Letter from father Jozo

“He is not here: for he is risen, as he said :"go quickly, and tell his disciples that he is risen from the dead." Matthew 28: 6-7

My dear brothers and sisters!
Never as now, have I felt such a profound need to thank Our Loand the the Queen of Peace for each one of you. It is 25 years since the beginning of the Apparitions - 25 years of growing up with the Mother as Our Lord in Nazareth did, growing in grace and wisdom, before God and man.
Each one of you is the fortunate one who has found the buried treasure in the field of our difficult times, a time in which people do not feel the need to stop before the Lord, a time in which our families have become "modern" without praying together. Instead of being with the Lord,they spend their time before television screens and its false prophets,teachers and friends.
You are the fortunate one before whom the Queen of Peace has stoppedand called you to dosomething new, something more than ordinary. You are fortunate because infeeling that you are chosen, you have listened to her call:"I have called you; I have chosenyou, and I need you." In visiting Elizabeth in Ain Karem, the Blessed Virgin brought greatpeace and blessing. Theothers, beside Elizabeth who was chosen, did not feel this. Not everyone has recognized or felt Our Lady's Apparitions in Medjugorje, only those chosen. It is those, who full of joy like Elizabeth, glorify, magnify and give thanks because they have recognized:"The Mother of my God has come to me"
That great joy is a new beginning in our lives, as it was in the life of Elizabeth.
The Apparitions and all the graces that entered into our lives, families, theChurch and the entire world through the Queen of Peace, have changed the lives of many. Our Lady uses the visionaries and calls them to witness to everyone despite all the trials and difficulties. She uses every pilgrim to transmit the message into his life and family. In a special way,the Mother uses us because we have responded to her call to live her messages and to bearfruit.
It is most difficult to move Medjugorje from the level of‘information’ into life, because themessages are not ‘information’ or an ‘event’ for newspaper articles. They are not merchandise for the marketplace, but a seed that seeks an openheart to be sown andlived so as to bear a hundredfold yield. For this reason I must always ask myself if my heart and my soul are open and humble; if they are nurtured like the earth and prepared for the sowing. Without fruit we are in great error like the Pharisees who defend themselves with various activities such as pilgrimages, fasting, listening to prayer programs andthe like. Our prayer family is much more. We are most like the community that Jesus formed to witness Him to the whole world, united in prayer and acts of love.
In order to be persevering and fearless in our Apostolate, we need the gifts of the Holy Spirit. These gifts are given to the Church, united in prayer with the Mother of Our Lord. Therefore, may this Lent be our precious time which we spend in fasting, prayer, sacrifice and listening to the Word of God. May this holy time of grace be a cultivation of our hearts and souls that we may be able to receive the necessary gifts and bear fruit.
By living the messages, let us help to prepare the way for themillions of pilgrims who will comeor have been to Medjugorje. Let us help them to be open to the graces and thus to participate in the renewal of the Church in the world. In this holy time, we are called to renew the fervor of honoring and adoring the Blessed Sacrament. We are called to pray for OurLadyÂ’s intentions and the intentions of the Holy Father. We are called to begin the Apostolate of living the Rosary in our midst and to start spending an hour with the Bible so as to reawaken the love and the faith in the living Word of God. Confession and the Holy Mass must be holy to us.They must become ou rleaning post for each spiritual advancement
. If we observe nations and families in the entire world today we willrecognize a difficultcrisis. The Queen of Peace responds to our needs and shows us the shortestway to our renewal. We are chosen. Let us respond to that call with faith and love.
I often observe those who come asking for help. They are mostly those who seek spiritual adviceand aid. So many knock on our doors to put themselves and their needs in our prayers. More than ever before, groups that pray are necessary to pray for those who never pray. Those who have timefor others, because they love, are necessary. The merciful Samaritans of our time are essential because there are many wounded. There must bethe signs on the way because so many have become lost.
My dear brothers and sisters!As I await the resurrection of the Lord, I also wait for our springtime andour rebirth. We areso needed by Our Lady and She counts on us. There are so many of those whospread error and bringdarkness; so many enemies of the family and youth. There are so manyenemies of the priests andreligious. Therefore there must be those who completely surrender so thatnone may be lost, asJesus told us. Do your utmost to grow and to advance. With great hope, I look forward to ourAnnual Meeting this year when we will reflect on ourselves and the messages which we have received. We will contemplate how and in what way we must be intercessors because this is more important than any medicine. For this reason let us pray that the HolySpirit may lead and move us for the messages to bear a hundredfold yield. I offer my prayers,fasting and good works for each one of you and your step forward. Wholeheartedly I congratulate you and wish you a happy and blessed Easter. May the Risen Lord say to each of us: “Fear not. My peaceI give you, my peace I leave with you.” May each one of us be a joyful messenger of His Resurrection.
Warmest greetings to all,
Sincerely yours,Fr. Jozo Zovko, O.F.M.
27.03.2006