Monthly Apparition and Good-bye to Medjugorje

View of Hotel Mir from around
the bend in the road.

 Mirjana at Apparition Hill  

   Mirjana, one of the visionaries had an apparition this morning.  Father Joe got up very early in order to beat the crowd of pilgrims
who numbered in the thousands.  His dedication got him to the top of Apparition Hill (Crnica Broda or Podbrdo in Croatian) where Mirjana receives her monthly message from Mary.  I decided to go over to the Risen Christ area after breakfast, instead.  It is located behind St. James ("Sveti Jakov") Church.  On my way to the Risen Christ, I met Fr. Adam who was returning from the Apparition Hill area because it was too crowded and impossible to see anything.  I told him I was going to the Risen Christ to view Apparition Hill from a distance.  My thinking was that you could see Apparition Hill from this vantage point should anything unusual occur, albeit, from a distance.  A few others had the same idea as well, and since they did not number in the thousands, my view wasn't obstructed at the least.  The only disappointment was that I wanted to be alone praying at the foot of the Risen Christ before Mary's apparition to Mirjana.  I waited in line with a tissue to wipe the mysterious oil that sometimes pours out of one of the legs of Jesus.  One kind Croatian man took my tissue and wiped the oil for me since I wasn't tall enough to reach it.  I prayed briefly in the Risen Christ area before walking over toward the section that faced Apparition Hill.  I waited with many others in the warm, very bright, early morning sun.  It was beautiful.  No one spoke.  A peace lingered in the air.  I saw Apparition Hill in the distance and I learned of Mary's message to the world via Mirjana later that day.   Our Lady's message to Mirjana was in part " ...  Give me your open, purified hearts and I will fill them with the love for my Son.  His love will give meaning to your life and I will walk with you ..."  Is it any wonder that I felt a sense of peace as I faced Apparition Hill but could hear nothing?

Exterior of Hotel Mir facing
the main entrance. 

Dobar Put!

 Our bags had to be down in the lobby by 10:30 A.M. so we could be ready to board the bus taking us to Dubrovnik.  I had brought my bags down before breakfast and made sure that I could be back at the hotel from the Risen Christ before our departure.  What a sight it was as our bus began to move away from our hotel, Hotel Mir!  The hotel staff and Roza (the Croatian whose family owns hotels in Medjugorje and who is a close friend of the visionary Vicka) had lined up outside the hotel to wish us all a fond farewell.  Imagine the staff of your hotel lined up at the main entrance bidding you an affectionate departure.  It was like family seeing you off as you continued on your travels.  I couldn't retrieve my camera out of its bag and get the camera lens cover off quickly enough to shoot a photograph of the entire party as they were lined up waving their goodbyes; however, that tender moment is forever etched in my mind and in my heart as they wished us "dobar put" (literally "good trip" in Croatian).