Medjugorje - The new road to Damascus - Medjugorje-mir,mir,mir

Michael Douglas (author of Medjugorje - Peace in my heart) has launched a new book called Medjugorje - The new road to Damascus. It features 20 stories with one common thread, Medjugorje. All of these stories are written from the heart, some are from priests and the rest from ordinary men and women who travelled to Medjugorje not knowing what to expect. Their stories will help you to open your heart to Jesus and Mary.

All profits from this book go to Fr Svetozar's "Mothers Village". Copies of the book are available from the following outlets VERITAS bookshop Abbey street Dublin 1, Clonfert (Eddie Stone), Cathedral bookshop Galway and Mothers Village Medjugorje.

Michael can be contacted via the following:
Email m_douglas333@yahoo.ie
Phone: 00353 861 789496

Story 16 from Medjugorje - The new road to Damascus

Trust in God with all your Heart. by Ann-Marie

I first heard of Medjugorje in 1986, I was 15yrs old and the apparitions of Our Lady were already occuring daily since 1981. My neighbour had a rather large garage and they invited us neighbours to come and see a video of Medjugorje. I was very moved by it and remember thinking that I was the same age as the youngest visionary Jacov.  It wasn't until 14 years later that I landed on Medjugorje soil.

I arrived back in Medjugorje in June 2001, confident that the Holy Spirit had put it on my heart to  give up my montessori teaching job and spend some time there. The week I arrived was the week of the 20th anniversary of the first apparition. The village was thronged with people of all nationalities, all there because they had responded to Our Lady's call.  I was comfortable with my surroundings, I felt I was at home.  
The dawning of each new day led me to Podbrdo, the hill where Our Lady appeared for the first time to the visionaries and indeed many subsequent times.  I would take my time climbing, stopping at each plaque depicting the Joyful mysteries and pray the rosary. Arriving at the summit I would find a smooth rock to sit on and pray to Our Lady or just sit in silence and observe the beauty of the ruggedness- Our  Heavenly Father's creation and breathe in the odour of holiness that effusses the entire hill. Podbrdo Hill reminds me of life's journey. Its uphill and rough (our lives are more often than not a struggle) and every so often there is a lovely smooth stone ( like when times are easy and good in our lives) and we strive to reach the summit ( we are all striving to get to Heaven) but can fall on the journey (like the times we fall into sin in our lives and someone comes to help us up to begin our journey again ( this is like the sacrament of confession where we get the chance to wipe ourselves clean and begin again).

Living in Medjugorje was like looking in a magnifying mirror.  It seemed as if all my faults and failings were staring me in the face. You are made aware of your sins. Before this I would just have confessed the same childhood sins in confession time and time again, but here you get a deeper awarness of your faults.  The sacrament of Confession is under-estimated but it is such a  powerful gift to us all and Our Lady in Medjugorje encourages us to go to confession at least once a month.

I had the opportunity to help a nun called Sr Muriel, who brings food parcels to the poor and elderly of the neighbouring villages. It was such a humbling experience to serve these beautiful peeople. Sr. Muriel is an American nun living in Medjugorje for many years who daily visits the elderly. I recall one day loading up the van with food parcels and going out with Sr. Muriel to visit some people.  As Sister drove along a windy road I asked who were we going to visit and Sister's reply was a very elderly man in his 70's, I laughed because Sister was in her mid seventies at that time, but didn't look a day over 50!  On reaching our destinations we would bring the food packages into the houses or shacks.  Sometimes there was no electricity or running water in the houses or one roomed homes. If the homes were simple the occupants were twice as humble.  We were always greeted by a smiling face despite the pain and suffering they endured.  We would pray 1 Our Father, 1 Hail Mary and 1 Glory be in Croaian. I would hold their hands as we prayed.  I only had a few words of the native language, so the personal contact had to suffice. One lady showed me her wedding photo, her husband had been killed in the war in 1992.  The years of hardship had taken their toll on the face of this woman, but her eyes were sparkling and they were filled with sadness as she spoke of the death of her husband and filled with deep gratitude for the food and for spending a brief moment with her. I didnt understand most of what she said but her eyes told her story. They say the eyes are the window of the soul. As I reflect on these times as I write, I come to the realisation that those people gave more to me than I ever gave to them.

