FRENCH GRAMMAR: THE PRESENT TENSE

According to Trudie Maria Booth (French Verb Tenses, 2008), "The verb is the most important part of the sentence. It expresses an action or state of the subject and indicates the time and mood of an occurrence. In order to be able to to communicate in a language, you must know how its verb tenses and moods are formed and how they are used." Veronique Mazet (Correct Your French Blunders, 2007:137) is of the opinion that, "The verb is crucial in determining the construction of a sentence and the placement of all its components. When you write a French sentence, focus on the verb." In order to master the French verbs, one would, first of all, need to master the art of conjugation. This is crucial if one wants to communicate effectively in French. Here I would like to share what I know about French Grammar with my readers. I hope that they will find this article useful.

In French, the subject must agree with the verb. Verbs are said to have three persons: the speaker, the person spoken to, and the third person, referring neither to the speaker nor the person spoken to. The subject pronouns in French are therefore as follows:

First person ------je (singular), nous (plural)
Second person ------ tu, vous (singular), vous (plural)
Third person ------il/elle/on (singular), ils/elles (plural)

There are two ways of saying you in French. Use tu to talk to friends, family members, children and animals. Use vous when you are addressing a stranger, someone you don't know well, or to maintain a certain degree of distance or respect. The pronoun on takes on different meanings. It may mean one, we or they depending on how it is used.

Since French has no subject pronoun for 'it', all nouns, whether animate or inanimate are referred to as either il or elle whilst ils refers to masculine plural nouns and elles refers to feminine plural nouns.

The following is the present tense conjugation of the verb, demander (meaning to ask). It is formed by dropping the -er ending of the infinitive and adding -e, -es, -e, -ons, -ez, and -ent to the stem of the verb. This is the rule for the formation of regular -er verbs.

demander (to ask)
je demande ------I ask, I am asking, I do ask
tu demandes ------you (familiar singular) ask, you are asking, you do ask
il demande ------he asks, he is asking, he does ask
elle demande ------she asks, she is asking, she does ask
on demande ------one asks, one is asking, one does ask
nous demandons ------we ask, we are asking, we do ask
vous demandez ------you (formal singular and plural, familiar plural) ask, you are asking, you do ask
ils demandent ------they ask, they are asking, they do ask
elles demandent ------they ask, they are asking, they do ask

French verb endings change depending on who you are talking about. In English, it is necessary to add -ing to the verb. In French, both the present tense and present continuous tense of the infinitive 'demander' are the same.

It should be noted that there are also a number of regular -er ending verbs that show slight spelling changes in their present tense forms. For instance, the verb 'appeler' (to call) doubles the last consonant of its stem in all persons except nous and vous. The following is the present tense conjugation of the verb appeler (to call):
j'appelle, tu appelles, il/elle/on appelle, nous appelons, vous appelez and ils/elles appellent.

For verbs ending in -yer, the y is changed into i in all persons except nous and vous. They can also keep the y throughout the conjugation. For isntance, let's look at the present tense conjugation of the verb payer (to pay):
je paie (je paye), tu paies (tu payes), il/elle/on paie (il paye), nous payons, vous payez, and ils/elles paient (ils payent).

Verbs ending in -oyer or in -uyer must change the y into an i in all persons except nous and vous. For example:
nettoyer (to clean)
je nettoie, tu nettoies, il/elle/on nettoie, nous nettoyons, vous nettoyez, ils/elles nettoient.
ennuyer (to bore)
j'ennuie, tu ennuies, il/elle/on ennuie, nous ennuyons, vous ennuyez and ils/elles ennuient.

Verbs ending in -ger and -cer show spelling changes only in the nous form.
For verbs ending in -ger e is added after the letter g in the nous form of the present tense.
manger (to eat)
je mange, tu manges, il/elle/on mange, nous mangeons, vous mangez, ils/elles mangent

For verbs ending in -cer a cedille is added to the c in the nous form of the present tense.

In the conjugation of regular -ir verbs, we have to add the following endings to the stem:
-is, -is, -it, -issons, -issez, -issent. Here is a model conjugation:
finir (to finish)
je finis, tu finis, il/elle/on finit, nous finissons, vous finissez, ils/elles finissent

In the conjugation of regular -re verbs, we have to add the following endings to the stem:
-s, -s, - (no ending), -ons, -ez, -ent. Here is a model conjugation:
attendre (to wait)
j'attends, tu attends, il/elle/on attend, nous attendons, vous attendez, ils/elles attendent

As for the present tense of the irregular verbs, they are even harder to conjugate because they don't have a consistent stem throughout their conjugation but luckily most of them have similar endings, making them a little easier to remember. The following is the present tense conjugation of three of these irregular verbs:

aller (to go)
je vais, tu vas, il/elle/on va, nous allons, vous allez, ils/elles vont
avoir (to have)
j'ai, tu as, il/elle/on a, nous avons, vous avez, ils/elles ont
etre (to be)
je suis, tu es, il/elle/on est, nous sommes, vous etes, ils/elles sont

But how are we going to remember all those verbs without a consistent stem and ending? According to Zoe Erotopoulos (French Verbs for Dummies, 2006:43), "The only suggestion I can make is that you study each one and practice using it; I'm sure each will become second nature to you in no time. A good way to make these verbs your own is to practice saying them out loud and to try to build up a certain rhythm. You may even try making a song out of the conjugations, using your favourite melody."

