Dear friends, friends of Medjugorje and family members, I wish you all a happy, relaxing Christmas eve and Christmas day with your friends and family. If you are volunteering time for those less fortunate, you are truly carrying JESUS in your heart. In the meantime, I will leave you with the words i came across a while back, although I do not know who is the line credited to but I do think it fits the moment and the time we're in:

"I wish we could put up some of the Christmas spirit in jars and open a jar of it every month."

This is a painting of one of my favorite painters, Ivan Lackovic Croata, Naïve art is a classification of art that is often characterized by a childlike simplicity, a Child is about to be born and this art movement and the painting describes the importance of the moment perfectly. (Naive art movement was founded in Croatia (Hlebinska Skola).)

MERRY CHRISTMAS

via ministryvalues.com

Pope Benedict XVI last week made worldwide headlines with his comments on condom use.

A couple of days ago the Pope made a surprise reference to yet another controversial subject - Medjugore The Holy See, two days ago in a talk to the general audience, specifically acknowledged the Medjugorje parish and he encouraged the faithful from Medjugorje to be "evangelizers of God’s love in your nation". Not so surprising, the Catholic press, ignored the the Pope's reference to an event that has moved millions of Catholics into a deeper relationship with Christ.

Dear children;Today I am praying here with you that you may gather the strength to open your hearts and thus to become aware of the mighty love of the suffering God. Through this His love, goodness and meekness, I am also with you. I invite you for this special time of preparation to be a time of prayer, penance and conversion. My children, you need God. You cannot go forward without my Son. When you comprehend and accept this, what was promised to you will be realized. Through the Holy Spirit the Kingdom of Heaven will be born in your hearts. I am leading you to this. Thank you.

November 24th at 3:30 pm it will be exactly ten years since our belowed Father Slavko Barbaric, OFM was born in to heaven. The children and the employees of "Mother's Village" in a special way relive this month  of November. Lots of small, everyday things and obligations begin to remind us of those last days and moments of living together with Fr. Slavko. Nature and flowers in the fall, chrysanthemums and candles come back to us images and feelings of disbelief, sadness and fear those first days of life without him. 
Now we glance more down the bronze statue of Father Slavko, set in the middle of the village for the first anniversary of his death. As if once again we want to hear his greeting, a word of encouragement or to share with him his thoughts and desires.

The last thoughts father shared atop of Cross Mountain were the prayer for the next person that will pass on to the next life and a few minutes later he passed on. Let us unite in prayer for Fr. Slavko's soul and for the soul of the next person to join him. God Bless you father and thank you for all of your great gifts you left behind.

Dear children; Today I call you to a humble, my children, humble devotion. Your hearts need to be just. May your crosses be your means in the battle against the sins of the present time. May your weapon be patience and boundless love - a love that knows to wait and which will make you capable of recognizing God's signs - that your life, by humble love, may show the truth to all those who seek it in the darkness of lies. My children, my apostles, help me to open the paths to my Son. Once again I call you to pray for your shepherds. Alongside them, I will triumph. Thank you.

“Dear children, I am beside you because I desire to help you to overcome trials, which this time of purification puts before you. My children, one of those is not to forgive and not to ask for forgiveness. Every sin offends Love and distances you from it – and Love is my Son. Therefore, my children, if you desire to walk with me towards the peace of God’s love, you must learn to forgive and to ask for forgiveness. Thank you.” 

It has been a tradition for decades for the holy mass to be served atop of Cross Mountain the first Sunday after the assumption of Our Lady and today is no different. Living at the base of the cross mountain gives me a front row spot for a number of events through the year, standing on the balcony of our home this morning made me realize how fortunate I am to be living here. One of the speakers at one of the events here in Medjugorje once said "this place is the heart of the catholic world", at that time I did not realize what he had said but now I understand. Our Lady, the mother of God came here, she is moving people closer to him. Throughout the year people come to Medjugorje in multitudes but going up to the Cross Mountain, barefoot, on their knees, with their children, suffering but offering it up. They come closer to God and Our Lady.

Fr. Marinko Sakota, a priest that was just recently transferred to Medjugorje as the parish vicar is the one that has the honors of being the main celebrant atop of Cross Mountain. If I had to guess the number of people that went up to the hill over the past night and the morning I would say 25 - 30000. We should get a closer number when I get the information on the number of holy communions that were given out.