Shared by Sr. Lucy Nabweteme, of the community in Lublin, Poland
On my return from the 36th International Youth Festival in Međugorje, when we were on the bus on our way back to Poland, our guide invited those who wished, to take the microphone and share their experience of Međugorje with everybody.
At first nobody responded to this invitation. I was also not sure whether my vision was to be shared with many people or it was just for myself. I had time to pray in silence and ask Mary. Deep from within I felt the affirmation to go and share about it.
Here I share it with you all as a testimony to the love of Mary.
In Međugorje, on the 8th of August, during my personal prayer with the word of God for that day, (Deut 4:32–40), I felt an invitation to open myself to what the Lord had prepared for me. I did not know yet what I would be doing, but I felt that I should not go with the group to the seaside, even though it was planned.
While walking and praying near the parish, I met a woman. I spontaneously greeted her in Polish and asked her where she was going. ‘To the Mountain of the Cross,’ she replied. I said that I would like to go with her, but I was afraid because it was already very hot and I didn’t have the right shoes for walking. She told me that I will manage and she was very happy not to go alone. We began our journey with the Rosary, offering all our desires and intentions to the intercession of Mary.
When we reached the foot of the mountain, the lady took out a book with the Stations of the Cross. Then she read: ‘I, Jesus Christ, invite you, my children, to the Way of the Cross…’, and waited for my response. I was afraid that this Way of the Cross would take a long time, and the heat was already intense, but despite this, I said ‘yes’ to the invitation, not yet knowing that this experience would lead me to a personal encounter with Mary.
At the first station, the woman saw a walking stick, handed it to me and said,
Take this walking stick so that the journey will not be too difficult for you.”
Everything she read touched my heart deeply. For example, when she read: ”You don’t know how high this mountain is or whether you have enough strength to reach the top. But you express your readiness. And that, my children, is enough. Saying “yes” to God, to the Cross. Express your readiness, and you will see that sometimes what seems almost impossible to accomplish, to bear, resolves itself, fulfils itself. Do not be afraid. Angels will support and guide you. So, it is in life. God sends His angels to help man carry his Cross. When you suffer or you are sick, I, the mother, am with you. I am with you, child, every moment’.
It was a great lesson for me about accepting the cross and saying ‘yes’ to God every day.
At the sixth station – when Veronica wipes Jesus’ face – Mary appeared to me.
The woman I was praying with continued reading: “My child, do you know how to forget yourself? You must kneel down, close your eyes and think about the face of Jesus. Look at the face of Jesus, look into His eyes. How full of love those eyes are! … He looks at you with such great love, tenderness and understanding. He knows everything, understands everything and forgives everything. Because He loves you! So, look at those eyes every day. When you pray, always close your eyes and look at the face of Jesus.”
Then I heard a voice saying,
I love you, I – Mary.”
Suddenly I saw Her face in front of me, very close to mine. I was so moved that as I looked at Her face, I felt great joy and smiled all the time. Mary stayed with me for a while as I continued walking and then she disappeared.
When we reached the Cross on the top of the mountain, the woman suggested that I write down my intentions, but none came to mind. My heart was filled with gratitude.
I thanked Mary and said to her, “I love you too.”
After sharing this experience with my fellow pilgrims in the bus, our guide thanked me for sharing and said,
Because of having given that witness, I am giving you an image of Mary. This image will first pass around in the bus for everyone to see and then it will come to you’.
Finally, when I received that image, I was wordless, amazed, deeply surprised, a bit shocked and afterwards I was filled with deep gratitude, for it was the same face that I had seen when she had appeared to me on the mountain.
