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TREASURE CHEST By A Friend of Medjugorje TREASURE CHEST By A Friend of Medjugorje
Treasure ChesT
By a Friend of Medjugorje
Treasure ChesT
By a Friend of Medjugorje
Treasure Chest
by
A Friend of Medjugorje
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©SJP International Copyright. All rights reserved including international rights. No part of this booklet may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage or retrieval system, without permission in writing from Caritas who is licensed to use the material. Caritas of Birmingham, 100 Our Lady Queen of Peace Drive, Sterrett, Alabama 35147 USA. None of the mailing lists of Caritas or its entities, including electronic mailing lists, etc., are for sale, nor is permission given to use them in anyway, by anyone. There are no exceptions. All civil, criminal and interstate violations of law apply.
By no means is Caritas intending to pre-empt the Church on the validity of the Apparitions. They are private revelation awaiting the Church’s judgment. Because the Queen of Peace Apparitions are ongoing and not yet over, the Church has yet to rule on their authenticity. Caritas of Birmingham, the Community of Caritas and all associated with it, realize and accept that the final authority regarding the Queen of Peace Medjugorje Apparitions rests with the Holy See in Rome. We at Caritas, willingly submit to that judgment. Caritas of Birmingham and its mission is not connected to the Diocese of Birmingham, Alabama. The Diocese of Birmingham’s official position on Caritas is neutral and holds us as Catholics in good standing.
Published with permission from SJP Lic. COB.
For additional copies write:
Caritas of Birmingham100 Our Lady Queen of Peace Drive
Sterrett, AL 35147 USACall 205-672-2000 press ext. 315 (24 hours a day)
See pages 31-32 for Pricing.
© 2009, S.J.P. Lic. C.O.B.© 2006, S.J.P. Lic. C.O.B.
© 2003, S.J.P. Lic. C.O.B. © 2001, S.J.P. Lic. C.O.B.
© 1999, S.J.P. Lic. C.O.B.© 1997, S.J.P. Lic. C.O.B.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
The author of this book is also the author of the books Words From Heaven®, How to Change Your Husband
™, I See Far
™, Look
What Happened While You Were Sleeping™ and other publications
such as the Words of the Harvesters and the Caritas of Birmingham Newsletter. He has written more on Medjugorje than anyone in the world, producing life-changing writings and spiritual direction to countless numbers across the world, of all nationalities. He wishes to be known only as “A Friend of Medjugorje.” The author is not one looking in from the outside regarding Medjugorje, but one who is close to the events - many times, right in the middle of the events about which he has written; a first-hand witness.
Originally writing to only a few individuals in 1987, readership has grown to over 250,000 in the United States, with additional readers in over one hundred thirty foreign countries, who follow the spiritual insights and direction given through these writings.
The author, when asked why he signs only as “A Friend of Medjugorje,” stated:
“I have never had an ambition or desire to write. I do so only because God has shown me, through prayer, that He desires this of me. So from the begin-ning, when I was writing to only a few people, I prayed to God and promised I would not sign anything; that the writings would have to carry them-selves and not be built on a personality. I prayed
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that if it was God’s desire for these writings to be inspired and known, then He could do it by His Will and grace and that my will be abandoned to it.
“The Father has made these writings known and continues to spread them to the ends of the earth. These were Our Lord’s last words before ascend-ing: “Be a witness to the ends of the earth.” These writings give testimony to that desire of Our Lord to be a witness with one’s life. It is not impor-tant to be known. It is important to do God’s Will.”
For those who require “ownership” of these writings by the author in seeing his name printed on this work in order to give it more credibility, we state that we cannot reconcile the fact that these writings are producing hundreds of thousands of conversions, if not millions through grace, and are requested worldwide from every corner of the earth. The author, there-fore, will not take credit for a work that, by proof of the impact these writings have to lead hearts to conversion, have been Spirit–inspired with numbers increasing yearly, sweeping as a wave across the ocean. Indeed in this case, crossing every ocean of the earth. Our Lady gave this author a direct message for him through the visionary, Marija, of Medjugorje, in which Our Lady said to him to witness not with words but through humility. It is for this reason that he wishes to remain simply “A Friend of Medjugorje.”
— Caritas of Birmingham
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MedjugorjeThe Story in Brief
THE VILLAGE SEES THE LIGHT is the title of a story which “Reader’s Digest” published in February 1986. It was the first major news on a mass public scale that told of the Virgin Mary visiting the tiny village of Medjugorje, Bosnia-Hercegovina. At that time this village was populated by 400 families.
