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The Final Harvest: Medjugorje at the End of the Century

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I was immensely satisfied with my purchase and highly recommend it to all who are interested or even just curious about the happenings at Medjugorje (pronounced Medu-gore-ia). The site is a little village in Croatia, the former Yugoslavia, and just happens to be where the Blessed Mother of God, the Virgin Mary, is appearing daily to selected visionaries. In a situation like that, the potential for hyperbole is mind-boggling. Demagoguery on either side of the question might be the order of the day. The wonderful thing about Wayne Weible is that he is not given to such extravagance, either in his data or in his presentation. His treatment of the miracles occuring in this unlikely spot is straightforward, factual, and supportive without being xenophobic.

Wayne Weible was a secular-minded journalist who wished to report on the happenings at Medjugorje in order to profit from them. He thought they would sell newspapers, which he owned. A Protestant by upbringing, virtually non-religious in practice, he wound up becoming a believer and eventually converted to Roman Catholicism.

In the process, he became the recognized chronicler of the happenings. He introduces you to the players involved, to the geography and cultural and political milieu of the place, to the history of the eighteen-year-long drama. You feel as if you'd visited Medjugorje yourself, to read this book.

I was fortunate enough to be taken to a conference at which one of the visionaries was speaking. I also saw other players in the cast there, including Wayne Weible. He impressed me so much, I had to buy his book. Another motivation was the fact that he made it clear that the people living in Medjugorje, including the visionaries, are having financial difficulty. The book purchase helps them as well as Wayne, who has dedicated his life to spreading the "good news".

My spiritual life began anew after I read Mr. Weible's book The Message 7 years ago. I was thrilled to know he wrote another book on Medjugorie but never thought it would surpass his first. I was wrong! This book is another inspiration to me and can be to any who read it. It is so uplifting to know that the Blessed Mother's message has been heard through people who have been blessed with the opportunity to spread the word. The book itself is so informative and enjoyable and at the same time adds another depth of spirituality to the lives of all who read it. Through God, all things are possible and that has been proven by the continued growth of prayer, fasting and penance that so many people have begun because of the Blessed Mother's request to all of us. I recommend this book to any person who has searched but has never found a higher purpose. I also recommend this book to anyone who already believes!

Wayne Weible is one of my favorite writers of Christian Inspiration, with his work on the apparitions of Medjugorje. He writes with an openness that is relatable and genuine. He demonstrates a sincere process of spiritual discernment in his first book: Medjugorje- The Message. His detailed account of his first encounter with the visions, and his ultimate belief in their authenticity left one with a strong sense of spiritual hope. Unfortunately, his new book, The Final Harvest: Medjugorje at the end of the Century, does little more than rehash information I've read and reread and reread countless times over the years in his and other works on the subject. Its presentation is dry and ends in a virtual desert. I've had it with his account of flights to various speaking engagements and his experiences thereof. This goes on and on and on. The best part of this book is a compilation of messages given by the Madonna as a reference at the end of the book, updating her messages to the end of the Century. This is handy to have, but is available easily anywhere. What people want to know when we by a book like this is What is next? Where is the world now in the grand scheme of things? What evidence is their that we should believe in... hope for...cling to? Weible can take a lesson from Michael H. Brown's approach to inspiring people to conversion through his writing on Medjugorje and other apparition sites throughout the world. Brown's The Final Hour, The Last Secret, and The Day Will Come are incredible! He ends his books with amazing insight and intense inspiration. He does not let you go until you feel loved and empowered. He sees to it that you are convinced of God's presence in the world, and that you are moved to action! People want their lives to change when they buy a book like this. They want someone to give them a reason to hope that they are not alone in the universe.

Wayne Weible is able to communicate the depth of the messages, the visionaries and the true meaning of these holy events. He is not preaching, just opening our eyes and hearts to the need to HEAR what is really being said. He is beyond superior. He is relating an event that will change our lives.

Wayne Weible's fourth book on Medjugorje is his best yet. He combines the narrative history of these Marian apparitions with meditative reflections on the content of her messages. After all, it is the messages that give the meaning to the whole phenomenon, and Wayne incorporates them well into his portrait of what is still occurring there. He does an excellent job on this two-fold task - to tell what happened as far as the giving us the story of the events as they unfold, and then to pass on to us the meaning of these events in terms of Our Lady's messages. If you only had time to read just one book on Medjugorje, I would suggest this one.

The apparitions have been occurring for several years now and this book gives the latest information coming from the area. Also, what has been going on in the lives of the visionaries. It is comforting to know they are having children and living "normal" lives . The message of Penance, prayer and conversion rings loud and clear. This will be a quick read.

