Each visionary in Medjugorje is given a specific role by Our Lady. Mirjana’s is focused on unbelievers – those who do not know the love of God. As such, it is the reason why some of the messages given through her on the second of each month since December 2nd, 2004, are different in tone and content from the ones received by Marija for the whole world.

And who are the unbelievers? Atheists? Agnostics? Non-Christians? Those who do not go to church? No! Millions of them know nothing about Medjugorje. They have never heard of Mother Mary’s apparitions. They have no idea she is giving messages. They wouldn’t be on the lookout for what she says because they have no awareness that such records exist, nor would they embark on any search to read her words or listen to them.

Mother Mary cannot be speaking to them. No, not to them, at least not now.

Then who is Our Lady’s audience at present? Who, when in Medjugorje on the second day of the month, wake up early in the morning so as to get to a spot near her apparition site at Cenacolo or the Blue Cross? Who around the world await eagerly the account of her message given through Mirjana over the internet that day? Who read information like the material which is presented here? Who? Who? We, that’s who! We, the ones who are reading this article right now, including, particularly, the one who wrote it! We, the ones who know Medjugorje! We are the ones to whom Our Lady is speaking! We are the ones who must pay attention, and repent, and change!

At the apparitions to Mirjana, Our Lady is often sad and crying. She cries for those of us who continually ignore her warnings, who pay heed only to her words which make us feel happy and above reproach, who hide behind the phrase “accentuate the positive,” who close our hearts to all ‘negative’ exhortations or, worse still, apply them only to others.

Why is Our Lady sad? Is it not because we do not truly love God; is it not because we do not truly love our neighbour?

And is it not because we do not notice our pride, our arrogance, our jealousies, rivalries, hatreds, angers, malice, darkness, wickedness, hot temper, ambition for glory, bullying, deceitful scheming, and delusions about our supposed superiority? Among our holy group are we not the ones who stir up controversies, quarrels, lies, gossips, slanders, suspicions? And set up factions?

[The above words are taken from the following Scriptural passages. Rom 12:3; 16:17. 1 Cor 3:3, 18-20. 2 Cor 12:20. Gal 5:15. Eph 4:14. Col 3:8-9. 1 Tim 6:3-5. Titus 1:16. Jas 1:19-21, 26; 3:14-16. 1 Pet 2:1. 2 Pet 2:1. 1 Jn 2:9, 11.]

 

Here is Mirjana’s report on June 2nd, 2008: “Our Lady said, ‘Dear children, I am with you by the grace of God to make you great, great in faith and love, all of you, you whose heart has been hard as a stone by sin and guilt.’… As Our Lady was saying ‘you whose heart has been hard as a stone by sin and guilt,’ she was looking at those present to whom this refers with a painful expression and tears in her eyes.”

On December 2nd, 2007, Mirjana gave this description: “Our Lady was very sad. Her eyes were filled with tears throughout the whole time. She said, ‘Dear children, today, while I am looking at your hearts, my heart is filled with pain and shudder. My children, stop for a moment and look into your hearts. Is my Son, your God, truly in the first place? Are his commandments truly the measure of your life? I am warning you again.’… I asked Our Lady painfully not to leave us and not to give up on us. Our Lady painfully smiled to my request and left. This time she did not finish her message with the words ‘Thank you.’”

“‘Dear children. In this holy time full of God’s graces and his love which sends me to you, I implore you not to be with a heart of stone.’… Our Lady’s face during the entire time was one of pain and sorrow.” (01/02/2007)

“My children, do not deceive yourselves with false peace and false joy.” (07/02/2006)

“Many think that they have faith in God and that they know his laws. They try to live according to them, but they do not do what is most important: they do not love him.” (10/02/2006)

Jesus said: “You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the greatest and the first commandment.” (Mt 22:37–38, NJB) “If you love me, you will keep my commandments… Whoever holds to my commandments and keeps them is the one who loves me… Anyone who loves me will keep my word… Anyone who does not love me does not keep my words. ” (Jn 14:15, 21, 23, 24, NJB)

 

No doubt, someone will brand as ‘negative’ the writer who singled out the above quotations.

Was John also ‘negative’ when he wrote this in his epistle? “Whoever says, ‘I know Him,’ but does not do what He commands is a liar, and the truth is not in that person… Anyone who claims to be in the light but hates a brother or sister is still in the darkness… They do not know where they are going, because the darkness has blinded them.” (1 Jn 2:4, 9, 11, NIV)

We hope that nobody dares to accuse Jesus as ‘negative’ because of his remarks below.