It was June 24, 1981, the Feast of John the Baptist, the proclaimer of the coming Messiah. In the evening, around 5:00 p.m., the Virgin Mary appeared to two young people, Mirjana Dragicevic* and Ivanka Ivankovic*. A little later, around 6:40 p.m. the same day, four more young people, Milka Pavlovic*, the little sister of Marija, Ivan Ivankovic, Vicka Ivankovic*, and Ivan Dragicevic saw the Virgin Mary. June 25, 1981, was the first day the six visionaries, Ivanka Ivankovic,*, Mirjana Dragicevic*, Vicka Ivankovic,* Marija Pavlovic*, Ivan Dragicevic and Jakov Colo saw Our Lady, or the “Gospa,” on the hill. These six have become known as and remain “the visionaries.” These visionar-ies are not related to one another. Three of the six visionaries no longer see Our Lady on a daily basis. As of July 2009, the Virgin is still appearing everyday to the remaining three visionaries; that’s well over 12,820 apparitions. The supernatural event has survived all efforts of the Communists to put a stop to it,
* Names at the time of the apparitions, they are now married with last names changed.
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many scientific studies, and even the condemnation by the local bishop; yet, the apparitions have survived, giving strong evidence that this is from God because nothing and no one has been able to stop it. For over twenty-eight years, the apparitions have proved themselves over and over and now credibility is so favorable around the world that the burden of proof that this is authentic has shifted from those who believe to the burden of proof that it is not happening by those opposed to it. Those against the apparitions are being crushed by the fruits of Medjugorje — millions and millions of conversions which are so powerful that they are changing and will continue to change the whole face of the earth.
See mej.com for more information.
Treasure Chest
We ask you to pray to the Holy Spirit before reading the following —
that divine grace be poured over you to hear Our Lady’s words and
what She wishes to tell you from what you are about to read. Our
Lady said on October 23, 1986: “Without your prayer, I cannot
help you to understand the messages that my Lord has permitted
me to give you.” Therefore, please pause and pray before reading
further. The following is a true story.
One day my wife and I had to go out. We were getting
ready while our 2 year-old was playing in the next room. I
could hear him playing, but suddenly noticed, for a couple of
minutes, there was silence. I went out to check on him, but he
wasn’t in the room. I then went into the living room, but he
wasn’t there. I began to go in every room in the house and
thought maybe he went upstairs. After searching the rooms
upstairs, I did not find him. I became concerned but not
alarmed. I went back through the house a second time, but I
didn’t find him. Since we live out in the country and he was
used to being outdoors, I thought maybe he went outside. I
went to tell my wife that I couldn’t find him. We both then
began to look for him. First, we searched the front porch,
which wraps around three sides of the house. We viewed out
into the woods and didn’t see him out front. We went to the
back and called for him but didn’t find him. We then searched
the backyard.
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My wife and I became very concerned because in front
of our house is a small lake and behind it is a pool. I ran to
the pool just to see if maybe he had fallen in there, but in the
late wintertime the water was greenish-black, and I couldn’t
see into it. By this time our thoughts moved from concern to
alarm, so I ran down to the lake. I saw a little red bucket that
he plays with laying beside the lake. I went back to the house
and told my wife that I found his little red bucket down there,
and she said she had noticed earlier that day that it had been
on the front porch. Earlier that day, he picked up the red
bucket and said he was going fishing. My wife told him no, of
course, and that was the end of it. Knowing the sides of this
lake were very steep, very slippery, and fifteen feet deep, we
became very frightened. Not knowing what to do first, we be-
gan again to look around the grounds and around the house.
After about 10 minutes, I thought that maybe I should
check the swimming pool. By this time, my wife had called
some neighbors, and they immediately came over. We were
hoping that maybe he was just wandering around in the
woods, but after 15 minutes of searching, we realized he was
not to be found in the nearby woods. I began to dive into the
swimming pool, and I swam across the bottom. Not being
able to see anything, all I could do was to move my hands in
front of me in hopes of finding him. By now 20 minutes or so
had passed. My wife had called the fire department, and they
had arrived. They first began to search the grounds. Then
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after 30 minutes, all our attention focused on the lake and
the swimming pool. I dove in and out of the swimming pool
many times, staying underwater more than above. When I was
near exhaustion, I would retrace my steps and run back into
the house, thinking perhaps he was still in there. By this time
many neighbors had come. They were in the lake as well, div-
ing around and looking. Every now and then, one of us would
get out and search the house in a vain hope that we would find
him in there. Mud and water were all over the house from so
many people going in, hoping that is where they would find
him. Even though the red bucket was beside the lake, I knew
the pool would be the quickest possibility to eliminate. Criss-
crossing the bottom, we became convinced he wasn’t in the
swimming pool We ran and joined the others and all focused
on the lake where the red bucket originally pointed.
The haste of our search was frantic, but after 45 min-
utes of searching, I could see in the firemen’s faces that they
were losing hope. I could not allow myself to accept that he
had drowned. In the meantime, my wife collapsed at the edge
of the water, exhausted. It was for her, at that moment, that
she started accepting the reality that maybe he had drowned.
