28 Marian Helper • Winter 2024-25 • Marian.org obtain peace, you must return to God.” And this: “Dear children, this is the reason for my presence among you for such a long time: to lead you on the path of Jesus. I want to save you and, through you, to save the whole world. Many people now live without faith; some don’t even want to hear about Jesus, but they still want peace and satisfaction! Children, here is the reason why I need your prayer: prayer is the only way to save the human race.” “A few messages,” however, cautions the DDF, “stray from these positive and edifying contents, and even seem to go so far as to contradict them.” The DDF wants us to be aware of these quotes as “these few confused elements overshadow the beauty of the whole.” Indeed, by my count, the DDF cites more than 80 messages as positive, compared to less than 15 messages questioned. “Some people,” according to the DDF, are apparently troubled when Our Lady is upset that her messages are not being followed. In one instance, she allegedly said, “Now it is Lent and you, as a Parish, can adhere to my call out of love. If you do not do that, I do not wish to give you any more messages.” While these tones may puzzle the Vatican, they made pilgrims like myself pull up our socks, fearing if we didn’t shape up, she might ship out! Consider that her Son shows similar irritation in the Gospels at times when His disciples experience brain fog over His messages. “You faithless and perverse generation, how much longer must I be with you? How much longer must I put up with you?” (Mt 17:17) And honestly: would the “old apple vendor” (as I like to call the evil one) be selling such products of peace, love, and conversion? The DDF cites as “particularly beautiful” this message regarding the quality of signs: “You ask me for a sign that my presence may be believed. The sign will come. But you do not need it. You, yourselves, must be a sign for others.” The human “signs” are the reasons I believe in Medjugorje. In 10 pilgrimages (my first was in 1988), I have never seen Mary myself, nor witnessed the famous spinning sun, nor the Cross on Mt. Križevac lighting up without benefit of electricity, though I have had friends who claimed to have seen all of the above. My Rosary did turn from silver to gold, but that was not the sign that impressed me. What moved me most was the behavior of people, both residents and pilgrims. Personal witness I personally have witnessed lives changing; conversions to Catholicism; Protestants on pilgrimages; priests marveling at the quality and quantity of Confessions they hear; nuns telling me Medjugorje is where their vocations bloomed. One Dominican Sister related her father was miraculously healed in Medjugorje. Twice, I have accompanied people who risked their lives to travel to Medjugorje. That little mountain village changed my life so dramatically I wrote a book to catalogue the revolution: From the White House to the White Cross. In the end, can we not perhaps abide by Jesus Christ’s prescription for discerning the truth about the authenticity of spiritual claims? Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves. You will know them by their fruits. Are grapes gathered from thorns or figs from thistles? So every sound tree bears good fruit, but the bad tree bears evil fruit. A sound tree cannot bear evil fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Thus you will know them by their fruits (Mt 7:15-20). Peggy Stanton is the author of From the White House to the White Cross: Confessions of a TV News Correspondent (B64-WHWC) and The Order of Malta Minutes with the Catechism (B64-OMTK), both from Marian Press and available now on ShopMercy.org/b64. A silver Rosary Peggy Stanton bought in Rome turned gold when she visited Medjugorje. ‘I have come to tell the world God exists. He alone is the fullness of life. To enjoy this fullness and to obtain peace, you must return to God.’
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