Have you ever heard of Medjugorje?

Have you ever heard of Medjugorje? I remember when my kids were young, they dreaded hearing this question when my husband was engaged in a conversation with someone. Usually because it meant what followed would be a long conversation and explanation they would be hearing for the bazillionth time. My husband, Greg, loved to ask this question to both friends and even strangers when he felt the nudge to share about this miraculous place. Greg had been leading pilgrimmages to Medjugorje for over 30 years after he himself had his own amazing experience there. He knew its history well and was a natural at sharing his faith and the miraculous happenings in this small village nestled in the former Yugoslavia, now Bosnia-Herzegovina.

Medjugorje is actually quite well-known today, as the Mother of God has reportedly been appearing there to six visionaries since 1981. It began on the afternoon of June 24th, 1981, when two girls, Mirjana and Ivanka, were taking a walk in their village and saw a bright silhouette of a woman on a hill. The following day they returned with four others, Vicka, Ivan, Maria, and Jakov, and the beautiful glowing lady was calling them to come to her. Each visionary said they felt they were transported in a mysterious way up the hill, where our Lady began to speak to them calling herself the Queen of Peace. The visionaries all heard her in their own native language when she spoke to them and said, “I have come to tell the world that God exists." While no one else could hear or see her, the people of the village knew something extraordinary was happening as they watched the visionaries’ lips move and felt the spiritual presence of the Lord.

Our Lady continued to appear to the seers each day and the communist rulers of Medjugorje took serious repressive measures. They arrested the children, threatened and interrogated them, pressured them into renouncing the apparitions. Despite the persecution, the children never wavered. The communists tried everything to prevent any attention to the apparitions, even banning cars from entering Medjugorje and gave strict orders for no meetings outside the Church. The children and the people then moved down to the parish church, where the daily apparitions continued.

What makes this so miraculous? We can first look at the investigations done by science. Five were tested and found to simultaneously look at precisely the same spot (even though no reference point was visible) within one-fifth of a second of each other when the Blessed Virgin Mary allegedly appears. Such synchronization can only be explained by some external "object" holding their gaze -- but one which those around them could not see. During the same one-fifth of a second, there is simultaneous kneeling and the cessation of their eye movements. There is also the simultaneous raising of their heads and gazing upwards while remaining fixated on a spot moving upwards when the apparition is finishing.

It was also tested and reported that there is no reaction to pain during the apparition. When touched with an algometer, which causes a cutaneous lesion or skin burn, there was complete absence of sensitivity.

Electroencephalographic (EEG) tests confirmed that the alleged visionaries' brain functioning is normal and healthy, and ruled out the possibility of epilepsy or psychotic hallucinations.

During the apparition period, another scientifically inexplicable event takes place. The alleged visionaries' voices stop during the time that they are having the vision. Even though all the muscles involved in speech continue (all mouth, jaw and throat muscles), the voice box shuts off. This is actually physically impossible. The laryngeal function cannot be physically isolated from the rest of the muscles of speech. Their voices cease to emit sound except for one exception, when they are praying in unison.

During the apparitions themselves, the visionaries seem to be in a trance and taken out of space and time. Another reason these apparitions are so miraculous are the number of supernatural healings that can be attributed to this special place. People suffering from various ailments and even terminal illness have reported complete recoveries after visiting Medjugorje, documented by medical professionals. In addition to physical healings, those with great emotional burdens and struggles have found peace and joy in their lives once again. Millions have returned to their faith, their Church, and the Sacraments.

Our Lady promised to give each visionary a total of ten secrets of happenings that will occur on earth. Currently, three of the six have received ten secrets, and no longer see her daily.  They will see her once a year for the rest of their lives. Marija, Vicka, and Ivan still do see her on a daily basis and have each received nine secrets. Some of the secrets pertain to the whole world while others concern the visionaries themselves or the local village.

The Blessed Mother also gives messages and shares her purpose for these apparitions and plan for the world through the seers.  She calls us to pray, especially prayer of the rosary, and to fast, to help us achieve spiritual freedom. She asks us to read the scriptures daily, go to confession monthly, and make the Holy Mass the center of our lives. She is basically asking us to put God in the first place and keep our eyes on Him in all that we do.

The miraculous signs that often happen are another witness to the Divine Prescence in this special place. Rosaries can turn gold, and quite often people see the sun spinning and shooting out an array of colors. We were blessed to see these signs, and my husband Greg had an amazing conversion experience while walking up one of the mountains. He felt God’s call on his life to take others to Medjugorje, and we both felt called to share these messages. Since that time Greg has taken over 25 groups on pilgrimage there, and the miracles from these trips are too many to count. Hopefully I can share some of those stories in another post. Our lives were changed forever after learning about this miraculous village.

That’s a very quick overview, but what is amazing about this phenomenon is that since its beginning, nearly 50 million people of all faiths, from all over the world, have visited this little village and have left spiritually strengthened and renewed. Documented miracles have been recorded, and healings of body, mind, and spirit along with supernatural visual signs, and deep conversions back to God have occurred. I would recommend everyone investigate this apparition of our Lady with an open mind and heart. It will change your life!

"I have come to tell the world that God exists. He is the fullness of life, and to enjoy this fullness and peace, you must return to God."

(Our Lady of Medjugorje message to the world)