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Fr. Stephen Shin’s Reflections on the Messages
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December 25, 2011
"Dear children! Also today, in my arms I am carrying my Son Jesus to you, for Him to give you His peace. Pray, little children, and witness so that in every heart, not human but God's peace may prevail, which no one can destroy. It is that peace in the heart which God gives to those whom He loves. By your baptism you are all, in a special way called and loved, therefore witness and pray that you may be my extended hands to this world which yearns for God and peace. Thank you for having responded to my call."

Dear children! Also today, in my arms I am carrying my Son Jesus to you, for Him to give you His peace.

Today is Christmas, the day when the announcement of Jesus' birth by the angel Gabriel becomes a reality. The promise God made through Gabriel to Mary has been fulfilled. This promise was for all humanity, and God has kept His promise to us. At the center of this promise stands Mary. The Blessed Mother, who once promised God, "Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word," kept her promise by conceiving Jesus through the power of the Holy Spirit and now brings Him to us today. God and the Blessed Mother are truly trustworthy because they remember and fulfill their promises.
      Satan, on the other hand, is the father of lies (cf. Jn 8:44), never speaking the truth or taking responsibility for his words. He never keeps his promises. He tempts people with enticing words, but the results are always contrary to what he promises. If we find lies in our speech or make false promises to harm others, we must recognize that Satan has entered our hearts and is stirring things up.
      The Blessed Mother has given birth to Jesus, who is Truth and the Prince of Peace. Even now, she continues to bring Him to a world that does not accept Him, urging us to embrace Him. This Christmas, the Blessed Mother says, "Dear children! Also today, in my arms I am carrying my Son Jesus to you, for Him to give you His peace." There is no falsehood in her words. The Blessed Mother continues to bring Jesus to us through Medjugorje, and since Jesus is already among us, she constantly invites us to venerate him in the Eucharist and to encounter him in the scriptures, where he lives in his Word. While the Blessed Mother brings Jesus to us, she is also doing everything in her power to lead us to him.

Pray, little children, and witness so that in every heart, not human but God's peace may prevail, which no one can destroy. 

This peace is the peace of the heart that God gives to those whom he loves. Human beings must strive with all their might to build peace, but we can never achieve true peace by our own efforts. You may recall the Arab Spring from a year or two ago. The overthrow of tyrannical rulers in Tunisia, Egypt, and Libya by popular uprisings seemed to bring peace to those countries, but true peace has yet to arrive. Egypt, in particular, remains plagued by ongoing protests and turmoil because power-hungry military forces are obstructing the peace that the citizens deserve.
      Human peace never lasts long. Humans cannot bring true peace to themselves. Only God can give us true peace. "God's peace, which no one can destroy," is a gift that we receive. Therefore, the Blessed Mother urges us to "pray and witness so that in every heart, not human but God's peace may prevail." To receive this divine gift of peace, we must pray, and the way to ensure that this peace takes root in all hearts is also through prayer. In Matthew 5:9, Jesus commands us to be peacemakers, and the way to fulfill this command is through prayer. By praying, we receive God's peace and become witnesses to it, praying for others to receive this peace as well.
       Saint Francis followed Jesus' command by offering peace wherever he went and to whomever he met. In our prayers, we can ask that God's peace be with everyone. We can even silently pray, "Peace be with you," for the strangers we pass on the street. We have a duty to pray for God's peace to be with our families, friends, colleagues, fellow believers, neighbors, and even our enemies.

It is that peace in the heart which God gives to those whom He loves. By your baptism you are all, in a special way called and loved, therefore witness and pray that you may be my extended hands to this world which yearns for God and peace. Thank you for having responded to my call.

Through Baptism, we are forgiven of our sins, become disciples of Jesus, and join the community of the Church. More importantly, we become children of God. By becoming Christians through Baptism, we can confess that God, who has been revealed through Jesus' love and mercy, is our Father, and he acknowledges us as his beloved children. Being part of God's family and being loved as his children through Baptism is one of the greatest gifts we can receive. What could be greater or more precious in this world than knowing and feeling that the Creator of the universe is our Father and that he loves us?
      But the gift of Baptism is not just for ourselves. God wants to draw others to him through us, especially those who have not yet accepted him as their Father. The Blessed Mother says, "Witness and pray that you may be my extended hands to this world which yearns for God and peace." She invites us to participate in this mission. What could be more meaningful than joining the Blessed Mother, the Mother of the Church and our own mother, in bringing others to God and helping them live in peace?

Jesus, you come to us as the Prince of Peace through the Blessed Mother, and we joyfully welcome you. Please always remain in our hearts, our homes, our Church, and our world. Since only you can give us peace, guide us away from seeking false, human peace elsewhere. Direct all our steps solely toward you, the true source of peace.

Blessed Mother, thank you for revealing that through Baptism, I have become a child of God and am loved by him. Thank you also for reminding me that I have a mission to pray and testify for those who do not yet know God or accept his peace. Blessed Mother, I am willing to cooperate with your plan, so please use me as your instrument.
   
 
 
November 25, 2011
"Dear children! Today I desire to give you hope and joy. Everything that is around you, little children, leads you towards worldly things but I desire to lead you towards a time of grace, so that through this time you may be all the closer to my Son, that He can lead you towards His love and eternal life, for which every heart yearns. You, little children, pray and may this time for you be one of grace for your soul... Thank you for having responded to my call."

Dear children! Today I desire to give you hope and joy.

