Dear Children of Medjugorje, praise be to Jesus and Mary!
1. On October 2nd 2017, Mirjana received her monthly apparition at the Blue Cross in the midst of a very large crowd. After the apparition, she shared the following message from Our Lady:
“Dear children, I am speaking to you as a mother – with simple words, but words filled with much love and concern for my children who, through my Son, are entrusted to me. And my Son, who is of the eternal now, He is speaking to you with words of life and is sowing love in open hearts. Therefore, I am imploring you, apostles of my love, have open hearts always ready for mercy and forgiveness. According to my Son, always forgive your neighbors, because in that way peace will be in you. My children, care for your soul, because it alone is what truly belongs to you. You are forgetting the importance of family. A family does not need to be a place of suffering and pain, but a place of understanding and tenderness. Families who strive to live according to my Son live in mutual love. While He was still little, my Son would say to me that all people are His brothers. Therefore, remember, apostles of my love, that all people whom you meet are family to you – brothers according to my Son. My children, do not waste time thinking about the future, worrying. May your only concern be how to live well every moment according to my Son. And there it is – peace for you! My children, do not ever forget to pray for your shepherds. Pray that they can accept all people as their children; that, according to my Son, they may be spiritual fathers to them. Thank you!”
Fr. Leonardo, young Spanish priest, was invited to a pilgrimage in Medjugorje. His mother being a widow, he feels very strongly about taking good care of her. Having studied nearly everything there is to know about Medjugorje, he managed to convince her to come with him and to participate in the program offered by the parish.
Like many other priests, he took up his position in a confessional and began to hear the confession of the pilgrims. As for his mother, she prayed the Rosary, sitting on a bench near the confessionals and discreetly managed to keep an eye on the one where her son was.
One day, shortly after evening mass, she saw a man of a certain age coming out of her son’s confessional, crying bitter tears. She was deeply saddened and wondered what her son could possibly have said to this man to put him in such a state. She shared her concern with the pilgrimage guide. Late that evening, over dinner, her son seemed tired by so many confessions, butnevertheless happy and at peace. Then he came over to his mother and to the guide and began to tell them what he had experienced during one of the confessions that day: he had received in his confessional a man weeping bitter tears, but tears of joy. It should be added that this pilgrim was so deaf that even the best hearing aids were ineffective for him. However, during mass, when the Gospel was proclaimed, he became aware that he could hear the reading perfectly! In addition, this mass was in Croatian and he understood every word! That’s how he realized that he was cured of his deafness. Overwhelmed by this miracle, he ran to confession to thank God and the Blessed Mother.
Upon hearing this, his mother sighed with relief, took a deep breath and rejoiced with her son and all the pilgrims for the gifts that God gives His children through the intercession of His Mother.
3. A scent of roses over Poland! In Medjugorje, there are now more Polish pilgrims than Italians! They are not shy about their century-old devotion to the Blessed Mother. For the feast of Our Lady of the Rosary, the Bishop’s Conference took a remarkable and historic initiative: given the serious dangers that threaten Poland, they brought to mind the many miraculous protections which were obtained in the past due to large numbers faithfully praying the Rosary – the victory of Lepanto on Oct. 7, 1571, the victory in Austria after World War II against communist control of the country, the Rosary miracle in Brazil in 1964, etc.
On Saturday, October 7th, over a million Poles gathered along the borders of their country forming a visible string of prayer to save Poland and the whole world.
Not to mention the hundreds of parishes that joined in on this day of prayer, all following the same program: Mass at 11 a.m; Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament at noon; and from 12 p.m. to 4 p.m. praying all 20 mysteries of the Rosary.
The Poles who were in Medjugorje prayed the 20 mysteries together at Mother’s Village after a special Eucharist.
Last January and February, Our Lady said: “The Rosary is my dearest prayer which fills my heart with the most beautiful scent of roses.” “I cannot but be where I sense the scent of roses.” And we know, every Ave Maria is a rose offered to the Mother of God. Imagine Poland covered with the scent of perfume from millions of roses! For the past 36 years, Our Lady has been telling us to pray the Rosary every day, as a most powerful weapon against evil. It is even capable of changing the course of history!
This magnificent initiative is not an isolated event. In different parts of the world, in connection with the 13th of October which was the last public apparition at Fatima, various prayer groups, Christian organizations, parishes and communities have joined forces to move the heavens with their prayers.
