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Fr. Stephen Shin’s Reflections on the Messages
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December 25, 2015
"Dear children! Also today I am carrying my Son Jesus to you and from this embrace I am giving you His peace and a longing for Heaven. I am praying with you for peace and am calling you to be peace. I am blessing all of you with my motherly blessing of peace. Thank you for having responded to my call."

Dear children! Also today I am carrying my Son Jesus to you and from this embrace I am giving you His peace and a longing for Heaven. 

Even on Christmas, the world seems to focus more on Santa Claus than on Jesus, and more attention is given to preparing gifts and sending cards than to attending Mass. The world turns Christmas into a festive holiday season for human enjoyment, subtly removing Jesus from the center of the celebration. However, the true meaning of Christmas is the birth of Jesus, our Savior, who came to redeem us from sin and death. Without Jesus, Christmas loses its meaning.
      The Blessed Mother, by saying, "Also today I am carrying my Son Jesus to you," reminds us of a simple but fundamental truth: that it is Jesus, not Santa Claus, who comes to us on Christmas. Our focus during Christmas should be solely on Jesus, who comes into the world through the Blessed Mother.

I am praying with you for peace and am calling you to be peace. I am blessing all of you with my motherly blessing of peace. Thank you for having responded to my call.

Jesus comes into the world not for His own sake, but for the salvation of the world and humanity. Likewise, the Blessed Mother brings Jesus to us not for herself, but for the world and for our salvation. While receiving Jesus through the Blessed Mother is primarily for our personal benefit, we must not keep Jesus for ourselves alone. By welcoming Jesus into our hearts, we should be transformed to become like Him and to bring Him to others.
      Since Jesus came for the salvation of all humanity, we too must understand and participate in His great mission. The Blessed Mother guides us by saying, "I am praying with you for peace and am calling you to be peace." Therefore, we should join the Blessed Mother in praying for peace in our families, communities, churches, and throughout the world, and we should strive to sow seeds of peace wherever we go.
   
 
 
November 25, 2015
"Dear children! Today I am calling all of you: pray for my intentions. Peace is in danger, therefore, little children, pray and be carriers of peace and hope in this restless world where Satan is attacking and tempting in every way. Little children, be firm in prayer and courageous in faith. I am with you and intercede before my Son Jesus for all of you. Thank you for having responded to my call."

Dear children! Today I am calling all of you: pray for my intentions. Peace is in danger.

On June 26, 1981, three days after her first apparition in Medjugorje, the Blessed Mother appeared to the six children on Apparition Hill (Podbrdo), and as they were descending the hill, she appeared again to Mirjana Pavlović, one of the visionaries, and said, "Peace, peace, only peace!" At that moment, Mirjana saw a cross behind the Virgin Mary. With tears in her eyes, the Virgin Mary said, "There must be peace between God and men, and between men." She repeated it twice. This message, “There must be peace between God and men, and between men,” is the central theme of the Medjugorje apparitions and the reason for her appearances.
     The Blessed Mother introduced herself as the Queen of Peace 34 years ago when her apparitions began in Medjugorje, and she continues to appear daily. Every month on the 25th, through the visionary Marija, and on the 2nd through the visionary Mirjana, she continues to give messages to the world. Why does she continue to appear daily and give messages even now? Because peace has not yet been realized between God and men, nor between men.
      What is the reason peace has not been realized? Is it due to the wars currently happening? Or is it because of the recent terrorist attacks in Paris by ISIS that shocked the world? While these external events certainly contribute to the lack of peace and put it at risk, the deeper reason lies elsewhere.
      Peace is endangered because humanity has forgotten God, rejected Him, and does not serve Him as Lord. Humanity has not repented and returned to God. Peace is a gift from God, and to receive this gift, we must completely turn our hearts back to God, who is the source of peace itself. We must thoroughly reform our lives according to His Word and will. That is why the Blessed Mother continues to call us to prayer, faith, repentance, and penance.

Therefore, little children, pray and be carriers of peace and hope in this restless world where Satan is attacking and tempting in every way. 

Another spiritual reason humanity has not realized peace and peace is at risk is the presence of Satan. Satan is attacking and tempting humanity more fiercely than ever. He tries to prevent us from drawing near to God by making us idolize things other than God, such as money, sex, power, and fame. Satan works through various media to distract us from God and lead us to spend more time indulging in worldly matters rather than praying. He sows seeds of hatred, greed, envy, anger, doubt, and despair, leading individuals into anxiety, causing discord in families, unrest in societies, and even provoking wars between nations. Behind the unprecedented rates of divorce, abortion, euthanasia, terrorism, and war, there is the unseen force of Satan working in the background.
      In such a troubled world, where Satan's attacks and temptations create anxiety, the Blessed Mother calls us to be people who bring peace and hope. While we may question whether we have the strength or effectiveness to become apostles of peace and hope in the face of such a powerful supernatural enemy, we must remember that Jesus, the Blessed Mother, countless angels, saints, and devout Christian brothers and sisters are spiritually with us. We are not weak. As we pray together with our spiritual allies, seeking, living, and spreading peace and hope, that strength will spread, and we will be able to resist Satan's attacks and temptations.

Little children, be firm in prayer and courageous in faith. I am with you and intercede before my Son Jesus for all of you. Thank you for having responded to my call.

