Michael Jones

This page is placed here after much trepidation. Please do not think I am
proud or boastful for the miracles God has worked in my life. Nor is the
following an attempt to make others envious.

I am reminded of the many miracles Jesus performed during His ministry.
Some of those who received miracles were told by Jesus to show themselves to the elders. This was done as a witness and testimony. We also learn in
Scripture that works without deeds are lost in themselves.

Therefore, as I am compelled to make note of miracles in my life, I must
let the reader know that I have no control over those who receive them and
those who do not. It is not my place to question the who, what, when, where and
why's. God sends miracles to whom He will. These things are for God to
decide.

So I ask the reader to consider these things before reading on. I know that
my attempt to share these happenings will fall far short of the actual
events themselves. Even so, in all humility I write them as witness and
testimony. Thank You. Michael
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Having been healed (by God) of a heart attack in 1984, (while I set out to
prove God did not exist,) I would often tell the story of my conversion.
Being self-employed, in late spring 1989, I told a lady I was working for
about my attempt to prove God was not real. I told her that during this
time I had a heart attack and entreated God to prove to me He was real. I
mentioned the tingling that started in my feet and raced through my body
leaving me with a feeling of poison flying out of the top of my head. The
next following day I had an appointment with a heart surgeon to discuss the
placement of a pacemaker in my heart. I told the doctor there was no longer
any need to consider this procedure because God had healed me. The surgeon
looked at the ekg and told me such things are not possible and my ekg
clearly showed a cardial infarction. Strangely enough the surgeon decided
to give me another ekg which puzzled him as it showed no signs of the cardial
infarction. He sent me for an appointment to have a dye test (which looks
at the workings of the heart) and the end result showed no signs of the
previous cardial infarction.

The lady I was working for was a Catholic and was moved by my testimony.
Upon finishing the work I did for her, she handed me an envelope. Inside
were clippings from her weekly Catholic newspaper. She said that the
clippings were about the pilgrimages to a place where apparitions of the
Virgin Mary were said to be taking place. I took the envelope thanking her,
but I did not understand why she had done this. When I got home that night,
I put the envelope on the bottom shelf of my coffee table and thought no
more about it.

A few weeks later (while in prayer) I heard a voice that said, "I want you
to go to Medjugorje." At first I ignored the voice but the voice remained
insistent. The voice continued over the next few weeks often waking me in
the middle of the night. Upon waking me, the voice would tell me to look at
the clock. I did, and found the numbers to be of equal value, example:
1:11, 2:22, 3:33, and so on. The voice would then say, "I want you to go to
Medjugorje."

One evening while talking to my sister who lives 100 miles away, I told her
about the voice I was hearing. I tried to pronounce the word Medjugorje but
I could not remember it. I figured my sister would think I was going crazy.
Surprisingly she said to me, "Oh Medjugorje, I heard of that place."

She told me of a priest named Father Kelly. He was the priest who was
supposed to officiate the wedding of my sister and her fiancée, Dennis.
However a mix-up took place. On the wedding day itself, Father Kelly was on
his way to Medjugorje with a group of pilgrims. This is how my sister came
to know about the word "Medjugorje."

Now with my sister's confirmation of this word Medjugorje, I needed to
understand the message this voice was sending me. I asked my
brother-in-law, Dennis, to set up an appointment with Father Kelly. After a weeks time I
called to see if this arrangement had been made. Dennis said that Father
Kelly was a very busy man, and it was most likely he would not be able to
see me. As I put down the phone, I wondered what to do next. Sitting on the
couch, I noticed the envelope of the lady I had worked for weeks before on
the bottom shelf of my coffee table. On the envelope was written the word
Medjugorje. As I looked at the envelope, I knew, whatever I was looking for
was inside.

I opened the envelope and saw several ads offering tours to Medjugorje. I
started to read one which was printed in big letters saying, "Medjugorje
and Rome for $1219.00." I knew somehow I was going on that trip. As I continued
to read, the ad said, "under the direction of Father Arnold E. Kelly, St.
Rita's Church, Lowell, MA." This was the same priest I was trying to get an
appointment with.