Finally the rescue squad brought out the hooks and began
dragging the lake. The pace seemed to slow down as they
threw out the hooks in the water, dragged the bottom, then
pulled it out and continued to repeat this. I wanted them to
work faster, but I realized that they had settled into a regular
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pace, knowing how long he had been underwater, that there
was no longer a reason to work frantically. Meanwhile, I and
neighbors repeatedly dove, searching the bottom. I can re-
member the voices of everybody above the lake, talking and
calling out to each other when I would come up for a breath
and the contrasting silence on the lake’s bottom — dark and
cold, deathly silent. Every branch I grabbed ran the fear of
being his little arm or his little leg. Every object bumped —
was it his little face? Still with that fear, I had to feel each
thing to make sure if I had found him or not. An hour had
passed and my wife had completely broken down, accepting
the death of our child, but I was not ready to accept that, and
we, along with others, kept searching. I clung to a hope that
when we found him, because the water was cold, we could
revive him. Finally, I could see in the eyes of the firemen that
they held no such hope. Meanwhile, I will always remember
my wife’s face, her weeping and shaking. “He is dead. Our
little son is dead.” Her lamenting was biting at the little hope
I held in my heart. The sorrow was too much. What would it
be like once he was found? All I thought was that it would
be unbearable, so I continued to hope. At the same time
many neighbors were still going back to the house, hollering
his name and everybody, not knowing what to do, just kept
retracing and retracing their paths — the house, the pool, the
lake. After an hour and fifteen minutes, a solemn hush came
over everyone. No one was talking to each other, only qui-
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etly searching. The silence was broken only by the sobs of a
mother, the soft moaning of grief. My thoughts now began to
turn. “What will we do when we find him? Would the rescue
squad even try to revive him? Could I convince them to try?
I would try even though by that time I knew it would be in
vain. Finally, after an hour and a half of searching, the mo-
ment which everyone worked so anxiously for, yet dreaded,
had arrived. He had been found.
He was found by one of our neighbors. She had first
spotted his little foot and grabbed him up. When I heard the
screams, I realized someone had found him. Hearing the
voices coming from the direction of the house and pool, I
grew sick with the realization he had drowned in the pool. If
I only could have found him in those first ten minutes! How
did I miss him? I could see him being carried down the hill
towards my wife and I, surrounded by a crowd, as I and others
struggled out of the lake, nearly exhausted. I could see only
glimpses of his leg or arm in the confusion and haste that was
created as the one neighbor, carrying our little one and sur-
rounded by many other neighbors, hurried to bring him to us.
But at last they separated, and there before us was our little
one. The scene at that moment seemed unreal because even-
tually the reality of death that we had lived through, every
pain in the last hour and a half, gave way to peace upon see-
ing our little boy there in the arms of our neighbor. We felt
what we didn’t expect to feel, touched what we didn’t expect
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to touch. We saw what we didn’t expect to see. For you see, as
we pulled him to our face, we felt warmth and not the feeling
of cold death. When we touched his little body, we touched
movement not the stiffness of death. What we saw when we
hugged him through our tears was life, not silence of a little
dead one. He was alive! He was warm, moving, breathing.
He was alive! At that moment it didn’t matter where he had
been, he was living!! We stood, all of us weeping, and slowly,
one by one, everyone of the thirty neighbors and firemen left.
For the rest of the day my wife was in shock.
What had happened was that one of our neighbors had
gone back into the house. She saw a little foot underneath
the couch. Somehow he had crawled underneath it and gone
to sleep. She grabbed him but could not pull him out from
under the couch. She had to raise the couch first. If that was
not strange enough, everyone had walked within a foot of
him for an hour and a half, calling, even yelling, his name, and
he never woke up. His falling asleep so quickly was equally
amazing. As for the red bucket, we do not know to this day
how it ended up beside the lake.
It took my wife some time to really get over this be-
cause she really lived through his death. Thankfully, I never
accepted it and was spared that particular sorrow, even though
I experienced the fear of it. However, both my wife and I
did have something in common that we experienced through
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this tragedy which ended up not being so. That experience
was one of conversion. Yet, we were already converted. But
I can say, through this event, we experienced more profound
conversion. God used this experience to walk us more closely
with Him. It was an experience of growth for both of us. It
caused us to change our lives even more than what we had
with our first conversion in Medjugorje several years before.
While we never want to live through such an experience again,
it was fruitful for us and an impulse for us toward holiness. I
tell you this story because it is important for us — because
even though we were converted, this was a major point of con-
version for us. You reevaluate ideas, your life, where you have
been, what you are doing, and where you are going.
Conversion is not a one time experience. It is a process
of daily growing closer and closer to God. Our Lady said:
June 25, 1992
“…Thus I call you day after day to conver-
sion…”
It is not enough to convert. Our Lady goes on to say in the
same message quoted above:
“…but if you do not pray, you cannot say you
are converting…”
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If you pray, every experience will be used by God to help you on
the way of conversion as with the story you just read. Conver-
sion brings on many tribulations, joys, and sorrows. Some may
be tragedies, but with prayer and constant conversion, your life
can end up as the previous story — with a happy ending, even if
death or other tragedies are involved. God’s capability to change
situations goes beyond even man’s imagination of how He can
change it, no matter how bleak your situation is at the moment.
