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

25^th December 2025

“Dear children! Pray, pray, pray that peace may begin to reign in every heart and prevail over every evil and peacelessness.

Thank you for having responded to my call.”

(With Ecclesiastical approval)

Dear Brother’s and Sister’s of Medjugorje North East and beyond, as we reflect on Our Lady’s message for Christmas Day let us remember that she is the woman clothed with the sun, who stands on the moon, with a crown of twelve stars on her head. She is the one who fights the enemy, and all that threatens humanity with destruction.

So often Our Lady has told us that she needs our prayers for the Triumph of her Immaculate Heart. So Our Lady begins the message with the threefold call to prayer “Pray, Pray, Pray.” Let us note what Our Lady does not say, she doesn’t ask us to talk, or study or discuss.’ Important and necessary as these are she underscores the vital importance of prayer. Emphasising the very word ‘Pray’ three times Mary really wants us to make prayer our priority above everything else.

Once Sr. Briege McKenna was overwhelmed by the duties she had to perform, and in the midst of all her activity she heard the voice of the Lord speaking, “This time is for me”, Said Jesus to her. Sr. Briege often uses this little story to illustrate that if we are too bust busy to pray, then we are too busy!

Our Lady asks us to ‘Pray, Pray, Pray.’ At the heart of Our Lady’s plea, and it is a real imploring with this threefold call to prayer are plans of peace and Joy. This is the reason for Mary’s coming in Medjugorje, to show the world the way to peace.

‘Peace must reign between God and Man.’ Were her very first words on 24^th June , 1981.

All of her messages during this time have been about the path of renewal and hope and Resurrection. The message of peace brought to us by the queen of Peace, doesn’t consist only of ways to stop wars, but also to stop any destruction of human life. Mary calls humanity to a deeper understanding of life from its very beginning, protection of nature and creation, deep peace between God and Man, and between all people. The word ‘Pray’ is repeated three times in this month’s message, but we shouldn’t become too analytic about this, but simply do as Our Lady requests and that is to pray more. So let us look at what Our Lady has asked us to do concerning prayer;

1. Who is supposed to pray? Every person. Every nation, every parish, every family, and every prayer group.

2. What should we pray? Right from the start of the apparitions Our Lady taught us to pray the Apostles Creed, the Lord’s Prayer, the Hail Mary, Holy Mass and Holy Scripture.

3. How are we to pray? Our Lady taught us how to pray with the heart. i.e. with Faith, trust and love in God’s mercy and tenderness.

4. For what should we pray.? Firstly for our Lady’s intentions, especially the Triumph of her Immaculate Heart. Then we should pray for the gift of the Holy Spirit, and the Gift of Faith, and in this month’s message that ‘Peace’ reign and prevail in every heart.

This is the simple format of prayer that Our Lady has shown us over the years, the important thing is to decide for prayer in the midst of our own lives.

As we begin this New Year, a Holy Year of Jubilee, let us each take to heart the threefold call to Prayer and begin by looking into our own hearts and create the conditions for peace to reign there. Our Lady asks that our own inner peace may prevail over peacelessness.

So let us begin personally and become channels of God’s peace, with Our Lady, Queen of Peace , that the Peace of Christ may ‘Prevail’ in our world.

A Happy Holy Year to you all.

Fr. Martin