French verbs show a great multiplicity of forms. Learning French is therefore very challenging. Difficult though it may be, mastery of this language is a great accomplishment. I have always assumed that French speakers are clever people because French is a language which is not easy to learn due to its complex nature.

FRENCH WORDS AND PHRASES

French is the most beautiful language in the world. My love for this beautiful language actually began at the Grotto of Massabielle. It was at this holy place that I developed an intense love for this language. Learning a foreign language is no easy task and there must be a very special reason behind it. This is what gives meaning to learning. Without a specific purpose, learning a foreign language becomes almost impossible. Why do I want to master French when I can't even master my own language (Chinese)? The answer is simple. Because of my love for Our Lady and hence for Lourdes.

Come to think of it, the teaching and learning of maths and science in English in Malaysia is a failure despite the millions of ringgit spent on this project by the Malaysian Government because our Malaysian teachers and students do not have a special purpose for learning English. Learning English therefore becomes meaningless to them. One day, when they have found their purpose they will learn. The acquisition of a foreign language cannot be attained by force. The willingness to learn must come from the heart and soul.

Below is a list of some basic French expressions that may come in handy for the Lourdes pilgrims. In the brackets are the pronunciations of these words.

1. yes ------------oui(wee)
2. no ------------non(nawng)
3. okay ------------d'accord (dakor)
4. good morning/ afternoon ------------bonjour (bawngzhoor)
5. good evening ------------bonsoir (bawngswar)
6. good night ------------bonne nuit (bon nwee)
7. goodbye ------------au revoir (oa rervwar)
8. excuse me ------------excusez-moi (exkewzay mwa)
9. very good ------------tres bien (treh byang)
10. please ------------ s'il vous plait (seel voo pleh)
11. thank you (very much) ------------merci (beaucoup) mehrsee (boakoo)
12. you're welcome ------------de rien (de reang)
13. sometimes ------------quelquefois (kelkefwa)
14. someone ------------quelqu'un (kelkang)
15. something ------------quelque chose (kelker shoaz)
16. fortunately ------------heureusement (urrurzmahng)
17. of course ------------bien sur (byang sewr)
18. none ------------aucun (oakang)
19. never ------------jamais (zhameh)
20. now------------maintenant (mangtnahng)
21. immediately ------------tout de suite (too der sweet)
22. often ------------souvent (soovahng)
23. always ------------toujours (toozhoor)
24. probably ------------probablement (probablurmahng)
25. perhaps ------------peut-etre (pur tetr)
26. on the left/right ------------a gauche/a droite (a goash/a drwat)
27. Turn left ... ------------Tournez a gauche
28. a little ------------un peu (ang pur)
29. too much ------------trop (tro)
30. Why not? ------------Pourquoi pas? (poorkwa pa)
31. totally ------------totalement (totalmahng)
32. on foot ------------a pied (a pyay)
33. extremely ------------extremement (extremmahng)
34. equally ------------egalement (aygalmahng)
35. slowly ------------lentement (lahngtmahng)
36. a few days ------------quelques jours (kelker zhoor)
37. a week ------------une semaine (ewn sermayn)
38. every week ------------chaque semaine (shak sermayn)
39. today ------------ aujourd'hui (oh zhoor dwee)
40. tonight ----------- ce soir (suh swar)
41. tomorrow ------------ demain (dermang)
42. yesterday ------------ hier (ee yehr)
43. per day ------------par jour (par zhoor)
44. every day ------------ tous les jours (too lay zhoor)
45. breakfast ------------le petit dejeuner (ler pertee dayzhurnay)
46. lunch ----------- le dejeuner (ler dayzhurnay)
47. dinner ---------- le diner (ler deenay)
48. Help! ------------ Au secours! (oh skoor!)
49. black ------------noir (nwar)
50. blue ------------bleu (blur)
51. brown ------------marron (marawng)
52. green ------------vert (vehr)
53. gray ------------gris (gree)
54. orange ------------orange (orahngzh)
55. pink ------------rose (roz)
56. purple ------------violet (veeoleh)
57. red ------------rouge (roozh)
58. white ------------blanc (blahng)
59. yellow ------------jaune (zhoan)
60. air conditioning ------------la climatisation (la kleemateezassyawng)
61. light ------------la lumiere (la lewmyehr)
62. elevator ------------l'ascenseur (lassahngsurr)
63. swimming pool ------------la piscine (la peesseen)
64. bathroom ------------la salle de bains (la sal der bang)
65. kitchen ------------la cuisine (la kweezeen)
66. bedroom ------------la chambre (la shahngbr)
67. dining room ------------la salle a manger (la sa la mahngzhay)
68. botanical garden ------------le jardin botanique (ler zhardang botahneek)
69. castle ------------le chateau (ler shatoa)
70. church ------------l'eglise
71. fountain ------------la fontaine (la fawngtayn)
72. market ------------le marche (ler marshay)
73. museum ------------le musee (ler mewzay)
74. library ------------la bibliotheque (la beebleeotek)
