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Fr. Stephen Shin’s Reflections on the Messages
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March 25, 2020
"Dear children! I am with you all these years to lead you to the way of salvation. Return to my Son; return to prayer and fasting. Little children, permit God to speak to your heart, because Satan is reigning and wants to destroy your lives and the earth on which you walk. Be courageous and decide for holiness. You will see conversion in your hearts and families; prayer will be heard; God will hear your cries and give you peace. I am with you and am blessing you all with my motherly blessing. Thank you for having responded to my call."

Dear children! I am with you all these years to lead you to the way of salvation. Return to my Son; return to prayer and fasting.

Our Lady first began appearing in Medjugorje on June 24, 1981. From that time until now, she has been with us every day for 38 years and 9 months. The reason for her long presence is simple: it is for our salvation. She is here to lead us on the path of salvation because she loves us. We are her children, and because Satan is trying to lead us to the path of destruction, Our Lady remains with us to protect her beloved children. She desires for us not to walk the path of destruction but to be saved and live with her eternally in Heaven. That is why she calls us to return to her Son, Jesus, the only Savior who can open the doors of Heaven and give us eternal life.
    Right now, the whole world is struggling with the COVID-19 pandemic. Never in recent history has humanity been gripped by such fear and anxiety. We are realizing how weak we are and how insignificant the power of human civilization can be. We are all united in prayer, hoping this difficult situation will soon pass. While we make every human effort to overcome this crisis, which is entirely appropriate, it is also crucial at this moment to deeply reflect on the spiritual state of humanity from God's perspective. Through this deep reflection, we must turn our hearts towards true repentance. We must abandon the belief that we can achieve everything through human strength alone and turn back to Jesus, the King of the universe, and God, the Father of all. Like the Prodigal Son, who only realized his wrongdoing after squandering everything and reaching the lowest point, we must turn back to the Father’s house (cf. Lk 15:11-32).
The most important step in returning to Jesus is repentance. Without repentance, we cannot return to Him. The most powerful and effective weapons for helping us repent are prayer and fasting. Prayer helps open our hearts to Jesus, and fasting helps us surrender everything to Him, relying solely on His strength, including our very lives.

Little children, permit God to speak to your heart, because Satan is reigning and wants to destroy your lives and the earth on which you walk. Be courageous and decide for holiness. 

When Jesus was tempted by Satan in the wilderness for forty days, He overcame all temptations by relying on God's word (cf. Mt 4:1-11). Through this, Jesus taught us that we too must rely entirely on God's word to resist Satan’s temptations.
      The first human ancestors, Adam and Eve, committed the original sin by believing Satan's lies over God’s word. As a result, their relationship with God, with each other, and with nature was broken. They lost eternal life and were expelled from the Garden of Eden. This same Satan continues to rule the world today, trying to destroy not only our lives but the earth we live on. He wants us to rebel against God, just as he did, leading us to sin and destruction. The way to overcome him is by listening to God’s word and living according to it. Jesus spoke about Satan, saying, "He was a murderer from the beginning and does not stand in truth, because there is no truth in him. When he tells a lie, he speaks in character, because he is a liar and the father of lies" (Jn 8:44).
      Even though it may seem like Satan is ruling and victorious in this world, we should not fear him. His time is almost up, and in the end, he will be left with nothing—he will be defeated. Jesus will cast him into eternal hell, and the Immaculate Heart of Mary will triumph. Therefore, we must be courageous and live in holiness. When we do, Our Lady tells us what will happen next:

You will see conversion in your hearts and families; prayer will be heard; God will hear your cries and give you peace. I am with you and am blessing you all with my motherly blessing. Thank you for having responded to my call.

When we trust in God's power and live courageously and in holiness, we will bear the fruit of conversion in our hearts and families. Prayer offered with pure hearts, intentions, and deep faith will undoubtedly be answered. God will hear our cries and grant us peace, just as He heard the cries of the Israelites in Egypt and delivered them from slavery. The Bible says, “The Israelites groaned under their bondage and cried out, and from their bondage their cry for help went up to God. God heard their moaning and God was mindful of his covenant with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob” (Ex 2:23-24).
      This same God, out of His love for the world, sent His only Son, Jesus, as our Savior. Jesus told us, “Ask and it will be given to you; 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” (Mt 7:7-8). He also said, “Until now you have not asked anything in my name; ask and you will receive, so that your joy may be complete” (Jn 16:24).
      God listens to our prayers and responds to them because we are His beloved children, and He is our loving Father. Likewise, Our Lady is with us no matter our circumstances, blessing us with all the blessings she can offer as our loving Mother. She always calls us “Dear children!” because she is our Mother, full of love for us.
   
 
 
February 25,2020
"Dear children! In this time of grace, I desire to see your faces transformed in prayer. You are so flooded by earthly concerns, you do not even feel that spring is at the threshold. You are called, little children, to penance and prayer. As nature fights in silence for new life, also you are called to open yourselves in prayer to God, in Whom you will find peace and warmth of the spring sun in your hearts. Thank you for having responded to my call."

Dear children! In this time of grace, I desire to see your faces transformed in prayer. You are so flooded by earthly concerns, you do not even feel that spring is at the threshold. 

