Hello, By My Side friends.
There are places in the world where you can feel especially drawn to prayer, reflection, and a deeper relationship with Jesus. This month of November, I would like to share a little about my recent pilgrimage to Medjugorje, a place where millions of people have travelled seeking spiritual renewal, healing and a closer relationship with Mother Mary and Jesus.
Medjugorje, a small village in Bosnia and Herzegovina, has become one of those places for millions of pilgrims. Since 1981, when six young people reported apparitions of the Blessed Virgin Mary, many people have travelled there seeking to renew their relationship with Mother Mary and to go deeper in their personal connection to her son, Jesus. These apparitions are still being reported as ongoing today.
But what is Mother Mary’s mission in Medjugorje, and what does she want us to understand?
At the heart of her messages is a simple but beautiful invitation: Come back to God. Put my son Jesus at the centre of your life. Our Blessed Mother continually calls us to her 5 stones: prayer and recitation of the daily Rosary, reading Scripture, participation in the Holy Mass and the Eucharist, fasting, and regular participation in the Sacrament of Reconciliation. She does not ask us to focus on her. Rather, she wants to lead us closer to her son, Jesus.
For those of us who are separated and divorced, this invitation can be especially meaningful. We may carry disappointment, sadness, anger, loneliness, guilt or questions about what our future holds. Sometimes our lives have not unfolded the way we had hoped or prayed they would. We may feel that a part of our lives has been broken or that we have lost our sense of direction.
Mother Mary understands the suffering of a mother’s heart. She stood at the foot of the Cross and witnessed the suffering of her Son. She knows what it means to experience sorrow, helplessness and uncertainty while remaining faithful to God. Her example reminds us that suffering does not mean God has abandoned us. Even in our darkest moments, we are invited to surrender our lives to Him and trust that He is still at work.
A visit to Medjugorje is not about escaping our problems or expecting everything to change overnight. It is about opening our hearts, perhaps in a new way, to the love and mercy of God. It is an opportunity to slow down, pray, receive the sacraments, and allow Jesus to enter the places in our hearts that need healing.
Whether we ever make the trip to Medjugorje or not, we can all respond to Mary’s invitation and 5 stones right where we are. Let us remember that we are never alone on our journey. We have a heavenly Mother who continually points us towards Jesus, and a Saviour who walks beside us through every season of our lives.
Our Blessed Mother’s message is ultimately one of hope. Pray, trust, surrender and allow Jesus to be the centre of your life. Her greatest desire is to bring each one of us closer to Him.
Have a blessed November, everyone.
Love,
MJ xo
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