Prayer directs our gaze solely towards God and makes us rely solely on His strength. Prayer strengthens our faith in God. Therefore, a person who prays does not fear, give up, or despair, no matter the circumstances, because they believe that God is with them and that the good God will save them.
When Jesus was walking on water towards His disciples’ boat, Peter asked if he could come to Him on the water. Jesus told him to come, and Peter walked on the water towards Jesus. But when Peter saw the strong wind, fear set in, and he began to sink. He cried out to Jesus to save him, and Jesus immediately reached out His hand to catch him, saying, "“O you of little faith, why did you doubt?” (Mt 14:31).
      Peter believed that if Jesus called him, he could walk on water. And his faith made it so. As long as he kept his eyes on Jesus, there was no problem. But when he saw the wind, fear entered his heart, and he lost courage and sank.
      Peter had no problem when he prayed and followed Jesus’ words. As long as he kept his eyes on Jesus, there was no fear or worry. But when he took his eyes off Jesus and focused on the wind, he lost faith and courage.
       As the Blessed Mother says, we must grow strong in prayer and find courage in faith. Though we are weak, and like Peter, may lose faith and courage when facing fearsome situations, we must always remember that the Blessed Mother is with us, interceding for us before her Son, Jesus. Let us also hold close to our hearts the words of Jesus: "In the world you will have trouble, but take courage, I have conquered the world" (Jn 16:33).
   
 
 
October 25, 2015
"Dear children! Also today, my prayer is for all of you, especially for all those who have become hard of heart to my call. You are living in the days of grace and are not conscious of the gifts which God is giving to you through my presence. Little children, decide also today for holiness and take the example of the saints of this time and you will see that holiness is a reality for all of you. Rejoice in the love, little children, that in the eyes of God you are unrepeatable and irreplaceable, because you are God's joy in this world. Witness peace, prayer and love. Thank you for having responded to my call."

Dear children! Also today, my prayer is for all of you, especially for all those who have become hard of heart to my call. You are living in the days of grace and are not conscious of the gifts which God is giving to you through my presence.

On the cross, Jesus entrusted His mother to the apostle John, representing all humanity, thus making Our Lady the Mother of all. Whether acknowledged or not, everyone in this world is a child of Mary. She loves her children and prays for them.
      In this message, Our Lady specifically mentions praying for "all those who have become hard of heart to my call." As a true mother, she never gives up on anyone, even those who hear but do not respond to her call or refuse to recognize her apparitions. She prays for them with boundless motherly love, hoping they will open their hearts and respond. Her tireless prayers are a testament to her deep love, even for those who reject her.
      We should follow Our Lady’s example and pray for those whose hearts are hardened against her call. We must recognize the great grace of living in a time when Our Lady continues to appear and guide us to salvation through her messages.
      Many fail to recognize the grace of Mary’s presence and the gifts God gives us through her. We should be mindful of the great blessing of her apparitions, which serve as signs of God's unceasing love and care for us.
      We should remember Jesus’ words as He lamented over Jerusalem, which rejected Him: “Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you, how many times I yearned to gather your children together as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, but you were unwilling! Behold, your house will be abandoned. [But] I tell you, you will not see me until [the time comes when] you say, ‘Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord’” (Lk 13:34-35).

Little children, decide also today for holiness and take the example of the saints of this time and you will see that holiness is a reality for all of you. 

Living a holy life means becoming like God because He said, “I am the Lord your God; consecrate yourselves and be holy, because I am holy” (Lv 11:44). God commands us to be holy, and a command must be obeyed regardless of our will.
      To learn holiness, we need examples to follow. Therefore, Our Lady urges us to follow the example of the saints, particularly those of our time. Many saints, such as St. Faustina, St. Maximilian Kolbe, St. Padre Pio, and St. John Paul II, lived in our time. St. John Paul II, who became pope in 1978 and was canonized in 2014, is a contemporary saint. His example shows us that holiness is not an unreachable goal but something attainable in our time.

Rejoice in the love, little children, that in the eyes of God you are unrepeatable and irreplaceable, because you are God's joy in this world. Witness peace, prayer and love. Thank you for having responded to my call.

Just as children are a source of joy to their parents, we are a source of joy to God. Though we are His creations, we are unique and irreplaceable in His eyes. God considers each one of us as His most beloved and precious child, and nothing can separate us from His love. He never takes His eyes off us and saves us from all danger.
      God spoke through the prophet Isaiah, saying: "But now, thus says the Lord, who created you, Jacob, and formed you, Israel: Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name: you are mine. When you pass through waters, I will be with you; through rivers, you shall not be swept away. When you walk through fire, you shall not be burned, nor will flames consume you. For I, the Lord, am your God, the Holy One of Israel, your savior. I give Egypt as ransom for you, Ethiopia and Seba in exchange for you. Because you are precious in my eyes and honored, and I love you, I give people in return for you and nations in exchange for your life. Fear not, for I am with you; from the east I will bring back your offspring, from the west I will gather you. I will say to the north: Give them up! and to the south: Do not hold them! Bring back my sons from afar, and my daughters from the ends of the earth: All who are called by my name I created for my glory; I formed them, made them” (Is 43:1-7).
      Because we are God’s joy, unique and irreplaceable in His eyes, nothing can separate us from Him. St. Paul beautifully expressed this truth:
“What then shall we say to this? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own Son but handed him over for us all, how will he not also give us everything else along with him? Who will bring a charge against God’s chosen ones? It is God who acquits us. Who will condemn? It is Christ [Jesus] who died, rather, was raised, who also is at the right hand of God, who indeed intercedes for us. What will separate us from the love of Christ? Will anguish, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or the sword? As it is written: “For your sake we are being slain all the day; we are looked upon as sheep to be slaughtered.” No, in all these things we conquer overwhelmingly through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor present things, nor future things, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Rom 8:31-39).
      Our task is to continually give thanks to God, our Creator and Savior, and to live joyfully in His love. As Our Lady reminds us, we must also bear witness to peace, prayer, and love in our lives.
   
