Then, staff in hand, David selected five smooth stones from the wadi and put them in the pocket of his shepherd’s bag. With his sling in hand, he approached the Philistine. (1 Samuel 17:40)
Long-standing relationship with the One True God comes out of contrition, not attrition. God desires that we give ourselves to Him freely, not out of obligation. The obligations are there, and religion instructs us thoroughly on these, but sometimes it’s important to return to the basics. After all, sometimes human precepts muddy the waters. Bones give structure to the body, and the “five stones” of Medjugorje can help give structure to our faith. The following material is sourced from Medjugorje Web (https://www.medjugorje.org/).
The Main Messages of Medjugorje
Stone #1: Prayer
Prayer is the center of Our Lady’s plan and is the most frequent message in Medjugorje.
“Today also I am calling you to prayer. You know, dear children, that God grants special graces in prayer… I call you, dear children, to prayer with the heart.” (April 25, 1987)
“Without unceasing prayer, you cannot experience the beauty and greatness of the grace which God is offering you.” (February 25, 1989)
Our Lady’s recommended prayers:
In the beginning, following an old Croatian tradition, Our Lady asked for the daily praying of: The Creed, followed by Seven Our Fathers, Hail Mary’s, and Glory Be’s.
Later, Our Lady recommended praying the Rosary. First Our Lady asked us to pray 5 decades, then 10, and finally Our Lady wishes us to pray daily, together or individually, the entire 15 Mysteries of the Rosary (Joyful, Sorrowful, and Glorious Mysteries).
Everybody should pray. Our Lady says: “May prayer reign in the whole world.” (August 25, 1989) Through prayer, we will defeat satan’s power, and obtain peace and salvation for our souls.
“You know that I love you and am coming here out of love, so I could show you the path of peace and salvation for your souls. I want you to listen to me and not permit Satan to seduce you. Dear children, Satan is strong enough! Therefore, I ask you to dedicate your prayers so that those who are under his influence may be saved. Give witness by your life, sacrifice your lives for the salvation of the world… Therefore, little children, do not be afraid. If you pray, Satan cannot injure you, not even a little, because you are God’s children and He is watching over you. Pray, and let the Rosary always be in your hands as a sign to Satan that you belong to me.” (February 25, 1989)
Stone #2: Fasting
In the Old Testament and in the New Testament, there are many examples of fasting. Jesus fasted frequently. According to Tradition, fasting is encouraged especially in times of great temptation or severe trials. Certain devils, “can be cast out in no other way except by prayer and fasting”, said Jesus. (Mark 9:29)
Fasting is essential in order to achieve spiritual freedom. Through fasting, one is better able to listen to God and man and to perceive them more clearly. If, through fasting, we achieve that freedom, we will be more aware of many things. Once we are aware that we can enjoy the necessities of life without struggle, then many fears and worries fade away. We become more open to our families and to the people with whom we live and work. Our Lady recommends fasting twice a week: “Fast strictly on Wednesdays and Fridays.” (August 14, 1984)
She asks us to accept this difficult message “….with a firm will.” She asks us to “Persevere in … fasting.” (June 25, 1982)
“The best fast is on bread and water. Through fasting and prayer one can stop wars, one can suspend the natural laws of nature. Works of charity cannot replace fasting… Everyone except the sick, has to fast.” (July 21, 1982)
Stone #3: Daily Reading of the Bible
“Dear children, today I call you to read the Bible everyday in your homes and let it be in a visible place so as always to encourage you to read it and pray.” (October 18, 1984)
It is very rare to hear Our Lady say, “you must”. She “desires”, “calls”, etc., but on one occasion, She used a very strong Croatian verb that means “must”. “Every family must pray family prayers and read the Bible.” (February 14, 1985)
Stone #4: Confession
Our Lady asks for monthly confession. From the very first days of the apparitions, Our Lady spoke about confession: “Make your peace with God and among yourselves. For that, it is necessary to believe, to pray, to fast, and to go to confession.” (June 26, 1981)
“Whoever has done very much evil during his life can go straight to Heaven if he confesses, is sorry for what he has done, and receives Communion at the end of his life.” (July 24, 1982)
“Monthly confession will be a remedy for the Church in the West. One must convey this message to the West.” (August 6, 1982)
“Do not go to confession through habit, to remain the same after that. No, it is not good. Confession should give an impulse to your faith. It should stimulate you and bring you closer to Jesus. If confession does not mean anything for you, really, you will be converted with great difficulty.” (November 7, 1983)
Stone #5: The Eucharist
Our Lady recommends Sunday Mass, and when possible, daily Mass. It has been reported by the visionaries that Our Lady has cried when speaking of the Eucharist and the Mass. She said: “You do not celebrate the Eucharist as you should. If you would know what grace and what gifts you receive, you would prepare yourselves for it each day for an hour at least.” (1985)
The evening Mass in Medjugorje is the most important moment of the day because Our Lady is present and She gives us Her Son in a special way. The Mass is more important than any of Our Lady’s apparitions. Marija said that if she had to choose between the Eucharist and the apparition, she would choose the Eucharist. Our Lady said: “The evening Mass must be kept permanently.” (October 6, 1981)
She also asked that the prayer to the Holy Spirit always be said before Mass. Our Lady wants to see the Holy Mass as “the highest form of prayer” and “the center of our lives” (according to Marija). Vicka also says that the Blessed Mother sees the Mass as “the most important and the most holy moment in our lives. We have to be prepared and pure to receive Jesus with a great respect. The Mass should be the center of our lives” Our Lady is crying because people do not have enough respect toward the Eucharist. The Mother of God wants us to realize the extreme beauty of the mystery of the Mass. She has said: “There are many of you who have sensed the beauty of the Holy Mass… Jesus gives you His graces in the Mass.” (April 3, 1986)
“Let the Holy Mass be your life.” (April 25, 1988) This means that the sacrifice and resurrection of Christ must become our life, together with the hope of His second coming. During Mass, we receive the Living Christ and in Him we receive the whole mystery of our salvation that must transform and transfigure us. The Holy Mass is the perfect expression of the mystery of Christ in which we can fully participate in His life. Our Lady has said: “Mass is the greatest prayer of God. You will never be able to understand its greatness. That is why you must be perfect and humble at Mass, and you should prepare yourselves for it.” (1983)
Our Lady wants us to be full of joy and hope during Mass and to make an effort so that this moment will “be an experience of God”. Surrender to Jesus and the Holy Spirit is a very important part of the messages because it is the only path to holiness. To be open to the Holy Spirit in the Sacraments is the way we are going to be sanctified. In this way, Our Lady will obtain for us, the grace to become Her witnesses in the world to fulfill the plan of God and Her plan. Our Lady has said: “Open your hearts to the Holy Spirit. Especially during these days the Holy Spirit is working through you. Open your hearts and surrender your life to Jesus so that He works through your hearts.” (May 23, 1985)
“Pray, pray! It is necessary to believe firmly, to go to confession regularly, and, likewise, to receive Holy Communion. It is the only salvation.” (February 10, 1982)