KOR
 > Messages > Fr. Stephen Shin’s Reflections on the Messages
Fr. Stephen Shin’s Reflections on the Messages
  2025   2024   2023   2022   2021   2020   2019   2018   2017   2016   2015   2014   2013   2012   2011  
 
 2010   2009   2008   2007                         
May 25, 2019
"Dear children! God permitted me, out of His mercy, to be with you, to instruct and lead you towards the way of conversion. Little children, you are all called to pray with all your heart for the plan of salvation to be realized for you and through you. Be aware, little children, that life is short and eternal life waits for you according to your merit. Therefore, pray, pray, pray to be worthy instruments in God's hands. Thank you for having responded to my call."

Dear children! God permitted me, out of His mercy, to be with you, to instruct and lead you towards the way of conversion. 

Mercy is a heart that loves and has compassion. The Latin word for mercy, "misericordia," conveys the idea of a heart that pities, but the meaning of the word "mercy" in Chinese characters is even richer. God shows us His mercy—His heart that loves and pities us—when He bestows His mercy upon us.
      In this month’s message, Our Lady says, “Dear children! God permitted me, out of His mercy, to be with you, to instruct and lead you towards the way of conversion." The key word here is "mercy." In His mercy, God has sent Our Lady to be with us, to teach us, and to guide us on the path of conversion. It is God's heart, filled with love and pity for us, that has made the apparitions of Our Lady in Medjugorje possible. When we reflect on the apparitions and messages of Our Lady in Medjugorje, we must first recognize how deeply God loves us and pities us.  We should give thanks to God for sending Our Lady to us out of His mercy, allowing us to hear His word through her and granting us the grace to walk the path of conversion. We must also make sure that God's mercy is not in vain by beginning to walk the path of conversion as Our Lady guides us.

Little children, you are all called to pray with all your heart for the plan of salvation to be realized for you and through you. 

When the serpent, Satan, led Adam and Eve to commit original sin, God said to the serpent, "I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; They will strike at your head, while you strike at their" (Gn 3:15). Although God did not name them directly, through the expressions "the woman and her offspring," He had Mary and Jesus in mind from the very beginning. This reveals that, from the dawn of creation and the beginning of salvation history, God desired the participation and cooperation of humanity in His plan of salvation. This principle of God continues in both the Old and New Testaments and remains valid today. Although God is omnipotent and could do everything on His own, He still desires human participation and cooperation in the work of salvation.
      Our Lady, who in her mercy comes to teach and guide us on the path of conversion, says that the plan of salvation is for us and must be fulfilled through us. It is easy to understand that God’s plan of salvation is for us. However, it is harder to comprehend that this plan must be fulfilled through us. How is it that we, who are nothing, are involved in the fulfillment of God’s salvation plan? This is possible because, as Jesus taught us, God is our Father, and we are His children. We are a family with God. Families work together in everything. God’s plan of salvation is not just His work; it is also our work, and it involves the entire family working together. Therefore, God wants us, as members of His family, to participate in His work and to accomplish it together.
      How can we help fulfill God's plan of salvation? Through prayer. But not just any prayer—prayer with all our heart. Only prayer that unites our hearts with God’s merciful heart and is offered with all our heart is required. If something else were necessary, Our Lady would have mentioned it and asked us to practice it with all our heart. But she has only asked us to pray with all our heart. Our plans, words, or abilities are not needed. We simply need to humbly unite ourselves with God’s plan of salvation through prayer, allowing Him to accomplish His will.

Be aware, little children, that life is short and eternal life waits for you according to your merit. Therefore, pray, pray, pray to be worthy instruments in God's hands. Thank you for having responded to my call.

When we look back on the years that have passed, even our earliest childhood memories seem as if they happened just yesterday. Although it feels like we have done so much in our lives, when we reflect on it, it often seems like we haven’t accomplished much. Even if we have achieved something in this short life, nothing we accomplish in a human sense can be taken with us into the next life. Therefore, if we are truly wise, we must recognize that life is short and fill it with things that please God—prayer, fasting, charity, and other holy deeds. These are the merits we can store up in heaven through the hands of the angels. If we have such merits stored up in heaven, God will grant us an eternal reward proportionate to them.
      The most foolish person is the one who believes that this earthly life is everything. Even more foolish is the person who not only believes this but also denies the existence of God. Unlike such people, Christians believe that this earthly life is fleeting and far shorter than we think and that we are only pilgrims or wayfarers on this journey. Christians also believe in the eternal life that Jesus Christ opened for us through His life, death, and resurrection, and they constantly long to share in it. That eternal life is one with no more tears, pain, death, or end—only the peace, happiness, and rest that God provides.
      To attain this eternal life in the afterlife, we must live for God while we are on this earth. We must do His will and the work He desires. We must also become instruments of God’s plan for the salvation of humanity, allowing Him to use us for His purpose. What greater honor and gratitude can there be than being chosen by God to be an instrument in His plan of salvation? Let us once again reflect deeply on the message Our Lady gave us on January 25, 1987, and pray, pray, and pray to become worthy instruments in God’s hands.

“Dear children! Behold, also today I want to call you to start living a new life as of today. Dear children, I want you to comprehend that God has chosen each one of you, in order to use you in His great plan for the salvation of mankind. You are not able to comprehend how great your role is in God's design. Therefore, dear children, pray so that in prayer you may be able to comprehend what God's plan is in your regard. I am with you in order that you may be able to bring it about in all its fullness. Thank you for having responded to my call” (January 25, 1987).
   
 
 
April 25, 2019
"Dear children! This is a time of grace, a time of mercy for each of you. Little children, do not permit that the wind of hatred and peacelessness rule in you and around you. You, little children, are called to be love and prayer. The devil wants peacelessness and disorder, but you, little children, be the joy of the risen Jesus who died and resurrected for each of you. He conquered death to give you life, eternal life. Therefore, little children, witness and be proud that you have resurrected in Him. Thank you for having responded to my call."

Dear children! This is a time of grace, a time of mercy for each of you. Little children, do not permit that the wind of hatred and peacelessness rule in you and around you. You, little children, are called to be love and prayer. 

