Fasting is an instrument to overcome the power of darkness present in the world now and it has a purification value.
A message about fasting appeared on the third day of the apparitions when the Virgin said to Marija that to achieve peace, “…it is necessary to believe, to pray, to fast, and to go to Confession.” (June 26, 1981)
In the Old Testament and in the New Testament, we see many examples of fasting. Jesus fasted. According to tradition, fasting is encouraged especially in times of great temptation or severe trials. Certain devils, “can be cast out in no other way except by prayer and fasting,” said Jesus. (Mark 9:29)
Fasting is an instrument to overcome the power of darkness present in the world now and it has a purification value. Our time is a time of darkness, that is why we should use fasting often. Our Lady recommends it twice a week:
August 14, 1984
She requested us to accept this difficult message “…with a firm will.” She asks us to “…persevere in…fasting.” (June 25, 1982)
July 21, 1982
Again, fasting is a strong weapon against the devil:
November, 1981
November 16, 1981
Fasting is recommended in times of special trouble or for difficult situations:
We have to “…fast for the sick…” to obtain their healing. (August 18, 1982)
July 25, 1982
Our Lady also asked some special fasting for the Bishop of Mostar who does not believe in the apparitions:
July, 1983
Each visionary has or will receive 10 secrets. Some of those secrets concern chastisements or warnings to mankind because of its sins. In regard to one of the secrets that concerned a catastrophe, Our Lady told Mirjana:
November 6, 1982
We have to realize the power of fasting. Fasting means to make a sacrifice for God, to offer not only our prayers, but also to make our whole being, our body itself, participate in sacrifice. And we do that with love, for a special intention, and to purify ourselves and the world. This great task of purification needs sacrifices. We do not offer it because we must; we offer it because we love God and want to be courageous soldiers that also offer our bodies in the battle against evil.
In the Love of Our Lady,
Crowds of pilgrims attending Mass behind St. James Church. Pilgrims from all over the world travel to Medjugorje to be with the Mother of God, to hear Her words, Her pleas for us to convert, to accept and love Her Son. Fasting is one of the main messages of Our Lady that will help to purify our souls, opening our hearts to surrender our lives and our wills to God’s desires for each of us.
60 thoughts on “The Second Weapon Against satan: Fasting”
Friday May 21st, 2021 I was not present at this historical event of celebration at Caritas in Birmingham, Alabama the amazing construction of an identical mountain cross to the one at Cross Mountain in Medjugorje. But June 24th and 25th, 2014 gratefully my daughter and I were blessed quite by chance ( but as our Founder has said nothing is by chance) a short side trip visiting my family roots in Slovenia to Medjugorje. Through the kind help of the Caritas staff we were able to participate in many miracles that forever changed both of our lives and ultimately our entire family’s lives. We experienced the miracle of the sun during Mass at the consecration of the host surrounded by pilgrims many of whom were crying. Thank you dear Jesus. We were able to climb near to the top of apparition hill and were profoundly touched by hundreds of global pilgrims all Singing Ava Maria but in their own languages.We felt the power of Mary’s apparition but could not see the statue because of thick trees but were astonished the picture we took clearly showed it brightly lit along with kneeling pilgrims at the foot of Marys statute. On the way down the hill we found we were alone on the path down which was rocky and difficult. I ran into what I thought was a tree but using my flashlight I was astonished to see an old wood cross with the inscription..” site of first apparition June 25th, 1981 exactly 33years ago.to today’s date.( nothing is by chance) That evening I saw The chain between beads on the old rosary I brought from home had turned a burnished gold from silver. We were able to meet Terry the founder and since then have followed his devotion to Holy Mother Mary at Caritas in Birmingham, Alabama assisted by a hugely blessed community. When the opportunity arose to join one of the first retreats on March 15th to March 20th,2021 at Caritas my husband Bob and I decided to join in.I was apprehensive as I was slowly healing from two recent strokes April 5th and June 9th, 2020 but after asking Mary for guidance my vital signs became much improved and we went ahead. I even climbed Cross Mountain with Bob and the other pilgrims and staff to thank Jesus and Mary for blessing Terry with the vision and determination to guide the Community to dedicate themselves to building this