"Dear children! Also today I call you, in this time of grace, to pray for little Jesus to be born in your heart. May He, who is peace itself, give peace to the entire world through you. Therefore, little children, pray without ceasing for this turbulent world without hope, so that you may become witnesses of peace for all. May hope begin to flow through your hearts as a river of grace. Thank you for having responded to my call."
Dear children! Also today I call you, in this time of grace, to pray for little Jesus to be born in your heart. May He, who is peace itself, give peace to the entire world through you.
Although Christmas is more than a month away, it seems the world is already caught up in the excitement of the season. However, in the midst of all the festivities, gift preparations, and carols, people tend to forget the most important aspect: the birth of the Savior, the Child Jesus Himself. In this month’s message, Our Lady invites us back to the simple yet most essential core of Christmas: "I call you to pray for little Jesus to be born in your heart." Just as Our Lady calls us, we must pray for Jesus to be born again in our hearts. When we pray, Jesus comes into our hearts. Just as Our Lady was praying when she received the announcement of the birth of the Child Jesus, when we pray, Jesus is born in our hearts.
For the Child Jesus to be born in our hearts, our hearts must be poor, like the manger where He was born. He is born anew only in a heart that longs solely for God. He comes only to those who open their hearts wide to receive Him. Jesus says, " Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, [then] I will enter his house and dine with him, and he with me" (Rev 3:20).
Jesus is peace itself, and He is our peace. If we have Jesus in our hearts, we possess peace itself. This peace is not meant for us alone. It is meant to be shared with all people. Our Lady says, "May He, who is peace itself, give peace to the entire world through you." We must remember that the peace that comes into our hearts must be spread to our families, neighbors, and the entire world.
Therefore, little children, pray without ceasing for this turbulent world without hope, so that you may become witnesses of peace for all. May hope begin to flow through your hearts as a river of grace. Thank you for having responded to my call.
On the wall in front of my desk is a holy card with the following words of St. Teresa of Avila: "Let nothing disturb you. Let nothing frighten you. All things are passing away. God never changes. Patience obtains all things. Whoever has God lacks nothing. God alone suffices."
The reason there is no peace in this world is that people cling to things that are passing away and do not seek to have God in their lives. Today, people’s hearts are more troubled than ever before, due to the global economic crisis that began on Wall Street in the United States. People are fearful and anxious about their current and future economic prosperity and security. However, the economic crisis is not the most severe crisis the world is facing. The real crisis, which many do not recognize, is a spiritual one. The true cause for fear and concern is that this world no longer seeks God and, by placing other things in His place, has led itself into an increasingly irreparable spiritual crisis.
The efforts of humanity to build a civilization without God resemble a child’s delight in building a sandcastle on the shore, only to see it washed away by the next wave. Humanity no longer seeks the Creator, the source of life. Humanity is spiritually dying, yet few realize this. What can we do for such humanity? Our Lady offers us a simple yet powerful tool: "Therefore, little children, pray without ceasing for this turbulent world without hope, so that you may become witnesses of peace for all." As Christians, we are people who entrust all our destiny to God. We believe that nothing is impossible with God. Our mission as Christians is to open the hearts of the world to God through continuous prayer so that people may welcome God, the source of peace and life, into their lives.
Everything in this world changes and passes away, but God is unchanging, and He fulfills the true hopes of our hearts. Those who have God in their hearts, the source of true peace and life, will never be disappointed or despair, no matter the circumstances. As St. Paul says, "Rejoice in hope, endure in affliction, persevere in prayer" (Rom 12:12).
Jesus, you are peace itself, the source of our peace, so grant us Your peace. Bring Your peace into our hearts, homes, churches, and the whole world. As we pray with all our hearts, be born in our hearts and reign over our lives with Your peace. O Jesus, King of Peace, may this world without peace, this world in turmoil, recognize You as God, and may all people place You at the center of their lives so that they may find and enjoy true peace.
Our Lady, Queen of Peace, just as you brought the King of Peace, Jesus, into this world, make us bearers of Jesus to others. Help us to become people of prayer so that Jesus may be born in our hearts and bring Him to the world.
October 25, 2008
"Dear children! In a special way I call you all to pray for my intentions so that, through your prayers, you may stop Satan's plan over this world, which is further from God every day, and which puts itself in the place of God and is destroying everything that is beautiful and good in the souls of each of you. Therefore, little children, arm yourselves with prayer and fasting so that you may be conscious of how much God loves you and may carry out God's will. Thank you for having responded to my call."
Dear children! In a special way I call you all to pray for my intentions so that, through your prayers, you may stop Satan's plan over this world, which is further from God every day, and which puts itself in the place of God and is destroying everything that is beautiful and good in the souls of each of you.