God "makes his sun rise on the bad and the good, and causes rain to fall on the just and the unjust” (Mt 5:45). He created all people in His image and loves them, showering them with His mercy and grace. That is why Jesus taught us to call Him "Our Father in heaven."
      When Our Lady says, "This is a time of grace," she is reminding us that the love and mercy of our Father, God, are still directed toward us. It also tells us that the opportunity to draw closer to our Father is still open. However, there is a force that seeks to prevent this: Satan, the devil. Satan plants seeds of hatred, anxiety, fear, and doubt in our hearts, stealing away our love and peace. He closes our hearts, preventing us from receiving God’s love and mercy, and he keeps us from actively moving toward God. Therefore, we must immediately recognize that feelings of hatred, anxiety, fear, or doubt are signs of Satan’s influence.
      Satan is a supernatural being with great power, far beyond what we can imagine. However, Our Lady has said that even Satan cannot harm us if we do not say ‘yes’ and give him permission. When we feel hatred, anxiety, fear, or doubt, we must pray with all our hearts, saying either silently or out loud, "Satan, I am a child of God, my Father of love and mercy. I belong to Him. Go away from me and fall at the feet of Jesus." Alternatively, we can pray the prayer written by Pope Leo XIII after he saw a vision of Satan on October 13, 1884:

"St. Michael the Archangel,
defend us in battle.
Be our protection against the wickedness and snares of the devil.
May God rebuke him, we humbly pray;
and do thou, O Prince of the heavenly host,
by the power of God,
thrust into hell Satan and all the evil spirits
who prowl about the world
seeking the ruin of souls. Amen."

Our Lady says, “Little children, do not permit that the wind of hatred and peacelessness rule in you and around you." This reminds us that even if hatred and the absence of peace exist within and around us, their effects will not touch us if we do not permit them, and with the help of heavenly power, we can even render Satan powerless. Furthermore, she does not simply call us to love and prayer, but to become love and prayer. How much must we love and how much must we pray to become love and prayer itself? We must love and pray with all our hearts, souls, and strength to the point where we ourselves become the embodiment of love and prayer.

The devil wants peacelessness and disorder, but you, little children, be the joy of the risen Jesus who died and resurrected for each of you. He conquered death to give you life, eternal life. Therefore, little children, witness and be proud that you have resurrected in Him. Thank you for having responded to my call.

The devil does not want us to live in peace and order. From the time of creation, he took peace away from the first ancestors, Adam and Eve, and brought disorder. By encouraging pride through lies and leading them to rebel against God, he destroyed the peace and order God had established and caused them to lose eternal life. That is why Jesus called Satan a "murderer from the beginning," a "liar," and the "father of lies" (cf. Jn 8:44). Even now, Satan continues to roam the world, trying to steal our peace and destroy the order within us. But we have no reason to be afraid. Jesus, through His death on the cross and resurrection, has brought us peace and restored our relationship with God, placing us in a new order. Just as He appeared to His frightened disciples and said, "Peace be with you" (Jn 20:19), He is still with us today, offering us the same greeting: "Peace be with you!"
       We do not belong to Satan but to Jesus. Through the sacrament of baptism, we have become disciples of Jesus, and we belong solely to Him. We are those who believe that Jesus gave His life on the cross for each of us and rose again to give us life, eternal life. We also believe that through baptism, we were crucified with Him and have risen with Him (cf. Rom 6:3-8). We have died to this world and have received new life, eternal life, in Jesus. Therefore, while we are grateful and joyful to live with the risen Jesus in this world, we do not cling to this earthly life. We firmly believe that this life is passing away, but the life to come is eternal.
       As a result, the eyes of our hearts and souls are always fixed on Jesus Christ, who is eternal, and on the eternal life He gives. We have nothing to boast about except Him.
   
 
 
March 25, 2019
“Dear children! This is a time of grace. As nature renews itself for a new life, you also are called to conversion. Decide for God. Little children, you are empty and do not have joy, because you do not have God. Therefore, pray until prayer becomes your life. In nature seek God who created you, because nature speaks and fights for life and not for death. Wars are reigning in hearts and nations, because you do not have peace and you do not see, little children, a brother in your neighbor. Therefore, return to God and to prayer. Thank you for having responded to my call."

Dear children! This is a time of grace. As nature renews itself for a new life, you also are called to conversion. Decide for God. 

The expression "now is a time of grace" naturally makes us think of God's love and His concern for the salvation of humanity. God continues to grant us this time of grace not because we are perfect or pleasing in His eyes but because He knows how much we, as a species, are heading toward destruction due to our sins. Yet, out of His infinite mercy, He grants us this time of grace so that we might repent and receive new life and salvation. Only God and Our Lady know how long this time of grace will last. It could end today. We must recognize God’s merciful love, who desires to give us new life and salvation, and respond without delay to Our Lady’s call to conversion.

Little children, you are empty and do not have joy, because you do not have God. Therefore, pray until prayer becomes your life. 

The human heart can never be satisfied with material or worldly things. Nowadays, we frequently see prominent figures, those with wealth, power, status, and fame, involved in scandals related to drugs and sexual misconduct. Although they have plenty of material wealth, they still feel empty and lack true joy. In their attempt to fill this void, they resort to drugs, excessive drinking, and illicit sexual activities, which eventually come to light.
      Despite all the advancements in technology that have produced planes, cars, computers, televisions, and smartphones, no machine can fill the human heart with joy. Only God can truly fill the human heart with joy. Therefore, instead of seeking joy in material and worldly things, we must dedicate all our time and effort to welcoming God into our hearts. Our Lady says, "Pray until prayer becomes your life." Through this, she teaches us that prayer is the only way to invite God into our hearts and that we must be fully committed to prayer. In fact, she asks us to make our entire life a prayer, emphasizing the importance of devoting ourselves completely to it.

In nature seek God who created you, because nature speaks and fights for life and not for death. 

