Archive for September, 2008

September 25th, 2008

“Dear children! May your life, anew, be a decision for peace. Be joyful carriers of peace and do not forget that you live in a time of grace, in which God gives you great graces through my presence. Do not close yourselves, little children, but make good use of this time and seek the gift of peace and love for your life so that you may become witnesses to others. I bless you with my motherly blessing. Thank you for having responded to my call.”

“Draga djeco! Neka vaš život iznova bude odluka za mir. Budite radosni nositelji mira i ne zaboravite da živite u milosnom vremenu gdje vam Bog preko moje prisutnosti daje velike milosti. Ne zatvarajte se dječice, nego iskoristite ovo vrijeme i tražite dar mira i ljubavi za vaš život da bi postali svjedoci drugima. Blagoslivljam vas mojim majčinskim blagoslovom. Hvala vam što ste se odazvali mome pozivu.”

Genuine Happiness Comes From Within

Life isnt the sweetest candy. Sometimes, when I feel like the world is just too heavy, I look around and find people who continued to live fascinating and wonderful lives. And then thoughts come popping into my mind like bubbles from nowhere How did their life become so adorably sweet? How come they still can manage to laugh and play around despite a busy stressful life? Then I pause and observed for awhile I figured out that maybe, they start to work on a place called self.

So, how does one become genuinely happy? Step 1 is to love yourself.

Genuine Happiness Comes from Within
My theology professor once said that loving means accepting. To love oneself means to accept that you are not a perfect being, but behind the imperfections must lie a great ounce of courage to be able to discover ways on how to improve your repertoire to recover from our mistakes.

Genuine happiness also pertains to contentment. When you are contented with the job you have, the way you look, with your family, your friends, the place you live in, your car, and all the things you now have truly, you know the answer to the question how to be genuinely happy.

When we discover a small start somewhere from within, that small start will eventually lead to something else, and to something else. But if you keep questioning life lit it has never done you any good, you will never be able to find genuine happiness.

Self Improvement
I believe that life is about finding out about right and wrong, trying and failing, wining and losing. These are things that happen as often as you inhale and exhale. Failure, in a persons life has become as abundant and necessary as air. But this should not hinder us from becoming happy.

How to be genuinely happy in spite all these? I tell you every time you exert effort to improve the quality of life and your being, whether it is cleaning up your room, helping a friend, taking care of your sick dog, fail on board exams and trying again, life gives you equivalent points for that.

Imagine life as a big score board like those which are used in the NFLs. Every time you take a step forward, you make scoring points. Wouldnt it be nice to look at that board at the end of each game and think to yourself Whew! I got a point today. Im glad I gave it a shot., instead of looking at it all blank and murmur Geez, I didnt even hit a score today. I wish I had the guts to try out. We could have won! and then walk away.

Self Improvement Info
Genuine happiness isnt about driving the hottest Formula 1 car, nor getting the employee of the year award, earning the highest 13th month pay, or beating the sales quota. Sometimes, the most sought after prizes in life doesnt always go to the fastest, the strongest, the bravest or not even the best. So, how do you become genuinely happy? Every one has his own definition of happiness. Happiness for a writer may mean launching as much best selling books as possible. Happiness for a basketball rookie may mean getting the rookie of the year award. Happiness for a beggar may mean a lot of money. Happiness for a business man may mean success. So, really now, how do we become genuinely happy? Simple. You dont have to have the best things in this world. Its about doing and making the best out of every single thing. When you find yourself smiling at your own mistake and telling your self Oh, Ill do better next time, you carry with you a flame of strong will power to persevere that may spread out like a brush fire. You possess a willingness to stand up again and try that will make you a genuinely happy person.

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Spiritual Challenge Of Modern Times

To grow spiritually in a world defined by power, money, and influence is a Herculean task. Modern conveniences such as electronic equipments, gadgets, and tools as well as entertainment through television, magazines, and the web have predisposed us to confine our attention mostly to physical needs and wants. As a result, our concepts of self-worth and self-meaning are muddled. How can we strike a balance between the material and spiritual aspects of our lives?

Spiritual Challenge of Modern Times
Introspection goes beyond recalling the things that happened in a day, week, or month. You need to look closely and reflect on your thoughts, feelings, beliefs, and motivations. Periodically examining your experiences, the decisions you make, the relationships you have, and the things you engage in provide useful insights on your life goals, on the good traits you must sustain and the bad traits you have to discard. Moreover, it gives you clues on how to act, react, and conduct yourself in the midst of any situation. Like any skill, introspection can be learned; all it takes is the courage and willingness to seek the truths that lie within you. Here are some pointers when you introspect: be objective, be forgiving of yourself, and focus on your areas for improvement.

