A Mother Goddess for Our Times: Mary's Appearances at Medjugorje

By Judith T. Lambert

Question: “What was your experience writing A Mother Goddess for Our Times?”

How does one reconcile writing a book about the Virgin Mary and maintain a personal viewpoint that stands outside of Catholicism? How does one unite non-traditional beliefs with dogma? It is a challenge to try and put these parts together as I was essentially a person without a conventional religious upbringing, attempting to find my way through deeply rigid boundaries. Writing this book was an attempt to connect these divergent systems. To this day, I still maintain a broad view of spirituality and I am still a non-conformist. But saying that, after twelve pilgrimages to the bastion of Mary, I am undeniably changed for the better. All of the inner work in Medjugorje let me keep these and expand my horizons.

To write this book I had to let go of my prejudices towards Catholicism. I had to let go of my disbelief that six children were actually having daily visitations with the Virgin Mary…or something akin as I tried to explain away this possibility. I learned to use a different set of prayer tools from rituals and meditation to holy mass and the rosary. I had to go and see for myself but not for just for a few days. I would travel to Bosnia for periods ranging from two to six weeks where I would wrestle with myself and strive for growth and understanding.

With each successive journey, I began to crave for a return to Medjugorje. I simply loved my experiences there. During my early visits “miracles” were handed out freely like chocolate covered raisins. I saw rosaries turned to gold. I stared at the sun and watched it spin and radiate beautiful colors. I witnessed bleeding crucifixes and the odor of sanctity…the beautiful aroma of roses given by Mary to her children. I heard stories of healing. Did I doubt? Well, I was more than perplexed and often dumbstruck for days by the things I witnessed. It took many trips to process these outward experiences and assess what was happening to me on the inside. Writing a book that might help others see something larger in Catholicism became part of my growth. Documenting my journey somehow made everything more tangible. These occurrences are simply hard to fathom, even now as I write of miracles, I ponder that they appear somewhat implausible. But they are the truth. Go, go see for yourself like millions of seekers have done.

I especially loved my dream life, which seemed to soar during my visits. It gave me so many wonderful dreams to think on and incorporate into what became a burgeoning book. I learned to give myself over freely in mediation and prayer for three to five hours a day. But to tell the truth, the whole day in Medjugorje is one of prayer and inner search. I struggled not just with my personal beliefs but also with my moods, obstacles, anger, pain, boredom, and fear. Yet my dream life held me every step of the way. My dreams gently counseled me on a nightly basis. They were and still are my ticket for understanding myself better as they track spiritual progress. Dreams are exciting and in a way they are the stars of this book. They became the rudder and foundation that ultimately made writing this book easier for me.

How did I resolve my stubborn set of beliefs with a wholly new backdrop? Did I need to let go of everything that was me? No, as I researched Mary and the sacred feminine spanning time, my studies revealed that if Medjugorje proved meaningful for someone like me, it might liberate the sacred feminine for others too. I was never much of a traditionalist but I can now fully see that within traditional frameworks, great spirituality is possible and powerfully alive. One simply has to be able to let go and suspend judgment. To truly go on pilgrimage of any kind, you must dive in and fully immerse yourself. I worked at the process and looked to my dreams for answers, which were provided in abundance.

The true change is not that I went, believe anything differently, or that I somehow “became more Catholic”. The true change is that I am more real. One has to go to where they are called. Pilgrimage works but only if you labor. I am convinced that it is an instrument of change. A pilgrimage coupled with deep introspection can be overwhelmingly persuasive. This is how it unfolded for me.

A Mother Goddess for Our Times: Mary’s Appearances at Medjugorje is available on Amazon.com in both e and paper editions. You can also learn more by clicking here.

More about Judith Lambert: I received my M.A. in Religious Studies from John F. Kennedy University, Orinda, California. My early career led to life in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and into a world of exotic travel and hidden places. Extensive experiences abroad enabled me to study various cultures and religions first hand. I feel my research and unique situation gives my works a totally fresh perspective and makes a contribution to religious inquiry. My hope is to make this subject matter easy to read. I have tried to weave psychology, spirituality, religion and dream interpretation into an experiential encounter. I find joy in spiritual journeys and this culminated in writing both, The Light: A Modern Day Journey for Peace and A Mother Goddess for Our Times: Mary’s Appearances at Medjugorje. After our daughter was born it seemed natural that Gabrielle would express herself as well, resulting in, Gabrielle’s Magical Pets. I am currently working on another book entitled: Health Secrets. To learn more, click here.