I was astonished. This whole matter seemed like a story out of the Twilight
Zone. I mean, a lady I did work for handed me an envelope for no reason at
all. After which, I heard this voice telling me I have to go to this place
called Medjugorje, a name I couldn't even pronounce. Then weeks later I
called my sister and learned that this certain priest had been to this very
same place the voice was telling me to go. In the envelope was an ad for a
pilgrimage to Medjugorje by the very same priest my sister knew. I was
amazed at all these events knowing that Father Kelly lived 100 miles away
from the lady who had given me the envelope with the ads. I ask you, what
are the chances?

I called up my brother-in-law again insisting for an appointment with
Father Kelly. Shortly thereafter I met Father Kelly. Though I was not a Catholic
at that time, I signed up for the September 1989 pilgrimage to Medjugorje
after my talk with Father Kelly. After signing up, information about Medjugorje
seemed to come out of nowhere, in a series of strange event. Meantime, the
voice that spoke to me remained silent.

We were just starting our journey to Medjugorje. We were on the bus headed
for Boston's Logan Airport. Father instructed the people on the bus to take
out their Rosary so we could pray together. During the Rosary prayers I
noticed the first miracle. The chain links on my Rosary turned to a gold
color.

The second miracle came after our arrival in Medjugorje. I was engulfed in
the smell of roses. This happened several times during my pilgrimage. At
first I thought it was perfume. Yet when the smell reached my nose there
was a fragrance that was beyond words. Other people standing around me also
noticed the heavenly fragrance and commented. My theory of perfume was
discarded when I was engulfed in a rose fresh fragrance without a soul
around me.

The first evening a few of us went to the church (Saint James) in
Medjugorje. Some of the pilgrims from our group were already there. One of
them looked at me with tears in her eyes saying, "look at the sun." I
looked, not expecting to see what I saw. The sun was rotating as if it were
sending circles of itself to the earth. There was a round disc floating
inside the sun. The sun changed colors, causing no harmful effect to my
eyes. I felt the need to tell people, "look at the sun." I turned to tell
them and noticed hundreds of people already watching, some with tears
flowing down their cheek. Every face I saw had a look of awe.

The morning of the first day Father Kelly walked smilingly up to me. He
knew I prayed the Rosary though I was not Catholic and I did not go to church.
He placed his hands on my shoulders shaking me, saying, "I hope Jesus tears
you apart." My roommate, Bill, knew Father Kelly so I asked him what Father
meant by his actions. He said he did not know but I should pray over it.

A few days later we went to visit Father Jozo. He was the priest in charge
of the parish of Saint James when the apparitions first started. Father
Jozo did not speak English, and had a translator. At one point in a church of
hundreds of people, Father Jozo looked directly at me. My roommate Bill
confirmed this by elbowing my right side saying, "He was looking right at
you when he said that." When the translator spoke, the message was, "Do not
be afraid, the Blessed Mother will break you apart."

I recalled Father Kelly saying, "I hope Jesus tears you apart," just days
before. Now a few days later Father Jozo who is from another country, does
not speak English and did not know Father Kelly, was telling me the Blessed
Mother would break me apart. I was frightened and confused. There were too
many things happening to me that just made no sense at all.

It was September 25, 1989. We heard a rumor that the Blessed Mother would
appear to the seers on Apparition Hill, (Mt. Podbrdo). The pilgrims were
invited. A few fellow pilgrims and I climbed the Hill of Apparitions early
that evening. We sat on the rocks and waited. As it grew near to the
apparition time the side of the mountain filled with people.

A singing prayer group came up the mountain shortly after we did. They sat
about twenty feet in front of me. One member of the group had a guitar. He
played it and everyone on the mountain sang religious songs. It was a very
moving and holy experience. Try to imagine the singing voices of people
from all over the world, unable to speak to each other, but united by singing
the same song, yet in different languages. There are no words to describe the
experience.

The mountain started to fill with what seemed to be thousands of people. A
large number of pilgrims were trying to get closer to the singing prayer
group. I guess they thought they would see one of the visionaries. They
were very pushy and shoved me time and time again. I was angry over this and
said something to one of them. Instantly I was disappointed at my anger.

