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Footballer owes it all to Medjugorje
All good in my life happened because of Medjugorje, former Croatian football national player Mate Bilic testifies. He has come to Medjugorje all his life and now regularly visits with his children, attempting to teach them faith and moral values in a world where he feels both are threatened.
Mate Bilic
While football player Mate Bilic has fans in Croatia and in Spain where he plays for Sporting de Gijon, the player himself is a fan of Medjugorje where he visits regularly.
“The prayerful atmosphere of peace, and peace that I feel in my heart amazes me. I come with many problems, and leave peaceful and blessed. If I do not come for a long time, I feel a longing and need to come. We use most every opportunity to come” Mate Bilic tells Radio Mir Medjugorje.
“It is always there, in my heart, and I gladly testify about it” he says of Medjugorje.
Mate Bilic shows his devotion to the Virgin Mary and to Medjugorje after scoring a goal for his Spanish side, Sporting de Gijon. Born on October 23rd 1980, Bilic has played 7 national games and scored 3 goals for Croatia. His first goal in the national jersey, 42 seconds into a match against Liechtenstein on November 14th 2009, is currently the fastest goal ever scored by Croatia. He has spent most of his club career with Spanish League B clubs, and at the moment has a contract with Sporting de Gijon until 2013
“In games I regularly wear a shirt with the image of Our Lady of Medjugorje because all good in my life happened because of Medjugorje. People have recognized this. Many Spanish people are very enthusiastic about this place.”
Born in Split little more than half a year before the apparitions began in Medjugorje, the 31 years old center forward is a long-time visitor to Medjugorje.
“Even when I was a child I came with my family, and now I come every year with my wife and children. This is simply a place where people gather strength to go further, and it strengthens families. Medjugorje is outwardly quite changed, though I feel that the spirit has remained the same” Mate Bilic says.
“I believe in God, and we all have moments of crisis in life. The real way out of this crisis is prayer in the family. We are all witnesses of how the family is now threatened, and therefore the Church. We see the threats especially to the family unit.”
“Our values are built into us, and we are trying to convey them to our children. It is important that children from an early age learn what is important for us Christians” he says.
Mate Bilic with one of his two children, Marko and Carla. His wish to make believers of them serves as one more reason for him to visit Medjugorje
His wish of teaching faith to his children is one more reason why Mate Bilic often returns to Medjugorje.
“Today young people are pressured to think that the Church, prayer and the Sacraments are not important, and that they are outdated. In fact, those who practice religion in any way are often ridiculed. I try to educate my children in the religious life, and provide them with moral values” Bilic tells Radio Mir Medjugorje.
“I believe that young people can only grow into a moral persons with God’s help. The difficulties are great, and we devote much time to the family. We often call upon Our Lady of Medjugorje to help us.”