“How rightly Isaiah prophesied about you hypocrites in the passage of scripture: ‘This people honours me only with lip-service, while their hearts are far from me. Their reverence of me is worthless; the lessons they teach are nothing but human commandments.’” (Mk 7:6–7, NJB)

“You are the very ones who pass yourselves off as upright in people’s sight, but God knows your hearts. For what is highly esteemed in human eyes is loathsome in the sight of God.” (Lk 16:15, NJB)

“You brood of vipers, how can your speech be good when you are evil? For words flow out of what fills the heart. Good people draw good things from their store of goodness; bad people draw bad things from their store of badness. So I tell you this, that for every unfounded word people utter they will answer on Judgement Day, since it is by your words you will be justified, and by your words condemned.” (Mt 12:34–37, NJB)

“Woe to you when everyone speaks well of you,          for that is how their ancestors treated the false prophets.” (Lk 6:26, NIV)

We hope none would stoop so low as to label St. Paul being negative in his writing of the following.

“Though I command languages both human and angelic – if I speak without love, I am no more than a gong booming or a cymbal clashing. And though I have the power of prophecy, to penetrate all mysteries and knowledge, and though I have all the faith necessary to move mountains – if I am without love, I am nothing. Though I should give away to the poor all that I possess, and even give up my body to be burned – if I am without love, it will do me no good whatever.” (1 Cor 13:1-3, NJB)

“If our gospel seems to be veiled at all, it is so to those who are on the way to destruction, the unbelievers whose minds have been blinded by the god of this world, so that they cannot see shining the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.” (2 Cor 4:3-4, NJB)

“Certain persons by swerving from these have wandered away into vain discussion, desiring to be teachers of the law, without understanding either what they are saying or the things about which they make assertions.” (1 Tim 1:6-7, RSV)

“They profess to know God, but they deny him by their deeds; they are detestable, disobedient, unfit for any good deed.” (Titus 1:16, RSV)

James, “a slave of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ”, in his epistle, shows how to judge the religiosity a person. “Remember this, my dear brothers: everyone should be quick to listen but slow to speak and slow to human anger… Nobody who fails to keep a tight rein on the tongue can claim to be religious; this is mere self-deception; that person’s religion is worthless.” (Jas 1:19, 26, NJB)

“Who among you is wise and understanding? Let him show his works by a good life in the humility that comes from wisdom. But if you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast and be false to the truth. Wisdom of this kind does not come down from above but is earthly, unspiritual, demonic.” (Jas 3:13-15, NAB)

 

Jesus says: “Remain in me, as I in you. As a branch cannot bear fruit all by itself, unless it remains part of the vine, neither can you unless you remain in me. I am the vine, you are the branches. Whoever remains in me, with me in him, bears fruit in plenty; for cut off from me you can do nothing. Anyone who does not remain in me is thrown away like a branch – and withers; these branches are collected and thrown on the fire and are burnt.” (Jn 15:4–6, NJB)

“As the Father loves me, so I also love you. Remain in my love. If you keep my commandments, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commandments and remain in his love.” (Jn 15:9–10, NAB)

 

Jesus, John, St. Paul, James, and Our Lady, all speak the truth. Let us pay serious heed to them. Let us stop causing Mother Mary more tears of sadness. Let us humble ourselves and admit our arrogance and sins. With faith in our loving Mother’s help and guidance, with our own willingness and cooperation, we can be corrected, and so move quickly forward to becoming holy and fruitful servants of the Lord.

St. Paul tells us: “So be on your guard! Remember that for three years I never stopped warning each of you night and day with tears.” (Acts 20:31, NIV)

“For I wrote you out of great distress and anguish of heart and with many tears, not to grieve you but to let you know the depth of my love for you.” (2 Cor 2:4, NIV)

Mother Mary says: “God is sending me to warn you and to show you the right way. Do not shut your eyes before the truth, my children. Your time is a short time. Do not permit delusions to begin to rule over you.” (11/02/06)

“Reject your arrogance and kneel down before my Son. Understand, my children, that you have nothing and you can do nothing. The only thing that is yours and what you possess is sin. Be cleansed and accept meekness and humility.” (07/02/2007)

“I will help you to triumph over the errors and temptations with my grace. I will teach you love, love which wipes away all sins and makes you perfect, love which gives you the peace of my Son now and forever.” (03/02/2010)

“Dear children, all that my Son – who is the light of love – has done and does, he has done out of love. Also you, my children, when you live in love and love your neighbours, you are doing the will of my Son. Apostles of my love, make yourselves little; open your pure hearts to my Son so that he can work through you.” (05/02/2018)