As the prayer group and pilgrims sang, I went into prayer asking God to
forgive me for my anger. My prayer was very deep but for one moment I
realized I could no longer hear singing, instead I heard the Rosary being
recited. I realized time had passed unaware while I was in prayer. I
immersed myself back into prayer, I found myself in a place I had never
been before. It was a place of great inner peace. All of a sudden I heard a
voice speak to my heart saying, "Michael, you are at peace." At that moment I was
overwhelmed with a great sense of serenity. I knew then for the first time
in my life what true peace really was.

In my tranquility I asked God again to forgive my anger. I said to him in
silent prayer, "you know Lord, these people are wrong in what their are
doing. If only they would ask in some way, I would move off the far side of
the mountain and gave them my spot." At that very moment I heard an
exterior sound. Someone was walking pass me again. I smiled and said to myself, "I
am at peace." Without warning I heard a voice. In English this exterior voice
said, "Please." I came out of my prayer, opened my eyes, and before me on
his knees was Ivan the visionary, with his arms outstretched towards the
ground next to me. I nodded somehow knowing that he was asking to pray in
that spot.

As he kneeled and prayed on the rocks, I looked around me wondering if
anyone else knew he was there. After kneeling he hunched over low to the
ground in prayer. It was now very dark and I could not see more than a
person or two away from me. Somehow it seemed I was the only one who knew
Ivan was there.

Suddenly someone from the singing prayer group shouted out in several
languages, "The Blessed Mother is about to appear, everyone please get on
your knees." 

As I knelt down, I felt my left knee pressing on a sharp jagged rock. I
felt pain instantly. However, before I could adjust myself, Ivan the seer (who
was still bowing low to the ground), came up (on his knees) touching the
left side of my body. I was afraid to move as I thought it might interrupt
his prayer and or vision. So I kept my left knee on the sharp rock.

The mountain was full of what seemed to be a couple of thousand people,
though I do not know for sure. It was so quiet that you could hear the
flickering of the candles in the soft breeze.

A blue light appeared, followed by a sound that I can only describe as
thunder. I have never heard anything like it before or since. This happened
three times and I was frightened, by what I saw and heard. For a brief
moment I thought it was the end of the world. Then I remembered (having
read it somewhere) that this phenomenon happens just before the Lady appears,
yet few people witness it, except for the seers themselves.

I looked at the face of Ivan. His eyes did not blink. He nodded slightly,
moving his lips but there were no words. Though I looked at the direction
he >was staring, I did not see the Lady. My thoughts were now focused on the
pain which extended through my entire left side. I still did not move.

When the vision was over, my pain was unbearable. I was asking God to help
me. My whole left side was now completely numb. I was unable to stand, and
for some reason I could not speak. Ivan started to walk away. He had taken
one step when he stopped, looked up in the sky, then turned looking at me.
He walked back placing his hands under my left arm and lifting me up, and
walking away.

I  looked around to see if anyone had witnessed this event. There was a
girl, about sixteen, she was part of our group. When our eyes made contact I saw
tears streaming down her face. I knew in my heart that she had seen what
had happened. She was my witness. She ran into my arms sobbing, and I hugged
her. I cried without control. I was broken apart by my experience.

People gathered around me offering me tissue, asking me what happened. I
don't know what I said, if I said anything at all. But I do know this. As
Father Kelly said, "I hope Jesus tears you apart," and as Father Jozo said,
"The Blessed Mother will break you apart," on the evening of September 25,
1989, I was torn and broken apart by Jesus and the Blessed Mother. Even now
as I write this my eyes swell with tears.

Later having returned home I told a friend about this event. He asked the
following questions:

1) "You said the people on the mountain spoke different languages. If you
were praying silent prayer, and Ivan spoke to you saying, 'please', how did
he know you spoke English?"