God wishes it for you — to purify you — to convert you — to
make you worthy to be Our Lady’s child. Our Lady said on
December 4, 1986:
“…I call you to prepare your hearts for these
days when the Lord particularly desires to pu-
rify you from all the sins of your past…”
To convert means to purify one’s life, and then to be tested by
God to see if we are truly converted.
August 22, 1985
“…today I wish to tell you that God wants
to send you trials which you can overcome
by prayer. God is testing you through daily
chores…”
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Daily conversion results from, and grows stronger, through
tribulations. God wants us each day to convert. This is to last
throughout our entire life. Our Lady said:
July 17, 1989
“…Conversion is a process which goes on
through your entire life.”
If I am converted, why must I still daily convert? God wants,
through Our Lady, to bring you to full conversion.
June 25, 1990
“..I desire, dear children, to call all of you to a
full conversion…”
Those who experience a profound conversion through
Medjugorje can compare it to a “Born Again” experience that
many Protestants have. But being born again is not enough.
There must be a change in your life, a change in the way you
live. Several T.V. evangelists in the last years after having
been born again, fell from grace. There was no change in their
daily life and perhaps never was, so continued conversion or
continually being born again dies due to not changing or no
further changing of their lives.
It is important to know that Our Lady said:
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February 25, 1996
“Dear children! Today I invite you to conver-
sion. This is the most important message that I
have given you here…”
It is clear by Our Lady’s words that conversion is Her most
important message in 28* years of apparitions!
March 25, 1996
“…I invite you to decide for life which blos-
somed through the Resurrection, and that your
life may be renewed today through conver-
sion…”
Born again or having a profound conversion does not
mean you are saved. If someone asks you if you are saved,
there is only one answer, “I’m working every day at it.” Born
again/conversion guarantees you nothing. They are a grace, a
gift from God, but you must accept that grace for it to guar-
antee your benefit. A thief, liar, a slandering gossiper can be
converted without changing his life, but he loses that grace of
conversion. Conversion or being born again is easy, so easy it
is available to a prostitute as well as to a church goer.
* This was originally written in 1997. We only updated the year in our reprinting. Often many of these writings are foreseen, even prophetic, by realizing when it was originally written—which the update could make you think it was written in hindsight rather than foresight.
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January 23, 1986
“…Conversion will be easy for all who desire to
accept it…”
Yet complete conversion is difficult because it means chang-
ing your life and daily choosing God.
January 25, 1988
“…I am calling you to complete conversion, which
is difficult for those who have not chosen God…”
Is it not strange that Our Lady says conversion is easy yet
is difficult? It almost seems contradictory, except unless it
means initial conversion is easy, complete conversion, to
change one’s life is difficult — to completely choose God.
Many give their hearts to God, but not completely. Our Lady
wants us to choose God completely, to give our hearts com-
pletely, to have no other desire except His. Daily Our Lady
appears and blesses the world. In this apparition, graces from
God are dispersed to the whole world. Our Lady said:
May 25, 1990
“…Dear children, God blesses you day after
day and desires a change of your life. Therefore,
pray that you may have the strength to change
your life…”
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Conversion is given freely as a gift from God through Our
Lady, but we must participate with grace and this requires
changing our lives. Changing our lives requires strength. Our
Lady says to pray for strength.
November 23, 1988
“…I will give you strength and I will help you in
all of your needs…”
So we must pray for strength but to actively participate with
the grace of initial conversion and to increase strength. Our
Lady asks for mortification and sacrifice, both of which
strengthens our souls and helps us to change our lives.
May 25, 1990
“…I desire you to grow in renunciation and
mortification that you may be able to under-
stand the beauty of the life of people, who go on
giving themselves to me in a special way. Dear
children, God blesses you day after day and
desires a change of your life. Therefore, pray
that you may have the strength to change your
life…”
So mortification, renunciation, prayer gives strength. Strength
is needed to change your life, and change is needed for further
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conversion. If you are not furthering your conversion then
you cannot claim you are living Our Lady’s messages.
It must be understood, St. Paul, St. Augustine, St. Mary
Magdalene, and millions of others did not leave their lives of
sin for five years and then were converted. It was in the midst
or on the heels of their sinful lives. St. Paul was out to kill
Christians and experienced a profound conversion. He then
had a choice to decide for God, to accept and then further
his conversion, or convert to Christ without changing his life,
which, if he had done so, would have resulted in the loss of his
grace of conversion. Conversion is an initial grace, a great im-
pulse. It is free and is easily obtained. Holding on to conver-
sion is a different matter. A life not transformed upon receiv-
ing the gift of conversion will not continue conversion, even if
you add three hours of praying a day. After conversion there
must be radical change. For those of you who have converted
through Medjugorje and all that changes in your life is to
multiply your prayers, say the Rosary, go to prayer groups, and
daily Mass — what has changed? You must change your life.