75. bookshop ------------ la librairie (la lee breh ree)
76. car park ------------ le parking (ler par keeng)
77. police station ------------le commissariat de police (ler komeessarya der poleess)
78. post office ------------la poste (la posst)
79. hospital -----------l'hopital (lo pee tal)
80. travel agency ------------l'agence de voyages (lazhahngss der vwahyazh)
81. supermarket ------------ le supermarche (ler sewpehrmarshay)
82. pharmacy ------------ la pharmacie (la farmassee)
83. bridge ------------le pont (ler pawng)
84. pond ------------l'etang (laytahng)
85. river ------------la riviere (la reevyehr)
86. sea ------------la mer (la mehr)
87. waterfall ------------la cascade (la kaskad)
88. lake ------------le lac (ler lak)
89. mountain ------------la montagne (la mawngtan)
90. hill ------------la colline (la koleen)
91. beautiful ------------beau (boa)
92. boring ------------ennuyeux (ahngnweeyur)
93. ugly ------------laid (lay)
94. doctor ------------le medecin (ler maydsang)
95. hairdresser ------------le coiffeur (ler kwafurr)
96. without a passport ------------sans passeport (sahng passpor)
97. That's true ------------C'est vrai (seh vreh)
98. Not bad ------------Pas mal (pa mal)
99. I'd like a/an.... ------------Je voudrais... (zher voodray)
100. belt ------------une ceinture (ewn sangtewr)
101. blouse ------------un chemisier (ang shermeezyay)
102. hat ------------un chapeau (ang shapoa)
103. pants ------------un pantalons (ang pahngtalawng)
104. shirt ------------une chemise (ewn shermeez)
105. skirt ------------une jupe (ewn zhewp)
106. book ------------un livre (ang leevr)
107. dictionary ------------un dictionnaire (ang deeksyonehr)
108. pack of cigarettes ------------un paquet de cigarettes (ang pakeh der seegarett)
109. chocolate ice-cream ------------une glace au chocolat (ewn glass oa shokola)
110. hot chocolate ------------un chocolat chaud (ang shokolah shoa)
111. coke/ lemonade ------------un coca / une limonade (ang koka/ewn leemonad)
112. bottle of wine ------------ une bouteille de vin (ewn bootayy der vang)
113. calendar ------------ un calendrier (ang kalahngdreeay)
114. postcard ------------ une carte postale (ewn kart postal)
115. piece of cake ---------- un morceau de gateau (ang morsoa der gatoa)
116. liter of milk ------------ un litre de lait (ang leetr der leh)
117. jar of jam ------------ un pot de confiture (ang po dekawngfeetewr)
118. I'd like some... ------------ Je voudrais ... (zher voodreh)
119. bread ------------ du pain (dew pang)
120. butter ------------ du beurre (dew burr)
121. eggs ------------ des oeufs (day zur)
122. beef ------------ du boeuf (dew burf)
123. chicken ------------ du poulet (dew pooleh)
124. ham ------------ du jambon (dew zhahngbawng)
125. pork ------------ du porc (dew por)
126. sausages ------------ des saucisses (day soasseess)
127. pepper ------------ du poivre (dew pwavr)
128. salt ------------ du sel (dew sel)
129. sugar ------------- du sucre (dew sewkr)
130. honey ------------- du miel (dew myel)
131. milk ------------ du lait (dew lay)
132. It's raining ------------Il pleut (eel plur)
133. It's snowing ------------Il neige (eel nayzh)
134. It's sunny ------------Il fait du soleil (eel feh dew solayy)
135. a single room for one person ------------une chambre pour une personne
136. a double room for two persons ------------une chambre pour deux personnes
137. Where do I pay? ------------Ou dois-je payer? (oo dwazh payay)
138. How much is that? ------------C'est combien? (seh kawnbyang)
139. How are you? ------------Comment allez-vous? (kommahng ta lay voo?)
140. What's your name? ------------ Comment tu t'appelles? (kommahng tew ta-pel?)
141. How old are you? ------------ Quel age as-tu? (kel azh a tew?)
142. Where do you live? ------------ Ou est-ce que tu habites? (oo es kuh tew a beet?)
143. Can you help me? ------------ Pouvez-vous m'aider? (poo vay voo meh day?)
144. What time is it? ------------Quelle heure est-il? (kel ur ay teel?)
145. It's... ----------Il est... (eel ay...)
146. six o'clock ------------ six heures (see zur)
147. midday ------------ midi (mee dee)
148. midnight ------------ minuit (mee nwee)
149. What a lovely day! ------------Quelle belle journee! (kel bel zhoor nay!)
150. Merry Christmas! ------------Joyeux Noel! (zhwa yuh noh el!)
151. Happy New Year! ------------ Bonne Annee (bon a nay!)
152. Happy Easter! ------------ Joyeuses Paques! (zhwa yuz pak!)
153. I'll pay ... ------------Je paie ... (zher payy)
154. by cash ------------en liquide (ahng leekeed)
155. by credit card ------------avec une carte de credit (avek ewn kart der kraydee)
156. See you soon. ------------ A bientot (a byangtoa)
157. Do you speak English? ------------ Parlez-vous anglais? (parlay voo ahnggleh?)
158. Where is the hotel? ------------ Ou est l'hotel? (oo ay loh tel?)
159. I'd like to buy ... ------------ Je voudrais acheter ... (zher voodray ashtay)
160. That's all, thanks ------------ C'est tout, merci (seh too mehrsee)

LOURDES: THE GROTTO OF MASSABIELLE

The Grotto of Massabielle: Here, Our Lady appeared 18 times to Bernadette from 18 February to 16 July 1858.

