Dear children! May this time for you be a time of prayer for peace. Thank you for having responded to my call.
In this month’s message, Our Lady says that this time is to be a time of prayer for peace. Though short and simple, it is a message of profound depth. It reveals the very reason why Our Lady is coming to the world today through Medjugorje: She has come to bring peace to a world without peace.
When Our Lady first appeared in Medjugorje on June 24, 1981, She introduced Herself as the Queen of Peace, saying:
“Peace, peace, peace! There must be peace between God and man, and among men.”
Since then, through countless messages, She has repeatedly emphasized that in order to obtain peace, we must place Jesus—who Himself is Peace—at the very center of our lives.
The central themes of Our Lady’s messages—prayer, conversion, faith, and penance—are all directed toward the ultimate goal of peace. In other words, everything we do in praying, repenting, believing, and sacrificing is ultimately ordered to peace.
It is also significant that in the Litany of Loreto, the final title given to Our Lady is “Queen of Peace.” This seems to correspond to the fact that the apparitions of the Queen of Peace in Medjugorje may be the last of Her apparitions on earth. Yet even before She was invoked under this title, Our Lady was already the Queen of Peace.
When the Prince of Peace, Jesus, was born into the world, the heavenly host sang:
“Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to those on whom His favor rests!” (Lk 2:14).
If Jesus truly came into the world as the Prince of Peace, then it follows with certainty that the Mother who bore Him has, from that moment, been the Queen of Peace.
The Queen of Peace, who once brought the Prince of Peace into the world, is bringing Him to us anew today, urging us to place Him at the very center of our lives. For forty-four years and three months since the first apparition, She has continued to remind us of this truth, and She will do so until the day Her apparitions come to an end.
Our Lady, the Queen of Peace, calls us “my dear children” and also names us “my apostles.” As Her beloved children and apostles, the most important task entrusted to us is to let the Prince of Peace, Jesus, be our all. Nothing is more important than Jesus. Apart from Him, all else is nothing. Only Jesus can give us peace. What is essential is that we first receive the peace He offers and live within it.
Then our mission is to bring that peace to others. Yet if we fail to witness to peace through the example of our lives and our words, the peace we proclaim will never truly reach others. Only when we preserve peace within ourselves and live it authentically will that peace be transmitted to those around us.
There is, however, something even more fundamental and necessary than witnessing to peace through words or example. It is prayer for peace. Peace is not achieved by human effort alone; it is a gift of grace that comes only through God’s intervention. This is why, in this month’s message, Our Lady tells us that now is the time for prayer for peace.
Therefore, through the intercession of Our Lady, the Queen of Peace, let us earnestly implore Jesus, the Prince of Peace, to pour His peace into our hearts, our families, our neighbors and communities, upon every nation and people, upon the Church, and upon the whole world.
"Dear children, my little children, my beloved ones; you are chosen because you have responded, you have put into practice my instructions and love God above all else. Therefore, little children, pray with all your heart that my words may be realized. Fast, sacrifice yourselves, love out of love for God Who created you, and be, little children, my extended hands to this world that has not come to know the God of love. Thank you for having responded to my call." (With Ecclesiastical approval)
Dear children, my little children, my beloved ones; you are chosen because you have responded, you have put into practice my instructions and love God above all else.
Our Lady begins nearly all of her messages by calling us, “Dear children.” At times, she adds expressions such as “Little children” or “My little children.” Yet in this particular message, she addresses us three times in succession: “Dear children, my little children, my beloved ones!”—something she has never done before. Why would she repeat her call to her beloved children three times? Perhaps, if we recall that three is the number of perfection, it is to reveal the fullness of her love.
Throughout her messages, Our Lady repeatedly tells us how boundlessly she loves us. On March 18, 2009, during Mirjana’s annual apparition, she gave this message: “If you knew how much I love you, you would cry with happiness.”
