Fr. Martin’s reflection on - Our Lady’s Message

25^th December 2020

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

Dear Brothers and Sisters of Medjugorje North East and beyond, in the message of 25th December 1985, Our Lady said, “Do not look at material thing’s because then you will not be able to experience Christmas.” These words are a good starting point in our reflection for this December’s message. We should understand the words spoken by Mary in 1985 to mean needless excess, not to focus on the material solely. At the heart of every Christmas season is a child –

‘The Christ Child’,

‘The Prince of Peace’,

‘The Word Made Flesh’.

“For us men and for our Salvation he came down from heaven.”

So Mary begins this month’s message, “I am carrying to you little Jesus who brings you peace.” Our Lady is the God-bearer-‘Theotokos’ the one who carries our Saviour to us. She is the one sent from Heaven to bring Christ to our world again, so that through Faith, each of us may experience Christmas in the heart. For this to happen means to prepare for his peace, to create the necessary conditions within. So we need to be near Him, to search for Him, to spend time with Him in Prayer and Adoration, then we receive his Peace.

Our Lady carries the infant Jesus so that we may find in Him our deepest longing’s, the fulfilment of all desire.

“HIM WHO IS THE PAST, PRESENT, AND FUTURE OF YOUR EXISTENCE.”

In Hebrews 13:8. we read, “ Jesus Christ is the same, yesterday, today and forever.” He is our past, present and future. He is the centre, the focus and the reason for our existence. By these words Our Lady wants us to see Gods all-encompassing Love and Mercy. To look at the whole of our lives through the lens of Faith, and to see our pasts, presents and future in his Love. Mary does not want us to look back and see regrets, to see our present situation as hopeless, or our future with despondency. She wants us to see our existence under the mercy of God. “Through Him, with Him and in Him the unity of the Holy Spirit.”

“Christ yesterday, Christ today and Christ tomorrow.” (Hebrews: 13:8)

“Little Children do not permit for your Faith and Hope in a better future to be extinguished.” Faith and Hope are the keys words here, Our Lady mentions: Without Hope the Christian life is meaningless. Because Christ calls us to Hope in Him. There can be many forces at work today to tempt us to discouragement and disappointment. But Our Lady tells us through Faith and Hope Jesus Christ is our future. Therefore, in every trial and difficulty we should pray like He the Apostles, “Lord increase our Faith.”

Make an act of Faith and an Act of Hope. For the Christian is one who looks forward all the time. There is much to look forward to.

“Because you are chosen to be witnesses in every situation.”

Our Lady’s coming is a great gift, Grace and Joy, but it is also a sign that the times are truly serious and dangerous for humanity. We the little children, are asked to be signs, witnesses to ‘Faith and Hope’ because ‘Faith and Hope’ are threatened.

Mary is here to help us, may our hearts be open to her words because each of us is called to be, chosen, to save souls and present them to God - this is the reason for Our Lady’s coming. This will mean courageously standing with Jesus and his Gospel and witnessing to the Love of God each in our own situation.

“That is why I am here with Jesus that He may Bless You with His Peace.”

Our Lady concludes the message as she began; by reminding us that she comes with Jesus so that we can receive his Peace. Each of us must find our peace with God and cultivate it and live in it.

Mary wants every human heart to be firmly established in the strength of Divine Peace. Our interior Peace is so important to her, because the kingdom of her Son, his reign of peace will be in and from there.

So let us leave this reflection with some words from Sr. Elvira.

“Like Jesus, we need a Mother who understands and fulfils the desires of our hearts. This Mother is Mary, the humble, simple, faithful servant who smiles upon us, invites us, welcomes us, and takes us to contemplate the manger, where the splendour of light is never extinguished. Immersed in this light, we find a life that is truly eternal. let us thank Mary, Our Mother, who leads us to live in that light because, like every Mother, she knows that children are afraid of the dark! Jesus repeatedly tells us, ‘ I am the light of the world; anyone who follows me will not be walking in the dark, he will have the light of life.’

(John: 8.12:)

Every Blessing for the New Year, Fr. Martin