Story of the Medjugorje Christmas Cross the story is here...”During the apparition, Jesus and Mary bless these beautiful crucifixes…….Jim soon began to see these graces after he gave one of the crucifixes to someone whose friend was in a coma. The man put the crucifix under his friend’s pillow in the hospital on a Monday. On Wednesday, the man came out of the coma and went back to work the following Monday!”
The pictures above are of 2 medals I’ve been wearing consistently at Sunday Mass, a Catherine Laboure Medal, (to whom instructions for the Miraculous Medal creation was given by the Blessed Virgin) and a Medjugorje Christmas Cross. The Christmas Cross was given to me as a Gift by Margaret George, wife of the Artist RL George, who painted a particular image I feature on this blog, Our Lady of Grace or the image Mr. George has envisioned for Our Lady of Medjugorje after staying in Medjugorje for several months in 1988, and leaning of the devotions to a statue of Mary that is similar that they associate as our Lady of Medjugorje. Richard George is an incredibly inspired artist that his painting of Our Lady of Grace, stops me in my tracks and moves me on a heart-beat into Contemplative Prayer; he has an incredible gallery here. Visit the RL George website!
More about the Print of the Painting of the Blessed Virgin as told by Mr. George:
“This painting of Our Lady of Tihaljina, Our Lady of Grace made by artist Richard L George, is after the famous Italian-made statue of Our Lady of Grace which is located at Immaculate Conception Parish in the village of Tihaljina, Bosnia-Herzegovina.
Because of their parish namesake, the parishioners there have come to regard the statue as the Immaculate Conception. And what’s more, this image of Our Lady is also referred to as Our Lady of Tihaljina and Our Lady of Medjugorje. This is because many of the pilgrims who visited Medjugorje also visited the village of Tihaljina in order to hear the pastor, Fr Jozo Zovko, speak. Fr Jozo was the pastor of St James in Medjugorje in 1981 when the apparitions began.
In 1988 George, too, made a pilgrimage to Medjugorje that included a trip to Tihaljina. It was an over-whelming experience for the 21 year old, one that led him to stay on in Medjugorje for a few months.
The artist’s attempt was to make the image of the statue more alive and thus lift heart and mind to encounter Our Lady in prayer. He offers prints and gift items of his painting as opportunities for moments of grace.
Please Click Play below and listen to an OLD Version of George Frederick Handle’s Hallelujah Chorus and enjoy the
Christmas Gallery images: several of St. Nicholas, Annunciation, The Holy Family, Mary showing Jesus to the Shepherds, Mary visiting her cousin Elizabeth and feeling the child in her womb, St. Anne teaching Mary as a little girl. See if you can pick them out!
May God Bless you, your family and friends, and Keep You in His Grace all this Holiday Season and throughout the New Year. For extra special treat enjoy the Nativity Meditation featured earlier this Year!
Fiat!