I believed God was confirming my prayer. Many people on the mountain that
night were thinking only of themselves. I believe these selfish people were
not aware of what they did because they were wrapped up in their selfish
deeds. They should have asked permission to pass. I believe God had Ivan
show me the way these people should have conducted themselves. This is how
Ivan knew he should speak in English. I believe God saw me asking
forgiveness for my anger and he responded saying, my anger was indignation.

2) "When Ivan lifted you up did you still have pain on your left side from
the rock?"

I never felt another moment of pain from the time I was on my feet. All
pain, suffering and numbness were gone. In fact I never thought about the
pain on my left side again until I was asked this question.

3) I was asked, "What do you think this all means?"

To me it is confirmation. The voice that told me to go to Medjugorje was
quite real, and not from my imagination. For obeying the voice, I was
blessed and given much grace.

4) My friend pointed out; "If Ivan came back to lift you up, then the
Blessed Mother knew you were hurt, she must have sent Ivan back to help
you." He also noted; "if she saw Ivan, and you were right next to him then
she saw you too."

Yes the Blessed Mother knew that I was there because it was the will of God
that I was there. Yes if she saw Ivan she had to see me as well. This and
the voice of Jesus which said to me, "Michael, you are at peace," are the
things that tore and broke me apart. In this I know that I was seen and
heard by heavenly hosts. Confirmation came from the actions of Ivan, the
loss of pain on my left side, and the sixteen year old witness.

I don't know what happened to other pilgrims that night, all I know is that
God showed me favor. I don't know why. I don't deserve it.

This is the message that the Blessed Mother gave to the world that night;
"Dear children, today I invite you to give thanks to God for all the gifts
that you have discovered in the course of your life, and even for the least
gift that you perceived. I give thanks with you and want all of you to
experience the joy of these gifts, and I want God to be everything for each
one of you, and then little children you can grow continuously on thy path
of holiness. Thank you for responding to my call."

It was about our third or fourth day in Medjugorje. We were going to climb
Cross Mountain (Mt. Krizevac) for the first time. We went as a group. The
climb was exhaustingly difficult and the morning sun was warm.

I noticed an older woman with our group who was having trouble climbing. I
slowed down and fell behind the pack and asked if I could help her. She
told me she was okay. She said she was not going to the top of the mountain
anyway. Her name was Gay.

I thought, why would someone climb only part way? I believe Gay was
embarrassed because the climb was so difficult. She felt she was not
capable of making the steep and rocky climb. I told her I would be grateful if she
would let me help her. I said, "you will be doing me a bigger favor than I
will be doing for you." She smiled, and off we went.

After climbing for a while I could see that Gay was losing hope. Shortly
thereafter she said, "I'm not going to make it." Moments later on our left
side of us, was a rather large sized framed lady with gray hair. She was
sitting on a rock with a wooden walking stick in her hand. This lady said
something to us which was hysterically funny. Gay and I laughed and
continued up the mountain. We talked about how funny the lady was.

This large framed gray hair lady with a walking stick showed herself three
times. This happened whenever Gay was losing hope. Then it hit me like a
ton of bricks. If Gay and I were always passing by this lady, how was this lady
always getting in front of us?

Gay was losing hope for the fourth time. There sitting on a rock, this most
unusual lady appeared again. This time she did not look at us or attempt to
make us laugh as the previous occasions. This time her head was bowed
looking toward the ground. She held the walking staff in both hands with
her forehead against the stick. I told Gay to wait a second and I waited until
the lady looked up at us. When she looked up the smile on her face was like
a child who got caught with her hand in a cookie jar. I looked at her
smiling and I said, "Well, come on, your suppose to make us laugh." A big
smile came on her face and she again sent us up the mountain in laughter.

(As I revise the sentence structure of this document for my website I am
reminded of this event which happened in September 1989. It is now 1999,
and I must confess, I am quite emotional when I recall this.)

The next time Gay and I spotted this extraordinary lady we sat and chatted
with her for a moment. She told us she had never been to the top of the
mountain. She said, and I quote, "I might get there some day."

The next time I saw her was about 75 feet before the top of the mountain.
Gay did not see her this time but I did. She looked at me, shut her eyes
and nodded her head once, she opened her eyes again and smiled at me.