Do you still gossip, slander, cheat, lie, are selfish, uncharitable?
One might think, “But I am different now that I’m converted.
I’m praying. I’m going to daily Mass. I’m attending prayer
group, etc.” None of these things guarantees you salvation if
you continue in your ways. We cannot multiply our prayers
and at the same time not change our lives — not daily convert.
Even if you had an apparition, a meeting with the Pope, and it
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results in your statue being carved in a relief above an altar in
Rome at St. Peter’s Basilica, it cannot guarantee you anything.
Those who speak of their conversions, rosaries changing to
gold, seeing tremendous signs in Medjugorje or elsewhere
does not make them holy; even hearing a message or an ap-
parition from God does not determine your conversion or
holiness. This is precisely what happened to the barbarian,
Attila the Hun. He met with the Pope, had an apparition and
his image is carved in the Vatican. St. Paul, in contrast, met
with the Pope (Peter), also had an apparition, and he is also
carved in the Vatican. Attila’s relief, carved in the Vatican,
depicts his approach to Rome being met by the Pope with an
apparition of apostles Peter and Paul above the Pope. Attila,
who vowed to conquer the world and would have done so
once Rome was taken, went back to his troops and in his own
words said, “I would have taken Rome except that menacing
Peter and Paul holding swords, appearing in the sky.” One
thinks, “Yes, but he was a barbarian.” Are not all sinners bar-
barians? Was Paul, Mary Magdalene, and others not barbaric
in their sins? What is basically different with St. Paul’s expe-
rience and Attila’s experience? Both had visions; both were
powerful; both met the Pope; both were doing wrong; both are
even carved in the Vatican. If Attila was unsettled enough to
retreat from an assured victory of world conquest which was
his life’s goal, then it also was enough to unsettle his soul. It
was for him a conversion experience which he could accept or
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reject. He could have changed his life and become a saint or
at least Christian. Conversion, experiences, signs, miracles of
God, therefore, guarantees nothing if you do not act upon it.
Granted, a heart must be opened to conversion and perhaps
St. Paul’s was and Attila’s wasn’t. Still both instances are a
cause of conversion. It is what they did with the experience
that made it turn into a worth or unworth for themselves.
Nevertheless, the point is many have converted through
Medjugorje. Many of those converted have had profound ex-
periences, even involving supernatural circumstances, hidden,
subtle, or dramatic. What good is it if conversion does not
continue? To be a witness does not mean to tell everyone, “I
say 3 Rosaries, go to daily Mass, and go to confession once a
month.” It means to change your life daily, just as one carries
out their duty of going to work or cooking supper. Our Lady
said on April 15, 1996:
“…Little children, seek with humility that which
is not in order in your hearts. Conversion will
become a daily duty that you will do with joy…”
Those who have a conversion experience and then
broadcast it will not stay on the correct path very long. One
must learn how to live the Christian life, even if you are
Christian. Many examples show the danger of converting
and thinking that to be a witness means to run around tell-
ing everyone, “Let me tell you what happened to me!” More
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people have been turned away from Medjugorje by those ac-
tions than turned towards it. On the other hand, if you experi-
ence conversion and you change your life, change from being
a gossip, change habits such as laziness, become virtuous and
put yourself and your needs second to everything, then you
will be a powerful witness — one who will convert family and
a host of others. But doesn’t Our Lady want us to speak of
Medjugorje? Yes. But the spiritual steps in the way we do it
is important. You earn that right by first living it, then spread-
ing it. Rosaries, Mass, prayer groups don’t give you that right.
The conquering of your inordinate desires and living with a
righteous heart does, not a self-righteous heart. What is the
difference? A righteous heart never wants other than what
God wants for him, and in everything seeks to please God. A
self-righteous heart has desires and ways that are not always
God’s yet are always willing to tell others the right way. St.
Paul shows us that he had one of the most dramatic conver-
sion in Christianity, being knocked off his horse, blinded, and
spoken to by Jesus while on the way to kill Christians. He
wrote a great portion of the New Testament. One man alone
christianized almost all of Europe! Yet after his conversion
experience, he didn’t run around telling everyone, “You have
to live this way. You must do this.” How could St. Paul do
such a thing? He didn’t know how to live the Christian life.
