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www.medjugorje.ws » Echo of Mary Queen of Peace » Echo of Mary Queen of Peace 121 (July-August 1995)

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14th anniversary message - 25 June '95:
Dear children, I am happy to see
today that in such great numbers you
have responded and come to live the
messages. My children, I invite you to be
my joyful bearers of peace in this restless
world. Pray for peace so that as soon as
possible a time of peace may reign, for
which my Heart is impatient.
I am close to you my children, and I
intercede for each one of you before the
Most High and I bless you all with my
motherly blessing. Thank you for
responding to my call.
"Be my joyful
bearers of peace"
We all experience of little of the joy that
the Heart of our Heavenly Mother feels when
looking at the great number of people who
went to Medj. for the anniversary to live Her
messages
and not just to listen to them.
Mary teaches about life. Her interventions
and messages are a programme for life. For
as long as we limit ourselves just to listening
or examining or even just enjoying reading
the messages, we will never know the real
value of Her words nor of Her Motherly
Heart which moves Her to intervene on our
behalf. Neither will we know the real value
of God to Whom She wants to lead us. As
St John says: "The way we may be sure that
we know him is to keep his commandments.
Whoever says, 'I know him,' but does not
keep his commandments is a liar, and the
truth is not in him"
(1Jn 2:3-4) From this
alone comes peace: the peace I give you, not
the one that comes from the world.
Also in this message the Queen of Peace
invites us to be more concrete and committed:
to collaborate with Her in Her work for
peace. Pray for peace and be my joyful
bearers of peace
. She is inviting us to be
disciples of the Lord of the beatitudes who
are sent by Jesus to take to all men the Gospel
of peace (Mt 5:9). Jesus’ good news cannot
be taken if not with joy, as when Mary took
Jesus to Elizabeth and John the Baptist, to
the men of the temple in Jerusalem and to
the wedding feast in Cana.
Mary believes in the divine force of the
Gospel of Peace. She knows how restless
this world is
and Her Heart is impatient
for the time of peace
. We must imitate, as
much as possible, this motherly concern for
Her children, but also Her trust and hope that
peace is possible if we remain with Her and
do as She says.
Mary is always close to us and intercedes
before the Most High for each of us and
blesses us all with Her Motherly blessing
which is ever most loving and effective.
Yes, as a true Mother She never forgets,
excludes or accuses anyone, but loves and
blesses everyone.
Fr. Remo
"Ut unum sint!"
Call for Christian unity
Ut unum sint, published early May, is the
first encyclical dedicated entirely to
Ecumenism in all of Church history. The
Pope indicates to Christians what the Church’s
destination is for the year 2000: be once
again united
through the action of the Holy
Spirit. Ecumenism, he says: "is not a sort of
appendix tagged onto the end of the traditional
activity of the Church... but is an organic part
of her life. In fact, believing in Christ means
unity." He reaffirms the words of Pope John
XXIII when he says: "This unity cannot
mean a return of other Christians to the
Catholic Church, but a conversion of the
entire Church to Christ."
If this may seem impossible for the
ordinary man, the Pope hopes beyond all
hope. He is preparing everything so the Lord
may unite all His disciples who though they
share a common baptism, live in separate
Churches and are at times still hostile to one
another. The bishop of Rome has made a
precise commitment, which he says he
"carries out with profound conviction." Who
would have thought that all this could come
from the Polish Pope who was accused of
"wanting to impose his own convictions and
of freezing the ecumenical dialogue"?
The Pope has now opened a door upon
what has always represented the greatest
difficulty for the other Christian Churches:
the primacy of the Bishop of Rome. "The
memory [of said difficulty] is marked by
certain painful recollections and I join my
Predecessor Paul VI in asking forgiveness."
Without questioning the substance of the
"primacy of the Successor of Peter, visible
sign and guarantor of unity ... since this
constitutes a difficulty for most other
Christians ... I am convinced that I have a
particular responsibility in acknowledging
the ecumenical aspirations of the majority of
the Christian Communities and in heeding
the request made of me to find a way of
exercising the primacy which is open to a
new situation." He continues: "Could not the
real but imperfect communion existing
between us persuade Church leaders and
their theologians to engage with me in a
patient and fraternal dialogue on this subject?"
Particular emphasis is given to holiness
as a consequence of baptism. "The Orthodox,
Protestant, Anglican and Catholic martyrs
were witnesses to Christ and they represent,
with their sanctity, a pole of attraction
towards unity... The fact that one can die for
the faith shows that other demands of the
faith can also be met."
The new document has met with
enthusiasm by the Orthodox, Anglican and
Protestant Communities. The hope is to reach
the Year 2000, if not united, at least less
divided... that the world may believe (see Jn
17:20-26).
Receive the Body and Blood of Christ. You
are the members.
So you are not scattered, eat this bond of
unity.
So you are not depreciated, drink the price
of your ransom.
(St John Chrysostom)
Help your children Lord, whom you
redeemed with your precious Blood
NEXT ISSUE IN SEPTEMBER
July-August 1995 - Most Precious Blood and Assumption -
Yr. 11 #6. Original Italian edit.: Eco di Maria,
CP 149, I-46100 Mantova.
All mail to: Echo of Mary, Casella Postale 27, I-31030 Bessica (TV), Italy
Echo of MARY
Qeen of Peace
121
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"No salvation outside Church"
Is working together for unity
and asking forgiveness
a sign of weakness?
Thanks to the encyclical Ut unum sint we
now know more fully what real ecumenism
is. False ecumenism is falling short of
authentic values in an effort to compromise
the truth. It is the dispersion of the patrimony
acquired by the Catholic Church which is the
"column and foundation of the truth" out of
a desire to encounter others at all costs, but
which ends up damaging both sides and
leaving nothing behind but words on paper
and confusion among the faithful.
True ecumenism is overcoming non-
essential positions in the desire to reunite all
members in full unity of faith and life without
compromising the authentic values or the
truth of the faith. And as Paul would say
(2Co4:2) the Pope renounces shameful,
hidden things; by not acting deceitfully or
falsifying the word of God, but by the open
declaration of the truth he commends himself
to everyone’s conscience in the sight of God.
Well then, the Pope has been accused by
Christian traditionalists and lay people hostile
to the Church of not respecting the principle
that says "outside the Church is no salvation"
(Extra Ecclesiam nulla salus) - as if the Pope
did not know!
This principle by St Cyprian, which the
Council adopted, means this: "For those who
know that the Church founded by Jesus is
necessary for one’s salvation, there is the
obligation to enter and persevere in the
Church" (LG 14). On the other hand, for
those who: "out of no fault of their own
ignore the Gospel, salvation can arrive in
mysterious ways because divine grace -
which comes only from the sacrifice of the
cross - can reach also them even though they
may not belong to the Church. Nonetheless,
it is related to the Church, even if they do
not know it or oppose it" (RM).
Yet some see the ecumenical dialogue
(and ignoring the fruits which have already
been produced) think that the Church has
yielded on this principle. These accusations
bring to mind the parable of the elder brother
who wanted to exclude the prodigal son and
that of the pharisees who were scandalized
by Jesus because He receives sinners and
dines with them.
What then of those who tear
their robes out of despair because the
Church, by mouth of the Pope, acknowledges
and confesses the sins of her children (sins
which have been an impediment to unity)?
And both sides are at fault.
However, the best testimonies in favour
of the Pope come precisely from the
adversaries. Were it true that the Pope had
failed in maintaining the Catholic position
out of the desire to meet the Protestants [at
all costs] he would not have had such a cool
reception in Prague by the followers of Hus
and he would have abstained from proclaim-
ing Sarkander a saint (and other martyrs will
soon be beatified.). Neither would he continue
calling Mary the Mother and guide of the
Church since he knows this contrasts with
the Protestant spirit and could be an obstacle
in the ecumenical dialogue.