Nature is never greedy. It quietly lives the life given to it, adapting itself to the environment and conditions it is in. For example, trees sprout in the spring, grow leaves in the summer, and bear fruit in the fall, but when this cycle ends, they shed all their leaves and endure the winter with bare branches. Rather than seeking more to survive, trees shed everything unnecessary and fight through the harsh winter, awaiting the spring. This characteristic of nature—fighting for life and submitting to the way of life God intended—serves as an example of how we should live.

Wars are reigning in hearts and nations, because you do not have peace and you do not see, little children, a brother in your neighbor. Therefore, return to God and to prayer. Thank you for having responded to my call.

A teacher once asked his students, "When does dawn come?" One student replied, "Of course, dawn comes after night ends." The teacher said that was wrong. Another student answered, "Dawn comes when the darkness disappears, and the sun rises." Again, the teacher said that was wrong. The students, unable to come up with any other answers, finally asked the teacher for the correct answer. The teacher said, "Dawn comes not when the night ends and the sun rises, but when the people you pass on the street appear as your brothers and sisters."
      God said, "You shall love your neighbor as yourself" (Lev 19:18). Why must we love our neighbor as ourselves? Because all people are created in the image of God, and God is the Father of all, making everyone precious and part of one family, one set of brothers and sisters. Furthermore, because our neighbors are people whom God loves so much that He sacrificed His life for them, we cannot help but love those whom He loves. That is why God commands us to "love your neighbor as yourself." To live out this commandment, we must return to God, who is the source and creator of our being. By welcoming God, the God of peace, into our hearts, we will be able to see our neighbor as a brother through His loving eyes. Through prayer, we must drive out the hatred we hold toward our neighbors, transforming our cold hearts into ones that burn with love. Only then will the many wars raging silently in people’s hearts cease, and the wars between nations will also come to an end.
   
 
 
February 25, 2019
"Dear children! Today, I am calling you to a new life. It is not important how old you are, open your heart to Jesus who will transform you in this time of grace and, like nature, you will be born into a new life in God’s love, and you will open your heart to Heaven and the things of Heaven. I am still with you, because God permitted me out of love for you. Thank you for having responded to my call."

Dear children! Today, I am calling you to a new life. It is not important how old you are, open your heart to Jesus who will transform you in this time of grace. 

In this month’s message, there is something new, something we have never encountered before: “It is not important how old you are." I found myself pondering why Our Lady would say such a thing. From this message, two interpretations come to mind. On a positive note, Our Lady wants us to know that there is always hope, regardless of our age. As people age, they often think, "What can I achieve at this age?" and lose their willingness to challenge themselves, giving up before they even try. Our Lady is urging us not to worry or feel defeated, even if we feel too old to bring about change in our lives. Instead, she asks us to respond to her call for new life. No matter our age, we must approach this moment with hope and a desire to grow spiritually.
      On the negative side, I sense that when Our Lady says, "It is not important how old you are," she is also pointing out our stubbornness. As people get older, they often become more set in their ways. We see this all around us: people who are rigid in their opinions, believing that others are always wrong and that only their viewpoint is correct. Many such people believe that, because they are older and more experienced, their opinions are always right, demanding that others follow them. This kind of rigidity is not inspiring to younger generations. Viewing age as a mark of superiority in relationships is not desirable. As we grow older, we must be more open, humble, and willing to listen to others, recognizing that we still have much to learn.
      In the presence of Our Lady, our age does not matter at all. In her eyes, we are always her beloved children. We must not let our age make us rigid. Rigidity prevents us from opening our hearts to Our Lady and Jesus. When we are trapped in our own opinions and judgments, we become like the stubborn Jews in the Gospel of John. For instance, in John 6, when Jesus said, "I am the living bread that came down from heaven. Whoever eats this bread will live forever. The bread I will give is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world," the rigid Jews responded, "How can this man give us His flesh to eat? This is a hard teaching. Who can accept it?" and eventually, they all turned away from Jesus.
      Jesus also said, "Amen, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven" (Mt 18:3). No matter how old we are, we must constantly be reborn as children before Jesus. Not childish in our ways, but pure and receptive. While we must strive to become like children, more importantly, we need the grace of Jesus to help us. Without His grace, we can never truly become like children. That is why Our Lady says, "Open your heart to Jesus who will transform you in this time of grace."

And, like nature, you will be born into a new life in God’s love, and you will open your heart to Heaven and the things of Heaven. 

The Apostle John never mentions his own name in his Gospel, referring to himself instead as "the disciple whom Jesus loved." Why did he use this expression? Though other disciples also felt the love of Jesus, John felt it the most intensely and believed firmly that Jesus, as God incarnate, loved him. John saw the ultimate expression of God's love in Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross and realized that through this love, he and all humanity had received new life. That is why John could say in his letters:
      "Beloved, let us love one another, because love is of God; everyone who loves is begotten by God and knows God. Whoever is without love does not know God, for God is love. In this way the love of God was revealed to us: God sent his only Son into the world so that we might have life through him. In this is love: not that we have loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as expiation for our sins. Beloved, if God so loved us, we also must love one another” (1 Jn 4:7-11).
      Nothing and no one in this world can give us new life. Only God and His love can give us new life, and He does so, provided we fully open our hearts to Jesus. A person who has experienced new life through God no longer belongs to this world, even though they live in it. Their body may be on earth, but their heart, mind, and soul are always yearning for heaven and heavenly things, already living heaven on earth. Such a person can say to those who have not yet realized this:
      "For we know that if our earthly dwelling, a tent, should be destroyed, we have a building from God, a dwelling not made with hands, eternal in heaven. For in this tent we groan, longing to be further clothed with our heavenly habitation” (2 Cor 5:1-2). "If then you were raised with Christ, seek what is above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. Think of what is above, not of what is on earth” (Col 3:1-2).

I am still with you, because God permitted me out of love for you. Thank you for having responded to my call.

