Medjugorje Peace Conference October 2008

On October 24 through 26 I attended the 18th Medjugorje Peace Conference in Irvine, CA. I have never been to a religious conference before, and I have to admit I was overwhelmed with wonder and joy. Gathering with 5,000 (or so) Catholics to say the rosary, listen to outstanding speakers, pray, and partake of the Eucharist each day, was an experience I will repeat as soon as I can. I was a believer in the Medjugorje story before I went to the conference, and I came away strengthened in that belief. Seeing, watching, and hearing the visionary Mirjana in person may be as close as I ever come to seeing a saint. She was exactly as you would expect; peaceful, respectful, childlike, and perhaps a little world weary from her personal trials and the weight of her responsibility, yet joyful over simple matters. The other speakers, many of whose stories were grounded in Medjugorje conversions, healings, and miracles were sincere and highly believable. As a group, they cared for each other in a way that demonstrated the scripture:

“By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.”
(John 13:35)

Below is a brief overview of the Medjugorje story.

Since 1981, in a small village in Bosnia-Herzegovina named Medjugorje, the Blessed Virgin Mary has been appearing and giving messages to the world. She tells us that God has sent Her to our world and, these years she is spending with us are a time of Grace granted by God. In Her own words She tells us, "I have come to tell the world that God exists. He is the fullness of life, and to enjoy this fullness and peace, you must return to God".

Our Lady's mission is one of peace and love. She has come to earth to reeducate us and to help us convert and re-center our lives back to God. Our Lady's role has always been one of guiding us to Her Son, Jesus.

Our Lady continues to give messages to six people from the village of Medjugorje: Ivan, Jakov, Marija, Mirjana, Vicka, and Ivanka. These six people (referred to as "visionaries") have had apparitions of the Blessed Virgin Mary since June 24, 1981. In addition to these messages, Our Lady is to give each of the six visionaries a total of ten "secrets" about events that will occur on earth in the near future.

Our Lady has promised to leave a supernatural, indestructible, and visible sign on the mountain where she first appeared. Our Lady said: "This sign will be given for the atheists. You faithful already have signs and you have become the sign for the atheists. You faithful must not wait for the sign before you convert; convert soon. This time is a time of grace for you. You can never thank God enough for His grace. The time is for deepening your faith and for your conversion. When the sign comes, it will be too late for many."

Once Our Lady stops appearing there will be three warnings given to the world. Mirjana will witness the warnings and they will occur on the earth. Ten days before each of the warnings, she will advise the priest she chose for this task (Father Petar Ljubicic), who will then fast and pray with Mirjana for seven days. Then, three days before the warning is to take place, Fr. Petar will announce to the world what, where, and when the warning is to take place. Fr. Petar has no choice, and must reveal each warning. Mirjana's testimony will be a confirmation of the validity of the apparitions and an incentive for the conversion of the world. After the first warning, the others will follow within a rather brief period of time. So it is that people will have time for conversion. After the three warnings, the permanent visible sign will be left on the mountain where Our Lady first appeared in Medjugorje. This sign will lead to many healings and conversions before the messages become reality.

Since the apparitions began in 1981, millions of people of all faiths, from all over the world, have visited Medjugorje and have left spiritually strengthened and renewed. Many bring back stories of miracles in the form of healings (of mind, body and soul), supernatural visual events, and deep conversions back to God.

Our Lady of Medjugorje asks us to follow the regimen below:

Daily Prayer (Of the Rosary)
Fasting on Wednesdays and Fridays
Daily Reading of the Bible
Monthly Confession
Holy Communion

There is much more to the Medjugorje story than can be copied and pasted here. I highly encourage you to go to http://www.medjugorje.org/ for more information.

By the way, I prayed for and received a personal healing at the conference.

Our Lady's October Message

This is the message Our Lady sent while we gathered in Irvine at the Medjugorje Peace Conference:

“Dear children! In a special way I call you all to pray for my intentions so that, through your prayers, you may stop Satan's plan over this world, which is further from God every day, and which puts itself in the place of God and is destroying everything that is beautiful and good in the souls of each of you. Therefore, little children, arm yourselves with prayer and fasting so that you may be conscious of how much God loves you and may carry out God's will. Thank you for having responded to my call.”

God Bless!Steve and Ana shawl
The Medjugorje Web
http://www.medjugorje.org

WORLDS MOST NOTORIOUS ATHIEST VIDEO

Here is the latest You Tube Ministry video. It appears on http://www.thenewrevival.com/ as well. The idea is to attract the young and curious to a web site that spells out the relationship between faith and reason...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sWa1jjOFBJY

This video was made with a "flip video" camera, filming a powerpoint slideshow--very crude. If anyone wants to donate equipment that will help me make more professional viedos, please let me know!

WATCH THIS NOW! AND VOTE FOR LIFE!

http://www.catholicvote.com/

Half Dome in the Spirit

As we set out in the pre-dawn from Happy Isles, I hear the voices of our young warriors echoing up and down the hillside. Our group of twenty-five charges the first hill together, but the youngest and strongest soon begin to stretch the pack forward. My daughter, son, and nephew will reach the top of Half Dome in under three hours. I’m giving myself six.

I charge the first hill too fast and I’m already at the top of my breath. I remind myself for the first of countless times, that to succeed today, I have to slow down. I’m not competing with the twenty-somethings. This is about the journey as much as the goal. Nevertheless, it is difficult to watch the entire group surge ahead. By the time I reach the first bridge over Vernal Falls, I can’t see or hear anyone else.