When we pray, our faces change—not just change, but become radiant, filled with life, purity, and holiness. In other words, our faces are transformed. Why? Because through prayer, our hearts and souls are transformed. As our hearts become kinder and our souls holier in prayer, it is reflected on our faces. Prayer, as a meeting with the good and holy God, brings His goodness and holiness into us, changing everything within us.
      Just as the eyes are the windows to the soul, our faces reflect the state of our souls. If you want a transformed face, you must first transform your soul. Prayer is the way to do this, and it is God's power through our prayer that ultimately renews us.
      Moses, the liberator of Israel, went up Mount Sinai to receive the tablets of the Ten Commandments, praying and fasting for forty days. When he descended from the mountain, his face shone so brightly that the people of Israel could not look directly at him. The Bible tells us, "As Moses came down from Mount Sinai with the two tablets of the covenant in his hands, he did not know that the skin of his face had become radiant while he spoke with the Lord. When Aaron, then, and the other Israelites saw Moses and noticed how radiant the skin of his face had become, they were afraid to come near him" (Ex 34:29-30).
      Thus, prayer has the power to transform the human face. Just as God transformed Moses' face after forty days of prayer and fasting, He will also transform our faces to shine with holiness if we pray today.
      But Our Lady tells us, “Dear children! In this time of grace, I desire to see your faces transformed in prayer. You are so flooded by earthly concerns, you do not even feel that spring is at the threshold.” Why does Our Lady want to see our faces transformed in prayer? Because our faces have not yet been transformed. Either we are not praying at all, or we are praying too little or superficially.
      Now is truly a time of grace. We have been given time to repent. We have been given time to pray. What we choose to do and how we use our time is up to us. Unfortunately, we are immersed in worldly concerns, unable to even notice that spring is at the doorstep. We are making poor choices and have lost our spiritual sensitivity. We are giving our hearts, souls, and time to things that are passing away. To us, in this condition, Our Lady says:

You are called, little children, to penance and prayer. As nature fights in silence for new life, also you are called to open yourselves in prayer to God, in Whom you will find peace and warmth of the spring sun in your hearts. Thank you for having responded to my call.

Our Lady comes to the world as a prophet of God. A prophet’s role is to deliver God's word and will to the world, calling people to conversion. Thus, the messages Our Lady gives us are messages from God Himself. Therefore, we must take them very seriously.
       God is calling us through Our Lady. He is calling us to do penance and to pray. We continue to sin, and the sins of the world increase, filling the cup of God’s wrath. Therefore, we must do penance in the spirit of Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross. We must especially pray for the conversion of sinners. Doing penance and praying for the salvation of ourselves and the world is our calling because God is leading us down this path.
      God's second call is to open ourselves to Him in prayer. The context of opening ourselves to God is “in prayer.” Prayer is the only key that allows us to open ourselves to God. Only those who pray can open their hearts to God. As a result, they dwell in God, and in God, they experience the peace of heart and the warmth of love. There is an old saying, “Laughter brings blessings.” But in reality, it is through prayer that the source of all blessings—God—comes to us. Still, we do not pray, or we pray too little or superficially, which is why Our Lady continually says, "Pray, pray, pray."
   
 
 
January 25, 2020
"Dear children! Today I am calling you to pray even more, until you feel the holiness of forgiveness in your heart. There must be holiness in the families, little children, because there is no future for the world without love and holiness – because in holiness and joy, you give yourselves to God the Creator who loves you with immeasurable love. This is why He sends me to you. Thank you for having responded to my call."

Dear children! Today, I am calling you to pray even more until you feel the holiness of forgiveness in your heart.

Jesus told His apostles, “If your brother sins, rebuke him; and if he repents, forgive him. And if he wrongs you seven times in one day and returns to you seven times saying, ‘I am sorry,’ you should forgive him.” And the apostles said to the Lord, “Increase our faith” (Lk 17:3-5). Why did the apostles suddenly ask Jesus to increase their faith when He spoke about forgiveness? They realized from their experience that they couldn’t forgive their wrongdoers by their own strength. They also knew that they could only truly forgive with God’s power, so they asked Jesus to increase their faith.
      Faith is not something we create on our own; it is an act of fully entrusting ourselves to God's will and omnipotence. So how can our faith grow? How can the Lord increase our faith? There is only one way: prayer. Through prayer, our hearts open to the Lord, and He gives us the gift of faith. It is not something we can develop on our own, but a gift from God that grows within us when we pray and open our hearts to Him.
      Forgiveness is holy because God, in His holiness, forgives human sin. It is holy because it reconciles us with God and makes us one with Him. Forgiveness opens the path for sinners to become saints, and through forgiveness among people, reconciliation, love, and peace are restored. To feel the holiness of forgiveness in our hearts, our hearts must change. Pride, hatred, and envy must disappear from within us. How is this possible? Through prayer. If we still do not feel the holiness of forgiveness in our hearts, it means that our prayers are insufficient. That is why Our Lady says, “Dear children! Today, I am calling you to pray even more until you feel the holiness of forgiveness in your heart.”

There must be holiness in the families, little children, because there is no future for the world without love and holiness – because in holiness and joy, you give yourselves to God the Creator who loves you with immeasurable love. This is why He sends me to you. Thank you for having responded to my call.

As our Mother, Our Lady is concerned about our future and the future of the world. She tells us that the future of the world depends on the presence of love and holiness in the world, particularly within families. Holiness in families is essential because most people are born, raised, and shaped within families, regardless of their form or circumstances. The family is the first place where humans experience life, and if they do not experience love and holiness there, the world will lack love and holiness. Therefore, holiness must first be nurtured within families, where loving and holy individuals—saints—are formed, so that love and holiness can fill the world.
      How can there be holiness in families? God must dwell there. How can we invite God into our families? By praying together, reading and reflecting on the Bible, living according to His Word, and attending Sunday Mass to receive the Eucharist as a family, we allow God to enter our homes, bringing holiness. Additionally, we should decorate our homes with religious items, such as crucifixes, images of the Sacred Heart of Jesus and the Immaculate Heart of Mary, Divine Mercy images, and statues of saints, to remind us of holiness. Just as a church is a place of holiness, our homes, as small churches, should also become places where holiness is felt. In this context, the following message from Our Lady becomes meaningful: "Dear children! Today I call on you to read the Bible every day in your homes and let it be in a visible place so as always to encourage you to read it and to pray. Thank you for having responded to my call" (October 18, 1984).
      Our future and the future of the world do not depend on our abilities, wealth, military power, or advanced technology. Only when we embrace love and holiness, the essence and source of which is God, will there be a future. In other words, when we invite God, the embodiment of love and holiness, into our hearts and lives, and live in love and holiness, we and the world will have a future.
       We already know through scripture, homilies, spiritual teachings, and Catholic media that God loves us infinitely. The problem, however, is that while we understand this intellectually, we often do not feel it in our hearts. Why? Because we have not yet formed a personal and intimate relationship with God. In other words, we have not fully opened our hearts to Him, nor have we grasped the depth of His heart.
      How can we build a personal relationship with God and unite our hearts with His? Prayer is the key—sincere, heartfelt prayer. Through prayer, we come to understand who God is and how much He loves us. When we truly realize that God loves us unconditionally and infinitely, we experience conversion. Those who pray with all their heart undergo conversion, become holy, and live joyfully. Once this happens, we cannot help but offer ourselves to the Creator God, who loves us immeasurably.
      However, this transformation is not something we can achieve on our own. We need God’s help and grace. God, in His love for us, sends Our Lady to awaken us from our spiritual slumber. The apparitions of Our Lady in Medjugorje are a great grace for us. To fully receive this grace and awaken from spiritual unconsciousness, we must take Our Lady’s messages seriously and respond faithfully to her call.
       The Lord says, “Arise! Shine, for your light has come, the glory of the Lord has dawned upon you” (Is 60:1).
   