One grace Our Lord gave me while I lived in Medjugorje was the gift of spending time adoring Him in adoration of the Blessed Sacrament. Almost every afternoon I would go to the adoration chapel.  It may sound strange, but Our Lady guided me in my prayer life while I was there. It was gentle as only Our Lady can be, Our Lady prepared me for what was to come. Adoration of Jesus in the Blessed sacrament is a poignant time where Jesus pours an abundant of graces and blessings into our hearts.  Each moment we spend adoring Him, deepens our union with Him and makes our soul everlastingly more beautiful and glorious in Heaven.

The days living in Medjugorje turned into months and at the end of the 5th month, I began to get sick. I lost alot of weight and was vomiting constantly.  The Croatian family I was living with brought me to a clinic and the doctor gave me an injection to stop the vomiting but it didnt work.  I had to be hospitalised in Mostar (my first time ever to be in hospital). This hospital was very basic and had no heating, we were in the throws of winter and I was getting weaker.  Fortunately for me, one senior doctor spoke English and he organised a heater for me and extra blankets for my bed.  Fr Ciaran Mc Donnell, an Irish priest living in Medjugorje at that time brought me Holy Communion every day. Chris form Colombos resturaunt in Medjugorje brought me food and two friends Suzi and Martin visited me everyday,  I am forever grateful for their kindness.  After a week I came out of hospital, feeling well again but this didnt last long as mid-December aproached I began to get weaker.  Suzi and I booked our flights home for 19th December. At that time of year there was no direct flight back to Ireland and it seemed we had to go half way around the world to get home. We had to get a bus from Medjugorje to Zagreb an 8 hour journey then wait 3 hours in Zagreb before catching a flight to Hungary for another 6 hours wait for our flight back to Dublin. I know it was Our Lady that carried me on the journey home because I was so weak.

With my Mums tender loving care and good cooking I felt well again but by January the weakness and vomiting returned. I was driven to hospital by a dear friend Michael and remained there for over 3 weeks and was diagnosed with a rare auto-immune disease called Addisons Disease 2 and I had gone into what is termed an addisonian crisis. This disease affects the adrenal glands and they cease working. In order to stay alive I have to take steroids twice a day, everyday. I have had 3 addisonian crisis' since and they are critical times, where I have to be rushed to hospital to get huge doses intravenous hydro-cortisone to prevent me from dying.

I've learned to accept this cross and not to fight it.  There were time when I did try to fight it and I fell into a deep depression. I was prescribed anti-depressants but I didnt want to go on them, I felt I was on enough medication that I just couldn't take any more.  Out of the blue a priest friend of mine Fr. Adrian came to my house and wanted to talk to me.  I told him how I was feeling.  He prayed over me and said "Ann-Marie, no matter how bad or how low you feel you can never go lower than the palm of God's hand".
Thank God since that night the depression lifted and I  have embraced my cross.

I won't pretend its easy but I just take one day at a time and I'm learning to trust in Our Lord's mercy and goodness. I offer up this cross to Our Blessed Mother and Jesus everyday for their intentions and for the conversion of souls.
I have a few close friends who visit me all the time.  There are many many people spread across the world praying for me and having Holy masses offered for me and I ask the Lord to bless them all abundantly. I can no longer travel to Medjugorje, but I have it in my heart and it comes to me every evening via the internet.

I thank God everyday for my faith because without it I don't know where I would be. I've had miracles in my life and I know I will have a huge one when I'm healed and the Lord will be Glorified and the doctors baffled!!!.

Always be joyful, pray constantly and for all things give thanks
This is the Will of God for you in Christ Jesus
(1 Thes 5: 16-18)