Furthermore, had the spirit of the Catholic
missions in the East lost fervour because of
the Pope’s evident yearning to embrace the
Orthodox brothers, then why does the Synod
and the Patriarch of Moscow accuse the
Catholic Church of proselytism simply
because she established a hierarchy in the
former Soviet republics? (besides the old
problem to do with the Uniates?) Again, how
can he be accused of compromising the faith
for having supported the financial assistance
scheme for Orthodox priests when it means
supporting their families to leave them free
to give spiritual formation to people who
have had none for the last 70 years?
Then there are certain Catholic environ-
ments which accuse the Pope of giving in to
the Ostpolitik (aperture to the Communist
countries) during the cold-war years, but
even the Communists deny this who have
always accused the Pope for openly
denouncing Marxist totalitarianism. Contrary
to the Pope's actions, many ecclesial environ-
ments preferred to remain prudently silent.
The Pope is also accused of syncretism
because he makes dialogue with non-
Christian religions and invites representatives
of all religions to pray and work for peace,
or because he accepts to talk and listen to
representatives of non-Christian nations.
Did not Peter say to the pagans that God
shows no partiality, but whoever fears him
and acts uprightly is acceptable to him
(Act
10:34)? Can the Pope sincerely be accused
of syncretism, that is, of trying to combine
Christianity and other religions? If that were
the case why would he have drawn on
himself the reproof of the Buddhists (who
refused to meet him during his visit to Sri
Lanka because in his book "Crossing the
Threshold of Hope" he stressed the negative
side of Buddhism)?
Without a doubt the Pope’s openness has
helped immensely in shredding the age-old
closure which hindered the forming of
relationships with other religions. Just as the
Gospel teaches, he has recognized the seeds
of truth which God scatters in all of man’s
religions. Living the truth in love is the
Pauline motto (Eph 4:15) which John Paul
wears well. A confirmation comes from a
message which was given to Msgr. Franic,
Bishop of Split, for the Catholic Croatians.
In it Our Lady said: Love your Muslim
brothers, love your Serb Orthodox brothers,
love those who govern you
(who were then
Communist atheists). To a priest who was
amazed that Our Lady healed an Orthodox
gypsy boy, Our Lady, through Marija, said:
Tell that priest and everyone else that you are
the ones who are divided on the earth; the
Muslims, Orthodox and Catholics are all
equal in God’s eyes and mine because you
are all [His] children.
The Holy Father does not close the door
on anyone; he appeals to everyone to defend
the fundamental values of man - common to
all religions - to save humanity from self-
destruction. This is one of the functions of
the Church which was exercised also by the
pastors of the early centuries. The Church
wants man saved; love embraces all men and
all things. The Pope is a sign of contradiction,
so do not be confused by those who offer free
criticism of something they ignore.
Let us be ever more faithful to the Holy
Father, firm and sure in our trust in Peter, the
unshakable rock, even amid universal
upheaval.
Fr.A.
Some fight against unity
Fr. Werenfried tells
But "God’s power is made perfect
in weakness" (2Co 12:9)
With regards to aid to the Orthodox, we
received the following letter from Fr.
Werenfried: "... Misunderstandings have
arisen with some of our benefactors because
of the help we give to the Orthodox priests.
Some think I am: 'an apostate who favours
heresy and division.' These people forget that
the Orthodox priests believe as firmly in
Jesus Christ as the Catholic priests do. They
have not understood that the move towards
reconciliation with the Orthodox is the fruit
of Jesus’ priestly prayer. In the Last Supper
He said: I pray not only for them (the
apostles), but also for those who will believe
in me through their word
(of both the
Catholics and the Orthodox), so that they
may all be one, as you Father are in me and
I in you, that they also may be in us, that the
world may believe that you sent me
(Jn
17:20-21).
After the joy received from the Pope’s
approval of the work we do for this
reconciliation, I was very disappointed that
not all our benefactors think the same as the
Holy Father. We have lost dozens, maybe
hundreds, of benefactors. There is no need
for us to look around too far to see who is
behind it all. It is the devil who does not spare
anyone in his world-wide offensive waged
against the Church, the Pope and the priests.
It is obvious that he is trying to impede
reconciliation between the Orthodox and the
Catholic Churches, and unfortunately he has
found allies among the conservative friends
who try to demoralize us and make us
renounce our plans for the new evangelization
of Russia.
All this, however, must not be reason to
despair. On the contrary! The more Satan
manages to weaken us the more God is made
to help us. He chose the foolish of the world
to shame the wise, and the weak of the world
to shame the strong... so that no human being
might boast before God
(1 Co 1:27-29).
So let us continue on our journey, but
with ever more fervent requests to heaven
through prayer: in the trust and certainty that
they will be answered. Jesus Himself ensured
us that we would receive what we ask. He
was the one who taught us to keep on
knocking till we receive what we want, even
if only because of our persistence (Lk 11).
God searches our hearts. He knows how
much we trust in Him. He sees exactly what
it is that we want from Him, the world or
from ourselves and He does not want to share
our trust with the world. That’s why He often
removes from us our every worldly hope to
demand that we trust Him totally. According
to worldly wisdom, abandoning ourselves to
Him is a risk. According to God’s wisdom
it leads us instead to a trustful surrender in
He Who is omnipotent and infinitely good..."
(From the Echo of Love, June 1995)
If you wish to help the Catholic and
Orthodox priests of the East, personal cheques
may be sent to: "Aid to the Church in Need,"
Casella Postale 5049, I-00100 Roma Ostiense,
Italy, or contact: Surrey UK ph 081-6428668;
Dublin Ireland ph.013-77516; POB 576, Deer
Park NY; POB 250, Montreal Quebec; Sydney
Australia ph. 02-6791929
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Bishop denounces:
Satan brings division
into Church
Keep watch and pray with Mary!
The annual meeting for Marian (Medj.)
groups in the USA was recently held in Notre
Dame (Indiana). Bishop Paul Hnilica took
the message of Fatima to the four thousand
participants on Pentecost day.
At Pentecost, Peter and the rest of the
Apostles joined with Mary, the Mother of
Jesus in the Upper Room to pray. This was
the first Church; it is the first and original
identity of the Church sealed by the descent
of the Holy Spirit.
We must admit that this harmony and
perseverance in prayer is lacking in the
Church of today, therefore also the presence
of Mary is lacking. We must ask forgiveness
for this omission. Satan is waging his greatest
attack against the Church and if Mary is not
with us we have no defence. That is why the
Holy Spirit desires bringing back into the
Church a renewed awareness of Her presence.
The dramatic consequences of this satanic
attack are the lack of unity and harmony in
the Church for which Jesus invoked unity,
that same unity that comes from the Blessed
Trinity. The Holy Spirit came upon the
Apostles and Mary at Pentecost precisely to
seal that unity.
We look at the Church and see an ever-
more perfect organization, but its perfection
is on a human level, while she should be a
living organism full of God’s Spirit. God,
though, cannot abandon His Church: as He
promised He will send the Holy Spirit to
strengthen and renew her. The Holy Spirit is
sending His Spouse, the Virgin Mary and He
speaks through Her in many places, such as
Fatima, Medjugorje, Amsterdam and Kibeho
in Rwanda, just as He has always made use
of Her to bring His universal design of
sanctification for all mankind, beginning
with Christ’s Precursor, John the Baptist.
Mary is especially present when Christianity
is most in danger, for instance at Lepanto.
Thus the Church justifiably calls Her: "She
who triumphs in all God’s battles."
