If today I fast on bread and water, and afterwards I have a thousand bad thoughts, I do harm, I am bad, then it is better for me not to fast. First I have to root out my nastiness, and then take a new step forward.

Question: Vicka, what do you personally do, to pray with the heart? Do you have a word for those who say, "I can't pray with the heart, I do not know how to open my heart"?

Vicka: Each one of us must try. You see, my experience is personal, I pray in my own way, the way the Lord has given me. For me it is a joy, since I respond to God! Those who say they can't do it, really do not want to, for fear of having to change inside themselves. Actually the Lord is waiting for them. He is waiting for the moment when we simply say, "Lord, do what you want with me!" And don't be afraid! But you first have to think that God loves you. I know that God loves me, so I give myself completely to him. Thus, when I open my heart to him, he helps me move forward. But you know, all prayers are made differently. I pray in a certain way, you in another, and so with everyone of us. The only important thing is that we pray with the heart - that we wish to pray with the heart! When we have this desire, God is always ready to give.

Interview continued below... Source: http://www.childrenofmedjugorje.com/medj/reports/04_15_03.html

Question: Vicka , last year we came to see you and interview you. You were not married then. Now you have more than a year of marriage behind you. What would you tell, the young people especially, about family life?

Vicka: I can see that, today, young people are a little afraid of changing their lives, for the life they lead is very convenient, you see, since they can do whatever they want, being single. I would tell them to trust themselves more. For example, for me with my husband, as a family, I feel very good, really very good! And I want to tell all of them that they should no longer be afraid, but instead open themselves and listen, for God calls each one of us. We should be ready to hear what he wants and then choose a path. Today young people are in great confusion and they live in a very difficult time. This is why Our Lady is asking, "Pray for the youth, pray for your families!" We also have a little 2-month old daughter, whose name is Marija-Sofija. For us it's a great joy. She is life, great joy, a big fruit that the Lord has given us. And, with my husband, we are thanking God for such a beautiful gift! You know, we are ready. If the Lord made a gift, he can make more, so we are ready to welcome them with our hearts wide open!

Question: What do you feel in your heart for your little girl, a new love? This is all new for you!

Vicka: This can't be explained! When she was born, I could not believe it! It is something very big, bigger than you! So you try to touch, to see, and ask in yourself a million things and you tell yourself, "See how great God is!" With this small fruit, you can see how God creates, how he has created this new creature, how he is making this gift for you, how great his love is! While these thoughts are going through your mind, your love grows. Later, each time you see the child move, move her hands, it is always something new for you. Then you feel a great love, a great joy, something you just can't explain.

Question: We saw that after the baby's birth, you remained out of sight for 40 days, without talking to the pilgrims, without being seen. Is this a Croatian tradition?

Vicka: Yes, you know, not going out in public is our tradition. When a woman gives birth to a child, she must stay at home during this time. But people can come to visit, my parents, my sisters, my friends, to help (which is normal) and to bring their wishes, etc., according to our customs. Now, a few months have passed and little by little the time has come for me to go out...

Vicka then gave some practical advice from Our Lady's school in Medjugorje that will help us live Holy Week....

Question: About confession, what do you have to say?

Vicka: Our Lady recommends that we go to confession once a month. She says, "Do not go to confession only because you have sins. Also ask the priest to give you advice to be able to move forward."

Question: There are people who think they do not need to go to confession. They say they do not see theirs sins, they have not done anything wrong, or they address God directly.

Vicka: In that case, drop the matter. One should not force anyone. When someone talks like this, let's not discuss with them. Our Lady does not want such discussions. She prefers that we simply pray for these people. Our prayer and our example may touch these hearts. But when you speak, you make them go away. It is preferable to keep quiet and to wait for the right moment. The Lord knows how to reach them, little by little.

Question: Don't the young people need to hear us speak?

Vicka: When I say 'no words', I mean 'not too many words'! When people talk too much, it gets heavier, it drives people away, and there isn't any fruit. If a youth or a child asks me a question, I am ready to answer them with all my heart. When they do not ask anything, it is better to remain quiet, not to say anything.

Question: What did Our Lady teach you about the connection between confession and going to communion?

Vicka: You see, sometimes we rush in for a quick confession and we say, "There, I committed this sin, that sin, etc," but it is obvious that we have not prepared ourselves. If you are not really ready, if you are hiding something, or else you are fighting inside yourself, you will not come out liberated. When you go to communion afterwards, you are not able to feel a deep joy. But when you free your heart from everything and you know that the Lord has forgiven you, (He gave the priest the power of absolving your sins), you believe and then your heart is free! So, when you go to communion, you can feel Jesus who comes to your heart, alive! Our Blessed Mother said, "Holy mass is the most important moment, a holy moment! And at this moment Jesus comes to us alive!" When we are in church, she asks that we go take Jesus with no fear, nor excuses.

Question: How should we use our imagination while praying?

Vicka: It all depends on you! We so often think that prayer is an obligation, something that we should do. But Our Lady says that prayer should be a joy! If joy does not come in prayer, time goes by, you are not doing anything and it does the opposite. I am going to repeat what Our Lady said, since I can't find a better example than the one she gives with the vase of flowers: an example taken from nature. When we go out to a park or to the mountain, we see nature and all the things that grow, these are truly gifts of God. And the Gospa says, "All of you have a vase of flowers in your houses. Each day you pour a few drops of water in these flowers and you can see how these flowers develop and become pretty roses. In the same way, when, each day, you put two or three prayers with the heart in your hearts, you can see your hearts grow, like these flowers. When we stay 2 or 3 days without putting water in the flowers, we can see that these flowers disappear, they no longer exist." And Our Lady said, "But, when the time of prayer comes, you so often say, 'Today I am tired, I can't pray, I will pray tomorrow.' But the next day comes, and then the day after, and you say the same thing. So our prayer moves further away from us every day and our heart wanders away. Just as a flower cannot live without water, you cannot live without the grace of God. Prayer with the heart cannot be learned nor studied in books. Prayer with the heart can only be lived, from day to day, by moving forward."

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