In the collection of messages given to Father Stefano Gobbi from 1973 to 1997, titled To the Priests, Our Lady’s Beloved Sons, Our Lady refers to herself as ‘Leader’ or ‘Commander.’ Indeed, as she says, she is our leader and commander. To make her truly our leader and commander, we must understand her intentions well and follow them thoroughly. In this month’s message, Our Lady calls us in a special way to pray for her intentions.
So what exactly are Our Lady’s intentions? To understand this, we can look back to the second day of her apparitions in Medjugorje, on June 25, 1981. The six visionaries saw Our Lady on Apparition Hill, and thousands of people were present, pulling at the children's clothes to find out what was happening. The six children scattered, and Marija, while descending the hill alone, felt mysteriously drawn back to the original apparition site. There, Our Lady appeared before a cross without a figure, weeping and pleading, "Peace, peace, peace! Only peace! Reconcile with God and among yourselves." Through these words, Our Lady made it clear what her intentions were: peace between God and man and peace among all people. Since then, through her continuing apparitions and messages, Our Lady has taught us to pray, repent, fast, and have strong faith in order to achieve that peace.
The Queen of Peace earnestly desires that all humanity reconciles with God and one another, finding peace and walking the path of salvation. She also desires that those of us who have received her message first dedicate ourselves to helping all humanity find peace and salvation. In this month’s message, Our Lady is calling us in a special way to pray for her intentions. To concretely respond to this call, I would like to share the prayer practice of someone I know. This person prays at least 20 decades of the Rosary each day. Regardless of the day of the week, they begin their daily Rosary with the Joyful Mysteries, praying for "peace in the world and in all families"; the Luminous Mysteries, praying for "the renewal of the Church and the sanctification of priests and religious"; the Sorrowful Mysteries, praying for "the conversion of all sinners"; and finally, the Glorious Mysteries, praying for "the well-being and peace of their community, family, and relatives." This example shows us how we can pray for Our Lady’s intentions through the Rosary, her favorite prayer and the most effective weapon in the spiritual battle against Satan. Our Lady’s intentions, which are the intentions of heaven, should always come first in our prayers, before our own needs or those of our family.
Even if we cannot see it with our eyes, as Our Lady says, Satan is actively working with various cunning plans to destroy this world and lead us to ruin. Satan does exist. Many people in today’s scientifically and technologically advanced world may deny the existence of Satan, but his greatest trick is to make people believe he doesn’t exist. As Our Lady revealed through the experience of visionary Mirjana in 1982, Satan is indeed real, and this is a century where he is rampant. He leads people away from God by making them pursue money, power, fame, and various pleasures for themselves, making them commit sins easily and serve false idols in place of God. He also sows seeds of atheism, disbelief, and hatred in people’s hearts, destroying their souls. The only way to render all this powerless is through prayer. Although it may seem the weakest and most passive of actions, prayer, especially when offered with the intentions that Our Lady desires, is the most powerful and active way to stop Satan’s plans.
Therefore, little children, arm yourselves with prayer and fasting so that you may be conscious of how much God loves you and may carry out God's will. Thank you for having responded to my call.
Our Lady tells us, "Arm yourselves with prayer and fasting," indicating that the time we are living in is a time of spiritual warfare. As hinted in Revelation 12, this is a time of intense battle between Our Lady and her army and Satan and his forces. As our commander, Our Lady commands us, her soldiers, to arm ourselves with prayer and fasting. These are the most powerful weapons we have to overcome evil, and they are also the most effective means to help us realize God’s infinite love and fulfill His will. A command only shows its effect when it is carried out. Now that we have heard Our Lady’s command, it is time to put it into action.
Jesus, thank you for your words, "Pray that you may not fall into temptation." Jesus, in my daily life, I experience how, when I do not pray, Satan subtly infiltrates my heart and life, tempting me and leading me to sin and away from You. Jesus, help me to follow Your example, as You fasted and prayed for 40 days in the wilderness, overcoming all of Satan’s temptations with that strength.
Our Lady, I want to include your intentions in all my prayers. Please accept my prayers and use them to accomplish all that you desire. Lead all humanity to our only Savior, Jesus. I sincerely thank you for inviting me to help you in the work of saving souls. Queen of Peace, pray for us.
September 25, 2008
"Dear children! May your life, anew, be a decision for peace. Be joyful carriers of peace and do not forget that you live in a time of grace, in which God gives you great graces through my presence. Do not close yourselves, little children, but make good use of this time and seek the gift of peace and love for your life so that you may become witnesses to others. I bless you with my motherly blessing. Thank you for having responded to my call."
Dear children! May your life, anew, be a decision for peace.
In this month’s message, Our Lady invites us once again to choose peace by saying, "May your life, anew, be a decision for peace." Peace does not come automatically; it is given to us when we choose peace, resolve to live it, and put it into action. Since God is the source of peace, choosing peace means choosing God. When we place God at the center of our lives, surrender our hearts and lives entirely to Him, and act according to His will, we are choosing peace, and peace will come to us.