 
 
December 25, 2019
"Dear children! I am carrying my Son Jesus to you, for Him to bless you and reveal to you His love, which comes from Heaven. Your heart yearns for peace, of which there is less and less on earth. That is why people are far from God and souls are sick and heading towards spiritual death. I am with you, little children, to lead you on this way of salvation to which God calls you. Thank you for having responded to my call."

Dear children! I am carrying my Son Jesus to you, for Him to bless you and reveal to you His love, which comes from Heaven. 

Through the words, "I am carrying my Son, Jesus, to you," Our Lady reveals that Jesus is alive and desires to be with us. She also urges us during this Christmas season to focus our attention and hearts solely on Jesus, who was born as our Savior and continues to guide us on the path of salvation. This is because He is the source of all blessings, and only through Him can we experience divine love. Without Jesus’ blessing, we can achieve nothing, and without experiencing His heavenly love, we cannot attain true life. Let us invite Jesus, who comes to live with us, bless us, and show us heavenly life, into our hearts and homes through Our Lady.

Your heart yearns for peace, of which there is less and less on earth. That is why people are far from God and souls are sick and heading towards spiritual death. 

Every human being longs for peace because we are created by God. However, there is less peace in the world today. Why is that? Our Lady clearly tells us, "That is why people are far from God and souls are sick and heading towards spiritual death."
       Why are people moving away from God? It is because they do not welcome God as their Lord and are unwilling to follow His will. Instead, they worship idols such as money, power, fame, and physical pleasure. People want to control everything and act according to their own desires.
     Why are souls hurting and moving toward spiritual death? It is because people try to live without God, relying only on their own strength, neglecting prayer, and focusing solely on fulfilling worldly desires. They fail to realize that living this way will ultimately lead to spiritual death.

I am with you, little children, to lead you on this way of salvation to which God calls you. Thank you for having responded to my call.

Our Lady, as a loving Mother, does not want her children to stray from God, suffer spiritually, or move toward spiritual death. She wants us to draw closer to God, have healthy souls, and walk toward spiritual life. That is why she is with us. To awaken us from spiritual numbness or unconsciousness, Our Lady appears daily in Medjugorje, remaining present among us. She wants us to live. She wants us to be saved. She desires that we follow only the path of salvation that God is calling us to.
       By bringing Jesus to us, Our Lady also seeks to lead us to Him. So let us entrust ourselves to Our Lady, who brings us Jesus. We must become like gentle children, allowing her to hold us in her arms and bring us to her Son.
   
 
 
November 25, 2019
"Dear children! May this time be a time of prayer for you. Without God you do not have peace. Therefore, little children, pray for peace in your hearts and families, so that Jesus can be born in you and give you His love and blessing. The world is at war because hearts are full of hatred and jealousy. In the eyes, little children, peacelessness is seen because you have not permitted Jesus to be born in your lives. Seek Him, pray, and He will give Himself to you in the Child who is joy and peace. I am with you and I pray for you. Thank you for having responded to my call."

Dear children! May this time be a time of prayer for you. Without God you do not have peace. Therefore, little children, pray for peace in your hearts and families, so that Jesus can be born in you and give you His love and blessing. 

We do many things to care for our bodies and manage our daily lives—washing, eating, drinking, working, playing, and exercising. These are activities that everyone must do while living in this world. Through these repeated activities, we maintain our physical lives and spend much of our time doing so. In this context, Our Lady tells us, "Dear children! May this time be a time of prayer for you." As we hear these words, we should reflect seriously on the role of prayer in our daily lives—how much attention we give to prayer and how much time we devote to it.
Next week, the Church will begin a new liturgical year with the Advent season. Advent is a time of deep reflection and preparation for both the first and second comings of our Savior. Just as Our Lady prayed constantly while preparing for the first coming of the Savior, we too should pray daily as we live our lives, giving thanks for His first coming and preparing through prayer for His second coming. We must believe that only Jesus is our Savior and the Savior of the world and have faith that He will return in glory to judge and save us. Through prayer, we prepare ourselves spiritually for these times.
      Advent is a time for us. It reminds us that the time of our salvation is near. If we deeply recognize that this time is for our salvation, we will follow Our Lady’s guidance and make this a time of prayer for ourselves.
      When Jesus was born in Bethlehem, an angel announced the Savior's birth to shepherds in the nearby fields. A multitude of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, proclaiming, "Glory to God in the highest heaven and on earth peace to those on whom hiss favor rests" (Lk 2:14). Peace is a precious gift that comes from God, and peace can only exist where God is present. To invite God into our hearts, we must open them through prayer. When our hearts are open, they become like the cave in Bethlehem where Jesus was born. Jesus will be born again in us, and we will dwell with the One who is peace itself, receiving His love and blessings. What we need for peace in our hearts and our families is not more wealth or better houses and cars, but prayer and the presence of God—Jesus, the Emmanuel who is with us.