Our Lady is not our earthly mother but our heavenly Mother. She loves us not with a human love but with a divine love—the very love of God. Therefore, her love is unconditional and without limit. Just as God the Father “makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust” (Mt 5:45), so too does Our Lady love not only us, but every person in the world—even those who are in sin and far from her. How blessed it would be if we ourselves, and all the world, could only recognize this love! Truly, it is a misfortune if we fail to hear the call of the Mother who never ceases to summon her beloved children with love.
With immeasurable love, Our Lady reminds us that we have been chosen because we have responded to her call, put her teachings into practice, and, above all, loved God. The degree may differ from person to person, but what could be more important than responding to Our Lady’s call, living her words, and loving God? Who are we, that we should be chosen by God and by His Mother, Our Lady? What greater honor could there be in this world?
And yet, many are not chosen. The reason is clear. As the parable of the wedding feast in Matthew 22:1–14 concludes, “Many are called, but few are chosen.” Heaven’s call is addressed to all, but many choose instead their own plans and concerns, turning away from that call. Though invited to be one with God and to live with Him forever, they refuse to respond.
Our Lady teaches us that the reason we have been chosen is, above all, because we responded. When she calls to us unceasingly, “Dear children, my little children, my beloved ones!” our response must be like that of the young Samuel: “Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening” (1 Sm 3:10). It is in opening our hearts to receive her message and responding with faith that our being chosen truly begins.
Our Lady further tells us that we are chosen because we put her teachings into practice. No matter how sincerely one may feel her call, opening one’s heart to listen is not enough if her words are not lived out in daily life. There is a proverb that says, “Even three bushels of beads are worthless unless strung together.” No matter how precious or excellent something may be, it gains its value only when arranged and put to use. Likewise, no matter how exalted and good Our Lady’s teachings are, if we do not put them into practice, make them our own, and grow spiritually through them, then her teachings remain without meaning or effect in us. In the end, obedience to her words and the effort to live them out are the true signs that we have been chosen.
Finally, Our Lady tells us that we are chosen above all because we love God. Yet to truly love God, we must first pass through the two steps already mentioned: opening our hearts to His word and call given through Our Lady, and putting those words into practice in our lives. In this way we draw ever closer to God, experience the boundlessness of His love, and, by His grace and strength, come to love Him above all things.
When we love God above everything, we will have nothing more to desire, and nothing will be able to steal away our hearts and our lives. Then we shall possess not only peace and eternal life, but truly everything. This is why, for the past forty-four years, Our Lady has unceasingly taught us to love God above all else and to place Him at the very center of our lives.
Therefore, little children, pray with all your heart that my words may be realized. Fast, sacrifice yourselves, love out of love for God Who created you, and be, little children, my extended hands to this world that has not come to know the God of love. Thank you for having responded to my call.
Everything begins with prayer and is brought to completion through prayer. Our Lady, who knows this better than anyone, says: “Therefore, dear children, pray with all your heart that my words may be realized.”
Just as the saying goes that perseverance will eventually bring results, there is nothing that cannot be accomplished through wholehearted prayer. The words of Our Lady, too, will surely be fulfilled. And if a doubt arises—“Can this truly be so?”—one must ask oneself: “Have I ever truly prayed with all my heart?”
There is no love without sacrifice. Through fasting in particular, we learn how to sacrifice in love, and we come to realize that God alone is the true Master of our whole being and of life itself. By fasting, we sacrifice ourselves in order to love the God who created us, and to love our brothers and sisters who have been created in His image. In this way, we are taught how to love in truth.
When we learn and practice this way of love, we naturally follow Our Lady’s final exhortation: “Be, little children, my extended hands to this world that has not come to know the God of love.” Our Lady reminds us that within God’s plan of salvation we hold an important place and role. To accomplish this work of salvation with us, she once again invites us and asks us to become her extended hands.
Whether or not we become Our Lady’s extended hands for a world that does not know the God of love depends entirely upon our choice and response. The very fact that we have been chosen and called to join Our Lady in this spiritual battle, where heaven and earth are united, is in itself a reality that fills us with gratitude and awe. Though it may appear outwardly ordinary, this opportunity is by no means common. Therefore, in thanksgiving for this grace, let us willingly become Our Lady’s extended hands and resolve to help the world come to know the God of love.