I think Mary is to be blessed but I also think we have to check the scriptures like the Bereans did in Acts 17:11 to see if the visionary claims line up with scripture. What is in quotes are clips from page 85 & 86 of the book "The Final Harvest" and my comments after it.

"Tell this priest, tell everyone, that it is you who are divided on earth."
To my understanding there has been division since the fall, is what the visionaries claim Mary said `it is you who are causing divisions' or..? I don't know but seems to be a strange statement, could they have misquoted?

"The Muslims & the Orthodox, for the same reason as Catholics, are equal before my Son & me. You are all my children. Certainly, all religions are not equal, but all men are equal before God, as St. Paul says. "
I tried to look up where Paul used the word equal in every single English translation & this is what I came up with that remotely fits the context:
2 Corinthians 11:12 NIRV And I will keep on doing what I'm doing. That will stop those who claim they have things to brag about. They think they have a chance to be considered equal with us.
Galatians 3:28 MSG In Christ's family there can be no division into Jew and non-Jew, slave and free, male and female. Among us you are all equal. That is, we are all in a common relationship with Jesus Christ.
Ephesians 2:18 MSG He treated us as equals, and so made us equals. Through him we both share the same Spirit and have equal access to the Father.
The only equality I see Paul stating are those who are in Christ. In Eph. 2:18 Paul was writing to the saints in Christ as shown in Eph. 1:1. Among "us" you are all equal that is those who have a relationship with Jesus Christ. I don't know of to many Muslims who have a relationship with Jesus Christ & I thought it was according to their doctrine such as Koran 8:39 that everyone gets converted to Islam or be considered an infidel & get killed (there are many other passages with the same point in the Koran). Seems strange to me and also according to these visionaries Mary states all are my children however Paul states not all are the children of God in Romans 9 and is according to His mercy.

"It does not suffice to belong to the Catholic Church to be saved, but it is necessary to respect the commandments of God in following one's conscience."
Is what the visionaries claim Mary said, saying it is necessary to respect the commandments to be saved? What about the thief who died to Jesus' left on the cross? What about passages like Titus 3:5, Eph. 2:8-9, Romans 9:12-18? I tend to think following His commandments brings Him glory, but as far as being saved it is the Lords doing, not in partiality but as a whole Jonah 2:9b.

"Those who are not Catholics, are no less creatures made in the image of God, & destined to rejoin someday the House of the Father."
Are the visionaries claiming Mary is saying in order to rejoin the House of the Father one has to be a Catholic? What about John 14:6 Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me." wouldn't Jesus have to add "and is a Catholic" to this verse, also wouldn't the bible define what makes one a "Catholic"? Is it sitting in a pew, kneeling, partaking in Lords Supper, going through the symbolic act of baptism make one a "Catholic"? That is like saying if you cross this line, then you will be saved. "...there is no salvation in any other, for there is no other name (including Mary's) under heaven given among men by which we must be saved." Acts 4:12

"Salvation is available to everyone, without exception. Only those who refuse God deliberately are condemned. To him who has been given little, little will be asked for. To whoever has been given much, very much will be required. It is God alone, in His infinite justice, who determines the degree of responsibility & pronounces judgment."
In Romans 5:12-21 Paul talks about how sin has entered into the world and Jesus mentions in John 3:18 how we are already condemned, and Paul in Eph. 1:19 mentions how it is according to Gods almighty power one believes, and Jesus mentioned how no one can (ability) come to Him unless the Father has drawn Him John 6:44 and it is according to His mercy Romans 9:12-18 which is never merited and according to His timing John 3:8. Romans 9 talks about how mercy is dependent on God and not necessarily based on what man nor individual does. According to the visionary here it states "only those who refuse God deliberately are condemned". Does this mean if we do not provide the opportunity to "refuse God" all will goto heaven by not sharing the gospel? See how the statement made by the visionary is upside down as to where one already stands with God, (at least the gospel I know of and whichever you consider to be upside down, either way they are 180 degrees from each other). Didn't Paul say natural man does not accept the spirit things of God 1 Cor. 2:14? Doesn't it depend entirely on God Eph. 2:8-9 or we would have room to boast? Does scripture teach salvation is available to everyone in the sense every individual has the power within themselves to believe in the heart thus resulting in believing in the mind (again Eph. 1:19, God gives the new heart, man simply cannot do this - Romans 5:5, 2 Cor. 4:6, Gal. 4:6, Eph. 3:7, Col. 3:15,2 Thes.3:5). I simply think this poor theology is a reflection of the visionaries and not so much Mary. There is no way a Jew in the first century such as Mary would think salvation is available to everyone without exception. It is available to all men in the sense of ethnicity, that it is no longer just the Jews but to all races (gentiles) which fulfilled Isaiah 42:6, 49:6, 60:3 but not to every individual as if he/she has the power within him or herself. Jesus died as a ransom for "many" not all.

