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 fifth
Complete version
Today’s intention: We pray for all the pilgrims who have visited 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 of Mc 8, 34-37
Having summoned the crowd together with his disciples, Jesus said to them: “If anyone wants to come after me, let him deny himself, take up his cross and follow me. Because whoever wants to save his life will lose it; but whoever loses his life for my sake and the gospel’s, he will save it. For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world if he then loses his own soul? And what could a man possibly give in exchange for his soul?”. (
Message of June 25, 1992
“Dear children! Today I am happy, even if in my heart there is still a bit of sadness for all those who started this journey, and then abandoned it. My presence here is therefore to guide you on a new path, a path of salvation. Therefore I invite you day by day to conversion; but if you don’t pray you cannot say that you are converted. I pray for you and intercede for peace with God, first in your hearts, and then also around you: may God be your peace. Thank you for answering my call!”.
Catechism of the Catholic Church (2564)
Christian prayer is a Covenant relationship between God and man in Christ. It is the action of God and man; it flows from the Holy Spirit and from us, entirely addressed to the Father, in union with the human will of the Son of God made man.
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 of Mc 8, 34-37
Having summoned the crowd together with his disciples, Jesus said to them: “If anyone wants to come after me, let him deny himself, take up his cross and follow me. Because whoever wants to save his life will lose it; but whoever loses his life for my sake and the gospel’s, he will save it. For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world if he then loses his own soul? And what could a man possibly give in exchange for his soul?”. (
Message of June 25, 1992
“Dear children! Today I am happy, even if in my heart there is still a bit of sadness for all those who started this journey, and then abandoned it. My presence here is therefore to guide you on a new path, a path of salvation. Therefore I invite you day by day to conversion; but if you don’t pray you cannot say that you are converted. I pray for you and intercede for peace with God, first in your hearts, and then also around you: may God be your peace. Thank you for answering my call!”.
Catechism of the Catholic Church (2564)
Christian prayer is a Covenant relationship between God and man in Christ. It is the action of God and man; it flows from the Holy Spirit and from us, entirely addressed to the Father, in union with the human will of the Son of God made man.
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.