Internal crisis of Church - The Popes
in our century have been denouncing the
great crisis of faith and truth that exists in the
Church. Paul VI said that the smoke of Satan
had entered the very temple of God and that
we are witnessing a process of self-
destruction which began in the Church. Also
our present Pope has spoken of this internal
crisis which we see with our own eyes.
I travel a great deal and I’ve noticed how
the persecution of the faith in the West is
more dangerous and more powerful than the
one we Christians experienced in the East
under the Communists. I’ve lived in Rome
for the past 40 years and I’ve seen how the
Pope is often attacked. It’s a question of
Cardinals against Cardinals and Bishops
against Bishops when it comes to being
unconditionally faithful to Peter (John Paul
II) and devoted to Mary’s Immaculate Heart
through the act of consecration. This is the
sorry truth of the third secret of Fatima where
Mary announced a terrible crisis in the
Church if the Bishops did not heed Her
requests. It is indeed a terrible crisis which
effects even the highest members of the
hierarchy and has touched also the Pope with
open attacks upon his person which are ever
more evident to all. What a great sorrow to
know that even Cardinals and Bishops desire
this Pope to retire. Some even talk about who
will be his next successor while he is still
alive. The Holy Father suffers not only
because the Medjugorje message has not
been accepted and because of the war in that
country, but above all for the division among
Bishops and the "crisis of the supernatural.
This is why people go to Medjugorje to find
the supernatural in prayer and the sacraments
which is missing in the Church of today."
One must not overlook the special
remedies donated by the Holy Spirit for these
extraordinary times. Our Lady was chosen in
the beginning of the Scriptures: She will
crush your head
(Gen 3:5) and at the end:
the fall of the Dragon who fights against the
Woman and against Her descendants
(Rev
12), and we are those descendants consecrated
to Her Immaculate Heart.
The Marian apparitions are pleas by the
Holy Spirit Who uses His Spouse Mary to
renew both the Church and the world. When
Pope Paul VI went to Fatima for the 50th
anniversary, he wrote an encyclical to explain
the message of Fatima in relation to the
apocalypse, explaining that with Fatima we
entered into this decisive apocalyptic battle
which is unfolding before our very eyes.
Necessity of consecration to Immacul-
ate Heart - The promise at Fatima was that
through consecration to Mary’s Immaculate
Heart we would receive all the necessary cure
for our spiritual and temporal needs. Thus,
in Fatima, Mary Co-Redemptrix invites us
to be co-redeemers with Her.
Once, when I was talking to Sr. Lucia,
she stressed how Our Lady’s first request was
to accept all the crosses God would send
them for the salvation of sinners. Our Lady
then showed them a vision of hell with the
souls of the poor sinners and She reproached
Christians, saying: "too few pray and offer
sacrifices for them." "To save them," said
Our Lady in Fatima, "God wishes to establish
in the world devotion to my Immaculate
Heart." The Immaculate Heart of Mary is the
Heart of the Co-Redemptrix. She gave all of
Herself for the service of redemption. This
is why She came to Fatima as the Co-
Redemptrix.
Pope John Paul II responded to the
request of consecration of the world to Her
Heart in union with all the bishops, though
the consecration came a little late, as Our
Lady had foretold. Furthermore, since all the
Bishops were not with the Pope the
consecration was not complete, but Sr. Lucia
said: "The Pope did everything possible and
Our Lady accepted this act of consecration,"of
25 March 1984. It was after this consecration
that the Communist persecution came to an
end. The Pope has asked me though: "How
many Bishops truly did the consecration?"
This lack of unity of the Bishops with the
Pope is the main cause of the profound crisis
within the Church, and I mean lack of
harmony, not an administratrive problem.
Another of the extraordinary
manifestations of the Holy Spirit in our times
are the apparitions of Amsterdam in 1945
when Our Lady came as "The Lady of All
Nations." She appeared to a simple-hearted
woman and spoke to her of the crisis that
would come into the Church in Holland,
Germany, England, Rome and the whole
world. The wars in the Gulf and the Balkans
were also prophesied. Above all, the message
of Amsterdam is a message of hope that
promises for the entire Church a new era of
the Holy Spirit. The new effusion of the Holy
Spirit is tied, however, to the proclamation
of the dogma of Mary, Co-Redemptrix,
Mediatrix of All Graces and Advocate
. We
must pray that the Holy Spirit will encourage
and convince also all the bishops.
Fatima, Medjugorje and Amsterdam are
connected to one other. It is the same Mother
who calls to us and comes to help us. Those
who have accepted and live the consecration
according to the Fatima message accept and
live the Medjugorje message and are thus
prepared to understand the Amsterdam
message, where the final and Apocalyptic
battle is announced of the forces of good
over evil by the woman clothed in the sun,
who is the 'Co-Redemptrix, Mediatrix of All
Graces and Advocate.'
In 1982 John Paul said in Fatima: 'Dear
brothers and sisters, this is a decisive moment
in the life of the Church and of this
generation. We are all invited to approach
this throne of grace with faith in order to
obtain mercy. We are all invited to go to
Jesus through Mary.' "
Common radio for Catholics and
Orthodox in Russia - It once seemed a
dream, but now it is a reality. It is the best
possible answer to the Holy Father’s yearning
for unity which he expressed in his letter
Orientale Lumen on reconciliation. The radio
station began transmitting from Moscow on
Sunday 18th June, transmitting 20 hours per
day. (News from Italian national TV)
Mary, safeguard of the faith
Messori: "I too was prejudiced; I did not
like the sugary aspect of Marian devotion and
I fell into the same error the Protestant
Reformation fell into, that is, that dedicating
oneself to the Mother would detract something
from the Son."
Q. What about now?
Messori:
It is indispensable that the
Church rediscover Mary’s role. Christianity’s
suffering today is not to do with the Church
the institution, but with its faith. The Church
must start off from the foundation of the faith,
certainly not support the gay movement as
some would like!
Q. What has Mary got to do with this?
Messori:
History teaches that Mary is the
safe-keeper of the faith. At every crisis the
Church has turned to Mary. Protestantism
exploded and broke up into a thousand
different Churches precisely because it
redimensioned Mary’s role which they
considered to be casual. They thought of Mary
as a "uterus on hire," to be used for the
Incarnation and nothing else. Instead, Mary is
Mother for ever; then, to accept Jesus in Her
womb, now to defend the faith.
(From Corriere della Sera)
* Messori’s latest book Patì sotto Ponzio
Pilato (And He suffered under Pontius Pilate)
has been translated into seven languages.
Another book entitled Ipotesi su Maria will be
published in the near future and talks about
Mary’s true role in the Church.
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Every apostolic work is vain
if prayer not given
first place
Fr. Valinho, Salesian priest, uncle and
confidant of Sr. Lucia of Fatima, received
the following letter from her. We propose it
to all those involved in apostolic work.
"I see from your letter that you are
worried about the confusion and disorientation
of our present times. It truly is sad that so
many let themselves be dominated by the
diabolic wave that is enveloping the world,
and that they are so blind as not to see their
error. The greatest error, however, is that
they have abandoned prayer
; [and the lack
of prayer] takes them away from God and
without God they lack everything because
without Me you can do nothing (Jn 15:5).
What I especially recommend is that you
embrace the Tabernacle and pray. With
fervent prayer you will receive the light, the
strength and the grace you need to nourish
yourself and transmit to the others. In your
guidance of those who have been entrusted
to you be humble and kind, but also firm,
since Superiors are called to guard the truth
so it is not removed from its place of prime
importance, though it must be done with
serenity, justice and charity. For this reason
they need to pray all the more, to remain
close to God and to talk to Him about their
affairs and problems before discussing them
with their fellow brothers. Follow this way
and you will see how in prayer you will find
more science, light, grace and virtue than
what you could find by reading many books
or by dedicating your life to study.