As we enter the Advent season, preparing for the birth and second coming of Jesus, the Blessed Mother tells us that she wants to bring us "hope and joy." Why does she want to give us these gifts? The answer is simple: because we are in need of hope and joy. The reasons and intensity of our despair and sorrow may vary from person to person, but as Christians, we are not exempt from feeling despair and sorrow. We are, after all, human beings with flesh and blood like everyone else. Yet, as Christians, we can hold a different perspective and set of values even in the midst of despair and sorrow. Because of our faith in the risen Jesus, we can find hope in the midst of despair and joy in the midst of sorrow.
      Let us reflect on Holy Week during Lent, even though we are in the Advent season. As we see from the conversation between the two disciples on the road to Emmaus, those who followed Jesus experienced hope and joy up until Holy Thursday. But when Jesus was arrested on Holy Thursday night in the Garden of Gethsemane and crucified on Good Friday, they plunged into deep despair and sorrow. Even the Blessed Mother appeared to be overcome by despair and sorrow, yet she spent Good Friday and Holy Saturday walking alone in prayer, preparing for the resurrection of Jesus. She believed firmly that, as Jesus had foretold, He would rise again on the third day, and so she nurtured hope in the midst of despair and felt joy rising amidst sorrow. The Blessed Mother believed wholeheartedly that Jesus' death was not the end of everything but rather the gateway to eternal life and a new beginning of salvation.
      The Blessed Mother, who never lost hope and joy even in the midst of despair and sorrow, now tells us that she wants to bring us hope and joy. Whatever it is that causes us despair and sorrow, we must share it with her. For instance, we could say, "Mother, I am overwhelmed with despair and sorrow because of someone in my family or a certain situation." If we then ask, "Please give me hope and joy," the Blessed Mother, who calls us her beloved children, will surely grant us the hope and joy we seek.

Everything that is around you, little children, leads you towards worldly things but I desire to lead you towards a time of grace, so that through this time you may be all the closer to my Son, that He can lead you towards His love and eternal life, for which every heart yearns. 

The Church begins the Advent season to prepare for the coming of Jesus, but the world uses Christmas for commercial purposes and emphasizes the year-end holidays. Television, newspapers, the internet, magazines, and all sorts of advertisements in the streets captivate our senses and draw our attention toward worldly things. There is no place for the birth of Jesus, who comes to save us. Instead, we are preoccupied with shopping, exchanging gifts, and indulging in festivities, spending our time, money, and attention on these things. As the Blessed Mother points out, everything around us draws us toward the worldly.
      In contrast, the Blessed Mother wants to guide us toward a time of grace. The choice is ours. It is up to our will to decide whether to prioritize worldly things or a time of grace. If we entrust ourselves to the Blessed Mother's desire to lead us into a time of grace, this Advent season and Christmas will truly become a time of grace for us. If we distance ourselves from worldly distractions and focus our attention on Jesus, our Savior, and the Blessed Mother, who brings Him to us, we will experience the outpouring of even greater grace during this Advent and Christmas season.

You, little children, pray and may this time for you be one of grace for your soul... Thank you for having responded to my call.

For us to receive God's grace, human cooperation is necessary. This cooperation involves opening our hearts fully to God and His grace. Prayer is the key that unlocks the door of our hearts. Therefore, the Blessed Mother urges us to pray so that this Advent season becomes a time of grace for our souls. The short exhortation, "Pray," holds the key to unlocking the treasure house of God's grace. 

Jesus, you come to us in the form of an infant to bring us salvation, yet the world shows little interest in Your birth. Instead, this time is made into a season for commercial purposes and human enjoyment. Jesus, however, I will devote my attention solely to You and Your birth so that this time may be holier and more grace-filled than ever before. As the Blessed Mother has advised, I will pray so that this time may become a time of grace for my soul.

Blessed Mother, you are filled with the grace of God the Father, and You can see the state of my soul. You desire to give me hope and joy because You see my despair and sorrow. Mother, help me never to forget that You are always by my side, wanting to bring me hope and joy, no matter what situation I find myself in. Thank you for your loving care.
   
 
 
October 25, 2011
"Dear children! I am looking at you and in your hearts I do not see joy. Today I desire to give you the joy of the Risen One, that He may lead you and embrace you with His love and tenderness. I love you and I am praying for your conversion without ceasing before my Son Jesus. Thank you for having responded to my call."

Dear children! I am looking at you and in your hearts I do not see joy. 

This statement naturally brings to mind the image of the Blessed Mother, who always watches over us with love. She is not watching us to judge our actions and thoughts but rather as a mother who looks upon her children with love and concern, wishing to help, encourage, and uplift them.
      The Blessed Mother says, "In your hearts I do not see joy." Why is there no joy in our hearts? It's because the true source of joy, God, is not present in our hearts. In other words, we are not inviting God into our hearts and not seeking joy from Him. Instead, we are trying to find joy in other things that are not God. Our hearts are often captivated by worldly things, but worldly joy is fleeting and only leaves our hearts feeling emptier. Additionally, there is no joy in our hearts because we do not trust God. We carry all our worries and concerns about worldly matters, trying to solve everything by our own strength, leaving no room in our hearts for joy. If we focus on God's work first and trust Him by entrusting our lives to Him, He will guide us along the right path, but we often forget this. Lastly, there is no joy in our hearts because we are in a state of sin. Sin separates us from God and darkens our hearts, leaving no room for joy.
      The Blessed Mother sang, "My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord; my spirit rejoices in God my savior, for He has looked upon His handmaid’s lowliness" (Lk 1:46-48). Her Magnificat teaches us that our salvation comes only from God and that we can find true joy only in Him. The Apostle Paul also tells us, "Rejoice in the Lord always. I shall say it again: rejoice!" (Phil 4:4).     He even advises us to " Rejoice in hope, endure in affliction, persevere in prayer" (Rom 12:12).

Today I desire to give you the joy of the Risen One, that He may lead you and embrace you with His love and tenderness. 

