Let this space leave to other journalists the boiling issues of the day. With a plethora of things that can be written about, I focus here on something different. Cool, as the young ones would probably put it.
You’ve heard of Medjugorje? It’s a place in Bosnia-Herzegovina that had landed cover page of Life and other international publications. You don’t remember? Okay, it’s where the Blessed Virgin Mary has been appearing to six persons (all still alive and remaining visionaries) starting 1981 when they were but children.
Their names: Mirjana Dragicevic, Ivanka Ivankovic, Marija Pavlovic, Jakov Colo, Vicka Ivankovic, and Ivan Dragicevic. Since then, the Blessed Mother have appeared to them some 13,000 times, the apparitions continuing on regular basis up to these days.
I will not dwell on the details of Medjugorje here. Google can do that role more exhaustively. And this piece is not for any self-proclaimed cynic or atheist most of whom end up believers anyway.
In this column, I borrow, word for word, an interview done by Fr. Janko Bubalo with some of the visionaries, two of whom were physically taken by the Blessed Virgin to Heaven.
The following is the transcript of his interview with Vicka.
Fr. Bubalo: “You told me, and I read it in one of your notebooks, that on All Soul’s Day, 1981, you, the Seers – and all of you were gathered except Ivan, the Virgin showed you Heaven. It is recorded that Heaven is inexpressibly beautiful, with a multitude of people and angels. And when you asked the Virgin why She showed you Heaven, it is noted in the journal that She said so that you might see what it would be like for those who remain faithful to God. It is also added that Ivanka saw her deceased mother there, and another woman known to her…
“…Let me remind you of this too: just four days later, it is noted in that journal that the Virgin suddenly, as though at once, disappeared, and that hell appeared before you. That was observed by you, Jakov, and Marija. It is recorded that it was awful! Like a sea of flame. Within a large group of people. It is stated that in the midst of all was seen a blonde longhaired woman with horns, and that the devils are leaping toward her from all sides. Something like that…Did the Virgin tell you why She showed you that?
Vicka: “Yes, yes! She told us that She showed it to us so that we might know what it is like for those who go there.”
Fr. Bubalo: “…The Virgin took you and Jakov somewhere to show you Heaven and hell…tell me about it now as fully as possible.
Vicka: “…Fifteen days – I don’t know exactly – after this vision of hell…I and Jakov went to Citluk for something. We returned about three in the afternoon. We stopped at my house a bit, and then continued on to Jakov’s to return him safely to his mother…His mother was out somewhere, and the Virgin appeared to us immediately. She greeted us with ‘Praised be Jesus!’ and said to us that She would take us to Heaven…We became frightened. Jakov began to cry. He said he wouldn’t go since he is his mother’s one and only, and that I should go by myself.
Fr. Bubalo: And the Virgin?
Vicka: She said nothing. We were still kneeling. She took me by the right hand, and Jakov by the left hand and stood between us, with Her face toward us, and we immediately began to lift upward…straight up through the ceiling. The house disappeared, and we were off…It seemed to me that we went upward…
Jakov was questioned about his experience with Heaven, Purgatory, and hell in a talk he gave to pilgrims in Medjugorje on October 12, 2007:
“…when Our Lady took us to Heaven, I was very afraid. I was only eleven and when Our Lady told us that She was going to take us with Her, I didn’t want to go with Her. I was afraid I would die. And I said to Our Lady, ‘why don’t you take Vicka only. Her mother has eight children and I am the only child my mother has.’
In another interview, Vicka stated:
Vicka: “The Blessed Mother has shown me Heaven, hell, and Purgatory…Many people today do not believe there is a place or state of life after death of the body. They believe that when we die, life is over. The Blessed Mother says no; on the contrary, we are only passengers on earth. She has come to remind us of the eternal truths of the Gospel.
Question: Are Heaven and hell actual places?
Vicka: Yes. I saw them.
Question: How?
Vicka: Two ways – I saw with my eyes… And then I visited these places. Jakov and I were taken there by the Blessed Mother.”
Marija was interviewed by a Friend of Medjugorje on November 6, 1986 about her visions of Heaven, Purgatory, and hell. The following is part of the interview:
Question: “When you saw the vision of Heaven, did you see Purgatory at the same time?
