The visionary Mirjana speaks of Medjugorje, the Madonna and the secrets

Conversation with Mirjana from Medjugorje

A. You know all the secrets. Even without revealing any secrets, what do you feel you are saying to the world today and to us?

M. The first thing I have to say is not to be afraid of these secrets because for us believers it could only be better later. I would suggest what Mary herself suggested: to pray more, to fast more, to do more penance, to help the sick, the sick, the elderly, to celebrate masses for souls in purgatory and more prayer for atheists. Because Mary suffers a lot for the atheists, because they are also his like us and she says to pray for them because - she says - they don't know what awaits them; so it's up to us to pray for them too.

A. We know that during the extraordinary apparition of 25.10.1985 Our Lady showed you a punishment for a region of the world. You were very sad. So are people right when they hear about secrets and punishments get scared and afraid?

M. It is not so, I think that whoever is a believer must know that God is his Father and Our Lady is his Mother and the Church is his home. Then I think there is no need to be afraid because this Father, this mother will not do you any harm if you abandon yourself completely to them. I was sad - I can say - only for children. Nothing else.

A. We learned a few years ago that the 7th secret - a punishment - was reduced thanks to the prayer and fasting of many. Can other secrets / punishments / warnings also be lightened by our prayers, fasting, etc.?

M. Here this would be a little longer because here it is the 7th secret and I have lived far from other visionaries. When I received the 7th secret I felt too bad because this secret seemed worse to me than the others, then I prayed to Our Lady to pray to God - because even you cannot do anything without him - to tell me if it would have been possible to diminish this. Then Our Lady told me that a lot of prayer is needed, that she too would help us and that even she cannot do anything; she too had to pray. Our Lady promised me to pray. I prayed together with the nuns and other people. In the end Our Lady told me that a part of this punishment we managed to decrease it - let's call it this way - with prayer, with fasting; but not to ask further, because secrets are secrets: they must be carried out, because this is up to the world. And the world deserves it. For example: in the city of Sarajevo where I live, if a nun passed by, how many people would say to her: 'How good she is, how smart she is, pray for us "?; and how many people would mock her instead. And of course the majority would be the other one who would mock the nun praying for them.

M. Prayer for me is talking with God and with Mary as talking with the father and mother. It is not a question of simply saying Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory to the Father. Many times I practically tell; my prayer consists only in freewheeling dialogue, so I feel closer to God by speaking to Him directly. For me, prayer means abandoning yourself to God, nothing else.

A. We know that you have been entrusted with the mission of praying a lot for the conversion of atheists. This is why we learned that in Sarajevo, where you live, you have formed a prayer group with friends. Can you tell us about this group and tell us what and how you pray?

M. Mostly we are young people studying in Sarajevo. When we arrive, one has already prepared a part of the Bible, read this part. After we talk together, we discuss this piece of the Bible together, after which we pray the Rosary, the 7 Our Father and sing the sacred songs and then we talk.

A. In many messages Our Lady insists on fasting (also on January 28 to you). Why do you think fasting is so important?

M. This is the strongest thing for me, since this is the only thing we give to God as a sacrifice. Why did you also ask us what else we give to God compared to what He offers us? Fasting is very important, it is very strong because it is precisely this sacrifice that we directly offer to God when we say "I do not eat today, I fast and I offer this sacrifice to God". He also said: "When you fast do not tell everyone that you have fasted: you just need to know it and God." Nothing else.

A. On 7.6.1987 the feast of Pentecost the Marian Year began. Slavko says: the Pope gives us 13 years of time to prepare ourselves for the bimillennial of the birth of Jesus; Our Lady, who knows us better, has given us almost 20 years (from the beginning of the apparitions): but everything, Medjugorje and Marian Year, is preparation for the Jubilee since 2000. Do you think this Marian Year is important? Because?

M. Certainly it is important already for the mere fact that it is the Marian Year.

A ... I can't say anything. I can not. I must not.

A. Before leaving, do you still want to tell us something?

M. I've already said everything. Once again I invite you to pray, to fast for non-believers, for atheists, because they will need us more. They are our brothers and sisters. Nothing else and thanks for this meeting.
(By Alberto Bonifacio. Translation by Mirjana Vasilj Zuccarini and collaboration by Giovanna Brini.)

Source: Echo of Medjugorje