Before His Passion, Jesus had the Last Supper with His disciples and said to them, "A little while and you will no longer see me, and again a little while later and you will see me… Amen, amen, I say to you, you will weep and mourn, while the world rejoices; you will grieve, but your grief will become joy…. So you also are now in anguish. But I will see you again, and your hearts will rejoice, and no one will take your joy away from you” (Jn 16:16, 20, 22). At that time, the disciples did not understand the meaning of these words. After this, they witnessed Jesus' Passion and death, and they betrayed Him. Their hearts were filled not with joy but with fear, and this fear weighed down their souls. They gathered in the upper room, where they had shared the Last Supper, locking the doors for fear of the Jewish authorities. Then, the risen Jesus appeared among them and said, "Peace be with you!" The scripture clearly states, "The disciples rejoiced when they saw the Lord" (Jn 20:20). What a remarkable turnaround! Jesus' words, "You will grieve, but your grief will turn to joy. I will see you again, and your hearts will rejoice” (Jn 16: 20, 22), were fulfilled exactly as he had promised.
      The joy of the risen Jesus is the joy that comes from the victory of God's love, goodness, and justice. The risen Jesus shared this joy with His disciples. Despite their betrayal, the faithful love of Jesus allowed the disciples to experience joy. The Blessed Mother now wants to give us that same joy.

I love you and I am praying for your conversion without ceasing before my Son Jesus. Thank you for having responded to my call.

Jesus did not withdraw his love from his disciples, even though they betrayed him at a crucial moment. He appeared to them in his resurrected body, filled their hearts with joy, and gave them a new beginning—a chance to repent and follow him again.
      Our conversion is not something that happens all at once. As our life experiences show, we repeatedly fall into sin and then seek repentance through the Sacrament of Reconciliation.     Therefore, anyone who claims to have nothing to repent of is lying. Just as the Blessed Mother constantly prays for our conversion before her Son, Jesus, we too should make an effort to repent daily, or even moment by moment, with the help of her intercession.

Jesus, by betraying You and sinning, I have allowed fear to overshadow my heart. I cannot drive out this fear on my own, so I ask You to come into my heart and remove this fear with the grace of Your resurrection, filling my heart with joy.

Blessed Mother, I am grateful for the loving and concerned gaze with which You watch over me. Please intercede for me so that I can always keep the joy of the risen Jesus in my heart, break away from sin, and walk the path of repentance once again.
   
 
 
September 25, 2011
"Dear children! I call you, for this time to be for all of you, a time of witnessing. You, who live in the love of God and have experienced His gifts, witness them with your words and life that they may be for the joy and encouragement to others in faith. I am with you and incessantly intercede before God for all of you that your faith may always be alive and joyful, and in the love of God. Thank you for having responded to my call."

Dear children! I call you, for this time to be for all of you, a time of witnessing. 

In scripture, different words are used to distinguish between ordinary time and God's time, the time of salvation. When Jesus said, “The time has come; the kingdom of God is near,” He referred to God's time, the decisive moment of salvation that breaks into ordinary time. In this month’s message, when the Blessed Mother speaks of “this time,” she is referring to the time we are living in now, but also to the time of salvation that God is offering us through her call to repentance and conversion. If we accept God's invitation now, “this time” will become a time of salvation and peace.
      A concrete example of this can be found in the story of Zacchaeus, the tax collector of Jericho. The day he met Jesus was an ordinary day, yet it became a sacred time when he experienced Jesus’ love and salvation. Driven by his desire to see Jesus, Zacchaeus climbed a sycamore tree to catch a glimpse of Him. Jesus saw him, called him by name, and said, “Zacchaeus, come down immediately. I must stay at your house today.” Zacchaeus welcomed Jesus into his home and, in a gesture of repentance, offered half of his possessions to the poor and promised to repay anyone he had cheated fourfold. Jesus then said, “Today salvation has come to this house.” Through Zacchaeus’ repentance and Jesus’ grace, that ordinary day became a “day of salvation, a holy time” (cf. Lk 19:1-10).
      For “this time” to be a time for all of us, we must first be filled with the same desire as Zacchaeus to meet Jesus and invite Him into our lives. How is this possible? Through prayer. Without prayer, we cannot meet Jesus. If Jesus does not enter our lives and hearts through prayer, the grace of conversion will not be granted to us.

You, who live in the love of God and have experienced His gifts, witness them with your words and life that they may be for the joy and encouragement to others in faith. 

Throughout her messages, the Blessed Mother emphasizes the importance of the Holy Mass, encouraging us not only to attend Sunday Mass but also, if possible, to participate in daily Mass. The Holy Eucharist is where we experience God’s love most profoundly. Through the Holy Mass, Jesus, who is God, humbly comes to us every day. There is no greater sign of God’s love for us in this world than the Holy Eucharist. If we prepare our souls through the Sacrament of Reconciliation and are ready to receive Him with faith, God comes to us in the form of the Eucharist, pouring out His boundless love and life.
      The love of God, given to us without reserve through the Eucharist, compels us to live a Eucharistic life in our daily lives. This is why, at the end of Mass, the priest sends us out into the world, saying, "Go and proclaim the Gospel." We are called to live as God lived, sharing everything with others as God has shared everything with us.
     St. Paul said, “We are ambassadors for Christ” (2 Cor 5:20). Indeed, we are ambassadors for Christ in the world. People experience who Jesus Christ is through our words and actions. Every word we speak and every action we take should carry His fragrance. We are called not just to be Christians in name, but to live out our faith in reality, bearing witness to Christ through our words and deeds grounded in faith.

I am with you and incessantly intercede before God for all of you that your faith may always be alive and joyful, and in the love of God. Thank you for having responded to my call.

During World War II, there was an inscription on the wall of a concentration camp: “I believe in the sun even when it is not shining. I believe in love even when I do not feel it. I believe in God even when He is silent.” This is a beautiful confession of faith by someone who believed in God’s presence and love even in the most desperate and painful circumstances.
      However, the one who lived out this faith long before was the Blessed Mother. She stood at the foot of the cross and witnessed her Son, the Son of God, dying a brutal death. Yet she believed that He would rise again and did not lose faith in God’s love, even as she spiritually shared in Jesus’ death.
     Our faith in God’s love is always necessary, but it shines most brightly when we are in the most desperate and painful moments. The Blessed Mother, who says, “I am with you,” will help us in those moments. Let us entrust ourselves to her, who continually intercedes for us before God.

