Mirjana’s August 2, 2008 Message and Radio WAVE Show
Mirjana greets pilgrims as she enters the building before the apparition this morning, August 2, 2008. Our Lady said today, “…In my coming to you, here among you, the greatness of God is reflected…”, but for millions they look to the faces of the visionaries to see the physical reality of that reflection, and it is a great joy to have the opportunity to see or touch the hand of one who has encountered Heaven.
The preparation in prayer for Mirjana’s August 2, 2008, message began at 12:00 midnight in Medjugorje as pilgrims literally camped outside the gate of the building where Our Lady would appear to Mirjana today.
At about 4:45 a.m. this morning in Medjugorje, after a loud shout, thousands of pilgrims rushed full speed ahead into the building where Our Lady would be appearing this morning. Most of the thousands of pilgrims, stood for four hours to be in the presence of Our Lady and in anticipation of Her words to us because of the seriousness of Her messages in these days to Mirjana.
Our Lady appeared to Mirjana around 9:00 a.m. and Our Lady stayed with us approximately 4 -5 minutes.
During the apparition, Mirjana’s head nodded and shook several times during her conversation with Our Lady.
The crowd moving to go to the apparition and leave after the apparition was at a literal standstill, as there were so many longing to be close to Our Lady.
The following is Our Lady’s message to Mirjana:
Our Lady blessed all those present and all the religious articles brought for blessing.
Our Lady gives hope in Her words today even while the world rushes towards devastation. Join A Friend of Medjugorje in tonight’s Radio WAVE broadcast as he looks deeper into the threats facing our world’s future and brings greater clarity as to why God sent Our Lady for our time. You won’t want to miss it.
This picture was taken just moments before Our Lady came and stood in Her physical presence before the vast crowd who gathered today for Her apparition of August 2, 2008. Some of those who couldn’t fit into the building pressed themselves against the outside windows hoping to catch a glimpse of Mirjana in ecstasy.
In the year 2001, the Bishop of the Birmingham, Alabama Diocese requested of the founder of both Caritas of Birmingham and the Community of Caritas to write out the rule of the Community. After he had completed the writing he entitled it “A Way in A New Time” because it is not so much a “rule” they live by, but a “way of life” shown to him through Our Lady’s messages. The following writing comes from “A Way in A New Time” where the founder expressed his understanding of Holy Mass and the Eucharist as he has experienced it with Our Lady and Her messages. With today’s message of August 2, 2008, it is a reflection that we believe many will benefit from as they reflect also on Our Lady’s message.
The following is from rule #24, from “A Way in A New Time”, the rule of the Community of Caritas, written by A Friend of Medjugorje:
Our Lady has also guided us in a life of understanding that living the Mass goes well beyond just our attending it. Our Lady said on many occasions that She desires us to “live” the Mass.
April 3, 1986
Our Lady taught us that to live the Mass encompasses much more than even one becoming a daily communicant. Once in 1988, when Marija, a priest, and I were walking with a few other people to the Field for Holy Mass, we were carrying all the necessary needs for Mass, such as the altar cloth, candles, etc… I was carrying the ciborium with the unconsecrated host that the priest would use for consecration. We were all talking away when Marija, while next to me, saw me talking with attention on our conversation. Marija pointed to the host I was carrying, and she said very seriously, “Attention.” I said it is not consecrated. Marija then looked at me and said stronger and with more seriousness, “Attention,” pointing again at the unconsecrated host. I immediately understood the second time. If the material used to build the Ark of the Covenant was made holy by what it became, was my attention and respect proper for that which was about to become Jesus Himself? I had been an altar boy from a child and never thought much about having a deep respect for the unconsecrated host that was destined to become Jesus. Marija stunned me with her reaction. It wasn’t that I was being disrespectful, rather my respect and attention needed to be elevated. Naturally, once that occurred to me, my respect and reverence grew even more for the Eucharist. If I was reminded how much my attention should be carrying the unconsecrated host, how much more so when it became Jesus? It was as living something important before Mass was even attended.