The Grotto of Massabielle is the heart of the Sanctuary of Our Lady of Lourdes. Pilgrims from around the world flock to Lourdes during the summer to pray at the spot where Our Lady appeared to Bernadette 18 times in 1858. The name Massabielle originated from "Massevielle" which means "old rock" in Bigourdan, the local dialect. The rock cave of Massabielle where Bernadette witnessed the Virgin Mary is about 20 metres high and is surrounded by shrubs and covered with bushes and ivy. It is supported by an enormous natural vault, which in reality, is the Grotto itself. The rock cave of Massabielle has three irregular openings and the largest one is 5 metres high, 7 metres wide and 8 metres deep. The roof of the cave is covered in ivy. A white carrara marble statue of the Virgin Mary was blessed and placed in the Grotto on 4 April 1864. The statue was a gift from two Lacour sisters, the sisters of the speaker of the French Senate from Lyon. It is the work of the French sculptor, Joseph-Hugues Fabisch, who sculpted the statue according to Bernadette's descriptions. The words "Que Soy era Immaculada Councepciou" which means "I am the Immaculate Conception" are engraved on the pedestal. These words, in the local dialect, were the last words Our Lady said to Bernadette during the sixteenth apparition on 25 March 1858, the Feast of the Annunciation of the Virgin Mary.

The Massabielle Rock - there is always a long queue of pilgrims waiting for their turns to touch the rock of Massabielle during the pilgrimage season from April to October. 

The Massabielle rock is blackened by candle soot that is released by the candles which burn day and night in a large cone-shaped candelabrum (at the feet of the statue) in memory of the first candle lit by Bernadette at the Grotto on 19 February 1858. Since that day, lighting a candle at the Grotto has become a tradition following Bernadette's example. Every year, millions of pilgrims visit the Grotto to light candles as a symbol of their faith in God. More than three million candles are lit in front of the Grotto every year. "I am the light of the world. No follower of mine shall ever walk in darkness," these were the words of Jesus according to the Gospel of John 8:12. The candles therefore symbolize light in the darkness of life and represent Jesus as the light of the world. In a way, lighting the candles is also equivalent to laying down their burdens, anxieties, fears, uncertainties, and miseries in front of the Grotto. 

The large cone-shaped candelabrum at the feet of the statue

Candles of various sizes can be found on the left of the drinking taps. The profits of the sale of candles are mainly used for the upkeep of the shrine. Since the number of candles bought by the pilgrims during the pilgrimage season is so great, it is impossible to lit all of them in front of the Grotto at the same time. Alternatively, pilgrims are asked to pray with their unlit candles in their hands and then hand over the candles to the staff in charge of the large cone-shaped candelabrum (on the right of the Grotto, near the baths) to be burnt later. Some of the candles are kept in a special store to be burnt during the cold winter months thus perpetuating the pilgrims' prayers long after they have returned to their own countries.

The fast-flowing Gave de Pau River running past the banks of the Grotto

At the time of the apparitions, there were deposits of mud, sand, gravel, and debris on the floor of the Grotto laid down during flooding when the Gave de Pau River overflowed its banks. Dead branches, pieces of wood and animal bones left behind after flooding scattered everywhere. In front of the grotto, there was a canal flowing down from the Savy mill and the adjacent sawmill. The canal ran into the Gave de Pau River further down. The Grotto was used as a natural shelter which provided protection for the fishermen and hunters of the area during adverse weather conditions. Since the apparitions, the Grotto has been cleaned up and restored several times. In 1955, the interior of the Grotto was lowered more than a metre and paved with grey marble slabs. A simple plain stone altar for the celebration of masses and other religious events stands in the center of the Grotto. There is a petition box behind the altar where pilgrims can place their prayer intentions. Whatever their petitions may be, they will be kept strictly confidential.

During the thirteenth apparition on 2 March 1858, Our Lady said to Bernadette, "Go and tell the priests to build a chapel here." When Bernadette conveyed Her request to Father Peyramale, he said, "Ask her for her name and tell her to make the wild rose bush in the Grotto bloom. We will build her a big chapel if she tells you her name and makes the rose bush flower." Hence the rose bush in the Grotto is a reminder of the 'sign' required by Father Peyramale. At the back of the grotto, to the left of the altar (see picture below), is the spring which Bernadette discovered during the ninth apparition on 25 February 1858. It is covered by an illuminated glass pane. Today, the spring water is channelled towards the taps and baths and is therefore readily available to everyone. The work was carried out by Father Joseph Mailhet, an eminent hydrogeologist, in February 1949.

During the ninth apparition on 25 February 1858, Our Lady said to Bernadette to "Go and drink at the spring and wash in it." The spring now feeds the water taps on the left of the Grotto and the baths on the right. Today, there are 34 drinking taps where the pilgrims can drink and wash their face in the spring waters according to the wishes of Our Lady.

There is a large forecourt in front of the Grotto covering an area of 27 square metres where pilgrims can gather together to pray, attend religious ceremonies, or just reflect quietly. To make space for the forecourt, the Gave de Pau River was diverted twice and a strong protective embankment was built. The canal in front of the Grotto which Bernadette crossed on 11 February 1858 is no more and its original location is marked by a stone slab. The spot where Bernadette stood when Our Lady appeared to her for the first time is also marked by a paving slab. Despite the changes that have been made to the Grotto, it still preserves its original simple and humble appearance.

