The Story
The message of impending disaster allegedly revealed at Garabandal was repeated,
with more detail, in Yugoslavia a decade later. In June 1981, six young people
from the mountain village of Medjugorje reportedly encountered Mary near
the top of Mount Podbrdo, a small mountain located in central Yugoslavia.
In a series of apparitions that still continues, but with much less frequency,
she reportedly sent a message of faith, prayer, fasting, conversion and peace.
In these apparitions Mary said she came to bring humanity back to her Son;
and warned that Satan is especially active in these times and that it was
necessary to pray fervently and often to ward off his advances.
During the early 1980s, Medjugorje became well known initially throughout
Europe, with newspaper reports in Le Monde and the Financial
Times; by the late '80s it had become known throughout the world. As
a result of its growing fame, more than ten million pilgrims had visited
it by the tenth anniversary of the first apparition. On the tenth anniversary,
conflict broke out among the Bosnian Serbs and Croats. Despite this conflict,
thousands of pilgrims still manage to make the dangerous journey to Medjugorje
each year.
Since the apparitions have lasted for such a long time, it has been possible
to subject the visionaries to a number of medical, physical and psychological
tests. Physiological and psychological tests showed them to be bright,
well-adjusted teenagers.
In the reports of her appearances here, Mary is said to ask each of us to
become aware of the active and destructive role that Satan plays in the modern
world and to protect ourselves against Satan's actions. To emphasize the
urgency of her requests, she will entrust each of the visionaries with ten
secrets detailing the events that will transpire if humanity fails to correct
itself. At this time (1997), two of the visionaries have received the ten
secrets. The remaining visionaries have received nine. She has also told
the visionaries that when the apparitions cease at Medjugorje, they will
cease at all other Marian apparition sites. When this occurs, the events
described in the secrets will begin to unfold.
The Secrets
The ten secrets of Medjugorje appear to be a continuation of the Fatima Secrets
and are similar in general character to the secrets described at Garabandal.
A report sent from the Bishop of Mostar to the Pope stated, "According to
Mirjana, during the apparition on December 25, 1982, the Madonna confided
the tenth and last secret to her, and she revealed the dates on which the
various secrets will come to pass. The Blessed Virgin revealed many aspects
of the future to Mirjana, many more up to now than to the other seers. For
that reason, I relate now what Mirjana told me in a conversation on November
5, 1983 I shall summarize the essential things she said, without any literal
quotations. Before the visible sign is given to humanity, there will be three
warnings to the world. The warnings will be warnings on the earth. Mirjana
will witness them. Three days before one of these warnings, she will advise
a priest of her choice. Mirjana's testimony will be a confirmation of the
apparitions and an incentive for the conversion of the world. After these
warnings, the visible sign will be given for all humanity at the place of
the apparitions in Medjugorje. The sign will be given as the testimony of
the apparitions and a call back to faith."
The Bishop's letter continued, "The ninth and tenth secrets are grave matters.
They are a chastisement for the sins of the world. The punishment is inevitable
because we cannot expect the conversion of the entire world. The chastisement
can be mitigated by prayers and penance. It cannot be suppressed. After the
first warning, the others will follow within a rather brief period of time.
So it is that people will have time for conversion. This time is a period
of grace and conversion. After the visible sign, those who are still alive
will have little time for conversion. For that reason, the Blessed Virgin
calls for urgent conversion and reconciliation. The invitation to prayer
and penance is destined to ward off evil and war and above all to save souls.
We are close to the events predicted by the Blessed Virgin. Convert yourselves
as quickly as possible. Open your hearts to God. This is a message to all
mankind."
In addition to these remarks, one Father Tomislav added the following
observations in August, 1983, "They say that, with the realization of the
secrets entrusted to them by Our Lady, life in the world will change. Afterwards,
men will believe like in ancient times. What will change and how it will
change, we don't know, given that the seers don't want to say anything about
the secrets."
A further clarification of the character of the initial secrets came from
a series of interviews conducted by Janice Connell several years after Father
Tomislav's report. In her interview with Marijana, she asked for any additional
information about the secrets that Marijana was permitted to disclose. Marijana
responded, "The first two secrets will be warnings to the world -- events
that will occur before a visible sign is given to humanity. These will happen
in my lifetime. Ten days before the first secret and the second secret, I
will notify Father Petar Ljubicic. He will pray and fast for seven days,
and then he will announce these to the world."
The most troubling aspect of the apparitions at Garabandal and Medjugorje,
aside from their marathon duration, is the predestination implied in the
warning messages. Unlike previous apparitions, there is no contingency clause
to the prophecies such as "Unless men convert..." The visionaries
say that they know NOW the dates when each of these events will occur.
For example, at Garabandal Our Lady reportedly stated that the Miracle will
occur on a Thursday evening at 8:30 p.m. (Garabandal time) between the 8th
and 16th of either March, April or May. The Miracle will coincide with an
important event in the Church and on a feast day of a martyr of the Eucharist.
Russia will finally be converted after the Miracle occurs.
The Lady has promised to leave a visible sign on the mountain where she first
appeared. "This sign will be given for the atheists. You faithful already
have signs, and you have become the sign for the atheists. You faithful must
not wait for the sign before you convert; convert soon. This time is a time
of grace for you. You can never thank God enough for His grace. The time
is for deepening your faith and for your conversion. When the sign comes,
it will be too late for many."