 
 
September 25, 2015
"Dear children! Also today I am praying to the Holy Spirit to fill your hearts with a strong faith. Prayer and faith will fill your heart with love and joy and you will be a sign for those who are far from God. Little children, encourage each other to prayer with the heart, so that prayer may fulfill your life; and each day, you, little children, will be, above all, witnesses of serving God in adoration and of your neighbor in need. I am with you and intercede for all of you. Thank you for having responded to my call."

Dear children! Also today I am praying to the Holy Spirit to fill your hearts with a strong faith. Prayer and faith will fill your heart with love and joy and you will be a sign for those who are far from God. 

Mothers instinctively know what their children need most at every moment. Likewise, Our Lady, as our true spiritual mother, knows better than anyone else what we, her beloved children, need most right now. According to her, what we need most at this moment is a firm faith. That is why she is praying for the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with firm faith.
Why does Our Lady emphasize the need for firm faith? The first and simplest reason is that we lack it. If we had firm faith, there would be no need for her to pray for the Holy Spirit to fill us with it.
      The second reason is that we are surrounded by circumstances that demand stronger faith. The world increasingly encourages us to forget and abandon God, so now, more than ever, we need firm faith.
      Our Lady is praying for the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with firm faith, but what are we asking for in our prayers? Do we also believe that what we need most right now is the firm faith essential for our salvation?
      When Jesus asked His disciples, “But who do you say that I am?” Simon Peter said in reply, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.” Jesus said to him in reply, “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah. For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my heavenly Father” (cf. Mt 16:15-17).
      Faith is fundamentally a gift from heaven. That is why, like the apostles, we must earnestly pray, “Increase our faith!” (Lk 17:5). Even though faith is a gift from heaven, it also grows through prayer. A person who does not pray will never have strong faith, because faith is also the fruit of prayer. Prayer and faith are inseparable, like two sides of the same coin. Prayer strengthens faith, and those with strong faith pray more. As prayer and faith draw us closer to God, other gifts of the Holy Spirit, such as love and joy, will also fill our hearts.
      What fills our hearts will inevitably show through our actions. If our hearts are filled with prayer, faith, love, and joy, our faces, eyes, and entire demeanor will reflect a radiant light. As Jesus said, “You are the light of the world. A city set on a mountain cannot be hidden. Nor do they light a lamp and then put it under a bushel basket; it is set on a lampstand, where it gives light to all in the house” (Mt 5:14-15). Our inner light will naturally influence those around us, especially those who are far from God, as they will experience Him indirectly through us.

Little children, encourage each other to prayer with the heart, so that prayer may fulfill your life.

Everyone in the Church, whether clergy, religious, or laity, must pray. A Church that does not pray is like a person who has stopped breathing. Prayer is the spiritual breath through which God's life continuously flows into us and into the Church. We must encourage one another to pray. Priests should lead by example, emphasizing the importance of prayer and encouraging the faithful to pray with them. Just as in Medjugorje, where priests lead the rosary before Mass and guide holy hours of prayer, they should encourage their parishioners to join them in prayer.
      Prayer is not just for priests and religious; it is the duty of every Christian. Prayer comes from the heart, not just from the lips. All Christians—whether spouses, parents and children, parishioners, members of communities or groups, friends, or neighbors—should pray together and encourage one another to pray from the heart. Where there is heartfelt prayer, there is life and abundance because God is present.

And each day, you, little children, will be, above all, witnesses of serving God in adoration and of your neighbor in need. I am with you and intercede for all of you. Thank you for having responded to my call.

Serving God should be constant and unwavering, no matter the circumstances. Even in moments of pain or suffering, we must continue to worship and serve Him, much like the example of Job in the Old Testament. Sometimes we may experience the dark night of the soul, when our hearts feel dry, and we cannot sense God's presence. Even in those moments, we must still worship and serve God. That is the mark of a true witness, one who worships and serves God every day.
      Moreover, serving God must take priority in our lives. When God is not our first priority, we are quick to forget and abandon Him, and it becomes easier to ignore our neighbors in need and fall into selfishness.
      As God's children, we are called to love, worship, and serve Him, and to share that love with our brothers and sisters. Through St. John, the Lord tells us: “If anyone says, “I love God,” but hates his brother, he is a liar; for whoever does not love a brother whom he has seen cannot love God* whom he has not seen. This is the commandment we have from him: whoever loves God must also love his brother” (1 Jn 4:20-21).
   
 
 
August 25, 2015
"Dear children! Also today I am calling you to be prayer. May prayer be for you the wings for an encounter with God. The world is in a moment of trial, because it forgot and abandoned God. Therefore you, little children, be those who seek and love God above all. I am with you and I am leading you to my Son, but you must say your 'yes' in the freedom of children of God. I intercede for you and I love you, little children, with an endless love. Thank you for having responded to my call."

Dear children! Also today I am calling you to be prayer. May prayer be for you the wings for an encounter with God. 

In this month's message, Our Lady calls us to "be prayer." How can we become prayer? There is only one way: by praying continuously. Not just praying moderately, but praying so much that prayer becomes a joy for us and fills our hearts. When we truly and earnestly pray from the heart for a long time, prayer becomes a part of us, and we may find ourselves praying without even realizing it. In such a state, a deep desire to continue praying rises within us, and we discover that nothing else brings as much joy as prayer. It is then that we can say we have become prayer.
       However, prayer is not an end in itself; it is a means to meet God. The purpose of prayer is to maintain and deepen our relationship with God. Since we are grounded in this world and easily distracted by worldly matters, we need wings to spiritually rise from this earth and meet our Heavenly Father. Though our bodies remain on earth, our hearts and souls must be able to fly toward our Heavenly Father. That’s why Our Lady says that she hopes prayer will be wings for us to meet God.

