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Through the years my testimony has appeared in newsletters, magazines, and books. Each time it appears I try to find a different way to express the impact Medjugorje has had on my life. Out of all the different expressions used in my testimony the parable of the servants given coins by the master seems to sum up what I hope to accomplish most with the rest of my life. This style of writing my testimony was first introduced in Elizabeth Fiocelli’s book, “Fruits of Medjugorje.” This book is not a detailed account of my testimony as is the book “Medjugorje Investigated.” However, my testimony in “Fruits of Medjugorje”  does explain my deep desire to spread the message of Medjugorje and endeavors to “make a coin for the Master.” (Note: both books available in the Medjugorje USA Gift Shop)

In the New Testament we find the parable of a master who calls three servants. To one he gives 3 coins and to another he gives 2 and to the latter, one coin. The master goes away for a time and upon returning calls the 3 servant to see what they did with the coins left in their charge. The first servant who was given 3 coins had gained another 3 and the second who had 2 coins gained another 2, but the third feared the loss of his only coin so he buried the coin till the master returned. The master was angry the third servant has buried the coin and not attempted to make gain. The third servant was sent away never to return.

It is not always easy for some of us to explain but many of us who go to Medjugorje come back home with a strong feeling inside. I describe the feeling like being zapped by the Holy Spirit. It is similar to the disciples who waited for the Spirit that Jesus promised would come after His death. When the Spirit came, the disciples were full of desire to go out and tell the world about Jesus.  Each disciple wanted to convert lost souls and for this cause they dedicated the rest of their lives.

Those who have read my testimony know that twice I crossed paths with a most unusual woman in Medjugorje. Agnes is best described by a deacon who also met her by chance. With awe in his eyes he looked straight into my eyes and said, “Michael she is the most holy woman I have ever met.” On my last day in Medjugorje during my first pilgrimage, I was struggling inside myself. Medjugorje has changed me so much I did not want to return home. Father Kelly (our pilgrimage director) had someone follow me around like I was a dog on a leash. Father Kelly knew if he didn’t keep an eye on me, the bus would leave Medjugorje without me.

In tears I tried to get the courage to make myself go home but all attempt failed, till again Agnes appeared whispering in my ear telling me I had to go home and spread the message. I had no idea what that meant but all of a sudden I was ready to come home. My suffering was gone.

This fist pilgrimage was in 1989 and through the years I had no idea things would lead where they are today. Agnes was right; I had to come home and spread the message, much like thousands of other Medjugorje pilgrims who return home with the same strong desire to spread the message of Medjugorje.

Returning home, I found spreading the message of Medjugorje was changing the lives. Once my website Medjugorje USA went up, the message was spread around the world. I started to receive emails how the website was impacting visitors, changing even more lives. Today I fully understand what Agnes meant when she said I had to come home and spread the message.

If I have learned anything through all this it is the parable of the servants and the coins. Let’s say God is the Master and let’s say He calls servants to Him, even as I was called by strange events to go to Medjugorje. In Medjugorje, I witnessed events and miracles that changed my life. Upon leaving, Agnes tells me to go home and spread the message. To me this is the same as the master giving a coin to a servant. The question is will we decide to make another coin, (tell our testimony in hopes of saving another soul) or will we bury the graces and miracles God has given us?  Keeping God’s gifts and graces buried inside ourselves making no gain is exactly as the servant who buried the coin. When God touches our lives filling us with desire to reach out to lost souls, we need follow through sharing our witness and testimony and never bury what God has given us.

I would like to share a recent story of a soul that is saved. I’m not sharing this story so those reading this think I am a wonderful person or anything like that. I know without God I would be nothing good at all. Here I am reminded of the story of some of those who were healed by Jesus and told to show themselves to the elders in the Church. This was done not for boast but for witness and testimony. For witness and testimony I share the following story. My hope in sharing is others may be encouraged not to burry the coin (testimony) God has given and will dig up the coin going forth to make a coin (save a soul) for the Master.

