Medjugorje February 2012

We left Dubrovnik in the morning and drove through the mountains of Croatia to cross the border into Bosnia-Herzegovina.  Immediately as we crossed the border it became apparent that we were indeed in a former war zone.  Many bombed-out, abandoned houses dotted our path.  In several town centers all the business buildings were spotted with machine gun holes.  Even though the Balkan war ended about 17 years ago the evidence is still present.  We even saw a couple of teenagers marching down the street with guns on their back.  Neil promised that they were air guns, and I believed him.  Still it was how the manner in which they carried the guns so nonchalantly down the road.  

As we climbed higher in elevation more snow was on the ground.  By the time we were almost to Medjugorje there was approximately two feet of snow cover.  We were in a rental Seat.   I know what you are thinking.  A Seat is Spanish car pronounced Zeat.  To the English speaking word this is very confusing name for a car brand.  No I don't just want a seat, I want the whole car.  Black beauty carried us through the snow.  Meanwhile Neil muddled under his breath.  "Don't these people know what a snow plow is?"  Medjugorje does not usually receive large snow falls. Meadows of orange, lemon, and olives trees surrounded us paradoxically as snow covered the ground.  Most of the citrus trees were in full bloom.  The road near Medjugorje was very dicey.  Neil was worried we would high center and get caught in the ruts of snow.  Somehow, farm boy prevailed.  We drove fairly quickly over the snow.  Neil said it was safer to go faster but personally I think he liked the thrill of testing the Seat's aka Zeat's motor capabilities.  

Jones Family at the top of Apparition Hill

Both of us have always wanted to visit Medjugorje.  Growing up Catholic, we have heard the stories and miracles that have taken place there.  We wanted to say some special prayers with Mary. She has a special place in our hearts as the mother of Jesus.  We even brought a rosary to help the children learn to say it.  

We checked into the Pension Madona.  Right away the owners served us coffee and hot chocolate.  Our room was cold like an icicle.   We cranked the heat in our room for two days and were only able to raise the temperature in the room five degrees.  I slept by baby Colin to keep him warm.  

The next day I bundled up the children in multiple layers.  We set out on our snow adventures.  We started early in the morning with a 7:30 mass.  Then we decided to attempt to find the famous landmarks, the Blue Cross and Apparition Hill.  Shop owners were digging their stores out of the ice and snow as we climbed the small path to Blue Cross.  We said our first decade of the Rosary.   I asked Mary for three signs: a rose, a heart, and the holy water from the knee of the Resurrected Jesus statue.  

Next we made a solo journey up Apparition Hill.  Later we met a group of nuns and priests and an Irish man on the trail.  But for most of the trail we were by ourselves.  We feel very blessed to have had this experience in a place where a million visitors pilgrimage each year.  The ice and heavy snow made the climb more of a physical test and spiritual journey.  Every so often up the hill there was a station of the cross and we sat down as a family and said a decade of the rosary.  

The heart someone crafted on the snow trail up Apparition Hill

A third of the way up the hill, I spotted a perfectly made heart in the snow.  It was not a miracle, someone had made it as a dedication to Mary.  Still I considered it a sign.  It was shaped impeccably and glossy in appearance.  

After climbing 500 meters we finally reached the top of the hill. The sun was shining behind the  statue of Mary.   There was the classic Medjugorje statue that is supposed to resemble the Mary that appears to the six individuals that have reported the sightings at Medjugorje. The six individuals started to see Mary in their late teens.  She always gives a spin on the same message.  She calls for prayer, fasting, penance, and conversion.  The statue of Mary has delicate features and is pale white with a circle of stars around her head. 

After we come down from the hillside, we walked to the gift shops to pick up a few religious items and to find a rose to give to Mary.  We were able to find a perfect rose in the gift shop and the two children presented it to a statue of Mary. For me this was my second sign.  

The children gave Mary a rose.

Next we walked around the back of the church to a mosaic stations of the cross and finally to the Resurrected Jesus statue.  Before going to Medjugorje, I read a long list of supposed miracles that have occurred when pilgrims collected the holy water from the Resurrected Jesus statue with a prayer cloth.  Then they would pray over themselves or a loved one with the prayer cloth.  The prayer cloth is an ancient Christian tradition.   This is one place I was especially intrigued by in Medjugorje.  We saw the Jesus statue and sure enough holy water was dripping from his knee.  We took our prayer clothes and collected the holy water.  We also noticed the statue was luke warm around the inner legs and the area where the holy water was coming from, even though the temperature was in the 30's.  At last this was my third sign.  

The Resurrected Jesus statue  

At this point I prayed to Mary and God and gave them every intention I could remember past, present, and future.  We decided due to the heavy snow fall we wanted to depart before the road conditions became too severe.  We left with a superb feeling of peace, faith, and hope for ourselves and for our children.

Here is an example recent quote from an apparition:

Latest Medjugorje Message, February 2, 2012  - Apparitions to Mirjana “Dear children; I am with you for so much time and already for so long I have been pointing you to God’s presence and his infinite love, which I desire for all of you to come to know. And you, my children? You continue to be deaf and blind as you look at the world around you and do not want to see where it is going without my Son. You are renouncing him – and he is the source of all graces. You listen to me while I am speaking to you, but your hearts are closed and you are not hearing me. You are not praying to the Holy Spirit to illuminate you. My children, pride has come to rule. I am pointing out humility to you. My children, remember that only a humble soul shines with purity and beauty because it has come to know the love of God. Only a humble soul becomes Heaven, because my Son is in it. Thank you. Again I implore you to pray for those whom my Son has chosen – those are your shepherds. ”