The world is in a moment of trial, because it forgot and abandoned God. Therefore you, little children, be those who seek and love God above all. 

When Moses led the Israelites out of slavery in Egypt, he told them: “Hear, O Israel! The Lord is our God, the Lord alone! Therefore, you shall love the Lord, your God, with your whole heart, and with your whole being, and with your whole strength. Take to heart these words which I command you today. Keep repeating them to your children. Recite them when you are at home and when you are away, when you lie down and when you get up. Bind them on your arm as a sign and let them be as a pendant on your forehead. Write them on the doorposts of your houses and on your gates" (Dt 6:4-9).
      The Israelites, who were miraculously freed from slavery in Egypt, understood clearly what Moses meant. When Moses proclaimed, “Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one,” they recognized that this God was the one who had shown compassion to them and performed miracles beyond human power to liberate them. They understood that this was the God who had chosen them as His people, and they resolved in their hearts never to forget Him and to serve only Him.
       Despite the warnings from Moses, the Israelites forgot about the God who had liberated them once they entered the Promised Land. As a result, they faced many trials, and eventually, as Moses had prophesied, they were destroyed. In 587 BC, Jerusalem was captured by the Babylonian king, the temple was destroyed, and the people were exiled to Babylon for 50 years. During this time of exile, the Israelites realized that their suffering was a result of their sins—especially the sin of abandoning God and worshipping idols. But by then, it was too late.
      And what about today? Two thousand six hundred years later, history is repeating itself. Like the Israelites of old, the world today has forgotten and abandoned God. The trials the world is facing now are nothing compared to the greater trials that lie ahead. Our Lady reminds us of past punishments: the flood that wiped out the sinful generation of Noah’s time and the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah for their wickedness. The world today is in a worse state than ever before in human history. What punishment will befall such a world is clear. God is loving and merciful, but He is also just. Humanity must realize that it is bringing punishment and destruction upon itself by forgetting and abandoning God. We must recognize God, love Him, and live according to His will. Only through repentance can we be saved from the trials and destruction that lie ahead.
      Just as only Noah and his family were saved from the flood because they remained righteous and faithful to God, Our Lady urges us to seek God above all else. She says, "Therefore, dear children, seek God above all else and become people who love Him."

I am with you and I am leading you to my Son, but you must say your 'yes' in the freedom of children of God. I intercede for you and I love you, little children, with an endless love. Thank you for having responded to my call.

God is the Creator of all things and almighty, yet He sought the consent of the Virgin Mary through the angel Gabriel before sending His Son into the world. He did not impose His will or force her to comply. Even though Mary was a creature, God respected her freedom and allowed her to respond freely.
      Our Lady, who experienced firsthand God’s respect for human freedom, now says to us, "I am with you and I am leading you to my Son, but you must say your 'yes' in the freedom of children of God." In calling us “children of God,” Our Lady reminds us of who we truly are. God is our Father, and we belong to Him. Just as God respects our freedom, so too must we respect the freedom of others.
      Love never forces or compels; it always respects the free will of the other. God, who is love itself, respects our free will, as does Our Lady, who always calls us her beloved children and assures us of her boundless love. Given this immense love and respect for our freedom, how could we say "no" to Our Lady’s desire to lead us to her Son? Instead, we can only respond with, "Mother of God and my Mother, lead me always to your Son, my Savior, Jesus. Mother, everything I have is yours. Totus Tuus, Amen."
   
 
 
July 25, 2015
"Dear children! With joy I am with you also today and I call all of you, little children, pray, pray, pray so as to comprehend the love which I have for you. My love is stronger than evil, little children, therefore draw closer to God so as to feel my joy in God. Without God, little children, you do not have a future, you do not have hope or salvation; therefore, leave evil and choose good. I am with you and, with you, I intercede before God for all of your needs. Thank you for having responded to my call."

Dear children! With joy I am with you also today and I call all of you, little children, pray, pray, pray so as to comprehend the love which I have for you. 

It is human nature not to want to be with those we dislike, and to want to be always with those we love. Hatred divides relationships, while love unites. Our Lady stays with us because she loves us and desires to be one with us. How incredible is it that the Mother of God, the Mother of our Savior, the spouse of the Holy Spirit, stays joyfully with us because she loves us? No human companionship can match this dignity.
      In Our Lady’s eyes, we are her little children. She looks at us with loving eyes, even when we are in sin, or far from her and God through grave sin. She, as the Mother of Mercy, never ceases to love us but instead calls us back to the path of conversion with deep compassion.
      Just as our earthly mothers desire the well-being and happiness of their children, so does Our Lady, our spiritual Mother, long for us to live in joy and peace on earth and to live forever with her in heaven. Her ultimate goal for us is to guide us to Jesus and to heaven, losing not a single soul along the way. However, we can only grasp the depth of her love through prayer. That is why Our Lady says to us, " Dear children! Today again, I am joyfully with you, and I call all of you, my little children, to pray, pray, and pray to understand the love I have for you.”

My love is stronger than evil, little children, therefore draw closer to God so as to feel my joy in God. 

In teaching us the Lord’s Prayer, Jesus concluded with, "Lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil," knowing well how Satan’s temptations and evil constantly surround us. In this month’s message, Our Lady also mentions evil, saying, “My love is stronger than evil, little children.” She reassures us that her love, stronger than evil, protects her little children from harm, and by entrusting ourselves to her love, we gain the strength to overcome evil.
       Our Lady’s joy is primarily rooted in her relationship with God. She dedicates everything to Him and finds joy in serving His will. As the Mother who protects her children from evil and pours her immeasurable love upon us, she experiences a profound maternal joy. Thus, for us to experience her joy in God, we too must draw closer to Him.