Never think that time spent in prayer
is lost time. You will discover that in prayer
God will communicate to you the light,
strength and grace you need to do what He
expects of you. The only important thing for
us is to do God’s will, to be where He wants
us to be, to do all that He wants us to do,
and always with humbleness in the knowledge
that on our own we are nothing, that it is God
who works in us and through us to complete
His works. Therefore, we all need to intensify
our lives of intimate union with the Lord and
the only way to do this is through prayer.
It is in prayer that a person’s soul directly
encounters God who is our strength and
source of every good. Let yourself have no
time for any other thing, however, you
must always make time for prayer - and
you will see how much you can do in so
little time
. A person (especially a Superior)
who does not pray or habitually sacrifices
prayer for material things, is like a hollow,
lifeless reed... Thus Jesus said: You are the
salt of the earth, but if salt loses its taste it
is no longer good for anything but to be
thrown out
(Mt 5:13).
We can receive strength only from God.
We must hold on tight to Him so He can
communicate it to us. The necessary intimate
relationship with God can only be realized
through prayer, for it is in prayer that a soul
comes into direct contact with God. I would
like you to transmit these recommendations
to your fellow brothers; let them experience
what I have said and then you can tell me
if I was wrong.
I am convinced that the main cause of
evil in the world and of the failed vocations
is the lack of union with God in prayer
.
The devil is very astute; he knows our weak
points, where to attacks us. If we are not
cautious and attentive about obtaining the
strength from God, we will fall because the
times are treacherous and we are weak
.
Only God’s strength can sustain us. Be
careful to take everything calmly and with
great trust in God. He will do for us what
we cannot do alone. He will make up for our
insufficiency.
United to the Lord in prayer and sacrifice,
Sr. Lucia dos Santos" (Coimbra, 13.4.71)
(Letter sent to us together with 140 others
by Fr. Umberto M. Pasquale, confidant of Sr.
Lucia for 40 years. He was also Spiritual
Father of Alexandrina da Costa, the great
mystic of our times soon to be beatified.)
So much wasted energy!
Fruits come only from
Jesus in Eucharist
We laboured all night and caught
nothing
(Lk 5:5). Without me you
can do nothing (Jn 15:5).
A lot more energy is spent by the Church
on works which are not necessary for the
salvation of souls than on those which are.
The reason is that the root of the problem of
salvation is not considered enough, and
people resort to means indicated by Jesus,
applying them for other purposes.
Jesus centred His work of salvation on
His Eucharistic presence: I am with you
always till the end of time
(Mt 28:20). The
leaps ahead on the way of holiness are not
given by conferences or sermons or spiritual
readings, even though these are useful and
necessary. That special touch of God’s grace
in people’s hearts is tied to the Eucharist.
The one and only Fount is Jesus, Who is
present day and night in the Eucharist to
"transform us in He Whom we adore." It is
Jesus received daily (with due disposition),
Jesus Whom we visit and adore during the
day in His house: as we pass by the church
stop and say hello, but if this is not possible
send your heart often to greet Jesus in the
Tabernacle. Our Friend ever faithful awaits
us in that silent presence, the only Fount
which nourishes and transforms the world.
There is too much waste in Church life
when Christians are not led to the Eucharist.
The same goes for our personal lives when
we do not centre them around the Eucharist.
Our lives will be transformed in the amount
we let the Eucharist take possession of our
hearts, letting them gravitate towards Him.
The Queen of Peace appeared on Podbrdo
the first time, but then She began appearing
in the church, thereby making it clear that
Her function is to spiritually guide souls to
the Eucharist. The Eucharist is the Emmanuel,
the God with us , and the Queen of Peace is
calling us to the Fount, to the centre of the
world, which is the Eucharist. Come. let us
adore Him!
"So let us depart then from this meal like
fire-breathing lions, terrible before the
devil, and think what great love our Head
shows us.
Which shepherd feeds his sheep with his
own blood? Mothers feed their little ones
with milk, He feeds us with His own flesh
and His own blood and is united to us in
everything."
(St John Chrysostom)
Secret for Our Times:
Mary’s Immaculate Heart
Must pass through it to
enter God’s Plan
At the Medj. Conference (11-14 May,
article in Echo 120), Fr. Tomislav’s first
reflection was based on the forthcoming
Jubilee celebration - the year 2000 is in fact
centred around the Trinity and the Eucharist.
He said: "The Trinity is the beginning and
the end of the universe. We were born from
the Trinitarian love and to there we shall
return. That which is found in the eternal
God, one and trine in heaven, is lived out in
the Eucharist now on the earth. The Pope
sees Our Lady as the maternal figure not able
to be substituted in this time of advent, of
happenings and of special graces. So we have
lived these years with our heavenly Mother;
and this explains Her presence in these times
through so many apparitions and signs.
This is not a casual event, nor is it a fact
of private piety. It is, instead, God’s plan in
view of the next millennium. Through Mary’s
presence God is preparing hearts for world
events. We have often heard Our Lady call
us to consecration to Her Immaculate Heart;
also the Pope made this consecration for the
world, and we are all called to make this
consecration every day, in particular those
people who make a total offering of them-
selves.
Why all this? Some theologians and
priests see it as being a private thing, that
Mary is too central. This is not true. We must
understand that Mary Immaculate is a new
creation: God created an immaculate soul as
a gift for us, and we are called to take
possession of that gift. What happened in
Mary will be take place in the entire Church,
to which the Revelation testifies.
So, passing through the Immaculate Heart
is compulsory. It is a gift, a way offered to
us by God and part of His plan; and we
should feel proud about it because it was
made for each of us. Through immersing
ourselves in the Blessed Mother - in Her
Immaculate Heart - each of us will »»
Fr. Alberione’s example: more prayer
than work! - Fr. James Alberione (Founder
of the St Paul Society) had ten "families" to
think about, founded by him. He obviously
led a very active life, yet he replied personally
to all the mail, even if only with a few words.
He also prayed seven hours a day!
We do the contrary; we have so much to
do and so we cut back on our prayer time.
The saints do not! They think just the
opposite to the way we think.
In the institutions of our St Paul Society
we have an hour of adoration every day.
Once, one of my fellow brothers, the father
superior of a house in Argentina, wrote
saying that he had too much work: "formation,
education, apostolate, chaplain of the nuns,"
etc., asking for another priest to help him.
Well, instead of sending him a helper, Fr.
Alberione wrote to him, telling him to remain
in adoration an extra quarter of an hour! He
did and he later confessed: "That extra
quarter of an hour did not really take any
more of my time, but the wonderful thing is
that I now get more done than before!" This
is the reasoning of the saints. Fr. Amorth
background image
Fr. Tomislav blesses the first stone of the house in Medjugorje.
To the right is Fr. Angelo and other friends
(14 May 1995)
become a new creature; it is the only way.
All the saints can tell us that going to God
through Mary’s Immaculate Heart is much
easier than going direct. There are gradual
steps in this passage and the first is Mary’s
Immaculate Heart. Just as we have
experienced here in the prayer groups in
Medjugorje, the encounter with the Blessed
Mother leads us to the Son; the Son leads us
to the Holy Spirit and in the Holy Spirit Jesus
directs us to the Father. Passing first through
Mary is compulsory, and we should be proud
of God’s gift to us. Let us try to immerse
ourselves in this gift and live this gift so we
can truly make a total offering of ourselves.
I have noticed that if in a Shrine or
community people do not immerse their
souls in Her Immaculate Heart, they either
come to a halt or remain on a superficial
level. Why is this? Because our hearts remain
vulnerable, the wounds in them remain open,
and unless we immerse ourselves in Her
Immaculate Heart many doors in our hearts
remain open for Satan to enter and he can
make our faith fall short even for little things
(see message of 25 March).