He would have been giving words, empty of the life of liv-
ing it — as someone who would pantomime an act; an empty
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shell; a treasure chest empty inside, beautiful on the outside
but without substance. What did St. Paul do? He retired for
eight years into silence and possibly — for an additional three
years said very little — eleven years! St. Paul learned what it
meant during this time to be a Christian, to live as a Christian,
to struggle, to suffer in the spiritual life. With eleven years of
experience, he then had a lot to say. The beautiful conversion
was as a beautifully adorned treasure chest. The eleven years
filled it with treasure. He was rich and, as a result of eleven
years of investment into the spiritual life, was able to spread
this wealth all over Europe!
One man’s conversion began by saying the Rosary
inside a prison, spread it, and converted a large portion of the
prison. His conversion experience was demanded by many
conferences and was beautiful. Sadly, everything moved too
quickly, and it set circumstances for a fall and now no one
hears anything from him. It is dangerous for anyone to go
and blare out conversion experiences without the experience
of living it through time. That doesn’t mean not to spread
the happenings of Medjugorje. Our Lady wants that. What it
means is to spread it with your life. The facts about the story
of Medjugorje can be given out through books, pamphlets,
etc. with some explanation, but your conversion is matured
through your everyday living.
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Finally, conversion is a test of love. When we can turn
against all our weakness, faults, uncharitable habits; when
we resist and change every error in our lives, then we are
headed toward total conversion. When is conversion com-
plete? It will be completed in this life at the final draw of our
last breath. Conversion may be likened to struggle. Struggle
likened to war. The object of war is a more perfect peace. For
the sake of love, love of Our Lady, Her daily blessing given
each day during apparition time is to be turned into profound
daily conversion. You cannot claim conversion, nor that you
love, if you do not.
February 25, 1993
“Dear children, today I bless you with my Motherly
Blessing and invite you all to conversion. I wish
that each of you decides himself for a change of
life…You cannot say that you are converted, be-
cause your life must become a daily conversion…”
November 25, 1992
“…I love you and therefore I am with you to
teach you and guide you to a new life of conver-
sion and renunciation…”
Is your conversion a beautiful treasure chest deprived
of its treasure? Ask yourself and ponder, does your life fulfill
24
your conversion experience? Is your beautiful chest filled
with a beautiful life of sacrificial love, of preferring other’s
needs before your own? Of trying to give without reserve
in every act? If not, close your chest, seal it until it becomes
filled. Then open it, let its contents sparkle and dazzle, and
let your life of sacrificial love amaze all who know you so that
they will long to be the same.
How privileged we are to have Our Lady as a spiritual
director in our age. Who in two thousand years of history has
had such an honor? It places you in the position to receive
the same privileges the apostles had two thousands years ago,
walking with the Blessed Virgin Mary, Queen from Nazareth.
Everything else pales to insignificance once we understand
this. Run toward Our Lady’s wishes. We are being given a
profound gift directly from God. Once this “event” is history,
it will be viewed by those in the future as profoundly mysti-
cal, a wonder in the same category as Noah and the Flood;
Moses with the Pharaoh; and Jesus and His Apostles. For it is
Our Lady’s time; a time predicted four hundred years ago by
St. Louis de Montfort, to raise apostles up for the latter days;
a time spoken of in Revelation that John saw two thousand
years ago while exiled to the island of Patmos; a time in which
the Trinity Itself gives to Her, the woman who was spoken of
in the beginning of the Bible, and is now at the beginning of a
“new time” at the end of an age. Her words describe that She
“waits impatiently for” the time. Her time has arrived. The
25
tragic and saddest experience is for those who have come so
close to the Divine, a glorious event, and have not realized
what is being offered to everyone and anyone who will ac-
cept daily conversion. Just as we wonder how anyone two
thousand years ago could have been so foolish as to be apa-
thetic or indifferent or grow cold to Jesus’ actions, people in
the future will look back at the present moment and wonder
the same about us. It is time “today”* to change your life and
radically. Fill your treasure chest. The world is in great need
of it being opened after it is filled.
END
* A king or queen making a proclamation, elevates the proclamation’s importance when announcing the word “Behold” preceding the proclamation. It is an added sign, stating something of a profound nature to follow. On January 25, 1987, the “Queen” of Heaven and Peace stated such a proclamation: “Behold, also today I want to call you to start living a new life as of today.”
26
The following was added by the members of the Community of Cari-
tas to what you have just read by “A Friend of Medjugorje.”
By God’s grace, a treasure chest which was closed for
almost ten years is the reason for the Community of Caritas
and its flourishing, as well as feeding tens of thousands. Our
Founder* was silent, prayed, and grew for years before open-
ing his treasure chest. What you have read in our material,
which many letters from all over the world testifies to as hav-
ing greatly helped them, is the wealth from his chest. A life of
sacrificial love will always give way to fruit. There are hun-
dred’s of examples and stories we can offer to show this fruit,
but we end with only one.
When one of our community members was in Europe
and hurting from being shunned, the founder wrote her and
explained in two minutes what it means to love. Some have
told us they believe this writing will be here centuries from
now. Perhaps it will, who knows? One thing we know — it is
his life and came from his treasure chest. It was why he, there-
fore, was able to write it so quickly, without much thought
other than by the Holy Spirit.