Without God, little children, you do not have a future, you do not have hope or salvation; therefore, leave evil and choose good. I am with you and, with you, I intercede before God for all of your needs. Thank you for having responded to my call.

In last month’s message, Our Lady said, "May God be your tomorrow." In this month’s message, she adds, "Without God, little children, you do not have a future, you do not have hope or salvation.” Once again, she speaks about our future. Without choosing God, without placing Him at the center of our lives, we cannot have any future, hope, or salvation. Only God can provide these things. Although a simple statement, it is a profound truth. Our Lady expresses her deep concern for our future and salvation through this warning.
      Evil leads us to sin and distances us from God. Therefore, we cannot live with God at the center of our lives while living in evil. We can only live with God when we choose goodness. Hence, to have a future, hope, and salvation, we must always choose good and keep God at the center of our lives. Our future, hope, and salvation depend on the choices we make. Let us ask Our Lady for her intercession to help us make good decisions. She reassures us by saying, "I am with you, and I intercede for all of you before God for all your needs." Let us respond by praying, "Mother, what I need most is God. Please continue to intercede for me, so that I may always long for God, reject evil, and choose good."
   
 
 
June 25, 2015
"Dear children! Also today the Most High gives me the grace to be able to love you and to call you to conversion. Little children, may God be your tomorrow and not war and lack of peace; not sorrow but joy and peace must begin to reign in the heart of every person - but without God you will never find peace. Therefore, little children, return to God and to prayer so that your heart may sing with joy. I am with you and I love you with immeasurable love. Thank you for having responded to my call."

Dear children! Also today the Most High gives me the grace to be able to love you and to call you to conversion. 

Our Lady says that her ability to love us and call us to conversion is granted by the grace of the Most High God. Although she is already full of God’s grace, she emphasizes with the phrase "also today" that this grace is renewed for her every day. We can sense Our Lady’s deep humility as she attributes all the good to God and His grace, recognizing the strength of this grace and the positive results it brings.
      Just as Jesus said, "He makes his sun rise on the bad and the good, and causes rain to fall on the just and the unjust" (Mt 5:45), our heavenly Father, the Most High God, grants us grace every day, regardless of our righteousness. The question is, how well do we recognize, accept with gratitude, and use this daily grace for good? God grants us grace while we sleep, as we wake up to begin our day, throughout the activities of the day, and as we close the day in the evening. But how often do we recognize this? How often do we give thanks for the grace we receive? Like Our Lady, who uses her grace to love us and call us to conversion, we must reflect on whether we are using the grace we receive for good and holy purposes.
      As we pray daily, we should acknowledge that the source of all grace, help, and strength is God alone. We can use the following psalm as a prayer of gratitude:

"I lift up my eyes to the mountains—
where does my help come from?
My help comes from the Lord,
the Maker of heaven and earth.
He will not let your foot slip—
he who watches over you will not slumber;
indeed, he who watches over Israel
will neither slumber nor sleep.
The Lord watches over you—
the Lord is your shade at your right hand;
the sun will not harm you by day,
nor the moon by night.
The Lord will keep you from all harm—
he will watch over your life;
the Lord will watch over your coming and going
both now and forevermore" (Psalm 121).

Little children, may God be your tomorrow and not war and lack of peace; not sorrow but joy and peace must begin to reign in the heart of every person - but without God you will never find peace. Therefore, little children, return to God and to prayer so that your heart may sing with joy.

Our Lady's words, "Little children, may God be your tomorrow," remind us of the parable of the foolish rich man:
Then he told them a parable. “There was a rich man whose land produced a bountiful harvest. He asked himself, ‘What shall I do, for I do not have space to store my harvest?’ And he said, ‘This is what I shall do: I shall tear down my barns and build larger ones. There I shall store all my grain and other goods and I shall say to myself, “Now as for you, you have so many good things stored up for many years, rest, eat, drink, be merry!” But God said to him, ‘You fool, this night your life will be demanded of you; and the things you have prepared, to whom will they belong? Thus will it be for the one who stores up treasure for himself but is not rich in what matters to God” (Lk 12:16-21).
      In this parable, the foolish rich man’s future was to build bigger barns to store his crops and wealth and to live in ease, eating, drinking, and enjoying life. His future seemed bright, but he failed to realize that his life could be demanded by God at any moment. Without God as our future, this could happen to anyone.
      As our societies age, concerns about life after retirement increase, and people make efforts to prepare for it thoroughly. This is natural and wise. However, how many people are preparing for their spiritual future by entrusting everything to God, the true owner of life? People constantly worry about their futures, but for those trying to build a future without God, may the words of Jesus echo in their hearts:
       "So do not worry and say, ‘What are we to eat?’ or ‘What are we to drink?’ or ‘What are we to wear?’ All these things the pagans seek. Your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. But seek first the kingdom [of God] and his righteousness, and all these things will be given you besides. Do not worry about tomorrow; tomorrow will take care of itself. Sufficient for a day is its own evil” (Mt 6:31-34).
       Every day, we are bombarded by news from the world through television, newspapers, the internet, and especially smartphones. But stories that warm the heart are few, and most of the news is filled with war, crime, and accidents—negativity. Seeing such gruesome and violent images can leave an imprint on our minds, making our hearts sad and heavy. What we truly need now is not more of such news but something that brings joy and peace to our hearts. Where can we find this? Only God can provide true joy and peace. God gives us these gifts through prayer. If we firmly believe in God's presence and pray with awareness of His nearness, we can experience true joy and peace. That is why Our Lady said, "Not war and lack of peace; not sorrow but joy and peace must begin to reign in the heart of every person - but without God you will never find peace. Therefore, little children, return to God and to prayer so that your heart may sing with joy.” 