I have seen that wherever people do not
immerse themselves in Mary's Immaculate
Heart they do not advance, their faith walk
stops and the gifts of the Holy Spirit stop,
making it impossible for Him to progressively
transform souls.
The same thing goes for movements.
According to Jelena, Our Lady said: "My
task is to purify all spiritual movements in
the world." So these too, unless they have
placed themselves in Her Immaculate Heart
are vulnerable and open to negative forces.
We must understand that God, in His plan
of salvation, provided the ideal reality for
man: the love of a mother for her son; and
no one can love the Son more than Our Lady
and no one in us can love Him as Mary can.
So then, immersing ourselves in the love of
the Virgin means immersing ourselves in the
deepest possible manner of loving Jesus
where we can be guided to the Father.
I’ve also noticed that in various
movements, both within and outside the
Church and in various communities, there is
a type of crust around people’s souls. It is a
crust made up of laws and human and
personal experiences which impede the
outburst of divine love. In my opinion it is
because each of us is important in God’s plan,
Mary tells us. By immersing ourselves in Her
Immaculate Heart, in prayer and Holy
Communion (as frequent as possible), we
become capable of understanding the plan
God has for each of us. Let us try then to
live immersed in Her Immaculate Heart, with
our souls, hearts, senses, gestures and words,
and we will be able to make Our Lady
manifest.
Talking about ecstasy or whether or not
She appears brings no good to anyone. The
scope of the apparitions is this: that the
Mother of God live in us and become
manifest in each of us. That is why in the
beginning Our Lady wanted priests who
spent time not so much with the pilgrims, but
with the parishioners, so that She could
reveal Herself to the pilgrims through the
parishioners.
I am profoundly convinced that in these
days we should be living this mystery in us
(there's no need to talk about it), and make
Mary manifest through our behaviour, joy,
silence and humbleness to this entire nation,
to the priests and the people, and I am certain
that also this conference of ours will be a sign
for many here and in the world. * *
because they do
not immerse
themselves in the
Immaculate Heart
and are not open
to this grace.
Therefore, they
leave many doors
open to Satan
because the Spirit
of the Immaculate
is not in them. This
is very important
for our faith walk,
both on a personal
and on a com-
munity level.
It also includes
our mission of the
present times. God
wants to send each
of us as He sent
the apostles,
MEDJUGORJE NEWS
* Insistent call: "Pray for the Pope, the
Bishops, the priests. Pray for priestly and
religious vocations." These are the most
frequent messages that I find when translating
Vicka’s talks to the pilgrims. Before departing
for the US to tell people about the messages
I asked Vicka what might Our Lady
recommend to me. Vicka replied: "Speak
from your heart. Make sure prayer is in first
place. It's okay to talk, but words aren’t
enough. Many useless words are added and
so time is robbed from prayer. The Gospa
would say: fervent prayer and few words."
* Clever apostolate - A woman went to
the market; one of the stalls had a lucky dip.
The woman pulled out her present and found
an audio cassette on Medj. She had never
heard of Medj., but she listened to the
cassette at home and changed life.
* Bishop of Banja Luka, Msgr. Komarica
(President of the Episcopal Commission for
Medjugorje) was kept prisoner in his own
home. He began a hunger strike so the
authorities of the world would hear about the
persecution of the Catholics in his diocese,
who are victims of terrible violence and
deportation; the few that remain live in
impossible conditions. A further three
churches were destroyed in May, making a
total of forty-three. He interrupted his hunger
strike after seven days because the Orthodox
population of his city offered its help.
* The visionaries will probably not go
to France for the further tests requested by
Prof. Joyeux. Vicka asked Our Lady about
it who gave no reply. Ivan said he will not
go. The others have said nothing. Our Lady’s
silence shows Her prudence and discretion.
On a similar subject, people often ask the
visionaries of Medj. about some other
visionary, to see if they are good or not, but
the Virgin usually says nothing, or will say:
"you must pray for them." Our Lady is
careful not to brand anyone or anything (and
does not wish to invade a field belonging to
the Church). Often the people concerned
may not be totally right, nor totally wrong:
sometimes all it takes is time which clears up
so many things. Let us learn from Her.
(From Sr. Emmanuel’s diary)
* Two Cardinals in Medjugorje -
Cardinal Wamala from Uganda and Cardinal
Margeot visited Medjugorje in May. During
his stay of one week, Card. Wamala said:
"When I see the troubles in your and my
country, in the whole world, I feel the need
to say to everyone to keep on praying for
world peace. This morning, here in
Medjugorje, I understood that peace is found
within each of us... I like it here; the climate
is pleasant, the people are friendly. Here I
have discovered a way of praying and of
talking to others and a special love."
Upon his departure, Card. Jean Margeot
said he was happy to have come to
Medjugorje.
* Domus Pacis Prayer House - A five-
day course organized by the parish pilgrim
guides association was recently held for 50
young people desirous of becoming
pilgrimage guides. From 4-10 June there
was a course based on the theme "Profoundly
Fr. Pandin’s obedience rewarded
We mentioned his passage to the eternal
life in Echo 120, page 8 and how he followed
the Marian groups, founded a Community
and a Christian radio station among other
things. It should also be noted that his
obedience to his Bishop did not go unnoticed
in heaven. Fr. René Laurentin wrote about
this episode in his book "The Virgin’s
Apparitions Multiply"
: "The parish priest
was embarrassed, not knowing what to do,
because his Bishop had asked him not to read
the messages of the Virgin anymore. So he
prayed and then obeyed.
He asked Rossana (the visionary), though,
to ask Our Lady how he could obey Her
without being disobedient to the Bishop. In
the apparition of the following Monday Our
Lady told Rossana: "Tell Fr. Angelo (Pandin)
that he did the right thing by obeying the
Bishop. It was a test for him which he
passed." With time, the Bishop also gave his
support.
background image
Pope says: women have right
to make own decisions
and deserve same dignity as men
At the Angelus of 18 June, the Pope spoke
of the forthcoming World Conference on
women proclaimed by the UNO, to be held
in Beijing in September. The Pope said:
"woman is a creature gifted with subjectivity
from which comes responsible autonomy for
the management of her own life." His is a
strong declaration and an invitation to women’s
consciences that they might make their weight
be felt in decisions that regard them.
"Unfortunately," added the Pope, "the
conscience of women's identity and value has
been and still is obscured by multiple
conditioning and violence, including
psychological violence... All this is truly
intolerable at the dawn of the third
millennium." He concluded by declaring that
the Church unites her voice to all those who
denounce the injustices that weigh down on
the female condition, and that she intends
promoting a respectful culture of femininity.
At the Angelus of 25 June the Holy Father
stated: "Respect of full equality between
man and woman
in every environment is one
of civilization’s immense achievements to
which women themselves contributed through
their suffered and generous witness, but also
with organized movements which drew
universal attention [e.g. feminism]... It is
urgent that a culture of equality be matured
which will be long lasting and constructive to
the degree that it will respect God’s plan and
is not detrimental to maternity.
This state of equality between men and
women is affirmed right from the first page
of the Bible where it is said: male and female
he created them
, but which became all the
more evident with Jesus’ words and gestures...
If over the centuries and under the weights of
the times some sons of the Church did not
know how to live this message with coherence,
it is reason for deep regret. The evangelical
message concerning women has not, though,
lost any of its actuality."
