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Fr. Stephen Shin’s Reflections on the Messages
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December 25, 2009
"Dear children! On this joyful day, I bring all of you before my Son, the King of Peace, that He may give you His peace and blessing. Little children, in love share that peace and blessing with others. Thank you for having responded to my call."

Dear children! On this joyful day, I bring all of you before my Son, the King of Peace, that He may give you His peace and blessing. 

Today, the day of the birth of our Lord Jesus, is indeed a joyful day. God has come to be with us, taking on human form, to save us. Today, the Lord of life has come as a small baby to give us eternal life, fulfilling God's ancient promise. In Genesis 3:15, God spoke to the serpent, who had tempted Adam and Eve into committing the original sin, saying, “I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; They will strike at your head, while you strike at their heel." At the very moment that the first humans fell into original sin, bringing death and suffering into the world, God promised a Savior who would come through a woman, and that promise was fulfilled in the conception and birth of Jesus through the Virgin Mary. What could be more joyful than the arrival of the one who will crush the serpent's head, defeat Satan, and bring salvation and eternal life to humanity?
      Our Lady has given us Jesus, the King of Peace. She desires to lead us all before Him so that we may receive the peace and blessings He offers. The peace and blessings that Jesus, who has become human, bestows upon us cannot be found anywhere in the world, nor can they be bought with anything of this world. To receive the peace and blessings of Jesus, we must fully entrust ourselves to the guidance of Our Lady. Just as a baby entrusts everything to its mother's care, we too must become like little children and trust Our Lady completely. Just as earthly mothers seek to give the best to their children, so does Our true Mother, our spiritual Mother, Our Lady, wish to give us the very best—Jesus' peace and blessings. On this Christmas, we must become little children, nestled in Our Lady's arms, just as the infant Jesus was cradled by her. Then, Our Lady will present us all to Jesus, allowing us to receive His peace and blessings.

Little children, in love share that peace and blessing with others. Thank you for having responded to my call.

While Our Lady often calls us "dear children," she also frequently uses the term "little children," which is particularly fitting on this Christmas. We are much smaller than we might think; in fact, we need to become small—we need to become little children. To fully entrust ourselves to the care of Our Lady and allow her to lead us before Jesus, the King of Peace, we must become little children.
      In Genesis 12, God calls Abraham to leave his country, his relatives, and his father's house, and go to the land that He will show him, saying, "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. I will bless those who bless you and curse those who curse you. All the families of the earth will find blessing in you" (verses 2-3). Just as God blessed Abraham first to bless all the peoples of the earth through him, Our Lady calls us to share the peace and blessings we receive from Jesus with others through love. The peace and blessings from heaven are not only for ourselves but for everyone, and we must share them with others. Only through love can we share them, which is why Our Lady says, "Little children, in love share that peace and blessing with others."

King of Peace, Jesus, I know that nothing in this world can buy or earn the peace and blessings that You give. Please grant us Your peace and blessings. I fully entrust myself to Our Lady, whom You have sent into this world to lead us to You, so that, through her, I may reach You in the most perfect and swift way.

Queen of Peace, Our Lady, today I wish to become a little child, cradled in Your arms, and led by Your hand to Jesus to receive His peace and blessings. I entrust everything to Your hands; please take me to Jesus. Mother, everything I have is Yours.
   
 
 
November 25, 2009
"Dear children! In this time of grace I call you all to renew prayer in your families. Prepare yourselves with joy for the coming of Jesus. Little children, may your hearts be pure and pleasing, so that love and warmth may flow through you into every heart that is far from His love. Little children, be my extended hands, hands of love for all those who have become lost, who have no more faith and hope. Thank you for having responded to my call."

Dear children! In this time of grace I call you all to renew prayer in your families. Prepare yourselves with joy for the coming of Jesus. 

Through past messages, Our Lady has frequently reminded us to "pray daily, with your heart, and together." She has also said, "Prayer groups are powerful; form prayer groups and pray together, and your family itself should become a small prayer group."
      We refer to the members of our family as "household members", which literally means "those who eat together." Family members share not only physical food but also emotional nourishment—love and warmth—that support each other's lives. But if we are truly family, we should also share spiritual food. How can family members share spiritual nourishment together? By "praying together." When family members attend Sunday Mass together, gather daily to pray the Rosary, read and meditate on the Bible, and share their lives and faith in light of it, that family cannot help but transform into a holy family. They will experience true peace by loving and forgiving each other not only with human love but also with God's love. As we begin this season of grace, Advent, let us renew our family prayer so that Jesus may be born in our homes, as He was born into the Holy Family with Mary and St. Joseph.
      When we anticipate meeting someone we love, our hearts naturally become excited, and we start thinking about how to make that person happy. Our Lady invites us to joyfully prepare ourselves to meet Jesus, who comes to us. How can we prepare ourselves? There are three ways. First, we need to cultivate a deeper love for Him. We should examine how much we love Jesus and strive to increase that love until it surpasses all other loves. It might help to say a prayer of love frequently, such as, "Jesus, I love you. You know how much I love you, don't you?" Second, we should spend more time conversing with Him—praying. We need to read the Bible to hear His words and spend time in Eucharistic adoration and praying the Rosary with Mary, gazing upon His face. Finally, we must reform any parts of our lives that are not pleasing to Jesus and live according to the teachings of the Bible and the Church.

Little children, may your hearts be pure and pleasing, so that love and warmth may flow through you into every heart that is far from His love. 

