This window is centered on the apparition of our lady as she has
appeared in Medjugore, a small village in Bosnia-Hercegovina (a new country
formed out of the former Yugoslavia). While the Church has not yet approved of
these apparitions (partly because they have not ended yet) tens of millions of
pilgrims have gone there since 1981 and there have been many reports of conversions,
and healings associated with this alleged ongoing apparition. The basic Gospel
message of repentance, conversion, faith, prayer and fasting is the main
message Mary is telling us through the visionaries at Medjugore.
In this painting, Our Lady is
depicted praying and speaking with the visionaries, some of whom are in the
lower right hand corner. The mountains in the background as well as one of the
tower of St. James churches set the location of the early apparitions not far
from the church. Mary is depicted as the visionaries described her, with
familiar features of a young Croatian woman.
At the top of the window is the Holy Spirit with a cascading fire-like
ribbon representing His grace falling on Mary as Queen of Prophets. Surrounding
the Holy Spirit are seven stars representing the seven spirits that surround
the throne of God (book of Revelations). The two circles on each side of the
painting each contain the six-pointed star of the old covenant and the eight
pointed star of the new covenant, representing the prophetic work of the Holy
Spirit throughout salvation history. In the lower right hand of the window is
an oval that contains an image of Pope John Paul II, who was known for his
special devotion to Mary and in whose pontificate these apparitions, took
place. The twenty light blue beads (circles) surrounding the central image of
Mary, represent the twenty mysteries of the rosary, which Mary urges us to pray
from the heart as a tried and true method of transforming us into the likeness
of her son Jesus (the transformative work of the Holy Spirit). The lower left
hand corner of the window contains a fiery circle containing seven small yellow
circles representing the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit (Wisdom, Knowledge,
Understanding, Counsel, Fortitude, Piety, and Fear of The Lord), which enable
the Christian to mature in their trans-formation unto Christ. All of these
details are set on a royal blue background which represents contemplating
Christ through the eyes of Mary as the Queen of Prophets.