Novena dedicated to Our Lady of Medjugorje: a time of grace and prayer to address our intentions to her and to thank her for her long presence among us.
We join spiritually with the hundreds of thousands of faithful from all over the world, who in these nine days will “connect” heart to heart, in a network of prayer.
The apparitions in Medjugorje began on June 24, 1981 but the anniversary is celebrated on June 25, as Our Lady herself requested in his message of February 2, 1982: “I would like the feast in honor of the Queen of Peace to be celebrated on June 25th. Precisely on that day, in fact, the faithful came to the hill for the first time.”
The anniversary of the apparitions of the Queen of Peace is celebrated on June 25th, but the parishioners of Medjugorje begin the Novena one day earlier, on June 15th to end it on the eve of two important appointments.
In fact, June 24th is a great celebration in Medjugorje St. John Baptist and then it is held there traditional Peace March, dates back at the time of the Balkan War, way back in 1992, and the soul of this initiative was Father Slavko Barbaric until 2000, the year of his birth in Heaven. It was strongly desired to ask for peace, an intent that is as valid today as it was then.
In Medjugorje the novenas are made up of renunciations, fasting, offerings, as well as prayer, so June 24th could not have been completed completely, given that it is a solemnity and there is no fasting.
We offer you two versions: the complete one which is the same one that is recited both early in the morning on Podbrdo, the hill of apparitions, and in the church of St. James during the international evening program; the reduced one for those who have little time for family or work reasons, but still want to join the Novena to thank the Madonna and entrust their intentions to her.
Novena to Our Lady of Medjugorje: prayer of the third
Complete version
Today’s intention: We pray for all the parishioners of Medjugorje
Prayer to the Queen of Peace
Mother of God and our mother Mary, Queen of Peace! You came among us to guide us to God. Obtain grace from Him for us so that, following your example, we too can not only say: “May it be done to me according to Your Word”, but also put it into practice. We place our hands in Your hands so that through our miseries and difficulties, You can accompany us to Him. Through Christ our Lord. Amen
Creed, 7 Patere, Ave, Gloria
Veni Creator Spiritus
Come, O Creator Spirit,
visit our minds,
fill with your grace
the hearts you created.
O sweet comforter,
gift from the Most High Father,
living water, fire, love,
holy chrism of the soul.
Finger of the hand of God,
promised by the Savior,
radiate your seven gifts,
inspires the word in us.
Be light to the intellect,
burning flame in the heart;
heal our wounds
with the balm of your love.
Defend us from the enemy,
brings the gift of peace,
your invincible guide
protect us from evil.
Light of eternal wisdom,
reveal to us the great mystery
of God the Father and the Son
united in one Love.
Amen.
The Glorious Mysteries of the Rosary are recited followed by the Litany
Readings to meditate on
From the Gospel (Jn 15, 5-11)
Jesus said to his disciples: “I am the vine, you are the branches. He who remains in me, and I in him, bears much fruit, for without me you can do nothing. Whoever does not remain in me is thrown away like a branch and withers, and then they gather him and throw him into the fire and burn him. If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask for whatever you want and it will be given to you. In this my Father is glorified: that you bear much fruit and become my disciples. As the Father loved me, so I too have loved you. Stay in my love. If you keep my commandments, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept the commandments of my Father and remain in his love for him. I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and your joy may be full.”
Message of June 25, 1996
“Dear children! Today I thank you for all the sacrifices you have offered me in these days. Little children, I invite you to open yourselves to me and decide for conversion. Your hearts, children, are not completely open to me, which is why I invite you again to open yourselves to prayer, so that the Holy Spirit helps you in prayer so that your hearts become of flesh and not of stone. Little children, thank you for having responded to my call and for having decided to walk with me towards holiness.”
Catechism of the Catholic Church (2562)
Where does man’s prayer come from? Whatever the language of prayer (gestures and words), it is the whole man who prays. But, to indicate the place from which prayer flows, the Scriptures sometimes speak of the soul or spirit, more often of the heart (more than a thousand times). It is the heart that prays. If it is far from God, the expression of prayer is in vain.
Final prayer
Lord, you invite all of us Christians to be sincere witnesses of your life and your love. Today we thank you in a particular way for the visionaries, for their mission and the testimony they give of the messages of the Queen of Peace. We offer you all their needs and pray to you for each of them, so that you will be close to them and help them grow in the experience of your Strength. We pray that through a deeper and more humble prayer you can guide them towards a sincere testimony of the presence of Our Lady in this place. Amen.
Shortened version
Prayer to the Queen of Peace
Mother of God and our mother Mary, Queen of Peace! You came among us to guide us to God. Obtain grace from Him for us so that, following your example, we too can not only say: “May it be done to me according to Your Word”, but also put it into practice. We place our hands in Your hands so that through our miseries and difficulties, You can accompany us to Him. Through Christ our Lord. Amen
Creed, 7 Patere, Ave, Gloria
Veni Creator Spiritus
Come, O Creator Spirit,
visit our minds,
fill with your grace
the hearts you created.
O sweet comforter,
gift from the Most High Father,
living water, fire, love,
holy chrism of the soul.
Finger of the hand of God,
promised by the Savior,
radiate your seven gifts,
inspires the word in us.
Be light to the intellect,
burning flame in the heart;
heal our wounds
with the balm of your love.
Defend us from the enemy,
brings the gift of peace,
your invincible guide
protect us from evil.
Light of eternal wisdom,
reveal to us the great mystery
of God the Father and the Son
united in one Love.
Amen.
Readings to meditate on
From the Gospel (Jn 15, 5-11)
Jesus said to his disciples: “I am the vine, you are the branches. He who remains in me, and I in him, bears much fruit, for without me you can do nothing. Whoever does not remain in me is thrown away like a branch and withers, and then they gather him and throw him into the fire and burn him. If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask for what you want and it will be given to you. In this my Father is glorified: that you bear much fruit and become my disciples. As the Father loved me, so I too have loved you. Stay in my love. If you keep my commandments, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept the commandments of my Father and remain in his love for him. I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and your joy may be full.”
Message of June 25, 1996
“Dear children! Today I thank you for all the sacrifices you have offered me in these days. Little children, I invite you to open yourselves to me and decide for conversion. Your hearts, children, are not completely open to me, which is why I invite you again to open yourselves to prayer, so that the Holy Spirit helps you in prayer so that your hearts become of flesh and not of stone. Little children, thank you for having responded to my call and for having decided to walk with me towards holiness.”
Catechism of the Catholic Church (2562)
Where does man’s prayer come from? Whatever the language of prayer (gestures and words), it is the whole man who prays. But, to indicate the place from which prayer flows, the Scriptures sometimes speak of the soul or spirit, more often of the heart (more than a thousand times). It is the heart that prays. If it is far from God, the expression of prayer is in vain.
Final prayer
Lord, you invite all of us Christians to be sincere witnesses of your life and your love. Today we thank you in a particular way for the visionaries, for their mission and the testimony they give of the messages of the Queen of Peace. We offer you all their needs and pray to you for each of them, so that you will be close to them and help them grow in the experience of your Strength. We pray that through a deeper and more humble prayer you can guide them towards a sincere testimony of the presence of Our Lady in this place. Amen.