In John 1:47, Jesus sees Nathanael coming toward Him and says, ”Here is a true Israelite. There is no duplicity in him." Jesus can see right into the depths of every person's heart. To have a truly pure heart, as Our Lady asks, means to be without deceit before the Lord. However, this doesn't mean being without sin or imperfection. A pure heart is one that is repentant, seeking forgiveness, humble, desiring only God, and filled with love.
      The Apostle Paul says, "Rejoice always" (1 Thes 5:16). Someone who has experienced the love of Jesus cannot help but rejoice. And this joy, which flows from the depths of the heart, naturally manifests itself in our actions and expressions. We must be ambassadors of Jesus' love and the joy that comes from it. This is why Our Lady says, "Dear children, make your hearts pure and joyful, so that love and warmth may flow into the hearts of all who are distant from His love through you."

Little children, be my extended hands, hands of love for all those who have become lost, who have no more faith and hope. Thank you for having responded to my call.

Our Lady desires for us to participate in God's plan for the salvation of humanity. She has said, "I cannot do anything without your help." In this month's message, she once again asks for our assistance: "Little children, be my extended hands, hands of love for all those who have become lost, who have no more faith and hope." Just as the prophet Isaiah responded to God's call in Isaiah 6, saying, "Here am I; send me!" when God asked, "Whom shall I send? Who will go for us?" we, too, should respond with joy, saying, "Our Lady, here I am! I want to be your hands, so use me as you will." What could be more precious than being invited to participate in God's plan for the salvation of humanity through Our Lady? Let us respond with a wholehearted "Yes," just as Our Lady did.
   
 
 
October 25, 2009
"Dear children! Also today I bring you my blessing, I bless you all and I call you to grow on this way, which God has begun through me for your salvation. Pray, fast and joyfully witness your faith, little children, and may your heart always be filled with prayer. Thank you for having responded to my call."

Dear children! Also today I bring you my blessing, I bless you all and I call you to grow on this way, which God has begun through me for your salvation. 

When Mass ends on Sundays and I greet the congregation as they leave, I often place my hand on the heads of the children to bless them. Both the children and their parents appreciate it, as they feel they have received God’s blessing through the priest’s blessing. In this month’s message, Our Lady tells us that she brings us her blessing and that she blesses us all. Although this may seem like a repeated message, the fact that she emphasizes it twice in succession shows how much she desires to share her blessing with us.
      Our Lady is full of grace, having received it abundantly from God. But this grace does not remain with her alone. As our Mother, it is in her nature to want to share it generously with her children. No one is excluded from her blessing. When she says, "I bless you all," she is embracing all people, her children, without exception. There are no conditions to receiving her blessing. We only need to humbly bow our heads before her and gratefully accept her blessing, just like a trusting child.
       So, what is the ultimate purpose of the blessing Our Lady gives us? It is our salvation. Our Lady blesses and encourages us so that we may run the race to attain the gift of salvation from God, growing spiritually along the way. She teaches us the path we should take to achieve this.

Pray, fast and joyfully witness your faith, little children, and may your heart always be filled with prayer. Thank you for having responded to my call.

Prayer and fasting are like the twin engines that drive us toward salvation. Prayer directs our soul more toward God, while fasting teaches us to control our physical desires, helping us to become truly spiritual beings who are fully obedient to God's will rather than our own.
      Before His Ascension, Jesus gave the eleven disciples the following command: "Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, until the end of the age” (Mt 28:19-20). With these words, Jesus gave the Church its mission to evangelize. Every member of the Church is called to participate in this mission. How can we effectively fulfill this mission? Through the joyful witness of our faith.
      The Apostle James says, So also faith of itself, if it does not have works, is dead" (Jas 2:17). Just as the body without the spirit is dead, so is faith without works. Our faith must be active and supported by our actions. Our Lady tells us to joyfully witness to our faith. To witness our faith with joy, our hearts must always be filled with prayer. Without prayer, there is no room in our hearts for joy or faith to take root.

Jesus, at the end of each Mass, you bless us through the priest in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Even after transforming our hearts with your Word and giving us life through the Eucharist, you still bless us at the last moment. We thank you sincerely for this. Jesus, even though we live every day within the greatness of your blessing, we often forget to thank you and forget that you are the source of all blessings. Please forgive us for this.

Our Lady, we are deeply grateful that you share the grace you received from God the Father with us. Please continue to guide us in understanding God's will for our salvation, praying, fasting, and joyfully witnessing to our faith. Lead us always, so that we may respond to your call with all our hearts.
   
 
 
September 25, 2009
"Dear children, with joy, persistently work on your conversion. Offer all your joys and sorrows to my Immaculate Heart that I may lead you all to my most beloved Son, so that you may find joy in His Heart. I am with you to instruct you and to lead you towards eternity... Thank you for having responded to my call."

Dear children, with joy, persistently work on your conversion. 