To deepen our meditation on Our Lady's call to "anew, be a decision for peace" and put it into practice, it would be helpful to meditate on Lk 19:41-44, where Jesus weeps over Jerusalem as He foretells its destruction. Jesus was on His way to Jerusalem for His Passion and Crucifixion. As He approached the city, He wept over it and said, "If you, even you, had only known on this day what would bring you peace—but now it is hidden from your eyes... because you did not recognize the time of God's coming to you." Jesus had shown the people what would bring them peace, and that was repentance, as revealed in His words, "This is the time of fulfillment. The kingdom of God is at hand. Repent, and believe in the gospel” (Mk 1:15). Repentance involves a complete turning of the heart, life, and entire being toward God, serving the Creator of all things instead of the creatures. It means being ready to sacrifice everything to follow God's will rather than relying on human means or strength. Jesus showed this path and desired that people repent so they could experience peace.
We must learn from past failures to guide us toward success. Jesus showed Jerusalem the path to peace, but the city did not accept it, and as He foretold, it was destroyed in A.D. 70. Now, Jesus sends Our Lady as His messenger to this world so that we may choose peace and walk the path of salvation. He also wants us to be apostles of peace. Jesus sent out His disciples with the instruction, "Into whatever house you enter, first say, ‘Peace to this household’” (Lk 10:5), He also promised, "Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God" (Mt 5:9).
Be joyful carriers of peace and do not forget that you live in a time of grace, in which God gives you great graces through my presence. Do not close yourselves, little children, but make good use of this time and seek the gift of peace and love for your life so that you may become witnesses to others. I bless you with my motherly blessing. Thank you for having responded to my call.
Our Lady of Medjugorje, the Queen of Peace, who said, "I have come to this earth to make known that God exists, that He is the source of peace, and that there must be peace between God and man, and among all people," calls us to be apostles of God's peace. The Queen of Peace desires that each of us, as individuals, become bearers of peace.
By sending Our Lady to this earth, God invites us to draw near to Him, the source of peace. Our Lady’s apparitions are a sign, or rather grace itself, that shows us how deep God's love and mercy are for us. According to Our Lady's messages, we are living in the time of grace, a time marked by her continuous apparitions. Just as everything that has a beginning also has an end, the apparitions of Our Lady, which began in Medjugorje in 1981, will one day come to an end. Although we do not know when the final apparition will occur, which is expected to be the last of its kind on earth, many signs suggest that the time is not far off. To ensure that this time of grace is not in vain, we must read, meditate on, and put Our Lady's messages into practice every day, so that our exemplary lives may convey her message to others. Therefore, Our Lady says, "Do not close yourselves, little children, but make good use of this time and seek the gift of peace and love for your life so that you may become witnesses to others."
Jesus, you are the light of the world. As You have said, those who follow You will never walk in darkness but will have the light of life. Jesus, thank You for sending Your mother, our mother, to this world filled with sin and darkness, to show us the way to the light of life. Jesus, send Your Holy Spirit so that we may recognize the great grace of God the Father in having Our Lady with us.
Our Lady, while you remain with us, we desire to be your hands and feet so that more people may walk the path of peace. Use us as your instruments. We thank you for your presence and blessing.
August 25, 2008
"Dear children! Also today I call you to personal conversion. You be those who will convert and, with your life, will witness, love, forgive and bring the joy of the Risen One into this world, where my Son died and where people do not feel a need to seek Him and to discover Him in their lives. You adore Him, and may your hope be hope to those hearts who do not have Jesus. Thank you for having responded to my call."
Dear children! Also today I call you to personal conversion.
Our Lady has given us countless messages about conversion. In this month’s message as well, Our Lady calls each of us to conversion. Some may wonder, "Why does the Medjugorje Madonna keep repeating things we already know?" and might dismiss the message as unimportant. However, just as the saints achieved holiness by sincerely accepting and practicing what others might consider ordinary, if we truly meditate on and put into practice what may seem like a simple message from Our Lady, the results will be vastly different.
When Jesus began His public ministry, He said, " This is the time of fulfillment. The kingdom of God is at hand. Repent, and believe in the gospel" (Mk 1:15). Jesus linked repentance with the Kingdom of God. A person who breaks away from sin, reforms their life according to God's will, and offers their heart entirely to God is a person who has repented. Only those who repent can experience the Kingdom of God and see God. Since God alone can give us true life and salvation, repentance is a matter of life and death for us. If we want to live eternally with God, we must repent right now. We must repent to enter the Kingdom of God.
As Our Lady has mentioned in many messages, our lives are as short as flowers that bloom in spring and quickly wither. Our Lady has said that our eternal home is in heaven and that she comes to this world to lead us to heaven so that we may live together with her. The first step on this journey is conversion. The first stage of conversion is recognizing our sins and cutting them off. The concrete outward sign of conversion is receiving the Sacrament of Reconciliation. Our Lady has said that for the Western world to be saved, the faithful in the West must go to confession and that all of us should receive the Sacrament of Reconciliation at least once a month.