The world is at war because hearts are full of hatred and jealousy. 

At this very moment, countless wars are being waged around the world—between countries, families, and individuals. Our Lady tells us that the world is at war because people’s hearts are filled with hatred and jealousy. Not just a little, but full of hatred and jealousy. This is a very serious matter. Why are people’s hearts so full of hatred and jealousy? It is because they do not know God, they do not believe in Him, and they do not live with Him. To end all wars, what is needed is God and faith in Him. If we invite God into our hearts and live with Him according to His will, all the hatred and jealousy in people’s hearts will disappear, and the wars we see will come to an end, with no more wars to follow.

In the eyes, little children, peacelessness is seen because you have not permitted Jesus to be born in your lives. Seek Him, pray, and He will give Himself to you in the Child who is joy and peace. I am with you and I pray for you. Thank you for having responded to my call.

When Jesus was born, there was no room for Him, Mary, and St. Joseph in the inns of Bethlehem. They were guided to a cave by the kindness of shepherds, and Jesus was born there and laid in a manger. It was not so much that there was no room in the inns, but rather that the hearts of the people were closed, and no one opened their home to the Holy Family. As the scripture says, “He came to his own, and his own people did not accept him” (Jn 1:11).
      Even today, Jesus desires to be born among us and dwell with us repeatedly. We can be like the residents of Bethlehem, or we can be like the shepherds in the fields. We must choose one or the other with our free will. Either we refuse to make room for Jesus, or we prepare a place for Him to be born. The choice is ours. If we open our hearts and make room for Jesus to be born in us, we will hear the hymn of the heavenly host: "Glory to God in the highest and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests" (Luke 2:14).
      Like the shepherds who hurried to the cave in Bethlehem after hearing the angel’s announcement of Jesus' birth, or like the wise men who traveled far to kneel before the newborn Jesus and worship Him, we too must seek Jesus and kneel before Him in prayer. Let us earnestly ask Our Lady, who is with us and prays for us, “Mother, I truly want to see Jesus this Christmas.” Just as Our Lady brought Jesus into the world long ago, she will bring Him to us again this Christmas. Then, this Christmas will be the most moving and grace-filled Christmas we have ever experienced.
   
 
 
October 25, 2019
"Dear children! Today I call you to prayer. May prayer be a balm to your soul, because the fruit of prayer is joy, giving and witnessing God to others - through your life. Little children, in complete surrender to God, He will take care of everything and will bless you; and your sacrifices will have meaning. I am with you and bless all of you with my motherly blessing. Thank you for having responded to my call."

Dear children! Today, I call you to prayer.

In this month’s message, Our Lady once again calls us to prayer. Why is this? There are two reasons. First, because prayer is the most important and necessary thing for us. Prayer is like the foundation of a house—it’s the first thing laid. Just as you can’t build a house without a foundation, you can’t establish a relationship with God without prayer. Prayer is the tool that connects us to God, our lifeline. Through prayer, we come to love God, realize how much He loves us, and understand who He is. Additionally, through prayer, our faith in God grows, our hearts are transformed, and we can be renewed as people of God. This is why prayer has been the most frequently mentioned theme in the messages of Our Lady of Medjugorje over the past 38 years and 4 months.
      The second reason Our Lady calls us to prayer again is that, despite so many calls, many people are still not responding. In other words, many are either not praying or are praying very little.
      Our Lady once said, “My call, dear children, is that for you prayer be in the first place” (July 3, 1986), but in many cases, prayer still does not occupy the first place in our lives. If we truly understand that prayer is the most important thing for us, we will place it at the top of our lives and continue praying until prayer becomes our life. Jesus told His disciples that they must pray continually (cf. Lk 18:1). Therefore, continual prayer is a command from Jesus, and it applies to all of us who are His disciples.
      Our Lady’s call to prayer is not for her sake but for ours. Only those who pray can become holy, be saved, and experience peace. This is why Our Lady invites us to pray for our own benefit.

May prayer be a balm to your soul, because the fruit of prayer is joy, giving and witnessing God to others - through your life. 

When we find joy in something, we tend to repeat it over and over. However, worldly joys are temporary and limited because no person, thing, or activity can fully satisfy us. Spiritual things are similar yet different. When we pray, we experience joy and want to keep praying. The more we pray, the more this joy grows and endures. Prayer opens our hearts to God, and as His love touches our hearts, the joy that forms within us remains and continues to grow.
      If you are praying but do not feel joy, it may be because you are not praying from the heart or not praying enough. To pray from the heart means to pray with love for God, offering everything to Him, desiring to be united with Him. When we pray with love and dedication, we experience joy. This joy is not something we create but a gift from God, given in response to our love for Him. Additionally, we need to pray a lot. Just as food tastes sweeter the longer you chew it, the more and longer you pray, the more you will experience joy. Our Lady encourages us to pray as much as possible, recommending at least three hours of prayer daily and urging us to pray until our life becomes prayer. Those who follow this will experience firsthand the truth of Our Lady’s message that the fruit of prayer is joy.
      Those who pray with sincere dedication will experience the joy of prayer, which will naturally radiate through their face, body, and life. Others will sense God through them because God, who resides in the heart of one who prays, reveals Himself to others through that person.

Little children, in complete surrender to God, He will take care of everything and will bless you; and your sacrifices will have meaning. I am with you and bless all of you with my motherly blessing. Thank you for having responded to my call.

