Patrick Madrid discussed the Medjugorje case today on Ave Maria Radio's "Al Kresta Show" today. Speaking from a favorable point of view on the alleged apparition was Fr. Neil Buchlein, a pastor from West Virginia. You can hear a replay of the show over at Patrick's blog.
While Fr. Buchlein got much more air time than Patrick did, he did seem to back off in his approach as the conversation progressed. He eventually resorted to saying that, for people who have good experiences at Medjugorje, Church approval really isn't all that necessary. I had to wonder if that might have been his first exposure to the skeptical case, brief as it was.
What mess!
I hope and pray the Commission established by the Vatican will sort this whole thing out.
There are people, good people, people striving for holiness, who are enmeshed in the whole M. phenomena.
Let us pray that the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of Truth, will guide and establish a sure and sound answer to this very confusing, divisive and questionable event. Holy Mother, Spouse of the Holy Spirit, pray for us!
Mess is reality when we intend to aknowlege it´s misteries from tip to toe, and bend it to our reason and understanding. It does not go on that way with heavenly plans, they do not let themselves be conditioned by our use of reason.
All we can do to really undertand is to experience the invitation of the Virgin to prayer and conversion, then our understanding is that of our own experience.
Nothing new to us christians. Let commissions do their duty, which is in no case easy, let us pray to understand, and if we are not called to this determinate call, we are always called to Holly Scripture and conversion. Had we done so, Blessed Mary would be more than happy and would not call using such an extraordinary way.