"Dear children! In this time of grace, when the Most High permits me to love you and lead you on the way of holiness, Satan wants to entangle you with the cord of peacelessness and hatred. Do not permit him to prevail, but, little children, fight for the holiness of every life. Thank you for having responded to my call." (With Ecclesiastical approval)
Dear children! In this time of grace, when the Most High permit me to love you and lead you on the way of holiness, Satan wants to entangle you with the cord of peacelessness and hatred.
Our Lady is our spiritual Mother, the Mother from Heaven. She continually calls us her “dear children,” wrapping us in her tender love and leading us along the path of holiness. In this month’s message as well, Our Lady once again addresses us as “dear children,” reaffirming her unwavering love and maternal guidance. What we must particularly note in this message, however, is that all her love and guidance are carried out with the permission of Almighty God—a truth she makes explicitly clear.
Just as she once responded to the Angel Gabriel, who had announced the conception of Jesus, saying, “Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord. May it be done to me according to your word” (Lk 1:38), so too now—and indeed for all eternity—Our Lady acts only in accordance with the will of God.
Her love for us and her guidance on the path to holiness are certainly good in themselves, but by revealing that these are grounded entirely in the will of Almighty God, Our Lady shows us that she always places His will above all else.
We, too, must imitate her example—never claiming credit or seeking glory for ourselves, no matter how good the work may be. In everything and at every moment, we must attribute all merit to Almighty God and give Him alone the glory and praise.
Through Our Lady, God loves us, leads us along the path of holiness, and ultimately brings us to salvation and peace. But Satan, on the contrary, seeks to drag us down the opposite path. He binds us with chains of fear and hatred, attempting to rob us of love, peace, and salvation. He tempts us to sin, tries to sever us from God and Our Lady, and leads us into division and conflict with others.
Seeing all of this with her motherly eyes, Our Lady says to us:
Do not permit him to prevail, but, little children, fight for the holiness of every life. Thank you for the having responded to my call.
Satan triumphs only when we open the door of our hearts to him. But if we become aware of his presence and activity, and firmly say, “You may not enter my heart or my life,” then he has no power over us. Even though he may be a supernatural being, he can do nothing unless we give him permission. That is why Our Lady so earnestly tells us, “Do not permit him to prevail.”
We must allow only God and Our Lady to triumph in our lives by always saying “yes” to them, in every circumstance, entrusting everything into their hands.
God, who is the Creator of all living beings, has not only given life to every creature, but He also continually sustains that life with abundant providence. Above all, He created human beings in His own image and breathed into them the breath of life. Within each of us is the holiness that reflects the likeness of God, and this holiness is the foundation of human dignity and the essence of our identity.
But Satan relentlessly seeks to destroy that holiness through temptation and attack—because only when our holiness is shattered can we be separated from God and fall into ruin.
To restore this holiness and lead us back to the path of salvation, God the Father sent His only Son into the world. And today, in our own time, He sends the Blessed Virgin Mary through Medjugorje, inviting us to join the battle for the holiness of every life and encouraging us with motherly love.
Through this month’s message, the mission entrusted to us is clear: to say a firm “no” to Satan, and to fight with courage for the sanctity of all life. In other words, it means to stand on the side of God—who is the Lord of all life and Holiness itself—defending and living out the values of life and holiness, and always responding with a wholehearted “yes” to all that God desires.
We are never alone. Our Blessed Mother, who loves us and leads us on the path of holiness, is always with us. And Almighty God, who sends her to us, stands right behind her. That is why we have nothing to fear—not even the attacks of Satan.
Jesus Himself tells us: “In the world you will have trouble, but take courage; I have conquered the world” (Jn 16:33).
Dear children, Also today I thank the Almighty that I am with you and that I can lead you towards the God of love and peace.
