What Happened on August 17, 2003: Caritas Silver Jubilee

What Happened on August 17, 2003: Caritas Silver Jubilee


Sunday, August 17, 2003
Apparition in the Bedroom

 

The apparitions returned to the Bedroom on this day. We had brought the flowers from the apparitions in Dune Haven. Many of them were still very beautiful and blooming. Of the flowers that were wilting, we took the petals apart and made a beautiful display on the bed with them. Bridget, five-year-old daughter of our founder, had her idea of how to arrange the bed, and what she wanted blessed in tonight’s apparition. She dressed a few of her dolls in their finest apparel and laid them against the pillows on the bed, with the flower pedals forming a pool around their feet. She invited the other little girls of the community to bring their dolls as well.
 

There were several in the community who came to the bedroom early to pray. One by one the room began to fill, until all were present and the Rosary began at 6:00 P.M. Because yesterday’s apparition took place in the church, unexpectedly, our founder presumed the apparition should be planned for 6:40 PM. this night. Our Lady came at 6:40 PM. After the apparition, Marija relayed the following:
 

Marija: “Our Lady blessed all baby…(then Marija asked) Is this true or not true? Also, Our Lady bless all us. And Our Lady pray over us, and She blessed us.”

Founder: “Eyes open or eyes closed?”

Marija: “No..open.”

Annette: “Our Lady blessed each one or everyone?”

Marija says: “Together.”

Question: “Marija, you spoke in the apparition.”

Marija: “I recommend all of our intentions, all that we have in our hearts. Also, in Annette’s heart. She said Granny…what is name of mother?…Mimi.”

Annette, at apparition time in the Field, prayed for her mother whose birthday had just passed a few days before. Marija, remembering this prayer, is referring to this good-humoredly. Marija then made a suggestion that every Sunday we should have the children say the decades of the Rosary. She said this after hearing how much Bridget, Joshua and her own son, Francesco, wanted to pray the decades.

Bridget wanted to start a song—she was too shy to do it between the decades of the Rosary, so her mother tried to encourage her.

Annette: “You want to sing now Bridget?”

Marija: “Go sing. Get up. Get up.”

Bridget: “No.”

Marija: “Yes! Today is Sunday. When on Sunday, you all not pray Rosary, only kids pray Rosary. Every Sunday.” Marija was saying for the adults not to pray the decades of the Rosary on Sundays but let the children do so.

Founder: “Every Sunday?”

Marija: “Yes.”

Founder: “Good idea.”

Marija: That makes no shame. Marija is speaking of the children, but doesn’t quite get the right word. She asks what word is better. Someone offers the word “embarrassed,” or “shy.” Marija says “So, no embarrassed.”

Annette: “Okay, Bridget, you ready? Start it and we’ll all join in.”

Marija: “I help you.” Marija tries to get Bridget to start singing a song…but she is too shy. Marija begins singing, “As I Kneel,” and the community joins in.

After the song our founder asks if Our Lady was tranquil?

Marija: “Yes. Like we are.” Our founder says, “Peace, tranquil, day after vacation.”

Just after Rosary this morning, on a walk our founder took with Paolo and Marija in the woods, they discovered very good mushrooms that could be prepared to eat. They planned to prepare a pasta meal with them. A discussion took place after this apparition about these mushrooms. They organized another search party for picking mushrooms. Our founder said later, that perhaps this is another reason why the apparitions ended back at this time. We had prayed a novena before Marija came that Our Lady would plan joys during these days with Our Lady—and finding these mushrooms was really a big joy. The apparitions being early made the evenings free for such things to happen. The community always prepares with novenas and special prayers and sacrifices before Our Lady visits us that we, as well as all those who are present during Her apparitions, will receive the full benefit of Her blessings. Our Lady’s way of life brings with it the joys of simple discoveries.
 

boys riding in pony carts

Our holiday was over, but we still knew how to have fun in the Alabama summer. One of our miniature ponies hitched to a pony cart arrived at our morning Rosary with Paolo and Marija’s boys in tow, driven by number four son of our founder. The Field was very green, thanks to recent rainfalls, and the cosmos flowers were all blooming. After seeing sand, sun and ocean all week, the brilliant colors of our beloved Field welcomed us home. During Our Lady’s first visit to our founder’s home in 1988, Our Lady spoke about creation, saying:

December 25, 1988

“…Today I give you my Special Blessing. Bring it to all creation, so that all creation will know peace…”

Each day in the Field at our Rosary time we pray that Our Lady will bless all of creation that surrounds our lives in the valley, and that this blessing will help to inspire us to draw closer to God, reminding us of all His goodness to us through the flowers, the rainfalls, and the green Field. This is done through the recitation of a prayer called “Prayer for the Abode of God” written specifically for the consecration of this valley by our founder and has been prayed daily, with never missing a day in over two decades. “Prayer for the Abode of God”

community praying in the field of apparitions

The community gathered around Our Lady’s statue once again at our normal Rosary time, at 11:00 A.M., even though Our Lady would not be appearing until the evening. Even when Marija is with us and the apparitions, we still honor the time Our Lady appears upon the earth to visionary Vicka in Medjugorje. The apparition time here has never been missed since the time Our Lady appeared 23 years ago as of August 2011.

kids riding on the pony carts

Marija’s husband Paolo, takes a turn, riding in the tall grass that will be cut soon to become hay for our animals. Our Lady is trying to teach us the more simple the life, the more joys we will experience. The more complex life becomes, such as what we experience in our modern culture, the less true joy is experienced. Our Lady said:

April 17, 1986

“…you are absorbed with material things, but in the material you lose everything that God wishes to give you… Don’t be absorbed with material things…”

medjugorje visionary marija riding the pony cart

Our Lady says:

October 25, 2000

“…I call to pray, pray, pray – until prayer becomes a joy for you…”

We can say our daily Rosary has really become one of our joys of the day. Even if we don’t feel joyful, something usually happens that warms the heart or even causes us to break up in laughter at something the children do. Marija decided to take a ride, herself, on the pony cart. Her son, Michele, though he had been on many rides already, jumped on for another.

boys riding pony carts

Our founder wrote in his book, I See Far, that when we left television behind and became a TV-free community, we suddenly heard real laughter and joy bubbling out of our children. It’s a different laughter than what you hear out of children watching TV. It’s laughter that comes right out of a child’s heart, surprised by the joy of real life. When one reads I See Far, one changes his life.

{source}
<!– Put Back Button Here –>
<button onclick=”goBack()”><strong>&larr; Go Back</strong></button>
<script>
function goBack() {
window.history.back();
}
</script>
{/source}

{source} [[?php require_once(‘templates/medjugorje_protostar/html/menujubilee.php’); ?]] {/source}

Community Plea 2023-2024 - $190,500 of $200,000

Only $9,500 left to reach the goal!

See where we stand in reaching the goal for the 2023-2024 Community Plea. If you have not yet read this update, a Friend of Medjugorje gives some strong teachings which are important for you to be informed.

For the latest update and to help us reach the goal visit here

Leave a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Sign up for the Medjugorje Newsletter

Stay up-to-date with the most important information about Medjugorje.

Email(Required)
First Name(Required)
Last Name (Optional)

Request Pilgrimage Information

*It is important to give your phone number so that a BVM Caritas representative can reach you.*

Name(Required)
Address(Required)
email list