I brought Gay to the top of the mountain, she was very excited saying, "I
made it!" I left Gay there and headed back down the mountain. I wanted to
talk to the lady some more, but when I turned around, I could not see her.
I knew there was no way for her to climb up to the mountain without me seeing
her, then I remembered her telling me she had never been to the top.
Quickly I ran down the mountain about a quarter mile but the Lady was nowhere to be
found.

There is no doubt in my mind that this lady which I have called her is more
a "Lady with a capital." I believe in all my heart that she is an angel in
the flesh. She gave hope to Gay, hope when all hope seemed to be lost. She
brought Gay to the top of the mountain with joy and laughter. I will always
remember her face and her kindness. To me, She was, and is, and to me will
always be, the Lady of Comfort and Joy.

One day three of us climbed the mountain of the cross, (Mt. Krizevac). At
the top of the mountain we had gone our separate ways. I was standing by
the right side of the cross taking pictures of the miracle of the sun. I turned
to a voice that said, "Hello, my name is Agnes." I said hello and told her
I was not trying to be rude but I had to take pictures of the sun. Agnes
said, "do not be concerned, God will give you the pictures He wants you to have."
She gave me a flower and told me God loves me. She said God wanted me to
have the flower. I said thank you. Then she said, "I have to go now." When
I looked for her a moment later she was gone.

On the way down the mountain, one of the men I had gone up the mountain
with, told a story which goes like this: "I was sitting on a rock. I heard
a loud cry. I walked to the back side of the mountain. There I saw a donkey
crying and acting unnatural. I saw a woman walk over to the donkey touch
his forehead and the donkey was ---( he said hesitating)--- at peace!

The woman saw me, smiled, and said I should come and pat the donkey, I did.
As we were talking, a boy came over. He got on his knees before the woman
and offered her some flowers. The boy spoke another language, I did not
understand him. The woman looked at him and said, 'I do not exchange money
op on this Holy Mountain.' The boy acted as if he understood and offered the
flowers to her again. She accepted them and the boy left.

She gave me one of the flowers and said it was a gift from God, then she
said she had to go to the other side of the cross, and she left. Her name
was Agnes." I then told him I meet Agnes on the other side of the cross. I
mentioned what she said to me and about the flower she gave me.

For the rest of our visit in Medjugorje the man who met the Lady and the
donkey took on a different look. He was a deacon in a church (I believe)
and to this day I can still see the look on his face as he looked into my eyes
and said, "Michael, she is the holiest person I ever met in my life."

I meet Agnes again when we were an hour away from leaving Medjugorje. My
roommate was following me around because I tearfully told everyone I didn't
want to go home. As I remember this moment, a tear comes to my eye, even
now.

My roommate, Bill, walked with me to Saint James Parish one last time.
While walking back to the house where we were staying, I was again telling Bill I
did not want to leave. The tears were swelling up in my eyes again. All of
a sudden, Bill said, "Michael I think someone is calling you." I turned
around and there was Agnes. As I walked closer to her she must have seen my
sadness. She hugged me and as she was doing so, whispered in my ear saying,
'You have to go home now and spread the message.' My sadness left me, and
Agnes walked away with two nuns dressed in Habit.

As I reflect on this, I wonder. How can a woman, who briefly touches my
life on top of a mountain in a strange land, be able to recognize me from my
back side several days later, and then remembers my name, knows what I am
feeling, and tells me that I have to go home to spread the message? What
are the chances?

There are many other things that happened in Medjugorje, to other pilgrims
as well as to myself. Many seemed to receive their own personal gift, meant
just for them. These special gifts were beyond any normal comprehension,
which made us all wonder in awe.

Upon returning home, and after developing the pictures, I discovered that
some photos have strange images on them. I had copies made of one such
picture and other people have found other images in the same photos as
well.

I took these pictures with a brand new roll of film and no one has been
able to give me a logical explanation of the images. Even so, there is an answer
and the explanation is quite simple. Just as Agnes said on the mountain,
"God will give you the pictures that He wants you to have."

After having witnessed it first hand, there is no question in my mind that
Medjugorje is Holy Ground! !

Michael

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