I’ve been reading A Life with Karol by Cardinal Stanisław Dziwisz, the Archbishop of Krakow, who was the personal secretary to Pope John Paul II, and the book mentions that the late Pope went to confession every week. While we may not be able to match his weekly practice, we should still make a point to attend confession regularly, even if only once a month, as an external sign of our repentance. Those who go to confession regularly are acknowledging their sins, recognizing themselves as sinners before God, and seeking His forgiveness and mercy; they are truly repentant. In contrast, those who claim to be repentant but do not go to confession are not genuinely repenting.
You be those who will convert and, with your life, will witness, love, forgive and bring the joy of the Risen One into this world, where my Son died and where people do not feel a need to seek Him and to discover Him in their lives.
A truly repentant person is someone who has discovered the Kingdom of God, God Himself, and His life and salvation, and thus understands what is most important in life. For someone who has genuinely repented, what matters most is not this earthly life, wealth, or even their own life. Instead, what is significant to them is God, His will, and the eternal life of Heaven. They are prepared to sacrifice even their own life for this and are willing to do so in reality. The Virgin Mary desires that we give ourselves completely to repentance, becoming people of God who practice and witness only His will. She hopes that this will be concretely demonstrated through our love and forgiveness towards others. Another external sign of genuine repentance is love and forgiveness towards our neighbors. A repentant person experiences the infinite mercy of God’s love and forgiveness, and with that strength, they are able to love and forgive others. If we still struggle to love our neighbors as ourselves or to forgive someone, it is evidence that we have not truly repented.
Two thousand years ago, our Lord Jesus Christ, who is God, became a human like us and came to this earth. He was crucified and died for our sins. Although He was without sin, He offered Himself as a sacrifice for our sins, to redeem us. Jesus gave His life to love, redeem, and forgive us. His blood was shed on this earth, and it was here that His life was offered as a sacrifice of love and forgiveness. This sacrifice is re-enacted every day in the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, and He remains present among us as the Lord of life and salvation, of love and forgiveness. However, far too many people do not seek Him and do not try to find Him in their lives. Our Lady desires that these people meet the Risen Jesus through us—the living and present Lord of life and salvation, of love and forgiveness. Through the priest, Jesus sends us into the world after every Mass, sending us as apostles of His love and forgiveness. Our lives of repentance, of bearing witness, loving, and forgiving, and of placing all our hope in Jesus alone, are meant to help the people of this world find Him.
You adore Him, and may your hope be hope to those hearts who do not have Jesus. Thank you for having responded to my call.
The Blessed Mother always leads us to Jesus. She desires that Jesus be at the center of our lives. The Blessed Mother wants Jesus to hold the first place in our hearts. That is why she constantly urges us to adore Jesus, who lives in the Eucharist. We naturally want to be with those we love. If Jesus is the one we love the most, we would not want to be apart from Him, not even for a second. Is there anything better than sitting before the Eucharist and simply offering our hearts while saying, “Jesus, I love you. Jesus, I believe in you. Jesus, I adore you,” without asking for anything? However, because we have to live our daily lives in the world and cannot always be physically present, St. Francis helps us to continuously adore Jesus wherever we are through the following prayer:
Lord Jesus Christ, by Your holy cross, You have redeemed the world. We adore You and praise You here and in all Your churches throughout the world.
July 25, 2008
"Dear children! At this time when you are thinking of physical rest, I call you to conversion. Pray and work so that your heart yearns for God the Creator who is the true rest of your soul and your body. May He reveal His face to you and may He give you His peace. I am with you and intercede before God for each of you. Thank you for having responded to my call."
Dear children! At this time when you are thinking of physical rest, I call you to conversion.
On a sweltering summer day, people are putting aside their work and planning vacations. It's the time when many seek to escape to the sea, the mountains, or even abroad to refresh their tired bodies and minds. Each year around this time, it's a familiar routine for us, and the Virgin Mary presents us with a unique suggestion. Instead of a vacation for physical rest, she calls us to repentance. The Virgin Mary is not blocking our vacations but inviting us to a new form of vacation that we hadn't considered before. She calls us to embark on a journey of conversion, not for human comfort and rest without God, but to experience true freedom and rest with God, within Him.
I would like to share an impression I had during my first pilgrimage to Medjugorje. Among the many people participating in the evening prayer program, which included the Rosary, Mass, healing rituals, and Adoration, a particular family stood out to me. I couldn’t tell which country they were from, but every evening, the father, mother, and their young son and daughter attended the three-hour program, standing together with joyful expressions on their faces. They were on a journey of conversion, praying together in faith and adoring Jesus.
