Thursday, September 10, 2009

Beacon of Hope: Medjugorje


Ever heard the phrase, “The Bible is really just about God dealing with people thousands of years ago.” Maybe the wording is slightly different, but the attitude demonstrated here seems to be that God doesn’t intervene in our world anymore, if He ever did at all. Though there are many proofs that God does still intervene today, what I am about to describe seems to be one of the most accessible and recordable forms of God’s activity in recent history.

I will give a quick overview of the account given from a little village near Bosnia-Herzegovina called Medjugorje. Many of you have some knowledge regarding the purported appearance of the apparition of the Virgin Mary within the last few hundred years. There were occurrences in Lourdes, Garabandal, and Fatima for example. At all of these locations, witnesses described seeing her and then receiving specific messages. Mary would appear for a time and then stop. The Catholic Church recorded the messages and held the appearances in high regard (though to this date never officially endorsing them). If your skepticism alarms are beginning to sound off; hold on a minute! This is not a ghost story or a UFO sighting – keep reading.

We have available to us a collection of apparitions that are still going on to this very day in the village of Medjugorje! This is significant because it allows us a portal to look through in which the six people that Mary reportedly appears to regularly are still living. They have all six been put through rigorous tests by various government officials, psychologists, and priests. They were forced to submit to polygraph tests, as well as humiliation and insults from local nonbelievers. Still their testimonies remain unscathed. To date millions of people (not just Catholics) have gone to visit this area. There have been both conversions and healings. I have included a link below showing video of one of the purported miracles caught on tape; it is called the Miracle of the Sun. From time to time pilgrims will witness the sun bouncing around the sky, coming closer, then farther away, or simply changing appearance. Thousands of people at a time witness these phenomena.

All of us must make up our own mind when it comes to Medjugorje (and things like it). It has appeared on national news shows like Nightline in the past. A man I know personally and respect has visited this area a number of times and personally witnessed some of these events. Jesus said that the way to judge whether or not something is good is by its fruit. Thus far, the fruits of Medjugorje have been the same as the messages given: that God wants from us prayer, conversion, fasting, and penance. If it is true, then we are fortunate enough to be alive at a time when God has proven that He “will never forsake us, never abandon us.” One final thought. Medjugorje is popular among Catholics because it involves the Virgin Mary, mother of Jesus. But this event is not just for Catholics. It is a God thing, and that is sufficient for me. The website is http://www.medjugorje.org/ if you want to learn more (NOTE: this website also appears in this blog's list of other Christian websites).
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4 comments:

  1. You wrote_ “Jesus said that the way to judge whether or not something is good is by its fruit.”

    (le-havdil) The question is what the historical person told in the original Matthew.

    To those of you whom wants to follow the first century historical man Ribi Yehoshua (the Messiah) from Nazareth: A logical analysis of the first centuries Jewish and Hellenistic documents and archaeology shows what he taught and how to follow him.
    Learn more here: www.netzarim.co.il

    Anders Branderud

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  2. I stopped reading right here--and will be unable to support your blog as long as you promulgate this.

    Medjugorje and all that has gone on there over the past decades has been thoroughly investigated over many years by the Catholic Church and the whole affair has been offically, canonically condemned as a Satanically inspired money-making scheme and several of the players, including priests, have been excommunicated and/or censured. Most of what you have written here is evidence of someone who does not know the facts and who does not have any personal experience with the people/phenomena involved--and what you say is patently untrue; you need to stop reading propaganda as if its gospel.

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  3. Hello Miki,

    I will take this as a scathing review! ;-)

    I have studied this phenomena for around 6 years or so, and have not come across any documentation you have mentioned. In fact, there was record made that Pope John Paul II has sounded favorably toward the events at Medjugorje. Feel free to quote your sources, and I will surely investigate it!

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  4. Bishop Zanic had a great deal to say about the alleged apparitions.

    http://www.newjerusalem.com/bishop-truth.htm

    Likewise, his successor, Bishop Peric:

    http://patrickmadrid.blogspot.com/2009/06/medjugorje-apparition-claims-are.html

    And a more recent summation of the problems:

    http://www.sheezyart.com/forum/topic/109784/

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