In last month’s message, Our Lady urged us to “pray, pray, pray, and work on your personal conversion.” In this month’s message, she continues to emphasize the same theme, calling us once again to diligently work on our conversion. The reason for this repetition is simple: despite our efforts over the past month, there are still areas in our lives that require conversion.
      In last month’s message, Our Lady highlighted the essential role of prayer in our conversion. This month, she teaches us about two important attitudes that we must not overlook as we continue on our journey of conversion: joy and perseverance. Our Lady tells us, “With joy, persistently work on your conversion.” Even though we may not yet have achieved complete conversion, we still have reason to be joyful. We can find joy in the progress we have made, and in the knowledge that Jesus is pleased with our efforts to turn our hearts toward Him.
      Imagine a baby just learning to walk. The parents stand with arms open, encouraging their child to come to them. The baby, wobbling and unsteady, takes a few steps toward the parents. This small accomplishment brings great joy and confidence to the child. For the parents, the sight of their child taking those first steps, however shaky, fills them with pride and happiness. No parent would scold the baby for stumbling because they understand that the child’s legs are still weak and their sense of balance is still developing.
      Our ultimate goal in conversion is to draw closer to God, who gives us salvation, peace, and eternal life. We must not be discouraged if we stumble and fall on this path due to our weaknesses. Instead, we should be grateful for the progress we’ve made and continue to strive toward God, rejoicing in the knowledge that Our Lady and Jesus watch over us with love and encouragement. Jesus said, “Those who are well do not need a physician, but the sick do. Go and learn the meaning of the words, ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice.’* I did not come to call the righteous but sinners” (Mt 9:12-13).

Offer all your joys and sorrows to my Immaculate Heart that I may lead you all to my most beloved Son, so that you may find joy in His Heart. 

Some people question the credibility of the Medjugorje apparitions because they have continued for such a long time. However, should we not take them more seriously precisely because they have persisted for 28 years and 3 months? Shouldn’t we reflect deeply on why Our Lady has been coming to this world and to humanity through the Medjugorje visionaries for so long? If all of us had completely converted and placed Jesus at the center of our lives, there would be no need for Our Lady to appear daily. But Our Lady continues to come to this earth to lead all of us—indeed, all humanity—to Jesus, who is our true peace.
      In this month’s message, Our Lady asks us to offer all our joys and sorrows to her Immaculate Heart so that she can lead us to Jesus. Her Immaculate Heart is fully united with the Sacred Heart of Jesus and is filled with love for God and for all her children, as expressed in her Magnificat. When we offer our joys and sorrows to her Immaculate Heart, we entrust our entire lives to her, and she will lead us to the Sacred Heart of Jesus. 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).

I am with you and am leading you towards eternity, for which every heart must yearn. Thank you for having responded to my call.

Recently, the world has been gripped with fear over swine flu, now known as H1N1. While driving last Thursday, I heard the Governor of Pennsylvania repeatedly broadcast a message advising people with flu symptoms to cover their mouths when coughing, wash their hands frequently, and stay home as much as possible. This was a serious situation, and the government took steps to educate the public.
      At the beginning of the Medjugorje apparitions, Our Lady introduced herself as the "Queen of Peace" and said, “I have come to tell you that God exists. There should be peace between God and man, and between all people. Peace, peace, only peace!” Our Lady came to this earth to teach those who had forgotten God and lost their peace how to find the path that leads to the God of peace. She has given countless messages with specific teachings, and she continues to do so. However, there is nothing new in her teachings. They are things we already know from the Bible and the teachings of the Church. The central themes of her messages—prayer, conversion, faith, penance, and peace—are not new to us. So why does Our Lady repeat what we already know? It’s because, while we know these things in our minds, we do not live them. Or perhaps our minds have wandered far from God, and we no longer even know these things. This is why God has sent Our Lady to be our teacher in these times.
      This is the age of the Holy Spirit, and since Mary is the Spouse of the Holy Spirit, it is also the age of Mary. The Holy Spirit is working through Our Lady. Let us reflect on the following words of Jesus to understand why the Triune God—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit—has sent Our Lady to us as our teacher: “Whoever loves me will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our dwelling with him. Whoever does not love me does not keep my words; yet the word you hear is not mine but that of the Father who sent me. “I have told you this while I am with you. The Advocate, the holy Spirit that the Father will send in my name—he will teach you everything and remind you of all that [I] told you” (Jn 14:23-26).

Jesus, I sincerely thank you for the grace of leading me to conversion every day through your mother, Mary, without losing joy and perseverance. Jesus, I offer all my joys and sorrows through the Immaculate Heart of Mary, so that they may be transformed into joy in the Sacred Heart of your love. I know well that my true joy comes only from you and that all my sorrows can only be overcome through your comfort and strength. Jesus, I offer my entire life to you through Our Lady, so please accept it.

Our Lady, you carried God, Jesus, within your body and were always with Him, both in body and soul. Through this, you personally experienced the true joy that humans can have. Our Lady, you also experienced the sorrow and pain of seeing your Son, your God, suffer and die on the cross, as prophesied by Simeon. Therefore, I fully trust you and offer all my joys and sorrows to your Immaculate Heart. Mother, please teach me continually so that I may find joy only in the Sacred Heart of Jesus through your heart, and that I may accept Jesus as my true Savior. Amen.
   
 
 
August 25, 2009
"Dear children! Today I call you anew to conversion. Little children, you are not holy enough and you do not radiate holiness to others, therefore pray, pray, pray and work on your personal conversion, so that you may be a sign of God's love to others. I am with you and am leading you towards eternity, for which every heart must yearn. Thank you for having responded to my call."

Dear children! Today I call you anew to conversion. Little children, you are not holy enough and you do not radiate holiness to others. 