For instance, at the initiative of Don Pablo Martin (former parish priest at Civitavecchia), many groups all over Italy have planned special prayers at 5.30 p.m. on Friday, October 13th, as well as fasting all day on bread and water as per the instructions of the Blessed Mother (www.aiasm.it). Those who cannot fast for health reasons can offer another renunciation to God. Their purpose is to ask Our Lady to save Italy from apostasy, as well as the world, and for her children to reconnect with their Christian roots! In addition, it is asked that participants be in a state of grace, in other words, to make a good sacramental confession.
We hope that like our Polish brothers, more than a million Italians will participate in this powerful initiative!
What about America and the other countries?
4. Scotland gives the world a beautiful example! To mark the centenary of the apparitions at Fatima, the Catholics in Scotland began a forty-day prayer on July 26th, 2017 which ended on 3 September with the consecration of the Church of Scotland and of the Kingdom of Scotland to the Immaculate Heart of Mary, by all Scottish Catholic Bishops. The initiative came from Archbishop John Keenan, Bishop of Paisley. The consecration took place at the national Scottish Shrine of Notre-Dame-de-Lourdes of Carfin, diocese of Motherwell. In order for this national consecration to the Immaculate Heart of Mary to truly be that of an entire people in prayer, a call was made to all Scots living in Scotland and elsewhere, and to all their descendants around the world. What an example for all the other nations!
5. Vicka has come back to her station at the Blue House! After more than a year of absence due to her bad health, in late September she was strong enough to share the messages of the Gospa with her dear pilgrims. She was clearly jubilant as she sent kisses to everyone from her staircase! During these meetings, she prays a great deal in silence, some prayers the Mother of God taught her, and that she cannot reveal now. Only Mirjana knows them, too. These prayers attract great blessings on the crowd. This teaches us that to change hearts,prayer is infinitely more important than words!
6. Last September, during my mission in Spain, I experienced great joy at finding very good priests in each of the 12 parishes we visited, true shepherds for souls. In a word, the living Church of Christ! No confusion, the true Catholic faith! Our faith is so beautiful! Like cherry on the cake, the Blessed Mother gave us this message on October 2nd: “My children, do not ever forget to pray for your shepherds. Pray that they can accept all people as their children; that, according to my Son, they may be spiritual fathers to them.”
These priests can be found in many places! Well, their number is small, but it is up to us to increase those numbers! I’m always impressed to see so many fervent lay people welcoming us and giving so much of themselves to make sure that the mission is fruitful. I am discovering a great deal of holiness hidden here and there. For instance, a member of our team, for the past 20 years, gets up every morning at 4:00 a.m. and prays for 3 hours in front of the Blessed Sacrament, before taking on his job at 8 a.m. It is encouraging to see that Our Lady also has her fans, and what fans!
7. Your gifts for the Blessed Mother! I would like to thank all those who responded to my call last month for my 70th birthday. Our Lady might have rejoiced so much at all the masses that were celebrated for the full realization of her plans. I haven’t the words to thank you enough. One day you will see in heaven the good you will have drawn on the earth by offering these masses. May God reward you a hundred fold!
Dearest Gospa, will you please accept us as real “apostles of your love”? Please help us walk hand in hand with you, in the face of today’s world that is bombarding us with its fake lights and false happiness! With your powerful support, again today we choose Jesus at all cost!
Sister Emmanuel +
(Translated from French)
PS1. Great News! Sister’s new book, “Scandalous Mercy. When God goes beyond the boundaries”is out in Medjugorje (English bookstore), and soon as an E-Book! Preface from Ralph Martin. Keep watch on our website this month for the details. www.sremmanuel.org
PS2. We recommend the Seminar for married couples thatwill take place in Medj from Nov. 8 to 11: “May your Charity increase more and more!” (Ph 1,9).With Fra Marinko Sakota (pastor of St James) and Fr.Mijo Nikić, Sj. Cost: 40 € per couple. Registration: seminar.marija@medjugorje.hr
– Fax: +387 36 651 999 (Marija Dugandzic).
PS3. Download sister’s MP3s and give them away! Click here to see all that’s available:
PS5. Our next missions: Italy in October (Torino, Genova, Milano and Rome). Argentina, Uruguay and Chile in November. Your prayers are most needed and appreciated!
PS6. Experience a virtual pilgrimage! You can’t come to Medjugorje? Medjugorje will come to you! At www.IMedj.net, receive the special graces of 11 important places in Medjugorje! (In French)
PS9. Write a letter to Our Lady! Mail it to “Queen of peace”, BP 2157, F – 06103 Nice cedex, France. We will deliver it to one of the visionaries, and Mary will answer you in prayer.
PS10. Sister Emmanuel’s Newsletter can be received in many languages! Write to the following email addresses to add your name to the list in your language.