Our Lady once said, “Dear children! Everything has its own time. Today I call you to start working on your own hearts. Now that all the work in the field is over, you are finding time for cleaning even the most neglected areas, but you leave your heart aside. Work more and clean with love every part of your heart. Thank you for having responded to my call” (October 17, 1985). Now is the time to embark on a journey of conversion, grounded in faith and prayer, seeking the God who gives true rest to our bodies and souls.
Pray and work so that your heart yearns for God the Creator who is the true rest of your soul and your body. May He reveal His face to you and may He give you His peace.
St. Augustine said in his Confessions, “You have made us for Yourself, O Lord, and our hearts are restless until they rest in You.” As the saint’s words remind us, we are creatures of the Creator God, and our hearts will remain restless and anxious until they find rest in Him. If God is not in our hearts, if we do not offer our hearts to Him, we cannot find true peace and rest for our hearts and souls.
Jesus said, ““Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am meek and humble of heart; and you will find rest for yourselves. For my yoke is easy, and my burden light” (Mt 11:28-30). Jesus knows the hardships we endure and the burdens we carry. He invites us to come to Him, not to embark on a journey without God to soothe our weary bodies and souls, but to come to Him, who is truly God and truly human.
We all know about St. Mother Teresa of Calcutta, the founder of the Missionaries of Charity. A journalist once asked her, “Sister, you and the other sisters spend all day caring for the poor and the sick on the streets. Where do you find the strength for this?” Mother Teresa replied, “At the start of each day, we spend an hour in prayer before the Blessed Sacrament. Jesus, who is alive in the Eucharist, gives us the strength.”
When we go before Jesus and offer Him not only our labors and burdens but also our hearts, He gives us true rest and the strength to live in love. Through prayer, Mass, and Adoration, when we seek to see His face, we can feel peace welling up within our hearts.
I am with you and intercede before God for each of you. Thank you for having responded to my call.
Our Lady is our true mother. Just as earthly mothers know what their children need, our spiritual mother, Our Lady, knows what we need most for the true rest of our bodies and souls, and she is always with us to help us obtain it. Let us hold in our hearts the wonderful fact that each one of us is remembered in Our Lady's prayers, and let us embark on the journey of conversion together with her, seeking God.
Jesus, you know the hardships we endure and the burdens we carry. You desire to lighten our burdens and offer us rest. We sincerely thank You for Your love and compassion. Jesus, I want to respond to Your invitation, following the advice of Your mother, who is also our mother. I want to go before Your Eucharistic presence, sit with You, and, together with Our Lady, look upon Your face and experience true rest.
Our Lady, thank you for showing us what we need most. As our true mother, you lovingly reveal what we need most and guide us. Mother Mary, I will respond to Your call by repenting and praying. I will seek the Creator God, find true rest and peace in Him, and follow Your guidance. Thank you, Mother. Amen.
June 25, 2008
"Dear children! Also today, with great joy in my heart, I call you to follow me and to listen to my messages. Be joyful carriers of peace and love in this peaceless world. I am with you and I bless you all with my Son Jesus, the King of Peace. Thank you for having responded to my call."
Dear children! Also today, with great joy in my heart, I call you to follow me and to listen to my messages.
On the 27th anniversary of the apparitions in Medjugorje, Our Lady begins her message with the words, "with great joy in my heart." The great joy that Our Lady holds in her heart comes from the fact that "the Lord is with you," as the Angel Gabriel said in his greeting, "Hail, favored one! The Lord is with you" (Lk 1:28). This joy is also evident in her song, “My spirit rejoices in God my savior. For he has looked upon his handmaid’s lowliness; behold, from now on will all ages call me blessed” (Lk 1:47-48). It is a joy that comes from her experience of God's salvation. Now, as Our Lady is still with God and continues to come to this earth through Medjugorje to help us experience God's salvation, she calls us to follow her and listen to her messages.
To respond well to Our Lady's call to follow her and listen to her messages, it is helpful to meditate briefly on the scene of the Annunciation in Luke 1. Our Lady received the announcement of Jesus' conception from the angel Gabriel in her home in Nazareth. On that day, like any other, Our Lady was kneeling in her room with her arms crossed in prayer, fervently asking God to send the promised Messiah. She firmly believed in God's promised salvation and mercy and prayed earnestly that this salvation would reach all humanity. It was in this state that the angel Gabriel came to her, announcing that she was the virgin who would conceive the promised Savior, Jesus. In response, Our Lady said, " Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord. May it be done to me according to your word" (Lk 1:38).
The story of the Annunciation, which is also a powerful testimony to Our Lady's faith, invites us to follow her example of unwavering belief in the Savior God, her love for all humanity, and her constant prayer. This story also calls us to humble ourselves completely before the Lord, to seek His will above all else, and to surrender ourselves in dedication to fulfilling His will, just as Our Lady did. Our Lady was able to follow God's will entirely because she loved God with all her heart, soul, and strength and listened to His word through prayer. Now, Our Lady calls us to follow her example and listen to the words that God gives us through her.
