Fr. Sebastian

“I’ve always had a devotion to Our Lady. Being brought up Catholic, mum always had us pray the rosary in the evenings and also developing my own personal devotion to Our Lady. I haven’t seen mum for more than a year now. She arrived Friday from South Africa and right away we were on the plane together. Although we phone each other regularly it’s not the same and also to come to a special place like this and to be with my mum here where the Mother of God is calling us. 

I belong to the religious order of the Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate and I am from South Africa. I’ve been a priest for 7 and a half years and I am currently in Rome completing a licentiate in sacred scripture. 

Our course in sacred scripture focuses on the original languages, the language itself, and the message the bible is trying to convey through the original language.  I always point to Luke chapter 1, when Mary goes to visit Elizabeth having received the news that not only Mary has conceived Jesus but that also Elizabeth has conceived John the Baptist and the words that Mary is greeted with are “Blessed are you amongst women” and “Who am I that the Mother of my Lord has come to visit me” and the way we understand that word “Lord” is not like the “lord of that house” the “Lord” in that context means God himself. And also the very words the angel spoke to Mary when he announced the words “full of grace” in that context doesn’t mean that she is full of grace at that moment but that she had been full of grace at the moment of her conception – from her very existence.  When she was conceived in St. Anne’s womb, at that very moment Mary was full of grace. Mary herself speaks and gives her own prophecy “from this day forward all generations will call me blessed” and that prophecy is being lived out at this moment and in a very special way here in Medjugorje. 

To experience the peace of the place and meet people from all over the world – that’s the beauty of our Catholic faith, the source of our faith brings us together, the Eucharist and the Rosary and so that’s what has been really inspiring to me. 

It’s such a beautiful peaceful place. Everybody seems to be on the same wave length that we are all here for the same reason. I am definitely coming back. “

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