The Grotto of Massabielle is a place for prayers and quiet contemplation. The silent personal prayers and private joy of being close to God which Bernadette experienced during the apparitions is now shared by millions of pilgrims who come to pray at the Grotto every year. More than 150 years ago, Bernadette met Our Lady at the Grotto and today pilgrims come face-to-face with Her statue, placed on the exact spot where She appeared to Bernadette 18 times from 11 February 1858 to 16 July 1858.

Pilgrims from around the world usually flock to Lourdes during the summer months to pray at the Grotto.

"Go and tell the priests that the people are to come here in procession," Our Lady said to Bernadette during the thirteenth apparition on 2 March 1858. Today, the Blessed Sacrament Procession is held at 5.00 p.m. daily and the Marian Torchlight procession takes place at 9.00 p.m. each evening in the area surrounding the Grotto during the pilgrimage season from April to October. At the Grotto, masses in different languages are celebrated at different times, one after another, throughout the day (please check the current mass schedule for mass times). Here, the frail Pope John Paul II knelt in prayer despite his unsteady legs and greeted the ailing pilgrims during his pilgrimage to Lourdes on 14 August 2004 on the occasion of the 150th anniversary of the promulgation of the dogma of the Immaculate Conception. Here, Pope Benedict XVI knelt and offered prayers to the Virgin Mary on 13 September 2008 on the occasion of the 150th anniversary of the apparitions of the Virgin Mary to Bernadette. Here, the most Blessed Virgin Mary appeared to the poor girl from the Cachot 18 times. Here, God reaches out to us, poor sinners, seeking healing, inner peace, and hope. It is indeed a special privilege to be here - at the Grotto of Massabielle! 

And it was here that my French story began. I vow to devote the rest of my life to improve on my French after I have completed my Ph.D. program. To me, French is the most beautiful language in the world. Why French? Because it makes me feel closer to the Grotto of Massabielle. Each time I take out a French book to read, my mind drifts to the Grotto of Massabielle - to the exact spot where Our Lady appeared to Bernadette and I couldn't help feeling that I am already there - at the Massabielle Grotto with Our Lady.

You may also like to read THE MUSEUM OF LOURDES, THE BASILICA OF THE IMMACULATE CONCEPTION, THE VALUE OF SUFFERING, and THE MESSAGE OF LOURDES. To view the content page of this blog, please click here. There is a complete list of my articles about Lourdes on this page.

References:

1.  Lourdes. Doucet Publications.

2.  Lourdes & Bernadette. Publisher "il Calamo".

3.  Discover Lourdes. MSM.

4.  Lourdes: From Vision to Pilgrimages. MSM.

5.  The New American Bible. Thomas Nelson Publishers.

MEMORABLE WALKS IN MEDJUGORJE

In the photo below, you can see a part of Mount Krizevac behind the hotels. Medjugorje has many beautiful hotels now. However, life wasn't very comfortable for the pilgrims during the early days of the apparitions. During those days the beautiful hotels that we see now do not exist. Although life in Medjugorje wasn't easy at that time, the pilgrims still went to Medjugorje because of their strong faith. Even the war couldn't stop them. They were ready to endure whatever hardship that awaited them. Where did they stay then? Who provided food for them? The villagers were very kind. They provided food and lodging for the pilgrims. That was how the hotel business in Medjugorje began.

This was the path that I took from my hotel to St. James Church. I have walked this path countless times yet I have never felt bored with it. All I could see was the beauty of this place - a place of love. A place where heaven touches the earth.

A simple path without any form of luxury but it means a lot to me. Even now I am filled with nostalgia for this simple and humble path of life that I have travelled in Medjugorje.

In the above photo you can also see Podbrdo Hill. Medjugorje is situated between Mount Krizevac and Podbrdo Hill. Hence the name Medjugorje which means "area between two mountains" in Croatian.
In the above photo you can get a better view of Podbrdo Hill. Skyscrapers and big cities would never catch my fancy. What I really yearn for is a simple life in a simple village like Medjugorje where everyone is kind, honest and helpful. What I really want to do for the remainder part of my life is to relive again the life that I have lived in Medjugorje. Just pray, pray, pray all day long. For those of you who are tired of this materialistic world and are yearning for some peace Medjugorje is the best place for you.

Some of the souvenir shops in Medjugorje. We are getting closer to St. James Church. You can see more of them opposite St. James Church. Medjugorje is truly a shopper's paradise. There are so many things worth buying there.

The beautiful St. James Church in Medjugorje. We have finally arrived there.

IS MEDJUGORJE A SATANIC CULT?

Medjugorje, Bosnia and Herzegovina

I don't understand why there are people who keep saying that Medjugorje is a cult and at the extreme end there are even those who say that it is a Satanic cult. How sad! I honestly feel that they are not doing justice to this holy place. Even though they do not believe in the apparitions there is no reason why they should say such a thing. Maybe they do not know what a Satanic Cult really is. If only they would take the trouble to find out more about it they would realize that they have misinterpreted its meaning. A Satanic Cult is a fearful thing - certainly NOT what you can see and experience in Medjugorje. Is Medjugorje really a Satanic cult? This is the topic of my discussion tonight.

