By Mauro, Loredana and Luisa

These days, much has been said about Međugorje. Many things have been discussed, but the people have not been encouraged to ask themselves why the Mother of God has appeared, nor has there been sufficient reflection on what the Holy Mother intended to express and accomplish for Humanity.

God has allowed these apparitions, and He did so at the turn of two centuries; He had planned them in a precise location and within a specific political situation. He planned them when Pope John Paul II was the Pontiff, and He knew that kind of politics very well, as well as the kind of strong, simple faith rooted in the lives of those peoples. He was a Pope who fully belonged to the Most Blessed Virgin Mary: ‘Totus Tuus’ was his motto. Therefore, we have decided to report the testimony of Father Tomislav Vlašić, who has witnessed these events from the very beginning. We believe that listening to all voices first and then applying discernment is truly a Christian approach. Indeed, with God’s help, every person can discern between what is good and what is evil, since God’s prerogative is to create free human beings.

“Over the Pope as the expression of the binding claim of ecclesiastical authority there still stands one’s own conscience, which must be obeyed before all else, even against the requirement of ecclesiastical authority” (Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger – Commentary on the documents of Vatican II, Vol. V, p. 134, Herbert Vorgrimler, ed. Herder and Herder).^[1]

Taken from the book, Our Lady Is Alive in Međugorje – Conversations with Father Tomislav Vlašić

Publisher Luci dell’Esodo

 

CHAPTER 1 – THE TOUCH OF GOD THROUGH OUR LADY

A living and heroic faith

I would start by saying that I am very grateful to the six visionaries of Bijakovići, in the parish of Medjugorje, Vicka, Mirjana, Marija, Ivanka, Ivan and Jakov, because they welcomed the great gift of the apparitions of the Queen of Peace. I am also grateful to my fellow Franciscan brothers and to the nuns who provided their much-valued service within the Parish. I thank God for the parishioners and for the many pilgrims who have welcomed and experienced the extraordinary invitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary to opt for an authentic life of faith. By sending Mary’s invitation to convert to God out to the whole of humanity, they became her voice, a voice that has resounded for twenty-seven years.

… What I received through Our Lady in Medjugorje is an irrefutable truth for my life.

I feel a great sense of emotion when I recall that as soon as the apparitions of the Blessed Virgin Mary commenced in Medjugorje, a population began to form that welcomed the graces and sought to make them bear fruit. After appropriate discernment and after having been assigned the duty of carrying out the priestly service in the parish of Medjugorje by the Minor Friars, I inserted myself into that population. With all my heart I wanted to serve God and Our Lady. I was supported and assisted by the strong faith and devotion of the friars, the sisters and the parishioners. Every day, an ever-greater number of faithful were added from all over the world. The people had a living and heroic faith.

Among those who followed Our Lady, God stirred up special gifts in certain people whom I had contact with and whom I tried to promote. I am very grateful to Jelena Vasilj and Marijana Vasilj who welcomed such gifts and made them available to God. I really had great spiritual experiences in the prayer group in which both participated.

The people were simple and extraordinary at the same time, a clear mirror in which God’s goodness was reflected, which was in turn transmitted to all those who arrived in Medjugorje. In this context, the words that Our Lady addressed to one of the visionaries are understandable: “I want to appear to pilgrims on the face of parishioners”. Who would not be struck by such words of many parishioners who said to me: “May God take my health and give it to you”. I received such goodness from people! This bears witness to the living presence of God and of Our Lady in the souls of the faithful.

The more time passed, the more I met people who were undergoing supernatural experiences of faith, people whom God was preparing for his plans. Through them and in communion with them, I was carrying out my service to God in favour of the whole population. These extraordinary experiences in faith opened up new horizons in me and at the same time they awakened what the Lord had already planted in my soul. And so I embarked on a pathway of faith that was constantly becoming more and more profound and I put myself at the service of the divine plan. I learnt a lot by observing these experiences. I remained in communion with so many people who went through similar spiritual experiences. Continuing along this pathway, God showed me an ever-wider view and he asked me to offer him my life and my priesthood to the service of his plan. I answered yes to God. I began to work for this plan, within the limits of my possibilities, but with an ever more earnest love for God and his Mother. God continuously opened up new pathways and horizons to me and encouraged me to go forth.

