These apparitions started on 24th June 1981 and are continuing every day. At the beginning, Our Lady presented herself saying : "I am the Queen of Peace"; and the first message that she sent to the world is one of peace. This message is the essential one around which all else revolves. The context of the message is this : The world with all its present tensions is going towards its ruin. If it wants to be saved, it must have peace, but it will only have peace if it finds God ; those who find God find a joy in their hearts from which comes peace.

Here is the second message which has been repeated to us a thousand times :"Be converted, be converted, be converted." Then come the messages of prayer and fasting. Our Lady says :"There are many Christians who no longer believe because they do not pray. So start with at least seven Our Father's, Hail Mary's, Glory Be's and the Creed every day. Fast on Fridays on bread and water. Fasting cannot be substituted by prayer and almsgiving ; only the sick can substitute it by prayer and almsgiving." Then she stressed the need for monthly confession for a full participation in the Holy Eucharist. Once she spoke of the Holy Eucharist saying :"Those Christians who go to church without preparation, without receiving Holy Communion, without giving thanks, it is better that they do not go because their hearts become hard." She said to Jelena, one of the visionaries :"When you go to church, start preparing for Mass as soon as you leave home and never leave the church without thanking God."

So the messages are these : PEACE, PRAYER, FASTING, THE SACRAMENTS AND AN URGENT CONVERSION.

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THE TEN SECRETS

All the visionaries say they have seen Heaven and Purgatory, four of them have seen Hell and two girls prayed Our Lady not to let them see it because they were afraid. These visionaries say that, from the very beginning, Our Lady told them she would confide ten secrets to them for the whole of humanity : up to now (1984), eight secrets have already been confided to Vicka, ten to Mirjana, and nine to the others. (As at 31/1/03 - Ten secrets have been confided to Mirjana, Ivanka and to Jacov, and nine to the rest). I that you know the names of all the children who have the visions : Vicka Ivankovic, Ivanka Ivankovic, Jacov Colo, Ivan Dragicevic, Mirjana Dragicevic and Marija Pavlovic

These visionaries say that the ten secrets refer to the whole world and are linked together in a chain. There are also other secrets, personal secrets for the children or for certain people who are connected with these future world events. Among the ten secrets there is the promise of Our Lady to leave a visible sign on the site of the apparitions here in Medjugorje. The visionaries say they have seen this sign in a vision. It is very beautiful, permanent and indestructable. It will be given here in Medjugorje for all humanity and many miracles will be connected with it. Five of the children know the date on which the sign will occur : all of them stress that this period until the appearance of the visible sign, is a period of grace and for the strengthening of faith.

Mirjana tells us something more about the secrets and the future of the world. As from Christmas 1982, Mirjana no longer has daily apparitions, on that date she received the last of the ten secrets for humanity and the dates of all the secrets to come. On that day Our Lady said :" Now turn to God by faith as everybody else. I will appear for your birthday and when there are difficulties in your life." After this, Our Lady has appeared twice on her birthday on 18th March 1983 and 1984. (Since 1984 Our Lady has appeared each 18th March, and also Mirjana now sees Our Lady on the 2nd of each month, where she prays for unbelievers)

Mirjana says that before the visible sign appears, three secrets will be revealed to the world. These three secrets will be three admonishments to the world and will be revealed by her three days before they are to occur. She will tell a priest what should happen. After the three admonishments, the visible sign will appear and after the sign, if the world is not converted, the punishment will come. Mirjana says that the punishment will surely come because it is no use expecting the conversion of the whole world, but it can be diminished. She tell us that the seventh secret has already been cancelled. This was an evil one, which was coming to the world for its sins, but it has been cancelled because many people have fasted and prayed. From this we can see that punishment can be diminished by penance, fasting and prayer. This is why Our Lady always urges us :"Pray, fast and be converted."

I asked Mirjana if there is a long or rather short time before these things come to pass and she replied that, for her, it is a short time. What is meant by short I do not know ; does it mean months, years or decades ? I do not know. However, she said "This period is short." Then I asked her another question, "What do you want to tell the world of today ?" She replied,"Be converted as quickly as possible and open your hearts to God."

THE CENTURY OF SATAN.

Mirjana had a particular vision on 14th April 1982. While she was waiting for Our Lady to appear, Satan arrived disguised as Our Lady. She writes,"He was ugly, horribly ugly. You cannot even imagine how ugly, he almost killed me with his gaze, I almost fainted. He then told me,'You must leave God and Our Lady because they will make you suffer, come with me and I will make you happy in love and life.' My heart echoed -No, no, no! Then Satan went away and Our Lady came and she said to me :"I am sorry for this, but you must know that Satan exists and has asked God to allow him to test the Church for a certain period with the intention of destroying Her. God allowed him to have one century, saying ,'You will not destroy Her.' This century in which we are living is under Satan's power. When the secrets I have confided to you come about, his power will be destroyed. Satan has become aggresive because he is losing his power. He is breaking up marriages, causing quarrels amongst priests, obsessing people, even killing them. Therefore, protect yourselves by prayer, fasting and, above all, community prayer. Renew the use of holy water, wear blessed and holy objects and put them in your homes."