Jesus, you know the depths of my heart and call me by name, inviting me to the path of salvation. I want to respond to your invitation, so please stir up in my heart love and longing for you. Let this day, the time I live in now, become a time of salvation.

Blessed Mother, thank you for interceding for me before God so that my faith may always be alive in God’s love. With the help of your intercession, I will strive to strengthen my faith and bear witness to the grace and faith I have received through my words and deeds. Please remain with me always.
   
 
 
August 25, 2011
"Dear children! Today I call you to pray and fast for my intentions, because Satan wants to destroy my plan. Here I began with this parish and invited the entire world. Many have responded, but there is an enormous number of those who do not want to hear or accept my call. Therefore, you who have said 'yes', be strong and resolute. Thank you for having responded to my call."

Dear children! Today I call you to pray and fast for my intentions, because Satan wants to destroy my plan. 

Satan is invisible to our eyes because he is a fallen angel without a physical body. He takes advantage of this to make people believe that he does not exist. However, Satan certainly exists. His name appears throughout the Gospels, and in Revelation 12, he is referred to as the "red dragon."
      The times we live in are marked by an intense battle between the woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet and a crown of twelve stars on her head—the Blessed Mother—and Satan, the red dragon. This is the time of Revelation. In these times, the Blessed Mother comes to us daily through Medjugorje, sent from heaven to lead us to Jesus, the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world. Her plan is to bring about the conversion of the entire world so that all people may recognize Jesus as their true Lord and find peace in Him.
      However, Satan seeks to thwart the Blessed Mother’s plans. As the fallen angel Lucifer, who was cast out of heaven due to his pride in wanting to be God, Satan still refuses to acknowledge God and uses all his power to prevent people from coming to Jesus. Satan subtly infiltrates people's hearts, leading them away from Jesus, who is both truly man and truly God. Through various temptations, he encourages an obsession with money, power, fame, and pleasure, and hinders people from living a spiritual life. Moreover, he seeks to turn not just individuals but entire families, societies, nations, and the whole world into places devoid of God.
      Therefore, now more than ever, we must help the Blessed Mother in her battle against Satan. How can we assist her? Through prayer and fasting. This is why the Blessed Mother calls us in this month’s message to pray and fast for her intentions. While prayer and fasting themselves can protect us from Satan’s threats, when done for the Blessed Mother’s intentions, they hold even greater significance. In the battle between the Blessed Mother and Satan, we supply the Blessed Mother with resources and weapons through our prayer and fasting, becoming soldiers in her army, fighting under her command. How honorable it is to be a soldier in the army of the Mother of God, the Queen of the Universe, helping her and fighting alongside her against Satan! The Blessed Mother calls us to take up this role not tomorrow, but today.

Here I began with this parish and invited the entire world. Many have responded, but there is an enormous number of those who do not want to hear or accept my call. Therefore, you who have said 'yes', be strong and resolute. Thank you for having responded to my call.

When the Blessed Mother refers to "this parish," she is undoubtedly speaking of St. James Church in Medjugorje. In the early days of the apparitions, when the visionaries asked, "Mother, why have you come to this place?" the Blessed Mother replied, "Because there are many people of deep faith here." Indeed, God’s work of salvation begins where there is deep and strong faith. Since 1981, over 40 million people have been invited to Medjugorje, where they have experienced conversion and strengthened their faith, bearing fruit that invites many others to live the Blessed Mother’s messages. We must give thanks to God for this.
      However, as the Blessed Mother points out, although many have responded, countless others still do not wish to hear or accept her call. By saying, "Therefore, you who have said ‘yes’, be strong and resolute," the Blessed Mother indicates that the solution lies with us. Medjugorje was once a small, poor village, yet its residents had a deep and resilient faith despite enduring severe persecution over many years. Now, the Blessed Mother asks us to become like Medjugorje and its residents. She calls us to be strong and resolute in our faith in God, just as they were. If you ever doubt the strength and impact of your individual, strong, and resolute faith, cast aside such doubts. As Mother Teresa once said, "We ourselves feel that what we are doing is just a drop in the ocean. But the ocean would be less because of that missing drop."

Jesus, after fasting and praying for forty days and nights in the wilderness, you overcame Satan’s temptations. That same Satan is now tempting me. Help me, as you did, to become fully a person of God through prayer and fasting, so that I may overcome all of Satan’s temptations.

Blessed Mother, I know that Satan’s power is far greater than I can imagine. But I believe that you will crush his head and defeat him. I also believe that your Immaculate Heart will triumph. Mother, I accept your call and wish to help you in your battle against Satan. With the strength and resolve that you ask for, and through the firm faith strengthened by prayer and fasting, I respond to your call. Please accept me as a soldier in your army.
   
 
 
July 25, 2011
"Dear children! May this time be for you a time of prayer and silence. Rest your body and spirit, may they be in God's love. Permit me, little children, to lead you, open your hearts to the Holy Spirit so that all the good that is in you may blossom and bear fruit one hundredfold. Begin and end the day with prayer with the heart. Thank you for having responded to my call."

Dear children! May this time be for you a time of prayer and silence. Rest your body and spirit, may they be in God's love. 

