In 1 Samuel 17, there is the story of young shepherd David who faced the Philistine giant Goliath. To defeat Goliath, David prepared five smooth stones. He slung one of these stones at Goliath, hitting him squarely on the forehead, causing Goliath to fall and die on the spot.

The message of Medjugorje is a call to conversion, a call to return to God. The Virgin Mary has given us spiritual weapons to overcome the power and influence of evil and sin in our lives, just as David faced the mighty Goliath. These spiritual weapons are the five stones: prayer, the Eucharist, the Bible, fasting, and confession. These five stones are also the means by which we can live out the messages of the Virgin Mary.

The purpose of the Virgin Mary's apparitions on earth is to lead each of us back to her Son, Jesus. Through numerous messages given to the world through the visionaries in Medjugorje, she has been gradually guiding us to live a holy life. The time for decision is now, and the call of the Virgin Mary is urgent. It is time for us to open our hearts and change our lives. Let's begin today, right now.

1Prayer

Prayer is at the heart of the Virgin Mary's plan and the most frequent message given in Medjugorje. “Dear children! Today also I am calling you to prayer. You know, dear children, that God grants special graces in prayer.” (April 25, 1987)

“Dear children! Today I call you to prayer with the heart.” (May 2, 1985)

The Virgin Mary wants us to pray with all our hearts for at least three hours a day. Praying with all our hearts means praying with love, trust, surrender, and focus. Prayer heals the soul. Prayer heals the history of sin. Without prayer, we cannot experience God. Our Lady said, “Without unceasing prayer, you cannot experience the beauty and greatness of the grace which God is o^ering you.” (February 25, 1989)

The first form of prayer the Virgin Mary recommends is the Rosary. Before the Luminous Mysteries were introduced, she recommended praying all 15 mysteries—the Joyful, Sorrowful, and Glorious Mysteries—daily, either individually or together. Everyone should pray.

Our Lady said, “Let prayers begin to rule in the whole world.” (August 25, 1989). Through prayer, we defeat the power of Satan, and gain peace and salvation for our souls. The Queen of Peace said, “I would like the people to pray along with me these days. And to pray as much as possible! And to fast strictly on Wednesdays and Fridays, and every day to pray at least one Rosary: the joyful, sorrowful and glorious mysteries.” (August 14, 1984)

“Dear children! Today I call you especially now to advance against Satan by means of prayer. Satan wants to work still more now that you know he is at work. Dear children, put on the armor for battle and with the Rosary in your hand defeat him! Thank you for having responded to my call.” (August 8, 1985)

“Dear children! Today I call you to begin to pray the Rosary with a living faith. That way I will be able to help you. You, dear children, wish to obtain graces, but you are not praying. I am not able to help you because you do not want to get started. Dear children, I am calling you to pray the Rosary and that your Rosary be an obligation which you shall fulfill with joy. That way you shall understand the reason I am with you this long. I desire to teach you to pray. Thank you for having responded to my call.” (June 12, 1986)

“Dear children! Today again I am calling you to prayer to complete surrender to God. You know that I love you and am coming here out of love so I could show you the path to peace and salvation for your souls. I want you to obey me and not permit Satan to seduce you. Dear children, Satan is very strong and, therefore, I ask you to dedicate your prayers to me so that those who are under his influence can be saved. Give witness by your life. Sacrifice your lives for the salvation of the world. I am with you, and I am grateful to you, but in heaven you shall receive the Father's reward which He has promised to you. Therefore, dear children, do not be afraid. If you pray, Satan cannot injure you even a little bit because you are God's children and He is watching over you. Pray and let the rosary always be in your hand as a sign to Satan that you belong to me. Thank you for having responded to my call.” (February 25, 1988)

The power of Satan is broken by prayer, and when we pray, he cannot harm us. A Christian who prays does not fear the future. How can someone who does not pray be called a Christian? Without prayer, we are spiritually blind and cannot distinguish between right and wrong. Without prayer, we lose our center and balance.

2The Eucharist

The Virgin Mary asks us to attend Mass on Sundays and, if possible, every day. She told the visionaries that if they had to choose between her apparitions and going to Mass, they should go to Mass. This statement shows us how important the Mass and the Eucharist are. Marija tells us that the Virgin Mary wants us to understand the Mass as the highest form of prayer and "the center of our lives." Vicka adds that the Blessed Mother sees the Mass as "the most important and most holy moment in our lives" and that we should receive Jesus with a well-prepared heart, a clean soul, and with great reverence, making the Mass the center of our lives. Our Lady said, “The Mass is the greatest prayer to God. You will never understand its greatness. That is why you must be perfect and humble at Mass and prepare yourselves for it. (1983)

