Caritas Silver Jubilee: What Happened on January 15, 1989

Caritas Silver Jubilee: What Happened on January 15, 1989


What Happened on January 15, 1989

 

Our Lady appeared to Marija during Communion while Marija was in the loft attending Mass, which was being celebrated downstairs in the home where she was staying. Our Lady said to Marija:
 

 

“Tomorrow, again, I will appear in the Bedroom and give messages.”

 

More of What Happened

 

During Marija’s first visit with the founder of Caritas of Birmingham and his family, she underwent surgery to donate one of her kidneys to her brother who was in need of a kidney transplant. The surgery took place on December 16, 1988 at the University of Alabama Hospital in Birmingham, Alabama. Up until that time, Our Lady was appearing to Marija everyday in the Bedroom and giving a message every day. Even in Medjugorje at that time, Our Lady had stopped giving daily messages to the visionaries, so this was a very special grace that Marija recognized and spoke about as being unusual and special.
 
 

After her surgery, Our Lady continued to appear every day, but stopped giving messages for a time. Marija was convalescing in an upstairs bedroom and this is where the apparitions were for a short time. Once Marija was well enough to get out of bed, she would come out into the upstairs loft and attend Mass everyday, which was taking place in the living room area below her. On these days Our Lady would appear to Marija right after she received Holy Communion, either in the loft or living room. The crowds of people coming would gather each day in the Field adjacent to the house for the time of Our Lady’s apparition. Two weeks after the surgery, Marija was well enough to be meeting with people, getting around outside, helping in the household, etc. Everyone thought that Our Lady would return to Her normal apparitions, and were surprised that even as Marija was returning to her normal strength, Our Lady continued to appear only after Communion. In fact, Our Lady kept her silence for exactly one month, from December 15, 1988 to January 15, 1989. The only exception was that She gave Marija the December 25, 1988 message to the world on Christmas morning, where the apparition began on December 24 near midnight, and ended just minutes after it had turned the 25th..
 

 

It gradually dawned on those who were closest to the family that Our Lady may have had another reason for keeping the apparition’s low key for awhile. The wife of Caritas’ founder had just entered into her ninth month of pregnancy when Marija arrived in November, 1988. Already the mother of three young boys, life was full. Added to her responsibilities of running a household and carrying for her husband and children, she cared for Marija as if she were her own sister. After the surgery, Marija had, of course, many more needs. While caring for Marija, she went two weeks past her due date, finally giving birth to their fourth son on December 30th. In the midst of all of this, as word spread that Marija was staying in their home, people began coming from around the country to attend Our Lady’s apparitions, many of whom Marija had met in Medjugorje. Every meal had was prepared knowing there would be 10-20 or more people added to the number. Being in a position of serving so many people day in and day out, while caring for Marija and her family took all her strength. At some point there was a realization among those helping in the house that Our Lady, by keeping Her apparitions low key, was giving time to this mother for some much needed rest.
 

 

When Our Lady stopped giving daily messages, the excitement and attention that was generated with having new words from Our Lady everyday calmed down somewhat, giving a little respite to the host family, and allowing them to put their attention and care towards their newborn son. This was an incredible realization—that Our Lady actively worked to create a better situation for the family who had given everything up to make Her apparitions available to thousands. In fact, having Our Lady with their family for 2 ½ months, they understood things about Our Lady that they would never have picked up on before, without having this intimacy. It was very obvious that Our Lady held great respect for the head of a household. Marija’s whole attitude was one of respect and deference. This led to a great illumination for them, because here, they had the Queen of Heaven in their home, and they were nothing, yet Our Lady placed Herself at their disposal.
 
 

No one knew that Our Lady would begin giving messages again during Marija’s time with the founder’s family. That is why it was a shock to hear on January 15, 1989, after Marija’s apparition that Our Lady had not only broken Her silence, but that She directed Marija to return to the Bedroom for the apparitions and that She announced She would begin giving messages again.
 

 

It wasn’t until months, even years after Marija’s visit that it began to be realized that much of what Our Lady did during these apparitions had special meaning. This was discovered in prayer and through the experience of daily living Her messages. Having told the founder of Caritas that She desired to have a community formed here, it was discovered that the spiritual foundation of the community could be found in these messages given over a 2 ½ month period of time. Our Lady also established, from the beginning, that it is the Bedroom that She prefers to appear in because She has come to call families back to holiness, and the Bedroom is where the family is born. Our Lady is the Woman of Revelation, the one who has come to do battle with the dragon. Whatever She does, he hates and opposes. There will always be resistance to anything She establishes. satan has done much over the years to try and discredit Our Lady’s plans here.
 

 

It is now 22 years [2011] since the first apparition in the Bedroom, and Our Lady continues to prefer the Bedroom for Her apparitions when She is present at Caritas for prayer gatherings through Marija. Renewing the family is still at the heart of all Our Lady’s plans. Come for the apparitions March 19-23, 2011, and be among tens of thousands who have prayed in the Bedroom. So many people, over the years, have experienced a “rebirth” of their souls in this blessed room.
 

 

Holy Mass in the founder of Caritas' home

Medjugorje visionary, Marija, can be seen kneeling in the loft of the home of Caritas of Birmingham’s founder, while Mass is being celebrated below.

 

Marija attending Holy Mass at the founder's home

Just after receiving Holy Communion, Our Lady would appear to Marija in the loft, or on the stairs, or in the living room—wherever Marija would be. In all these apparitions in the house, November 1988- January 1989, Our Lady always came joyful and very happy.

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