A mother knows best what her child needs. In this month’s message, our spiritual Mother, the Blessed Virgin Mary, tells us that what we need most right now is time for prayer and silence. Implicit in this statement is the understanding that we currently lack or have insufficient time for prayer and silence in our lives. Therefore, it is important to reflect on how much time we have for spiritual nourishment—prayer and silence—within our daily routine. If it’s missing, we must make time for it, and if it’s insufficient, we should allocate more time for it. To say that we’ll do this later when we have more time is to make a false promise to ourselves. If we do find free time, our tendency might be to seek out more activities instead of embracing prayer and silence, as we have become accustomed to the busyness of maintaining our physical lives.
      We pray because we love God, because we want to grow closer to Him, and ultimately because we want to be united with Him. A praying soul feels God’s presence and love. What happens if someone, without expecting to gain or realize anything, simply sits in silence for 5, 15, or even 30 minutes, believing that Jesus is alive in the Eucharist and loving Him? They will find that the tension in their body and soul eases, and they discover they are resting in God’s love.
      Therefore, the place where we pray is also very important. While we can pray anywhere, churches or chapels where the Eucharist is present are the best places to experience God’s presence and love in silence, making them ideal for prayer. If circumstances do not allow for frequent visits to a church, it’s essential to create a personal space and time for prayer in silence.

Permit me, little children, to lead you, open your hearts to the Holy Spirit so that all the good that is in you may blossom and bear fruit one hundredfold. 

The Blessed Mother is the Mother of God, full of grace. Yet she humbly asks us to allow her to lead us. This is an extraordinary display of humility and a profound expression of respect for us. We cannot help but marvel at the Blessed Mother, who does not force us but instead respects our free will and asks for our consent.
      The Blessed Mother is asking us to allow her to lead us, not for her sake but for ours. She knows that we cannot find the right path on our own and asks to lead us to help us. The Blessed Mother wants to guide us to Jesus so that we may find peace and salvation and ultimately enjoy eternal life. What she asks of us is very simple: complete trust and surrender. We need to trust in her good intentions and fully consecrate and entrust ourselves to her, allowing her to guide our lives as she wishes. If we do this, the words of Psalm 1 will come true in our lives: “Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked, nor stand in the way of sinners, nor sit in company with scoffers. Rather, the law of the Lord is his joy; and on his law he meditates day and night. He is like a tree planted near streams of water, that yields its fruit in season; Its leaves never wither; whatever he does prospers” (Ps 1:1-3).
      Just before His Ascension, Jesus said to His disciples, “I am sending the promise of my Father* upon you; but stay in the city until you are clothed with power from on high” (Lk 24:49). The disciples believed these words and gathered in the upper room in Jerusalem, where they devoted themselves to prayer along with the women, Mary the mother of Jesus, and His brothers (cf. Acts 1:14). They continued to pray, keeping their hearts open, waiting for the Holy Spirit that Jesus had promised. Finally, on Pentecost, the Holy Spirit came upon them (cf. Acts 2:1-4).
      The Blessed Mother, who is the Spouse of the Holy Spirit and who experienced the coming of the Holy Spirit while praying with the apostles, urges us to open our hearts to the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit will certainly come to those who open their hearts and pray for God’s will to be done. The Holy Spirit will come to those who open their hearts fully to God and who desire to live a good and holy life according to His will. The effects of the Holy Spirit’s coming are indescribable. The Holy Spirit helps us overcome all our weaknesses and gives us the strength to overcome every evil surrounding us. The Holy Spirit causes everything good that God has planted within us to blossom and enables us to do only what pleases God. The Holy Spirit also grants us the gifts of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control, allowing us to bear fruit a hundredfold, or even more.
       If we truly want to become new people, spiritual people, saved people, and true Christians, we absolutely need the help of the Holy Spirit. Only with the power of the Holy Spirit, who is a person of the Holy Trinity and God Himself, can we overcome all evil and experience the victory of goodness.

Begin and end your day with prayer from the heart. Thank you for responding to my call.

When we begin our day with prayer from the heart, we start our day with God. It’s a commitment to live the entire day in a spirit of prayer and in the presence of God. This makes the entire day a day spent with God, a day consecrated to Him, and a day lived in an effort to follow His will.
      When we end our day with prayer, it concludes with thanksgiving to God, expressing gratitude for all that He has done. It’s also a time for reflection, repentance, and asking for forgiveness and mercy for the ways we may have strayed from His will. Ultimately, beginning and ending our day with prayer from the heart ensures that our entire day becomes a holy life lived entirely with God.

Jesus, just as you sent the Holy Spirit to the apostles, send your Holy Spirit to us as well. As the Blessed Mother asks, we open our hearts and eagerly await His coming. Send us your Spirit so that everything good that the Father has planted within us may blossom and bear fruit a hundredfold through the power of the Holy Spirit.

Blessed Mother, you are the Queen of the Apostles and our Mother. Just as you prayed with the apostles, waiting for the coming of the Holy Spirit, and interceded for their hearts to be fully opened, intercede for us so that our hearts may be fully open to the Holy Spirit. Mother, I entrust everything to you. Please lead us to Jesus.
   
 
 
June 25, 2011
"Dear children! Give thanks with me to the Most High for my presence with you. My heart is joyful watching the love and joy in the living of my messages. Many of you have responded, but I wait for, and seek, all the hearts that have fallen asleep to awaken from the sleep of unbelief. Little children, draw even closer to my Immaculate Heart so that I can lead all of you toward eternity. Thank you for having responded to my call."

Dear children! Give thanks with me to the Most High for my presence with you. 

The Blessed Mother, who once received a visit from the angel Gabriel, is today being sent to this earth by the very same God. Through Medjugorje, God has been sending the Blessed Mother to be with us daily for 30 years. What immense love and profound consideration this shows for us! The words of God through the prophet Isaiah come to mind: "Can a mother forget her infant, be   without tenderness for the child of her womb? Even should she forget, I will never forget you. See, upon the palms of my hands I have engraved you; your walls are ever before me.” (Is 49:15-16) We are never abandoned or orphaned because our Mother, the Blessed Virgin, is with us. Let us give thanks to the Most High God, our Father, together with Mother Mary.

My heart is joyful watching the love and joy in the living of my messages.