In this month’s message, Our Lady once again calls us to conversion because our conversion is not yet complete. Our conversion is directly related to our sanctification, that is, our holiness. Complete conversion makes us truly holy people. A person who has converted offers their entire body, mind, soul, and spirit to God, drawing closer to Him and naturally being clothed in His holiness. Our Lady acknowledges that we are striving for holiness. That is why she does not say, "You are not holy," but rather, "Your holiness is still weak." Our Lady also desires that our holiness be transmitted to others, not just through words but through our holy appearance and way of life. In other words, our holiness should naturally radiate from us to others. St. Paul says, “For we are the aroma of Christ for God among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing." (2 Cor 2:15) Through our holiness, we must lead others to holiness, and we must gently but firmly challenge everyone to walk the path of conversion and holiness. St. Paul continues, "To the latter an odor of death that leads to death, to the former an odor of life that leads to life. Who is qualified for this?" (2 Cor 2:16). Ultimately, our journey toward holiness affects not only our salvation but also the salvation of others. It is a profound mission that Our Lady entrusts to us, urging us to truly convert and become holy. We cannot give what we do not have, and if our holiness is mediocre, it will not deeply inspire others. Therefore, we must strive even more for holiness.

Therefore pray, pray, pray and work on your personal conversion, so that you may be a sign of God's love to others. 

Prayer allows us to see our true selves before God. It helps us recognize that God lives within us and that we are made in His image. Prayer also enables us to deeply examine and repent for the sinful aspects of ourselves that we may not want to acknowledge. It reveals the vastness of God’s love and forgiveness. Therefore, genuine conversion must be accompanied by prayer—prayer that is full of dedication and heart. This is why Our Lady emphasizes, "Pray, pray, pray."
      Many Christians make great efforts to practice love toward their neighbors, which is commendable. However, if these efforts do not begin with prayer or if they are not rooted in prayer, they will not last long, and one may become easily fatigued and fall into activism. In prayer, we feel God’s love pouring into us, transforming our hearts toward conversion and directing us toward our neighbors. Just as water overflows when it is filled to the brim, when our hearts are filled and overflow with God’s love, we naturally reach out to others. That is why Our Lady says, "Pray, pray, pray and work on your personal conversion, so that you may be a sign of God's love to others."

I am with you and am leading you towards eternity, for which every heart must yearn. Thank you for having responded to my call. 

Our Lady often reminds us that she is with us. One way to feel her presence more closely is to place a statue, image, or holy card of Our Lady in our homes, in each room, in our cars, or on our work desks. Even using a beautiful image of Our Lady of Medjugorje as a computer wallpaper can help. We often carry or display photos of people who are precious to us as a reminder of their presence. If Our Lady is the most precious to us, should we not do the same?
      During Mass, we hear the priest conclude many prayers with "forever and ever," which reminds us that the Lord lives and reigns forever. This truth means that we too must live with the Lord forever. Our earthly life does not end here; it continues into eternity. Therefore, living forever with the eternal Lord should be our greatest goal. Our Lady tells us that she is leading us toward eternity, which every heart longs for. She guides us to trust completely in the eternal Lord. Let us place our hands in hers, giving her our hearts, and ask her to continually lead us to the eternal Lord.

Jesus, grant us the grace to pray, pray, and pray again so that we may truly convert. May we become holy as our Heavenly Father is holy. Jesus, we desire to live holy lives like the saints who have gone before us. Help us to lead others to walk the path of holiness as well.

Our Lady, before we look at the faults or sins of others, help us first to examine ourselves and work on our personal conversion. Through your intercession, help us to convert before others do. Our Lady, I give you my hand. Please take it and lead me to the eternal Lord.
   
 
 
July 25, 2009
"Dear children! May this time be a time of prayer for you. Thank you for having responded to my call."

This month’s message from Our Lady is remarkably short. However, although the message is brief, it is filled with our Mother’s love for each of us more than ever before. The relationship we have as children of Our Lady is established by the blood of Jesus and is an incredibly precious bond that lasts not only in this world but also beyond death, for all eternity. As always, Our Lady begins her message this month with the words, "Dear children!" Although we hear this greeting often and might pass over it quickly, the meaning contained within these words is profoundly deep. Our Lady calls all of humanity her beloved children. She calls everyone her beloved child, transcending race, nationality, religion, age, and gender. No one is excluded from Our Lady’s love for all humanity. Even those who are in sin, those far from her, and even those who reject her or do not know her are still regarded by Our Lady as her beloved sons and daughters. The fact that Our Lady, the Mother of God, the Mother of the Savior of the world, and our Lord Jesus Christ, loves us and calls us her children is a tremendous privilege and joy. Even though we may sometimes take it for granted because we hear it so often, let us pause to give thanks from the heart to Our Mother Mary, who loves us as we are, by starting this month’s message with "Dear children." To feel her love more personally, we can try replacing the word "children" with our own name and imagine hearing Our Lady calling us by name with a gentle and affectionate voice, saying, "My dear [your name]."
      Our loving Mother then tells us, “May this time be a time of prayer for you.” At first glance, praying for ourselves might seem selfish, especially when we usually pray for our family, neighbors, Church, or the world. However, we need to spend a lot of time praying for ourselves. By praying for ourselves, we can love God more deeply, draw closer to Him, convert, become holy, and experience His love and peace within us. If we do not hold onto holiness, God’s love, and His peace within ourselves, how can we share these with our family, neighbors, and all the people around us? By saying, "May this time be a time of prayer for you." Our Lady invites us to first focus on our own transformation before seeking the change of others.
      How, then, can we make this time a time of prayer for ourselves? We usually make plans and follow them to achieve good results in any endeavor. Similarly, we should set a specific daily prayer plan to make this time a time of prayer for ourselves. We should decide on a time, place, type of prayer, and how we will pray, and then follow this plan consistently every day. When we faithfully pray from the heart according to this plan, it will lead to great spiritual benefits.
      Our loving Mother Mary has given us concrete guidance on how to live this month. Now, it is our turn to respond to her call by putting her words into action. Let us strive to make this time truly a time of prayer for ourselves, drawing strength from Our Lady’s encouragement as she says, "Thank you for having responded to my call."
   