Our Lady is filled with God's grace, yet she calls herself the "handmaid of the Lord" and says, "May it be done to me according to your word" (Lk 1:38). For her, the most important thing is not her own will or plans, but God's will and plans. She desires that everything be done according to God's will, and she does nothing without His permission. Just as she did when she received the Annunciation, she continues to see herself as the handmaid of the Lord, faithfully following His commands.
      This aspect of Our Lady is evident in this month's message: "I am still with you, because God permitted me out of love for you." God commanded Our Lady to appear in Medjugorje, a small village in what was then Yugoslavia (now Bosnia and Herzegovina), on June 24, 1981, and to deliver His messages. Since then, she has appeared daily in Medjugorje in obedience to God's command. How long these apparitions will continue is entirely up to God's will, and when He tells her to stop appearing, she will obey.
      God has sent Our Lady as His apostle of love to Medjugorje. The apparitions of Our Lady in Medjugorje are a visible sign of God's love for humanity. Out of His love for us, He gives us messages of prayer, conversion, faith, penance, and peace through Our Lady. Let us be thankful to God for sending us Our Lady and say, like her, "Behold, I am the servant of the Lord. May it be done to me according to your word." Let us respond to God's call through Our Lady in this way.
   
 
 
January 25, 2019
"Dear children! Today, as a mother, I am calling you to conversion. This time is for you, little children, a time of silence and prayer. Therefore, in the warmth of your heart, may a grain of hope and faith grow and you, little children, will from day to day feel the need to pray more. Your life will become orderly and responsible. You will comprehend, little children, that you are passing here on earth and you will feel the need to be closer to God, and with love you will witness the experience of your encounter with God, which you will share with others. I am with you and am praying for you but I cannot without your 'yes'. Thank you for having responded to my call."

Dear children! Today, as a mother, I am calling you to conversion.

Saint Monica prayed relentlessly for 29 years for her son Augustine’s conversion, and her prayers, filled with tears and sacrifices, were eventually answered. As a result, Augustine was baptized, became a Christian, and later a priest, bishop, and one of the greatest Catholic theologians. Because she truly loved her son, she prioritized praying for his conversion above all else, and through her son, many others were led to the path of salvation. In this month’s message, the Blessed Mother says, “Dear children! Today, as a mother, I am calling you to conversion.” The Blessed Mother loves us even more than our earthly mothers. She knows who we are and how we are living. Therefore, we must take her words of calling us to conversion seriously. Some may say, “I have already converted, so there’s nothing more to convert.” However, even that person is included in the ‘you’ when the Blessed Mother says, “I am calling you to conversion.” In other words, no one is exempt from the Mother’s call to conversion. The Blessed Mother calls us to conversion not to condemn us for our sins and faults but to lead us to salvation. She awakens us, who often live in sin and error without recognizing it, sometimes without any sense of guilt, or trapped in justifying or rationalizing our sins. Moreover, she helps us to escape from sin and evil, leading us to Jesus for life and salvation. The Blessed Mother always calls us “Dear children!” out of her motherly love. Her call to conversion comes from that very love.

This time is for you, little children, a time of silence and prayer.

Children are pure but lack discernment, which is why they need the guidance and direction of adults. Even though we may feel grown up, in the eyes of the Blessed Mother, we are still her little children. Therefore, we absolutely need her guidance and direction. The Blessed Mother says, “This time is for you, little children, a time of silence and prayer.” She teaches us how we should accept and live in this moment. When we recognize that the time we are living in is for us, we begin to realize how precious it is. We start to feel the importance of using this time wisely. How can we make the best use of this time to truly make it ours? The answer is silence and prayer. We understand the need for prayer, but why is silence so essential? It is because silence is the birthplace of prayer. To truly pray with the heart, there must be silence in our hearts. Modern people live in a noisy world, both inwardly and outwardly. Our hearts are distracted by the many sounds of the world and the clever whisperings of Satan, instead of hearing God’s voice. As a result, our desire to pray fades, and we become distant from listening to God’s voice. Furthermore, we often talk too much, leaving little room for silence in our hearts and continuously missing opportunities to pray. That’s why the Blessed Mother said, “You talk and talk but do not pray. Therefore, little children, decide for prayer” (December 25, 1993). Let’s resolve to make silence and prayer a regular part of our lives starting today.

Therefore, in the warmth of your heart, may a grain of hope and faith grow and you, little children, will from day to day feel the need to pray more. Your life will become orderly and responsible. 

What warms and fills our hearts with warmth is love. When God’s love, the greatest love, enters our hearts through prayer, our hearts not only become warm but also blaze like fire. Only those who hold God’s love in their hearts will hope for and believe in Him. Even if the hope and faith are as small as seeds at first, if God’s love is in us and our hearts are warm, that warmth will cause the seeds to sprout, grow, and eventually bear fruit. When we begin to feel the seeds of hope and faith sprouting and growing in our warm hearts, it is only natural to want to nourish and water them. Prayer is what feeds and waters our hearts and souls, and so we feel the need to pray more each day. Those who hold God’s love in their hearts, hope and believe in Him, and pray daily, strive to rid their lives of unnecessary things and keep only what is essential. Naturally, their lives become more orderly, and they approach even the smallest things with sincerity and responsibility.

You will comprehend, little children, that you are passing here on earth and you will feel the need to be closer to God, and with love you will witness the experience of your encounter with God, which you will share with others. 

Those whose hearts burn with God’s love, who hope for and believe in Him, who thirst for prayer daily and actually pray, understand that they do not belong to this world but only to God. They know that their true home is not on this earth but in the eternal kingdom of heaven. Therefore, they can live as pilgrims in this world. They do not cling to worldly things because they know that everything on this earth is passing away. Like St. Teresa of Avila’s prayer, “All things are passing; only God does not change. Those who possess God possess all things. Only God is enough,” they realize that only God is to be desired, and they try to draw closer to Him. Moreover, they practice true love by sharing their experience of encountering God with others, so that others, too, may yearn for Him and draw closer to Him.

I am with you and am praying for you but I cannot without your 'yes'. Thank you for having responded to my call.