Jesus revealed God as Father and called Him Father in all His prayers. Just as He did, Jesus wanted His disciples to call God Father. When they asked Him to teach them to pray, He taught them the “Our Father.” Through this prayer, Jesus helped His disciples always call upon “Our Father in Heaven,” leading them to seek Him and understand who He is. Our Father in Heaven provides our daily bread, forgives our sins, and delivers us from evil. He loves us so much that He even counts the hairs on our heads (cf. Mt 10:30).
      Our Lady tells us that if we entrust everything to this Heavenly Father, He will take care of everything, bless us, and give meaning to our sacrifices. This is in line with the beginning of the Lord’s Prayer, where Jesus teaches us to pray, “Our Father in Heaven, hallowed be Thy name; Thy Kingdom come; Thy will be done on earth as it is in Heaven.” Jesus directed His disciples to seek God’s name, Kingdom, and will above all else, teaching them to entrust everything to the Father.
      Today, we, as Jesus’ disciples, pray in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. We gather in Jesus’ name to pray, asking that God’s name be glorified and that His will, not ours, be done. Because we have entrusted everything to Him, Our Lady assures us that God will take care of everything and bless us. Jesus Himself said that if we seek first His Kingdom and righteousness, everything else will be added to us:
      “If God so clothes the grass of the field, which grows today and is thrown into the oven tomorrow, will he not much more provide for you, O you of little faith? 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” (Mt 6:30-33).
   
 
 
September 25, 2019
"Dear children! Today I am calling you to pray for my intentions so that I may help you. Little children, pray the Rosary and meditate the mysteries of the Rosary because, in your life, you are also passing through joys and sorrows. In this way, you are transforming the mysteries into your life, because life is a mystery until you place it into God's hands. In this way, you will have the experience of faith like Peter who met Jesus and the Holy Spirit filled his heart. Little children, you are also called to witness by living the love with which, day by day, God wraps you with my presence. Therefore, little children, be open and pray with the heart in faith. Thank you for having responded to my call."

Dear children! Today, I am calling you to pray for my intentions so that I may help you.

Our Lady asks us to pray for her intentions so that she can assist us. Although she doesn’t specify what these intentions are, we can infer that they are for our benefit. The greatest desire of Our Lady is the salvation of her children, and her intentions are closely tied to this. She desires that we, her children, turn to prayer, repent, and believe firmly in God so that we may receive His salvation and peace. Praying for her intentions is, in effect, praying for our own conversion and salvation, making this one of the most important things we can do. Her call for us to pray is filled with love for us, as she seeks only our well-being and salvation.

Little children, pray the Rosary and meditate the mysteries of the Rosary because, in your life, you are also passing through joys and sorrows. In this way, you are transforming the mysteries into your life, because life is a mystery until you place it into God's hands.

The Rosary consists of 20 mysteries divided into the Joyful, Luminous, Sorrowful, and Glorious Mysteries. The Rosary reveals to us how Jesus, with the help of His Mother, brought about the salvation of the world. As Pope John Paul II wrote in his apostolic letter Rosarium Virginis Mariae on October 16, 2002, "The Rosary is a compendium of the Gospel." By praying all 20 mysteries of the Rosary, from the Joyful Mysteries to the Glorious Mysteries, we are meditating on the entirety of the New Testament and the story of salvation.
      When praying the Rosary, we are called not only to recite the prayers but to meditate deeply on the mysteries. The Rosary is both a vocal and contemplative prayer. Each mystery teaches us about the great deeds that Jesus and Mary accomplished for our salvation, which deepens our faith and humility. Additionally, when we connect these mysteries to our own lives, their meaning expands. For instance, while meditating on the Annunciation during the first Joyful Mystery, we can express our gratitude to God for creating us and ask Our Lady to intercede for us so that we may be reborn in Christ. In doing so, our lives are drawn into the mystery of God’s grace, and through prayer, we experience transformation.

In this way, you will have the experience of faith like Peter who met Jesus and the Holy Spirit filled his heart. 

The Gospels recount different versions of how Peter, a fisherman, first encountered Jesus. In John’s Gospel, Peter’s brother Andrew, a disciple of John the Baptist, brought Peter to Jesus, who immediately recognized Peter and changed his name to "Cephas" (which means "rock" or "Peter"). In Mark’s Gospel, Jesus called Peter and Andrew from their fishing nets, promising to make them "fishers of men," and they left everything to follow Him. In Luke’s Gospel, Peter lent his boat to Jesus for teaching, and after a miraculous catch of fish, Peter fell at Jesus’ feet, confessing his unworthiness. Jesus then called him to be a fisher of men.
      Despite their differences, all three accounts emphasize that Peter did not choose Jesus—Jesus chose Peter. Jesus renamed him "Peter," meaning "rock," to symbolize that he would be the foundation of the Church. Jesus knew Peter’s strengths and weaknesses, and after Peter’s threefold denial during Jesus’ Passion, the Risen Lord restored him through a threefold affirmation of love on the shores of the Sea of Galilee. Jesus forgave Peter, reaffirmed his leadership, and charged him with caring for His flock.
     After Jesus’ Ascension, Peter and the other apostles prayed with Mary, awaiting the Holy Spirit. On Pentecost, filled with the Holy Spirit, Peter boldly preached the first public sermon about Jesus, leading 3,000 people to conversion (cf. Acts 2:1-41). Like Peter, we too will experience a transformation when we encounter Jesus and are filled with the Holy Spirit through prayer and devotion, particularly by praying the Rosary and meditating on its mysteries. The Holy Spirit will empower us to live out our faith and even lay down our lives for Christ if necessary.

Little children, you are also called to witness by living the love with which, day by day, God wraps you with my presence. Therefore, little children, be open and pray with the heart in faith. Thank you for having responded to my call.

Our Lady’s presence among us is a profound sign of God’s love for us, as well as her maternal love. Those who experience this love are filled with joy and are eager to share it with others through their words and actions. Love is not merely an intellectual concept but something deeply felt in the heart, and only those who have truly experienced this love can bear witness to it. To feel and practice this love, we must open our hearts and pray with faith. Only by opening our hearts can we fully experience the love that flows through the presence of Our Lady, and this will empower us to live out that love in our daily lives.
   