"Never in three & a half years of daily messages had the Virgin been so explicit concerning the divisions that existed in the country where God had chosen to send her. Years of tension were coming to a head-on collision with God's truth. Even the trappings of the priesthood could not restrain the nationalistic pride that would question the miraculous healing of a child."
Does this mean the people won't listen to the Roman Catholic priest but will listen to children who claim to see Mary daily? No where in scripture do I find God using children as His messengers/visionaries let alone daily messages that He every once in a while wants to make clear to His people. This is not to say God can't use children because He can, but the biblical record shows He doesn't, and I think there is wisdom in that.
Lastly I saw the film which depicts this as a true story. If what the actors said reflects word for word what was said in real life then there might be a problem. When the priest was in court on trial vs the Croatian state for some things he said, I do not find anywhere in Luke's gospel let alone Isaiah which is the book the RC priest claims Luke is quoting from anything about 40 years of slavery and suffering and an acceptable year of the Lord where mercy is carried out every 40 years and Jesus comes on the scene and states mercy is to be an annual thing and is called the "acceptable year" of the Lord. I encourage yourselves to look up "acceptable" or "forty" in a concordance and you will not see it in the books of Luke nor Isaiah, and yet in the film the priest states it is from these two books of the bible, but it isn't there! In Leviticus 25-26 there was slavery but within those 7 (6 years tops) years a gentile was taken captive he/she was to be freed thus freeing gentiles one by one from harsh treatment in the pagan land (this was never referred to as showing mercy since mercy is something done with no obligations whatsoever). If this film reflects what this RC priest said in reality, he either just made stuff up to get by the court or he is a skilled con-artist. Hopefully this was a severe misprint on the writer's part, but that would be some serious misprint and is simply not found in the books of the bible he was quoting.
My thoughts...again Mary is to be blessed but we have to be careful not to idolize her. She herself acknowledged the necessity of a savior too, Luke 1:47. Upon examining the theology presented by the visionaries, it seems to only reflect the children themselves (visionaries) level of theology who are making the claim Mary is telling them these messages. I apologize if this review offends any but it is another viewpoint that reflects this book and movie of these visions as having some issues with it biblically. Seems like some scripture doesn't line up let alone some quotes to even be found in scriptures. I wouldn't put to much weight on these everyday visions these kids are claiming to see.

I am a historian at a university in Ohio. I am currently writing a history of the events in Medjugorje, Bosnia-Herzegovina since the 1980s. I would like to point out a few things for you to consider. First, Wayne Weible does NOT produce the best histories or summations of the events that occurred in Medjugorje. I suggest you pick a different author. Second, the bishop of Mostar COULD NOT have issued any official and binding statement regarding the alleged apparitions in Medjugorje until the apparitions are reported to have ceased by the visionaries. His opinion is not binding, as of yet. Third, there are a series of U.S. state department documents that have been declassified in the last few years regarding the verisimilitude of the Bishop of Mostar's decision. They are incredibly interesting and regard the bishop's decision as dishonest and politically swayed by the communist government. As you remember, the bishop of Mostar publicly expressed his belief in the apparitions immediately and it was not until he was questioned by the government that he changed his stance. It may be beneficial for you to take these things into consideration. You may also want to study the history and context surrounding the formation of the commission which examined the apparitions in the early 1980s. It is downright corrupt, in my professional opinion. I also want to caution you in regards to that which is published on the subject of Medjugorje. In my studies and in preparing my manuscript, I have read around 2/3 of the secondary literature on Medjugorje. I would say that so far at least, AT LEAST, 50% of the literature has substantial inaccuracies as to the history of events and the messages of the alleged visionaries. The most "acclaimed" authors, Weible and Janice Connell included! I suggest you read Randall Sullivan's "Miracle Detective" or anything written by Sr. Emmanuel (she is a little sappy, but she gets the details correct).