I summon the Holy Spirit for companionship, and I am reminded of St. Patrick’s breastplate:

Christ be with me,
Christ within me,
Christ behind me, Christ before me,
Christ beside me, Christ to win me,
Christ to comfort and restore me,
Christ beneath me, Christ above me,
Christ in quiet, Christ in danger,
Christ in hearts of all that love me,
Christ in mouth of friend and stranger.

I am a field of spirit, slowly moving up the mountain.

Dawn is beginning to break when I reach the heart of the famous mist trail. There is enough light to see the river gorge below and the falls above. The overpowering sound of rushing water clears my mind of the endless subterfuge. Someone is waving far above at the rim of the falls. I sense my daughter’s presence in this message of encouragement.

Worries that the Yosemite Falls hike had drained too much energy and strength to complete the Half Dome trip begin to fade into the morning. I think I have the physical strength to make it to the top. Spiritually girded against the mental and emotional challenges ahead, I’m suddenly overcome with the uplifting feeling that victory is in hand, and the journey will be a once in a lifetime experience.

The Spirit lifts me up the steep mountain stairways to Nevada Falls. A few pre-dawn groups catch me from behind. Camaraderie strikes up as we play leapfrog with the lead, sharing the joy of the challenge. Hearts thump in the cool morning.

My good friend Bill is waiting for me at the top of the falls. I suspect Bill has been assigned by the conventional wisdom committee to make sure I don’t perish alone somewhere along the trail. Grateful and humbled, I resist the devil in me to rebel against the good-hearted committee.

We breeze through the flats along the river, and turn uphill again. Bill keeps me on pace, and though I have to stop him once in a while when I need to take a rest, he keeps me from getting too comfortable. Pushing ahead is a good thing on a hike as long as this one.

We finally reach the bottom of Quarter Dome, and look ahead to the last, overwhelming challenges. We are humbled as we greet the first of our returning young warriors. We scale Quarter Dome together, step by grueling step up the intimidating rock, as the heat of the sun becomes a real factor.

My son, nephew, and Bill’s son greet us at the top—we share a solid moment of pride. I’m told my daughter is waiting for me at the top of Half Dome. (Hurry up!) Suddenly we find ourselves facing the daunting, final 900 vertical feet.

We have reached the steel cable climb at the peak of traffic hour. It is a quagmire of twisted flesh, hiker stench, and human anxiety. The penalty for falling is death, and several hikers turn back. There is no public shame or blame, but the private hell of failure lingers in the thin air.

Bill forges ahead of me--no point in thinking about it too long. I choose my gloves and begin the final agony. The line moves about twenty feet a minute. There are long periods of anxious waiting, stopped, feet wedged against railroad ties, hands clinging to the steel cable. Nothing like being suspended in the sky with a hundred of your stinky new best friends! I say prayers of petition for safety as I wait for the crowd ahead to move.

A few of my daughter’s friends pass by on their way down. They tell me she is on her way to climb with me. Later I hear her voice, and look up to see her shining face and waving arm. She is one incredible human being. I hear murmurs of good-for-you among the hikers around me—now here’s a lucky man with his beautiful daughter come to join him for the final push.

She forges ahead, but looks back patiently when I stop to rest. The last 900 feet are certainly what they are cracked up to be. We reach the summit. My heart is pounding like never before, and it takes a long time to recover my breath. Bill takes our picture.

The view is unforgettable. Here we are, victorious king and princess, humble before the Lord and His creation. We stand atop the monumental peak as our earth soars through the universe. We have been here before; we are here in eternity.

We snack on salty food, brush away the marmots, and check our water supplies. My daughter is soon ready to go. She’s been here over two hours now. My glory is fleeting.

We share our time of victory and glory with light talk as we climb down through the steel cables and Quarter Dome. We are the last of our group to head back, but the surrounding crowd is friendly, an extended family of champions. My daughter finally gives in to the urge to hustle forward. We have shared the critical stage. It’s time.

I re-gather my companions of the Spirit; Christ before me, Christ within me, come along Saints Peter and Paul, Our Blessed Mother is preparing the path ahead. The relief of the goal achieved transforms into peace. The journey back will be entirely different from the uphill hike.
The best way to bring on The Spirit is with prayer. I have about five hours to talk with God about anything and everything. I begin with prayers of thanks for the peace and joy I am enjoying on this journey, and move into my routine of rosary and prayers for a list of family, friends, and those I know with urgent needs.

The Spirit can grow on you in the same way that athletic skill grows with the repetition of practice. Discipline leads to understanding, and understanding leads to revelation and truth. Christ frees us from the tangled web of ego and desire. This freedom is a gift that allows us to live with true purpose. Aware of the physical beauty and reality of the immediate moment, contemplation lifts me into another realm, one that is forever sought and rarely achieved.

My daughter has left a secret trail of orange peels to tell me, “I am with you Dad. Keep moving--you’ll get there.” Spurred on by her message, a focus arises that pushes me through the peace that blankets the afternoon.

I stop at Nevada Falls to purify enough water to sustain hydration to the end of the trail. After a thirty-minute rest I set out on the last leg. Weariness sets in. The switchbacks refuse to end, but I am carried down the mountain on a mission to absorb every last minute of this incredible journey through His creation.

The shuttle bus ride from Happy Isles buys some time to prepare for the return to the group. Twelve and a half hours from home to the summit and home again. The group is gathered on camp chairs in front of our lodge rooms, and happy hour is in full swing. They erupt in cheers when I arrive. My wife rushes forward to greet me.

It doesn’t get any better than this.