The bride of Christ

Joesph Lee L'Heureux

The month of June, the month for brides, might be a good time to tell this story of a Medjugorje pilgrim who sought to meet the original Bride of Christ, Mary, the Mother of Jesus. The Virgin Mary’s daily appearance in Medjugorgje, Croatia, to six children was a very appealing concept to Aline Comeau, a woman from New Brunswick. She had heard of these happenings for the past seven years and was intrigued. Aline booked herself a tour in 1988 to experience this phenomena. This was before the Soviet Union had fallen, so this was not a holiday or trip to be taken lightly. Aline dared to hope that maybe this pilgrimage might yield a healing in her left eye, since she had lost sight in that eye over the past few years. The time arrived and away to Europe went Aline. The apparitions had begun on a hill or mountain above Medjugorje. Due to military persecution they had now changed locations and were happening at St. James Church every night at 5:20 p.m. However, one afternoon it was announced by the visionaries that a special secret appearance would be happening at midnight, on apparition mountain, under the cover of darkness and away from the Russian Army. Aline decided to make the journey that night even though rain was expected. She started up apparition hill at about 11 p.m. through a slight drizzle. She came across another lady much older than herself, who had no flashlight. This area was very mountainous with many boulders, rocks and stones. The ascent during the day is difficult enough let alone at night with no light. So Aline decided to take this elderly lady into her circle of light (flashlight) and illuminate her way up the hill. As they reached the top of the mountain, a murmur was heard going through the crowd as the six visionaries fell to their knees, in rapture. Aline’s elderly companion seem to know simultaneously what was happening and dropped to a prone position in obeisance, a state of reverence. Everyone remained in a state of prayer throughout the apparition. After about an hour, the pilgrims started to return down the mountain in a state of awe and wonder. Aline was still illuminating the way for her elderly friend. When they reached the bottom of the mountain it was still raining, so Aline offered to share a cab with her new friend. The lady got in and gave Aline her address on a piece of paper in silence, which Aline shared with the taxi driver. The cab driver delivered them to their individual destinations. The next morning Aline awoke to beautiful sunshine, as if from a dream, and pondered her elderly friend with whom she had shared the previous evening. She went to her purse to get the address the lady had given her but the piece of paper was blank. Puzzled, she decided to go to the house where she had dropped her off. When she arrived at the location where the cab had taken her elderly friend the night before there was just a field. She was sure she had seen buildings. As she reflected on her act of charity toward the lady it dawned on her. When she flashed the flashlight at the ladies feet to illuminate her way, her feet never seem to touch the ground. They always seem to hover and glide above the ground. Who was this lady? Then the scripture in the book of Hebrews (13:2): “Keep on loving each other brothers (and sisters). Do not forget to entertain strangers, for by so doing some have entertained angels.” The next evening in St. James Church where the apparitions happened at 5:20 p.m., Aline was one of the selected 40 or so people allowed in the room. She was sitting right next to Father Slavko, the spiritual leader and parish priest – another small miracle. During the apparition, Father Slavko, knowing nothing of her condition, slid his thumb under Aline’s glasses and pressed hard, rather painfully on her bad eye. Yes, the healing she was looking for! Aline wondered if anyone could notice the difference in her, especially the quiet vibration cursing through her body, like the motor on a generator. Two weeks later, back in her home prayer group, Aline was able to give testimony of her experience in Medjugorje and of her elderly friend, who everyone agreed had to be an angel. As if to explain the strange vibration cursing though her body, she noticed people were reaching out toward her, to feel the static energy radiating from her. The sensation could be felt at a distance of three to five feet. Yes, Mother Mary, the original bride of Christ is present and the Kingdom of God has been very active in Medjugorje these past 27 years as evidenced by the 26 million faithful in a constant state of prayer and the great number of healings. “The Spirit and the Bride say come and let him who hears say come.” (Revelations 22:17)