The Blessed Mother is doing her utmost for us. She is with us and praying for us. How do we compare to her? Are we always grateful to her and trying to live according to her messages? Do we feel her earnestness when she says, “Without your ‘yes,’ I cannot do anything”? An old proverb says, “Heaven helps those who help themselves.” Let us respond with a ‘yes’ to the Blessed Mother so that she can help us. Let us fully entrust ourselves to her and try to live according to her messages. Even now, we can still say ‘yes.’ This time is for us, but it is passing. No matter how many times we say ‘yes’ after the time has passed, it will be too late then.
   
 
 
December 25, 2018
"Dear children! I am carrying to you my Son Jesus who is the King of Peace. He gives you peace and may it not be only for you but, little children, carry it to others in joy and humility. I am with you and am praying for you in this time of grace which God desires to give you. My presence is a sign of love here while I am with you to protect you and lead you towards eternity. Thank you for having responded to my call." 

Dear children! I am carrying to you my Son Jesus who is the King of Peace. He gives you peace and may it not be only for you but, little children, carry it to others in joy and humility.

The city of Jerusalem, meaning "City of Peace," was the capital of Israel and the center of everything. Humanly speaking, it seemed that the "King of Peace" should have been born there. However, Jesus was not born in Jerusalem but in Bethlehem, a small village 8 kilometers away with a population of only 300 people. Why was Jesus born in this tiny village? One reason was that it was the hometown of Joseph, the descendant of David, who was chosen to be Mary’s husband and Jesus’ foster father. But is there another reason?
      Bethlehem means "House of Bread." Jesus was born in the “House of Bread” because this aligns perfectly with His identity. Bread symbolizes life, and Jesus came to give life to the world. As He said, "I am the living bread that came down from heaven; whoever eats this bread will live forever; and the bread that I will give is my flesh for the life of the world" (John 6:51). Jesus, the Bread of Life, demonstrated through His crucifixion and resurrection that He is the bread that gives life. He continues to come to us daily as the Bread of Life through the Eucharist. Thus, the birth of Jesus in Bethlehem already foreshadowed the mysteries of the Eucharist, the Cross, and the Resurrection.
      St. Paul speaks of the peace Jesus brought by offering His life as the Bread of Life through His death on the cross: “For He is our peace, He who made both one and broke down the dividing wall of enmity, through His flesh... reconciling both with God, in one body, through the cross, putting that enmity to death by it” (Eph 2:14-17).
      Today, Medjugorje is like a new Bethlehem. Our Lady is bringing Jesus to us again, reminding us that the King of Peace is alive. She emphasizes that because Jesus is alive in the Eucharist, we should not only attend Sunday Mass but also try to participate in daily Mass as often as possible. She also urges us to come before the exposed Eucharist on the altar, worship Him who is alive in the Eucharist, and entrust ourselves completely to Him, accepting the peace He offers.
      Just as 2,000 years ago, when people’s homes were not open to welcome Jesus at His birth in Bethlehem, today many hearts remain closed to Jesus despite Our Lady’s continued pleas over the past 38 years. As the Lord said to the prophet Ezekiel, "Son of man, you live in the midst of a rebellious house; they have eyes to see, but do not see, and ears to hear but do not hear. They are such a rebellious house!" (Ez 12:2).
      We are among those who have received Jesus as the King of Peace, opening our hearts and homes to Him, allowing His peace to overflow. But the peace we have received as a precious gift is not meant to stay with us alone; it must be shared with others, especially with those around us who have yet to experience His peace. Our Lady urges us to be her extended hands, her apostles, spreading the peace of Jesus to others.
      When we hold onto the peace of Jesus within us, we cannot help but feel joyful. Joy is the fruit of peace. Our faces will naturally radiate happiness, and others will be drawn to that joy. Moreover, those who carry the peace of Jesus have a humble heart, like Jesus, not seeking to dominate others but lowering themselves to serve. It is in this humility that the peace of Jesus can be shared with others. We must always remember that humility is the foundation of peace, and joy is its fruit.

I am with you and am praying for you in this time of grace which God desires to give you. My presence is a sign of love here while I am with you to protect you and lead you towards eternity. Thank you for having responded to my call.

Jesus is Emmanuel, meaning "God with us." Why is this? Because God is love. Wherever Jesus is, Our Lady is also present. As our loving Mother, she is always with her children, praying for us, protecting us, and leading us to eternity. However, because we often fail to recognize or feel her presence, she comes to Medjugorje to remind us.
      The presence of Our Lady in Medjugorje is a sign of her love, a profound experience unique to that place. Medjugorje is like our spiritual home, our Mother’s village. Many pilgrims who visit Medjugorje and experience her love firsthand feel a deep desire to return. But some may visit Medjugorje and feel no change or inspiration, even seeing their time there as a waste. Why is this? Primarily because they approached the pilgrimage more as tourists than as pilgrims. Instead of focusing on prayer, they were distracted by human comforts or external phenomena like the sun spinning—seeking signs rather than spiritual renewal.
       Since her first appearance on June 24, 1981, Our Lady has tirelessly called us to prayer. Mass, the rosary, adoration, the Stations of the Cross, reading scripture, and confession are central to Medjugorje, from morning to night. A Medjugorje pilgrimage is centered on prayer. The evening program at St. James Church, which includes rosary, international Mass, healing prayers, and adoration, is the heart of the pilgrimage. Pilgrims ascend Apparition Hill and Cross Mountain, pray the rosary, and participate in spiritual testimonies and teachings.
      In this atmosphere of constant prayer, pilgrims naturally open their hearts to Jesus, experience conversion, and encounter peace and joy that the world cannot give. Therefore, if your goal is tourism, Medjugorje is not the place to go. But if your goal is prayer, it is the pilgrimage you must make. Just as athletes go on intensive training retreats to improve their skills, those who seek to become spiritual "athletes of prayer" should make a pilgrimage to Medjugorje. If you want to see the dazzling lights of the world, you should go on a tour. But if you want to meet the Light of Christ in prayer, you should embark on a pilgrimage. And the Medjugorje pilgrimage offers the most profound spiritual experience of all.
   