 
 
August 25, 2019
"Dear children! Pray, work and witness with love for the Kingdom of Heaven that it may be good for you here on earth. Little children, God will bless your effort a hundredfold; you will be witnesses among peoples, souls of unbelievers will feel the grace of conversion and Heaven will be grateful for your efforts and sacrifices. Little children, witness with the Rosary in hand that you are mine and decide for holiness. Thank you for having responded to my call."

Dear children! Pray, work and witness with love for the Kingdom of Heaven that it may be good for you here on earth. 

Through baptism, we have been forgiven of sin, and we have become children of God, disciples of Jesus, and members of the Church. Though we live on this earth, we already belong to God and are citizens of Heaven. This earthly life is a time to prepare for the eternal life we will enjoy in Heaven, so our focus must be on the Kingdom of Heaven. Therefore, while we live on earth, we should not be consumed by worldly life. Instead, we must always long for Heaven and thoroughly prepare to enter it. To do this, Our Lady tells us to pray, work, and bear witness with love for the Kingdom of Heaven. Since God is the Lord of Heaven, to be dedicated to that Kingdom, we must worship God, listen to His word, and live according to His will. First and foremost, this requires prayer—listening to God's word with our hearts. Then, we must put His will and teachings into practice through our work and actions, bearing witness through our lives that we are citizens of Heaven. But everything must be rooted in love. Those who love God and their neighbor do not seek to promote themselves or prioritize their own needs, but rather, willingly sacrifice everything. Our prayer, work, and witness must all be grounded in love. We should always remember the words of St. Paul: "If I speak in human and angelic tongues but do not have love, I am a resounding gong or a clashing cymbal. And if I have the gift of prophecy and comprehend all mysteries and all knowledge; if I have all faith so as to move mountains but do not have love, I am nothing. If I give away everything I own, and if I hand my body over so that I may boast but do not have love, I gain nothing" (1 Cor 13:1-3).
      Although I mentioned earlier that "this earthly life is a time to prepare for the eternal life we will enjoy in Heaven, and thus our focus must be on the Kingdom of Heaven," the time we have on earth is still a precious gift from God. However, its value becomes more profound and enriched when viewed in connection with the eternal life in Heaven. That is why Our Lady says, "Dear children! Pray, work and witness with love for the Kingdom of Heaven that it may be good for you here on earth.”

Little children, God will bless your effort a hundredfold; you will be witnesses among peoples, souls of unbelievers will feel the grace of conversion and Heaven will be grateful for your efforts and sacrifices.

When we pray, work, and bear witness with love for the Kingdom of Heaven, God sees and counts every effort we make and blesses them a hundredfold. It is an incredible blessing to know that all the efforts we offer in love will be greatly rewarded by God. However, we must also reflect on how honorable and blessed it already is to pray, work, and bear witness for the Kingdom of Heaven. Who are we to engage in dialogue with God, to do His work, and to bear witness to Him? Who are we that God would choose us as instruments for His Kingdom, as His workers? Simply being called to this task is already a great honor and a tremendous blessing. Yet, God in His mercy still promises to bless our efforts a hundredfold, showing just how generous and loving He is.
      Those who receive God’s encouragement and blessings for praying, working, and bearing witness for the Kingdom of Heaven cannot stop there. They will be inspired to press forward with even greater zeal, praying, working, and witnessing with even more love for the Kingdom. Such people, living changed lives, will have a profound impact on those around them—family, friends, neighbors, and everyone they encounter. 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. Just so, your light must shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your heavenly Father" (Mt 5:14-16).
      The Acts of the Apostles describes the early Church community after the coming of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost: "They devoted themselves to the teaching of the apostles and to the communal life, to the breaking of the bread and to the prayers. Awe came upon everyone, and many wonders and signs were done through the apostles. All who believed were together and had all things in common; they would sell their property and possessions and divide them among all according to each one’s need. Every day they devoted themselves to meeting together in the temple area and to breaking bread in their homes. They ate their meals with exultation and sincerity of heart, praising God and enjoying favor with all the people. And every day the Lord added to their number those who were being saved" (Acts 2:42-47). The early Christians prayed, shared love and charity, and grew in number through the grace of God. This is a perfect example of Our Lady’s message: "The souls of those who do not believe will feel the grace of conversion, and Heaven will be grateful for your efforts and sacrifices."

Little children, witness with the Rosary in hand that you are mine and decide for holiness. Thank you for having responded to my call.

Those who have no love or devotion to Our Lady do not pray the Rosary and will not hold the rosary in their hands. To bear witness that we are Our Lady’s people by holding the rosary, we must first have love for her and devotion to her. We should never be ashamed to hold the rosary in our hands, no matter where we are or who is watching. Nowadays, everyone holds a smartphone in their hands, even on the subway, focused on the screen. So, why should it be strange for the children of Our Lady to hold the rosary and pray, whether on the subway, the bus, or anywhere else? There is nothing to hide or be ashamed of. We should hold the rosary in our hands and pray boldly, showing that we belong to Our Lady. People’s opinions don’t matter, and we need not fear their judgment. When we hold the rosary and pray anytime, anywhere, we are choosing holiness. Without love for Our Lady, devotion to her, and the Rosary, we cannot walk the path of holiness. While other acts of faith and devotion may bring spiritual growth, without the essential nourishment of devotion to Our Lady and the Rosary, it will always be lacking. Only by belonging to Our Lady can we truly belong to Jesus. By holding the rosary, we can journey most completely and swiftly to Jesus through Our Lady.
   
 
 
July 25, 2019
"Dear children! My call for you is prayer. May prayer be a joy for you and a wreath which binds you to God. Little children, trials will come and you will not be strong, and sin will reign but, if you are mine, you will win, because your refuge will be the Heart of my Son Jesus. Therefore, little children, return to prayer until prayer becomes life for you in the day and the night. Thank you for having responded to my call."

Dear children! My call for you is prayer. May prayer be a joy for you and a wreath which binds you to God. 