You must remember that there are many instances in the history of the Church in which the Church (even Popes) made politically corrupted, incorrect decisions that had been only later rescinded (for example Clement V during the Templar persecutions). This happens because the Church is made up of human beings. It is not something to be ashamed of, but should be brought to light so the Church can cleanse itself of the corruption. Corruption which occurred in this commission investigating Medjugorje and in a certain clerical line in Mostar and surrounding Herzegovina should not be hidden, but brought to light and cleansed. This is how the Church remains pure. It will become absolutely EVIDENT to you if you study the history of the Bosnian and Herzegovinian churches and the specific clergy clashes in Mostar and Medjugorje before the 1980s, exactly why the Bishop of Mostar developed the story that he did.

Other than that, I really hope you actually get a chance to take a look at some of the scientific studies conducted by the Vatican, just recently, and by independent scholars (Italians and Germans) over the last two decades. There are also many theologically sound works (Mark Miravalle, Rene Laurentin, etc.) that should be considered in your ultimate conclusion.

Basically, I blame a lack of correct interpretation of events that has become the consensus in the general secondary, American literature on Medjugorje. Correcting this mistake should not be hard for a scholar, such as yourself, it just takes a careful analysis of the author and his or her credibility.

I would strongly suggest, again, that you read another author's work on Medjugorje. Heather Parsons, Randall Sullivan (editor for Rolling Stone Magazine and probably the most objective opinion on the matter), Mark Miravalle (Steubenville professor, Mariologist, on the Vatican's official commission for investigating Marian apparitions), Sr. Emmanuel. You can find all of their books right on Amazon.com.

It is pointless to continue making accusations without correct or accurate knowledge, which is not your fault. Every accusation made in your comment about Medjugorje can be orthodoxly and successfully refuted. It is only your responsibility (and really, your Catholic duty) to make sure you accurately assess the facts before you make assertions.

It's very sad that fans of Medjugorje overlook, sometimes willfully, certain key facts of the matter. It is inexcusable when a priest does it.

For one thing, those who insist on following Medjugorje ignore the fact that canon law puts responsibility for deciding on the creditworthiness of reputed apparitions with the local ordinary--the bishop or archbishop in whose diocese the event is reported. That the Holy See does not involve itself with these matters and has no bureau, no agency with which to do so.

That the local ordinaries of Medjugorje have pronounced definitively that the reputed apparitions did not qualify for creditworthiness, that they do not establish themselves as being of the supernatural order. That there has never been any official declaration that has said one positive thing about the reports--that every single document has been entirely negative (read them again, Medjies! They couldn't be clearer.)

That the ordinaries have repeated this finding many times and forbidden people to come to Medjugorje on the pretext of these false reports.

That the content, as well as the nature, of these reports, and the conduct of the self-proclaimed visionaries, is very obviously inconsistent with the Catholic Faith and the whole history of creditworthy apparitions.

That if you convert to something that the Church has declared false you have not converted to the Church.

This is a sad business.

"The Final Harvest" is a sequel to the Wayne Weibel's Christian classic, "Medjugorje,The Message," the first book on Medjugorje, a mountain village in central Bosnia where the Virgin Mary has been appearing to a small group of then children, now adults, since June, 1981. The lives of millions of people have been transformed since.

Weible, a newspaper columnist and Lutheran, became interested in the apparitions of Medjugorje in October 1985, because he felt it would make a good story for the weekly papers in his community of Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. He was a skeptic and, as a Protestant, had nominal disdain for such "Catholic things." As he was watching a videotape about the apparitions, he was stunned by a message to his heart, "Write about the events of Medjugorje; this will become your life's mission if you choose to accept it. You will no longer be in your present work." He felt the Virgin Mary was speaking directly to him.

Today, Weibel is the most popular chronicler of the phenomenon and has been leading pilgrimages there for more than a decade. "The Final Harvest" combines much of his best selling book, "Medjugorje, The Message" - the events leading up to the apparitions, information on each of the visionaries, the challenges to the apparitions, the messages given to us from the Virgin Mary, Weibel's own spiritual journey that followed - and an update on what has happened to Medjugorje and the visionaries since 1981, and what these apparitions have meant to the village and to the world.

Since the beginning, events surrounding Medjugoje have centered on the Virgin Mary's encouragement for all to convert to the ways of Jesus - conversion through prayer, fasting, and penance.

"The Final Harvest" provides an excellent introduction and a historical accounting of the phenomenon of Medjugorje through 2000 for Catholics and non-Catholics. I purchased this book one month after September 11, 2001 while in Medjugorje on my second visit. This visit, like the first, was formative and provides memories I reflect on almost daily.

Medjugorje has undergone remarkable physical changes, mainly to accommodate the millions who visit each year, since my first visit (1990) but its spiritual essence remains unchanged.