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Fr. Stephen Shin’s Reflections on the Messages
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March 25, 2025

“Dear children, in this time of grace when you are called to conversion, I am encouraging you, little children: offer me your prayers, sufferings and tears for conversion of hearts that are far from the Heart of my Son Jesus. Pray with me, because, little children, without God you do not have a future or eternal life. I love you, but I cannot help you without you; therefore, say 'yes' to God. Thank you for having responded to my call.” (With Ecclesiastical approval)


Dear children, in this time of grace when you are called to conversion, I am encouraging you

     There is no one among us who dislikes grace. That is why we often ask God in prayer for various blessings. The content of our prayers may differ depending on each person’s circumstances, but we typically ask for health, employment, marriage, school admission, promotions, financial stability, and peace in the family. These are all important matters in life, and in that sense, it seems only natural to seek them from God.
     However, in this month’s message, the Blessed Mother says, “Dear children, in this time of grace when you are called to conversion, I am encouraging you,” reminding us that being called to conversion is, in fact, the true grace.
     Then who is the one calling us to conversion? It is God Himself. And God is calling us through the Blessed Mother. Why? To prevent us from walking the path of destruction. It is because of His deep love that seeks to save us from sin and lead us to eternal life.
     God desires that we serve Him with joy here on earth, together with the Blessed Mother. And ultimately, He wants us to enjoy eternal happiness in heaven with all the saints.
     As scripture repeatedly affirms and as the Blessed Mother's messages constantly remind us, all that we see in this world will pass away and disappear. In fact, we are already witnessing their gradual disappearance.
     Therefore, the graces we should seek in this world are not material or worldly, but spiritual and eternal—that is, heavenly graces. In that sense, the very first grace we should seek is none other than conversion.
     When we live in conversion, fully welcoming God into our hearts and striving always to follow His will, we build up spiritual treasure both on earth and in heaven. That treasure must be filled with prayer and fasting, charity and faith, forgiveness and love, and the fruits of holiness, salvation, and peace.
     A mother knows better than anyone what her children need and what is most important. The Blessed Mother, our true spiritual mother, knows very well that what we most urgently and essentially need at this time is conversion. That is why she says, “Dear children, in this time of grace when you are called to conversion, I am encouraging you.”
     When we undergo conversion here on earth, it brings joy to heaven. For Jesus also said: “I tell you, in just the same way, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous people who have no need of repentance.” (Luke 15:7)
     Today—no, at this very moment—let us repent and bring joy to God the Father in heaven, the Blessed Mother, and all the saints.

Little children: offer me your prayers, sufferings and tears for conversion of hearts that are far from the Heart of my Son Jesus.

   Before a plane takes off, we are given safety instructions through monitors or flight attendants. One crucial instruction is this: in case of an emergency, parents or guardians traveling with children should first put on their own oxygen mask and life jacket before assisting their children.
     Just as those who are already prepared must help those who are not yet ready, the Blessed Mother is asking us—after our own conversion—to assist in the conversion of others. That’s why she says: “Little children, offer me your prayers, sufferings, and tears for the conversion of hearts that are far from the Heart of my Son Jesus.”
     To live a life of continual conversion, we must be able to pray, make sacrifices, willingly endure suffering, and offer our tears for ourselves and for others to God. Because the Blessed Mother deeply experienced and practiced this more than anyone else while on earth, she now invites us to offer our prayers, sufferings, and tears to her so that she may help all of us. All that we sincerely offer to her, she will in turn present to Jesus. And through that offering, Jesus will pour out abundant grace for the conversion of souls who have strayed far from His Sacred Heart.

Pray with me.