Our Lady is the Mother of God, the Mother of Jesus, the Mother of the Church, and our Mother. Therefore, her call is heavenly and profoundly special. We often refer to such a call from Heaven as a "vocation," meaning a "holy calling." Thus, the call we receive from Our Lady is holy and must be followed. It is something precious that should never be taken lightly or neglected. In this month’s message, Our Lady says, " Dear children! My call for you is prayer." Our Lady’s vocation for us is to become people of prayer. Prayer is for loving God, and because it is a dialogue of love with God, without a love for God or even a desire for such love, we cannot truly pray. Therefore, the vocation to prayer is, in essence, a vocation to love God.
      Our Lady says, "My call for you is prayer." This vocation is for our sake. Every prayer we offer is for us. The call to become people of prayer is filled with Our Lady’s love and concern for us. She knows all too well what happens when we do not pray. She understands that we can lose faith in God, easily fall into temptation, and ultimately, may even miss out on eternal life. Our Lady gives us the vocation of prayer so that we may live in the peace of the Lord in this life and attain eternal life in the next.
      As the saying goes, "Only those who have tasted it know its flavor." The same is true for prayer. Those who have tasted the true sweetness of prayer are the ones who pray. To truly know the sweetness of prayer, we must pray a great deal. That is why Our Lady says, "Pray until prayer becomes your life," "Pray until prayer becomes your joy," "Fill your day with short and fervent prayers," and "Place prayer at the beginning of your life." In this month’s message, she once again emphasizes, "May prayer be a joy for you." The joy that comes from prayer is heavenly, and those who experience it will only desire it more.
      "May prayer be a wreath which binds you to God." This is such a beautiful expression. Prayer allows us to live in God, binds us to Him, and ultimately unites us with Him. Our Lady earnestly desires that we never be separated from God and that we always remain with Him and be one with Him, which is only possible through prayer. Every prayer we offer, Our Lady gathers to form a beautiful crown, which she then presents to God along with us. The process of offering our prayers, one by one, to create a beautiful crown for God is indescribably beautiful. When we consider Our Lady’s desire for us to be bound to God with the crown of prayer, Jesus’ words naturally come to mind: "Remain in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me. I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me, you can do nothing." (John 15:4-5)

Little children, trials will come and you will not be strong, and sin will reign but, if you are mine, you will win, because your refuge will be the Heart of my Son Jesus. 

In this message, Our Lady speaks of a future situation we are unaware of: "Little children, trials will come and you will not be strong, and sin will reign." If we think about it, the situation seems grim. Some kind of trial will come upon us, we will be weak before it, and sin will have dominion. Satan exists, and until the very end, he will tempt us, render us powerless, and try to lead us into sin. But even in such circumstances, Our Lady reassures us that we are never alone. “If you are mine, you will win, because your refuge will be the Heart of my Son Jesus." This message reminds us that both Our Lady and Jesus are with us, and though the beginning may seem dark, the end is bright, and we can overcome. However, to achieve this victory, Our Lady sets the condition that we must be hers. Being hers means belonging to her, being fully consecrated to her, and offering ourselves to her entirely. When we are Our Lady’s, she leads us to Jesus and consecrates us to His Sacred Heart, making us fully belong to Him. Once we find refuge in the Sacred Heart of Jesus and belong to Him, we cannot help but be victorious, just as Jesus said: "In the world you will have trouble, but take courage, I have conquered the world" (Jn 16:33).

Therefore, little children, return to prayer until prayer becomes life for you in the day and the night. Thank you for having responded to my call.

On Holy Thursday, before His Passion, Jesus knelt in prayer alone in the Garden of Gethsemane, saying, "Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done." Jesus was in agony, and His sweat was like drops of blood falling to the ground (cf. Lk 22:39-44). Just like us, Jesus, having taken on human flesh, struggled and was deeply troubled by the prospect of death. Yet, He continued to pray that not His will, but the Father’s will, be done.
      On Good Friday, before carrying His cross, Jesus kissed the cross and offered a prayer of thanksgiving to God the Father, who had given Him the grace to bear it. His demeanor was completely different from the previous night. Why? It was the power of prayer. Through His constant prayer, the Spirit of the Father, the Holy Spirit, filled Jesus, removing all fear and anguish.
      Only prayer can sustain us through trials and temptations and lead us to salvation. That is why, after speaking of the trials to come, our weakness, the reign of sin, and our victory in the Sacred Heart of Jesus, Our Lady concludes with these words: "Therefore, little children, return to prayer until prayer becomes life for you in the day and the night. Thank you for having responded to my call.”
   
 
 
June 25, 2019
"Dear children! I am thanking God for each of you. In a special way, little children, thank you for having responded to my call. I am preparing you for the new times that you may be firm in faith and persevering in prayer, so that the Holy Spirit may work through you and renew the face of the earth. I am praying with you for peace which is the most precious gift, even though Satan wants war and hatred. You, little children, be my extended hands and proudly go with God. Thank you for having responded to my call."

Dear children! I am thanking God for each of you. 

There are many things for which we should thank Jesus, but nothing compares to the great gift of giving us His mother, the Blessed Virgin Mary, as our mother, especially before He died on the cross. Jesus, in His final moments on the cross, gave us Mary as the Mother of all, the Mother of the Church, and our Mother. When He said, "It is finished" (Jn 19:30), He revealed that giving us Mary as our Mother was the final part of His plan for salvation. This was not a spontaneous act in His last moments, but something Jesus had carefully prepared from the beginning. He chose the right time, the moment of His death on the cross at Calvary, to entrust Mary to us as our Mother.
      The act of giving Mary as our Mother and making us her children was a sublime fulfillment of Jesus' will. The bond between Mary and us was sealed by Jesus, especially through His crucifixion, and it was through His blood that this relationship was established. Through this, Jesus entrusted all of humanity to Mary’s care, giving all people the privilege and responsibility of placing themselves under her protection.
       This month’s message, "Dear children! I am thanking God for each of you," shows how faithfully Our Lady carries out her mission. By using the phrase "for each of you," she reveals that she knows each one of us personally and cares for us individually. How could she thank God for each of us if she did not know us intimately? Our Lady knows everything about us, prays for us, and intercedes for us before God. She thanks God for every person, knowing our every joy, sorrow, pain, weakness, and accomplishment. We are not orphans; we have a Mother who knows and cares for every detail of our lives.
       Our Lady thanks God for our existence, for our good deeds and prayers, and most importantly, for the graces that God has given to each of us. Now it is our turn to offer our thanks to God—for the great grace of giving us Mary as our Mother, for allowing us to begin to convert and change through her messages, and for all the blessings and mercy God has bestowed on us, from the smallest to the greatest.

