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: eighth day prayer
Complete version
Today’s intention: we pray for the realization of all the fruits and messages 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 (John 3, 16-21)
Jesus replied to Nicodemus: “For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, so that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but so that the world might be saved through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned; but whoever does not believe has already been condemned, because he did not believe in the name of the only begotten Son of God. And the judgment is this: the light has come into the world, but men preferred darkness to light, because their works were evil. For whoever does evil hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his works be revealed. But he who does the truth comes to the light, so that it may be clearly seen that his works were done in God.”
Message of June 25, 1991
“Dear children! Today on the great day that you have given me, I wish to bless everyone, to tell you that these days in which I am with you are days of grace. I wish to teach you and help you walk on the path of holiness. There are many who do not want to hear my messages or accept seriously what I say, but for this reason I invite you and I pray that with your life and in your daily life you bear witness to my presence. Pray, God will help you discover the true reason for my coming. Therefore, little children, pray and read the Sacred Scripture so that, through my coming, you can discover in the Sacred Scripture the message that is for you. Thank you for answering my call!”.
Catechism of the Catholic Church (2679)
Mary is the perfect Prayer, figure of the Church. When we pray to her, with her we adhere to the Father’s Plan, who sends her Son to save all men. Like the beloved disciple, we take with us the Mother of Jesus, who has become the Mother of all living things. We can pray with her and pray to her. The prayer of the Church is supported by the prayer of Mary, to which she is united in hope.
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 (John 3, 16-21)
Jesus replied to Nicodemus: “For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, so that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but so that the world might be saved through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned; but whoever does not believe has already been condemned, because he did not believe in the name of the only begotten Son of God. And the judgment is this: the light has come into the world, but men preferred darkness to light, because their works were evil. For whoever does evil hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his works be revealed. But he who does the truth comes to the light, so that it may be clearly seen that his works were done in God.”
Message of June 25, 1991
“Dear children! Today on the great day that you have given me, I wish to bless everyone, to tell you that these days in which I am with you are days of grace. I wish to teach you and help you walk on the path of holiness. There are many who do not want to hear my messages or accept seriously what I say, but for this reason I invite you and I pray that with your life and in your daily life you bear witness to my presence. Pray, God will help you discover the true reason for my coming. Therefore, little children, pray and read the Sacred Scripture so that, through my coming, you can discover in the Sacred Scripture the message that is for you. Thank you for answering my call!”.
Catechism of the Catholic Church (2679)
Mary is the perfect Prayer, figure of the Church. When we pray to her, with her we adhere to the Father’s Plan, who sends her Son to save all men. Like the beloved disciple, we take with us the Mother of Jesus, who has become the Mother of all living things. We can pray with her and pray to her. The prayer of the Church is supported by the prayer of Mary, to which she is united in hope.
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.
