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

25th November 2017

 

Our Lady of Medjugorje“Dear children,  In this time of grace, I call you to prayer. Pray and seek peace, little children. He who came here on earth to give you His peace, regardless of who you are and what you are – He, my Son, your Brother – through me is calling you to conversion, because without God you do not have a future or eternal life. Therefore, believe and pray and live in grace and the expectation of your personal meeting with Him. Thank you for having responded to my call.

 

 

Dear Brothers and Sisters of Medjugorje North East and beyond, 

Since June 24th,1981, to the present, we entered a 'special time of Grace’ with Our Lady's coming. 'Grace', or 'Gratia'-love freely given is the great gift we are all receiving at this time with Our Lady's coming in Medjugorje. 

In our Lady's school of Prayer, we learn to pray with the heart, to pray with love, and this is what the apparitions are all about.

Medjugorje is the Gospel call to conversion and repentance, so Mary begins this month's message with the reminder that everything is Grace at this time, so we should never become used to the time we are being given. For it is indeed a time of Grace. Like Advent, Our Lady is preparing all her children for the new times, the time of her Triumph, how often has she told us that without us God's plan cannot be realised.

The call to Prayer is the basic desire of the apparitions.  This is the singular aim of Medjugorje. "Pray and seek Peace." The fruit of Prayer is Peace, Mary connects the two, so that we may remember that to become peaceful, to create the conditions for Peace, then we have to Pray.

If my heart is not at Peace, if I am disorientated, confused, then it is because we have not offered our hearts and Spirits to God in Prayer; for Prayer changes me, Prayer, all Prayer is contact with God. it has occurred to me recently how extensive the lack of Peace is in so many people’s lives.

Secularism and the powers of darkness are hindering so many people on their way to God. This distance from God, and the apostasy all around is the reason for Our Lady's coming. Mary shows us all the way, she tells us that Prayer is the answer and Peace is the result of our Prayer. 'Pray and seek Peace little children.'

The way to encounter the Risen Lord Jesus, is through Prayer. In this Advent season, let us take to heart this persistent call of the Madonna of Medjugorje.  We may say we don't have enough time to Pray, but time is not the problem, Love is the problem. Prayer opens the doors of our hearts and souls to God, so let us gather together in our Prayer groups, with neighbours and friends and let us restore Prayer to its rightful place.

Mary then reminds us that we are all children of God, 'regardless of who you are or what you are.'  The dignity of every person is underscored here as Mary continues to tell us about our eternal destiny and life.

"Because without God you do not have a future or eternal life.

Dear friends, Jesus is our Way, Truth and LIfe, only with him do we have a future. Let us stay near to him, in his Word, in the holy Mass, in Holy Confession, near the Cross, in holy Fasting.

The message of Our Lady can seem demanding, but she wants us to have a future. I remember Fr. Jozo Zovko, preaching in St. Mary's cathedral, Newcastle, he said, " Please don't play games with Medjugorje, don't wait for the sign, when the sign comes, it will be too late for many, give yourselves the future with God."

Mary comes from Heaven because she wants our eternal Salvation, our future with God. " Believe and Pray." Let us recite now the Creed-the Apostles Creed, for all who do not yet know the love of God, and for all who are forgetting their Faith.

Let us think about what Mary says:

"Believe and Pray."

Yes, Lord I do believe, you have the words of eternal Life.

And live in Grace and the expectation of your personal meeting with him” 

Please take these words to heart!

Your personal meeting with the Lord Jesus, looking into his eyes, the Holy pure, son of God, your brother. Mary, is asking us to prepare for the eternal life, and the times we will encounter him in Prayer.

 

Let us Pray;

Lord, Heavenly Father,

Thank you for the thirty-six years that you have permitted Mary, Queen and Mother of Peace to be with us.

We thank you that through her presence, she may lead us on the path of prayer towards peace.

We thank you that she reminds us of our personal meeting with your Son, our brother.

Give us the Grace O Father, to live her message, and to transform it into our lives.

Give us all now a deep realisation that she is with us, and awaken in our hearts this Advent the love and yearning to answer fully to her love. Protect us from all evil, may your holy Angels come to us and lead us into the light, bestow upon us the gift of an expectant faith, so that we may be truly happy and joyful for the personal meeting with your Son.

May this happen through your Holy Spirit who lives and reigns with you throughout all eternity. Amen.

 

Our Lady Queen

of Peace.                      - Pray for us.

St. John Paul II             - Pray for us

Father Slavko               - Pray for us

 

A Happy, Joyful, Peaceful & Holy Christmas

God Bless

Fr. Martin Morris