Asking for the Graces

Marija’s stay in the United States ended just after she received a third monthly message on January 25, 1989. Our Lady gave a call to holiness and to:

“…be open to everything that God does through you so that in your life you may be enabled to give thanks to God and to rejoice over everything that He does through each individual…”

Marija left on January 26 after a tearful goodbye to Our Lady from her host family. Our Lady ended the apparition with the same message She began with them. Her first words on November 20, 1988:

“May your life be prayer…”

Her last words:

“…I desire that your lives become prayer.”

During the entire three months, Marija said that Our Lady was always happy. Marija flew to Italy and convalesced for another two months before returning to Medjugorje.

On seven different occasions during Marija’s visit from November to January 1988-89, in Birmingham, Alabama, Our Lady said:

“Pray for my intentions.”

In the home of A Friend of Medjugorje, She said to:

“Pray for my intentions…so that every plan of God about each one of you may be fulfilled.”

She said:

“…pray for my intentions. If you pray for my intentions, I will be glorified through you.”

She said:

“…demand [ask boldly for] the graces…”

These words of Our Lady continued to press upon a Friend of Medjugorje the understanding that Our Lady had “special intentions” for him, his family and the area in which they lived.

“Our Lady came joyful and happy.” This phrase was the tag-on phrase of every description of Our Lady’s apparitions the three months Marija was at the home of a Friend of Medjugorje. For years, the happiness of Our Lady was a mystery to a Friend of Medjugorje. Seeing the continued deterioration of the morals of the United States among so many other signs indicating that the nation was sliding away from its religious and moral foundation, everyone expected tears and admonishments from Our Lady. Her happiness every day puzzled him. But in recent years, with historical world events that were taking place in 1987, ’88 and ’89 coming to light, he began to see the source of Our Lady’s joy.

After the 1984 Consecration in Fatima that Pope John Paul II had performed in union with the college of bishops, the world situation began to rapidly change beginning in the Philippines in 1985. They were the first to throw off the tyrannical chains of a despotic leader. President Ronald Reagan and Pope John Paul II had a similar vision that they were raised in this time to confront and defeat an Evil Empire that had caused untold suffering, devastation, death, displacement, loss of liberty and human rights and dignity to millions of people and nations around the world. Freedom began to spread. Religious liberties were returning to lands that had been darkened by atheistic demands to keep God out.