* Our Founder is one who greatly detests being put on a pedestal and the following is only intended as witness, for as Our Lady through Marija told him in a private message on October 6, 1986: “Pray and by your life witness…”
27
TO LOVE
To love and be rejected; To spend every effort to help and be turned down;
To be in a situation of having to compete to be heard and be silent; To have the answers and not be able to convey them;
To lose, knowing you can win, rather than being political; To go to the end of the line when you were there first;
To tell the truth and it be made a lie; To try to be saintly and be made out to be a devil;
To be on the inside and to be cast outside; To be with many and to know you are really alone;
To give yourself unreservedly to others and be a victim of their envy; To dedicate your life to a purpose and that purpose turn against you;
To be innocent and be accused; To be stripped of all authority, earthly power, and position
and be nothing;
….. is to have one’s heart lacerated with humility, to the greatest depth
and receive at the greatest heights God’s blessing of…walking Jesus’ path;
…To Love
by a Friend of Medjugorje
International Copyright © 2009, SJP, Lic. COB. For permission to use call Caritas of Birmingham at205-672-2000. USA 28
FOR INFORMATIONABOUT
MEDJUGORJE
Caritas of Birmingham is an organization committed to being a voice for Our Lady. Those individuals on our mailing list receive up-to-date information on all the messages and hap-penings in Medjugorje. Our material is read by well over 250,000 people throughout the United States and has spread to over 130 countries around the world.
If you would like to receive information about our mission or want to be placed on our mailing list and receive vital and crucial information concerning Our Lady and the apparitions in Medjugorje. Please write to:
Caritas of Birmingham100 Our Lady Queen of Peace Drive
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www.mej.com Check us out at:
Daily updates about Medjugorje
29
Other Titles About Our Lady’s Messages!If you would like more copies of this booklet for distribution at your church, prayer group, or for family or friends, etc…please contact your local bookstore, call Caritas of Birmingham–24 hours a day, or fill out the order form at the end of this booklet.
Other titles in this series by A Friend of Medjugorje:
bk1001 Whose Opinion is Right?bk1002 Twenty Years of Apparitionsbk1003 American History You Never Learnedbk1004 Changing Historybk1005 Patriotic Rosary (1=free, 10=90¢ea, 25=75¢ea, 50=60¢ea, 100=40¢ea, 1,000=30¢ea)
bk1006 August 5th, What Are You Doing for Her Birthday?bk1007 Medjugorje—The Fulfillment of all Marian Apparitionsbk1008 A New Ark?bk1009 As Go God’s People, So Goes the Worldbk1010 Medjugorje, Mirjana, A Mystery Revealedbk1011 A Time for Decisionbk1012 satan Wants to Destroy Medjugorjebk1013 Fastingbk1014 Modestybk1015 In Front of the Crucifix with Our Ladybk1016 Treasure Chestbk1017 Entering A New Timebk1018 Understanding Our Lady’s Messages Title list cont. on next page
See order form in back of booklet for pricing
Ostali naslovi o Gospinim porukama! (Tiskano na hrvatskom)
bk1051 Razumijevanje Gospinih poruka (prevedeno na hrvatski)bk1052 Međugorje: Ispunjenje svih Marijinih ukazanja (prevedeno na hrvatski) bk1053 Nova arka (prevedeno na hrvatski) bk1054 Kriza–disciplina (prevedeno na hrvatski)bk1055 Međugorje, Mirjana, otkrivena tajna (prevedeno na hrvatski)bk1056 Čednost (prevedeno na hrvatski)bk1057 Gospin recept za pobjedu: Molite, molite, molite! (prevedeno na hrvatski)bk1058 sotona želi uništiti Međugorje (prevedeno na hrvatski)bk1059 Pogled na 2000 godina kršćanske povijesti (prevedeno na hrvatski)bk1060 Vrijeme odluke (prevedeno na hrvatski)bk1061 5. kolovoza: Što činiš za Njezin rođendan? (prevedeno na hrvatski)bk1062 Ulazak u novo vrijeme (prevedeno na hrvatski) bk1063 S Gospom pred raspelom (prevedeno na hrvatski)bk1064 Pripremanje za oluju (prevedeno na hrvatski)bk1065 Ne volim svoj križ (prevedeno na hrvatski)
Da biste nabavili još primjeraka knjige, posjetite Misijsku kuću Caritasa u Međugorju.(Upute su na unutarnjoj stranici zadnje korice ove knjižice)
30
Other titles by A Friend of Medjugorje continued