Throughout this journey, the people who walked towards God following Mary were a great stimulus for me and had a great influence on me, by allowing themselves to be guided by her towards God. It is impossible for me to forget the men and women who came to Medjugorje seeking the Lord in all sincerity. In my soul, these people opened up a new gaze and a new space, in which I was easily able to recognise their spiritual growth and God’s tangible guidance.

I had a strong and meaningful experience immediately prior to the apparitions in Medjugorje. This experience was the meeting with Father Tardif and with Sister Bridge, at the beginning of May of 1981[2]. I was in Rome with a group of Croatians and Slovenians who were participating in the International Congress of the Charismatic Catholic Movement. During those days of the congress there were several occasions during which the various groups had the opportunity of meeting the guides and animators, to pray and speak to them. We had the opportunity to listen to the testimony and to pray with the companions whom I have just named.

When we met Father Tardif for the first time, apart from his testimony, people wanted him to pray for them, and everyone asked for prayers for some of their needs and intentions. I felt the need to pray for the local Church (I was referring to the situation being experienced in Herzegovina) and I said to him: “Pray for my Church”. After a short prayer, he answered simply saying in the name of Jesus: “Do not be afraid! Behold, I am sending you my Mother”.

Prayers followed the next day also, during the meeting with her. I did not express any intention however. She prayed over me and saw me sitting on a seat positioned high up, from which an abundant river flowed forth from all sides.

Well, this occurred at the beginning of May 1981 and it is known that on the 24^th of June Our Lady appeared on Podbrdo, above the district of Bijakovići. The moment Sister Briege[3] prayed over me I didn’t think about anything in particular, but later on, after the beginning of the apparitions, and after coming to serve in the parish of Medjugorje in August, those things became clearer, especially because in the groups of charismatic renewal there was talk of it, there was talk of certain prophecies that had come true.

[1] See the article of Andrea Tonelli in Il Giornale, “La libertà di coscienza? Conta più del Pontefice” (Freedom of conscience? It stands before the Pontiff)

In a book, Ratzinger’s writings on the role of religion: “The Pope cannot impose on Catholics the precepts he wants, he would distort the meaning of the papacy”.

https://www.ilgiornale.it/news/libert-coscienza-conta-pi-pontefice.html

[2] Father Emiliano Tardif M.C.S. (1928-1999), a Canadian priest who is well known and held in high esteem throughout the world, a member of the Charismatic Movement of the Renewal of the Spirit for many years. Sister Bridge McKenna O.S.C., an Irish nun from the Order of Saint Clare. She lives in America. In collaboration with the priest Kevin Scallon, she works throughout the world in retreats for priests and in numerous spiritual meetings.

[3] Sister Briege McKenna and P. Tardif

See the recent book by Saverio Gaeta (“L’ultima profezia” – The last prophecy) …. Father Emiliano Tardif, known above all for the charisma of the prophecy of healing, received from the Franciscan Tomislav Vlasic, later involved in the events of Medjugorje, the request to pray for his parish and for Yugoslavia. Speaking as if on behalf of the Lord, Father Tardif said: “Do not be afraid, I will send you my Mother.(44)

On the same occasion, Sister Briege McKenna, a nun with special mystical gifts, received an interior vision, which she described as follows: ‘In a white church surmounted by two bell towers, Father Tomislav was seated in the chair of the main celebrant, and rivers of living water flowed from the altar. Many young people came forward and, forming a cup with their hands, drank avidly from the water. After quenching their thirst in this way, they set out for home and returned with their friends, who, in turn, approached this source of living water to drink from it. (45)

(44) J. G. Spaziante, Cielo aperto, Mimep-Docete 1985, p. 38

(45) E. Maillard, The Hidden Child of  Medjugorje, Shalom 2006, p. 168.