I am with you and I love you with immeasurable love. Thank you for having responded to my call.

Through the grace of the Most High, Our Lady, who loves us, is with us. Her love, like God's, is limitless and beyond measure. She loves us with the grace of God and is the most God-like of all creatures. Let us feel her loving presence in our hearts and strive to live according to her messages in response to her call.
   
 
 
May 25, 2015
"Dear children! Also today I am with you and with joy I call all of you: pray and believe in the power of prayer. Open your hearts, little children, so that God may fill you with His love and you will be a joy to others. Your witness will be powerful and everything you do will be interwoven with God’s tenderness. I am with you and I pray for you and your conversion until you put God in the first place. Thank you for having responded to my call."

Dear children! Also today I am with you and with joy I call all of you: pray and believe in the power of prayer.

One day, a woman named Anna flew from England to Calcutta, India, to become a volunteer with Mother Teresa’s Missionaries of Charity. Mother Teresa welcomed her, and Anna worked diligently as a volunteer. However, after some time, Anna fell seriously ill and was no longer able to perform physical labor. Mother Teresa kindly suggested that Anna return to her home in England. Anna was deeply disappointed and pleaded to stay and continue working with the Missionaries of Charity. Mother Teresa gently told her, “Anna, I know your heart. But now it is impossible for you to work physically. Instead, you can go home and do something even greater—pray for our Missionaries of Charity.”
      Anna returned to England and prayed fervently, especially for Mother Teresa’s Missionaries of Charity. One day, the Indian government accused the Missionaries of Charity of illegally adopting orphans, causing trouble for Mother Teresa and her organization. Mother Teresa personally called Anna, saying, “Anna, now more than ever, your prayers are needed. Move heaven with your prayers!”
       Anna prayed intensely, and as a result, the Missionaries of Charity were cleared of the false accusations and freed from their troubles. Mother Teresa was a woman of prayer and believed in the power of prayer. That is why she asked Anna to help the Missionaries of Charity through prayer and to believe in the power of prayer.
       In the movie Mother Teresa, when Mother Teresa tells Anna to "move heaven with prayer," she says in English, “Storm the heaven!” The word “storm” means to "suddenly attack or rush." Literally, it means "to storm the heavens." In other words, it means to cling to God with all your strength and energy, to pray so fervently that it moves heaven.
      In Luke 11, Jesus teaches the importance of persistent prayer, saying: "And he said to them, “Suppose one of you has a friend to whom he goes at midnight and says, ‘Friend, lend me three loaves of bread, for a friend of mine has arrived at my house from a journey and I have nothing to offer him,’ and he says in reply from within, ‘Do not bother me; the door has already been locked and my children and I are already in bed. I cannot get up to give you anything.’ I tell you, if he does not get up to give him the loaves because of their friendship, he will get up to give him whatever he needs because of his persistence. 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. What father among you would hand his son a snake when he asks for a fish? Or hand him a scorpion when he asks for an egg? 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 11:5-13).
       A person who prays and believes in the power of prayer is someone who believes that the Almighty and merciful God is living among us and watching over us with love. A person who prays and believes in the power of prayer is someone who recognizes their own insignificance before God and humbly lowers themselves. Such a person can say, “Unless the Lord build the house, they labor in vain who build. Unless the Lord guard the city, in vain does the guard keep watch. It is vain for you to rise early and put off your rest at night, to eat bread earned by hard toil - all this God gives to his beloved in sleep” (Ps 127:1-2).
      Let us once again imprint Jesus’ words in our hearts: “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. What father among you would hand his son a snake when he asks for a fish?” (Lk 11:9-10).

Open your hearts, little children, so that God may fill you with His love and you will be a joy to others. Your witness will be powerful and everything you do will be interwoven with God’s tenderness. 

If a jar is already filled with something else, it cannot be filled with water, no matter how much you try. To fill the jar with water, it first needs to be emptied. Similarly, if a jar is tilted or its opening faces the ground, it cannot be filled with water either. Therefore, a jar must be empty, upright, and open toward the sky to be filled with water.
      Our hearts are the same. If our hearts are filled with other things, are not upright, or are attached to worldly matters, God cannot pour into them the water of life, the water of love, and the Holy Spirit. As Our Lady advises, we must open our hearts. Through prayer, we must open our hearts, remove the bad things within, and create an empty, pure heart. We must cultivate a heart that longs for God and His love. Only then can God come into our hearts and fill them with His love.
      When our hearts are filled with God’s love, we will lack nothing, and we will be fulfilled. Our appearance will change, and our faces will shine. God’s love is sacrificial love, a love that gives everything of itself. When this love fills our hearts, we, too, will be transformed into people who practice that same kind of love. A person who devotes themselves to others and gives of themselves brings joy to everyone around them.
      The evidence of love is shown not through words but through actions. No matter how much someone speaks of love, if they do not show love, that love is false. However, even without saying a word, if someone quietly lives a life of love, others will recognize and acknowledge that the love is genuine. If we are filled with God’s love and love our neighbors with that love, our testimony of love for God and neighbor will have great power.

I am with you and I pray for you and your conversion until you put God in the first place. Thank you for having responded to my call.