Many shadows already obscure the
Conference in Beijing. The West wants to
force upon women all over the world one of
* Fr. Jozo in USA - Fr. Jozo took Our
Lady’s messages to about 50 different centres
in the US. Between 1,000 to 2,000 people
were present for each meeting. During his
visit to New York on 25th May, Fr. Jozo
spoke about the disasters which have struck
the population of the former Jugoslavia to
members of the UN Council of Security,
handing over to them written messages from
Cardinal Franjo Kuharic and Vinko Puljic.
He met with various politicians on that
occasion. From 8-15 June Fr. Jozo was in
Itay where he met with pilgrims in Udine,
Turin and Cuneo.
Fr. Slavko was in Rome on 28th May.
He will be in Prague from 3-8 July.
* Military pilgrimage - Also this year
on the 27th May various military formations
from Bosnia and Herzegovina came on
pilgrimage. The soldiers prayed the Rosary
on Podbrdo and then participated in Mass in
the parish church. Most of them confessed
and received Communion.
(From the Press Bulletin of Medjugorje)
LATEST NEWS
A very large crowd of pilgrims was
present for the 14th anniversary on the 25th
June, similar to pre-war times. In particular,
pilgrims from Croatia and the East were very
numerous with 20 buses from Poland alone
and another 20 from Hungary, Slovenia and
Romania. The number of Italian pilgrims is
again on the increase. There were also many
French and English-speaking pilgrims. Only
Our Lady is capable of calling together so
many friends to bring aid to those in need.
The evening Mass was celebrated by an
Australian Bishop and concelebrated by 120
priests. At the end of the Mass Fr. Jozo
prayed over the sick.
Ivanka received her annual apparition
on the anniversary day at 6.35 pm. It lasted
6 minutes. The visionary said Our Lady was
very happy and invited people to pray for
families, because there is much need since
Satan is trying to destroy them. Our Lady
repeated that we must be bearers of peace;
She spoke of the secrets and blessed all those
present.
Fr. Slavko
wounded" concerning problems derived from
abortion and child abuse.
In preparation of the 14th anniversary of
Our Lady’s apparitions, a week of prayer and
fasting was held in the Domus Pacis house,
guided by Fr. Slavko Barbaric. Anyone
interested in these retreats can book by fax
at the number: 387-88-642339
The Bishop di Banja Luka Msgr. Komarica
War and slaughter continue
- "The
war in Bosnia risks becoming the shipwreck
of Europe,” said the Pope. By now, a piece
of Europe has become a desert of death. The
war lords consolidate their dominions while
the experts are immobilized.
The situation in Sarajevo is tragic. The air
bridge for aid delivery has been cut off for
months. Now the Muslim offensive from the
north and south is attacking the Serbo-
Bosnian troops which are in difficulty. The
latter take revenge by bombing the civilians
lining up for water and the children out to
play.
The Muslim troops are attacking elsewhere
too: their numbers are superior, but they have
less armoured vehicles. The population is
fleeing before the attacking enemies at Bihac.
The weak attempt by the UN to bomb Pale
quickly finished in a retreat when more than
300 UN soldiers were taken hostage. For
many the UNO is looking rather ridiculous.
* Contact the Caritas or Medj. centre
near you to see how you can best help.
its social philosophies, where so much is said
about sex and so little about maternity, where
minors are given so much responsibility in
public programmes and services for
contraception and abortion, where attempts
are made to suppress the affirmation: "in no
case shall abortion be promoted as a means
of family planning", where no support is given
to the opposition of systematic planning for
sterilization especially in under-developed
countries, and where women’s rights are
affirmed only generically.
The Vatican will be sending to Beijing a
delegation headed by a woman and will do all
it can to impede that the key problems which
were thrown out the door in Cairo are not let
in through the window in Beijing. But what
can the world expect of so many minds
obscured by prejudices and uncontrolled
passions if the light of God and the warmth
of love is unable to reach their hearts? **
Mother opens heart to life,
"dead son given back to her"
A mother writes: I planned with my
husband to have just one more child... When
I was three months pregnant I enquired about
being permanently sterilized. All during the
pregnancy our thoughts were "this is the last
time." After the birth the doctor suggested
I have the operation while still in hospital,
but I wanted to go home so I put it off till
later. After only 21 days my child died of
cot-death. I couldn’t accept it. "Why?" I
asked, "You can’t die at 21 days - he didn’t
do anything wrong." I pleaded with Our
Lady: "Give me my baby back! You got
yours back!" I began reading the Gospel. I
read and re-read it, and all the time I kept
pleading: "Give me my baby back," and the
more I read the Gospel the more I became
aware that God wanted my happiness.
I fell pregnant again and during those
nine months I thanked Our Lady for the
grace received. Then, on 9th January, "I got
my son back," and at Easter he became a
child of God.
What have I learnt from this experience?
That we cannot decide to have or not to have
a child. We parents are nothing but a door
through which life comes into the world.
There is nothing God cannot do, but how can
we hope to be on His side if we close that
door? During the pain I asked myself: "Why
is God so cruel to let an innocent child die?"
But then I asked myself: "Who am I to stop
an innocent child from coming into the
world?"
The most important thing that I have
learnt is that you are never alone. When your
problems weigh down on you and you think
you’re alone, you are not. If only we would
stop trying to resolve our own problems, and
let God resolve them for us we would find
true peace and serenity. We would remove
a weight from our shoulders. That is what
happened to me and I praise and thank God.
Now my life is much more serene than
before and nothing worries me. If I have a
problem I recite a Hail Mary and hand over
the problem to our Blessed Mother and go
about things the best I can. (11 April 1995)
* Copies of the Echo of Mary in the various
languages are available in Medjugorje in the
sourvenir shop adjacent to the church, at the
Comunità Cenacolo (Upper Room Community)
and the MIR Info Centre close to the bridge.
background image
The Battle of Prayer
Prayer is both a gift of grace and a
determined response on our part. The great
figures of prayer of the Old Covenant before
Christ, as well as the Mother of God, the
saints, and He himself, all teach us this:
prayer is a battle. Against whom? Against
ourselves and the wiles of the Tempter who
does all he can to turn man away from prayer,
away from union with God. We pray as we
live, because we live as we pray. If we do
not want to act habitually according to the
Spirit of Christ, neither can we pray habitually
in his name. The "spiritual battle" of the
Christian's new life is inseparable from the
battle of prayer.
The usual difficulty in prayer is distraction.
To set about hunting down distractions
would be to fall into their trap, when all that
is necessary is to turn back to our heart: for
distraction reveals to us what we are attached
to, and this humble awareness before the
Lord should awaken our preferential love for
him and lead us resolutely to offer him our
heart to be purified. Therein lies the battle,
the choice of which master to serve.
Another difficulty, especially for those
who sincerely want to pray, is dryness. Dry-
ness belongs to contemplative prayer when
the heart is separated from God, with no taste
for thoughts, memories and feelings, even
spiritual ones. This is the moment of sheer
faith clinging faithfully to Jesus in his agony
and in his tomb. Unless a grain of wheat falls
into the earth and dies, it reamins alone; but
if it dies, it bears much fruit.
If dryness is
due to lack of roots, because the Word has
fallen on rocky soil, the battle requires
conversion.
The most common yet most hidden
temptation is our lack of faith. It espresses
itself less by declared incredulity than by our
actual preferences. When we begin to pray
a thousand labours or cares thought to be
urgent vie for priority; once again, it is the
moment of truth for the heart: what is its real
love? Sometimes we turn to the Lord as a last
resort, but do we really believe he is? Some-
times we enlist the Lord as an ally, but our
heart remains presumptuous. In each case,
our lack of faith reveals that we do not yet
share in the disposition of a humble heart.
Without me you can do nothing.