The Blessed Mother, sent by God to be with us, does not come just to be present among us. She comes bearing God's word. The messages delivered through her are words that God Himself wishes us to hear. If we are truly grateful for the Blessed Mother's presence among us, then above all, we must live her messages. Only then will the purpose for which God has allowed her to be with us be fulfilled. When we live the Blessed Mother's messages, love and joy overflow in our hearts. The Blessed Mother tells us that her heart, too, is filled with joy as she sees the love and joy in our hearts—much like the happiness a parent feels when seeing their child happy.

Many of you have responded, but I wait for, and seek, all the hearts that have fallen asleep to awaken from the sleep of unbelief. 

These words reflect the heart of a shepherd searching for the one lost sheep. The Blessed Mother does not rebuke or condemn those who are still asleep in disbelief but instead longs with a sorrowful heart for them to awaken from their sleep and begin a new day of faith.
Before His Passion, Jesus took Peter, James, and John with Him to the Garden of Gethsemane to pray. Overwhelmed with sorrow and anguish, Jesus said to them, "My soul is sorrowful even to death. Remain here and keep watch" (Mk 14:34). Then He went a little farther, fell to the ground, and prayed, "Abba, Father, all things are possible to you. Take this cup away from me, but not what I will but what you will" (Mk 14:36). When He returned, He found the disciples sleeping. So He said to Peter, "Simon, are you asleep? Could you not keep watch for one hour? Watch and pray that you may not undergo the test. The spirit is willing but the flesh is weak” (Mk 14:37-38).
Now is the time to awaken from sleep. Though our bodies may be with Jesus, our hearts must not be distant from Him and His will. The Blessed Mother is the one who acts like an alarm clock, waking us up from the slumber of disbelief, and she urges us: "Pray, pray, pray!"

Little children, draw even closer to my Immaculate Heart so that I can lead all of you toward eternity. Thank you for having responded to my call.

The Immaculate Heart of Mary is the garden where the Triune God dwells. In that Heart, we can encounter the eternal God. When we consecrate ourselves to the Immaculate Heart of Mary, she enfolds our entire being in her Heart and guides us to the eternal God and the eternal life He offers. Let us begin each day with a prayer of consecration to the Immaculate Heart of Mary. Here is a prayer the Blessed Mother taught to Jelena, one of the interior locutionists in Medjugorje, on April 19, 1983:

Prayer of Consecration to the Mother of Goodness, Love, and Mercy

O my Mother, Mother of Goodness, Love, and Mercy,
I love you endlessly, and I offer myself to you.
Through your goodness, your love, and your grace, save me.
I desire to be yours completely.
I love you endlessly, and I desire that you protect me.
From the depth of my heart, I pray to you,
Mother of Goodness, give me your goodness.
Let me gain Heaven through it.
I pray to you, by your infinite love,
That you may give me the grace so that I may
Love every man as you loved Jesus Christ.
I pray to you to give me the grace to be merciful towards you.
I offer myself completely to you and
I desire that you follow my every step.
Because you are full of grace,
And I desire that I will never forget this.
If, by chance, I should lose grace,
I pray to you to restore it to me once more. Amen.

Jesus, I sincerely thank you for the grace given by God the Father, who has allowed Mother Mary to be with us and guide us to you. Jesus, as I open my heart entirely to the Blessed Mother’s presence and her messages with the heart of a trusting child, I ask that you drive away all the darkness of disbelief from my heart.
   
 
 
May 25, 2011
"Dear children! My prayer today is for all of you who seek the grace of conversion. You knock on the door of my heart, but without hope and prayer, in sin, and without the Sacrament of Reconciliation with God. Leave sin and decide, little children, for holiness. Only in this way can I help you, hear your prayers and seek intercession before the Most High. Thank you for having responded to my call."

Dear children! My prayer today is for all of you who seek the grace of conversion. 

One commonality between Peter, one of Jesus' twelve apostles, and Judas Iscariot is that they both betrayed Jesus. However, their actions after betraying Jesus were vastly different. Judas realized his wrongdoing in shedding innocent blood, but he succumbed to guilt and hanged himself. On the other hand, Peter repented for his sin and entrusted himself to God's forgiveness and mercy. Although the Bible does not provide specific details, we can glimpse Peter’s repentance through the movie The Passion of the Christ, which is based on the book The Dolorous Passion of Our Lord Jesus Christ by Anne Catherine Emmerich. In the movie, as in the Bible, Peter follows Jesus to the high priest's courtyard after betraying Him and watches the situation unfold. However, when his identity as a disciple of Jesus is discovered, Peter quickly leaves the courtyard. At that moment, he encounters the Blessed Mother. He looks at her, weeping, and says, “Mother, I have betrayed Jesus.” With this single sentence, Peter confesses his sin. Later, he gathers with the other disciples in the upper room, where he encounters the risen Jesus.
      If we are seeking the grace of conversion, we too must be able to say, like Peter, “Mother, I have betrayed Jesus.” The grace of God begins when we confess our sins, repent, and resolve to live a new life. The Blessed Mother undoubtedly prayed for Peter, who sought the grace of conversion. Just as she prayed for her new firstborn, Peter, who repented of his human frailty, she now prays for us, her children, when we confess our sins and seek the grace of conversion.

You knock on the door of my heart, but without hope and prayer, in sin, and without the Sacrament of Reconciliation with God.