“Dear children! Today I call you to renew prayer in your families. Dear children, encourage the very young to prayer and the children to go to Holy Mass. Thank you for having responded to my call.” (March 7, 1985)

“Dear children! I am calling you to a more active prayer and attendance at Holy Mass. I wish your Mass to be an experience of God. I wish especially to say to the young people: be open to the Holy Spirit because God wishes to draw you to Himself in these days when Satan is at work. Thank you for having responded to my call.” (May 16, 1985)

“Dear children! I wish to call you to a living of the Holy Mass. There are many of you who have sensed the beauty of the Holy Mass, but there are also those who come unwillingly. I have chosen you, dear children, but Jesus gives you His graces in the Mass. Therefore, consciously live the Holy Mass and let your coming to it be a joyful one. Come to it with love and make the Mass your own. Thank you for having responded to my call.” (April 3, 1986)

“Dear children! God wants to make you holy. Therefore, through me He is inviting you to complete surrender. Let holy mass be your life. Understand that the church is God's palace, the place in which I gather you and want to show you the way to God. Come and pray. Neither look at others nor slander them, but rather, let your life be a testimony on the way of holiness. Churches deserve respect and are set apart as holy because God, who became man, dwells in them day and night. Therefore, little children, believe and pray that the Father increase your faith, and then ask for whatever you need. I am with you and I am rejoicing because of you conversion and I am protecting you with my motherly mantle. Thank you for having responded to my call.” (April 25, 1988)

“Dear children! These years I have been calling you to pray, to live what I am telling you, but you are living my messages a little. You talk, but do not live, that is why little children, this war is lasting so long. I invite you to open yourselves to God and in your hearts to live with God, living the good and giving witness to my messages. I love you and wish to protect you from every evil, but you do not desire it. Dear children, I cannot help you if you do not live God's commandments, if you do not live the mass, if you do not give up sin. I invite you to be apostles of love and goodness. In this world of unrest give witness to God and God's love, and God will bless you and give you what you seek from Him. Thank you for having responded to my call.” (October 25, 1993)

“Dear children! Today again I call all of you to prayer. Only with prayer, dear children, will your heart change, become better, and be more sensitive to the Word of God. Little children, do not permit Satan to pull you apart and to do with you what he wants. I call you to be responsible and determined and to consecrate each day to God in prayer. May Holy Mass, little children, not be a habit for you, but life. By living Holy Mass each day, you will feel the need for holiness and you will grow in holiness. I am close to you and intercede before God for each of you, so that He may give you strength to change your heart. Thank you for having responded to my call.” (January 25, 1998)

3The Bible

The Virgin Mary usually appears to the visionaries with a joyful and happy expression. However, on one occasion, she appeared with tears, saying, "You have forgotten the Bible." The Bible is unlike any other book on earth. As the Second Vatican Council states, all the books of the Bible were "written under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, and God is the author." (Dei Verbum) This means that no other book can compare to the Bible. Without revelation, we cannot know the Son of God. The Bible remains the greatest book of all time. St. Jerome said, "Ignorance of Scripture is ignorance of Christ." The Virgin Mary has asked us to keep the Bible in a visible place in our homes so that we can read it regularly.

Our Lady said, “Dear children! Today I call on you to read the Bible every day in your homes and let it be in a visible place so as always to encourage you to read it and to pray. Thank you for having responded to my call.” (October 18, 1984)

“Dear children! Today is the day when I give you a message for the parish, but the whole parish is not accepting the messages and is not living them. I am saddened and I want you, dear children, to listen to me and to live my messages. Every family must pray family prayer and read the Bible! Thank you for having responded to my call.” (February 14, 1985)

“Dear children! Today on this great day which you have given to me, I desire to bless all of you and to say: these days while I am with you are days of grace. I desire to teach you and help you to walk the way of holiness. There are many people who do not desire to understand my messages and to accept with seriousness what I am saying. But you I therefore call and ask that by your lives and by your daily living you witness my presence. If you pray, God will help you to discover the true reason for my coming. Therefore, little children, pray and read the Sacred Scriptures so that through my coming you discover the message in Sacred Scripture for you. Thank you for having responded to my call.” (June 25, 1991)

“Dear children! Listen, because I wish to speak to you and to invite you to have more faith and trust in God, who loves you immeasurably. Little children, you do not know how to live in the grace of God, that is why I call you all anew, to carry the word of God in your heart and in thoughts. Little children, place the Sacred Scripture in a visible place in your family, and read and live it. Teach your children, because if you are not an example to them, children depart into godlessness. Reflect and pray and then God will be born in your heart and your heart will be joyous. Thank you for having for responded to my call.” (August 25, 1996)