There have been foreign experts here in Medjugorje who say that this vision is the same as that which Pope Leo XIII had a century ago when he saw the Church attacked by demons in an apocalyptic vision. Afterwards, he introduced the prayer to St. Michael the Archangel to be recited by the priest after Mass which was said until the recent Vatican Council.

(The) Other five visionaries continue to have daily apparitions. The apparitions are now fairly brief, about one minute. Our Lady does not give many answers, but urges us continuously to pray, to do penance and to live the Gospel. The details about these five visionaries during the last year are the following. As from 7th January, 1983 Our Lady has been telling the children some episodes of her life. She has been telling Vicka the story of her life every evening and all this will be published when Our Lady says so. Since mid-July, 1983 Our Lady has been telling the future of the world to Ivanka. All this has to be written down by the visionary and afterwards, to be published when Our Lady tells her.

The last most powerful messages were given in the Autumn. In September, through Jacov, Our Lady said : "I have already several times that peace in the world is in danger : have brotherly love for each other, increase your prayers and fasting so that you may be saved." Jacov said that everyone must be told this. Then, on 30th November, 1983 Our Lady told Marija to tell the priest : "You must advise the Bishop and the Pope at once of the urgency and great importance of this message for the whole of humanity."

THE SECOND TYPE OF APPARITIONS.

Other details of the last months are connected with the intention of Our Lady to guide the Parish on the way to its consecration to God. I will talk about this later, as it is connected with the other phenomenon. In addition to the six young people who have the apparitions in the strict sense of the word, there are two young girls, 11 and 12 years old, who see Our Lady with their heart. They see her in a different way and cannot touch her as the other six do. Their names are Jelena Vasilj and Marijana Vasilj. Jelena started this experience on 15th December 1982 : Marijana, together with another young girl, saw Our Lady on Good Friday 1983. Our Lady told Jelena that if the two of them continued with prayer and fasting they would receive the gift of locutio interna, that they would hear her voice. Marijana persevered and received the gift of locutio interna on 5th October 1983 for her birthday. This phenomenon is, at the same time, divergent from and convergent with the other phenomenon. That is to say that the separate accounts of everything that Our Lady has told the six children confirm one another. They do not know the secrets, however, and Our Lady told Jelena at the beginning : "I do not intend to reveal the secrets through you, but rather to guide you on the path to consecration to God." In this young girl we can, in fact, see very strong spiritual dynamics with many spiritual experiences.

BE CONVERTED

Through Jelena, Our Lady sent a message to the world on 25th April 1983 : "Tell my sons and daughters that my heart is burning for them. I ask only for conversion, only conversion." I asked if I should tell this to the Pope and Our Lady replied : "To all as quickly as possible." She continued : "The word I tell the world is 'be converted'. I will pray to my Son not to punish the world, but you must be converted. You do not know, you will not know and cannot know what God will send the world; you must be converted. Renounce everything and be ready for everything. That is all I wish to tell the world; be converted."

This message was given in an atmosphere of a thousand questions from the clergy, the Bishop and priests who were saying; who knows if she has appeared, how she appeared, why she has appeared at Medjugorje, why not in another parish; why, why, why ? Then Our Lady said : "The word I want to tell the world is; be converted."

THE PRAYER GROUP

As from the second anniversary of the apparitions here at Medjugorje, 24th June, 1983, Our Lady through Jelena, is guiding a prayer group. Our Lady said : "I wish to have a prayer group. Everyone can participate, but I commend it particularly to young people because they are freer from engagements and, in a special way, to those young people who wish to lead a consecrated life."

Now the group is a closed one. Our Lady said : "I will tell you when other groups can be formed." She asks the following essential resolutions of the group : a total abandonment to God, to renounce all fear, because she said : "When you have abandoned yourselves to God, there is no more fear in your hearts." At least three hours prayer every day ; at least half an hour in the morning and evening. She recommended daily Mass. Then, twice a week, fasting on bread and water; for the past five months she has asked the group for three consecutive days of fasting for special needs of the Church

She stressed, especially, the need for the group to love its enemies, not to slander, not to bear ill feeling towards anybody, but only to love and bless. She has asked the group to follow her for four years and during this period not to choose a vocation, not to enter a convent or to marry. I asked, "Why not even go into a convent ?". She replied : "You are all free, you can become part of the group or not, but I am putting these conditions to the group and I tell all Christians that the most important thing is to enter into the depth of prayer and then you will able to make the right choice." Last year, through Jelena, Our Lady expressed the wish several times that the world be consecrated to the Heart of Jesus and to the Immaculate Heart. In the Autumn she emphasised this and dictated two prayers of consecration to the Sacred Hearts.

