Fr. Martin’s
reflection on - Our Lady’s Message
25th
June 2018
“Dear children, This is the day that the Lord gave me to
give Him thanks for each of you, for those who have converted and have accepted
my messages and have set out on the way of conversion and holiness. Rejoice,
little children, because God is merciful and loves you all with His
immeasurable love and leads you to the way of salvation through my coming here.
I love you all and give you my Son that He may give you peace. Thank you
for having responded to my call.”
Dear Brothers
and Sisters of Medjugorje North East and beyond,
One of the
great fruits of Mary's coming to Medjugorje these last thirty-seven years has
been the rediscovery of the sacrament of Holy Confession for so many pilgrims.
Indeed, Medjugorje is now acknowledged as, the 'Confessional of the world'
because of the vast amounts of people who experience within them, whilst there,
the desire for purification, the forgiveness of sins.
So many can
say, they have encountered the 'God who is merciful, and who loves
us with an immeasurable love' and experience an interior renewal through
Holy Confession. This is Our Lady's school of Prayer where for thirty-seven
years now, we have participated in a 'Pentecost' experience encountering
'the God who is merciful and who leads us by the way of Salvation.'
In the acts
of the apostles, St. Peter preaches to the people, and when they ask,
"What must we do?" St. Peter replies, " You, must repent
and have your sins forgiven." (Acts: 2: 14-36)
For
thirty-seven years now, we have been in the time of grace given by Our Lady,
and we sense the Joy of Mary in this month's message when she says, "Rejoice
little children because God is merciful."
"This is
the day that the Lord gave me to give thanks to him for each one of you." Each of
us are special to her, each one of us known to her, her Dear children.
Mary is thankful for our response, our growth in Faith, Prayer and Holiness.
These years have produced a harvest. "For those who have converted
and have accepted my messages and have set out on the way of conversion and
holiness."
Our Lady call
us to "A Way"- a path to be followed, a light to guide us
forward. The reason for Mary's coming is the call to holiness and conversion
and we sense her Gratitude as she sees her children on the "Way."
All of Our Lady's words these thirty-seven years have
shown us the true face of God, Our Heavenly Father who reaches out in love to
his children.
"God is
merciful and loves you all with an immeasurable love."
Jesus is the
true face of the Father's Mercy, in his saving Word we see the mind of the
Father, in the Prodigal Son, the call of St. Matthew, the Good Samaritan, to
mention but a few.
May we never
tire of turning to the Father of Mercies, "It is us who tire, but never
him," says Pope Francis.
Mary gives us
the life and love of her Son, she is the God-bearer the sign of the one who
leads us by her hand on the way of Salvation.
Let us stay
close to her, the woman clothed with the sun, who loves us and who gives us the
Peace of Christ.
God Bless, Fr. Martin