Another temptation, to which presumption
opens the gate, is acedia (spiritual sloth). The
spiritual writers understand by this a form of
depression due to lax ascetical practice,
decreasing vigilance, carelessness of heart.The
spirit indeed is willing but the flesh is weak
.
The greater the height the harder the fall.
Painful as discouragement is, it is the reverse
of presumption. The humble are not surprised
by their distress; it leads them to trust more,
to hold fast in constancy.
Catechism of the Catholic Church, 2725-
2733
He asked Mary for a
"tailor-made" bride
A young German man searched in vain for
a suitable bride. He even tried the discos. In
the end he asked Our Lady to find her for him,
even specifying the type of girl he’d prefer.
Here is his testimony:
"I was feeling lonely, I had doubts about
myself and lacked self-confidence. A prayer
rose from the depths of my heart and I asked
Mary to find a girl for me. Some time after
I decided to entrust my future to God. In vain
I spent two weeks of my holiday in a convent
in an attempt to find spiritual detachment.
However, 'by chance' I heard about a
pilgrimage to Medj. for youth. I went. On the
way there I didn’t have much luck in striking
up a conversation with the girl sitting next to
me, so I resigned myself to thinking it would
be a solitary journey and that if I wasn’t going
to receive the grace I had prayed for I would
at least receive some other graces.
At about 1 am we stopped at a hotel for
a brief rest, but I returned to the bus nearly
straight away. There was a different girl sitting
in the place next to mine this time trying to
sleep. I greeted her and we talked for two
hours! During our stay in Medj. we spent as
much time as possible together and on the 31st
December 1994, in front of the statue of Our
Lady outside the church, we decided we
wanted to marry.
Now, despite the 550 km that separate us,
our relationship has flourished in just the few
weekends that we have been able to spend
together. It is obvious that the Lord is
preparing us both. I only just learnt that she
too had been praying to find her vocation and
had made a vow not to search for a husband
for one year. That year ended on the 31st
December, the day we met. So we were able
to begin the first year together. We received
Holy Communion and entrusted our
relationship to God. She also joined the
pilgrimage to Medj. "by chance." (G.K.)
Fr. Amorth on
New Age and reincarnation
Question: I often hear about the New Age
and reincarnation. What does the Church say
about this?
Answer: New Age is an abominable
syncretist movement which has already
triumphed in the US and is spreading fast in
Europe (with the help of financing from
economical powers). New Age teaches its
followers to believe in reincarnation.
For this movement, Buddha, Sai Baba
and Jesus Christ are all okay, they are all
praised. New Age, however, is based on
Oriental religions, theories and philosophies.
Because it is spreading fast we must guard
ourselves from its influence. How?
The cure for all errors is religious
instruction. Said again in the Pope’s words:
new evangelization. And I take advantage of
this space to recommend you to read in
particular the Bible, the new Catechism of
the Catholic Church, and the Pope’s book
Crossing the Threshold of Hope. The latter
is a true modernized catechism and the more
you read it the more you understand. To the
provocative questions of Vittorio Messori
the Pope gives such profound answers that
one needs to read them more than once to
understand fully. In his answers he also
combats these false doctrines.
Reincarnation is believing that after
death our soul is reincarnated in another
body, more or less noble than the one just
left, depending on how one lived. It is
believed by all the Oriental religions and has
spread also to the West because of its [the
West's] lack of faith and ignorance and its
consequential interest in the Eastern religions.
In Italy alone it is thought that one quarter
of the population believes in reincarnation.
You all know that reincarnation is against
biblical teachings and is absolutely
incompatible with God’s judgement and
resurrection. In reality, reincarnation is a
human invention, perhaps suggested by the
desire of or intuition that the soul is immortal.
We, however, know with certainty from the
Divine Revelation that after death people’s
souls go either to Heaven or Hell or Purgatory,
depending on how they lived. Jesus says:
The hour is coming in which all who are in
the tombs will hear the voice of the Son of
Man and will come out, those who have done
good deeds to the resurrection of life, but
those who have done wicked deeds to the
resurrection of condemnation
(Jn 5:28).
We know that thanks to the resurrection
of Christ the flesh, that is our bodies, will be
resurrected at the end of the world. Therefore,
reincarnation is totally incompatible with
Christian doctrine. One either believes in
resurrection or in reincarnation. Those people
who think they can be Christians and believe
in reincarnation at the same time are terribly
wrong.
Fr. Gabriel Amorth
ECHO IN OTHER LANGUAGES
Italian: Eco di Maria, C.P. 149, 46100 Mantova,
Italy. English: Echo of Mary, Cas.Post. 27, I-31030
Bessica (TV), Italy. French: Echo de Marie, 18 Allée
Thévenot, F-39100 Dole, France. German: Echo
Mariens., C.P. 149, 46100 Mantova, Italy. Spanish:
Roger Watson, c/o Antonucci, Via Verrotti 1, I-47100
Aquila, Italy. Catalan: Amics de Medj., c.Carme 11
baixos, E-08700 Igualada-Catalonia, Spain.
Portughese: a) Gilberto Correia, rua de Brito 24, 4915
Vila Praia de Ancora, (ph.911181), Portugal; b) Servos
da Rainha, Caixa p. 02576, 70279-970 Brasilia DF,
Brazil. Dutch: Int. Medj. Comité afd. Nederland-
Belgie, Misericordeplein 12C, NL-6211 XK Maastricht,
Holland. Polish : Czeslawa Mirkiewicz,
ul.Ign.Krasickiego 21a/3, PL 30-515 Krakow-
Podgorze, Poland. Russian: Dom Marii, Plotnikov 3,
121003 Moscow, Russian Federation - fax 007095-
2415057. Hungarian: Fraternitas, 1399 Budapest, p.f.
701/85 Hungary - fax 36-2176183. Romanian: Ecou
din Medj., P.O.B. 41-132, Bucharest, Romania;
Albanese: Jehona e Medjugorje, L.1 p.10, LAC,
Albania Reduced editions: Greek: Soeur Despina de
la St Croix, 69 Rue Epirou, Agia Paraskave, 15341
Athens, Greece. Czech: Medzugorské ozveny,
Ilbenstädter Str.6, D-60385 Frankfurt, Germany.
Distributors: USA: Peter Miller, POB 2720-230,
Huntington Beach CA 92647 - ph. 714-374 0530, fax
374 9490. Mrs. Joanna Clark, 17503 Applewood Lane,
Rockville, MD 20855. Canada: Arts-o-Graph N.D.,
6653 Papineau, Montreal Que., H2G 2X3. Fax: 514-
7215831 (prints Echo in English and French for direct
distribution); Giuseppe Bozzo, 8324 Nicolas Leblanc,
Montreal Que H1E 3W5 - ph. 648-3420. Spain: Josè
L. Lopez de S. Roman, Ap.246, Palencia, Spain.
Australasia (all editions): Medjugorje Sentinel,
P.O.B. 746, Pennant Hills NSW 2120 - fax 02-
9807806. Nigeria, Africa: Mr. Uche Fabian Nwokiwy,
POB 8939, Ikeja, Lagos, Nigeria.
Safe travel to Medj.- Via the Adriatic
coast: bus service from Trieste train station 6
pm every evening. Arrival in Medj. 8 am. with
departure at 6 pm every evening. By sea: from
Ancona, Italy Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays
with arrival in Split 8 am. Departures from
Split Sundays, Tuesdays, Thursdays. By air
via Zagreb to Split.
ECHO IS FREE - It lives on
readers' donations. Echo has no other
source of income. It is your donations that
make possible its publication and
distribution also to those people not in a
position to donate any sum of money.
Forgive us if we remind you to
consider the burdensome postal expenses
when making a donation.
Thank you for all you can do.