This past winter (07) a got an email from a man named Jed. The email was brief but said he was visiting a relative in my area and would like to meet me. We agreed to meet at a local Chinese Restaurant for lunch. Jed was a young man maybe early 20’s and I found out very little about him during our visit. Mostly all I did was to answer his questions about Medjugorje, Mary and shared my testimony. Jed did ask I bring a copy of my book, “Medjugorje Investigated” which he wanted to buy and I did do that.

At the restaurant I found out Jed was not working and living on a shoe string and as such I gave him the book telling him some day when he had money he could put a check in the mail. To my surprise he did not own a rosary either which I thought unusual. So, I paid for lunch and invited him to my home where I gave him a rosary and a booklet on how to pray the rosary.

Below is the hand written letter I received from Jed dated February 16, 2007

Dear Michael,

Thank you for your book and rosary you gave me! Here is some money to cover the book. I enjoyed it very much.

I want to share some interesting experiences I’ve had since I left your house Dec.9, I believe it was.

Dec. 13, I began praying the rosary you gave me; I have not missed a day since! Several days before we met for lunch, I had rearranged the cd’s in my cd holder in the sun visor of my car. After your book was in hand, one day I looked up in my car and noticed something curious: in the sun visor, a cd by “James Delnaro” was located next to a cd by a band called, “Saint Joe Hazelwood:”: Side by side in the visor, all I could read was the name “Saint James when I looked at the cd’s next to each other. I thought, hummm, I bet there is a saint by that name, but I didn’t know who he was. Then I read in your book that the apparition of the Virgin Mary took place in Saint James Church!

On Jan. 19, I believe I was inspired to research Medjugorje online: to my surprise I discovered that one of the visionaries, named Ivan was giving a presentation in just two days on Jan 21, in Lee, MA, not far from where I now live in the Amherst area. I went there and it was remarkable to see one of the visionaries in person and hear him talk. Also speaking from Hingham, MA was a man who experienced a miraculous cure from cancer in Medjugorje in 2000.

Jan 31, I vacuumed my car and cleaned it. In doing so, I moved the Medjugorje medallion you gave me into a compartment in my car next to a coin from China someone gave me. Later, I went to the public library and read a newspaper I seldom look at but was inspired to read that day: The Wall Street Journal. Front page was an article in China and how the government there prevents Catholics from following the Pope. I wondered if symbolically my Medjugorje medallion situated next to a coin in China was a sign that the Virgin Mary is working in China to create improvements, as she did in Russia as I leaned in your book.

I began attending Mass at a Catholic Church in Amherst, but felt the priest unfortunately was standoffish toward me when I met with him about converting to Catholicism. I discovered a Church in Belchertown, MA. called “St. Francis” which I went to and was blown away by the devotion of the people and the strength of the priest, Father Vern. It turned out a RCIA program had just started at St. Francis that week, so I joined it and am now in the “discernment process” attending RCIA classes each week. I mentioned your name to one of the directors of the religious education at St. Francis named Judy, and she knew you and said you had a remarkable story! There is also a secular Franciscan Order in Belchertown. I recall you speaking highly of the Franciscans.

Michael, I hope you’re well. I wanted to wait until I got a job and some money to pay you for your book before writing but in the meantime I’m glad I’ve had some unusual experience I am able to share with you.

Sincerely
Jed

How amazing it is when one life touches another not knowing a chance meeting and testimony will change a life, making another coin for the Master. Above all things God desires not one soul be lost to the wolves. For this cause God gave His only Begotten Son to the crucifixion as a sacrifice. How very blessed we are if we become Christ like. In so doing we take the coin (testimony) God has given us and go forth in the darkness (this world) sharing our testimony in hopes another soul may be saved. This letter from Jed shows us what the end result can be if only we chose not to bury what God has given us

If you would like to write Medjugorje USA, I welcome your comments:
email:info at Medjugorje USA