 
 
November 25, 2018
"Dear children! This is a time of grace and prayer, a time of waiting and giving. God is giving Himself to you that we may love Him above everything. Therefore, little children, open your hearts and families, so that this waiting may become prayer and love and, especially, giving. I am with you, little children, and encourage you not to give up from what is good, because the fruits are seen and heard of afar. That is why the enemy is angry and uses everything to lead you away from prayer. Thank you for having responded to my call."

Dear children! This is a time of grace and prayer, a time of waiting and giving. 

Today is the Feast of Christ the King, marking the end of the liturgical year. This feast reminds us that all human history ultimately leads to Jesus Christ, who is the fulfillment and pinnacle of salvation history. Christ the King will complete the work of salvation, and our salvation is found only in Him. This makes the present time a time of grace, as our Lord Jesus is with us in history, guiding us toward salvation. Moreover, since Jesus will return in glory as the King of the Universe and the Just Judge, we must now, more than ever, fervently live the Gospel and pray in preparation for His return and the judgment that will follow.
      Next week, we enter the season of Advent, a time of grace and prayer, but as Our Lady says, also a time of waiting and giving. Advent, in a sense, began immediately after the fall of our first parents, Adam and Eve. When they committed original sin, God made a promise to Satan, symbolized by the serpent: "I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; They will strike at your head, while you strike at their heel" (Gn 3:15). While Advent as we know it wasn't observed then, the waiting for the Savior began from that moment.
      Those who believed in God's promise to send the Savior through a virgin continuously waited and prayed for His coming. And finally, two thousand years ago, Jesus, the Savior, was born into the world through the Blessed Virgin Mary. Mary herself lived in Advent. She did not expect to be the chosen virgin, the Mother of the Savior. Like those who had come before her, she prayed every day, lifting her hands to heaven, waiting for the Messiah. When the angel Gabriel announced that she would conceive the Son of God, Mary responded, "Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord. May it be done to me according to your word" (Lk 1:38), offering her entire life to God. Through Mary, God gave us His only Son, Jesus.
      With this experience in mind, Our Lady tells us that now is a time of waiting and giving. Those who prioritize God's will and timing can wait with patience, trusting in Him. Those who pray know how to wait for God's time and are willing to give themselves to God when He calls for sacrifice and offering.

God is giving Himself to you that we may love Him above everything. Therefore, little children, open your hearts and families, so that this waiting may become prayer and love and, especially, giving. 

As we experience through the Incarnation, the Passion, and the Resurrection of Jesus, as well as through the Eucharist, God gives Himself to us daily. Especially through the Mass, we encounter God who comes to us and gives Himself fully. Because God loves us so completely, He offers His whole self to us every day. There is no love that compares to His, and thus, we are called to love Him above all else.
      God desires that His love overflows into our hearts and homes. He wants our hearts and homes to be filled with His love and peace. When our hearts are filled with God’s love, we are able to love Him above all things and love His creations genuinely. When our homes are filled with His love, family members can love and forgive one another sincerely, becoming a light to other families. This is why Our Lady urges us to open our hearts and homes to God’s love.
      However, our hearts and homes will not open on their own. Without continual personal and family prayer, we cannot open our hearts and homes to God. Only through prayer, accompanied by patience and waiting, can we make this possible. Along with prayer, we must have the attitude of offering ourselves, our love, and our families to God.

I am with you, little children, and encourage you not to give up from what is good, because the fruits are seen and heard of afar.

Our Lady reassures us not to give up on doing good because "the fruits are seen and heard of afar." In this context, "doing good" seems to refer primarily to prayer. Why should we not give up on prayer? Because even if we cannot see it, the fruits of our prayers are growing, and God hears every one of them.
      First, while we may have specific intentions when we pray, we cannot ensure the outcome. The fruits of our prayers are in God's hands. If our intentions are pure and aligned with God’s will, the prayers will undoubtedly bear fruit. However, only God knows when, how, and to what extent those fruits will manifest. Even if the fruits seem distant or small in our eyes, we must not be discouraged or stop praying. Prayer requires patience and confidence in God's goodness.
      Secondly, our prayers are always heard. From the moment we pray, our words reach God. He listens to every single prayer without exception, even the ones that briefly pass through our thoughts or hearts. He responds to them, but in His time and according to His will, not ours. Therefore, we must trust in God's goodness and entrust all our prayers to His care.

That is why the enemy is angry and uses everything to lead you away from prayer. Thank you for having responded to my call.

Who is Our Lady’s enemy? Satan. Since we are her children, Satan is also our enemy. He is angry because Our Lady encourages us not to give up on prayer. He is especially furious with those who were tempted to stop praying but resumed their prayer life due to Our Lady's encouragement. When we pray, our hearts belong to God, leaving no room for Satan, and as we grow stronger in prayer, Satan's influence over us weakens. This is why he does everything he can to keep us away from prayer.
      What tools does Satan use to distance us from prayer? It depends on the individual. He will use whatever tempts each person most easily, whatever occupies their time and attention. Whether it’s television, movies, internet, video games, gambling, drugs, alcohol, indulgent entertainment, shopping, gossip, or pride, Satan has countless means of distraction.
     We know what we tend to spend too much time on. Satan knows it too. Before he can distract us, we must examine ourselves and give up whatever is taking us away from prayer. Instead, we must replace it with prayer. Even things that seem good on the surface can be traps if they draw us away from prayer. Behind such distractions, Satan is always lurking. Let us remember that we are in the midst of a great spiritual battle between Our Lady and Satan, between us, her children, and Satan.
   
 
 
October 25, 2018
"Dear children! You have a great grace of being called to a new life through the messages which I am giving you. This, little children, is a time of grace, a time and a call to conversion for you and the future generations. Therefore, I am calling you, little children, pray more and open your heart to my Son Jesus. I am with you and love you all and bless you with my motherly blessing. Thank you for having responded to my call."

Dear children! You have a great grace of being called to a new life through the messages which I am giving you.

