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Fr. Stephen Shin’s Reflections on the Messages

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January 25, 2021

"Dear children! I am calling you at this time to prayer, fasting and renunciation, that you may be stronger in faith. This is a time of awakening and of giving birth. As nature, which gives itself, you also, little children, ponder how much you have received. Be joyful bearers of peace and love that it may be good for you on earth. Yearn for Heaven; and in Heaven there is no sorrow or hatred. That is why, little children, decide anew for conversion and let holiness begin to reign in your life. Thank you for having responded to my call."

Dear children! I am calling you at this time to prayer, fasting and renunciation, that you may be stronger in faith.

In previous messages, Our Lady has used the word "renunciation" about twenty times. Each time, she invites us to embrace prayer, fasting, or repentance. In this month's message, she once again says, "I am calling you at this time to prayer, fasting and renunciation." Renunciation is always related to choices; whenever we make a choice, we must give up something else. For example, if we wish to place prayer at the center of our lives as Our Lady requests, we must give up something that currently occupies that position. To prioritize prayer, we must spend more time praying, which naturally means we must reduce the time spent on other activities like watching YouTube or television. Simply put, choosing prayer means we must renounce other activities.

Similarly, if we choose to fast on Wednesdays and Fridays, as Our Lady has asked, we must give up our favorite foods on those days. The same applies to repentance. If we want to repent, we must renounce sin, worldly attachments, and material desires. Thus, Our Lady is calling us to give up whatever hinders our spiritual growth and holiness.

This is a time of awakening and of giving birth. As nature, which gives itself, you also, little children, ponder how much you have received.

We are living in very difficult times, particularly due to the COVID-19 pandemic that began in earnest in March of last year. While vaccines are being developed and administered, and treatments are on the horizon, we continue to face challenges in all areas of life—social, cultural, educational, religious, political, and economic. Despite these difficulties, Our Lady tells us, "This is a time to awaken and to give life." What does she want us to awaken to and realize?

She desires that we awaken from the spiritual pride of believing that we humans can do everything by ourselves and recognize how weak we truly are without God, the source of true life. She also urges us to give life—not only by thinking of ourselves and our families but also by caring for those who are in even more difficult situations than ours and showing them love and charity.

Nature receives everything from God but does not keep anything for itself. Instead, it gives everything for the benefit of humanity. Although these times are challenging, we have already received so much from God and His creation, and we continue to receive countless blessings. Instead of focusing on what we lack, we should reflect on what we have and cultivate a heart of gratitude. We should also express gratitude in advance for what is yet to come, trusting in God's providence. Jesus reminds us of God's care for us with these words: "Are not two sparrows sold for a small coin? Yet not one of them falls to the ground without your Father’s knowledge. Even all the hairs of your head are counted. So do not be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows” (Mt10:29- 31).

Be joyful bearers of peace and love that it may be good for you on earth. Yearn for Heaven; and in Heaven there is no sorrow or hatred. That is why, little children, decide anew for conversion and let holiness begin to reign in your life. Thank you for having responded to my call.

God has given us life on this earth, but this life is finite, and no one is exempt from its end. Each person has their own goals and purposes for living. As we begin a new year, it is essential to reflect on the purpose and direction of our earthly lives.

In this message, Our Lady emphasizes that for life on earth to be truly good, we must become joyful messengers of peace and love. This, she says, should be our goal in life. To achieve this, we must first cultivate peace and love within our own hearts and then spread it to others through our actions. The best way to share these virtues is by being a living example.

The source of peace and love is God, and we can only receive these gifts when He bestows them upon us. Therefore, to live a life of peace and love, we must invite God into our hearts and allow Him to take the first place in our lives. We must trust in His presence and power and pray earnestly for Him to grant us peace and love. If we ask in Jesus' name for peace and love, God will surely answer that prayer.

While many things are necessary for living on earth, Our Lady reminds us that peace and love are the most important, and nothing else compares in significance. No amount of wealth, knowledge, power, or fame can replace the peace and love that come from God. Without these, all other achievements are meaningless. The only way to truly live a fulfilling life on earth is by following Our Lady’s message.