Spiritual Growth
Religion and science have differing views on matters of the human spirit. Religion views people as spiritual beings temporarily living on Earth, while science views the spirit as just one dimension of an individual. Mastery of the self is a recurring theme in both Christian (Western) and Islamic (Eastern) teachings. The needs of the body are recognized but placed under the needs of the spirit. Beliefs, values, morality, rules, experiences, and good works provide the blueprint to ensure the growth of the spiritual being. In Psychology, realizing ones full potential is to self-actualize. Maslow identified several human needs: physiological, security, belongingness, esteem, cognitive, aesthetic, self-actualization, and self-transcendence. James earlier categorized these needs into three: material, emotional, and spiritual. When you have satisfied the basic physiological and emotional needs, spiritual or existential needs come next. Achieving each need leads to the total development of the individual. Perhaps the difference between these two religions and psychology is the end of self-development: Christianity and Islam see that self-development is a means toward serving God, while psychology view that self-development is an end by itself.

Self Improvement
Religions that believe in the existence of God such as Christianism, Judaism, and Islam suppose that the purpose of the human life is to serve the Creator of all things. Several theories in psychology propose that we ultimately give meaning to our lives. Whether we believe that lifes meaning is pre-determined or self-directed, to grow in spirit is to realize that we do not merely exist. We do not know the meaning of our lives at birth; but we gain knowledge and wisdom from our interactions with people and from our actions and reactions to the situations we are in. As we discover this meaning, there are certain beliefs and values that we reject and affirm. Our lives have purpose. This purpose puts all our physical, emotional, and intellectual potentials into use; sustains us during trying times; and gives us something to look forward to—a goal to achieve, a destination to reach. A person without purpose or meaning is like a drifting ship at sea.

To grow spiritually is to recognize interconnections.

Religions stress the concept of our relatedness to all creation, live and inanimate. Thus we call other people brothers and sisters even if there are no direct blood relations. Moreover, deity-centered religions such as Christianity and Islam speak of the relationship between humans and a higher being. On the other hand, science expounds on our link to other living things through the evolution theory. This relatedness is clearly seen in the concept of ecology, the interaction between living and non-living things. In psychology, connectedness is a characteristic of self-transcendence, the highest human need according to Maslow. Recognizing your connection to all things makes you more humble and respectful of people, animals, plants, and things in nature. It makes you appreciate everything around you. It moves you to go beyond your comfort zone and reach out to other people, and become stewards of all other things around you.

Useful Informations for Visitors

Since 1981 Medjugorje, a small village in Bosnia-Hercegovina, became well known all over the world.It was the year, when the Blessed Virgin Mary appeard to six young people. On June 24th 1981 these Visionaries ( Marija, Vicka, Ivan, Ivanka, Jakov and Mirjana ) started to get messages and secrets from Our Lady which they are divulging to the world step by step till this day.

Since this year,1981, millions of people of all faiths and from all over the world came to visit Medjugorje.
Many of them bring back stories of miracles in form of mind-,body or soulhealings and supernatural visual events.

A lot of hotels and guest houses have come since this happening and the streets in the center of the town are lined with cafes and a lot of souvenir shops, the church St.James offers messes in lot different languages and there are prayer services every evening.

If you want to be inspired by Medjugorje and its atmosphere which cannot be described, come to vistit this small, special village.

How&When to travel to Medjugorje

Most peole are travelling by plain.You can fly to Split, Zadar or Dubrovnik in Croatia or to Sarajevo in Bosnia-Hercegovina and then travel overland to Medjugorje.
You can also ask the owner of your accommodation if he/she has a privat transport-offer from the airports to the accommodation in Medjugorje.

You can also take a ferry from Italy to Split or Dubrovnik or you can travel by overland buses directly to Medjugorje.

Please pre-book your accommodation although there are a lot of hotels and guest houses, because they are usually all full.

You can find nice accommodation from 15€ (b&b) / 20€ (half-board)

The best time to go to Medjugorje is on the 2nd and the 25th of the month, because Our Lady gives a message to Mirjana on the 2nd of every month and a message to Marija each 25th.
It is always a good time to go to Medjugorje but it is a particular grace to be there during these two days.
The beginning of August is also a good time to go to Medjugorje because it is the time when the yearly youth festival begins.