In a special way, little children, thank you for having responded to my call. 

After thanking God for each of us, Our Lady turns to us and says, “In a special way, little children, thank you for having responded to my call." She called us to pray, to believe firmly, to repent, to do penance, and to live in peace, and for that, we should be the ones thanking her. We should say, "Mother, thank you for calling and guiding me on the path of salvation." Yet, it is Our Lady who expresses her gratitude to us, which leaves us feeling unworthy.
      We might wonder if we truly deserve her words of thanks. Few can confidently say that they do. So why does Our Lady express gratitude to us? Perhaps it is because some people are indeed living her call fully. However, it is also likely that she is acknowledging even our small responses and efforts, encouraging us to continue responding more fully to her call.

I am preparing you for the new times that you may be firm in faith and persevering in prayer, so that the Holy Spirit may work through you and renew the face of the earth. 

While we do not know what the future holds, Our Lady knows. She tells us, "I am preparing you for new times." Although she does not specify what these new times will bring, she tells us that what we will need is strong faith and perseverance in prayer. If anything else were required, she would have emphasized it and prepared us accordingly.
      To prepare for the future, what we need is strong faith and persistent prayer. Reflecting on the parable of the unjust judge and the persistent widow (cf. Lk 18:1-8), we can understand why faith and perseverance in prayer are essential. Jesus told this parable to encourage us not to lose heart and to pray continuously. At the end of the parable, Jesus asked, "But when the Son of Man comes, will He find faith on earth?" (Lk 18:8). Why would Jesus mention His return and the state of people's faith at the end of a parable about prayer? He foresaw that when He returns, many will have lost their faith because they did not persevere in prayer.
      Without faith, people stop praying, and without prayer, faith does not grow. Strong faith and persistent prayer are necessary not only for the new times to come but also for us in the present. Without these, we cannot live as children of God. If we do not strengthen our faith and persevere in prayer now, we will not be able to do so when new challenges arise. As the saying goes, "Prepare in advance, and you will avoid misfortune." Preparing for the future spiritually will bring only blessings.
      Just as the Holy Spirit descended upon the Virgin Mary as she prayed, leading to the birth of Jesus, and as the apostles prayed with Mary after Jesus' ascension, leading to the birth of the Church, so too will the Holy Spirit come to us if we pray with Our Lady and the whole Church. The Holy Spirit will renew us and, through us, renew the face of the earth, just as He empowered the apostles to become bold witnesses of Jesus' resurrection, spreading the Gospel to the ends of the earth.

I am praying with you for peace which is the most precious gift, even though Satan wants war and hatred.

When Jesus sent out the seventy-two disciples, He said, "Into whatever house you enter, first say, ‘Peace to this household.’ If a peaceful person lives there, your peace will rest on him; but if not, it will return to you" (Lk 10:5-6). Jesus, who came to bring peace, wanted His disciples to be ambassadors of peace. Later, as He approached Jerusalem before His Passion, He wept over the city, saying, “If this day you only knew what makes for peace—but now it is hidden from your eyes" (Lk 19:42). He lamented that the city of Jerusalem, whose name means "City of Peace," rejected the peace that came through Him.
After His resurrection, Jesus appeared to His apostles and said, "Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I send you" (Jn 20:21), again commissioning them as messengers of peace.
The Apostle Paul wrote, "For he is our peace, he who made both one and broke down the dividing wall of enmity, through his flesh… that he might create in himself one new person* in place of the two, thus establishing peace, and might reconcile both with God, in one body, through the cross, putting that enmity to death by it" (Eph 2:14-16).
The very first message Our Lady gave to the world in Medjugorje, on June 26, 1981, was a message of peace: "Peace, peace, and only peace. Peace between God and man, and peace between people." It is only fitting that Our Lady, the Queen of Peace, would come to us with a message of peace, given that she was sent by the King of Peace, Jesus. Satan desires war and hatred, but Our Lady teaches us that what we need is peace and love. These gifts are granted to us when we have firm faith and persevere in prayer, and she prays with us for these gifts.

You, little children, be my extended hands and proudly go with God. Thank you for having responded to my call.

When Our Lady calls us "little children," she invites us to practice humility, simplicity, and smallness. She herself lived a life of humility, calling herself "the handmaid of the Lord," and humbly serving God and others throughout her life. She desires that we follow her example.
Our Lady, who has been sent as a messenger of peace by Jesus, also calls us to be her apostles. The word "apostle" means "one who is sent." We are meant to become her extended hands, showing her presence to others. She desires that through each of us, her message reaches others and that they too accept her as their Mother.
At the end of Mass, the priest typically says, "Go forth, the Mass is ended," or a variation of it. One alternative phrase, "Go forth and proclaim the Gospel with the Lord," stands out. During Communion, we receive the Lord into our hearts, and when we leave Mass, we do not go alone but with the Lord. Whether we are at home, work, school, or anywhere else, we are on a mission with Him. Jesus, the Emmanuel—God with us—is especially present with us in the Eucharist, giving us the strength to proclaim His Gospel.
The last words of the Gospel of Mark confirm this: "They went forth and preached everywhere, while the Lord worked with them and confirmed the word through accompanying signs" (Mk 16:20). Our Lady sends us with a similar message: “Proudly go with God. Thank you for having responded to my call."
   
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