What is a Satanic Cult? The Cult of Satan or Satanic worship is a magical ceremony characterized by the worship of demons and the revolt against Christianity. Its focus is on worshipping the devil and mocking God and is therefore absolutely evil. The central feature of Satanic worship is the Black Mass, a perverted and inverted rendition of the Eucharistic host and an antithesis of God. The 'Black Mass Ceremony' include activities such as animal / human sacrifices and deviant sexual behaviors. How scary!. Contrary to the Roman Catholic Mass, the Satanic ritual is motivated by the belief that Satan is stronger and more powerful than God and is therefore more capable of fulfilling the desires of his adherents.

Now, let us go deeper into the meaning of Black Mass and find out what happens during the Satanic ceremony. The Black Mass with its black candles and the naked body of a woman serving as an altar is an intentional inversion of the Catholic Mass. It is very offensive to Christians as it is calling for the renunciation of God. Since Satan does not want the human race to worship God, he is being substituted for God in the Black Satanic Mass where "good' is replaced by "evil". Participants are encouraged to wear black hooded full length cloaks. The following are among some of the activities that are being carried out during the Black Mass:

• Instead of invoking the name of Jesus, the participants scream "Beelzebub! Beelzebub! Beelzebub!" mockingly;
• Burning or stabbing sacramental wafers;
• Pouring consecrated wine contemptuously onto the floor;
• Drinking urine or blood from a human skull;
• Feasting on roasted human flesh;
• Frenzy sex orgies; 
• Newborn babies being murdered and offered as sacrifices to Satan;
• Slitting throats and collecting the blood into a chalice.

Have the Medjugorje priests ever celebrated the Black Mass? Have they ever preached anything about Satanism? Have they ever taught the pilgrims how to worship Satan? In Medjugorje, Satan's name is never mentioned. Evil does not exist. Everyone is kind, honest and helpful. Even those who are not normally kind, honest and helpful would embrace these characteristics for a short while during their stay in Medjugorje. Why is it so? How can one choose to do evil in a place where evil does not exist? There is no such thing as the Black Mass in Medjugorje. The words 'Black Mass' do sound scary, don't they? These scary words do not exist in Medjugorje. In Medjugorje we do not see darkness. We can only see the light of God.

I have been invited to other non-Catholic churches before. Not that I wanted to go. It was just that my friends were too persuasive to the extent that they kept calling me unendingly - almost to the extent of dragging me there by force. In the Catholic Churches we DO NOT look for new members like this. Once there was a friend who told me that she wanted to introduce a lawyer who graduated from the UK to me. I do wonder if this is one of the tactics which her church employs to bring in new members. Any woman wouldn't be able to resist such temptation but definitely NOT me. I never like the idea of hunting for a husband especially in such an unnatural way. I have much better things to do in my life. Finding new church members isn't that difficult after all - just drag a lawyer, doctor or engineer there and hundreds of young ladies would flock to the church (when they are invited by the church members) and compete desperately for him! What is the purpose of going to church? To pray or to hunt for a husband? 

Out of curiousity, I went to the other non-Catholic churches to see what was going on and being an extremely picky person I felt uneasy throughout my presence in those churches. I am the kind of person who cannot accept the slightest deviation from the Roman Catholic practices. If I have ever attended the Black Mass in Medjugorje, I will never ever mention this place again in my life. The reason why I am so supportive of Medjugorje is because it is more Catholic than the Catholic Churches in Malaysia. Frankly speaking, in Malaysia, I cannot find the kind of Catholic life that I yearn for. I can only find it in Medjugorje and Lourdes.

In Medjugorje, we do not renounce God and worship Satan. Human sacrifice, animal sacrifice and deviant sexual activities have never been a part of the Church practices in Medjugorje. I haven't seen the priests killing people and animals in the church as offerings to Satan. And Medjugorje is certainly the last place to go for those who enjoy deviant sexual activities. People are smart nowadays. They know where to go for these activities. Medjugorje is NOT the place for them. In Medjugorje, we do not drink urine or blood from a human skull nor do we feast on roasted human flesh. We fast on bread and water. We do not burn sacramental wafers, pour consecrated wine onto the floor, or scream 'Beelzebub'. We attend Church several times a day and pray the rosary wherever we go.

So, what can we see in Medjugorje? I saw people praying the rosary all the time - on their way to church, while walking to the shops, while climbing Podbrdo Hill and Krizevac Mountain. Back home, they probably wouldn't do such a thing in public because no one is doing it. But in Medjugorje, even godless people would pray all the time because everyone is doing it. Even those who seldom go to church would find themselves attending mass everyday or possibly several times a day. To a greater or lesser extent, we are influenced by our surrounding environment and by the people around us. So, if we want to live a holy life, Medjugorje is the best place for us. Why accuse Medjugorje of being a Satanic cult? Do you think people who worship Satan would do what the Medjugorje pilgrims are doing each day?