What do you need to see?


1) Cross Mountain or “krizevac” is the most significant feature in the landscape of Medjugorje with its cross on the top of the mountain, which is 30 feet (8 m) high.The cross was erected 1933 to thank Jesus and as a sign of faith, hope and love.
It was completet in 1934 and from then on people climb the mountain to pray the Stations of the Cross.
Every sunday following the September 8th the people celebrate the Holy Mess at the foot of the cross.

2) Apparation Hill is directly connected to Cross Mountain. It is the place where the Virgin Mary appear for the first time.A stony path leads to the very place of the apparitions. 1989 bronze reliefs were placed standing for the joyful and the sorrowful mysteries of the Rosary.
There are also a wooden and a blue cross and a bautiful statue of Or Lady placed.
The wooden cross is placed where Virgin Mary gave Marija the first message, the blue cross marks the place where Ivan got his first message and the statue was placed in honout of the 20th anniversary of the apparations.

3) St.James Church was built 1897 for the first time.The beautiful construction soon started to develop fissures and so it was rebuilt in 1969.

4) The weeping Statue of Jesus. Thousand of tourists have visited this special statue because there is water driping out of his knee and no one was able to find an explanation where the water is coming from.

Related

Mysterious snapshots in Medjugorje

Apparitions – are they real?

There`ve been two significent scientific studies done on the visonaries since the apparitions began in Medjugorje in 1981 by the best scientists in the world. The last one was in 1998. Both studies had the same final result, which was that the visionaries are mentally and physically hale, they are not hallucinating, they are not lying and they are definitely experiencing something that is beyond our scientific understanding.Something that is unexplainable.

It is also interesting to mention that during the experiments, one of the things which was monitored was the brain activity. Most of people are able to use around 15% of their brain during normal activities. It is facinating to note that at the moment when Virgin Mary appears, the brain activity of every single Visionary jumps to 100% and stays at this level until Our Lady leaves.

Beautiful (and some mysterious) pictures of Medjugorje


Cross Mountain


Church of St.James and Statue of Virgin Mary


Virgin Mary in the clouds?


The story of Medjugorje


Beautiful sunset


Cross Mountain


Visionary Vicka with a light-spear


Apparation Hill

Message to Mirjana September 2nd, 2008

“Dear children! Today, with my motherly heart, I call you gathered around me to love your neighbor. My children, stop. Look in the eyes of your brother and see Jesus, my Son. If you see joy, rejoice with him. If there is pain in the eyes of your brother, with your tenderness and goodness, cast it away, because without love you are lost. Only love is effective; it works miracles. Love will give you unity in my Son and the victory of my heart. Therefore, my children, love.”

Mirjana reported that Our Lady blessed all of the people present and all of the religious articles. Once again, she called us to pray for our shepherds.

Detailed Description of Our Lady

The Visionaries gave us a detailed description of Our Lady, the Queen of Peace, as she appears in Medjugorje.

1. As the first thing, tell me: how tall is the Madonna that you regularly see?
– About 165 cm – Like me. (Vicka) [5 feet 5 inches]

2. Does she look rather “slender”, slim or . . .?
– She looks rather slender.

3. About how many kilograms do you think she weighs?
– About 60 kilograms (132 pounds).

4. About how old do you think she is?
– From 18 to 20 years old.

5. When she is with the Child Jesus does she look older?
– She looks as usual – she looks the same.

6. When Our Lady is with you is she always standing or . . .
– Always standing.

7. On what is she standing?
– On some little cloud.

8. What colour is that little cloud?
– The cloud is a whitish color.

9. Have you ever seen her kneel?
– Never! (Vicka, Ivan, Ivanka. . .)

10. Naturally your Madonna also has her own face. How does it look: round or rather long – oval?
– It’s rather long – oval – normal.