There will then be three warnings given to the world, and they will be visibile
on earth. Mirjana will hear of them beforehand. Three days before one of
these warnings, she will advise a priest of her choice (Father Pero Ljubicic),
who will then announce what, where, and when the warning is to take place.
Mirjana's testimony will be a confirmation of the validity of the apparitions
and an incentive for the conversion of the world. After the first warning,
the others will follow within a rather brief period of time. After the three
warnings, the permanent visible sign will be left on the mountain where The
Lady first appeared in Medjugorje. Those who are still alive will have little
time for conversion.
The ninth and tenth secrets are grave matters. They are a chastisement for
the sins of the world. The punishment is inevitable because we can not expect
the conversion of the entire world. The chastisement can be lessened by prayers
and penance, but it can not be suppressed entirely. An evil which threatened
the world according to the seventh secret, had been eliminated through prayer
and fasting. For that reason the Blessed Virgin continues to ask for prayer
and fasting. The invitation to prayer and penance is destined to ward off
evil and war and above all to save souls. Our Lady says, "You have forgotten
that with prayer and fasting you can ward off wars, suspend natural laws."
The Story
On June 12, 1973, in Japan, Sr. Agnes Sasagawa, after "hearing" (She was
deaf.) the urgings of an angelic voice, went to the chapel to pray. There
she saw brilliant rays coming from the tabernacle. This light reoccurred
on the next two days. On her left hand appeared a cross-shaped wound, painful
with profuse bleeding on June 28.
Sr. Agnes was praying in the chapel on July 6 when she heard a voice coming
from the statue of the Virgin Mary. That same day, a few of her colleagues
noticed blood flowing from the statue's right hand; this was repeated on
four occasions, finally disappearing on September 29. On that day, the sisters
was the statue "sweat" from the neck and forehead. Two years later, the statue
began to "weep" and this continued for over six years.
The Messages
JULY 6, 1973: "Is the infirmity of your ears painful? Your deafness will
be healed. Does the wound of your hand cause you to suffer? Pray in reparation
for the sins of men. [The apparition gave the text of a prayer.] Pray very
much for the pope, bishops, and priests. Tell your superior all that passed
today..."
AUGUST 3, 1973: "If you love the Lord, listen to what I have to say to you.
It is very important; you will convey it to your superior. Many men in this
world afflict the Lord. I desire souls to console him to soften the anger
of the heavenly father. I wish, with my son, for souls who will repair by
their suffering and their poverty for the sinners and ingrates.
"In order that the world might know his anger, the heavenly father is preparing
to inflict a great chastisement on all mankind. I have intervened so many
times to appease the wrath of the father. I have prevented the coming of
calamities by offering him the sufferings of the son on the cross, his precious
blood, and beloved souls who console him forming a cohort of victim souls.
Prayer, penance and courageous sacrifices can soften the father's anger...
Even in a secular institute prayer is necessary. Already souls who wish to
pray are on the way to being gathered together. Without attaching too much
attention to the form, be faithful and fervent in prayer to console the master."
OCTOBER 13, 1973: "My dear daughter, listen well to what I have to say to
you. You will inform your superior. As I told you, if men do not repent and
better themselves, the father will inflict a terrible punishment on all humanity.
It will be a punishment greater than the deluge, such as one will never seen
before. Fire will fall from the sky and will wipe out a great part of humanity,
the good as well as the bad, sparing neither priests nor faithful. The survivors
will find themselves so desolate that they will envy the dead... The work
of the devil will infiltrate even into the Church in such a way that one
will see cardinals opposing cardinals, bishops against bishops. The priests
who venerate me will be scorned and opposed by their confreres... churches
and altars sacked; the Church will be full of those who accept compromises,
and the demon will press many priests and consecrated souls to leave the
service of the Lord. The demon will be especially implacable against souls
consecrated to God. The thought of the loss of so many souls is the cause
of my sadness. If sins increase in number and gravity, there will be no longer
pardon for them. Today is the last time that I will speak to you in living
voice. From now on you will obey the one sent to you and your superior."
The angel who had originally spoken to Sr. Agnes continued to speak to her
for the next nine years. The messages given at Akita are thought by some
to have disclose the third secret of Fatima. Mary seemed to emphasize the
urgency of her plea for the conversion of all humanity by making herself
known to a much wider audience. A Japanese TV crew filmed the statue "crying"
while reporting on the events at Akita.
Further Resources
Blessed
Among Women
by Gregory Scott Sparrow
Encountering
Mary: Visions From La Salette to Medjugorje
by Sandra Zimdars-Swartz
Fatima
in Lucia's Own Words
by Lucia Santos
Letters
From Medjugorje
by Wayne Weible
Mary
Mother of All: Protestant Perspectives of Medjugorje
edited by Sharon E. Cheston
Medjugorje:
The Message
by Wayne Weible
Medjugorje:
The Mission
by Wayne Weible
Visions
of the Children: The Apparitions at Medjugorje
by Janice T. Connell
Relevant On-Site Articles
Story of Fatima
Latest News of Third
Secret of Fatima
Garabandal
La Salette
Prophecies of Saints
and Popes
Return to more Prophecies.