Heaven is real, and it is eternal. The Church teaches that there are three destinations after death: hell, purgatory, and heaven. Hell is the place of eternal punishment, purgatory is a place of purification for those destined for heaven, and heaven is a place where we will see God face to face and live in eternal happiness. Our Lady tells us to long for heaven because there, there is no sorrow or hatred—only joy and love. Heaven is a real place, inhabited by God, Jesus, the Blessed Mother, the saints, and all those who have been saved. Though invisible to us now, heaven is very much alive.

While living on earth, we must long for heaven and prepare ourselves to enter it. We should thank Our Lady for teaching us about heaven and follow her guidance to make ourselves ready. She calls us to repent in order to reach heaven. Repentance involves turning away from all sin and evil and placing God at the center of our lives, living according to His word and will. To truly repent, holiness must reign in our lives. Without prayer, reading the Bible, attending Mass, fasting, and receiving the sacrament of confession, we cannot achieve holiness or repentance.

Repentance is not a one-time event. We cannot say, "I repented last year, so I don't need to repent this year," or, "I repented yesterday, so I don’t need to repent today." Repentance must be a daily and moment-to-moment practice that continues until the moment of our death. This is why Our Lady, at the start of the year 2021, once again calls us to "decide to repent." She sees that we still have a long way to go, as she says, "Let holiness begin to reign in your lives." Since holiness has not yet fully ruled in our lives, she urges us to begin. However, she also sees the hearts of those who have already started on this path and those who are committed to walking it, and she says, "Thank you for responding to my call."

2020년 12월 25일

"Dear children! I am carrying to you little Jesus who brings you peace, Him who is the past, present and future of your existence. Little children, do not permit for your faith and hope in a better future to be extinguished, because you are chosen to be witnesses of hope in every situation. That is why I am here with Jesus that He may bless you with His peace. Thank you for having responded to my call."

Dear children! I am carrying to you little Jesus who brings you peace, Him who is the past, present and future of your existence.

When Jesus was born in Bethlehem, an angel appeared to the shepherds in the fields of Bethlehem and said to them, “Do not be afraid; for behold, I proclaim to you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. For today in the city of David a savior has been born for you who is Messiah and Lord. And this will be a sign for you: you will find an infant wrapped in swaddling clothes and lying in a manger.” And suddenly there was a multitude of the heavenly host with the angel, praising God and saying: “Glory to God in the highest and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests” (Lk 2:10-14).

The Blessed Mother, by saying, "I am carrying to you little Jesus who brings you peace," is once again echoing this song of praise. Jesus was born to bring peace to humanity, and the Blessed Mother, more than anyone, understood Jesus’ heartfelt desire for this peace and continues to understand it today. However, not everyone can receive this divine and heavenly peace that is offered as a gift. Although Jesus desires to give His peace to all, only those who open their hearts to Him as Savior can accept and experience this peace. Like the shepherds who, upon hearing the angels' message, went to Bethlehem to worship the Infant Jesus lying in a manger and praised God (Luke 2:15-20), those who hear God's word, accept it as truth, and follow it are the ones who please God and are able to receive the peace that Jesus offers.

Paul writes in his letter to the Colossians:

"He is the image* of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. For in him* were created all things in heaven and on earth, the visible and the invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers; all things were created through him and for him. He is before all things, and in him all things hold together. He is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in all things he himself might be preeminent. For in him all the fullness* was pleased to dwell, and through him to reconcile all things for him, making peace by the blood of his cross [through him], whether those on earth or those in heaven” (Col 1:15-20).

As this hymn reveals, all creation was made in and through Jesus Christ, and for Him. Thus, all beings, including humanity, derive life from Jesus, continue to exist through His power, and will ultimately return to Him. Therefore, when the Blessed Mother says that Jesus is the past, present, and future of our existence, her words are absolutely true. Jesus is the foundation of our being. Without Him, we would not have come into existence, we would not exist now, and we cannot continue to exist. Our past, present, and future are meaningful only when connected to Jesus. When we fully entrust ourselves to Jesus, who created us, sustains us, and leads us to eternal life, His birth becomes the fulfillment of our salvation.