unbelievable tribute and to pray for all our special intentions. We both experienced a peace, astonishment and hope renewed for our great Country that has lost its way from it’s Founding Fathers vision and documents proclamations. Terry and staff do a remarkable job making us feel very welcome and cared about. Our religious experience in feeling God’s great gifts through His Blessed Mother is profound. We pray word will spread through our Country that the retreats offered by Caritas are profoundly spiritual and life changing and if possible they simply MUST go. The little prayer book ..Calling on Heaven by a Friend of Medjugorje includes the following quote…”Our Lady Queen of Peace in Medjugorje, has repeatedly said, pray until Prayer becomes a joy for you.” We attest after this retreat you will feel this joyful prayer in your hearts in a special way. Our deepest thanks and appreciation to you Terry and your missionaries as you are bringing fruit to building and maintaining another place between Heaven and earth here in our United States of America! Sincerely with love, Karen and Bob Ament Minnesota PS The first day We were at your Caritas retreat back at our hotel room I was astonished to see my white rosary with silver links had turned partially gold…. a real welcome from the Blessed Virgin Mary and affirmation from her that we needed to be here.
Blessed Mother pray for us. My heart yearns for such graces be brought to the UK. I wish I could visit the crosses & put myself at His mercy. I love you most Sacred Heart & my Mother. God bless you all xxx
How we need Our Lady to appear here and a Cross Mountain!As I finished reading this I was so touched that i started to cry out of longing to visit there and for repentence and Our Lady and for the Cross to come to Norway.
Thank you for building this Cross. I am now inspired to build one in MN. Also, I wanted to point out to you that Bishop Ricken , Bishop of Green Bay Wisconsin has approved the Apparition site of Our Lady of Good Help dating back to 1859. Many, many people have been cured there. The website is http://www.shrineofourladyofgoodhelp.com. God Bless you and Peace to you. Chris.
Thank you. You are all hard working and very devotional. So God’s blessing with you. Pray for me. Thank you.
I was in Medjugorje and the highlight of my pilgrimage was climbing to the top of Cross Mountain. Thank you so much for taking me back to that day through your beautiful pictures. I hope to come to your “Cross Mountain” and stand at the foot of the cross in Alabama. May God bless each of you for making this possible for all of us. Love and Prayers
July 29 2013What a special and beautiful gift you have given our Lady.How wonderful so many could climb Cross Mtn on July 4th.And so much prayer as the many pilgrims climbed and prayed that week and throughout the weeks/months before and after.
I am in tears that you built this incredible stone cross, and more especially the dates 33-2013. I imagine Our Lady must be sooo pleased and for so many to climb this new Mtn for her blessing/July 4th 2013 visitation. Wow!!! It is so beautiful there to look over the hills. I am now a senior widow/handicapped living alone, and can no longer hike the mountains or hills or anywhere.I used to love the outdoors and spend full days hiking and xc skiing winters in snow covered mountains, and ice skating for many years (ice dance). It is hard to be alone now and not to travel or hike outdoors. I live in NJ.I would love to help the community as I am a good photographer and typist and have extensive art training plus my degree from state univ.
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This was the most beautiful summary of all Our Lady has allowed to happen to all of us. It gives me great hope! Also, to know that since I cannot make the pilgrimage to Medjugorje, I can hopefully go to CARITAS! Thank you dear Lady!Marie
Thanks, webmaster and community for this update; circumstances did not allow us to come this time. We share your joys and dedication to Our Lady. We keep you all close in prayer and appreciate ALL that you do for Our Lady. Fondly, TX Craigs
I was privileged to be in Medjugorje in 1988 which I went for two reasons, first to actually be where Our Blessed Mother was appearing..on the balcony in the church and second reason, I had something weighing very heavily on my heart and to ask Our Blessed Mother to grant my petition. She answered shortly after I arrived home. I promised Her that I would return to thank her if she answered so I went back two years later. I said to a friend that I do not desire to go again….but, reading your account of the wonderful days that Our Blessed Mother was there with you, and with the stations of the Cross and Cross Mt., I very much desire to go to Caritas… God Willing, I will find someone to go with. God Bless your Community!!!
