VALENTINA TELLS: «OUR LADY TOLD ME: Get up and walk»

1. THE CROSS OF VALENTINA

In the spring of 1983 I had been admitted to a hospital in Zagreb, in the neurology department, for a serious suffering that had struck me and that the doctors could not understand. I was sick, very sick, it seemed to me that I had to die; nevertheless I did not pray for me, but prayed for the other sick people, so that they could bear their sufferings.

Question: Why didn't you pray for yourself?

Answer: Praying for me? Never! Why pray for me if God knows what I have? He knows what's good for me, whether sickness or healing!

Q .: If so, why pray for other people? God knows everything about them too ...

A .: Yes, but God wants us to accept our cross, and carry it as long as He wants and as He wants.

Q .: And what happened after Zagreb?

A .: They took me to the hospital in Mostar. One day my sister-in-law's brother-in-law came to see me and a man I didn't know came with him. This man made a cross mark on my forehead here! And I, after this sign, immediately felt good. But I didn't give importance to the sign of the cross, I thought it was nonsense but then, thinking about that cross I woke up, I was full of joy. However I did not say anything to anyone, otherwise they took me for a madwoman. I only kept it for myself and so I went on. Before leaving, the man said to me, "I am Father Slavko."
After Mostar hospital, I went back to Zagreb and again the doctors told me they couldn't help me, and that I had to go home. But that cross that Fr Slavko had made for me was always in front of me, I saw it with the eyes of my heart, I felt it and it gave me strength and courage. I had to see that priest again. I felt he could help me. So I went to Mostar where the Franciscans live and when Fr Slavko saw me immediately he said to me: «You must stay here. You don't have to go to other places, to other hospitals. ' So he brought me home and I was a month with the Franciscan friars. Fr Slavko came to pray and sing about me, he was always close to me, but I always got worse.

2. Get up and walk

Then one wonderful thing happened on a Saturday. It was the feast of the Immaculate Heart of Mary. But I didn't think it was Saturday because it was the feast of the Holy Heart of Mary, because I was so bad that I wanted to go to my house because I wanted to die there. Fr Slavko was absent that day. At a certain point I began to feel strange things: as if stones were detaching me from my heart. I didn't say anything. Then I saw the cross that Fr Slavko had made for me in the hospital: it had become a cross that I could take with my hand. It was a small cross around a crown of thorns: it gave off a great light and filled me with joy, and it also made me laugh. I didn't say anything to anyone because I thought: "If I say this to someone, they will believe me more stupid than before."
When this cross disappeared, I heard a voice inside me saying: "I AM MARY OF MEDJUGORJE. GET UP AND WALK. TODAY IS MY SACRED HEART AND YOU MUST COME TO MEDJUGORJE ». I felt a strength inside me: it made me get out of bed; I got up even if I didn't want to. I was holding myself because I thought I was hallucinating. But I had to get up and went to call Fr Slavko and I went with him to Medjugorje.

THE MEETING WITH FATHER TARDIF

Q. Are you happy now?

A: I was happy even before, but now I am more happy, because I want to follow the path that Our Lady teaches and I want to get closer to Jesus. If Jesus asked me to still suffer what I had suffered before, I would be ready. I saw that people did not understand me but I trusted in the Lord. Then, one day Fr. Tardif, the charismatic who does many miracles, came to Medjugorje. I didn't know P. Tardif but I knew he had to come. Our Lady had told me. When she saw me, she said to me: "Now you must believe everything that Our Lady tells you". Then, together with Father Slavko, he led me to the chapel of the apparitions, prayed over me and then said to me: "Now you must forgive all the people who have hurt you."

4. FR. SLAVKO, GOOD MAN

Q. Are you always in contact with the Madonna internally?

R. Yes, and he told me that Fr. Slavko will always be my spiritual father.

Q. Now I will ask you a question about Fr Slavko; because many people do not love him very much, they say that he is hard, that he treats badly; does it behave like this with you too?

R. When he knows that something must go like this, he goes on, acts with everyone in the same way. But Fr Slavko is very good. It is not possible to listen to everyone, to please everyone. You must know that Fr. Slavko has not had a day off in four years. He can be holy as long as he wants, but he too gets tired and angry: he is human!