Be joyful carriers of peace and love in this peaceless world. I am with you and I bless you all with my Son Jesus, the King of Peace. Thank you for having responded to my call.
With the phrase "in this world where there is no peace," Our Lady starkly reveals the state of the world we live in today. The lack of peace in the world implies that the hearts and homes of the people in this world also lack peace. Our Lady does not merely lament the absence of peace but calls us to be instruments of peace. Even if we think our contribution is small, Our Lady has called us to be apostles of peace. In response to her call, we must strive to be joyful bearers of peace and love in this world where there is no peace.
To become apostles who joyfully spread peace and love, we must first have Jesus, the source of peace and love, with us, and we must be with Him. We cannot give others what we do not have ourselves. If we do not have Jesus with us, if we do not have peace and love in our hearts, how can we become people who bring peace and love to others? Like Our Lady, who carried the infant Jesus in her womb and visited Elizabeth, we must carry Jesus, the King of Peace and Love, in our hearts as we meet everyone. Only then can we become people who joyfully spread peace and love. We must first sow peace in our hearts and homes and practice love in our actions. We should look at everyone we meet with love and wish peace upon them.
Our Lady, the Queen of Peace, has said that she blesses us all together with her Son, the King of Peace. Through this blessing, the peace of Jesus and the love of Our Lady remain with us always and are passed on to our neighbors through us. Let us share the blessings given to us with others. In our words or hearts, let us pray for blessings on everyone we see and for the hearts and homes of all people in the world during our prayers. Then the words that God spoke to Abraham will also be fulfilled in us: “I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you; I will make your name great, so that you will be a blessing” (Gn 12:2).
Lord, let carrying You within me be my greatest joy. You alone are my salvation and my everything. Help me to be a person of constant prayer, like Our Lady, so that I may always be aware of Your presence with me. Let me pray until prayer becomes my joy.
Our Lady, I thank you for calling me to be your apostle of peace and love. In response to your call, I will first sow peace and love in my heart. Through my words and actions, I will strive to be a person who joyfully spreads peace and love to my family and neighbors. I sincerely thank you and Jesus for your blessing.
May 25, 2008
"Dear children! In this time of grace, when God has permitted me to be with you, little children, I call you anew to conversion. Work on the salvation of the world in a special way while I am with you. God is merciful and gives special graces, therefore, seek them through prayer. I am with you and do not leave you alone. Thank you for having responded to my call."
Dear children! In this time of grace, when God has permitted me to be with you, little children, I call you anew to conversion.
Our Lady calls us her beloved children, her little children. Through this simple and short title, she clearly reveals her relationship with us. Our Lady is our mother, and we are her children. All people in the world, regardless of race or religion, are her children. Our Lady calls out to all people, "Dear children! Little children." She is a mother who loves us all. Even though not everyone accepts or feels her love, Our Lady loves everyone equally, even those who reject and persecute her. No child is excluded from a mother's love. She also calls us her little children. We are her sons and daughters. Although we may be adults in body, spiritually, we are still little children who need the help and care of our heavenly spiritual mother, Our Lady. Despite the various signs of the times, we, like blind people, often fail to recognize their significance, and as humanity continues to rush toward danger and destruction, the presence and guidance of Our Lady is a great grace. We should sincerely thank God that within our Church, we have our true mother, Our Lady, and that God continues to send our heavenly mother to be with us. God has sent Our Lady to be with us for our repentance and salvation. Our Lady desires that all of us repent and be saved. Thus, she says, “Dear children! In this time of grace, when God has permitted me to be with you, little children, I call you anew to conversion.”
Work on the salvation of the world in a special way while I am with you. God is merciful and gives special graces, therefore, seek them through prayer.
We often tend to focus on and pray for the well-being and salvation of ourselves and our families. To us, Our Lady says to strive for the salvation of the world. The person who goes beyond the salvation of themselves and their family to strive for the salvation of all people in the world reflects the image of God and Our Lady. God became man and came into this world to save humanity, giving His life on the cross. Our Lady also obeyed to the point of sacrificing her life for this to be fulfilled. When Our Lady says to strive for the salvation of the world in a special way, what special ways could she mean? There are two ways that may seem ordinary but are truly special: prayer and example. We must pray that God's mercy and grace be with all people in the world, and we must be people who show His mercy and grace to others through our actions. Regarding this, Jesus said, "Love your enemies, and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be children of your heavenly Father, for he makes his sun rise on the bad and the good, and causes rain to fall on the just and the unjust. For if you love those who love you, what recompense will you have? Do not the tax collectors do the same? And if you greet your brothers only, what is unusual about that? Do not the pagans do the same? So be perfect, just as your heavenly Father is perfect" (Mt 5:44-48).
I am with you and do not leave you alone. Thank you for having responded to my call.