I sent the following to SpiritDaily.comLisa, will you and Michael please put an article in SpiritDaily.com about the exact replica of the cross in Medjugorje which was just completed in Alabama ? Our Lady blessed it during the consecration of our country on July 4th during her daily apparition to Marija!May the Holy Spirit guide you!!Joel
Breathtaking ! Thank you so much from my family to yours for the consecration of this Holy Cross to Christ Jesus, Our Savior. Our nation needed this, and your hard work made it possible. Praise Be To Jesus Forever !
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Posso ver a ação de Deus num Projeto tremendo de salvação dos homens. Que riqueza abençoando de forma extraordinário os USA pela unção e salvação que jorra da CRUZ! Tremendo….e aqui no Brasil nesta semana o papa venera a CRUZ com nossos jovens num encontro de milhões de participantes! Jesus pelo Espirito Santo e na vontade do Pai nos salva no amor à Santa Cruz! Peço a benção a Nossa Sra. de suportar e amar a Santa Cruz de viver à cada dia na renuncia, na penitência,no perdão, no silêncio e na Oração!
What a beautiful article! I feel as though I was present with all of you throughout your long and arduous journey of the construction and erecting of the Cross and what a beautiful Cross it is! Hopefully, I will be able to make it to Caritas some day. Love and prayers to the Caritas Community!
Against so many odds, I was able to come to the July 1-5 apparitions. Our Holy Mother made it possible and I thank Her. Thank you for this article and the pictures that capture the blessed events of this trip and the story behind the cross. I was not able to climb due to many orthopedic problems I experience due to 2 accidents, but my eyes were frequently turned to the cross on the mountain and the love I felt was indescribable. I pray that all in our country can experience the healing we felt at Caritas during this pilgrimage. God bless you.
I received the following from a friend in Africa to whom I sent this article:Joel,Thanks for the updates on The Cross which Our Lady blessed.Fr. Robert.
May the blessed Mother be with you and the Holy Cross too!I am a member since 1995 and my number is 161628. The keepsake of the moutbain. My address in Orlando until August 6 is: My parish here is called Holly Cross! 2716 Spivey Lane Orlando, FL 32837Please pray for a special intention that will happen on August 3, a Pro Life Retreat that will happen that day and for my husband.And if you will, please send me another one to my house in Puerto Rico just in case. B4 Villas de San Francisco San Juan, PR 00927-6449God be blessed with you forever!Vivan Mayol keepsake of the mountain. My address in Orlando until August 6 is: My parish here is called Holly Cross! 2716 Spivey Lane Orlando, FL 32837Please pray for a special intention that will happen on August 3, a Pro Life Retreat that will happen that day and pray for my husband.And if you will
That is wonderful. Cross Mtn. is so beautiful. Thank you for the article. God Bless you!
Hallelujah….Cross Mtn is a magnificent holy site .It was a work in progress miraculously crafted by our Holy Queen of Peace for 20 years. We thanked Jesus and Mother Mary for the opportunity and the miracle of being part of the first group of pilgrims that climbed the Holy site and prayed at the foot of the Cross. It was hard but gave us an appreciation of what Jesus had endured for our salvation. Scourged, beaten, crowned with thorns, bled, carried a heavy cross, weakened physically…Yet He climbed that similar Hill to be crucified to Calvary with strength in spirit and to fulfill the Will of The Father to become the Lamb of God that washed away our sins and redeem us all to the Kingdom Of Heaven. We hope and pray that we all carry our small crosses in a similar fashion for then Miracles will happen and Graces will be poured. We thank Mother Mary for taking care of us and for being with us in prayer. Please lead us to the Sacred Heart of Jesus.