In the last week of Advent, Our Lady said : "Start invoking the Holy Spirit every day in church." Later on she recommended that the invocation to the Holy Spirit be made, not only in church, also in the family and said : "Every morning say at least five Our Father's, Hail Mary's, Glory Be's in expiation of the wounds of Our Lord and a sixth Our Father, Hail Mary and Glory Be for the intentions of the Pope. Recite the 'Angelus', make the consecration to the Sacred Hearts and invoke the Holy Spirit. Do at least this much every morning."

The subject of prayer to the Holy Spirit is greatly stressed by Our Lady. Once she said : "Many people pray in the wrong way, they ask for graces, but few ask for the grace of the Holy Spirit. But it is those who receive the gift of the Holy Spirit who have received everything. First of all, ask for the gift of the Holy Spirit."

OUR LADY IS GUIDING THE PARISH

At the beginning of 1984, through Jelena, Our Lady expressed the wish that the parishoners meet one evening each week and it was decided to do so each Thursday evening in order to be guided by Our Lady. Our first meeting took place on 1st March and, on that occasion, Our Lady gave the first message to the Parish through Marija :"Dear children, I have chosen this Parish in a special way because I want to guide you and protect you by love. Thank you for coming. May more of you come each time and stay close to my Son and I. I will give you a message each Thursday." She has continued in this way each Thursday to give us a message.

I will only give you a brief summary of Our Lady's messages. Once she expressed the desire that all the parishoners be truly converted so that this community could become a source of conversion for all those who come here. She stressed the importance of the adoration of the Blessed Sacrament, the Veneration of Our Lord's Wounds, especially His Side Wound. Once she said : "Stop talking, but pray for the unity of the Parish because my Son and I have a special plan connected with it."

Last Thursday, Holy Thursday, she said : "Share in my feelings ; pray, pray, pray." On 1st March, through Jelena, at the first meeting of the Parish, she gave this message : "Every Thursday, re-read and put into practice the passage from the Gospel of St. Matthew VI, 24-34: a man cannot be the slave of two masters ! Do not be worried : look at the birds of the air, make it your first care to find the Kingdom of God ..." Later on you will realise that this passage of the Gospel has not been chosen by Our Lady at random but because it reflects the meaning of peace as spoken of by her. That same evening she said to Jelena : "Every Thursday, those who smoke should give it up at least on that day, those who drink alcohol give that up and others can give up some other pleasure and, if there are some generous people amongst you, they can also fast."

On 21st March she said to Jelena : "Today I am rejoicing with all my angels. The first part of my programme has been accomplished." Then she paused and wept saying : "I do not know what to say. There are many people who live in sin ! here amongst you, too, there are some people who are piercing my heart. Pray and fast for them."

The following day, 22nd March, she said to Jelena : "Yesterday I told you that the first part of my programme has already been accomplished ; now turn to the second part by fasting and prayer so that this part, too, may be accomplished."

THE MESSAGES FOR HOLY WEEK

A special message during Lent was given for Holy Saturday. Our Lady said : "Prepare yourselves in a special way for Holy Saturday. Do not ask me why for Saturday, but I repeat to you ; prepare yourselves for Holy Saturday."

Now I will tell you what Our Lady said yesterday evening. I will try to translate it. Before I tell you what Our Lady said yesterday, on Good Friday she said : "You must be very happy. Today Jesus died for your salvation. He descended into Hell, opened the doors of Paradise and opened the door of Paradise in your hearts ; so you must be happy." I was surprised that Our Lady was not weeping and calling us to penance but actually on Good Friday said : "You must be very happy."

Yesterday evening Jelena and Marijana had a proper meditation. I will try to give you an approximate translation of the contents of the message. Jelena said this : Our Lady said : "Lift up your hands, long for Jesus because at this time of His Resurrection He wishes to give you graces. I am telling everyone to be enthusiastic about the Resurrection of Jesus. Meditate, meditate on this. Heaven and Earth are praising Him because He is risen." Then, after a silence, she said : "All of us in Heaven are happy but we need joy in your hearts. My gift and that of my Son Jesus which we are offering to you now is this : your ordeals will be lightened. We will be close to you in your difficulties and will show you the way out of them if you accept Us." I am doing my best to translate this for you ; to continue : "Now in moments of trial you will be especially helped and the trials made easier for you." Then she added : "Pray a great deal, pray tomorrow." - that is, today - : "that Jesus is truly risen, so that He may be truly risen in your families. There is much quarrelling and I want to transform it into resurrection and peace. I want something to be born in your hearts. Do not say that the year of Redemption is over and you do not need to pray but rather strengthen your prayer. May the year of Redemption be only a stepping stone in your lives."

Jelena has seen the Risen Jesus and a brilliant light shining from His wounds. Jesus blesses everyone, telling them to continuously experience the graces and joys in their hearts and to tell everyone in the world that salvation comes from Him and Him alone. At the end Our Lady said : "My Children, thank you ! Continue reawaking the Resurrection of Jesus in all men." Marijana then added that Our Lady also said : "Dear Children, today I am joyful because many of the faithful have truly lived Holy Saturday as I desired."

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