Hi, I bought some little gifts from Medugorje for folks on the forum who might like something. If you would like me to post them please PM me your address and I'll post them off. Don't worry they are perfectly free. A gift. I really am asking nothing at all in return. God Bless Padraig
I just want to say the members of this forum are so generous. It is a real pleasure to be here. God bless you Padraig and your forum!!
I am just waiting until everyone who wants the little things from Medugorje to ask for them and then divide and send them all at the one time. It will save me running up and down to the Post Office and will not mean I have anything left that I can send. So I will let you all know by PM the day I send them. It would be a pity to have anything left over and not to give everyone who wants a chance to ask. To leave anyone out.
It is only a little thing. I did not buy very much because I was not sure if anyone would actually want them.
It was a very small thing. I have wrapped them all up and will post them in the morning. That's them all gone!
How generous of you Padraig. We still have our Medjugorje keepsakes from 1987 here in our home! It is incumbent upon us never to forget the goodness that God has wrought in our lives! Alleluia!
I know this is n the wrong thread, so please forgive me for being too lazy to search out the correct thread rather than opting for the most recent one with Medugorje in the title. I have been extremely sceptical of the authenticity of Medurgoje. I still have some reservations but this testimony from Fr. Alar is the most convincing I have heard. In a nutshell, he had co-written a book on the topic of suicide. Shortly after that, he was hearing Confessions in Medugorje. A woman from Ukraine who was suicidal came to him for Confession. It was a long session in the confessional. At the end he complimented her on her excellent English and she responded that she didn't speak English. He doesn't speak Ukrainian but he heard her in English and she heard him in Ukrainian. That is more convincing to me than all the supposed demonic gyrations from people in the crowd because it sounds very similar to the gift of the Holy Spirit received by the Apostles at Pentecost. I don't know whether the particular fruit of the Holy Spirit on that day was down to the location of the confession, Fr. Alar's piety or the penitent's sincerity. I suppose it could have been all three. It's definitely proof of God's great love for us and Mother Mary's care and intercession for her children. Maybe it's also Heaven sending a message to sceptics like me. I don't know but I was gobsmacked when I heard it. Here's Fr. Alar:
www.backtopray.co.uk Message to Ivan 6 July 2024 Dear children, today I want to call you in a special way to pray for my beloved children: for the priests; to preach in a simple way the living word of the Gospel. That your way may be the way of holiness, that at this time you may bear witness like never before; that you may be bearers of my messages as never before, without fear, without fear. Thank you, dear children, for also answering my call today! ”
that at this time you may bear witness like never before I very much like this message! The Gospel reading for 7/12 is from Saint Matthew where Jesus is telling his disciples to go out and preach and witness about Him in the towns of Israel. He said that they wouldn't get through all the towns before He would return. I looked up how many towns are in Israel. One source said 77 and another 125, but at any rate, that isn't a huge number. If Christians were to physically witness about Jesus in all the towns of Israel, to be true to His Word, He would return.
Its true that we as Catholics do not have to believe in any Marian Apparitions either approved or unapproved. I also over the course of the years have heard several homilies from Catholic priests condemning Medugorje sometimes in the strongest possible terms. Years and years ago we had discussions about Medugorje with some people approving some people very much disapproving and in the end we all pretty well ran round in circles like a dog chasing its tale. So this died down. I always though that people who disbelieved in Medugorje should visit there and see for themselves, most especially Catholic clergy who wished deeper discernment. But I suppose people would ask the question , 'Well why should I pay all that money and waste all that time for something I already know to be false?' which I suppose is a fair enough question. But still I would say, 'Taste and see that the Lord is good!'.... and, 'By their fruits you shall know them'. On my two visits to Medugorje I was given numerous indicators and signs of the authenticity of the Messages. One of them was this. I noticed that people were coming to me with no encouragement whatsoever to tell me their spiritual life stories. This was was so so very touching because they were just so very,very honest about their faults and failings. It was a bit like getting a birds eyes view of other peoples souls. At the need of their little stories I would make a comment about all they told me and we discussed this a little. It was very moving. The last time I was in Medugorje I heard the life stories of two drug/ alchohol addicts from Dublin. They are both now drug and drink free for a long time. One of them has been off heroin now for ten years. Frankly I regard these cures as miracles. Real miracles of grace. They told me that a huge help for them has been in visting Medugore and that, in fact without Medugorje they just could not have done it. Or keep on doing it. They keep going back for help. They both report that they know numerous addicts who have been kept going by MeEdugorje. This can only be a good fruit. They ere telling me that the drug/ drink thing is not the real issue that there is a problem that causes them to take drugs in the first place. I was saying to them that this problem was that they felt the need to be loved. That there is a space in all our hearts that needs to be filled. As St Augustine said, 'Our hearts are restless until they rest in thee!' They agreed with this. They also agreed that addiction is like a broken leg when it heals it is stronger than before . The only way they can heal is to look closely at themselves for the source , the cause of their addiction. The rest of us, how many of us ever look closely within? How many of us have the humility to do so? The late Doctor Scott Peck used to call addiction , 'The Sacred Disease', for it is an attempt to replace God and the spiritual journey of prayer with a chemical substitute. But anyway Medugorje has become a world centre of Catholic drug addiction treatment which can only be a good thing. This is a good fruit. It occurs to me, now sitting safely at home when would I ever get a chance to sit down and talk about God with two heroin addicts here? Never.