Thank You Most Holy Mother for your Affection. Thanks and may God Bless You dear friends in Medjugorje. I have read the whole article and was blessed! Dear friends, please pray for our families, all over the world. make the whole world aware of this Miracle. The Holy Cross is our redemption. Our mother has made it clear, and you all my dear friends, helped her, to make it easy. May our lord lead your path! praise the Lord!
This was one of the most extraordinary events that I have ever read about. The consecration of the United States of America to God….To Jesus, through Mary…..by way of the cross!The deepest joy filled my heart as read through every word of this description of pure love about the inauguration of the cross and the 20 year history leading up to it.My spiritual faith is different, on the surface, than many of yours. I follow a teacher in India named Sathya Sai Baba.I have heard that Mary of Medjugorje is kind to those of a different faith. Is this true?It must be. For how can I be moved so deeply by what I read and see of your operations at Caritas.If you are in search of conversion, you have just received one in me……for I have now joined in donating $10 monthly as a core group member.Is this okay, even thought my faith and beliefs are different from yours?Please let me know.I can not wait to order my keepsake edition of this.In Christ,Jim Martineau…Calif.
What marvelous events have happened since we left Caritas in April! How I wish I could have been there. Hopefully I will get there again next July for the 5 days.The fact that Richard Mack as a Mormon and Kris Anne Hall as a Baptist saying the rosary with everyone proves to all of us that Our Lady comes to everyone and loves each of us so very much. Thank you for sharing this event with us all. May God continue to bless Medjugore of Alabama, and all the Caritas community.
Thank you. God bless you, till we meet again.
I have been blessed.
How beautiful! What a privilege for all present. I will definitely plan to come to Caritas. I am reading and praying over They Fired the First Shot 2012. It does upset me when I read it. I know I must trust in the Lord. What a beautiful community of people you have at Caritas. You are Blessed. Thanks for sharing!
Thank you for the feedback and pictures. I only recently started paying closer attention to all that is happening and feel sad for all the times I missed, but resolved that through praying my rosary and following the novenas with you I will remain linked to the joy and blessings you experience. In my heart I pray that my country would be blessed to do likewise.
God blessed me by allowing me to be in the presence of Our Lady. As I read every word, it is with awe that I was there. Why does Our Mother of God call me? a sinner, a person who asks for humility, asks for forgiveness, turns around and sins again………..it is because she loves me, her little child. She asks me to be authentic because I am called to holiness as is each of us. I accept with great humility her call knowing I will be blessed and I will not be given more than my humanness can endure. God bless each of you as you continue to make Caritas the Medjugorje it is. grace
Great one.
It is only this yr. 2013 that I became consciously and instantly connected to Caritas from reading They Fired The First Shot 2012. I thank The Trinity and Beautiful Blessed Mother for my brother-in-law who sent me the book. I know that I have been connected in my spirit since 1981 according to the way my life has gone. I smile at my Family of God in heaven as I reflect on Gods ways and “His timing”….He certainly does “work in mysterious ways His Wonders to perform! Thank you all at Caritas for all of your work, sacrifices, joys and Love that I am able to be so wonderfully blessed….though I am many miles away. Love from another family member in Colorado. MKD
Absolutely loved the article and pictures. Thank God, our Blessed Mother, and the people of Caritas and elsewhere, who made everything possible. I only wish I could have been there. I hope to someday make the trek to Alabama to be with the faithful and Our Lady. God Bless
Due to a bone spur on her heel, my wife could not climb Cross Mountain in Medjugorje. I climbed the mountain once for her and once for me. Afterwards, her bone spur disappeared! For those who cannot make a pilgrimage halfway around the world to Cross Mountain in Medjugorje, make a pilgrimage to The Cross at Caritas. Miracles will happen!
God is amazing! And so is His Mother! We so wished that we could be with you, but we our hearts followed you in prayer. Thank you for letting us share in the grace remotely. 🙂
Reading this article and seeing the pictures brought back memories of Medjugorje when I was there in 1981. I wish I could have been there at Caritas but at least I am experiencing others beautiful experiences. Thank you
I was spellbound reading this account that I will share with family and friends. Seriously considering doing this pilgrimage next year.
Could I buy a copy—and for friends that do not have a computer?