António dos Santos
Last Saturday (June 19), a prayer group from Medjugorje, Macau, organized a celebration gathering in the parish of Our Lady of Fatima – prayer, Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament, confession, a talk by Father Michael Zhang who led the group and Holy Mass. The invitation was made to the local community by the use of new media such as WhatsApp, in Catholic prayer groups, in order to bring together the faithful devotees of Our Lady and make them more aware of the “Medjugorje phenomenon.”
For today, the festive meeting is scheduled for 7:00 pm, in the parish of Our Lady of Fatima, with Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament followed by a Mass at 8:00 pm.
The village of Medjugorje, in Bosnia and Herzegovina, has been celebrating since yesterday and will continue today, as it celebrates the 40th anniversary of the apparitions of Our Lady, Queen of Peace.
The apparitions began on June 24, 1981, on the Feast Day of St John the Baptist. Over four decades, the phenomenon has become globalized and today the small Sanctuary of Medjugorje is one of the most sought ones such as Guadalupe, Lourdes, and Fatima.
Although these apparitions are not yet officially approved by the Church, as they are still open and under study, in 2017 the Holy Father appointed Archbishop Henryk Hoser, a special Apostolic Visitor for the parish of Medjugorje. D. Henryk Hoser, who was involved in the commission of the apparitions in Kibeho, Rwanda – already approved by the Church – has been living in the Bosnian village, being able to follow closely and measure the “pulse” of the events.
In 2019 – to the delight of many Medjugorje followers – Pope Francis wished to tell the world that all parishes were authorized to organize pilgrimages to Medjugorje.
The six Medjugorje seers – Vicka Ivankovic, Marija Pavlovic, Ivan Dragicevic, Mirijana Dragicevic, Jakov Colo and Ivanka Ivankovic, claim that they see and communicate with Our Lady since June 24, 1981, and that the Mother of God has called herself at Medjugorje the Queen of Peace, having told that she came to Medjugorje to finish what she had started in Fatima, Portugal (1917).
The Biblical Meaning of Number 40 – The forty years of Our Lady apparitions in Medjugorje have raised an expectation that something is about to happen. Partly because of the biblical meaning of the number 40, and partly because the seers claim they were given ten secrets to be revealed to the world at a time determined by God.
The professor of the Holy Scriptures, Odalberto Domingos Casonatto, tells us that, in brief words, we can say that the number 40, both in the Old Testament and in the New Testament, indicates a necessary time of preparation for something new that is going to happen, a change. Odalberto Domingos reminds us that Jesus did not begin his public activity of evangelization without first preparing himself for 40 days in fasting and prayer. Regarding the Old Testament, the professor gives us an example: the 40 years spent in the desert (Exodus) – a necessary time for the People of God to prepare to enter the promised land.
The Blessed Virgin Mary is considered by many Mariologists as “the apostle of the end of times” – by her Jesus, God, became man and entered the world, and by her He will come again in His Glory!
Our Lady, Queen of Peace, pray for us!
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