 
 
June 25, 2009
"Dear children! Rejoice with me, convert in joy and give thanks to God for the gift of my presence among you. Pray that, in your hearts, God may be in the center of your life and with your life witness, little children, so that every creature may feel God's love. Be my extended hands for every creature, so that it may draw closer to the God of love. I bless you with my motherly blessing. Thank you for having responded to my call."

Dear children! Rejoice with me, convert in joy and give thanks to God for the gift of my presence among you. 

Today marks the 28th anniversary of Our Lady's apparitions in Medjugorje. Although we celebrate the anniversary of the apparitions on June 25 each year, the actual first apparition of Our Lady occurred on June 24, 1981. On that day, Our Lady appeared without speaking, and it was on the following day, June 25, that she first spoke to the visionaries, promising to continue appearing to them. Thus, June 25 is commemorated as the anniversary of the apparitions of Our Lady of Medjugorje each year.
      The first day of Our Lady’s apparitions, June 24, 1981, coincides with the Solemnity of the Birth of St. John the Baptist according to the Church's liturgical calendar. Our Lady did not choose this date by chance but with a clear purpose. Just as the prophet John the Baptist prepared the way for the coming of Jesus, Our Lady chose this day to begin her apparitions in Medjugorje to prepare humanity for the return of Jesus. Just as John the Baptist called for repentance in the wilderness, Our Lady began giving messages of conversion in the small rural village of Medjugorje. Just as John led his disciples to Jesus, the Lamb of God, Our Lady has come to lead humanity to Jesus, who is present in the Eucharist. In this month’s message, Our Lady says, "Dear children! Rejoice with me, convert in joy and give thanks to God for the gift of my presence among you."
       The Gospel of Luke tells us that when Our Lady, who was carrying Jesus, visited her cousin Elizabeth, the child in Elizabeth’s womb, who was John the Baptist, leaped for joy. Even in his mother’s womb, John the Baptist rejoiced with Our Lady because he was in the presence of Jesus, whom Our Lady brought to him. John rejoiced at seeing the holy body of Jesus, present within Mary, the first tabernacle and sanctuary. Through the many apparitions since the 19th century, which culminated in Medjugorje, Our Lady continues to come to us today, bringing Jesus to us, just as she did to John the Baptist, and inviting us to look at Him with the eyes of faith and to rejoice with her.
      To rejoice with Our Lady, we must focus on the Jesus she brings to us, especially the Jesus who lives in the Word and in the Eucharist.
      Our Lady also invites us to conversion with joy. A person who truly converts not only gazes at Jesus from a distance but moves towards Him, seeks to be united with Him, and desires to be transformed into His likeness. The grace of God, which allows Our Lady to remain with us for so long, is granted for our conversion. Our Lady continually visits this world and delivers heavenly messages to awaken our souls, so we may convert and receive eternal life, salvation, and peace from Jesus. If we are truly grateful for the grace that God sends Our Lady to us, we should listen to the messages she brings us—God's word—and live according to it. This is how we can truly respond to the grace of Our Lady’s presence among us, which has been made possible by God, and ultimately, it is the path that leads us to peace and salvation.

Pray that, in your hearts, God may be in the center of your life and with your life witness, little children, so that every creature may feel God's love. Be my extended hands for every creature, so that it may draw closer to the God of love. I bless you with my motherly blessing. Thank you for having responded to my call.

Prayer is a conversation with God, a meeting with Him. Without prayer, we cannot encounter or experience God. Without prayer, we are more likely to follow our human desires than God’s will, and thus we cannot live a God-centered life. Without prayer, we place ourselves at the center of our lives instead of God. Therefore, Our Lady urges us to pray that God may be at the center of our lives and hearts.
      St. John Bosco, a father of youth ministry, once said, “Do not just speak to children about love; let them feel it.” Love is not just in words but in actions—it is something to be shown and felt. Our Lady tells us to "be witnesses through your lives so that all creation may feel God's love," emphasizing that our witness to God’s love should extend beyond people to all creation. The psalmist expresses God’s love for all creation in these words: “The Lord is good to all, compassionate toward all your works. All your works give you thanks, Lord and your faithful bless you… The eyes of all look hopefully to you; you give them their food in due season. You open wide your hand and satisfy the desire of every living thing” (Ps 145:9-10, 15-16). How great and deep must the love in our hearts be to bear witness to God’s love for all creation?
      There is a story about Saint Mother Teresa of Calcutta. When she brought food to a very poor woman, the woman immediately left her house and returned after a short while. Mother Teresa asked, "Where did you go?" The woman replied, "I went to the house next door. Like us, they have nothing to eat and were starving, so I shared the food you brought with them." A person who knows how to share the love they receive, who considers others’ suffering before their own, is truly someone who holds God’s love in their heart and bears witness to it through their life.
      God the Father, who is love itself, sent His only Son, Jesus, to us so that we could come closer to His love. As the Gospel of John says, "In this way the love of God was revealed to us: God sent his only Son into the world so that we might have life through him. In this is love: not that we have loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as expiation for our sins.” (1 Jn 4:9-10) Just as Jesus bore witness to God’s love by sacrificing His life, Our Lady desires that we, too, become true witnesses of God’s love in her name. By saying, "Extend your hands towards them in my name so that all creation may come closer to the God of love," Our Lady asks us to become instruments of God’s love, held in her hands. What a great joy and privilege it is to be able to work for our Mother, who is the Mother of the Creator and Queen of the Universe.