Our Lady, as our true mother, is always with us and does not leave us in danger. Her words that she is with us truly strengthen our hearts. We are not abandoned like orphans; we are her precious children, protected in her embrace and under her mantle.
April 25, 2008
"Dear children! Also today, I call all of you to grow in God's love as a flower which feels the warm rays of spring. In this way, also you, little children, grow in God's love and carry it to all those who are far from God. Seek God's will and do good to those whom God has put on your way, and be light and joy. Thank you for having responded to my call."
Dear children! Also today, I call all of you to grow in God's love as a flower which feels the warm rays of spring.
Seeing the new leaves sprouting and flowers blooming on trees that had shed all their leaves during winter filled me with admiration. This is because I could strongly feel the greatness of the warm spring air given by our Creator God. As I meditated on how not only trees but also small wildflowers and grass cannot grow or sustain life without surrendering themselves to the life-giving warmth of God, I resolved to completely entrust myself to our Creator, the Giver of Life. The Psalmist says, “Unless the Lord build the house, they labor in vain who build” (Ps 127:1). Indeed, without the Lord, we can do nothing. Our Lady, by using the expression "as a flower which feels the warm rays of spring," wishes for us to become beings who rely entirely on God's strength rather than our own. She also desires that, by emptying ourselves to receive God's strength and energy, our hearts be filled with God's love. Human beings, created in the image of God, are beings made to love. Without the life-giving love of God, we cannot sustain life within ourselves or grow. What truly brings us to life and continuously allows us to grow is the boundless love of God. God, who is love, created all creation and humankind with His love. And whether we recognize it or not, that love remains the driving force that continues to give life and growth to all creation and humankind. God’s love is the nourishment for our life and growth.
In this way, also you, little children, grow in God's love and carry it to all those who are far from God.
God's love is one that gives everything, sacrifices, and forgives. The spring flowers that bloom with the energy of God’s love delight our eyes and evoke a sense of beauty. In the same way, those who grow in God’s love and blossom into beautiful souls, practicing the selfless love of God, enable others to experience the beauty of God's love through their example. God's love is a love that must be passed on. Jesus said, "Love one another. As I have loved you, so you also should love one another. This is how all will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another” (Jn 13:34-35). When we carry within us the self-giving love of God that brings life and put it into practice, people will experience God's love through us. If we do not have God's love in our hearts, we cannot practice or reveal God’s love to others. This is why Our Lady says, “In this way, also you, little children, grow in God's love and carry it to all those who are far from God." We cannot give what we do not possess.
Seek God's will and do good to those whom God has put on your way, and be light and joy. Thank you for having responded to my call.
After calling us to grow in God’s love, Our Lady further encourages us to seek God’s will. Those who grow in God’s love and deeply experience that love cannot help but seek God's will. This is because they have realized that only God can bring about goodness in all things. Our Mother, the Blessed Virgin Mary, sought God’s will first, saying, "Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord. May it be done to me according to your word" (Lk 1:38). Our Lord Jesus, too, sought the Father’s will over His own, saying, “Father, if you are willing, take this cup away from me; still, not my will but yours be done" (Lk 22:42), and He accepted death on the cross to fulfill that will.
To seek and live according to God’s will, two conditions are necessary: prayer and sacrifice. When the Blessed Virgin Mary received the Annunciation, she was deeply immersed in prayer. Jesus, too, prayed fervently in the Garden of Gethsemane. Both found God’s will in prayer and entrusted themselves to it. The will of God that they accepted could only be fulfilled through self-sacrifice. Only those who are willing to endure suffering, persecution, labor, and sacrifice can truly fulfill God’s will.
Our Lady tells us to do good to those whom God has placed in our lives. The people we encounter directly or indirectly in life are incredibly diverse. Some may show us love and kindness, while others may hate, oppose, betray, hurt, or harm us. Sometimes, we may even face severe attacks and persecution. Our Lady’s teaching that we must do good even to such people naturally reminds us of Jesus’ words: "Love your enemies, and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be children of your heavenly Father, for he makes his sun rise on the bad and the good, and causes rain to fall on the just and the unjust. For if you love those who love you, what recompense will you have? Do not the tax collectors do the same? And if you greet your brothers only, what is unusual about that? Do not the pagans do the same? So be perfect, just as your heavenly Father is perfect" (Mt 5:44-48).
Our Lady calls us to be light and joy. If we do not have God, who is the light and the true source of joy, dwelling within us, how can we be light and joy? Those who grow in God’s love, seek His will, and do good to all can always have God within them, and such a person can bring light and joy to others. Jesus said, "You are the light of the world. A city set on a mountain cannot be hidden. Nor do they light a lamp and then put it under a bushel basket; it is set on a lampstand, where it gives light to all in the house. Just so, your light must shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your heavenly Father" (Mt 5:14-16). Jesus desires that we not be people who curse the darkness while doing nothing but rather be those who light even a single candle in the midst of the darkness.