As mentioned above, the beginning of conversion is recognizing one’s sinfulness and confessing those sins. In the Parable of the Pharisee and the Tax Collector in Luke 18, the tax collector's humble confession of sin leads to God’s forgiveness and justification.
      By its nature, sin distances us from God. As seen in the story of Adam and Eve hiding from God after sinning, sin severs our relationship with God and alienates us from prayer, the spiritual connection that binds us to Him. Satan leads us into sin because he seeks to separate us from God and destroy our relationship with Him. Consequently, Satan tempts us to abandon prayer. Breaking all these chains requires repentance, which begins with the recognition and confession of sin, concretely realized through the sacrament of reconciliation.
      The Blessed Mother invites us to go to confession at least once a month. This is a minimum requirement. In other words, it doesn’t mean we should only go once a month, but at least once a month. No one waits a month to wash their hands if they get dirty. When our hands are dirty, we immediately seek water to wash them. Similarly, if our soul is stained by sin, we should cleanse it through confession as soon as possible.

Leave sin and decide, little children, for holiness. Only in this way can I help you, hear your prayers and seek intercession before the Most High. Thank you for having responded to my call.

Through confession, we regain the state of grace received at baptism. The more frequently we go to confession, the more sensitive our souls become to sin, making it easier to break away from it. There is a saying, “Today’s saint is yesterday’s sinner.” As the Blessed Mother says, we must resolve to break away from sin and live a holy life. Though we may be weak and prone to sin until the moment we die, we must strive to break away from sin and become saints at every moment. “Heaven helps those who help themselves,” goes the saying. Indeed, if we resolve to break away from sin and live a holy life, the Blessed Mother assures us that she will help us and intercede for us. Now, on the path from sinner to saint, what is most important is our resolution and practice. Thus, the Blessed Mother says, “Thank you for having responded to my call.”

Jesus, you established the priesthood and the sacrament of confession to forgive repentant sinners. Through the priest’s person, you hear the sinner’s confession, and through the priest, you grant absolution. Jesus, I know that now is the time for me to seek out your priest and receive the sacrament of confession. Jesus, have mercy on me, who is seeking the grace of conversion, and grant me that grace.

Blessed Mother, at this moment, I resolve, as you have asked, to break away from sin and live a holy life. I will turn my steps toward the church to receive the sacrament of reconciliation. I will be reconciled with God the Father, become a new person, and live in hope and prayer, tasting the peace and salvation of Jesus. Mother, please pray for me, who is seeking the grace of conversion.
   
 
 
April 25, 2011
"Dear children! As nature gives the most beautiful colors of the year, I also call you to witness with your life and to help others to draw closer to my Immaculate Heart, so that the flame of love for the Most High may sprout in their hearts. I am with you and I unceasingly pray for you that your life may be a reflection of Heaven here on earth. Thank you for having responded to my call."

Dear children! As nature gives the most beautiful colors of the year, I also call you to witness with your life and to help others to draw closer to my Immaculate Heart, so that the flame of love for the Most High may sprout in their hearts.

Mahatma Gandhi, a saintly figure from India who practiced Hinduism, once said, “I like your Christ, but I do not like your Christians.” He did not mean that he hated Christians who practiced a different faith than his own. Rather, he made this statement to point out the nominal Christians who claim the name but do not follow Christ in their actions. The Apostle James made a similar point when he said, “What good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can that faith save him?… Faith of itself, if it does not have works, is dead…    For just as a body without a spirit is dead, so also faith without works is dead” (Jas 2:14, 17, 26).
      In this way, for our faith to be a living faith that saves us, it must be an active, practiced faith. Jesus also said, "By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit and become my disciples." (Jn 15:8) As we live out the words of Christ in our daily lives, we spread the fragrance of Christ to those around us. Through our active and fruitful faith, others will see and experience Jesus Christ.
      The Blessed Mother calls us to bear witness with our lives and help others come closer to her Immaculate Heart. The heart is the center of a human being. The center of the Blessed Mother is her Immaculate Heart. When God announced through the angel Gabriel that He would send His Son to the world, the Blessed Mother responded with her Immaculate Heart, already receiving the coming Jesus into her heart. To help others come closer to this Immaculate Heart, which is untouched by sin and seeks only God’s will, we must first enter into the Immaculate Heart of Mary ourselves. This means cutting off all sin, choosing only God’s will, making God the center of our lives, and loving Him as the true God. When we live such a life, we can truly become witnesses of the Immaculate Heart of Mary.
      In his letter, the Apostle John says, "We have come to know and to believe in the love God has for us. God is love, and whoever remains in love remains in God and God in him" (1 Jn 4:16). The Immaculate Heart of the Blessed Mother is a furnace of God's love, or rather, it is the tabernacle where God, who is love itself, dwells. Therefore, when we bring others closer to the Immaculate Heart of the Blessed Mother through the witness of our lives, they too will inevitably enter the furnace of God's love and be completely exposed to the flames of love. Then, the flame of love for the Most High God will ignite within their hearts.

I am with you and constantly pray for you so that your lives here on earth may already be a reflection of the life in heaven. Thank you for responding to my call.

As I mentioned in last month’s reflection, 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). With Jesus, the kingdom of God arrived on this earth. In fact, Jesus Himself is the kingdom of God. He taught us how to live so that we could experience the kingdom of God here on earth. He showed us that this earthly life is not everything and that nothing in this world can bring us true happiness, peace, or salvation. Only by loving God and loving our neighbor can we experience the kingdom of God on earth, and this path leads directly to eternal salvation.
      This earthly life is indeed a gift from God, a good thing, but it is not eternal. It is like a train station we must pass through on our way to eternal life, which is heaven. How we live on this earth will determine the quality and destination of our eternal life. For those who do not follow God’s will on earth and do not truly accept Him as their Lord, eternal life in heaven remains a distant prospect. God sets before us life and death, curse and blessing, hell and heaven, and allows us to choose. God does not send people to hell; they choose that path themselves. For 30 years, the Blessed Mother has been appearing in Medjugorje, constantly teaching us and praying for us so that we may make the right choice. The time to respond is now, today.

Jesus, you chose the Blessed Mother Mary as the place where you would come into this world, and you made her Immaculate Heart your tabernacle. Jesus, as I draw closer to the Immaculate Heart of Mary, may I find you within it and be united with you.