Jesus, we sincerely thank You for the grace of sending Our Lady, the Queen of Peace, to us. We know well that through Our Lady, You guide us on the path to salvation and peace, the path to You. Jesus, open our hearts completely to the heavenly teachings given through Your Mother, and lead us to find true joy through them, to repent in that joy.

Our Lady, thank you for always being with us, guiding and preparing us to place Jesus at the center of our lives. Help us not only to hear Your messages but also to inscribe them in our hearts and put them into practice in our daily lives so that we may respond to Your call.
   
 
 
May 25, 2009
"Dear children! In this time, I call you all to pray for the coming of the Holy Spirit upon every baptized creature, so that the Holy Spirit may renew you all and lead you on the way of witnessing your faith - you and all those who are far from God and His love. I am with you and intercede for you before the Most High. Thank you for having responded to my call."

Dear children! In this time, I call you all to pray for the coming of the Holy Spirit upon every baptized creature, so that the Holy Spirit may renew you all and lead you on the way of witnessing your faith - you and all those who are far from God and His love. I am with you and intercede for you before the Most High. Thank you for having responded to my call.

In this month’s message, Our Lady uses the unusual expression "every baptized creature." While she could have said "every baptized people," since only humans can receive baptism, Our Lady chose the term "baptized creatures." The more we meditate on this expression, the deeper its meaning becomes. It reminds us to reflect on the grace we have received, our current state, and the limitations inherent in our existence. We are precious beings created by God's hand. God the Father made us in His image and called us into His Church, washing away all our sins through the sacrament of baptism and making us His children, disciples of Jesus, and members of the Church. The grace and privilege we received through baptism is an invaluable gift, incomparable to anything in this world.
        However, on the other hand, we still commit sins and live in disbelief, thereby losing this grace and destroying the dignity that was elevated through baptism. Sometimes we forget that we are God's creatures and act as if we are capable of everything, behaving almost like gods ourselves. By using the term "baptized creatures," Our Lady encourages us to deeply reflect on the meaning of our baptism, reminding us that we are God's creatures and that God is our Creator. She also invites us to move beyond reflection and contemplation, calling all of us to pray for the coming of the Holy Spirit upon all baptized creatures.
     No matter how firmly we resolve to live righteously with a strong will, we are still weak creatures, prone to fall into sin and evil. St. Paul also expressed his weakness and tendency towards evil in the following words: “What I do, I do not understand. For I do not do what I want, but I do what I hate… So now it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells in me. For I know that good does not dwell in me, that is, in my flesh. The willing is ready at hand, but doing the good is not. For I do not do the good I want, but I do the evil I do not want. I do… Miserable one that I am! Who will deliver me from this mortal body?” (Rom 7:15, 17-19, 24). As St. Paul’s words reveal, we humans are exceedingly weak and cannot achieve true goodness or salvation by our own strength. To live righteously and be continually renewed, we need God’s power—indeed, we need God Himself. We need the Holy Spirit, the Advocate, who proceeds from the Father and the Son (cf. Jn 14:16). It is only when He comes to us that we can be protected from all evil and be made new.
       After Jesus' Ascension, Our Lady, together with the twelve apostles and other disciples, prayed in the upper room where the Last Supper took place, experiencing the coming of the Holy Spirit. She witnessed the apostles, empowered by the Holy Spirit, cast away their fears of persecution and death and boldly proclaim the Gospel. She saw firsthand how the apostles were renewed, relying not on their own strength but entirely on God’s power—on the Holy Spirit alone. This same Holy Spirit will renew all of us, as Our Lady tells us.
      According to the Gospel of Mark, when the eleven apostles (minus Judas, the betrayer) were sitting at the table, the risen Jesus appeared to them and rebuked them for their unbelief and hardness of heart because they did not believe those who had seen Him after He had risen (cf. Mk 16:14). Yet, even at the time of Jesus' Ascension, some apostles still doubted (cf. Mt 28:17). The apostles’ unbelief and hardness of heart were entirely removed through the descent of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit, who descended upon the apostles in the form of tongues of fire, removed all hardness from their hearts and filled them with faith. He then empowered them to boldly bear witness to their faith to all people. Through their faith-filled preaching and example, many accepted God’s love and salvation as revealed through Jesus (cf. Acts 2).
      To become true witnesses of faith, we must first possess a full measure of faith within ourselves. Such full faith, which enables us to endure all persecution and even death for the sake of Jesus, can only be given to us by the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit, who grants us this full measure of faith, will lead us to bear witness to our faith to all those who are far from God and His love, bringing them to eternal salvation.
       Jesus said, “And I tell you, ask and you will receive; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks, receives; and the one who seeks, finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened... If you then, who are wicked, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the Father in heaven give the holy Spirit to those who ask him?” (Lk 11:9-10, 13). Following Jesus’ words, let us ask God the Father to send the Holy Spirit upon all His baptized children.