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Sped.Abb.Post.3/70, Aut.Trib.Mant.#13-8.11.86; Legal Dir: A.Lanzani; Printed by DIPRO, Italy, Fax: 0422-840804
Anniversary Mass 1994
From Carbonia, Sth Italy: The message
of February - "be missionaries of my
messages"
- bore deep into my heart. I went
to the neighbouring towns to distribute old
copies of Echo. After 45 days I received
requests from people who desired receiving it
regularly and three people offered to distribute
it. (B. Paolini) We are certain that Our Lady
blesses all the missionaries of Echo, however
we refer readers to the comment to the message
in Echo 118, pg 1.
From Turin: God be blessed for the
precious and tiring work you do for the glory
of God and Mary. I came across a copy of Eco
21 - typewritten! [There is no English version
for the early editions.
] I desire telling you that
I like very much the new title: Echo of Mary
Queen of Peace. [Many readers, in particular
from the English-speaking countries, write to
confirm this
.] Echo is always wonderful,
essential, formative and anxiously awaited by
the people I distribute to. (Sr. Franca Paola)
From Burundi: Fr. Victorio Blasi writes
from his desolate land: "After the massacres,
many despair; they say there is no forgiveness
for those who have killed, raped and plundered.
Satanic hatred broods in others. Some have
begun reflecting and say that only God can
save us. Where God is present life begins anew,
people beat their chests and their hearts find
peace... We went to the refugees in the camp
of Kibimba after the fratricidal events. The
confessions and Holy Mass we celebrated
helped us to invoke peace... In the sole parish
of Murayi there are 727 war orphans. The
Blessed Mother helped us find a house in a
quiet area of Bujumbura for the little children...
Radio Maria will be present in Burundi! I
propose that all the priests celebrate a MASS
FOR PEACE IN BURUNDI during the month
of the Most Precious Blood in reparation of the
blood that has been spilt here."
We thought to publish these letters this
month as they reflect the thoughts of many
readers. Thanks to God and His Mother for the
love of the many brothers and sisters whose
support is consolation for the anguish and toil
which at times is almost unbearable. We are
happy to support it, though, for it is our desire
to continue donating the bread Mary gives for
these times to all those tuned in to the same
wavelength as the Evangelical Spirit which is
both Marian and Ecclesial.
We think it will console you to know that
God continues to bless our little Echo. In
fact, the foreign editions we publish (French,
German, English and Spanish) continue to
grow, as do the other editions published
elsewhere such as the Portughese in Brazil and
the English and French editions printed in
Canada for direct distribution. For the moment,
the growth of the [original] Italian edition is
stable. All together we are now producing
720,000 copies per issue, without counting the
various reduced editions and all the photocopies
produced by single recipients.
We bless you, dear readers, in the
Immaculate Heart of Mary Who gave us the
precious Blood of our Redeemer. Though our
daily living is influenced to a certain extent by
the easier going life-style of the summer
holidays, let us not let our guard down on our
spiritual life since true rest is only found in
God.
Villanova M, Mantova - 26 June 1995
FROM THE MAIL
From Genoa: I admire the clarity of Echo
and the way you consider the needs of the Holy
Spirit before considering human convenience...
I fear you do not, though, give enough
consideration to those just beginning their faith
walk and who may be frightened by the
constant mention of suffering... Thank you for
your complete and precise account of Church
life which embraces the most important spiritual
problems of the moment, the Pope’s teachings
and all the noteworthy events. It consoles me
to find in Echo the same feeling that I have
towards universal communion with the Church,
making my gratitude and love for the Holy
Spirit grow. (Cristina M.)
Praised be God for the way He unites us.
With regards to the cross, men are easily led
away by false joy, but
Jesus endured the cross
for the sake of joy that lay before him (Heb
12:2). To find this joy that comes from Jesus
one must first suffer the "labour pains," to be
purified.
Was it not necessary that the Messiah
should suffer these things and enter into his
glory? (Lk 24:26) The Holy Spirit teaches the
same way to all the little ones who are well
disposed to follow Him, just like you. Otherwise
we are false Christians.
From El Salvadore: I receive Echo
regularly and practically "swallow it up in one
gulp" then re-read it for a more profound
meditation. Our Lady’s love transpires from
every page and line. The pages are so faith,
devotion and fire filled. I use them for my
apostolate: 78 years old and still the school
principal of 1,700 students. The real principal,
however, is Our Lady and I must say She does
Her job very well! (Fr. Miguel De Marchi)
From Nuaillé (France): Keep Echo poor,
the way it is. It brings so much hope to
confused souls in this materialistic and
secularized world... Do not give publicity to
the visionaries. Our Lady did not say to go and
see the visionaries of Medj., but to pray and
listen to the Word of God. The priests need to
invite the faithful to read the Bible above all
because the Gospa said: You have forgotten the
Bible
. (Anne Marie)
From Kinshasa (Zaire): During our
monthly meetings we read and meditate upon
your bulletin. All the members of our
community show much interest in it because
it allows them to be in communion with the
Church. (Claude Tsimba, ofm)
* We receive letters from all over the world
confirming that Echo takes the Pope’s words
and news of the Church to where it otherwise
does not arrive: reason for joy.
From Semonzo del Grappa (Nth Italy):
Echo is a wonderful fount of meditation, joy
and stimulus. This is the third consecutive year
that together with the annual blessing I take to
all the 650 families of my parish a copy of the
Echo which is received very well. Don’t give
in! Together with you, Fr. Angelo and your
helpers, there is a multitude of devoted friends,
headed by Mary! (Fr. Giovanni Bellò)
From Middlesex , GB: Many thanks for
Echo of Medjurorje which I see is now
appropriately called Echo of Mary Queen of
Peace
. I thank Mary for having chosen you for
this special mission of spreading Her messages
to the world. May She continue to inspire you
and your staff and cover you with graces and
blessings so that Her plan of peace and the
triumph of Her Immaculate Heart may be
realized. (Dr. Gottfried Pillai)
Canticle of Love, Fr. Peter Mary Rookey
O.S.M. leads The Dolours Rosary and the The
Miracle Prayer. Music by D & C Wichman.
This beautiful audio cassette is available from
Marian Spring Centre, Unit J, Lambs Business
Park, Tilburstow Hill Road, South Godstone,
Surrey RH9 8JZ, England.
Civitavecchia: not a Shrine
of bricks, but of souls!
"Welcome back Mother!" The church of
St Augustine greeted the statue of Our Lady
of Medjugorje with a quiet but joyful
celebration and Mass on the 17th June. Three
thousand faithful were present.
During his homily, Msgr. Grillo said:
"More than a Shrine of bricks, a great Shrine
of souls must be erected here, of people
desirous of following the way of the Gospel.
We don’t want any speculations, but rather,
we would hope that this event will create
more love in us all towards the homeless and
the poor. Above all, I would like to see an
orphanage be built here for the little war
orphans of Bosnia, where also this statue
comes from. Whatever the Church may say,
Civitavecchia must cry out to the whole
world to dry the tears Our Mother sheds for
all the violence, depravity and corruption on
all levels, for the blind race to suppress
brothers with unheard-of brutality, for the
disappearance of sin from people’s
consciences and for the millions of people
killed by war and abortion...
For all the din created by journalists all
we can do is thank God Who permitted it for
a mysterious design of His."
At the end of the Mass the statue was
placed in a niche in the church, protected by
glass, and like in Medj., groups of people
said the Rosary out loud in front of it.
The people are convinced of the miracle,
that the statue really wept, and care little
about the blood and other tests. They are
convinced: Vox popoli. In the meantime
hundreds of people are sending letters to the
Curia to say they have been healed, but the
real miracle is that hundreds have found God
and have begun praying and so the tears of
the Blessed Mother are being dried. * *