Today marks the 44th anniversary of the apparitions of Our Lady in Medjugorje. Forty-four years is by no means a short period of time. We cannot help but offer our deep gratitude to the Blessed Mother, who has come to us unfailingly throughout these many years. But why has she continued to come to us for such a long time? In the message given today, Our Lady clearly reveals the reason: she comes to be with us and to lead us to the God of love and peace. For the past 44 years, without missing a single day, she has been coming to us through Medjugorje for this very purpose.
Then why does Our Lady desire to be with us and lead us to the God of love and peace? Above all, it is because she loves us. She is our loving Mother, and we are her beloved children. That is why she always remains by our side. Moreover, in her eyes, we are still little children—children in need of even greater protection and care. And so, out of love, she stays with us.
Our Lady desires that her beloved children walk not the path of destruction, but the path of salvation. She remains with us to help us walk this path. By staying with us, she personally teaches us how to pray, to believe, to repent, to love and forgive, to fast, and to live in holiness. In doing so, she ultimately leads us to the God of love and peace.
Our Lady has said that she gives thanks to the Almighty God for being with us and for being able to lead us to the God of love and peace. Through these words, she makes it unmistakably clear once again that it is none other than Almighty God who is the origin and author of the Medjugorje apparitions.
Therefore, just as Our Lady gives thanks, we too cannot help but offer our deepest gratitude to Almighty God the Father, who has allowed her to be with us and to lead us to the God of love and peace.
Let us offer with all our hearts our thanks, praise, and glory to God the Father, who over the past 44 years has sent Our Lady to us as His prophet, our Mother, and our spiritual teacher. Though we do not know how long these apparitions will continue, let us give thanks to the God who, in His mercy, will continue to send her to us.
The ideologies which destroy you and your spiritual life are transitory. I am calling you, little children: return to God, because with God you have a future and eternal life. Thank you for having responded to my call.
Over the past 44 years, Our Lady has never once used the word ideology explicitly in any of her many messages. Then what, exactly, is an ideology? Generally speaking, an ideology refers to a framework of thought that undergirds a society or system. It is a systematic and collective belief structure that interprets humanity, society, history, and the world, while also proposing a direction for them. The term is often associated with political objectives or systems of control. Capitalism, communism, socialism, fascism, and nationalism are all representative examples of ideologies.
While Our Lady has never explicitly named any particular ideology, she once said: “The ideologies which destroy you and your spiritual life are transitory.” Then what are the ideologies that destroy us and our spiritual lives? Any mindset or attitude that leads us to treat money, wealth, material goods, power, or force as false gods in place of the true God can ultimately be seen as an ideology that brings destruction to both our lives and our spirits.
We live in a world shaped by various ideologies, and it is impossible to be completely free from their influence. Yet Our Lady makes it clear that all these ideologies are fleeting and will eventually pass away. That is why she earnestly urges us not to give our hearts, minds, and souls over to them—but to return to the one true God who alone can give us a future and eternal life.
At this point, a story related to Saint John Paul II comes to mind. As we know, the Pope was from Poland. Cardinal Karol Wojtyła, then Archbishop of Kraków, was elected Pope while his homeland was still under communist rule.
Soon after his election, Pope John Paul II made an official visit to Poland—an event that was seen as a great threat by the communist regime. The Holy Father stood firmly against the communist ideology that sought to drive God out of human life and suppress religious freedom. He committed himself tirelessly to opposing such a system.
Roughly a decade later, in 1989, the Berlin Wall—a symbol of the Cold War—fell, leading to the reunification of East and West Germany. That same year, communist regimes in countries like Czechoslovakia and Hungary also collapsed. Poland joined this historic wave of change. The fall of communism and the birth of democratic governments brought great joy to both Pope John Paul II and the people of Poland.
However, even in the midst of this joy, the Holy Father was weighed down by a new concern. Though everything seemed to be resolved, he worried that Poland, now democratic and integrated into a capitalist system, might fall into moral decay—its people becoming seduced by wealth and materialism, growing spiritually complacent and putting God aside.
This was a prophetic insight born of the Pope’s deep spiritual vision. Sadly, much of what he feared has proven true with the passage of time.
