Under Cover

Of Lightness.

No one quote me, because I may want that to be the title of my book. Consider there is a circle around a small "c" for the copyright of that title.

Medjugorje, Bosnia-Herzgovinia is not officially recognized by the formal church (yet)- and thank Goodness.

The main Bishopric has been running it down. Not sure why- or what could irk a Bishop about millions of pilgrims coming from all over the world to venerate a cross on top of a mountain and check out for themselves thirty years of rumors of the Blessed Mother appearing daily to visionaries. But that also is part of God's plan- there is something so obviously good and of God there in such a powerful way, it begs the question- when and why historically are the 'authorities' determined to run God out of town. It has happened in many different vestiges and forms everywhere.

Fruits of the Womb.

Blessed are you among women, blessed is the fruit of your Womb Jesus.
Catholics say that in their "Rosary" which is a collection of short prayers including the "Our father" that Jesus taught us to pray and most christians know by heart. It is simply the Glory Be-that all Presbyterians sing heartily, the Our Father, the "Hail Mary" which is what the Angel Gabriel said to Mary as reported in scripture and a few add on prayers. Actually, wouldn't hurt
the Protestant world to reclaim it and relearn it again.

What are the fruits of Medjugorje? More numerous than the millions of pilgrims that come who experience forms of Grace in their hearts and souls in ways particular and unique to them to the degree that they open their hearts to the love of a Jewish Mother whose heart overflows for love of everyone- all creation. This is too profound to blog politically about- it transcends it by lightyears.

Some of the tangible manifestations are obvious- the Cenaculo community where we heard a Muslim guy who during the Bosnian crisis who saw so much bloody violence he had a crisis of faith he barely had and turned into a juvenile delinquent drug addict and stole the shoes of people while they were praying in mosques. He was rescued by this community of people devoted to working with drug addicted rebellious youth and has been living and working with them ever since, a changed soul forever who now prays the Rosary and asks for help from the Blessed Mother who says "Cari Fili" meaning 'Dear Children' - not just "Cari Catholici" or "Cari Italiani" or "Cari Americani" or "Cari Christiani"- the Mother loves all her children.

And then there is the orphanage, war orphans abounded during the crisis- and so the Spirit moved a community to establish an orphanage which now also runs a day care. The priest who is surely a saint and whose grave is revered in the community who was the orphanages spiritual director and father was a franciscan friar who had psychology training at the University of Fribourg. As someone who had orthodox (small 'o' ) religious training and a psychology degree, if anyone could spot a fake, he could. These children 'visionaries' who actually saw the Blessed Mother in the hills were not faking it. You couldn't make this stuff up. Why would you? During communism it would only get you or your family persecuted, locked up or potentially worse. Communists weren't particularly nice in enforcing their religion of atheism in those parts. This started happening the year after Tito died.

I am just giving you a bit to pique your curiosity here. You will have to read the book later or better yet, go yourself.

But as for the Bishop not recognizing it or running it down- let him- when people are moved by God even Bishops can't stop them. Real is real. Bishops have to keep electricians and plumbers paid. If the Blessed Mother appears to you on a hill- who cares what the Bishop says.

Marriage.

Our priest for the journey was a Byzantine Rite Ukranian Catholic priest serving congregations in Chicago from Immaculate Conception church. He, like his father also a Priest, is a married man with children. The Byzantine Rite are like the Russian Orthodox and Eastern Orthodox in that regard, while the Byzantine Rite are considered fully Catholic and he con celebrated at the Mass with the Roman Catholic priests (wearing bright red vestments.)
We were told all the visionary children are also married. None of them are cloistered.
They live full lives in the world while they have a window into heaven every day. Our tour guide who is friends with some of the visionaries is married to a Doctor. She explained, that it is part of the charism of the place that marriage is revered as a sacrament- that it is holy- that there is a crisis of marriage in the western world and the place stands as a testament to the holiness of marriage because the Blessed Mother is the Spouse of the Holy Spirit and says herself God sent her to the earth to witness.

The Blessed Mother likes grandchildren. What Jewish mother doesn't want Grandchildren?