Under the motto Give us all your Spirit, a prayerful Spiritual Vigil was held this year in the parish church of Marija Zvijezda. The host was the bishop of Banja Luka, Msgr. Franjo Komarica, with the help of the parish priest, rev. Zvonko Topić and other priests and lay believers.
More than 900 believers, including many young people, spent several hours praying, singing, listening, thinking, and confessing together in a unique prayer atmosphere.
In the organization of the Catholic Charismatic Renewal in the Holy Spirit of BiH, members of the prayer communities from: Mostar, Široki Brijeg, Ružići, Grude, Drinovac, Livno, Novi Travnik, Orašje, Sarajevo, Zovik, Dubrava, Tolisa, Šuica, Bugojno, Busovača, Podmilačje, Kupres, Jajce and Banja Luka, joined in a penitential and praise celebration.
They were joined in the gathering by the faithful of the parishes of the Banja Luka region, a smaller number of Dalmatian parishes, and members of prayer communities from Zagreb.
The double importance of the Feast of Pentecost
The program started in the morning with songs to the Holy Spirit. This was followed by a greeting to those present and a presentation of the prayer communities by the coordinator of the Catholic Charismatic Renewal, Mirko Puđa. He thanked Bishop Komarica for being happy to “host” numerous pilgrims this year as part of the Spiritual Vigil that he has been organizing for many years in the parish (once Trappist) church of Marija Zvijezda.
Then the host bishop invoked God’s blessing, the light and comfort of the Holy Spirit and the intercession of the Blessed Virgin and Mother of God Mary, Mother of the Church, on all participants. He then explained the double content of the holiday: the descent of the Holy Spirit on the apostles and the disciples of Jesus gathered around Mary, and the day of the birth and the beginning of the work of Christ’s Church. He also interpreted the central role of Mary as Mother of the Church, Queen of Jesus’ Apostles and Helper of Christians during 20 centuries of Christian history.
In the appropriate prayer addressed to Our Lady, the bishop asked for her motherly help and for her recommendation to the Son Jesus for the needs of all present, as well as all members of his diocese, and other fellow citizens.
Then members of the Prayer Community Newly Born from Zagreb’s Botinec Parish prayed in front of the exposed Holy Altar Sacrament for a two-hour liturgy of repentance and reconciliation and healing of wounds, especially from past wars in the territory of the entire Banja Luka diocese.
The second part of the vigil was followed by personal testimonies of the participants and several stimulating lectures on the importance of the Word of God and the Holy Spirit in the life of every Christian.
The third part began with a prayer devotion for the Synod of Bishops, which was prayed before the image of Our Lady, Mother of the Church and Mother of Good Counsel, by Msgr. Komarica together with priests and a group of lay believers.
The urgent need of mature Christian communities
This was followed by the Eucharist, which was led by the bishop of Banja Luka together with the concelebration of eight priests. He also delivered an appropriate stimulating sermon, in which he drew attention to the perniciousness of secularization, which creates the need “for an increased and credible proclamation of God’s revealed truth and for a deepened Christian, religious education”.
He emphasized the urgent need for mature Christian persons and communities who will be “aware of their calling and mission in the Church and society”. He recalled the encyclical of St. John Paul II. about the missionary mission of the Church and the Pope’s “cry” for awakening the tired and disinterested, oversleeping members of the Church and for greater fidelity in announcing the kingdom of God. He added that in the aforementioned encyclical, the Pope praises the emergence of church charismatic movements that are imbued with great missionary power. He ended his sermon with an appropriate prayer to Our Lady.
Members of the choir from Drinovci parish animated the singing during the entire vigil.
Finally, a concert by organist Edmund Andler-Borić from Zagreb and sopranos Lucija Borković and Danka Ilić was held in the same church as part of the Festival of Organ Music, organized by Napredak branch in Banja Luka.
Finally, let’s add that most of the vigil was broadcast live by Radio Marija BiH from Sarajevo and Posavska TV from Orašje.
KT