A few months back, a church member who is not very bright was invited to a non-Catholic church in Kuala Lumpur. He went there for the purpose of getting a free meal. As I have said earlier, anyone in Malaysia can rent a flat or a shoplot and call it a church and then call himself a pastor. When this church member entered this particular "non-Catholic Church", he was given a very lucrative offer, i.e., to marry a beautiful China woman. Irresistible, isn't it? Any guy would simply say "yes". Why not? The wife is free of charge. Better than taking a Vietnamese bride. To marry a Vietnamese bride one would have to pay RM15000. Well, this guy said that he couldn't afford to support himself and he did not want a wife. Next, he was given another offer, i.e., he would be paid RM1000 for marrying this China woman. This was supposed to be a faked marriage. The China woman only wanted the marriage certificate so that she could stay here. He was told that this China woman would not give him any problems. She only wanted to work as a maid here. When he asked for the advice of another church member in my church, this church member told him that since Malaysian women do not want China maids for fear that they would destroy their families, there was the likelihood that this China woman could have come here to work as a prostitute. So, this not-so-bright church member declined the marriage offer by that non-Catholic church. Why offered him RM1000 when he declined the first offer? The reason was very obvious, i.e., this non-Catholic church was doing some kind of sham / fake marriage business and had the intention to scam this guy. Needless to say, this China woman would disappear with the marriage certificate after marriage and he would be left without a wife. Just imagine how heart-broken he would be if he really wanted a wife? What if he really wants to get married one day? Well, he'll find that he cannot do so because he is legally married to this China woman. Goodness knows where she'll be then. Only after he declined the first offer that he was being told about the truth of this fake marriage transaction. This 'sham marriage syndicate church' had no choice but to give him money to lure him into doing something illegal. The members of this church were very persuasive and they even tried to convince him to help this China woman saying that he should help people whenever he could. Does it mean that to "help people whenever he could" he must enter into a sham marriage? Is helping people through sham marriages one of the crossover projects of this Protestant church?

The marriage offer aside, how come no one ever says that this particular church is a cult? In fact it is regarded as a respectable Protestant church by many people. Quite a prominent one too! If such a 'sham marriage syndicate church' cannot be regarded as a cult, then why is it that Medjugorje is accused of being a Satanic cult? Whatever the situation may be Medjugorje will NOT do this kind of fake marriage business and promote prostitution. Which is more Satanic? The rented-flat 'sham marriage syndicate church' or Medjugorje? Think of it! 

Thanks for reading. You may also like to read IF YOU WANT TO GET RICH QUICK, START A CULT; Beware of Greedy, Selfish and Money-Hungry Pastors; MEDJUGORJE: FAITH OR FRAUD?; and IS MEDJUGORJE A HOAX AND A MONEY MAKING SCAM? To view the content page of this blog, please click here. 

Reference:

Dictionary of the Supernatural by Petre Underwood.

GOING UP PODBRDO HILL (APPARITION HILL)

Podbrdo Hill, also known as Apparition Hill, is the name of the place where the visionaries first saw Our Lady. Be it day or night, pilgrims can be seen climbing towards the place of the first apparition. This place has been marked by a pile of rocks, with a simple cross placed in the middle.

A photo of Podbrdo Hill taken while I was walking towards the hill.

The Blue Cross at the foot of Podbrdo Hill. There are two of them. Below is another one. Those who cannot afford to climb the arduous hill can sit and recite the rosary in front of the blue cross.

How did the story of the Blue Cross begin? On 27 July 1982, on his way to the apparition site, Ivan (one of the visionaries) suddenly knelt down. Our Lady warned Ivan that the communist police were waiting for him there. The place where Ivan knelt became the site of today's Blue Cross. A second blue cross was later placed close to the first one. Instead of going to the apparition site, Ivan and his prayer group met at the foot of the hill - the place where the Blue Crosses are now. The Blue Cross had since became the secret meeting place for Ivan's prayer group. There have been many apparitions at the Blue Cross.

See how steep and rocky Podbrdo Hill is! Certainly NOT an easy climb.

Above are two of the bronze reliefs of the Sorrowful Mysteries of the Rosary on Podbrdo Hill sculpted by Carmelo Puzzolo from Italy. (The reliefs of the Joyful and Sorrowful Mysteries of the rosary were placed along the path leading up to the hill in 1989).

Two beautiful Medjugorje postcards. These are the scenes that you can see on Podbrdo Hill. In honour of the 20th anniversary of the apparitions, a statue of the Queen of Peace was placed at the very place of the apparitions. At first sight, this statue looks like the one in front of St. James Church. However, if you look at it carefully, you will notice that the features are slightly different.

I climbed Podbrdo Hill only once. When I went there for the second time with the intention to climb the hill again, it looked like it was going to rain. I changed my mind and after snapping some photos at the foot of the hill, I went to do some shopping before I went back to my hotel to prepare for church. Anyway, if I had climbed Podbrdo Hill that day, I would be late for church. That was also one reason why I decided not to climb Podbrdo Hill that day. I have never missed the Croatian Rosary (6.00 pm) and Croatian Mass (7.oo pm) at St. James Church during my stay in Medjugorje. In fact, every pilgrim feels that it is compulsory to be there in the evenings. (You can click here to go to the contents page of this blog)

THE MESSAGES OF MEDJUGORJE

According to the unanimous testimony of the visionaries, during the apparitions Our Lady gave them specific messages to be delivered to the world. Although there are many messages, they can be summarized into five fundamental ones because all the others imply, request and promote these five.

