Friday, June 15, 2007

MEDJUGORJE - APPARITION HILL (Greg's Miracle - Message in a bottle)

Tuesday, May 15th

Apparition Hill - It was on Apparition Hill (formerly the hill of Podbrdo of Mount Crnica) that the children first saw the vision of the Blessed Mother holding the Infant on June 24, 1981, and where the children saw her again the following day with her arms empty.


Beginning our climb up Apparition Hill, on a very hot day!



Padre Avram leading the Joyful Mysteries up Apparition Hill.


What a beautiful view of St. James' steeples from the Apparition Hill climb.



Margie enjoying the climb so far! ;-)



Margie, Mike, & Karen stopped praying the rosary while on the upward climb to the top.



Padre Avram praying on such Holy Ground!



Little did Padre know that my prayer was consecrating him & his Holy Priesthood to Our Blessed Mother for his mother, Judith, on this Holy Ground. {I'm guessing it's no longer a secret?} :0)


Andrew, easily made the climb, it's the "company" that's killing him! Good thing he's such a saint & put up with us for the entire pilgrimage! You are awesome, Andrew!

Greg's Miracle

Message in the Bottle
Miracle you ask? Yep. I think so.
Strange as it may sound when I even attempt to describe what happened.
The 30ish pilgrims were climbing Apparition Hill, on what must've been the hottest day so far in Medjugorje. A few of the men had stopped before beginning the climb and purchased bottled waters. If you've traveled anywhere in Europe (and probably many other places) they don't keep their refrigerated items nearly as cold as we do here in the States.
During the long, hot climb up the hill, stopping all along the way to pray the rosary, Greg didn't notice anything special. He said at one point he noticed that his water bottle seemed "HEAVY" but that's all.
After we'd been on top of Apparition Hill for quite some time for private prayer & reflection.
At the top of the hill Greg slowly begins telling the other pilgrims about his WATER BOTTLE THAT IS NOW PRACTICALLY FULL OF ICE. A SOLID BLOCK OF ICE. NOT WATER. ON A HOT DAY. AFTER CLIMBING FOR ABOUT AN HOUR.
When did it turn to ice?
Why did it turn to ice?
Miracle?

Did Greg realize at this point that he'd been given a "miracle" on Apparition Hill?

Greg reveals his Message in a Bottle miracle to Father Avram.

Okay, who wouldn't laugh? Greg's water bottle turned to practically solid ice on the hottest day so far in Medjugorje. Water that, when purchased, was at best "cool"...



Margie & Karen resting as we stop on the "back" trail from the top of Apparition Hill. One day Our Blessed Mother told the children (visionaries) to go down another way because the Communists were waiting to kill them at the bottom of the hill.

Denny VanLoan & Padre, two pilgrims from our group.

Ever think about the web that God weaves in our lives with people that are in our lives for a short or a long time?

Thinking of that web -- I had to get a picture of this.

I don't know all the details here -- But back when, now Father Avram, was a child, his family would travel to Redding to see their dentist, Dr. Denny VanLoan, and the Brown's were not Catholic from the beginning. Denny is the type of Catholic that truly lives his faith! Did he ever imagine that this young boy, Avram, would one day be sitting on Apparition Hill in Medjugorje as a Holy Priest? Probably not.

TO ME, THIS IS THE BEAUTIFUL GIFT OF GOD'S BEAUTIFUL TAPESTRY HE WEAVES WITH PEOPLE IN OUR LIVES.

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