Our Lady gave an important message on May 25, 1983. These words of Our Lady became as a constitution for the Community of Caritas. Our Lady said:

“Assemble about twenty young people who are ready to follow Jesus without reservation. Bring them together within a month’s notice. I will initiate them into the spiritual life. There can even be more than twenty. Even some adults and children can participate, all those who will accept the rule.

“I will ask these people to do penance for certain intentions. They will fast and pray for the Bishop. They will give up what they cherish the most: drink, coffee, pleasures, television. It is necessary to have persons who wish to consecrate themselves to religious life. Others have to be ready to consecrate themselves specially to prayer and fasting. I will give them rules to follow.

“The persons who will follow these rules, will be consecrated whatever their state in life may be.”

Putting the template of Our Lady’s messages over every aspect of our lives, the Community of Caritas has been guided by Our Lady to completely change the direction of our lives. Our Lady asked us on May 2, 2009 to say the words:

“…Here we are Mother, lead us…”
 

Though this is a recent message, one could say that the founder of the Community of Caritas has had this prayer in his heart since he first heard of Our Lady’s appearances in Medjugorje. Our Lady gave him a third message in 1988 through Marija (he had received 2 messages through Marija prior to this one), saying to him, “She (Our Lady) would help him understand more” about things that he was to do. In a fourth message from Our Lady in 1988, Marija told him Our Lady wanted to establish a Community at the site where he was currently living. From his first encounter with Our Lady of Medjugorje, he ‘emptied his vessel’ and has allowed Her to fill it to overflowing. In a world which has traveled further and further away from God the Father, Our Lady has brought a Community of people together to live a life which draws them closer and closer to Him. Society boldly goes against every way of life God intends for us. Our Lady knew it was necessary to form a Community of believers, just as in the first days of Christianity, to reform society through the individual affecting the family, the family affecting the village, and the village affecting the world. By following the witness of the founder, A Friend of Medjugorje, the Community of Caritas has transformed Our Lady’s words into life. This “way” was ordained and confirmed by Our Lady on May 31, 1995 when She gave a message directly to the founder through Marija stating:

“Little children, I desire that through your lives you are witnesses, that you are my extended hands, my instruments. Get as many hearts as you can close to my heart and lead them to God, to a way of salvation.”
 

Marija, immediately after the apparition, spoke to the founder saying, "Our Lady gave a message to you, your family and the community."  Marija and he knew this message was a milestone and directive to no longer be passive, but rather proactive in spreading the messages. He had been spreading the messages, but in a passive way and had directed the Community in the same way. This message was the impulse for him to guide the Community through Our Lady to become much more proactive in its role to “get” hearts close to “Hers” according to the way She had instructed the founder to “understand more.” This way of life requires a great deal of sacrifice, but the fruit that comes is a closeness to Heaven that is incomparable. Thousands across the world have come and continue to come to see ‘how it works’ and we know that our Mother has led us here. May Our Lady’s prayer be your prayer… “Here we are Mother, lead us,” and may Our Lady's ‘way’, that became our way, be your way and an impulse for you to change the direction of your life.