Jesus, we thank You for sending Your Holy Spirit to the apostles who prayed with Mary, Your Mother, eagerly awaiting the Holy Spirit’s coming. Jesus, just as You promised, the Holy Spirit came and renewed the apostles and Your disciples, empowering them to boldly proclaim the Gospel with strong faith. Jesus, please send the Holy Spirit to us, Your disciples today. We long for our hearts and lives to be completely renewed by the power of Your Holy Spirit. Jesus, fill us with the Holy Spirit’s power so that, as Our Lady has said, we may bear witness to our faith to all those who are far from God and His love, helping them to find eternal salvation.

Mother Mary, Queen of the Apostles, we sincerely thank You for calling us to pray for the coming of the Holy Spirit upon all the baptized. We firmly believe that You were with the apostles, praying and interceding for the coming of the Holy Spirit. We are grateful that You are with us now, interceding for us before the Most High God. In response to your call, we unite our hearts wit Yours, praying for the coming of the Holy Spirit just as the apostles did. Come, Holy Spirit, come! Hear the powerful intercession of Mary, Your Immaculate Spouse, and come to us!
   
 
 
April 25, 2009
"Dear children! Today I call you all to pray for peace and to witness it in your families so that peace may become the highest treasure on this peaceless earth. I am your Queen of Peace and your mother. I desire to lead you on the way of peace, which comes only from God. Therefore, pray, pray, pray. Thank you for having responded to my call."

Dear children! Today I call you all to pray for peace and to witness it in your families so that peace may become the highest treasure on this peaceless earth. 

According to the Gospel of John, chapter 20, Jesus appeared among His disciples, who had locked the doors out of fear of the Jews, and twice said, "Peace be with you." This greeting continues to resonate through the voice of the priest at every Mass when he says, "Peace be with you." Yet, despite the Lord's ongoing invitation, peace remains scarce in this world. Judging from Our Lady's message, "on this peaceless earth," it seems that from Heaven's perspective, there is not just a lack of peace; there is no peace at all. Why is that? It's because while people deeply desire peace, they do not make the sincere effort needed to achieve it. Peace is a gift that only God can give, and the most crucial requirement for obtaining this peace is prayer. That is why Our Lady calls us to pray for peace. Peace is the fruit of prayer. Only those who pray can receive the gift of peace that God offers.
      The peace of this earth begins with "me." If I do not carry peace within my heart, I cannot share it with others, nor can I plant the seeds of peace in this world without peace. That is why we must first pray for our own peace. After that, we should pray for the people around us and for everyone in the world to long for God's peace and choose peace as the most precious treasure.
      Our Lady desires that we not only become people who pray for peace but also apostles who bear witness to peace, with our families being the first place where this testimony begins. The family is the most basic yet most essential unit of society. If our families are truly peaceful, that peace will extend to neighboring families, and the ripple effect will eventually reach all families around the world. How can we bear witness to peace in our families? It does not need to be anything grand. It can be as simple as looking at each other with loving eyes, greeting each other with warm smiles, offering words of comfort and encouragement, and being quick to cover and fill each other's shortcomings rather than criticizing them. A person who treats others with warmth and kindness outside the home but returns home with a frown, harsh words, and actions that hurt the hearts of family members is not a person who bears witness to peace. Our Lady says, "Today I call you all to pray for peace and to witness it in your families."

I am your Queen of Peace and your mother. I desire to lead you on the way of peace, which comes only from God. Therefore, pray, pray, pray. Thank you for having responded to my call.

Just before leaving this world, Jesus left us two great gifts. On Holy Thursday, He instituted the Eucharist for us, and on Good Friday, He gave us the Blessed Mother as our Mother. The Gospel of John, chapter 19, verses 26-27, recounts, When Jesus saw his mother and the disciple there whom he loved, he said to his mother, “Woman, behold, your son.” Then he said to the disciple, “Behold, your mother.” And from that hour the disciple took her into his home." Jesus made her the Mother of all people, and by declaring the disciple, who stood there representing all humanity, as her son, He entrusted all of humanity to her care. Yes, Jesus gave us the Blessed Mother as our Mother, and we are her children. Though we have our earthly mothers, the Blessed Mother is our true Mother. Whether we recognize her as our Mother or not, whether we accept her or not, everyone is her child, and she is the spiritual Mother of all. Jesus’ words, "Here is your mother," are a command. This command remains valid for us today. We must accept the Blessed Mother as our true Mother. Like the disciple John, we must take her into our homes. If we accept her as our Mother and bring her into our homes, she will lead us to Jesus in the safest and most direct way, and she will make our homes a dwelling place of God, where Jesus resides with us.
       On June 24, 1981, when Our Lady first appeared in Medjugorje, she introduced herself as the "Queen of Peace." This title not only signifies who she is but also clearly states the purpose of her appearances in Medjugorje. The Queen of Peace has come into this world to lead humanity to peace, to lead us to God, who is the source of peace, and even after 28 years and 10 months, she continues to teach and guide us with the same purpose. Her desire is singular: to lead us on the path of peace that comes only from God. And to guide us on this path, she still tirelessly speaks to us, saying, "Therefore, pray, pray, pray."

Jesus, I wish to pray to You using the words of St. Augustine. Jesus, my heart is restless until it rests in You. King of Peace, grant Your peace to my heart, which is without peace. I long to hear Your voice, the same voice that said, "Peace be with you," to the disciples who were filled with fear and dread. Source of Peace, only You can give me true peace. I open my heart to You in prayer so that I may receive the peace You give. Jesus, come into my heart and rule me with Your peace.

