Fr. Martin’s
reflection on - Our Lady’s Message
25th
November 2017
“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