Medjugorje

[jezic]

since this board seems relatively inactive right now,

just a question i was wondering

what do you think of the place/what is happening there with Mary?

[LSW]

I'm not convinced at all that Mary is appearing at Medjugorje. I don't believe that Mary would side with two disobedient Franciscan priests who are now shacking up with nuns. I don't believe that Mary would refer to the bishop as wicked.

Now I'm not saying that there haven't been genuine spiritual conversions taking place there. But that doesn't necessarily mean that there are genuine supernatural occurences taking place either.

[jezic]

hmm...
two disobedient franciscan priests....where is that from? (it might be true, i just haven't heard much. Most of the stuff i know is from an older book and what my grandma told me.)

[MilesChristi]

I remain undecided at the moment. While I know people, including clergymen, who have had spiritual experiences at Medjugorje, the alleged messages of Our Lady to the seers seem rather repetitive. Unlike Fatima and Lourdes, these messages don't seem to signal any upcoming event, nor do they have any specific instructions aside from the usual devotions and practices of good Christians.

I'll wait until the alleged messages stop and the Church makes a decision about whether or not they're credible.

[Nicole8223]

I've been there and am completely convinced of Our Lady's presence. Many miracles have happened there, and I don't think God would try to mislead us by having miracles occur there if the place wasn't legit.

The church obviously hasn't made a decision either way, and so I understand that people are skeptical. But I have no doubt. We can judge by the fruits...

God Bless!

[Fides_et_Ratio]

Satan can also manipulate nature... that's why we don't judge apparitions by the phenomena alone...

I have also been to Medjugorje... nothing spectacular. And it also seems rather unlike other approved apparitions... thus, I error more towards cautious, than open. But I wait for the official declaration of the Church.

[jezic]

i wish i could go. I think part of it that holds interest for me is that i would not go to see a shrine or anything, but to be part of the movement.

I think that if it encourages people to be more devoted and really start working on the whole prayer/sacrifice area of life then it is a very good thing whether it is real or not.

I would find it hard for it to change so many lives and yet still be true though.

[philothea]

My brother-in-law's wife went, and though she was zealous afterwards, it backfired and she left the Church for a while. Now she's kind of wishy-washy (cafeteria Catholic).

My godmother was very into Medjugorje. Her and her friends constantly looked for miracles.

I dunno.

Edited May 2, 2005 by philothea

[Aloysius]

i've not seen many good fruits from medjugorje... a lot of people who believe in it really get angry, mean, and defensive if i mention not believing in it. the entire vibe surrounding it really doesn't have a submission to the magisterial authority of the Church or anything close to it. I don't know who or what is appearing there, but it has never seemed to be the humble Mary Mother of God that I know. idle repitition of the same messages over and over again... not to mention that thing where some of them denied it ever happened and then most of them said it did again and they said Mary predicted they would publically deny it at one point... what is the point of Mary doing that? I really don't like the whole deal.

[Jaime]

I throw my hat in with Nicole.

Been there
Believe it.

Sure Satan can manipulate physical elements to provide "miracles". But it serves him no benefit when the result is more rosaries, prayer, fasting and confession. These are at the core of all the Marian messages and that is all that folks do there. (Ok I would take a prayer break and look for the perfect cappucino sometimes BUT THEN I WENT BACK TO PRAYER)

Also, being there during the war, its tough to explain how the town never got touched.

[MichaelFilo]

Medjugorje is a private revelation. It's really not so credible me thinks. Now something like Fatima which was public revelation, that's solid proof even before the official statement. It's a prophecy that 70,000 got to be the witnesses of. I don't see why our Lady couldn't do the same at Medjugorje, or why nothing goes on there but the ancient call to prayer and penance.

Albiet, I haven't given up on Medj yet, I just think there is hype in it.

God bless,
Mikey

[jezic]

i find great mystery in the messages. They don't seem to be the same old thing again and again.

My perspective might be different than a lot of other peoples. I think living in a place like ND has a lot to do with it. I am beginning to realize just how different we are than everyone else. it is sort of scary.

You see here there is not much reaction to anything. Church is just a reality of life, much like it was 50 years ago. Though things aren't as strict now and many people are falling away, there is not a whole lot of difference.

Medjugorje became important to some of the older people in the parish and from there it sort of spread.

I do believe it is Mary. That is my own opinion and yours might be different, but that is ok. Just reading about it was enough to change my life at least a little bit and so it has a place in my heart.

is there a widespread negative reaction to it in the outside world?

[FutureSoror]

I have a tendency to believe it. My grandma went there a couple times, and a friend of mine went last year. I base my opinion on testimony from people who actually have been there. It the end it doesn't really matter to me that much, because the messages comming from Medjugorje are good and being close to Our Lady is more important than figuring out whether certain apparitions are authentic.

[popestpiusx]

I believe they are a load of poo. A scam fostered by dissident Franciscans and a few easily manipulated children.

[PedroX]

I am very sceptical. If they are true, then why does so much dissension come from it? Why are many of the truest believers dissidents to other parts of the church? I'm not saying it isn't true, but I am sceptical.

peace...

[Archangel]

It's better to go to approved sites such as Fatima and Lourdes.

What I don't like about Medjugorje is that the seers live worldly lives and not humble ones.

[i_see_things_upside_down]

[quote name='Archangel' date='May 3 2005, 02:03 AM'] What I don't like about Medjugorje is that the seers live worldly lives and not humble ones.
[/quote]
Do you know of any websites concerning this? Can you give me any specifics concerning this claim of yours?

One of my friends went to Medjugorie and brought back some books and Rosaries. I didnt get a good look at them, but I am curious as to what is really going on at this place. Also, seer is not the correct terminology, it would be prophet. Yet, one cannot be a self proclaimed prophet. If one is doing this then he/she is not a true prophet, but a fake. God gets very angry at false prophets (read Jeremiah 23). God bless you!
Danielle

[cmotherofpirl]

Seer is the correct term.

When the Church finally rules we will know if its acceptable or not. Fatima and Lourdes had their detractors as well. Satan always attempts to cloud the field.
I have seen many people come back from Medjugorje changed for the better.

When my sister-in-law was pregnant the docters urged an abortion saying the baby was very deformed. The local nuns going to Megjugorje took the sonogram picture with them and gave them to the seers and asked them to include prayers for the child, which they did. My niece Joan Visca is perfectly normal and and when little talked about the lady in blue.

[popestpiusx]

alleged seer

[Myles Domini]

I dont know enough about Medjugorje to make an educated appraisal of the situation. However, from what I've read of the monthly messages on their website I dont see much of a reason to go there. Most of them are nice and all but I could just as easily buy a book of meditations by a reputable saint. If people go to Medjugorje and come back changed then I'm all for it, but if they dont I'd say the whole thing is pointless and I think this about all sorts of pilgrimage. I'm not trying to discourage devotions but given the way some people seem to obsess over the fact Rome hasnt given Medjugorje the rubber stamp I find the Medjugorje sometimes troubling. Certain people seem to take up the banner of Medjugorje in order to fill a spiritual void in their life and spend all their time thereafter incessantly promoting it as real and bound to be identified so by Rome. Personally, whether or not Our Lady really is speaking to these people matters not to me. They wont be the first or the last. What matters to me is that a lot of energy that goes into the Medjugorje [i]cause[/i] should be diverted to the cause of promoting devotion to Our Lord's Divine Mercy as manifested in the Most Blessed Sacrament.

I would be more prone to believe the Medjugorje messages if they contained demands from Mary for reverence to be shown before her beloved son in the Most Blessed Sacrament within and without of Holy Mass.