Marija: “I saw all the visions at the same apparition – Heaven, Purgatory, and hell.
Question: “Has Our Lady ever revealed to you if a soul in Purgatory can be lost and go to hell?
Marija: “No, once they are in Purgatory, they can only go to Heaven.
Question: “In your opinion, some people that are constantly going from good to bad, bad to good, good to bad, yet love God, will they go to hell?
Marija: “I don’t know. When a man dies, God gives him special graces and blessings to decide where he should go himself. God gives him a scene, reviewing his whole life, what he has done in his life, and so God gives him graces to decide where he should go, according to his life. He has a free choice.
Question: “Well, say that you deserve hell but you want to go to Heaven. What happens then because didn’t God give you a choice?
Marija: “Yes, but God gives you these special graces to understand fully so you will only answer truthfully.
Question: “So, He gives you so many graces you say, ‘God, I don’t deserve Heaven, I deserve hell or Purgatory.’ – like truth serum?
Marija: “Yes, correct.
Question: “So, God never sends anyone to hell, they decide it themselves?
Marija: “Yes, we are judges to our life.
Question: “So when it is stated, ‘God sends no one to hell, they send themselves,’ it means just that?
Marija: “Yes, correct.
Question: Have you, Marija, ever asked Our Lady if you will go to Heaven, like Jacinta, Francisco, and Lucia of Fatima did? They asked Our Lady, ‘Are we to go to Heaven?’ and She told them, ‘Yes.’
Marija: “No, I have never asked Her that!
Question: “Are you scared?
Marija: “I would be happy to be behind the gates in Paradise, if only I could be there.”
Marija also adds from another interview:
Marija: “We choose Heaven, hell, or Purgatory for ourselves. The Blessed Mother explained to me that at death we are the same person we are in life, though we no longer have the use of our body. It returns to the earth. We receive the light at death to see the plan God has had for us from the beginning. We then understand how we have chosen to comply with His Divine plan. In the light of truth, we know where we belong, where we fit, and we choose Heaven, hell, or Purgatory.”
(Next column will dwell on their descriptions of Heaven.)
You’ve heard of Medjugorje? It’s a place in Bosnia-Herzegovina that had landed cover page of Life and other international publications. You don’t remember? Okay, it’s where the Blessed Virgin Mary has been appearing to six persons (all still alive and remaining visionaries) starting 1981 when they were but children.
Their names: Mirjana Dragicevic, Ivanka Ivankovic, Marija Pavlovic, Jakov Colo, Vicka Ivankovic, and Ivan Dragicevic. Since then, the Blessed Mother have appeared to them some 13,000 times, the apparitions continuing on regular basis up to these days.
I will not dwell on the details of Medjugorje here. Google can do that role more exhaustively. And this piece is not for any self-proclaimed cynic or atheist most of whom end up believers anyway.
In this column, I borrow, word for word, an interview done by Fr. Janko Bubalo with some of the visionaries, two of whom were physically taken by the Blessed Virgin to Heaven.
The following is the transcript of his interview with Vicka.
Fr. Bubalo: “You told me, and I read it in one of your notebooks, that on All Soul’s Day, 1981, you, the Seers – and all of you were gathered except Ivan, the Virgin showed you Heaven. It is recorded that Heaven is inexpressibly beautiful, with a multitude of people and angels. And when you asked the Virgin why She showed you Heaven, it is noted in the journal that She said so that you might see what it would be like for those who remain faithful to God. It is also added that Ivanka saw her deceased mother there, and another woman known to her…
“…Let me remind you of this too: just four days later, it is noted in that journal that the Virgin suddenly, as though at once, disappeared, and that hell appeared before you. That was observed by you, Jakov, and Marija. It is recorded that it was awful! Like a sea of flame. Within a large group of people. It is stated that in the midst of all was seen a blonde longhaired woman with horns, and that the devils are leaping toward her from all sides. Something like that…Did the Virgin tell you why She showed you that?
Vicka: “Yes, yes! She told us that She showed it to us so that we might know what it is like for those who go there.”
