Ježíš

The priest Leonid, a redemptorist from Ukrainian region who´s taken part in the fifteenth international priest seminary in Medugoria communicated this unusual testimony, which we present in exact wording, to the participant of this seminary and then to the journalists of the radio station Mir Medugoria.

My first pilgrimage to Medugoria was connected with my engagements and with my priest vocation.Especially 2005.

Our local Church´s given me the task of bearing the cross and being very responsible – it´s the service of exorcist.The first months and the year were filled with great God´s love and grace but also with major difficulties.I was confronted with a problem at the time when I performed „a Magnus exorcism“ over one possessed person.The harsh voice that was full of horror addressed me:“I´m terrible and strong.I´ll destroy you.I´ll destroy your priesthood, your consecrated life and all your life“.Although it was horrible I didn´t take it too seriously because I trust God fully and I have no reason not to trust Him.I know the fear of Satan is a loss.But God permitted this situation to happen so that I could experience how great and powerful His Mother is and so that I could experience how holy the land of Medugoria is.

When I went through great pains, trials and temptations, I was trying to pray but I couldn´t.Every day I went to the confession.The trials were so hard that I´d completely lost peace in my heart.And not only this.I could feel I´d lost my priesthood and religious life in my soul.I felt I was drowning and I was lost.While I was in such a tight corner and didn´t understand what was going on with me someone offered me to go to Medugoria.So I went there.I was with a group of people.They prayed but I couldn´t.I simply couldn´t pray.On this pilgrimage I met an old priest from Slovakia.His name was P.Ambrosius.He dedicated his life and his vocation completely to work with Ukrainians in the region of Transcarpathians.

 Then he made this pilgrimage after going through coronary thrombosis and diabetes.He´s been to Medugoria five times.He enthused me with his sacrifice and humbleness.He´s a religious man, Franciscan.We made friend on this pilgrimage while I was helping him.I lead him by the hand like an old man..It seemed that I was helping him but in reality he was helping me.We ascended Podbrdo together.We were told that on the hill there was going to be an apparition for one of the visionaries.

There were lots of people and priests there.It was the first surprise in Medugoria.I sat beside the father Ambrosious and turned my back to the spot where an apparition should take place.I felt I wasn´t worthy to be here.Nevertheless, during the prayer of rosary there was a yearning awakened in my heart to go to see what happened at the spot of apparition.Simultaneously I could feel the second voice that told me:“Don´t look there.You´ve failed completely and you´ll end up in hell.It was terrible.However, those first positive feelings made my head turn to the spot of apparition.I started to see and search.

I may see something, though…I felt hope but at the same time I heard new arguments that my humility wouldn´t change.I came to believe in that „fatal moment“.For a moment like the answer to all the questions.I could feel and experience the Virgin Mary descending from the sky.It was fantastic.It was so intense, especially the scent of another world which was so different from the one I´d experienced up to then.And then I was filled with a tenderness, a savouriness like a tender breeze of Mary´s presence.She drew nearer to me.And as She was close to me the strength of Evil receded.I could experience the new revelation in my heart.I experienced how strong is the Virgin Mary and her presence.

Then I understood she didn´t cast out evil spirits but they flee themselves.They flee because they can´t stand the purity and the beauty of her presence.She humiliates them but doesn´t drive them away.She simply loves and they can´t stand it.And then it occurs the change of spirits within me! The Spirit of satan who destroys has dissappeared with his fear and depression.He´s simply disappeared and the Spirit of Virgin Mary replaced it.I heard the voice in my heart:“Don´t be afraid!I´m your Mother.I´m your guarantee that you won´t be condamned.Everything has changed!“

The experience of the presence of the Holy Mary became the miracle of love for my priesthood, religious life and service that saves me.I can feel the presence of the Virgin Mary during every exorcism I perform.

She was confessed by a priest who´d just returned from the studies in Rome.And when he pronounced the wording of absolution, that person ( or rather the Satan through her ) hit him so hard that he´d sunk to the ground.He fell.Then that person called for another priest in a different voice.He took fright and called:“Father Leonid, come here quickly.There is an unusual situation here.After this talk the girl came to the place where I´d been.When I started the ritual of exorcism I immediately made a diagnosis

I understood she was possessed and the demon influenced us very strongly through her. I asked five pious parishers to pray during my ritual of exorcism over? this person.And while I was reading the usual and traditional prayers of exorcism, Satan mocked at me.He spoke English.He degraded me and ridiculed me.And then I started to pray the Virgin Mary.

 I was tired.I started to be nervous.I felt I had to terminate the prayer and he still didn´t leave.It was the spirit of suicide.I started to invoke the Virgin Mary with all my heart.In the same way as the child is calling the mother.And it was only then when the right screaming began.“I have to stop because the Virgin Mary came.I can´t stand it because the Virgin Mary came.I have to go out!

It was just an example but I know plenty of them.I´ve got great temptations during those five years I´ve been working as an exorcist.I´ve had them before and I know I´ll keep on having them but God´s mother protects me in her heart.I can´t live without Medugoria and Jerusalem.I need to be in Jerusalem and in Medugoria every year.As this is faith for me.I´ve got faith, blessing and grace.

In conclusion father Leonid blessed all the listeners!

The source: : © Information Centre "Mir" Medjugorje