Since June 24, 1981, following the will of the Heavenly Father, Our Lady has been appearing in Medjugorje. Although her apparitions began in 1981, it was only from March 1, 1984, that she started giving regular messages. From that time until January 8, 1987, she gave messages every Thursday, and since January 25, 1987, she has been giving messages once a month, on the 25th. Additionally, since December 2, 2004, she has been appearing to Mirjana Dragicevic-Soldo on the 2nd of every month. Furthermore, Our Lady gives messages on March 18 to Mirjana, on June 25 to Ivanka Ivankovic-Elez, and on December 25 to Jakov Colo. She also gives public messages during special apparitions on Apparition Hill to Ivan Dragicevic. While all these messages are important and meaningful, the monthly messages given on the 25th through Marija are officially shared with the world.
      God sends Our Lady as His prophet, so the messages she conveys to us are, in fact, messages from God. Through the Bible and public revelations, God has already provided us with numerous messages. Public revelation concluded with the death of the Apostle John. The reason God continues to give us messages through Our Lady is that, despite the fact that we already have all the teachings we need in public revelation, we have not been living them. The private revelations given through Our Lady are meant to encourage us to live out the teachings we have already received in the Bible.
      Through her messages, Our Lady reminds us to recognize God's existence and to place Him first in our lives to experience His peace and salvation. She emphasizes the importance of constant prayer, repentance, strong faith, and making sacrifices through penance and fasting. These are not new teachings; they are already contained in scripture. Our Lady’s goal is to remind us of God’s word and call us to a new life by bringing us out of spiritual slumber and into a life of grace.
      There is an old saying: "Even if you have a string of precious beads, they are worthless unless strung together." Similarly, although Our Lady has been giving us messages for over 37 years, they are only powerful if we take them seriously, meditate on them, and put them into practice. If we respond to Our Lady’s call with gratitude and commit to living her messages, we will experience great blessings from the moment we begin. For example, if we take seriously the message, "Pray until prayer becomes a joy," and fill our day with brief, heartfelt prayers as she asks, we will surely experience conversion, a deepening of faith, and the joy of living in God’s presence.

This, little children, is a time of grace, a time and a call to conversion for you and the future generations.

God is sending Our Lady into this world through Jesus. The apparitions in Medjugorje are ongoing, but no one knows when they will end. Some visionaries, like Mirjana, Ivanka, and Jakov, have already received the ten secrets, and their daily apparitions have ceased. The three other visionaries—Vicka, Marija, and Ivan—have received nine secrets so far, and when they receive the tenth, their daily apparitions will also end. This means that Our Lady’s apparitions on earth will come to an end, and the secrets will be revealed within the lifetimes of these visionaries.
      Considering this, it seems that there is not much time left. This makes the present time all the more precious and urgent. As Our Lady says, "this, is a time of grace, a time and a call to conversion for you and the future generations." We must not make the mistake of realizing too late how great a grace this time is or how important it is to respond to her messages. We should act now—today, at this very moment, in this place—by praying, repenting, and preparing for the future and for our salvation.

Therefore, I am calling you, little children, pray more and open your heart to my Son Jesus. I am with you and love you all and bless you with my motherly blessing. Thank you for having responded to my call.

The time we are given is precious. Our Lady urges us to spend it in more prayer. Even if we think we are already praying enough, we must not be complacent. We should always consider our prayers insufficient and strive to pray more. We must add more prayers to those we already offer, seizing every opportunity to pray as much as possible.
      What we need for our current happiness and future salvation is not more money, a bigger house, or a better car. What we need is more prayer and an open heart to welcome Jesus. Through prayer, we open our hearts wider and allow Jesus to enter, live within us, and rule over our hearts and lives. There is no greater blessing than this. Just as we long to be united with those we love, we should open our hearts to Jesus, who is our one true love, and become one with Him.
      Jesus tells us: "Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, [then] I will enter his house and dine with him, and he with me" (Rev 3:20).
   
 
 
September 25, 2018
"Dear children! Also nature extends signs of its love to you through the fruits which it gives you. Also, you, by my coming, have received an abundance of gifts and fruits. Little children, how much you have answered to my call, God knows. I am calling you - it is not late - decide for holiness and a life with God, in grace and in peace. God will bless you and give to you a hundred-fold, if you trust in Him. Thank you for having responded to my call."

Dear children! Also nature extends signs of its love to you through the fruits which it gives you. Also, you, by my coming, have received an abundance of gifts and fruits.

It is now the season of harvest. During this time, we gather the fruits from various trees. These fruits delight our taste buds and provide our bodies with essential nutrients and freshness. These are the blessings that nature bestows upon us. However, in this month's message, Our Lady goes further by saying, " Also nature extends signs of its love to you through the fruits which it gives you." This statement might be a bit difficult to understand.
      How does nature love humans? How does nature, by giving its fruits, express its love for us? In Genesis 1, before God created humanity, He created everything necessary for life. He designed an optimal environment for humans to live in. After creating everything in nature, God created humans and said: “See, I give you every seed-bearing plant on all the earth and every tree that has seed-bearing fruit on it to be your food” (Gn 1:29). Nature was created for humans, and God commanded it to produce fruits to be their nourishment. Nature, by following God’s command, bears fruits faithfully and offers them to humans, serving humanity. By giving its fruits without asking for anything in return, nature and the fruits it produces are expressions of God’s love for humanity. Nature, through its fruits, communicates this love and follows God's example by freely giving its bounty to humanity.
      God promised that even though the first humans, Adam and Eve, lost eternal life due to original sin, He would send a Savior and the Savior’s Mother to open the gates of eternal life again. He created the most perfect creature, Mary, and through her, sent Jesus, the Savior, into the world, reopening the gates of eternal life. However, after more than 2,000 years, many people have forgotten about Jesus and do not believe in Him, walking the path of destruction. Therefore, through Medjugorje, God is sending Mary once again into the world.
      Since June 24, 1981, Our Lady’s apparitions in Medjugorje have continued daily, and through them, God has been bestowing countless graces upon humanity. Millions of people have visited Medjugorje, and countless fruits of conversion and faith have resulted from putting Our Lady’s messages into practice. The fact that Our Lady continues to visit us on earth through Medjugorje, guiding us with her messages and leading us to Jesus, who grants eternal life, is itself a tremendous gift from God.