Fr. Bubalo: “…The Virgin took you and Jakov somewhere to show you Heaven and hell…tell me about it now as fully as possible.
Vicka: “…Fifteen days – I don’t know exactly – after this vision of hell…I and Jakov went to Citluk for something. We returned about three in the afternoon. We stopped at my house a bit, and then continued on to Jakov’s to return him safely to his mother…His mother was out somewhere, and the Virgin appeared to us immediately. She greeted us with ‘Praised be Jesus!’ and said to us that She would take us to Heaven…We became frightened. Jakov began to cry. He said he wouldn’t go since he is his mother’s one and only, and that I should go by myself.
Fr. Bubalo: And the Virgin?
Vicka: She said nothing. We were still kneeling. She took me by the right hand, and Jakov by the left hand and stood between us, with Her face toward us, and we immediately began to lift upward…straight up through the ceiling. The house disappeared, and we were off…It seemed to me that we went upward…
Jakov was questioned about his experience with Heaven, Purgatory, and hell in a talk he gave to pilgrims in Medjugorje on October 12, 2007:
“…when Our Lady took us to Heaven, I was very afraid. I was only eleven and when Our Lady told us that She was going to take us with Her, I didn’t want to go with Her. I was afraid I would die. And I said to Our Lady, ‘why don’t you take Vicka only. Her mother has eight children and I am the only child my mother has.’
In another interview, Vicka stated:
Vicka: “The Blessed Mother has shown me Heaven, hell, and Purgatory…Many people today do not believe there is a place or state of life after death of the body. They believe that when we die, life is over. The Blessed Mother says no; on the contrary, we are only passengers on earth. She has come to remind us of the eternal truths of the Gospel.
Question: Are Heaven and hell actual places?
Vicka: Yes. I saw them.
Question: How?
Vicka: Two ways – I saw with my eyes… And then I visited these places. Jakov and I were taken there by the Blessed Mother.”
Marija was interviewed by a Friend of Medjugorje on November 6, 1986 about her visions of Heaven, Purgatory, and hell. The following is part of the interview:
Question: “When you saw the vision of Heaven, did you see Purgatory at the same time?
Marija: “I saw all the visions at the same apparition – Heaven, Purgatory, and hell.
Question: “Has Our Lady ever revealed to you if a soul in Purgatory can be lost and go to hell?
Marija: “No, once they are in Purgatory, they can only go to Heaven.
Question: “In your opinion, some people that are constantly going from good to bad, bad to good, good to bad, yet love God, will they go to hell?
Marija: “I don’t know. When a man dies, God gives him special graces and blessings to decide where he should go himself. God gives him a scene, reviewing his whole life, what he has done in his life, and so God gives him graces to decide where he should go, according to his life. He has a free choice.
Question: “Well, say that you deserve hell but you want to go to Heaven. What happens then because didn’t God give you a choice?
Marija: “Yes, but God gives you these special graces to understand fully so you will only answer truthfully.
Question: “So, He gives you so many graces you say, ‘God, I don’t deserve Heaven, I deserve hell or Purgatory.’ – like truth serum?
Marija: “Yes, correct.
Question: “So, God never sends anyone to hell, they decide it themselves?
Marija: “Yes, we are judges to our life.
Question: “So when it is stated, ‘God sends no one to hell, they send themselves,’ it means just that?
Marija: “Yes, correct.
Question: Have you, Marija, ever asked Our Lady if you will go to Heaven, like Jacinta, Francisco, and Lucia of Fatima did? They asked Our Lady, ‘Are we to go to Heaven?’ and She told them, ‘Yes.’
Marija: “No, I have never asked Her that!
Question: “Are you scared?
Marija: “I would be happy to be behind the gates in Paradise, if only I could be there.”
Marija also adds from another interview:
Marija: “We choose Heaven, hell, or Purgatory for ourselves. The Blessed Mother explained to me that at death we are the same person we are in life, though we no longer have the use of our body. It returns to the earth. We receive the light at death to see the plan God has had for us from the beginning. We then understand how we have chosen to comply with His Divine plan. In the light of truth, we know where we belong, where we fit, and we choose Heaven, hell, or Purgatory.”
(Next column will dwell on their descriptions of Heaven.)
