See Full Testimony Here
"Dear children! I, your Mother, love you and wish to urge you to prayer. I am tireless, dear children, and I am calling you even then, when you are far away from my heart. I am a Mother, and even though I feel pain for each one who goes astray, I forgive easily and am happy for every child who returns to me. Thank you for having responded to my call."
Our Lady of Medjugorje, November 14, 1985
Today is Saturday, our second full day in Medjugorje. Today we ascend Apparition Hill shortly after the morning English Mass. And Saturday is yet another gorgeous day! The sun is shining bright and the temperature is just perfect! I believe it was about the mid to high seventies everyday that we were here in Medjugorje. The nights were cool though.. not freezing but rather cool. The Croatian Mass would begin at 6:00pm just after the Rosary and Our Lady’s apparition at 5:40pm and just as the sun was beginning to set. So when Mass would begin the sun would still be shining and it would still be relatively warm, but by the time Mass was over it would be dark and the air would cool off very quickly. In the morning if you were up before sunrise it was still cool yet the air became warm very quickly after the sun began to rise and your days temperatures were will set by noon.
Each morning shortly before 10:00am we would make our way over to St. James Parish. Moments before 10:00am English speaking pilgrims would gather and begin to line up outside the five entrances to the Church. There are two side entrances on either side of the Church as well as the main entrance. I would make my way to the rear side door on the left hand side as you faced the Altar and wait until the other pilgrims were finished leaving Mass that had just been celebrated in their language. There were a small group of us who preferred to sit & kneel on the floor at the foot of the Altar. I loved being up close for Mass!
Each day, a different visiting priest would celebrate Mass. And if that particular pilgrim group which the celebrant belonged to had a choir, that choir or those pilgrims belonging to that group who enjoyed singing would join the choir off to the left of the Altar. However, everyone who desired to sing in the choir was more than welcomed to sit in and participate. A few of the English Masses we attended while here were celebrated by Irish priest’s and so we were able to hear some really beautiful Irish hymns. I particularly loved the hymn about ‘Our Lady of Knock!’ I had read the lyrics before but had never heard it sung until coming to Medjugorje. This song is beautiful! I have grown very fond of this little hymn and it really moved me to tears!
Lady of Knock
by Dana (Rosemary Scallon)
There were people of all ages, gathered ‘round the gable wall
poor and humble men and women, little children that you called
We are gathered here before you, and our hearts are just the same
filled with joy at such a vision, as we praise your name
Refrain:
Golden Rose, Queen of Ireland, all my cares and troubles cease
as we kneel with love before you, Lady of Knock, my Queen of Peace
Though your message was unspoken, still the truth in silence lies
as we gaze upon your vision, and the truth I try to find
here I stand with John the teacher, and with Joseph at your side
and I see the Lamb of God, on the Altar glorified
Refrain
And the Lamb will conquer and the woman clothed in the sun
will shine Her light on everyone
and the lamb will conquer and the woman clothed in the sun,
will shine Her light on everyone
Refrain
"Dear children! My call is that in everything you would be an image for others, especially in prayer and witnessing. Dear children, without you I am not able to help the world. I desire that you cooperate with me in everything, even in the smallest things. Therefore, dear children, help me by letting your prayer be from the heart and all of you surrendering completely to me. That way I shall be able to teach and lead you on this way which I have begun with you. Thank you for having
responded to my call."
Our Lady of Medjugorje, August 28, 1986
We began our journey to Apparition Hill around 11:30am. The walk from Nada’s to Podbrdo was not very long at all.. Perhaps maybe a half mile. As we walked along this path (see photo above) passing merchants from time to time who had set up little tables to sell Rosaries and other religious articles there were close to 50 of us in our group scattered along the way in a relatively short distance.. And as we prayed a Rosary together as a group my thoughts wondered to images of Joseph and Mary with all their relatives walking along what might have been a similar path in those days.. I thought of ‘The Finding of the Child Jesus in the Temple’ when it was suddenly discovered that young Jesus was missing. I pictured Mary frantically running from person to person pleading and begging, “Have you seen my Son?! Please! Please! Have you seen my Son?!” How troubling this must have been for her! Any mother whose young child has ever disappeared for even an hour can certainly relate! And the tears of joy streaming down the cheeks of her face when she finally discovered our young Lord who was simply responding to His Father’s call.
As we began to walk through neighboring Podbrdo we soon came to a stop at the top of a small hill and gathered around Draga our guide. Fr. Mike pointed out Draga’s childhood home to us. She grew up with the visionaries. She played with them. Draga's calling, as she would share with us was to assist pilgrims in their journey who make their way to Medjugorje. Her call is an example to all of us.. For we are all called to assist one another in our journey’s. After Fr. Mike was finished, Draga humbly smiled and continued by pointing out to us the home directly behind her where Vicka would soon come out and speak to us in the following days.. Vicka does not live in Medjugorje, she lives in a village outside of Medj but meets the pilgrims in the old house where she and her mother used to live. so in a few days we would hopefully return here to listen to her speak to us. Meeting with Vicka had originally been planned for yesterday being Friday, however, she was ill and needed to rest. So of course we kept Vicka in our prayers that she would soon recover.
At the foot of Apparition Hill, I along with a few other pilgrims took off our shoes and our socks. I looked at the rocks & boulders straight ahead of me and thought, “What am I thinking! I can’t even walk across the kitchen floor without stubbing my toes let alone the front lawn without saying ‘ouch!’ and I’m going to try and climb this mountain barefoot!” Yet at the same time I was so eager! And I really wanted to do this! Besides Sharon (Little Red) had assured me that I would actually find it soothing. And well, she was right! To be totally honest it was not very difficult at all! In fact just as Sharon had said, it was rather soothing on the feet and when I reached the top of Apparition Hill I looked down and both my feet were still there and fully intact..
