Tuesday, August 11, 2003
Apparition at Dune Haven
Because of the activities of the day, the apparition wasn’t until after dinner. Even though it was late, the Rosary was peaceful and a deep prayer. The apparition was also very beautiful and peaceful and was longer than the last couple of days, nearly three minutes. In the apparition Our Lady prayed over us and blessed us. Marija commented afterwards that Our Lady prayed a “long” time and that She prayed over everyone the entire time of the apparition.
Marija then joked that the reason Our Lady stayed longer is because another family from the community had come today, so Our Lady needed more time to pray over everyone. It was a family of seven, with five little blond haired girls who had joined the rest of us. There was still one more group that would be coming tomorrow to make the community complete.
After the apparition, everyone settled in a more comfortable place and listened to what Marija had to say about the apparition. Our founder asked Marija how Our Lady had Her hands when She prayed over us. Marija relayed that Her arms and hands were outstretched, palms facing downward as She prayed. More questions followed, not only from our founder, but also from his wife and other community members. We were in a relaxed, intimate setting amongst friends and some of our questions and comments were more light-hearted than serious as we were caught up in the joy and the wonder of having this new experience of being on “holiday” with Our Lady. We present the conversation after the apparition in a question and answer format that follows:
Founder: Were Her eyes open or closed while She was praying?
Marija: “Open”
Our founder’s son Joseph interjected: “She appeared like this”—and he poses like what you see in all the Medjugorje statues and pictures of Our Lady, with one hand on the heart and the other reaching out towards the people.
Marija: laughs, “No, never—always the statues of Our Lady of Medjugorje like this.” What Marija was referring to is that even though the popular image of Our Lady of Medjugorje has Our Lady posing as what is described above, with Her hand over her heart and the other reaching outwards, this is not accurate in how Our Lady appears to the visionaries. Our Lady has never posed in this way in the apparitions. Her most common pose is with Her arms and hands outstretched in Her blessing.
Founder: What was Her disposition? What mood?
Ruth: Was She happy, tranquil?
Marija: “Tranquil.”
Founder: Did you hear any words She prayed?
Marija: “No.”
Annette: Did She seem rested also, like She was on vacation?
Marija: (Laughter) “With us.”
Founder: We’ll have to make a special place at the back of Caritas now for Our Lady of the Sea. We’ll have a blue chapel at Caritas.”
Annette: You ask Her something?
Marija: “No.”
Annette: You tell Her something special for us?
Marija: “No.”
Our founder says that we must find 12 new starfish for the house because we can’t part with these special starfish on the altar that have been blessed by Our Lady’s presence.
Marija: “Normally where does this statue stay?” Or rather, where was this statue at Caritas?
Annette: In our shipping department.
Marija: “Where’s shipping.”
Founder: Where we ship all our materials all over the world, on the second floor of the Tabernacle of Our Lady’s Messages.
Annette: She will have to have a new home now. She can’t go back to shipping.
Founder: We have statues on each floor. Sometimes we do Morning Prayer at different places. When I saw Her, I said this is the one we take to the sea. She blends in good.
The statue is of Our Lady of Grace, with Her arms extended downwards.
Founder: Does Our Lady do this? (poses like Our Lady of Grace).
Marija: “She does some times.”
Founder: What is She doing when She does that?
Marija: She gives graces.
Founder: What do you mean She gives grace? How do you know She gives grace when She does that?
Marija: “Our Lady didn’t say that, (Marija laughs a little) but people say this.”
Founder: Oh, people said, like miraculous medal.
Ruth: Like Our Lady of Grace (statue)
Marija: “Yes.”
Founder: So when She’s talking to you in general conversation, how are Her hands? By Her side, like this? When She’s talking to you?
Marija: “Like…(Marija makes gesture with her hands)
Founder: Awesome.
Tony, another son of our founder: When you are praying the Our Father and you go into ecstasy, do you finish that prayer with Her or do you stop?
Marija: “No, I stop. And She always said, ‘Praised be Jesus…’”
Looking for shells in the early morning of April 11, 2003. There is something about the ocean that slows down time and soothes the soul—even the souls of little children. Our Lady said:
October 25, 1995
Looking for shells is just one example of how one encounters God in creation. Each shell is different, no two are exactly the same. And as shells are picked up and pondered each child and adult has a reason for casting some aside and keeping others. The shells speak to the heart with thoughts of life and death, beauty and design, wholeness and brokenness.
Marija with third son, Marco, and two visiting pelicans in the background. It is said that the pelican is a bird that symbolizes Jesus Christ. The Early Church used the pelican as a symbol of Jesus giving His flesh, His Body, as the food for Eternal Life. Many believed that if the offspring of a pelican had no food to eat, it’s mother would peck itself with its sharp beak and feed the baby with its own flesh. Even in the Vatican you will see mosaics showing this. However, it is not true that pelicans do this. But the art still symbolizes the giving of the Body and Blood of Jesus for this, His children. Sea gulls and pelicans, starfish and clams, sand and waves—all given to man to provide for his needs and to bring him happiness and joy, yet always there is a deeper meaning to their existence and the existence of all of nature, which is to direct our souls to God.
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