March 25, 2008
"Dear children! I call you to work on your personal conversion. You are still far from meeting with God in your heart. Therefore, spend all the more time in prayer and Adoration of Jesus in the Most Blessed Sacrament of the Altar, for Him to change you and to put into your hearts a living faith and a desire for eternal life. Everything is passing, little children, only God is not passing. I am with you and I encourage you with love. Thank you for having responded to my call."
Dear children! I call you to work on your personal conversion. You are still far from meeting with God in your heart.
On Ash Wednesday, we began Lent by receiving ashes on our foreheads and hearing the priest say, "Repent and believe in the Gospel." Now, we are rejoicing in the Resurrection of Jesus. However, on the second day of the Octave of Easter, Our Lady once again invites us to repentance. This call to strive for our own conversion, even as we celebrate the Resurrection, seems to bring us back to the morning of Easter. According to the scriptures, on the day after the Sabbath, Mary Magdalene and other women went to the tomb of Jesus. They found the tomb empty and heard the news of Jesus' resurrection from two angels. They then brought this news to the apostles, but the apostles considered their words nonsense and did not believe them (cf. Lk 24:9-12). Even when the apostles saw the risen Jesus and worshipped Him, some of them still doubted (cf. Mt 28:17). The fact that disbelief and doubt remained among the apostles, who heard the news of Jesus’ resurrection and saw Him with their own eyes, suggests that the journey of conversion is not completed in an instant.
Our conversion is not accomplished through a single confession. As long as we do not truly seek to meet God with a heart full of love for Him and place Him first in our lives and hearts, our conversion must continue. The journey of our conversion is a daily process that lasts a lifetime.
Therefore, spend all the more time in prayer and Adoration of Jesus in the Most Blessed Sacrament of the Altar, for Him to change you and to put into your hearts a living faith and a desire for eternal life.
We are weak beings, unable to transform ourselves by our own strength. The Apostle Paul also confessed his weakness as follows: “What I do, I do not understand. For I do not do what I want, but I do what I hate... Miserable one that I am! Who will deliver me from this mortal body?” (Rom 7:15,24). Who can save us from our weakness and wretchedness? It is Jesus (cf. Rom 7:25). That is why Our Lady invites us to spend more time in prayer, go to the altar, and honor Jesus, who is alive in the Blessed Sacrament, and stay with Him. Prayer is the act of entrusting everything to Jesus. When we pray, Jesus enters our hearts, drives out all the darkness in every corner of our hearts, and instills in us a living faith. He also kindles in us a longing for eternal life.
The risen Jesus lives among us, especially in the Blessed Sacrament. To remain in prayer before Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament is our declaration of love. If we love someone, we want to meet them, spend time with them, and confess our love to them from the heart. If we love Jesus, we must go before the Blessed Sacrament. We must turn our steps toward His house, the church, and spend more time with Him than we have so far.
At the Last Supper on Holy Thursday, before predicting Peter’s denial, Jesus said to him, “Simon, Simon, behold Satan has demanded to sift all of you like wheat, but I have prayed that your own faith may not fail; and once you have turned back, you must strengthen your brothers” (Lk 22:31-32). Jesus sees our weaknesses clearly and desires to instill in us a living faith. Let us go before the Blessed Sacrament, earnestly appeal for our weaknesses, and pray for Him to transform us, instill in our hearts a living faith, and awaken in us a longing for eternal life.
Everything is passing, little children, only God is not passing. I am with you and I encourage you with love. Thank you for having responded to my call.
Our Lady asks us to pray more so that Jesus may instill in our hearts a longing for eternal life. When we pray, we realize that what we truly need in our lives is God alone. When we look back on the time we spent longing for and pursuing the things we so humanly desired, we find that there is nothing substantial to hold onto. It all feels like a fleeting dream. As Our Lady says, everything in this world is passing away. Only God remains unchanged. Now and in all future times, what we need is only God. In this context, it is helpful to deeply meditate on the following Gospel passage, which Our Lady has requested us to read every Thursday before the Blessed Sacrament:
“Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds in the sky; they do not sow or reap, they gather nothing into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are not you more important than they? Can any of you by worrying add a single moment to your life-span? Why are you anxious about clothes? Learn from the way the wild flowers grow. They do not work or spin. But I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was clothed like one of them. If God so clothes the grass of the field, which grows today and is thrown into the oven tomorrow, will he not much more provide for you, O you of little faith? So do not worry and say, ‘What are we to eat?’ or ‘What are we to drink?’ or ‘What are we to wear?’ All these things the pagans seek. Your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. But seek first the kingdom [of God] and his righteousness, and all these things will be given you besides. Do not worry about tomorrow; tomorrow will take care of itself. Sufficient for a day is its own evil” (Mt 6:25-34).