And so as I began to climb I also began to pray.. holding a Rosary in one hand and often trying to offer a helping hand to the person behind me with the other. Everyone looked out for one another.. We were not climbing the mountain alone but together as one. And we carried our loved ones and our friends with us in our hearts. It was awesome! Again, remembering name by name those I had offered to pray for. And as each person would come to mind I would ask Our Lord to bless that person in a very special way, and to heal that person where healing is needed, and to answer that person’s prayer request’s. It’s amazing how many people start coming to heart & mind in moments like this..
At the top of the Hill everyone gathered around Draga as she stood close to the Statue of Our Lady. There she continued to relay the story of how Our Lady first appeared to the young visionaries. And she told of a story in the early days when Jacob and a friend were going to climb the mountain even though the authorities had forbidden the children to go there.. and as they began their journey up the hill suddenly Our Lady appeared to them warning them that the authorities were waiting for them and would arrest them at the top if they continued.. Of course the boys heeded Our Lady’s warning.. A blue cross now marks the spot where this apparition took place.
After Draga was finished we remained at the top of the hill for some time before making our decent. It was very peaceful there. Everywhere in Medjugorje is peaceful.. but particularly these special sacred places such as Apparition Hill, Cross mountain, Fr. Slavko's grave and St. James Parish are extremely peaceful places to sit and pray. It becomes so easy to just sit and lie down completely in Our Lady’s arms with our head resting on her Heart when you find yourself alone for even a few brief moments in these special places. It is said that Our Lady appears at the foot of the Cross around 6:00am to pray before Her Son on Mt. Križevac every morning as the sun begins to rise.
Sometime around 4:30pm I made my way to Zana’s internet services which is located along a walkway leading onto the Parish premises. I took a few minutes to touch base with you guys before the Rosary and Croatian Mass would begin.. The Rosary at 5:00pm & the Mass at 6:00pm. (my apologies for being repetitive as I've already posted about this) After visiting the forum I left and went to join in with everyone in the Rosary. As everyone gathers around the Church there is a P.A. system and someone is praying the Rosary in Croatian.. you follow along in your own language.. Somehow, even though I do not understand a word of Croatian, I am still able to know where they are at in the prayers and found it easy to follow along in English..
Many had gathered outside the Church at the benches. I was standing near the confessionals following along in the Rosary and I felt as if I was supposed to go to Confession right now at this very minute even though I had just went a few days ago and did not feel the need to go.. There were no sins weighing heavy on my heart in that moment yet there was no escaping this strong nudge to go to confession. So I went and stood in an English confessional line.
While in line I asked Our Blessed Mother to place on my heart whatever I may need to Confess.. I entered the Confessional not really knowing what I would say.. and when I came out a few moments later I was completely overwhelmed in tears having poured out my heart.. The Irish priest I just made my confession with gave me 7 Hail Mary’s for penance.. and so I went to the benches along the outside wall of the Church to find a place to kneel and do my penance.. As I knelt down to pray the 7 Hail Mary’s, I couldn’t help but notice that so did everyone else kneel right along with me.. about a hundred or so people! I thought, “Huh? Why is everyone kneeling along with me while I do my penance?” still sobbing with tears of relief, gratitude & joy I continued to pray my penance and afterwards as I arose to sit back in the bench, so did everyone else along with me.. Puzzled, I thought, “what’s going on here!!” Then it suddenly occurred to me.. I had just done me penance exactly during the moments Our Lady was appearing to one of the Visionaries!!
So, already overwhelmed with tears of joy, this made me smile ear to ear and I started saying “Thank you Blessed Mother!” over and over again.. And suddenly I felt this inner nudge to look at the sun.. And the next thing I know I'm staring straight into the sun without any strain.. And everything around me suddenly faded away and all I could see for a few moments was the sun.. And the sun was spinning and then began to pulsate in its place.. growing larger and smaller, larger and smaller.. And the actual sun was now pure white as snow, like the Eucharist! And a very thin ring of fire was spinning around its outer perimeter.. Sometimes this ring was a ring of fire and then it would change and turn silver.. It was totally awesome!!!!
I was in total awe! Even though I’ve known about this for many years and have seen it in pictures and on home videos I was still completely awed by what I was actually seeing before my own eyes!.. and so excited like a little kid I'm grabbing people as they walked by me asking if they could see it too? And I think some of these poor people thought I was strange.. I don’t think any of them spoke English and they didn’t really understand me.. I was like a little kid full of excitement!! and I wanted to share it with everyone!! I looked around me and no one else seemed to see it.. About 5 more minutes into this and I saw a small pilgrim group also staring at the sun and went over and asked if they could see it also, and they could.. So finally I knew it wasn't just me.. and then a moment later I found Celina from our group.. And asked her to come see quickly.. Which she did.. and she saw it too.. This went on for about 15 minutes.. and then it was time for Mass.. I would see this phenomenon a total of five times while in Medjugorje..
After all these years I felt truly blessed that I was able to witness this phenomenon! Perhaps I didn’t need to see it because I have believed all along beforehand, yet still, it was a great comforting consolation to witness God’s power in such a unique and marvelous way! The night before I left for Medjugorje the last thing my son Nathaniel asked me was, “Papa, are you going to see the sun spin?” So it was a tremendous blessing to be able to tell my children about this when I returned home.