Little children, do not permit for your faith and hope in a better future to be extinguished, because you are chosen to be witnesses of hope in every situation. That is why I am here with Jesus that He may bless you with His peace. Thank you for having responded to my call.

The story of Joseph is found in Genesis chapters 37 to 50. Joseph was the eleventh son of Jacob, who was later named Israel by God. Through Joseph, God planned to save his father, his brothers, and their entire family. No one expected Joseph to be chosen by God. At seventeen, Joseph nearly lost his life due to his brothers' jealousy and was sold to Ishmaelite traders, who brought him to Egypt. There, he became the steward of Potiphar, the captain of Pharaoh’s guard. However, after resisting Potiphar’s wife’s advances, he was falsely accused and imprisoned. In prison, Joseph interpreted the dream of Pharaoh’s cupbearer, who was later reinstated. Joseph asked the cupbearer to remember him when he was freed, but the cupbearer forgot.

Two years later, Pharaoh had two strange dreams that none of Egypt’s wise men could interpret. Then the cupbearer remembered Joseph, who interpreted Pharaoh’s dreams as a warning from God: Egypt would experience seven years of abundance followed by seven years of famine, urging Pharaoh to appoint someone to prepare. Impressed, Pharaoh appointed Joseph as Egypt’s prime minister at thirty years old.

Joseph prepared Egypt for the coming famine. When the famine struck, Egypt had enough grain, but Canaan, where Jacob and his family lived, did not. Jacob sent his sons to Egypt to buy grain, where they encountered Joseph, who eventually revealed himself as their brother. Shocked and fearful, the brothers were reassured by Joseph, who told them, “Do not be distressed, and do not be angry with yourselves for having sold me here. It was really for the sake of saving lives that God sent me here ahead of you. The famine has been in the land for two years now, and for five more years cultivation will yield no harvest. God, therefore, sent me on ahead of you to ensure for you a remnant on earth and to save your lives in an extraordinary deliverance. So it was not really you but God who had me come here; and he has made me a father to Pharaoh, lord of all his household, and ruler over the whole land of Egypt. “Hurry back, then, to my father and tell him: ‘Thus says your son Joseph: God has made me lord of all Egypt; come down to me without delay. You can settle in the region of Goshen, where you will be near me—you and your children and children’s children, your flocks and herds, and everything that you own. I will provide for you there in the five years of famine that lie ahead, so that you and your household and all that are yours will not suffer want.’”

Jacob and his entire family moved to Egypt, where they prospered, and Jacob (now Israel) passed away peacefully in Joseph’s embrace. After their father’s death, Joseph’s brothers feared he might seek revenge. But Joseph reassured them, saying, “Don’t be afraid. Am I in the place of God? You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives. So then, don’t be afraid. I will provide for you and your children.”

Despite being abandoned, nearly killed, sold into slavery, and imprisoned, Joseph never lost hope. Through his trials, he deeply understood that the Lord was with him, strengthened by prayer and reflection. This conviction that God was with him was Joseph’s source of hope, even in the worst circumstances. He believed that God would use his trials and even his brothers' wrongdoings for the good of all. His faith kept the flame of hope alive.

During World War II, a prisoner in Cologne, Germany, wrote on a basement wall, “I believe in the sun even when it is not shining. I believe in love even when I don’t feel it. I believe in God even when He is silent.” This unknown individual held unshakable hope and faith in God’s presence and love, even amid silence.

The God who came to us as a human being is Jesus. We call Him Emmanuel, which means “God with us.” Although we cannot see Him, He is present among us. We firmly believe that He came as our Savior, is with us now, and grants us peace. That is why we can kneel before the Christ child in the manger and pray, “Lord Jesus, You are my past, present, and future. Only You can provide me with a better future. I place all my hope in You alone. Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to those on whom His favor rests!”

Lord Jesus, You are the past, present, and future of my existence. Only You can give me a better future. I trust in You completely and place all my hope in You. Glory to God in the highest, and peace on earth to those with whom He is pleased.

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