Years before, even before I heard about Medjugorje, I was traveling past St. Paul’s Cathedral, downtown. I had picked up a truckload of sod (grass) and had a truck and trailer full to capacity. I was going downtown to the “Block” to pick up five or six extra day helpers, of which I often did when I needed more help than my regular employees. I was already late and in a big hurry. However, I always stopped in at the church, even if for only a minute, to say hello to Jesus in the Tabernacle. I would often park my truck in the lane and put flashers on, run inside to say a short prayer, and then be off on my way. On this morning, I was able to pull off into the right lane, where several parking spaces were empty, allowing me to pull my truck out of the way of traffic. I went into St. Paul’s to pray and found the church attended by the school children as I went in front of the Blessed Sacrament on the side. I was tormented because I knew Mass was about to begin. How could I walk out on Mass? I had read that St. Thomas More, while attending Mass, was notified that he was expected to appear before the King immediately, without delay. He sent the messenger back and had him say to the King, “I will come in response to my earthly King’s request after I am finished serving my Heavenly King.” He knew to do this might mean his head. However, the King relented. For me, how could I leave Holy Mass, even though I could easily justify it because of worldly reasons? I couldn’t! And so I stayed. I prayed the homily would be short. It wasn’t. I thought because it was a weekly Mass there would be no singing, but they sang. It took all my resolve not to be concerned with the sod, the need to get it laid out that day, and picking up men, etc…but I was not going to leave.
It may not sound so difficult, but everything in me, from a business standpoint, my training and experience in what it takes to get jobs done, told me to leave and to leave now. I decided I would immediately leave after receiving communion; after all, I had gone well beyond practical worldly reason. However, I found I could not do it. My conscience told me I must stay and give appropriate thanksgiving after receiving Jesus. I felt my body wanting to run out, yet my soul was saying, “No, you will stay.” After my prayer of thanksgiving, another battle in deciding, with all my reason tempting me, to leave before the final blessing. Why stay? But I knew I had to stay and receive the final blessing. It seemed as though it was going on and on, for even the priest lingered talking to some of the kids before giving the blessing. But I was determined to stay to receive it. Finally, he gave it and I rushed out of the church. Suddenly, I felt the weight of knowing my whole week would be thrown off kilter because of the decisions I made this morning and financially, at that time, I could not afford such a set back. Nevertheless, I chose God first, even though I knew it would cost me. My resolve was I would just have to live with it because when such choices are presented, I felt God had to be first.
Upon arrival at the Block of 14th Street, I was relieved to see 20 men or so still there. Still I knew some of the best would have already been picked up. I pulled over, got out and was immediately surrounded by those who wanted to be picked to work. Out of nowhere, came a man who grabbed me by the collar and began screaming in a rage and cursing. He seemed to be crazed. Suddenly I realized he had a knife in his hand. He reared back with his hand from behind his back and with his arm in a full swing, lunged the knife for my throat, screaming all the while as if possessed. It was so fast; I didn’t even have time to react. For some strange reason, I felt strongly not to. Just as the knife was about to plunge into my throat, he stopped, and the point of the knife did not penetrate. But he reared back a second time, again slinging his arm rapidly and with full force, only to stop a second time just at the point the knife would have pierced me. I saw men in the background, wide-eyed. Men who I had helped for several years by giving them money and food. In helping them, I had become friends with some of these black men. As this rage was going on, I could see the fear in their faces behind the crazed man, and I knew they saw it was my end. A third time, with all his might, he went to stab me, with the full force of his weight and intensity, only to stop or rather be stopped just before the point of the blade touched my throat. No more than ten seconds had passed. Everything was so quick that neither I nor anyone else had time to react. Suddenly, he screamed, let go and ran off. The other men came to me, asking if I was all right, and said they were scared to death. They were all repeating, “I thought you were dead,” or “I don’t know why that man didn’t stab you, he was crazy.” They relayed that they froze and could not move.