Queen of Peace, Our Lady, as You have called, I will pray for peace and bear witness to peace first in my family. Please accept my resolve and help me to put it into practice. Mother Mary, like a small, gentle child, I entrust myself to Your care. Lead me to Jesus, the source of peace, and if I ever stray from the path of peace, take my hand and guide me back to the right path.
   
 
 
March 25, 2009
"Dear children! In this time of spring, when everything is awakening from the winter sleep, you also awaken your souls with prayer so that they may be ready to receive the light of the risen Jesus. Little children, may He draw you closer to His Heart so that you may become open to eternal life. I pray for you and intercede before the Most High for your sincere conversion. Thank you for having responded to my call."

Dear children! In this time of spring, when everything is awakening from the winter sleep, you also awaken your souls with prayer so that they may be ready to receive the light of the risen Jesus. 

The spring season melts the frozen earth of winter, awakening nature from its slumber and bringing new vitality. Our Lady desires that this natural law also applies to our souls because, as she sees it, our souls are still in a state of slumber, much like the earth frozen over during winter. Prayer is the channel through which the breath of God enters our souls. Just as water flows when the faucet is turned on, only when we pray does the breath of God pour into our souls. It is this divine breath that awakens our souls from slumber and revitalizes them.
      In this month's message, Our Lady, who has repeatedly urged us to "pray, pray, and pray," tells us to awaken our souls through prayer to be ready to receive the light of the risen Jesus. The reason we need to awaken our souls through prayer is to prepare for the light of the risen Jesus. Lent carries many meanings, but its culmination is the resurrection of Jesus. Therefore, the Lenten season is a time of preparation to meet the risen Lord. During the Easter Vigil, as we celebrate Jesus’ victory over death and His return as the light of life, the priest holds the Paschal candle and proclaims, "Christ our Light" three times. As this proclamation reveals, the risen Jesus is the light that illuminates our souls and lives. Jesus said, "I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life" (Jn 8:12). Jesus came into this world as light so that all who believe in Him would not remain in darkness (see Jn 12:46). The light that Jesus offers us is the light of life, not just any life, but eternal life. Therefore, our prayers to awaken our souls and prepare to receive the light of the risen Jesus are directly connected to eternal life. How important is prayer, then? Let us respond 'today and now' to Our Lady’s invitation to "pray, pray, and pray" to lead us to Jesus, the Lord of eternal life.

Little children, may He draw you closer to His Heart so that you may become open to eternal life. 

Even if we awaken our slumbering souls through prayer, that alone is not enough. Human effort and cooperation are necessary, but more important is the grace that Jesus gives us. As Jesus said, "No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws them" (John 6:44), unless Heaven draws us, we cannot come closer to Him. The initiative lies not with us but with God.  Prayer opens the eyes of our sleeping souls, helping us realize that God holds all the initiative, and leads us to entrust everything to His guidance. As the prophet Ezekiel said, prayer allows us to fully accept the Lord who "will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh" (Ez 36:26). Prayer unites our hearts with God’s heart. When we pray to Jesus, who is truly God and truly human, we throw our hearts into the furnace of His Sacred Heart. It is not we who change our hearts, but Jesus who changes them through His Sacred Heart, uniting them with His own. Then, naturally, we open ourselves to Jesus and the eternal life He wishes to give us. Therefore, Our Lady says, "May He draw you closer to His Heart so that you may become open to eternal life."

I pray for you and intercede before the Most High for your sincere conversion. Thank you for having responded to my call.

We all desire to be remembered by someone, especially when it is a memory filled with love. Speaking of this loving memory, I am reminded of Cardinal Stephen Kim Sou-hwan, who recently passed into the Lord's embrace. Before I was ordained as a priest in the Archdiocese of Seoul, I heard that Cardinal Kim personally called each diocesan priest on their feast day to offer his congratulations. Indeed, on my first feast day as a newly ordained priest on December 26, 1990, the Cardinal called to congratulate me. It was an immensely humbling and moving experience.
      If someone of high stature remembers us with love, it brings great joy. How much more humbling and moving it is to realize that the Blessed Mother, the Mother of God and Queen of the Universe, remembers us with love and cares for us. Out of love for her children, she appears daily in Medjugorje, coming to visit us and teaching us through heavenly messages to guide us to Jesus, the light of eternal life. How blessed we are to have the Mother with us! Moreover, she tells us, “I pray for you and intercede before the Most High for your sincere conversion." What a comforting and grateful reality this is! As she mentioned before, and again during her apparition to the visionary Mirjana on March 18, 2009, the Blessed Mother looked around at all those gathered and said, "If you knew how much I love you, you would cry with joy." The Blessed Mother lovingly remembers each of us and prays for us. Especially, she intercedes before the Most High God for our sincere conversion. Now it is our turn to respond with gratitude to her love and prayers and to her call.

Jesus, you are the Light of the world, the Light of eternal life that illuminates our lives and souls. As Our Lady teaches, I will awaken my soul through prayer and prepare to receive the light of Your Resurrection. However, I know that my efforts alone are insufficient to fully receive that light. Unless You draw us by Your grace, we cannot fully receive Your light. Jesus, draw me closer to Your gentle and humble Sacred Heart. Transform my heart completely and unite it with Yours, so that I may fully open myself to the eternal life You offer.

Mother Mary, I am truly grateful for Your teachings, love, and prayers. Just as You treasured everything related to Jesus in Your heart, grant us the grace to treasure Your loving messages in our hearts and put them into practice.
   
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