     Praying alone is never easy. Even those who have practiced prayer for a long time find that unless they do so with great intention, praying alone can be quite difficult. That is why we must recognize the need for not only personal prayer but also prayer in community.
     Just as anything done together generates greater strength and synergy, so too does prayer bring about remarkable power when it is offered together. The Blessed Mother clearly calls us to personal prayer, but she urges us even more strongly to pray in community as often as possible—whether in our homes, in prayer groups, in churches, or wherever people gather.
     Jesus Himself made clear the power of communal prayer: “Amen, I say to you, if two of you agree on earth about anything for which they are to pray, it shall be granted to them by my heavenly Father. For where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I in the midst of them” (Mt 18:19-20).
     The Blessed Mother has said that wherever Jesus is, she is also present. Since all our prayers are ultimately directed to Jesus, the Blessed Mother is always with us in our prayer—though we often forget or are unaware of that truth. So we should always keep her words, “Pray with me,” in our hearts. When praying the Rosary especially, try saying: “Mother, I now take your hand and offer this prayer to Jesus. Please lead me to Him.” And when offering spontaneous or short prayers throughout the day, you can add: “Jesus, through the intercession of the Blessed Mother, I offer this prayer to you.”
     Whatever form or situation our prayer takes, let us cultivate the habit of praying with the Blessed Mother until it penetrates deep into our souls. Within that prayer, she will always lead us to Jesus

Little children, without God you do not have a future or eternal life. I love you, but I cannot help you without you; therefore, say 'yes' to God. Thank you for having responded to my call.

     We always live in preparation for tomorrow. As we grow older, we become more concerned with our life after retirement, focusing more on preparations for our later years. This comes from an instinctive fear for safety within us. So we buy insurance, prepare pensions, and make various investments to secure our future.
     But none of these can fully guarantee our future. As we have seen in the recent massive wildfires in California and Gyeongsangbuk-do, Korea, unexpected events can in an instant destroy our homes and everything we own.
     In such an uncertain world, the Blessed Mother speaks to us: Little children, without God you do not have a future or eternal life.” These words clearly remind us who we must truly rely on. The Blessed Mother is calling us to place all our hope in God alone.
     The psalmist, who seems to have weathered all the storms of life, also testifies:

     “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” (Ps 121:1–8).

     We must welcome God, who opens our future and gives us eternal life, into the very center of our lives. And following the loving invitation of the Blessed Mother, let us always respond with a resounding “yes” to God.
   
 
 
February 25, 2025
“Dear children, May this springtime be an encouragement for personal conversion for you, that with your lives you may pray and love God above all, for all those who are in need. Little children, be my hands of peace and prayer; be love for all those who do not love, do not pray and do not want peace. Thank you for having responded to my call." (With Ecclesiastical approval)

Dear children, May this springtime be an encouragement for personal conversion for you, that with your lives you may pray and love God above all, for all those who are in need.

    When winter passes and spring arrives, the weather warms up, new buds sprout on the branches, and flowers bloom. This is such a natural law that we know it well through experience.
      At this very moment, as we transition from winter to spring, the Blessed Mother says, “Dear children, May this springtime be an encouragement for personal conversion for you.” The Blessed Mother speaks these words because she desires for us to experience a spiritual spring. And what we need to welcome this spiritual spring is our personal conversion.
       For our souls to be filled with warmth and light, love and peace, we must return to God, who is the source of all these blessings. The process of returning our hearts, souls, and lives to God is conversion. Therefore, it is only through conversion that we can truly return to God.
      The Blessed Mother specifically emphasizes our personal conversion. We must remember that conversion always begins with ourselves. We should never think or say that someone else needs to convert first. For this reason, the Church encourages us, during the Penitential Rite of the Mass, to strike our chest and confess, “Through my fault, through my fault, through my most grievous fault.”
      All people in the world need conversion. However, before anything else, our personal conversion is of utmost importance. Just as a drop of water joins with others to form a stream, a river, and eventually an ocean, all transformation begins with our personal conversion. And this personal conversion not only brings spiritual spring to ourselves but also to those around us.
      God loved the world so much that He gave His only Son (Jn 3:16). This verse shows how concrete and practical God's love is. God's love was not just a feeling or words; it was an active love, demonstrated by sending His only Son into the world.
      The Blessed Mother desires for us to love God above all through our lives. This means that our concrete actions must show that we love God above all else. 
      Our circumstances and situations may differ, but one common requirement is that this love must manifest itself in a tangible way. If we say we love God but do not show it through our lives, people will call us hypocrites.
      Furthermore, if we only pretend to love God outwardly to appear righteous to others, without genuinely loving Him, such pretense will not last. In time, the truth will inevitably be revealed, often in unexpected ways. Even if this truth is not revealed to others, we cannot deceive God, who knows the deepest thoughts of our hearts.
      When we only think of ourselves, we cannot truly love God or our neighbors. To truly love God and our neighbors, we must think of God first and prioritize understanding our neighbors' situations. This is why prayer, love, and compassion always go hand in hand.
      A person who truly knows love does not first ask, “What do I need?” Instead, they ask, “At this very moment, who among us, whether myself or someone else, is in dire need of help?” Such a person prays to God for all those in need, asking Him to provide what they require. At the same time, they willingly share what they have, practicing concrete and tangible love.