Blessed Mother, I sincerely thank you for becoming my mother at the command of Jesus. From the moment you became the mother of all humanity at the foot of the cross, and even before that, you have cared for me, prayed for me, and guided me to become a true disciple of Jesus. Mother, I consecrate my heart and my entire life to your Immaculate Heart. May the flame of God’s love burn brightly within me.
   
 
 
March 25, 2011
"Dear children! In a special way today I desire to call you to conversion. As of today, may new life begin in your heart. Children, I desire to see your 'yes', and may your life be a joyful living of God's will at every moment of your life. In a special way today, I bless you with my motherly blessing of peace, love and unity in my heart and in the heart of my Son Jesus. Thank you for having responded to my call."

Dear children! In a special way today I desire to call you to conversion. As of today, may new life begin in your heart.

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 could have started His public life with many different words, so why did He choose these? The answer is simple: because these words were the most fitting. With these words, Jesus succinctly conveyed why He came to this earth, what He would do, and how humanity should respond. Jesus came into this world at the fullness of time to save humanity from sin and death. He wished to show that the kingdom of God had come among people as a sign of that salvation. To respond to this invitation of salvation, humanity was invited to repentance and faith. Today, these words of Jesus are echoed once again through the voice of the Blessed Mother, saying, “Dear children! In a special way today I desire to call you to conversion.”
      Conversion can be a painful process. It requires abandoning a familiar way of life, thoughts, and behaviors that, while not pleasing or desirable in the sight of the Lord, have become deeply ingrained. It can also feel like a threat to our sense of security. For example, let us meditate on the following words of Jesus: “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.” (Mt 6:31-33a) Although the word ‘repent’ does not appear in these verses, Jesus is indeed calling us to repentance. He is inviting us not to be preoccupied solely with maintaining our human lives or worrying about our security but to serve God first and prioritize what He desires. This is what repentance entails. To do this, we must shift the center of gravity in our lives from ourselves and our pursuit of human well-being to God. This can create anxiety and a sense of threat because the future becomes uncertain, and everything seems unpredictable. It is a painful process, but it is the path to salvation. When we fully entrust ourselves to God the Father, the source of life, and accept the life, thoughts, and actions He desires for us, “all these things will be given you besides” (Mt 6:33b). Let us not avoid the pain that accompanies repentance. Just as pain leads to growth, the ultimate fruit of repentance is eternal life. Thus, the Blessed Mother says, “As of today, may new life begin in your heart.”

Children, I desire to see your 'yes', and may your life be a joyful living of God's will at every moment of your life.

To fulfill God’s will for the salvation of humanity, the Blessed Mother responded, “Behold, I am the servant of the Lord; may it be done to me according to your word” (Lk 1:38). She referred to herself as the servant of the Lord. Only those who can humble themselves before the Lord, even to the point of becoming a servant to others, can joyfully say ‘yes’ in all things, even when it requires personal sacrifice.
      When Jesus was praying in a certain place, one of His disciples asked Him to teach them to pray, just as John taught his disciples. It was then that Jesus taught them the Lord’s Prayer. This prayer was undoubtedly the one Jesus Himself prayed regularly, and He taught it to His disciples so that they would also pray it continually. Every word of the Lord’s Prayer deserves deep reflection, but especially the part that says, “Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.” Jesus, who urged His disciples to pray in this way, always prioritized the Father’s will in His own life and accepted the Father’s will, even when it meant enduring the suffering and death of the cross.
      To follow the Blessed Mother’s words, “I desire to see your 'yes', and may your life be a joyful living of God's will at every moment of your life.” we must be prepared to accept and submit to God the Father and His will, no matter the sacrifice or suffering involved. This attitude of accepting and submitting to God’s will should be evident not just at a particular moment in life but in every moment, and it must be voluntary. Only then can we joyfully carry out God’s will in every moment of our lives.

In a special way today, I bless you with my motherly blessing of peace, love and unity in my heart and in the heart of my Son Jesus. Thank you for having responded to my call.

Through these words, the Blessed Mother reveals the profound effect of her motherly blessing on us. I am reminded of a story I heard long ago. A young man in Korea joined the military and served in a tank unit. During training, one of the tank’s wheels got stuck in a ditch and could not be moved. No matter how many people tried to free it, the sheer weight made it impossible. They had to wait a long time for equipment to arrive to remove the tank. However, the young man managed to lift the tank out of the ditch by himself. It sounds unbelievable, but it is true. This young man was the brother of a Korean nun. What could have made this possible? It was the blessing of the young man’s mother. When the young man was a child, his mother would place her hand on his back every day before he went to school, making the sign of the cross on his back and blessing him. Though it was not a priestly blessing, it provided tremendous help in the young man’s life, even enabling him to perform the superhuman act in the military.
      The Blessed Mother is our mother, and she says she blesses us with her motherly blessing. If the blessing of a physical mother has such power, how much greater is the power of our spiritual Mother’s blessing? The power of her blessing brings us peace, love, and unity with the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary, which cannot be bought or obtained by any worldly means. Let us kneel and bow our heads in prayer, invoking the Blessed Mother’s name and asking for her blessing, whether in front of her statue or image or even in places where such things are not available.

Jesus, you said, “I came so that they might have life and have it more abundantly.” (Jn 10:10). I sincerely thank you for giving me life as one of your flock through baptism. Jesus, may your life always dwell within me and overflow abundantly. To this end, I resolve to repent not only at this moment but in every moment of my life. I resolve to cut off all sin and follow only you and your will. Jesus, may your life overflow within me.

Blessed Mother, like you, I want to be someone who submits to God’s will in every moment of my life and joyfully carries out His will. I will gladly accept any sacrifices and sufferings this may require. Blessed Mother, I seek your love, blessing, and companionship. I sincerely thank you for your words that remind me that you are with me according to God’s plan.
   
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