One
month after the Virgin Mary’s announcement of a new time of spring an unusual
number of bushes and trees in Medjugorje have fresh green branches and leaves.
Visionaries encourage prayer for the Virgin’s intentions saying that a part of
her plan is about to be realized.
MEDJUGORJE
– The mountain valley around Medjugorje is green like never before in the
middle of autumn. A remarkable number of bushes and trees have fresh green
leaves of spring, and even from dead branches new and fresh ones are sprouting
and growing.
The unusual mixture from autumn and spring can be seen and wondered about one
month after the Virgin Mary’s Medjugorje announcement that she is praying for
“the coming of a new time – a time of spring.” On October 25
Virgin Mary called her children to pray for her intentions, and likewise she
issued a call to fasting which she said she would offer to Jesus for the coming
of a new such spring time.
The nature phenomenon is especially prominent on the two mountains around
Medjugorje where the Virgin has been daily appearing since June 24,
1981. On Cross Mountain (where Father Slavko Barbaric, the
spiritual director, recently died) a big oak tree at the last of the Stations of the Cross
is filled with fresh spring leaves. The tree stands next to a bronze plate
depicting the resurrected Jesus.
On Apparition Hill, where the first apparition took place, fresh red branches
grow out of dead brown ones on several of the thorn bushes that dominate the
vegetation on the hill. Many trees show green spring leaves in conjunction with
brown ones fading away. Around Medjugorje’s famous St. James Church whole beds
of bushes can be seen with light green as well as dark green leaves, and many
flowers are still untouched by the coming of autumn.
Meanwhile the Blessed Virgin keeps up the joyful state of mind that has been a
common denominator of the three latest Medjugorje messages. In the beginning of
the month she appeared unusually joyful to visionary Marija Pavlovic-Lunetti who
asked the what made her look so overly happily. She got the answer that
her happiness reflected a great and healthy response to the call of October 25.
“I am happy because many
people are praying for my intentions” was the answer given by the Virgin,
who issued a special appeal for prayer last winter.
Around the same time visionary Vicka Ivankovic likewise encouraged pilgrims to
pray for Virgin Mary’s intentions, saying that “a part of her plan is about
to be realized.” Vicka is not in Medjugorje at the moment, but when she is
back in the village Spirit Daily will ask her for further comments on this
topic.
While the following message does not form part of the Medjugorje line up it is a
fact that the Italian priest Father Stefano Gobbi has quoted the Virgin Mary for
revealing to him that the year 2000 would show the much awaited Triumph of her
Immaculate Heart. Though great caution must be taken this might possibly be what
Vicka is hinting at.
Concerning the spring time phenomenon several parishioners say that they never
saw the valley so green in November. Some ascribe it to hot temperatures in
general, and while this might be the explanation it is also worth noting that
the Virgin Mary more than once has encouraged her children to recognize God in
nature as well. She has likewise used nature as a symbolical image to help her
coming through with her repeated calls to prayer.
“God wants to save you and sends you messages through men, nature, and so many
things which can only help you to understand that you must change the direction
of your life,” were among the words spoken on March 25th 1990.
“Go into nature and see how nature is awakening and it will be a help for you
to open your hearts to the love of God the Creator,” she said on April 25th
1993.
“How the scenery is beautiful when we look at nature in the morning in all
it’s freshness! But more beautiful, much more, is it when we look at a man who
brings to others peace, love, and happiness. Children, if you could only know
what prayer brings to man! Especially personal prayer. Man can thus become a
really fresh flower for God. You see how drops of dew stay long on flowers until
the first rays of sun come. Nature, in this way, is renewed and refreshed. For
the beauty of nature, a daily renewal and refreshment is necessary. Prayer
refreshes man in the same way, to renew him and give him strength,” the Virgin
Mary said on January 27th 1986.
Among the ones to take a pragmatic attitude to the unusual number of spring
leaves around him is Father Svetozar Kraljevic, OFM. While recognizing them as a
tiny part of one of the greater signs of the times, he does not like what he
sees.