I myself was puzzled, for his rage was certainly of an uncontrollable nature. But I soon remembered from where I had just come. My choice of Jesus over my worldly security had placed me in physical security through what I had only a few minutes before received. The man wanted to stab me. Three times he tried. The other men who witnessed the scene could not believe I had not been hurt, as this man’s rage indicated that he really was intent on doing. Everything in him tried and wanted to, but he couldn’t. Having received Jesus just a few moments before saved me. Literally, the Eucharist saved my life. The angels blocked the man’s hand. I realized it was because of putting Jesus first in my life. Even though it went against my worldly well-being and took all my might to stay in Mass, the outcome was, that despite all this man’s might, he was stopped. Today I would not likely be here had it not been for just having received Jesus. To me it was clear and simple. The Eucharist not only saves, but also preserves. It was a lesson of choosing God first and the fruit of doing so. Needless to say, this and so many other lessons have fortified myself, and later the community to the importance of Mass.
We’ve experienced that Mass humbles us and profits us most when we are all able to attend it together. Our Lady said in 1987:
Marija was once sick and could not go to the church for the apparition. When Our Lady appeared, She told Marija to get up and get dressed because Jesus was coming to her. She, though sick, became very excited at the greatest grace that Jesus was about to appear to her. She began to wait and pray for the Heavenly visit of an apparition in which Our Lady had promised. Suddenly there was a knock on the door. Fr. Slavko, the parish priest, knew Marija was sick and decided to bring her the Eucharist. Marija smiled as she realized that “this” was what Our Lady had meant. Her understanding and faith in the Eucharist greatly increased in this lesson of Our Lady and realized more fully it was as being with Jesus Himself.
Our Lady has guided us in the community to better comprehend the greatness of the Mass. To live it. Respect it. Our Lady has made us grasp, even if only a little, that we should never attend Mass without proper preparation. Presently, on weekdays, our attendance at Mass is very difficult because of the distance of travel, yet still our preparation for weekday Mass is an hour and a half of prayer. When we finish Mass, we do not leave without appropriate thanksgiving after Mass is completely over. Theologically, most Catholics have knowledge that Mass is the highest prayer in the universe, but few understand that its importance is such that one should never leave without giving thanksgiving. We ourselves did not grasp it until Our Lady many times guided us, as a keen spiritual director would advance those in their spiritual care. Our Lady said, October 1984:
In many ways the heart of man has become cold and hardened. Our Lady seems to relate this to Mass and proper dispositions of one’s heart in attendance. Our Lady said on March 30, 1984:
Mass, for us, has become much more fruitful through Our Lady’s apparitions. One lady told me in Medjugorje once, “I now realize I did not have to come to Medjugorje because I have Jesus in the Eucharist, in the Mass.” I responded, “Yes, you did have to come here, because it is ‘here’ where you learned that lesson.”
Our Lady has made us realize that the Creator of trillions of stars, all the galaxies and spectacular wonders of the universe, cannot create a miracle greater than He has created in giving Jesus in the Eucharist. It is the miracle of all time, so vast and beyond our comprehending it that an idiot could fathom the secrets of the universe before the holiest person could fathom the full depth of the Eucharist. Our Lady has made us understand, though not grasp, the Eucharist. For the community members, it is a personal responsibility to activate the heart by prayer to seek a better understanding of the mystery of the Eucharist. It should be for a member, the goal of which to receive great graces to grow in understanding that the Eucharist is of such form and nature and duration and reaches such extreme heights, that no greater miracle can possibly exist. For years when a visiting priest came to the Field to say Mass, all our work came immediately to a stop, doctor’s appointments cancelled, lunch or dinner postponed upon hearing the bells ringing. It was our greatest joy, a call to our central focus. A call of life. It breathed holiness into our way of life and our work. Mass is lived here throughout the day. It continues after the celebration of it ends.
