Behind the parish church of San Giacomo in Medjugorje, there is a beautiful tree-lined avenue which has been given the name of Via Domini.
Along this avenue are found panels with luminous mysteries of the Holy Rosary, which ends in a large space arranged for a place of silent prayer. In the center there is a large bronze sculpture depicting the Risen Christ, made in 1998 by the Slovenian sculptor Andrija Ajdič and donated by him to the Shrine of Medjugorje.
It was placed on Easter day of ’98. The author of the bronze work, at first declared himself a bit ‘disappointed in the choice of place, perhaps he expected to be located on the square in front of the church, or anyway closer to the Sanctuary. He thought, probably, that it would have been neglected by the pilgrims, but it was not so, in fact, in a few hours, it is necessary to make a long line, just to get closer to the statue.
The Risen Christ is called, but in truth the intent of the sculptor was to merge the Crucifix with the Risen together, and in fact, by observing the sculpture we notice that Jesus is not crucified, and yet he is posed like a cross, and he is Resurrected, because he is standing, with the body imprint left on the ground.
Regarding his sculpture, Ajdič said: “This sculptural representation shows two different mysteries: in fact, my Jesus is raised and symbolizes at the same time Jesus on the cross, which remained on earth, and the Risen One, because he stands without a cross. I came to this idea quite by chance. While modeling something with clay, I was holding a crucifix that suddenly fell into the clay. I quickly removed the crucifix and I suddenly noticed the figure of Jesus that was imprinted in the clay “.
With his great arms open to humanity, the great sculpture Risen Jesus recalls and welcomes every pilgrim and offers shelter and comfort to him. The sculptor wrapped the sides of Jesus with a piece of newspaper on which the Psalm 138 is printed.
From the right knee of this sculpture, for some years, a tear-like liquid leaks continuously, which however does not evaporate and does not freeze. You can see, at any time of day or night, pilgrims who with lots of tissues wipe the knee of the great statue to the imposing Christ Risen bronze, from which comes a timid but continuous drop of water. They take it to bring it to the sick.
On the scientific level this phenomenon has been analyzed by qualified people.
Recently the prof. Giulio Fanti, professor of mechanical and thermal measurements at the University of Padua, a Shroud scholar, after observing the event said: “The liquid that escapes from the sculpture is 99 percent water, and contains traces of calcium, copper, iron, potassium, magnesium, sodium, sulfur and zinc. About half of the structure is hollow inside, and since the bronze shows various micro cracks, it is reasonable to think that the dripping is the result of condensation linked to the exchange of air. But the phenomenon also clearly presents very singular elements because, calculations in hand, from the statue comes out a liter of water a day, about 33 times the amount that we would expect from the normal condensation.Unexplained, even considering an air humidity rate of 100 percent. Moreover, it has been noted that some drops of this liquid, left to dry on a slide, present a particular crystallization, very different from that obtained from normal water “.
Question marks on this liquid remain. And even admitting that it is normal water, one wonders: can not Jesus also perform miracles through a normal water? And after all, even the famous water of Lourdes is normal water, yet there are many healings.
The parish of Medjugorje does not comment on the phenomenon, even if it leaves freedom to the faithful to collect with water cloths the water that comes out of the knee of the stature.
There are verbal testimonies and written statements about the “miraculousness” of this particular water, even if there are no detailed studies.
It is good to underline that: “For those whobelieve no miracle is enough, for those who believe no miracle is necessary”
