Three decades of Marian apparitions

This year marks the 30th anniversary since Our Lady has been coming in the remote Bosnian village of Medjugorje, in Bosnia-Herzegovina. It was precisely on June 24, 1981, when six youngsters, Ivan and Mirjana Dragicevic, Jakov Colo, Marija Pavlovic, and Vicka and Ivanka Ivankovic collectively claimed that the Blessed Virgin Mary is appearing to them.

Some intriguing questions that spontaneously crop into one’s mind are the following: Why so many apparitions and messages? Why for so long?

What is the underlying intent of Our Lady’s visitations? The gospel narrative of the marriage feast at Cana seems to be the answer. There, the spiritual stature of Mary is powerfully portrayed. Confronted with the heartbreaking reality of wine shortage, the mother of Jesus said to him: “They have no wine” (Jn 2, 3). What Mary actually meant was:

“They have no joy”. Can you ever imagine a marriage feast without joy?

If yes, what sort of a feast would that be? Jesus replied to her: “O woman, what have you to do with me? My hour has not yet come” (Jn 2, 4). Fully confident in the loving mercy of her beloved Son, Mary immediately turned to the servants and told them with her characteristic insistent faith: “Do whatever he tells you” (Jn 2, 5).

But who are these servants, if not you and me? This is vindicated in the 17th chapter of the Lukan gospel when Jesus tells us: “So you also, when you have done all that is commanded you, say, ‘We are unworthy servants; we have only done what was our duty’” (Luke 17, 10). In a nutshell, the servant is the one who faithfully and uncompromisingly accomplishes the will of the Master.

Mary’s maternal role is that of instructing us how to carry out whatever her Son Jesus tells us to do. In her message of July 30, 1987, she blatantly confesses the motive for her daily apparitions in Medjugorje. “Dear children, this is the reason for my presence among you for such a long time: to lead you on the path of Jesus. I want to save you and, through you, to save the whole world. Many people now live without faith; some don’t even want to hear about Jesus, but they still want peace and satisfaction! Children, here is the reason why I need your prayer: prayer is the only way to save the human race.” Our Lady’s words are powerfully echoed 10 years later by Blessed John Paul II’s visit to the Polish Marian sanctuary of Czestochowa in Jasna Góra.

In his moving address, the Holy Father said: “In this very sequence of events the truth about Mary who leads to the Son, about the Mother of the Church who leads her children to the Eucharist, is symbolically highlighted. In fact, for us who believe in Jesus Christ, Mary is the most perfect Teacher of that love that enables us to unite ourselves most completely to the Redeemer in the mystery of his Eucharistic Sacrifice and his Eucharistic presence”.

As the Mother and “Virgin who became the Church”, (a greeting by St Francis to the Blessed Virgin), Mary leads us to her Son Jesus particularly by emphasising our active participation in the Eucharistic sacrifice of the Body and Blood of Christ. On November 21, 1985, she says: “Come to Mass because this is the season given to you.

“Dear children, there are enough of those who come regularly despite bad weather because they love me and wish to show their love in a special way. What I want from you is to show me your love by coming to Mass, and the Lord will reward you abundantly.”

Daily celebration and participation at Mass together with the devout recitation of the Rosary will fortify our Christian faith. To us priests, Mary’s message is clear: “I invite you to call on everyone to pray the Rosary. With the Rosary you shall overcome all the adversities which Satan is trying to inflict on the Catholic Church.

“All you priests, pray the Rosary! Dedicate your time to the Rosary!”

Certainly, Medjugorje is an ongoing gift to my priestly life!