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At the last daily apparition to Jakov Colo on September 12th, 1998, Our Lady told him that henceforth he would have one apparition a year, every December 25th, on Christmas Day. This is also how it was this year. The apparition began at 2:08 pm and lasted 10 minutes. Afterwards Jakov transmitted the message: Dear children! All these years that God permits me to be with you are a sign of the immeasurable love which God has for each one of you and a sign of how much God loves you. Little children, how many graces the Most High has given to you and how many graces he desires to give to you. But, little children, your hearts are closed and live in fear, and do not permit Jesus to have His love and His peace overcome your hearts and to begin to reign in your lives. To live without God means to live in darkness and never to come to know the Father’s love and His care for each of you. Therefore, little children, today in a special way pray to Jesus that as of today your life may experience a new birth in God and become a light which will radiate from within you, and thus that you may become witnesses of God′s presence in the world to every person who lives in darkness. Little children, I love you and daily intercede before the Most High for you. Thank you for having responded to my call.

And indeed, from His fullness we have received grace to grace, for He is our peace! With desire that God’s peace reigns in all of the hearts, all of the families, all of the countries and in the whole world, united in prayer with all of the friends of Medjugorje throughout the world: MERRY CHRISTMAS AND HAPPY NEW YEAR! May this Christmas be for you day of joy and peace. May Jesus visit you in your families and may he be born in the hidden place of your heart! (photos)

Cenacolo community in the last few years has been preparing the live nativity scene, something that attracts all parishioners and pilgrims who visit Medjugorje in this season of Christmas. The scenery is made of manger, inn, citizens of Betlehem, cattle, very authentic costumes and actors amateurs who play Holy Family, three magi and shepherds. The youth from Medjugorje is involved in this event too. This live performance can be seen on Christmas Eve, then on December 31 and January 1, 2016, all days after the evening Holy Mass at 6 p.m. On December 28, feast of Holy Family, Holy Mass will be at 3 p.m. for all children and their parents, followed by the live performance.

Number of Holy Communions: 61 000 Number of priests that concelebrated at Holy Masses: 1335 (44 per day)

On Tuesday, November 24, Medjugorje remembered the 15th anniversary of Fr. Slavko’s death. Fr. Mate Dragicevic was the main celebrant that evening along with 35 priests who concelebrated. He spoke about life and personality of Fr. Slavko and said: „This evening we look with gratitude at our brother Slavko who went to eternity 15 years ago. His deep conviction, something that he lived for was: Jesus is my God, I adore Him, I live for Him. He is my everything, my strength, my aid, I serve to Him only, but constantly under the mantle of Heavenly Mother Mary. In his everyday prayer on Apparition Hill and Cross Mountain, during many hours of Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament and veneration of Christ’s Cross, meditation on the Word of God and messages of Mother Mary, Fr. Slavko gained Divine wisdom for his tireless work as a priest, spiritual leader and patriot who loved fellow men and God so much. He opposed cross of love and sacrifice for humans to the brutal communism regime.

According to the registration data in the Information Office, groups from France, Hungary, Germany, Austria, Portugal, Italy, Canada, the United States and Croatia were in Medjugorje in the recent days. Benedetta del Gobbo, 18 years old girl, came from Rome with her family: „This is my 16th time to be here, I am coming as my family comes here on the regular pilgrimages and I feel here as I am at home. We all feel strongly Our Lady’s presence here. Medjugorje is also a school for me, as each time we come here, we learn how to grow with Her and that is so important for all of us. Young people today are not seeking for God, they seek for happiness in the wrong things, they search for something all the time, night and day, search for parties, entertainment and they are only filling their emptiness with another form of emptiness. This only brings them away from the important things in their lives and they no longer know how to respond to this in the proper way”, shared with us this young pilgrim.

It was only few months ago that we had the 26th Youth Festival that gathered large number of the participants from all over the world. We are already preparing for the next on that will begin on August 1, 2016, not on July 31, 2016. The organisers would like to inform all of the youth that due to the World Youth Day with Holy Father Francis in Poland, the next Youth Festival will exceptionally begin one day later.

The premiere of documentary "40” was held in Medjugorje on Thursday, October 22 at 8 p.m. when more than 300 pro-life supporters gathered, including some of the Medjugorje pilgrims from English speaking countries. This documentary was made as the reflection to 40 years of abortions being legal in the United States of America, after the law was passed in 1973. The documentary shows the reality from two different perspectives: the one that is pro-lief and the one that is pro-choice. Documentary speaks openly about the constant media pressure and various obstacles always pointed on hiding the real truth about what life is and how life should be defended.

Fifty-one members of the prayer group „Merciful Jesus” from Đakovo came on a pilgrimage to Medjugorje recently. It was only a few years ago that they started to organise pilgrimages to Medjugorje. The participants of this pilgrimage took part in the evening prayer programme and they also climbed hills of Medjugorje. „On our way back from Medjugorje we continue to pray and praise God in the bus. Most of the pilgrims give public testimonies then about all they experienced in their hearts while in Medjugorje, as not a single person cannot remain the same once he feels this great love, grace and peace poured out at this holy place”, members of this prayer community shared with us.

Many pilgrims are still in Medjugorje and according to the Information Office statistics, groups from Poland, Italy, Belgium, Korea, Hungary, Spain, India, Slovenia, France, England, Ireland, Canada, Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Netherlands, Ukraine and Tahiti, were in Medjugorje on Wednesday, October 7. Keith is 27 years old and she came from Ireland. She came here for the first time when she was 6 years old and said: „I grew up in a catholic family with wonderful parents, but when I was between 16 and 18 years of age, I got astray in some things and I started to go away from God and my faith. I thought my problems were too big and that He cannot help me. I was not able to handle my difficulties at all.