January 25, 1998
It was not uncommon that overnight visitors often would say, “This is how people should live. It’s so beautiful to see you all drop everything and trail to the Field.” Many priests have had difficulty saying Mass here as they have been so touched by the experience and overwhelmed with emotion. Mass is “a way” for us at the center and adoration is closely attached to Mass for us in our prayer life. Man is so joyed of his technology of ‘internetting” the world together. Our Lady’s call is to “internet” us spiritually and powerfully to God and thereby the whole world in order to save man’s soul. satan is certainly active in “internetting” companies together, people together through the spirit of consumerism, etc. in order to kill the soul. It is a mimic of God’s design to unite the world through His Son through Our Lady’s call. Our Lady said:
September 25, 1995
Our Lady’s call and the call of the “monkey” of God or God’s mimic, satan, are in fierce battle formation to unite their followers. It is a cataclysmic struggle involving the enslavement of man, ranging from complex buy-out of company after company, consumerism, materialism, etc. contrasting to the call to a profound life in simplicity by Our Lady. One is freedom. One is slavery. Our Lady said:
June 25, 1989
These two different, opposing directions have brought about a struggle of unimaginable proportion in which all of earth’s inhabitants find themselves in an arena, where Heaven stands on one side and hell on the other. Just a little over a month after Our Lady began appearing in Medjugorje, She said on August 2, 1981:
Twenty years of daily apparitions later we are slowly beginning to see the spiritual picture of Her plans as they unfold. Our Lady’s words have led me to begin preparing for Mass and the reception of the Eucharist the night before. Often I find myself praying Hail Mary’s during the night in preparation for the next morning’s reception of Jesus at Mass. We are in a time of great graces and great distress; a time of purification of Christianity, a struggle of the heart so fierce as to force us, by difficulties and trials to make us decide by our lives whose side we are on. As Our Lady has said March 18, 1996:
Adoration of the most Holy Sacrament, Jesus, and Holy Mass are the first sources of strength in helping to lead us to understanding God’s call to be a pure and holy people, humble and true before God, as well as to strengthen us in withstanding all trials. Adoration and Holy Mass are to be the foundation of our lives. It is to no avail for us in community to attend Mass and not change our lives, not grow in humility and love. There is often much pride in daily communicants that the physical action of going to daily Mass makes one better than others. For us in community, humility must be its fruit, not an attendance record.
September 19, 2001
Rule #24
© International Copyright SJP Lic. Community of Caritas. For permission to use contact Caritas of Birmingham 205-672-2000 USA.
Mirjana in ecstasy.We can only imagine,after reading Our Lady’s message today, what it would be like to see the Virgin Mary while She was speaking such words of encouragement to us. In the midst of our own trials, we so often allow ourselves to feel that God is not near. But Our Lady
challenges us to believe and to have faith.“…Do not feel weak, alone or abandoned…” What better words can we receive from our Mother to show us that She is near?
• Click Here to Listen to The Radio WAVE Show about the August 2 message and the End of the Age
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Prayer for Nonbelievers
Come Mary,
Come tomorrow again and again.
We will pray with You.
Bring back our loved ones
Who have left the Church,
Those who have left God.
We will join You on the second of each month.
We will pray for greater graces
To be attached to Your intention.
We will pray that the dam of love,
Of God’s mercy, will break forth,
That Your new prayer be released soon.
We will pray that it will flow out
As a river to all the nations,
That as the rivers fill the oceans,
Your love of God will fill the earth.
We wait.
We anticipate that great day,
And we call You as You have called us,
To add our prayers, fasting, and sacrifices
To Mirjana’s in order that You may
Obtain all Your wishes for the world.
O loving Mother,
Thank You for the gift
That the world is on the brink of receiving!
– A Friend of Medjugorje
©SJP Lic. Caritas of Birmingham
2 thoughts on ““…In My coming to you… the greatness of God is reflected…””
Dearest Caritas, I joined you on the Oct. 2 2012 Pilgrimage at a time my soul was so broken as a Woman, Mother, Wife, Employee, Friend, Person, etc. My Life changed one night when I was at the breaking point and hell bent on changing my life for good one way or another. Little did I know! There was a News show on God and within that segment was a story about Medjugorje. My life changed. Our Lady came to me as did the Love of Jesus, Our Heavenly Father and for you. For helping me in my conversion.
Thank you, family, for letting me know more about Greg.