Peace
Already on the third day Our Lady gave as the first of all messages: "Peace, peace, peace and only peace!" She also repeated twice: "Peace must rule between man and God and among the people." Since visionary Marija saw the cross behind Our Lady while she was giving that message it was obvious that such peace comes only from God who became "our peace" (Epf 2,14) in Christ through Our Lady. The world cannot give that peace (Jn 14,27), and that is why Christ commanded His disciples to be the ones to bring it to the world (Mt 10,11) so that all people may become "sons of peace" (Lk 10,6).

That is why Our Lady as the "Queen of the Disciples" introduced Herself in Medjugorje as the "Queen of Peace". No one else is as capable as She to convince successfully the modern world faced with so many threats, that peace is the greatest and the most needed possession.

Faith
Our Lady's second message is faith. She speaks about it on the fourth, fifth and sixth day of the apparitions and generally repeats it often, which is understandable.

Without faith it is not possible to achieve peace. Furthermore, faith by its nature is an answer to the Word of God through which God not only reveals Himself but also gives himself to mankind. Through faith man receives the Word of God that has become "our peace" (Eph 2,14) in Christ. Receiving it, man becomes new with a new life of Christ within him. He becomes an inheritor of God's nature. (Pet 1,4; Eph 2,18).

In this way man is assured of peace both with God and his fellow man. No one knows the significance of faith and how much modern man needs it as Our Lady does. That is why on every occassion She emphasizes this message to the visionaries and entrusts them to spread it to others. She places it above everything that people seeks and sets it as the first condition for the fulfillment of all pleas, desires and requests, whether they pertain to health or any other need.

Conversion
Conversion is also one of the most frequent messages on the basis that people today have a very weak faith, if at all. Without faith it is impossible to achieve peace. True conversion means to cleanse the heart (Jer 4,14) because a corrupt heart creates and sustains bad relatiopnships and social systems. It creates and sustains unjust laws and vassal establishmensts. Without a radical change of the heart and conversion there is no peace. That is why Our Lady calls for frequent confession. This call applies to everyone. "There is no one just, not one... All have gone astray, all alike are worthless." (Rom 3, 11-12).

Prayer
Since the fifth day of the apparitions, nearly every day Our Lady recommends prayer. She calls all the people yto pray without ceasing just as Jesus asked. (Mk 9,28; Mt 8,34; Lk 11,5-13).

Prayer either awakens or strengthens faith, which enables man to have a proper relationship with God and his fellow man. Furthermore, through prayer, man manifests his life's connection with God: recognizes Him, gives him praise for received gifts and with confidence relies on him for all his needs, especially salvation. Prayer strenghthens this attitude and helps man achieve a proper relationship with God. Without a proper relationship it is not possible to keep and promote peace with God or one's fellow man.

The justification of prayer is especailly evident in that the Word of God is directed to man and there is a need for man to respond to it by word. The answer is verbalized faith or prayer, through which faith encourages, restores, strengthens and supports itself.

Furthermore, through prayer man convincingly proclaims God and the gospel, enflaming faith in others. The word of prayer at the same time purifies and shapes human life.

Fasting
Already since the sixth day of the apparitions Our Lady has started recommending fasting because it serves faith. Fasting helps man to examine, confirm and ensure self-control.

Only a self-controlled person can be free and capable of serving God and his fellow man as faith demands. Fasting warrants that man's serving in faith is sincere and certain. It helps man to be liberated of all enslavement, in the first place of sin. Whoever cannot control himself is a slave. Furthermore, fasting helps man restrain his desire for excessive pleasure, which easily lead to inconsiderate spending of temporal goods needed by the poor for mere survival.

Fasting makes it possible to obtain the goods that can become living signs of love for the needy and poor and reduces the differences between the poor and rich. Fasting heals the lack of some by the excess of others and vice versa.

So in its own way, fasting helps establish the form of peace that has been especially endangered by the enormous differences between the rich and the poor (south and north). Consequently, form Our Lady's messages it is obvious that peace is our greatest good and that faith, conversion, prayer and fasting are the sole means through which it can be achieved.

Fasting on bread and water on Wednesdays and Fridays is Our Lady's message. Many have really learned to fast in Medjugorje.

Special Messages
Along with the five main messages Our Lady has given at the beginning for all mankind, since March 1, 1984 She has started to give, mainly through Marija Pavlovic, special messages for the Medjugorje parish and the pilgrims.

Besides six visionaries Our Lady has chosen the whole parish and all the pilgrim for Her witnesses and collaborators. This is evidenced in Her first message: "I have chosen this parish in a special way and I want to lead it." She confirmed this again later: "In a special way I have chosen this parish, one more dear to me than the others, in which I have gladly remained when the Almighty sent me." (March 21, 1985) She even mentioned the reason of Her choice: "You in the parish, be converted" (March 8, 1984) "I beseech you especially those from this parish, to live my messages." (August 16, 1984).

The parishioners and the pilgrims are the ones who must become the first witnesses of Her apparitions and messages so that they may join Her and the six visionaries in realization of Her plan of the conversion of the world and its reconciliation with God.

Our Lady knows very well the weaknesses of the parishioners and pilgrims She wants to work with in the salvation of the world. She is aware that supernatural strength is needed to achieve this goal. That is why with Her messages She directs and leads them toward the sources of that power. Prayer is in the first place. She recommends prayer fervently in almost all Her messages.

(This article is written by Father Ljudevit Rupcic, O.F.M. in the book entitled MEDJUGORJE.) Please click here to view the contents page of this blog.