bk1019 A Blessing to Help Save the Worldbk1020 Fallen Field Angelbk1021 Don’t Tell Me What to Do!bk1022 Spanning 2000 Years of Historybk1023 When You Decide for Changebk1024 Have You Become Complacent or Fallen Asleep?bk1025 I Don’t Like My Crossbk1026 What Do We Do Now?bk1027 Thy Will Be Done? And Hand to the Plowbk1028 Our Lady’s 7 Steps to…Set the Captives Freebk1029 Who’s Driving?bk1030 “I Don’t Have to Go to Medjugorje.” Reasons Why One Must Go to Medjugorjebk1031 The Seven Novenas in Preparation for the Five Days of Prayer for the Reconciling of Ourselves, Our Families, and Our Nation Back to God
bk1033 Calling on Heaven (Caritas’ prayers)
bk1036 Our Lady’s Formula for Victory: “Pray, Pray, Pray”bk1037 A Miracle from the Field for Our Nationbk1038 Crisis-Disciplinebk1039 Quietismbk1040 Wedding Bookletbk1041 Why So Many Disasters?bk1042 How the Early Church Learned…bk1043 Be Strong! Do Not Relax!bk1044 Some Remarkable things About Our Lady’s Messagesbk1045 You Have Been Calledbk1046 Surrender Your Problems to Mebk1047 Two Americasbk1048 Ready“ing” for the Stormbk1049 Judge with Right Judgementbk1050 Confession of a Big Sinbk1051 Razumijevanje Gospinih poruka (prevedeno na hrvatski)bk1052 Međugorje: Ispunjenje svih Marijinih ukazanja (prevedeno na hrvatski) bk1053 Nova arka (prevedeno na hrvatski) bk1054 Kriza–disciplina (prevedeno na hrvatski)bk1055 Međugorje, Mirjana, otkrivena tajna (prevedeno na hrvatski)bk1056 Čednost (prevedeno na hrvatski)bk1057 Gospin recept za pobjedu: Molite, molite, molite! (prevedeno na hrvatski)bk1058 sotona želi uništiti Međugorje (prevedeno na hrvatski)bk1059 Pogled na 2000 godina kršćanske povijesti (prevedeno na hrvatski)bk1060 Vrijeme odluke (prevedeno na hrvatski)bk1061 5. kolovoza: Što činiš za Njezin rođendan? (prevedeno na hrvatski)bk1062 Ulazak u novo vrijeme (prevedeno na hrvatski) bk1063 S Gospom pred raspelom (prevedeno na hrvatski)bk1064 Pripremanje za oluju (prevedeno na hrvatski)bk1065 Ne volim svoj križ (prevedeno na hrvatski)
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St. JamesChurch
Park
Caritas Mission House
CrossMountain(Križevac)
Apparition Hill(Podbrdo)
School
Apparition Trail
Medjugorje©
Don’t Miss a Visit to the Caritas Mission HouseApparition Hill, Cross Mountain, the Visionaries, St. James Church, and Caritas Mission House, these are the five “must do’s” to have a complete Medjugorje pilgrimage. Throughout the years, pilgrims from every nation have made the Caritas of Birmingham Mission House in Medjugorje a part of their pilgrimage. Countless numbers have relayed to us it is there, in the Mission House, where they came to understand more fully Our Lady’s messages and plans for the world. It is why people, who have returned home from their pilgrimages, have told others going to Medjugorje to go to the Caritas Mission House, stating that the Caritas Mission House was a high point of their pilgrimage and a “must do” to make a pilgrimage to Medjugorje a complete and more profound experience.
Look for the St. Michael statue.Caritas of Birmingham Mission House is operated by the Community of Caritas.The Mother house is located at: 100 Our Lady Queen of Peace Drive • Sterrett, Alabama 35147 USA
“The Mission House was the only meeting place in Med-jugorje to learn more about and discuss the Messages.”
Pilgrim
England
“Following Caritas’ mission for several years and observing their work in spreading Our Lady of Medjugorje’s messages, it’s no wonder to me as to how they became the largest Medjugorje Center in the world.”
PilgrimScotland
“I found peace and love in the Mission House.”
PilgrimSouth Africa
“After coming in the Caritas Mission House, I decided not to leave my husband and seek to bring prayer and healing into my family.”
PilgrimIreland
www.mej.com Extensive up-to-date information on Medjugorje as it happens.
100 Our Lady Queen of Peace Drive • Sterrett, AL 35147 USA205-672-2000 USA
Printed by Caritas of Birmingham. Made available to you by our Field Angels.mej.com all your Medjugorje information
Conversion is not a one-time experi-ence. It is a process of daily growing closer and closer to God. This writing is for all those who have known the joy and sweetness of the call of God, as well as the struggles, heart-ache, sorrow, and frustration that come once the “honeymoon” is over and the time comes when one must “work” to maintain their rela-tionship with God. How does one maintain conversion in the midst of the world, difficul-ties and their sufferings? Can one ever redis-cover the sweetness of their beginning days of their call? Discover the answer to these ques-tions, as well as others you may have in regard to what Our Lady is asking when She calls us to conversion.