4Fasting

The Virgin Mary of Medjugorje asks us to fast on bread and water on Wednesdays and Fridays. She says that this is the best form of fasting. When people ask if they can fast in other ways, the visionaries always respond, "We can only speak of what the Virgin Mary has requested." There may be times when we cannot fast on bread and water. In such cases, we can give up something we like—such as television, the internet, co^ee, alcohol, sweets, or cigarettes—and o^er it to God. The Bible, both Old and New Testaments, contains many examples of fasting. Jesus fasted often. According to Scripture, fasting is especially recommended during times of great temptation or severe trial. Jesus said that some evil spirits “cannot be cast out except by prayer and fasting” (Mk 9:29)

By combining prayer and fasting, we make our prayers more powerful. It is important to remember this when praying for a special or urgent intention. Through prayer and fasting, we engage our entire being and o^er it as a sacrifice to God. We should also fast because we love God and want to be soldiers who o^er our bodies in the battle against evil. Fasting is necessary to attain spiritual freedom. Through fasting, we can listen better to God and man, and we can recognize God and man more clearly. If we gain that freedom through fasting, we will recognize many things. When we recognize that we can have what we need in life without much struggle, many of our fears and worries disappear. We become more open to our families and the people we live and work with.

Our Lady said, “The best fast is bread and water. Through fasting and prayer, wars can be stopped and the laws of nature can be changed. Charity is no substitute for fasting. Everyone should fast, except the sick.” (July 21, 1982)

“Dear children! Today also I invite you to prayer. Only by prayer and fasting can war be stopped. Therefore, my dear little children, pray and by your life give witness that you are mine and that you belong to me, because Satan wishes in these turbulent days to seduce as many souls as possible. Therefore, I invite you to decide for God and He will protect you and show you what you should do and which path to take. I invite all those who have said "yes" to me to renew their consecration to my Son Jesus and to His Heart and to me so we can take you more intensely as instruments of peace in this unpeaceful world. Medjugorje is a sign to all of you and a call to pray and live the days of grace that God is giving you. Therefore, dear children, accept the call to prayer with seriousness. I am with you and your su^ering is also mine. Thank you for having responded to my call.” (April 25, 1992)

“Dear children! Today I call you to renew prayer and fasting with even greater enthusiasm until prayer becomes a joy for you. Little children, the one who prays is not afraid of the future and the one who fasts is not afraid of evil. Once again, I repeat to you: only through prayer and fasting also wars can be stopped - wars of your unbelief and fear for the future. I am with you and am teaching you little children: your peace and hope are in God. That is why draw closer to God and put Him in the first place in your life. Thank you for having responded to my call.” (January 25, 2001)

5Confession

The Virgin Mary asks us to go to confession monthly. Pilgrims visiting Medjugorje are always deeply impressed by the number of people waiting in line for Confession and the number of priests hearing confessions. Many priests experience something special while administering the sacrament in Medjugorje. The large number of pilgrims going to confession is one of the fruits and miracles of Medjugorje. Many people find Confession di^icult. Some may have had bad experiences in the past. We must overcome any reluctance to confess and trust in the Virgin Mary's request. This is important. Confession is a sacrament. When we receive absolution, we receive special graces. Many people who begin going to confession monthly or more frequently witness dramatic changes in their lives. The more often we go to confession, the better we become at recognizing our sins. The more we repent and confess our sins, the more God gives us the grace to overcome them. As we look at our lives with repentant eyes, God begins to fill us with the virtues we lack.

Our Lady said, “Be at peace with God, and be at peace among yourselves; for its sake believe, pray, fast, and go to Confession.” (June 26, 1981)

“Pray, pray! It is necessary to believe firmly and to go to Confession regularly. It is also necessary to receive Holy Communion. It is the only salvation.” (February 10, 1982)

“A person may have committed so many evils during his life in this world, but if he goes to Confession, repents of his faults, and receives Holy Communion just before he dies, he can go straight to Heaven. (July 24, 1982)

“Do not go to Confession out of habit, lest you commit the same sin again, for that is never good. Your faith and mind should be stimulated by Confession, and you should come closer to Jesus. If Confession does not mean anything to you, you will find it very di^icult to repent.” (November 7, 1983)

“Dear children! Open your heart to God’s mercy in this Lenten time. The Heavenly Father desires to deliver each of you from the slavery of sin. Therefore, little children, make good use of this time and through meeting with God in Confession, leave sin and decide for holiness. Do this out of love for Jesus, who redeemed you all with His blood, that you may be happy and in peace. Do not forget, little children: your freedom is your weakness, therefore follow my messages with seriousness. Thank you for having responded to my call.” (February 25, 2007)

Confession "must not become a habit that makes it easy to sin." Vicka tells all the pilgrims, "Confession is something that makes you a new person. The Virgin Mary does not want you to think that confession simply frees you from sin, only to fall back into the same life afterward. No, confession is a call to be completely renewed. You must become a new person!"