In this month’s message, just as in the previous month’s message, Our Lady says twice, at the beginning and the end, “I am with you.” By emphasizing her presence with us, she reveals how close she is to us. At the end of the message, she adds, “I pray for you and your conversion until you put God in the first place,” showing another reason for her presence with us. Our Lady is with us to teach us how to place God first in our lives and to guide us in conversion so that we may obtain God’s salvation. While our earthly mothers accompany us in our limited, physical lives, our spiritual Mother, Mary, is with us for our eternal lives. Mother Mary, who gave us Emmanuel, the God who is with us, Jesus, is with us to guide us to Emmanuel, our God.
   
 
 
April 25, 2015
"Dear children! I am with you also today to lead you to salvation. Your soul is restless because your spirit is weak and tired from all worldly things. You, little children, pray to the Holy Spirit that He may transform you and fill you with His strength of faith and hope, so that you may be firm in this battle against evil. I am with you and intercede for you before my Son Jesus. Thank you for having responded to my call."

Dear children! I am with you also today to lead you to salvation. Your soul is restless because your spirit is weak and tired from all worldly things. 

What is the goal of our faith? It is salvation. The Apostle Peter supports this with his words: “Although you have not seen him you love him; even though you do not see him now yet believe in him, you rejoice with an indescribable and glorious joy, as you attain the goal of [your] faith, the salvation of your souls” (1 Pt 1:8-9).
       Our salvation begins here on earth but reaches its final fulfillment in heaven, beyond death. Therefore, we must prepare well for this salvation on earth and constantly long for eternal life in heaven. However, preparing for our salvation in this life is not easy. We are constantly attacked by worldly matters and Satan. These pressures weaken us mentally, and our souls become filled with anxiety due to countless worries, fatigue, and fears. Our weak minds and restless souls cannot stand alone. We need external help—strong help. That help comes from Our Lady, the Helper of Christians.
       Through Medjugorje, Our Lady, our Mother, visits us daily. She tells us, "Dear children! I am with you also today to lead you to salvation.” She is not with us passively but is actively doing everything a mother can to lead her children to salvation and to help us in our difficulties. Imagine holding her hand as she holds the rosary, feeling her presence as if she were standing beside you. Think of yourself as being with her, and tell her everything you are experiencing, asking for her help.

You, little children, pray to the Holy Spirit that He may transform you and fill you with His strength of faith and hope, so that you may be firm in this battle against evil. I am with you and intercede for you before my Son Jesus. Thank you for having responded to my call.

Our Lady is the spouse of the Holy Spirit. When she was praying and received the visit of the Archangel Gabriel, she was told that by the power of the Holy Spirit, she would conceive the Son of the Most High, and this came to pass. Moreover, after Jesus ascended, while she was praying with the apostles in the upper room in Jerusalem, the Holy Spirit descended, and she witnessed firsthand how the apostles were transformed into completely new people through the power of the Holy Spirit (cf. Acts 1-2). Because Our Lady knows better than anyone how powerful the Holy Spirit is, she tells us, “Little children, pray to the Holy Spirit to transform you and fill you with His strength of faith and hope.”
      Jesus also said to the apostles: “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 14:6). “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). As the apostles prayed with Our Lady, the Holy Spirit descended upon them. Before receiving the Holy Spirit, the apostles lived in fear, locking their doors to avoid being killed by the Jews. But after receiving the Holy Spirit, they were transformed into completely new people. No longer fearing persecution or death, they became witnesses to Jesus, willing to give everything—even their lives—for Him, proclaiming His passion and resurrection for the salvation of humanity.
      This transformation occurred through the encouragement of Our Lady, the obedience of the apostles, and their prayer. In this month’s message, Our Lady encourages us and asks for our obedience and prayer as she longs for us to be transformed like the apostles. She says, “You, little children, pray to the Holy Spirit that He may transform you and fill you with His strength of faith and hope.”
      The Apostle Peter said, “Be sober and vigilant. Your opponent the devil is prowling around like a roaring lion looking for [someone] to devour. Resist him, steadfast in faith, knowing that your fellow believers throughout the world undergo the same sufferings” (1 Pt 5:8-9). As Peter tells us, the devil is always around us, seeking opportunities to lead us into sin and spiritually attack us. Therefore, we are engaged in an invisible spiritual battle every day. To stand firm in this battle and ultimately triumph, we need the help of the Holy Spirit. So, as Our Lady asks, let us pray to the Holy Spirit. Let us ask Him to transform us and fill us with His strength of faith and hope. Do not wait until tomorrow to pray—respond to Our Lady’s call today, right now, through prayer.
   
 
 
MArch 25, 2015
"Dear children! Also today the Most High permits me to be with you and to lead you on the way of conversion. Many hearts have shut themselves to grace and have become deaf to my call. You, little children, pray and fight against temptation and all the evil plans which the devil offers you through modernism. Be strong in prayer and with the cross in your hands pray that evil may not use you and may not conquer in you. I am with you and pray for you. Thank you for having responded to my call."

Dear children! Today again, the Most High permits me to be with you and to guide you on the path of conversion. Many people close their hearts to grace and do not hear my call.

