Earlier this year, I received an invitation. I was invited to join a pilgrimage to Medjugorje. It was organized by the community of El Salvador del Mundo. The year leading up to it had been especially painful. Family trials had broken my heart, and circumstances beyond my control filled my days with confusion and uncertainty.
One early morning, I woke up with deep anguish, worried about someone I loved dearly. My heart was restless, searching for peace. At that moment, I remembered a simple piece of advice. It was: “If you wake up in the middle of the night, pray the rosary. “That night, I prayed it differently—not as a routine, but as a lifeline. And as the words unfolded, something shifted inside me. A quiet peace began to embrace my soul, the very peace I had been longing for. Looking back now, I understand that prayer was not just a comfort for the moment, but a preparation. A preparation for the love, healing, and grace I would soon meet in Medjugorje.
🕊️ The Apparitions’ Hill
The first time I climbed the hill, I felt peace. I was in awe at the place’s beauty. It is where the Virgin has appeared for the past 44 years. Yet, the crowds and noise kept me from experiencing a truly personal meeting. So, I returned at night, close to midnight. After praying the rosary, I knelt before the place of the apparitions. Through tears, I surrendered all my pain to the Virgin. I asked for her intercession to heal my heart and the hearts of those I loved so deeply.
There were no words—only silence, stillness, and love. In that moment, I realized I didn’t need to see to believe. Simply being near her was enough, and I was deeply grateful for that gift.
Message of September 25, 1994:
“Dear children! I rejoice with you and invite you to prayer. Little children, pray for my intention. Your prayers are necessary to me; through them I desire to draw you even closer to God. He is your salvation.”
💙 The Consecration to the Virgin
On September 15, 2025—the Feast of Our Lady of Sorrows—we gathered in Tihaljina for a special act of consecration. Father Edwin led the prayer. I repeated the words with the group. Through my tears, I whispered at the end a personal vow: “Mother Mary, I consecrate myself to you. “ At that moment, a woman came up behind me, wrapped her hand around my medal, and with her other hand pressed my left arm. She spoke to me in Italian. I didn’t understand what was happening or what she was saying. I thought she was asking me where I was from. Then she opened her hand, showing me the medal, and I interpreted that she was asking why I had it with me. I answered that I had come with a group from El Salvador and that they had given it to me.
After that, in Spanish, with sweetness in her voice, she told me: “You must go to Italy.” I was still confused by this encounter. Several people began walking between us, and at that moment my heart was overflowing with indescribable joy. I started moving through the crowd, looking for her, and found her eyes on me—smiling. Then the Holy Spirit revealed to me what was happening. Without saying a word, she came closer and hugged me very, very tightly… and in that embrace I understood what I had once read on a holy card of the Virgin of Peace: “If you knew how much I love you, you would weep with joy.” And so I wept with joy.
My sister came closer, and the woman asked her to take a picture of us with her phone. Later, I understood that she wanted me to keep a memory of that moment, so I could share this testimony of the Virgin’s love for me. Afterward, I looked for her both inside and outside the church to ask her name and thank her—but she was simply gone.
When I was finally able to reflect on what had happened, I realized she had shown me—by holding my medal in her hand—who she was. In her silent embrace, I felt how much she loved me. And in this unplanned picture, the background holds both the Mother who intercedes and the Son who gave His life out of love—for me, and for you who are reading this.
🌟 My Morning Prayer of September 15, 2025
“The symphony plays its discordant note in the darkest night, because the grays have disappeared and the colors must now be defined. What is lowest gains ground, and what is sublime is covered by the thickest fog. The shadows conquer the kingdom, and lies, hatred, and betrayal find their place upon two pieces of wood. But within the human heart dwells the clearest truth, the purest humility, the most daring forgiveness, and the greatest love this world has ever known. His cross demands decisions, contemplation, and action. Silence clothes the mystery, while joy waits for its turn to break forth among the splinters of the beams.
Who will have the last word? Who will cross the finish line and claim the victory? Who will win the prize and stand upon the podium? Pain or joy? Failure or triumph? Darkness or light? Arrogance or humility? Hope and faithfulness will give us the answer.
Mary, as I reach the end of this prayer, I want to tell you what stirs within me as I contemplate your sorrow, as I gaze at those swords that pierce your soul, at those eyes that reflect your pain at the foot of the cross. All I ask is to remain faithful—faithful until the end.”
— Rezandovoy, September 15, 2025
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