Fr. Martin’s
reflection on - Our Lady’s Message
25th
March 2025
“Dear
children! in this time of grace when you are called to
conversion, I am encouraging you, little children: offer me your prayers,
sufferings and tears for conversion of hearts that are far from the Heart of my
Son Jesus. Pray with me, because, little children, without God you do not have
a future or eternal life. I love you, but I cannot help you without you;
therefore, say 'yes' to God. Thank you
for having responded to my call.”
(With Ecclesiastical
approval)
Dear Brother’s & Sisters of Medjugorje North East and beyond, Our
Lady’s call is for you. The Blessed
virgin Mary, Queen and Mother of peace reminds us “I cannot help you without
you.” In this month’s message we
reflect on that appeal of Mary for each one of us to say ‘Yes’ to God and so make a
decision for our futures. In making this decision now for God, for Faith and
prayer we decide for eternal life. This month’s message is so important and
urgent because Our Lady speaks to us about our eternal salvation, and the path
we choose in this life.
So Our Lady begins, “In
this time of Grace when you are called to conversion, I am encouraging you
little children”. We are now in the holy season of Lent,
it is a special time to work on our own conversion. Each of us are created in the image and
likeness of God, and his Grace, - his favour, goodness, is at work in us. However that grace,
requires our co- operation. If we ask for Grace, God will give it. He knows our weakness, and that is why he
says to St. Paul, “My Grace is enough for you, for power is at full strength in
weakness.” (2
Cor; 1:2:9) And Paul answers, “Yes, and the grace of God
has not been wasted.” (1
cor. 1 5:10)
So in the remaining
time of Lent let each of us make a decision for our own conversion, for it is a
time of Grace.
Then Our Lady says, “Offer me your prayers, suffering’s,
and tears for the conversion of hearts, that are far from the heart of my Son
Jesus.” God has a heart. A living, beating human heart in the person of
Jesus of Nazareth. The Sacred Heart of
Jesus calls every person to find new life in his heart. Mary,
reminds us that many are far away from the heart of her Son, and she reminds us
what we can do, to help remedy this.
We can offer our prayers for this intention, but also our ‘suffering’s and tears’ says, Our Lady. How often we
might think our suffering’s and trials, and tears are
of no use. But we can do something with them, that can have an eternal effect.
We can use these as opportunities for ‘Redemptive suffering.’ To humbly
do as Our Lady asks and offer them to her for the conversion of hearts. Mary, tells us that “hearts are far from
the heart of my Son Jesus.” Our
Prayers, sufferring’s and tears ,
can make a difference in someone’s heart.
The simple prayer, ‘The Morning offering’ is
an excellent way, to live out this intention for Our Lady.
“Pray with me, because, little children, without God you do not have a
future or eternal life.”
The situation is serious, and is one that
requires a personal decision from each of our hearts. Our Lady asks us to ‘Pray with me.’ What is the most urgent situation in the
church today? It is prayer. What does
the world need most today? It is men and women who pray. For forty two years
now Our Lady has been with us to teach us how to Pray. Prayer is the key to life with God. Mary, has given us the ‘five stones’ of Medjugorje as
a pattern for daily prayer. To decide
for prayer, is to decide for God, for Jesus, who is our eternal life.
“I love you, but I cannot help you without you, therefore say ‘yes’ to
God.”
Our Lady emphasises here our personal response to God. She
cannot railroad us, but we are invited to give our co-operation with her, for
ourselves and for others. We are blessed with free- will, we are not robots, and our Lady
is saying to us, “Please let me help you.”
Therefore let us remember the
example of our Lady at the Annunciation, when she says of her own freewill,
“Let it be done to me according to your word.” (
Luke: 1:38)
If we want her help, then let us go to her, she wants to help us.
God Bless,
Fr. Martin