Little children, be my hands of peace and prayer; be love for all those who do not love, do not pray and do not want peace. Thank you for having responded to my call.

      The Blessed Mother is the Mother of our Lord Jesus Christ, who is God. Such a revered and noble figure invites us to “be my hands of peace and prayer.” Who are we to become the Blessed Mother’s hands of peace and prayer? This invitation is the most honorable call we could ever receive, incomparable to any other invitation in the world. Through this call, the Blessed Mother elevates our dignity. If we offer not only our hands but our entire being to the Blessed Mother, allowing her to use us as her instruments, what could be more valuable and glorious than this?
      The Blessed Mother always calls us her “dear children.” Regardless of our circumstances, even if we are in sin, she loves us unconditionally. She invites us to pray above all, so that we may realize the existence and love of God. She constantly urges humanity, which lives without peace, to open their hearts to receive God’s peace. No one is excluded from this call, invitation, and exhortation. 
      The Blessed Mother is the Mother of all humanity. The Blessed Mother loves all her children unconditionally. She invites us to practice the same love. She does not call us to criticism, judgment, or condemnation but to fill our hearts with empathy, compassion, and love. She invites us to embrace even those who do not love, do not pray, and do not desire peace, just as she does. Let us respond to the Blessed Mother’s call with all our hearts.

   
 
 
January 25, 2025
“Dear children, In this year of grace, I am calling you to conversion. Put God, dear children, in the center of your living and the fruits will be love towards neighbor and joy of witnessing; and the holiness of your life will become a true witnessing of faith. Thank you for having responded to my call.” (With Ecclesiastical approval)

