Tuesday, October 22, 2013
Friday, October 18, 2013
Our trip to Medugorje in Bosnia-Herzegovina
On our way home, we drove through Croatia, towards Dubrovnik, and enjoyed such
beautiful views of mountains, irrigated lands, and then the Seacoast near the
Adriatic Sea with higher class cities and the bluest waters and inviting
beaches. We toured the Old City of
Dubrovnik, had a delightful dinner by the water’s edge and watched boats coming
and going.
Our time in Bosnia, visiting the Medugorje site of the
apparent apparitions of Mary to some 6 children of the village (some 30 years
ago, and still claiming to be continuing through the present moment), could be more aptly called a 9 day
retreat. The day, from morning through
night, in between some very good or not so good meals, was filled with opportunities to pray. The day began with Mass (Church filled with
over 1,000 Pilgrims at each Mass with the overflow sitting or standing outside,
the loudspeakers keeping us focused).
Crowds were waiting to burst through the doors as soon as the English
people left the Church. Masses were held
in Italian and other languages.
Trips to the Apparition Mountain were highlights for everyone,
climbing the very rocky slopes, with mysteries of the Rosary engraved in bronze
by the sides of the path (hard to call the rocks a path) for people to meditate
upon on their way up the mountain. I
enjoyed this climb and the peaceful setting and place of prayer at the
top. I found a little spot for solitude.
There were throngs of visitors who were there with me.
FF Meals
Father
The streets of Medugorje were distastefully lined with souvenir
shops, and the occasional coffee shop, and restaurants…but mostly souvenir
shops. The Church (built before the
visions ever started) was the destination place of every Pilgrim every
day. The Confession lines were long and
steady and for many people, myself included, a highlight of the trip. Priests were there from all over the world,
and yes, we were encouraged to go to a priest in our own language!
Holy Hours in the Adoration Chapel, Benediction, Veneration
of the Cross, Rosaries, the Croatian Mass
in the evening….these were some of the other happenings each day.
The few days before the scheduled
monthly apparition, there were around 10,000 people at Adoration…and at the
Masses. We did hear two presentations by
two of the visionaries, a presentation by
Sister Emanuel ( her lovely
testimony of her conversion we had listened to before we went – my brother,
Ralph, had interviewed her and had it taped)….we also heard a testimony of
conversion by a very wealthy man who sold everything and moved his family
here.
So, Medugorje was very different from other tours and this
was a relief to me. I enjoyed
staying in one place and life being
simple. I enjoyed some lunches and
coffee with a few younger women (younger now is mid-fifties) who were as skeptical
as I was about the visionaries, but who were also inspiring, successful in
their careers (but sadly, not their marriages), and lighthearted. This friendship was important for the week
that could have been very long. A very
special moment happened for me at the time of the Appartition….a very ,very
deep moment of prayer… of conversation with Mary… of my petitions flying to
her! I felt the connection physically as well as spiritually.
It is something I won’t ever
forget.
I wasn’t expecting this at all,
and maybe why it was so startling and beautiful for me.
Bob and I both came home fairly refreshed, and blessed by
our trip. I’ve made a few simple changes
in my life…. (well they aren’t really changes until I carry them through)…. I
want to go to monthly Confession (it really blessed me…the Priest was perfect
for me), one decade of the rosary a day (My mother taught me that one hail Mary
was enough if said well….so, this is a big jump for me), and actually going to
daily Mass less often, but hopefully more meaningfully to me.) Would I ever recommend anyone going to
Medugorje? No. Would I ever discourage anyone from going? No. Would
I go back? I couldn’t say No. Regardless
of the imperfect sides of things (as I see them… and you must realize, that I
might be the one who is blinded), one couldn’t help but be touched by the faith
of thousands of Pilgrims and the deeper call to prayer and union with God.
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