The visionary Ivan of Medjugorje tells you what happens in the apparition

 

Ivan: "Our Lady took me to Heaven twice"

Hi Ivan, can you describe us what an apparition of Our Lady is like?

«Vicka, Marija and I have the encounter with the Madonna every day. We prepare ourselves by reciting the rosary at 18 with all the people in the chapel. As the moment approaches, 7 minus 20, I feel more the presence of the Madonna in my heart. The first sign of his arrival is a light, a light of Paradise, a piece of Paradise comes to us. As soon as the Madonna arrives I don't see anything around me anymore: I only see her! At that moment I feel neither space nor time. In every apparition, Our Lady prays with outstretched hands on the priests present; bless us all with his maternal blessing. In recent times, Our Lady prays for holiness in families. Pray in his Aramaic language. Then, a private conversation follows between the two of us. It is difficult to describe what an encounter with the Madonna is like. At each meeting he addresses me with such a beautiful thought that I can live on this word for a day ».

How do you feel after the apparition?

«It is difficult to convey this joy to others. There is a desire, a hope, during the apparition, and I say in my heart: "Mother, stay a little longer, because it is so nice to be with you!". His smile, looking at his eyes full of love ... The peace and joy I feel during the apparition accompany me throughout the day. And when I can't sleep at night, I think: what will Our Lady tell me next day? I examine my conscience and think if my actions were in the will of the Lord, and if Our Lady will be happy? Your encouragement gives me a special charge ».

Our Lady has been sending you messages for more than thirty years. What are the main ones?

«Peace, conversion, return to God, prayer with the heart, penance with fasting, the message of love, the message of forgiveness, the Eucharist, the reading of sacred writing, the message of hope. Our Lady wants to adapt to us and then simplifies them to help us practice them and live them better. When he explains a message, he takes a lot of effort to understand it. The messages are addressed to the whole world. Our Lady never said "dear Italians ... dear Americans ...". Every time she says "Dear my children", because we are all important to her. At the end he says: "Thank you dear children, because you answered my call". Our Lady thanks us ».

Does Our Lady say that we must welcome her messages "with the heart"?

«Together with the message for peace, the most repeated one in these years is the message of prayer with the heart. All other messages are based on these two. Without prayer there is no peace, we cannot recognize sin, we cannot forgive, we cannot love. Praying with the heart, not mechanically, not to follow a tradition, not looking at the clock ... Our Lady wants us to dedicate time to God. To pray with all our being to be a living encounter with Jesus, a dialogue, a rest . Thus we can be full of joy and peace, without burdens in the heart ».

How much does he ask you to pray?

«Our Lady wishes us to pray for three hours every day. When people hear this request they get scared. But when he speaks of three hours of prayer he does not mean only the recitation of the rosary, but also the reading of sacred scripture, Mass, adoration of the Blessed Sacrament and family sharing of the Word of God. I add the works of charity and help to the next. I remember that years ago a doubtful Italian pilgrim came about the three hours of prayer. We had a little conversation. The following year she returned: "Does Our Lady always ask for three hours of prayer?". I replied: “You are late. Now he wants us to pray 24 hours. ""

That is, Our Lady asks for the conversion of the heart.

"Exact. Opening the heart is a program for our life, like our conversion. I did not convert suddenly: my conversion is a path to life. Our Lady turns to me and my family and helps us because she wants my family to be a model for others ".

Our Lady speaks of her "plan" which must be realized: 31 years have already passed, what is this plan?

«Our Lady has a specific plan for the world and for the Church. He says: “I am with you and together with you I want to carry out this plan. Decide for good, fight against sin, against evil ". I don't really know what this plan is. This does not mean that I should not pray for its realization. We don't always have to know everything! We must trust the requests of Our Lady ».

In none of the sanctuaries I know so many priests come as in Medjugorje ...

«It is a sign that here is the source. Those priests who come once, will return. No priest who comes to Medjugorje does so because he is obliged, but because he has heard a call ".

In this period, especially in the messages to Mirjana, Our Lady recommends praying for the shepherds ...

«Even in the messages he gives to me I feel this concern for the shepherds. But at the same time, with prayer for priests, he wants to bring hope to the Church. He loves his "beloved children" who are priests ».

Our Lady showed the visionaries the afterlife to remind us that we are pilgrims on earth. Can you tell us about this experience?

«In 1984 and also in 1988 the Madonna showed me Heaven. He told me the day before. That day, I remember, Our Lady came, took me by the hand and in a moment I arrived in Paradise: a space without borders in the valley of Medjugorje, without borders, where songs are heard, there are angels and people walk and sing ; all wear long dresses. People looked the same age ... It's hard to find the words. Our Lady guides us to Heaven and when she comes every day she brings us a piece of Heaven ».

Is it fair to say, as Vicka also said, that after 31 years "we are still at the beginning of the apparitions"?

«Many times the priests ask me: why the apparitions last so long? Or: we have the Bible, the Church, the sacraments ... Our Lady asks us: “Do you live all these things? Do you practice them? " This is the question we need to answer. Do we really live what we know? Our Lady is with us for this. We know that we must pray in the family and we do not do it, we know that we must forgive and we do not forgive, we know the commandment of love and we do not love, we know that we must do works of charity and we do not do them. Our Lady is so long among us because we are stubborn. We don't live what we know. "

Is it fair to say that the "time of secrets" will be a time of great trial for the Church and for the world?

"Yup. We can't say anything about secrets. I can only say that a very important time is coming, in particular for the Church. We must all pray for this intention ».

Will it be a time of trial for faith?

"It is already a little bit now."

Source: The Newspaper