The wonder of it all

The wonder of it all
Sometimes all we need is a little quite...

Monday, August 25, 2008

Weeping Knee in Medjugorje July 2008

Medjugorje and the Weeping Knee of Risen Christ.



20 years ago I had taken a vacation and honeymoon with my wonderful wife Maureen and went to Europe.


One of my wife’s special requests was to visit a place called Medjugorje at that time it was in Yugoslavia just before the war. I knew very little about this place and not being a cradle Catholic or of that faith I knew even less of what to expect, but did keep an open mind. My wife simply told me it was a very special place where our Blessed Mother Mary of Jesus was appearing to some children and miracles were taking place. Everyone who has been there knows of this wonderful and Holly place and has felt the presence of God. Those who have seen things like the dancing sun know what I mean. It did change my life forever and brought me closer to God, but that's another story.


Some twenty years have now now passed and we we’re blessed with two beautiful children along the way. For part of our family vacation this year we decided to go back to Medjugorje and give our children an opportunity to experience the wonders of God’s grace in Medjugorje as we did years ago.


Medjugorje has grown up and the landscape has changed a lot, more development from the dirt roads we first came in on, but what hasn’t changed was the church, and the people wanting to be close to God. It was a little sad to see so many shops now selling trinkets and stuff, but that’s life and I expected it to change so no real shock here.


I’m writing this blog because I also experienced something new and different this time around and 20 years passed.


First was my oldest son who is now 18 his attitude is closer to most teenagers not really wanting to be hanging around with Mon and Dad much, dragging his feet a little along the way. But when we arrived in Medjugorje after the second day he seemed to come alive and had experienced some of God’s wonderful graces, it's hard to explain but it was clearly a change with him. Our youngest is twelve and is more open to God’s simple ways and had also experienced his graces.


All of us did experience the dancing sun and saw the weeping knee, but my wife and I saw and felt something different this time in the sun, both came away with a sense of urgency to our Blessed Mothers plea or call to conversion, fasting and prayer. We both felt as though time was at hand and there wasn’t much of it left. The sun had countless red layers of what appeared to be red rose peddles around the sun, but the color wasn’t as peaceful like the first time we saw it, it was one of urgency and sadness in the world, or perhaps I read more into it being older and all, but both my wife and I did sense urgency. What was interesting was the fact she was all they way down the hill from where my sons and I were when we were watching the setting sun.


The second thing was the Risen Christ and the weeping knee. This was new to us. We did see the droplets of water oozing out of the knee and knew it was another miracle happening in Medjugorje, but the unexpected was this picture that was taken and seen weeks later. You see I have a little digital camera and everyone knows you can review the images on the little screen. When I saw it on the viewfinder it didn't look like it came out very well I think I took two pic's that day and deleted the other one. I'll never know what was on that one.


But this is the one I saved, it was taken about four inches away from the knee of Risen Christ in Medjugorje July 19th 2008. After seeing it about two weeks later after I upload the pictures on to my laptop computer I noticed that it clearly appears to be a crucifix of our Christ Jesus. Look on the left hand side. I hope you see it?

1 comment:

DHF said...

Hello, Doug!

Thank you for sharing your your trips to Medjugorje, as well as the remarkable photo of the Risen Christ's knee with us. I do see what you see.

As I wrote elsewhere:

"There was and continues to be a supernatural order to our spiritual journey and so this recent tempest in the teapot situation in the media does not faze us.

We trust in His Plan for that sacred place. As I posted earlier:

From the New American Bible: Romans 8:28

1 We know that all things work for good for those who love God, 2 who are called according to his purpose.



And yes, we too felt that sense of urgency that you described while there, which underscores the importance to "be still and know..."

You and your family, especially the young ones, were showered with much grace. You were open vessels, and the graces poured into your souls.

Peace be with you.

My story is here:
http://peacepilgrim.fotopages.com/