Everything in this world ultimately passes away and fades. Money and wealth, power and influence, fame and worldly glory, and every ideology—they are all fleeting, impermanent, and destined to vanish. Only God and His Kingdom remain unchanging and eternal. It is only when we are united with God that we find true hope for the future and receive the gift of eternal life.
This is why Our Lady has remained with us for so long—why she continues to come to us and lead us to the God of love and peace. It is also why she ceaselessly pleads with us to return to God.
“Dear children, In this time of grace, I am calling you to be people of hope, peace and joy, so that every person may be a peacemaker and a lover of life. Pray, little children, to the Holy Spirit to fill you with the strength of His own Holy Spirit of courage and surrender. And this time for you will be a gift and a walk in holiness towards eternal life. I am with you and I love you. Thank you for having responded to my call.” (With Ecclesiastical approval)
Dear children, In this time of grace, I am calling you to be people of hope, peace and joy, so that every person may be a peacemaker and a lover of life.
As Our Lady has said, this is truly a time of grace. It is a time of grace because our Mother, who loves each of us as her children, continues to come to us. She is calling each of us to become people of hope, peace, and joy, so that all may become peacemakers and lovers of life. This moment is indeed a time of grace, for it is a time in which we and the world around us can be renewed and transformed.
To become people of hope, peace, and joy, we must strive to live out these virtues in our daily lives—continually hoping, seeking peace, and choosing to live with joy. Yet these virtues cannot be fully realized through human effort alone. Only Jesus Christ—true God and true man—can fully bestow them upon us. The Risen Lord appeared to the apostles, the disciples, and the holy women who were immersed in despair, anxiety, and sorrow. He awakened new hope within them, gifted them with peace, and filled their hearts with joy.
Our Lady tells us that in order for all people to become peacemakers and lovers of life, we ourselves must first become people of hope, peace, and joy. And indeed, her words are true and just. It is we who must change first. Only then can others be transformed through us. However, we often believe that it is others who must change first, and we not only expect but at times demand that change from them. Sometimes, we even go so far as to impose it. Such an attitude only hardens our own hearts and causes others to perceive us negatively, closing their hearts even more. Therefore, we must deeply reflect on the fact that the world and its people may remain unchanged because we ourselves have not changed. True transformation must begin with us.
Pray, little children, to the Holy Spirit to fill you with the strength of His own Holy Spirit of courage and surrender.
The Risen Jesus appeared to the apostles, the disciples, and many others, including the holy women, granting them hope, peace, and joy. Yet in order to fully live out the mission entrusted to them, they needed a strength that exceeded their own human capacity. This is why, before His Ascension, the Lord instructed the apostles not to leave Jerusalem but to remain there, praying and waiting for the power that would come from on high. The apostles, gathered around Our Lady, joined with all the disciples of Jesus in fervent and united prayer. Then, upon them, the Holy Spirit descended—and the entire Church was filled with the Spirit. The apostles, in particular, were transformed: they no longer knew fear or cowardice. Strengthened by the power of the Holy Spirit, they became bold and courageous, willing even to face persecution and death. They entrusted everything to God the Father and proclaimed the Risen Jesus with great confidence.
Now, in two weeks, we will celebrate the Solemnity of Pentecost. As we read in Acts 1, the apostles and disciples gathered around Our Lady and prayed with one heart for the coming of the Holy Spirit. Following their example, we too must gather close to Our Lady and, with her, pray with all our hearts for the Holy Spirit to come upon us and fill us completely. If that same Holy Spirit fills us as He did them, then we too will be able to witness to the Risen Lord with courage, no matter the circumstances, and entrust everything in our lives to Him completely.
And this time for you will be a gift and a walk in holiness towards eternal life. I am with you and I love you. Thank you for having responded to my call.
There is an important point we must not overlook. It is this: the coming of the Holy Spirit does not happen merely because we pray for it. Of course, it is right and necessary that we prepare and pray earnestly for the coming of the Spirit. We must do so with all our hearts. However, such prayer and preparation are only our part of the response—they alone cannot bring about the descent of the Holy Spirit. Just as the wind blows where it wills, so too the Holy Spirit comes freely, at the time, place, and upon the person of His choosing. Therefore, the coming of the Holy Spirit is entirely a gift granted to us from above.