Dear children, In this year of grace, I am calling you to conversion

      The Blessed Mother often uses the general expression "this time of grace," but in this month's message, she uses a more specific expression: "this year of grace." Why did the Blessed Mother specify "year"? It is because she knows that the Church has designated 2025 as a Jubilee Year. On May 9, 2024, Pope Francis announced that the Catholic Church worldwide will celebrate the Jubilee Year under the theme "Pilgrims of Hope," beginning with the Feast of the Holy Family on December 29, 2024, and concluding on December 28, 2025. The Blessed Mother, keeping this in mind, declared in her message on January 25, 2025, at the start of the Jubilee Year, “Dear children, in this year of grace, I am calling you to conversion.”
      The concept of the Jubilee Year originates from Leviticus 25 in the Old Testament. On Mount Sinai, the Lord instructed Moses to proclaim a Jubilee Year for the Israelites every 50 years. During this time, the Israelites practiced justice and mercy by forgiving debts, freeing slaves, and restoring lost land and property.
      The Catholic Church has inherited this tradition on a spiritual level, emphasizing faith renewal and God’s mercy in this special time. The first Church Jubilee was initiated in 1300 by Pope Boniface VIII, and since then, ordinary Jubilees have been declared every 25 years, along with extraordinary Jubilees announced by the Pope. The Jubilee is a time to experience God’s infinite mercy, extend forgiveness to others, and practice peace and justice. During this period, the faithful can make pilgrimages, receive the Sacrament of Reconciliation, participate in Mass, perform acts of charity, and receive plenary indulgences.
      The 2025 Jubilee is an ordinary Jubilee Year proclaimed every 25 years. This Jubilee is a profound opportunity to renew our faith and experience God’s mercy more deeply. To fully embrace this grace, we must dedicate ourselves to both spiritual and practical efforts, starting with conversion.
      Conversion is the essential first step in renewing our relationship with God and reconciling with our neighbors. Jesus began His public ministry with a call to conversion, saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel” (Mk 1:15). Without conversion, we cannot truly believe the Gospel or accept the Kingdom of God. Moreover, without conversion, it is impossible to experience God’s mercy and salvation.
      As the Blessed Mother appears in Medjugorje as a prophet of Jesus, she understands that conversion is the most necessary virtue. In her message on February 25, 1996, she said, “Dear children! Today I invite you to conversion. This is the most important message I have given you here.”
       On January 25, 2025, in the first month of the Jubilee Year, the Blessed Mother reiterated her invitation: “Dear children, in this year of grace, I am calling you to conversion.” Despite nearly 30 years having passed since 1996, her message remains unchanged, emphasizing the urgent need for conversion. This reflects her ardent desire for the flood of God’s grace to pour upon us through our conversion.
      Conversion begins with acknowledging ourselves as sinners. It progresses as we sincerely confess our sins and receive God’s forgiveness, opening the way to true repentance. This process is realized through the Sacrament of Reconciliation, which is both an external sign of our repentance and its essential first step. True conversion is impossible without the Sacrament of Reconciliation.
      Let us respond to the Blessed Mother’s call and begin this Jubilee Year of grace by receiving the Sacrament of Reconciliation. This sacrament is a divine means through which God forgives our sins, restores what Satan and evil have taken from us, and abundantly pours out His infinite mercy upon us. It is also the most tangible way to experience God’s mercy.

Put God, dear children, in the center of your living and the fruits will be love towards neighbor and joy of witnessing; and the holiness of your life will become a true witnessing of faith. Thank you for having responded to my call.

      The reason the Blessed Mother invites us to conversion is singular: to lead us to salvation in God. If she had no concern for us and did not love us, she would not care about our salvation. Her call to conversion arises entirely from her profound love for us. That is why she always addresses us with the tender words, “Dear children,” and in this month’s message, she calls us by this endearing name twice.
      The Blessed Mother earnestly desires that we place God at the center of our lives. For those who have converted, it is natural to center their lives around God. Before conversion, one’s life might have revolved around self-centered desires or sin, but after conversion, God takes the central place, while everything that hinders His will must be pushed to the periphery or entirely removed. Just as we place what is most important at the center of our lives, God, who is of utmost importance, must always be at the center of our lives, hearts, and souls.
      When we live with God at the center, He transforms our lives, hearts, souls, and even our physical being. God’s love fills us to overflowing, and everything about us begins to radiate light. This transformation is evident to those around us, even without our saying a word.
      Moreover, when God resides at the center of our lives, we deeply experience His love and strive to love Him in return. This love naturally overflows into love for our neighbors. Just as parental love flows down to their children, God’s love for us flows through us to others. Love is, in this way, a “downward love.” It begins with God’s love and flows downward into love for our neighbors.
      God is holy, and He desires us to become holy as He is. He says, “Be holy, for I, the Lord your God, am holy” (Lev 19:2). Those who center their lives around the holy God are naturally called to live a life of greater holiness. Priests, religious, and laity are all called to holiness, which encompasses not only piety and devotion but also the practice of justice and mercy.
      When we live such a holy life, our very existence becomes a witness to true faith. This is the life the Blessed Mother desires for us: a life centered on God, filled with His love, overflowing into love for our neighbors, and rooted in holiness, justice, and mercy. This is the vision she holds for each of us.
   

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