33rd Sunday - Medjugorje 10 Secrets

 

In the Gospel for today, Our Lord describes what it will be like before His Second Coming. “In those days after the tribulation the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light, and the stars will be falling from the sky, and the powers in the heavens will be shaken.”

There is a short book written in 1884 by a priest, Rev. P. Huchede, who taught in a seminary. Its entitled Antichrist. It explains that these events are both literal and symbolic. The author said for example the sun will be darkened is symbolic of the Church being eclipsed. It will not be a light in the world as though the world has overcome the Church. And he said the stars falling from the sky represent (bishops who are fallen from grace). A different commentary from the St. Ignatius Catholic Study Bible said these events are only symbolic and represent a shock to the world.

I spoke about Medjugorje several times, where the Virgin Mary is allegedly appearing. The Church has not given approval of the apparitions, but has not condemned them either and we may believe them, as long as we adhere to any future pronouncement by the Church on the apparitions. This week I would like to explain what we know about the 10 Secrets, given to some of the visionaries. Not all of them have received all 10 secrets but they will.

Some believe its possible the Virgin Mary's appearances have something to do with Second Coming of Jesus. But what we do know is the Virgin Mary told the visionaries She would impart to Ten Secrets to them. Our Lady said after the first two secrets She will leave a permanent sign on apparition hill where She first appeared. All the secrets are for the world.

Mirjana was the first visionary to receive all ten secrets. Our Lady has given her the responsibility of revealing the secrets. Mirjana knows the day and date of each of the secrets. Our Lady told Mirjana to choose a priest to reveal the secrets to the world. Mirjana chose Father Petar Ljubicic. Ten days before the first secret is to be revealed, Father Petar will be given a parchment containing the Ten Secrets. When he receives the parchment, he will only be able to read the first secret. During the ten days, Father Petar, along with Mirjana are to spend the first seven days in fasting and prayer. Three days before the event takes place, he is to announce it to the world. At the proper time, he will be able to see and read the second secret, and then the third, etc., according to the schedule of Heaven. Mirjana said that Father Petar doesn’t have the right to choose whether to say or not to say them. He accepted this mission and he has to fulfill that according to God’s Will.

Fr. Peter has spoken to Miriana about the secrets. He said the first three secrets are encouragements from God.

In an interview with Mirjana, she said, the first secret “will not be a pleasant thing” It will be “something people will hear about for a long time” “The first secret will make abundant talk about oneself” and therefore will not need many explanations to precede it. It will be something, “that everyone, everywhere, will immediately hear of it”. During the appearance of October 25, 1985 Mirjana saw the first secret as if they were images projected on slides: “This shook me more than anything else. This was, of course, due to seeing the first secret. If people saw the first secret, as was shown to me yesterday, everyone would certainly be shocked enough to look at themselves and everything around them in a completely new way.“

Mirjana told P. Petar the day after the vision. “It will last for a while. It will be visible, it is necessary to shake the world a little. It will cause the world to stop and think.”

Without knowing for certain and by using the words of Miriana it would seem it is possible, the first secret would be something like an illumination of conscience, where the person will see all their sins and how their sins have negatively affected others and its purpose would be to help the person to try to lead a different life more in accord the way God wants each person to live.

The third secret will be a visible, lasting sign that will be miraculously on Apparition Hill. The visionaries say they have seen this sign in a vision. It is very beautiful, permanent and indestructible. It will be given in Medjugorje for all humanity and many miracles will be connected with it.

Five of the visionaries 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. Everyone will see that human hands will not have made it. People will be able to photograph and film the sign, but in order to comprehend it and experience it with the heart, they will need to come to Medjugorje seeing it live with the eyes will be far more beautiful. After the sign it will be difficult for even the most skeptic atheists to doubt the existence of God and the authenticity of the apparitions.

Mirjana and Vicka have stated part of the seventh secret no longer exists. It was something evil, but due to the prayers and fasting it has been averted. That’s why the Virgin Mary is stressing to now pray and fast to decrease some of the future chastisements.

The night and tenth secrets are serious. They concern chastisement for the sins of the world. Punishment is inevitable, for we cannot expect the whole world to be converted. The punishment can be diminished by prayer and penance, but it cannot be eliminated.

Three of the visionaries, Mirjana, Ivanka, and Jakov, have all ten secrets and no longer see Our Lady on a daily basis. Ivan, Marija and Vicka, each have 9 secrets and still see Our Lady on a daily basis.

Miriana said this about the 10 Secrets and what the Virgin Mary is doing. “Our Lady is planning on changing the world. She did not come to announce our destruction. She came to save us and with Her Son, She will triumph over evil. If our Mother promises to defeat evil then what do we have to fear.”

I would like to encourage you to fast on Wed. and Fri., to pray the Rosary daily and to read the bible daily. To go to Confession monthly, to pray with the heart and to attend Mass as often as you are able. And continue to open your hearts to Jesus in Eucharistic Adoration when you make your Holy Hour. This way, you and your family will be prepared and not worry about the future, but rather will trust that Mary will walk with us and hold us by the hand each day.

Finally, next Saturday at 6:30pm, I will give a presentation on the 2^nd Coming of Jesus, the Antichrist, the three days of darkness and the illumination of conscience at the parish hall. Hot dogs and chips will be provided.