11. What colour is her face?
– Normal – rather light – rosy cheeks.

12. What colour is her brow?
– Normal – mainly light like her face.

13. What kind of lips does Our Lady have – rather thick or thin?
– Normal – beautiful – they are more thin.

14. What colour are they?
– Reddish – natural colour.

15. Does Our Lady have any dimples, as we people usually have?
– Ordinarily she doesn’t – perhaps a little, if she smiles. (Mirjana)

16. Is there some pleasant smile ordinarily noticeable on her countenance?

- Maybe – more like some indescribable gentleness -
there’s a smile visible as if somehow under her
skin. (Vicka)

17. What is the colour of Our Lady’s eyes?
– Her eyes are wonderful! Clearly blue. (all)

18. Are they rather big or . . .?
– More normal – maybe a little bit bigger. (Marija)

19. How are her eyelashes?
– Delicate – normal.

20. What colour are her eyelashes?
– Normal – no special colour.

21. Are they thinner or . . .?
– Ordinary – normal.

22. Of course, Our Lady also has a nose. What is it like: sharp or . . .?
– A nice, little nose (Mirjana) – normal, harmonizing with her face. (Marija)

23. And Our Lady’s eyebrows?
– Her eyebrows are thin – normal – more of a black colour.

24. How is your Madonna dressed?
– She is clothed in a simple woman’s dress.

25. What colour is her dress?
– Her dress is grey – maybe a little bluish-grey. (Mirjana)

26. Is the dress tight-fitting or does it fall freely?
– It falls freely.

27. How far down does her dress reach?
– All the way down to the little cloud on which she’s standing – it blends into the cloud.

28. How far up around the neck?
– Normally – up to the beginning of her neck.

29. Is a part of Our Lady’s neck visible?
– Her neck is visible, but nothing of her bosom is visible.

30. How far do her sleeves reach?
– Up to her palms.

31. Is Our Lady’s dress hemmed with anything?
– No, not with anything.

32. Is there anything pulled in or tied around Our Lady’s waist?
– No, there’s nothing.

33. On the body of the Madonna that you see, is her femininity noticeable?
– Of course it’s noticeable! But nothing specially. (Vicka)

34. Is there anything else on Our Lady besides this dress described?
– She has a veil on her head.

35. What colour is that veil?
– The veil is a white colour.

36. Pure white or . . .?
– Pure white.

37. How much of her does the veil cover?
– It covers her head, shoulders and complete body from the back and from the sides.

38. How far down does it reach?
– It reaches down to the little cloud, also like her dress.

39. How far does it cover in front?
– It covers from the back and from the sides.

40. Does the veil look firmer, thicker than Our Lady’s dress?
– No it doesn’t – it’s similar to the dress.

41. Is there any kind of jewellery on her?
– There is no kind of jewellery.

42. Is the veil trimmed with anything at the ends?
– Not with anything.

43. Does Our Lady have any kind of ornament at all?
– She has no kind.

44. For example, on her head or around the head?
– Yes – she has a crown of stars on her head.

45. Are there always stars around her head?
– Ordinarily there are – there always are. (Vicka)

46. For example, when she appears with Jesus?
– She’s the same way.

47. How many stars are there?
– There are twelve of them.

48. What colour are they?
– Golden – gold colour.

49. Are they in any way connected with each other?
– They are connected with something – so that can stay up. (Vicka)

50. Is a little bit of Our Lady’s hair visible?
– A little bit of her hair is visible.

51. Where do you see it?
– A little above her forehead – from under the veil – from the left side.

52. What colour is it?
– Its black.

53. Is either of Our Lady’s ears ever visible?
– No, they are never visible.

54. How is that?
– Well, the veil covers her ears.

55. What is Our Lady usually looking at during the apparition?
– Usually she is looking at us – sometimes at something else, at what she’s showing.

56. How does Our Lady hold her hands?
– Her hands are free, relaxed, extended.

57. When does she hold her hands folded?
– Almost never – maybe sometimes at the “Glory be”.

58. Does she ever move, gesture with her hands during the apparitions?
– She does not gesture, except when she shows something.

59. Which way are her palms turned when her hands are extended?

- Her palms are usually relaxed upwards – her fingers are relaxed in the same way.

60. Are her fingernails then also visible?
– They are partially visible.

61. How are they – which colour are they?
– Natural colour – clean-cut fingernails.

62. Have you ever seen Our Lady’s legs?
– No, never – her dress always covers them.

63. Finally, is Our Lady really beautiful, as you have said?
– Well, really we haven’t told you anything about that – her beauty cannot be described – it is not
our kind of beauty – that is something ethereal – something heavenly – something that we’ll only
see in Paradise – and then only to a certain degree.

The miracles of Medjugorje

You can see the Visionaries talking about the miracles of Medjugorje in this video…

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