It is only when the Holy Spirit comes upon us that we can truly live a holy life. And it is within that holiness that we are able to continue our journey toward eternal life. Let us always remember that it is not by our own strength, but by the power of God’s Spirit—the Spirit of the Risen Christ—that our life and journey of faith are sustained and moved forward.
“Dear children, Winds of peacelessness, selfishness and sin are catching hold of many hearts and leading them into peacelessness and perdition. That is why I am calling you, little children: return to God and to prayer, so that it may be good for you in the hearts and on the earth on which you live. I love you, little children, and that is why I am not tiring of calling you to conversion. Thank you for having responded to my call.” (With Ecclesiastical approval)
Dear children, Winds of peacelessness, selfishness and sin are catching hold of many hearts and leading them into peacelessness and perdition. That is why I am calling you, little children: return to God and to prayer, so that it may be good for you in the hearts and on the earth on which you live.
Peacelessness, selfishness, and sin not only break the relationship between God and humanity, but also sever the bonds between human beings themselves. The inevitable result is peacelessness and destruction. Although this tragic reality is unfolding in the lives of countless people, many of God's children continue to live unaware of its seriousness. To these children, the Blessed Mother speaks with a voice that is gentle yet firm, offering a clear and loving warning.
The Blessed Mother, who knows better than anyone the gravity of the situation we are currently facing, conveys this truth to us, her beloved children. It is not difficult to imagine how deeply her heart must ache as she does so. The pain she feels must be like a heart melting away and being torn apart. What parent would not suffer, watching their children rush down a path of division and destruction? If even earthly parents feel such sorrow, how much deeper and more sorrowful must be the pain felt by Our Blessed Mother, the spiritual Mother of our souls?
But the Blessed Mother does not stop at grieving over the sorrowful state of her children or at warning them. She clearly shows us the way to escape this crisis. That way is to return to God and to prayer. When we return to God and reconnect with Him through prayer, we can finally recover peace and turn away from the path of destruction.
We must not take lightly this simple yet profound call of the Blessed Mother—her invitation to "return to God and to prayer." Though it may sound simple, it is, in truth, the only path that leads us away from division and ruin. Therefore, we must receive her words with seriousness and begin to respond to them from this very moment.
There can be no true peace in the heart of a person who does not place God at the center of their life and who does not pray. For it is God Himself—who is Peace and the source of all peace—who gives the gift of peace to our hearts through prayer.
Saint Paul speaks to us with these words:
"We know that all things work for good for those who love God, who are called according to his purpose" (Rom 8:28). Yes, we are the ones who love God and have been called according to His divine plan. For those of us who love God and strive to live in accordance with His call through constant prayer, all things indeed work together for good. Even in this life, here on earth, everything is guided toward what is good. This is because God, who sees the faith within our hearts and our love for Him, personally arranges and directs all things in His providence.
The psalmist, who experienced how those who place all their hope in God and follow His teachings and ways are blessed—even in this life—proclaims:
"Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked, nor stand in the way of sinners, nor sit in the company of the arrogant, but delights in the law of the Lord and meditates on His laws day and night. He is like a tree planted near streams of water, that yields its fruit in due season, and whose leaves never fade. Whatever he does prospers" (Ps 1:1–3).
I love you, little children, and that is why I am not tiring of calling you to conversion. Thank you for having responded to my call.
Love knows no fatigue. Love does not grow weary. The Blessed Mother has been calling us to conversion, without rest or weariness, for the past 43 years and 10 months. She does so for one reason: because she loves us. She calls us tirelessly to conversion because only through conversion can we be saved. Thus, her unwavering call is not simply an expression of affection, but a profound, motherly love that is deeply concerned for our salvation. This love of the Blessed Mother continues to reach out to us, even at this very moment. But the real question is this: do we truly recognize the meaning of that love? And are we receiving it with all our hearts?
> Messages > Fr. Stephen Shin’s Reflections on the Messages