Today is the Solemnity of the Annunciation, the day we celebrate the moment when the Virgin Mary of Nazareth received the visit of the Archangel Gabriel and was told that she would conceive and bear the Son of God. By accepting this message, Mary became the Holy Mother of God, the Mother of the Most High’s Son. It is true that Mary prayed daily, asking the Most High to send a Savior. However, she never imagined that she herself would be the one to bear the Savior. Yet, God had a special plan for Mary—to make her the Mother of the Redeemer. When Mary heard this plan through the Archangel Gabriel, although it was beyond her understanding, she humbly and obediently accepted it. Despite the fact that this plan would completely change the course of her life and involve great suffering, Mary entrusted herself fully to God, allowing His plan and will to be fulfilled.
      God is goodness itself, and as the one who knows even the number of hairs on our heads and cares for even the sparrows that are sold for two coins (cf. Lk 12:6-7), He always has the best plan for each of us. Therefore, even when we encounter difficult and seemingly unbearable situations, we must trust in God’s goodness and providence and entrust ourselves fully to Him. Like Our Lady, we must be able to say, “Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord. May it be done to me according to your word” (Lk 1:38). We must surrender everything to the Most High, allowing Him to work out His good will in all things.
      For 33 years and 9 months, the Most High has been sending Our Lady to us through Medjugorje. He allows her to be with us and to guide us on the path of conversion. The Most High desires that each of us repent, be saved, and enjoy eternal life. For this, we must offer infinite thanks to Him and fully entrust ourselves to His plan of salvation. We must open our hearts wide to His grace. We must open our ears to God’s message, which comes to us through Our Lady, who is full of grace.

You, little children, pray and fight against temptation and all the evil plans which the devil offers you through modernism.

In her message of May 25, 2010, Our Lady said, “But Satan, too, does not sleep and through modernism diverts you and leads you to his way.” In this month’s message, she mentions modernism again. What is modernism? I will quote part of the reflection I wrote on the message of May 25, 2010:
      “The modernism that Our Lady spoke of was prepared by the humanism that began in the 14th century and took hold starting with the French Revolution in the 18th century. It continues to exert influence even today. Modernism aims to radically change human thinking about God, humanity, the world, and life on earth and beyond. Though it may seem plausible at first glance, modernism places subjective human consciousness at the highest level and rejects anything that cannot be understood by that consciousness. Consequently, it denies dogmas, revealed truths, supernatural and mystical faith, miracles, and the prophecies that are signs of God’s word. Moreover, because modernism relies solely on the human mind and conscience, it rejects the need for a teacher and does not acknowledge the authority of the Church's Magisterium. Pope Pius X condemned modernism in his 1907 encyclical Pascendi, declaring, ‘Modernism is the synthesis of all heresies.’ Several popes have also warned of its dangers. While modernism may go by different names today, it aligns with progressivism, liberalism, and secularism, which place human beings, their minds, and their consciousness at the center.”
      “Satan’s attack, which tempted Eve by saying, ‘You will not die. For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil’ (Genesis 3:5), continues today. Satan leads humanity away from God, His word and revelation, the Church, the sacraments, the infallibility of the pope, and the authority of the Church’s teaching. He tempts humanity to make decisions and act solely based on their consciousness, leading them down the path of sin and destruction. Satan, who makes people believe that their minds and consciousness are absolute, is the enemy of human salvation, the devil.”
       The best way to fight against the devil’s plans and temptations is first to pray, ensuring that the devil’s spirit does not affect us or operate in the Church or the world. The Gospel shows us this path. When Jesus took Peter, John, and James up the mountain for the Transfiguration, the other disciples were in trouble. A man had brought his son, who was possessed by an evil spirit, asking them to cast it out, but they could not. Jesus expelled the spirit, and the disciples asked why they had failed. Jesus replied, “This kind can only come out through prayer” (Mark 9:29). This is why Our Lady says, “Little children, pray and fight against all the evil plans and temptations that the devil is offering you through modernism,” urging us to begin with prayer.
      The second way is to hold firmly to the revelations, faith, and teachings given by the Church, to be faithful to the Church’s Magisterium, and to accept the Gospel as it is. For example, when the Gospel says that Jesus fed five thousand people with five loaves and two fish, we must believe it as it is written. This is because Jesus is God incarnate, and there is nothing impossible for God. We believe in Jesus’ divinity, and in His divine power, He worked miracles to feed all those people. Some modernist interpretations may suggest that people were moved by Jesus’ actions and shared their own food, making it seem like everyone was fed. This is one of the errors that the devil spreads through modernism, subtly denying Jesus’ divinity.

Be strong in prayer and with the cross in your hands pray that evil may not use you and may not conquer in you. I am with you and pray for you. Thank you for having responded to my call.

“I raise my eyes toward the mountains. From whence shall come my help? My help comes from the Lord, the maker of heaven and earth. He will not allow your foot to slip; or your guardian to sleep. Behold, the guardian of Israel never slumbers nor sleeps. The Lord is your guardian; the Lord is your shade at your right hand. By day the sun will not strike you, nor the moon by night. The Lord will guard you from all evil; he will guard your soul. The Lord will guard your coming and going both now and forever” (Ps 121).
      As the psalmist says, our help comes only from the Lord. It is the Lord who keeps us from all evil and preserves our lives, so we must be with Him. How is this possible? Through prayer. Through prayer, we can be with the Lord, and His help can reach us. Through prayer, we realize that the Lord keeps us from all evil and guards our lives, and we become strong. Just as children feel strong and secure when they know their parents are behind them, we too become strong when we know that God is with us.
      Jesus triumphed over evil on the cross. Though we are weak, we become strong when we are with Jesus. Evil cannot defeat us. We triumph with Jesus. Following Our Lady’s words, when we hold the cross of Jesus in our hands and pray, we can feel the presence of Jesus crucified, who is with us. It is a highly effective way to pray. When we hold the cross of Jesus in our hands with love and faith, Jesus opens His hands to protect us from evil and embraces us into His heart.
      We are never alone. Even when it seems that no one is around us, we are never abandoned, for our Mother, Our Lady, is always with us. She watches over us—sometimes with sadness, sometimes with concern, and sometimes with a gentle smile—and prays for us. She gathers our prayers with her own and offers them to God the Father, multiplying their effectiveness. Therefore, we must never forget that our Blessed Mother, the Virgin Mary, is always with us.
   
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