Little children, how much you have answered to my call, God knows. I am calling you - it is not late - decide for holiness and a life with God, in grace and in peace. God will bless you and give to you a hundred-fold, if you trust in Him. Thank you for having responded to my call.

Through her messages in Medjugorje, Our Lady has been urging us to pray, repent, believe, and live in peace. At the end of each message, she always says, "Thank you for having responded to my call." In this month’s message, she adds, "How much you have answered to my call, God knows," reminding us that our response to her call is ultimately a response to God’s call. Since Our Lady is God’s messenger, her messages are God’s words to us, and God Himself is calling us through her. Therefore, she says, "How much you have answered to my call, God knows."
      Our Lady is still calling us because many have yet to respond, and even some who did respond have returned to their old ways. She reassures us that it is not too late. Just as Jesus said to Zacchaeus, “Today salvation has come to this house... For the Son of Man has come to seek and save what was lost” (Lk 19:9-10), we too must respond to Our Lady’s call at this very moment. She says, "Decide for holiness and a life with God, in grace and in peace. God will bless you and give to you a hundred-fold, if you trust in Him.”
   
 
 
August 25, 2018
"Dear children! This is a time of grace. Little children, pray more, speak less and permit God to lead you on the way of conversion. I am with you and love you with my motherly love. Thank you for having responded to my call."

Dear children! This is a time of grace. 

When Our Lady speaks of this being a "time of grace," it reminds me of the moment when Jesus wept over Jerusalem, foretelling its destruction. The Gospel describes it as follows: "As he drew near, he saw the city and wept over it, saying, “If this day you only knew what makes for peace—but now it is hidden from your eyes. For the days are coming upon you when your enemies will raise a palisade against you; they will encircle you and hem you in on all sides. They will smash you to the ground and your children within you, and they will not leave one stone upon another within you because you did not recognize the time of your visitation'" (Lk 19:41-44).
      Why did Jesus weep over Jerusalem? Because they did not recognize the time of grace, failing to accept it, choosing instead the path of destruction. As Jesus predicted, Jerusalem was utterly destroyed by the Roman Empire in 70 AD.
      Only God and Our Lady know how long this time of grace we have been given will last. First, we must thank God for this time of grace and for Our Lady, who reminds us of it. Then, we must deeply reflect on why this time of grace has been granted and how we should use it to prepare for our salvation. Our Lady shows us how to make the best use of this time of grace, which is directly linked to our salvation and peace.

Little children, pray more, speak less and permit God to lead you on the way of conversion. 

First, we need to recognize that we are "little children." A child needs the help and protection of adults. We are not beings capable of everything on our own; we can only live with God's help and protection. Therefore, we must humble ourselves before God, entrust ourselves to Him, and seek His help and protection. We are also children of God, not belonging to the world or Satan but to God and His kingdom. We must live with God and lead lives worthy of our status as His children. God is the Father and center of the family we belong to, and we should live centered around Him.
      Secondly, since we belong to God as His children, we must constantly communicate with Him and maintain a loving relationship. This requires prayer. Prayer is a conversation with God; it is the key that opens the hearts of God and us. It is the bond that sustains our relationship of love with God. That is why Our Lady urges us to pray more. The more we pray, the better. Prayer should not be minimal, nor should we merely create the atmosphere of prayer without actually praying. Each person’s daily life circumstances are different, but we must create as much time and space as possible for prayer. And our prayers must be heartfelt, not mechanical or routine.
      Thirdly, we must speak less. While communication is necessary for relationships, many people waste time with unnecessary words. Besides being a waste of time, excessive talking often leads to gossip or mistakes. In his letter, the Apostle James says:
      "We all fall short in many respects. If anyone does not fall short in speech, he is a perfect man, able to bridle his whole body also. If we put bits into the mouths of horses to make them obey us, we also guide their whole bodies. It is the same with ships: even though they are so large and driven by fierce winds, they are steered by a very small rudder wherever the pilot’s inclination wishes. In the same way the tongue is a small member and yet has great pretensions. Consider how small a fire can set a huge forest ablaze. The tongue is also a fire. It exists among our members as a world of malice, defiling the whole body and setting the entire course of our lives on fire, itself set on fire by Gehenna. For every kind of beast and bird, of reptile and sea creature, can be tamed and has been tamed by the human species, but no human being can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison. With it we bless the Lord and Father, and with it we curse human beings who are made in the likeness of God. From the same mouth come blessing and cursing. This need not be so, my brothers” (Jas 3:2-10).
       We are created for God's glory, and everything we do finds its true meaning in being used for His glory. Our mouths were created not only for eating, drinking, and speaking but, above all, for giving thanks, praising God, and glorifying Him. Let us restrain our speech about ourselves, others, and the world and direct it toward prayer. Let God take the first place in our mouths, hearts, time, and space, allowing Him to be the center of everything.
      Finally, as John the Baptist said, "He must increase, and I must decrease" (John 3:30). God must become greater, and we must become smaller so that He can take the lead in our lives and we can fully surrender to His guidance. This is the beginning of allowing God to lead us on the path of conversion. The journey of conversion is a lifelong process, requiring us to humble ourselves before God continually. Humility is the essential foundation for conversion, which is why Jesus said, "Unless you turn and become like children, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven" (Mt 18:3).

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

As our Mother, Our Lady does not leave her children alone. Just as a physical mother always wants to be near her young child, so too does Our Lady want to be with us, and she assures us that she is. We can find peace and reassurance in the knowledge that Our Lady is by our side, just as a child feels safe and secure with their mother nearby.
       A symbol of motherhood is devotion. A mother with a maternal heart dedicates everything to her children, making sacrifices and caring for them. This devotion defines Our Lady. She is the Mother who cherishes her children's lives more than her own and who dedicates herself entirely to us.
   
 1  2  3  4  5  6  7  8  9  10    

USA : 6100A Hoskins Hollow Circle, Centreville, VA. 20121

TEL : 703-383-0113

E-mail : aqopmr@gmail.com

Copyrightⓒ 2013 Apostles of Queen of Peace All rights reserved.