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

25^th January 2019

“ Dear children, Today, as a mother, I am calling you to conversion. This time is for you, little children, a time of silence and prayer. Therefore, in the warmth of your heart, may a grain of hope and faith grow and you, little children, will from day to day feel the need to pray more. Your life will become orderly and responsible. You will comprehend, little children, that you are passing here on earth and you will feel the need to be closer to God, and with love you will witness the experience of your encounter with God, which you will share with others. I am with you and am praying for you but I cannot without your 'yes'. Thank you for having responded to my call. ”

Dear Brothers and Sisters of Medjugorje North East and beyond,

Mary Queen of Peace is our Mother and she is also Mother of the Church.  The Motherly presence of Mary accompanies us at this time in a special way, so Mary begins this month's message,

"Today, as a Mother I am calling you to conversion."

These words should fill us with praise and gratitude that our Heavenly Mother cares so much for us.  The Motherly role of Our Lady is to guide, call and show us the way.  So, in these opening words we can recognise that there exists a real danger in our lives of Faith, that we begin to think that we have already fully converted.  this happens when we do not fully understand the meaning of 'conversion'.

Conversion is first of all a decision against sin -sin in us and around us.

Conversion is the desire to be closer to God, to be in his presence, to be in his will.

Conversion is about the good and growing in what is good and true. 

None of the Saints were ever idle on their path to conversion.  They saw it as a daily process of change.  They remind us that their path to holiness was a daily awareness to grow in the likeness of Christ. 

Through our Prayer and fasting, regular confession, daily Rosary, the living God gives us the strength to keep walking the path of holiness we call conversion.  May we never take this for granted.  With Our Lady may we be grateful for each day as a gift to deepen our holiness and faith.  

"This time is for you, little children, a time of silence and prayer."

The great grace of Medjugorje is the rebirth of the gift of prayer in so many people’s lives. 

The sacred silence of Podbrdor, The prayerful silence of Cross Mountain, and The unforgettable silence of late-night Adoration. 

The silence of these places is what has touched the hearts of so many pilgrims and encountered the living God again. 

Our Lady has told us many times, "Speak less, pray more."  and now she tells us of the power of silence. 

Cardinal Robert Sarah says, "Prayerful silence is silence with God.  This silence is clinging to God, appearing before God, and placing oneself in his presence, offering oneself to him, mortifying oneself in him, adoring, loving, and hearing him, listening to him, and resting in him.  This is the silence of eternity, the union of the soul with God." (The power of silence.)

With Mary let us create these times of prolonged silence in our lives so that we may encounter him who is the Lord.

"In the warmth of your heart may a grain of hope and faith grow." 

Prayer is the seed of hope and faith.  A simple grain of hope and faith is all that is needed, for God to multiply our desire to pray more.  The amount we measure out is the amount we will receive.  The little we give to God, much he can bring from it.  

"Your life will become orderly and responsible."  The fruit of prayer is peace and love.  Love for God and neighbour.  So many people are not at peace today and so live in dis-order and irresponsibility.  In our own lives too, we can see disorder too, but prayer restores order and responsibility, because prayer is contact with God.  Order and responsibility are fruits of our closeness with God, the Holy spirit the giver of these gifts.  

"You will comprehend, little children, that you are passing here on earth."  Mary desires that we stay on the path of holiness, so that we can enter Heaven.  Our lives have a destination, an arrival.  So, Mary wants us to strive against everything that blocks our awareness of the meaning of our lives here on earth.  That is why she wants us to free ourselves from the world and permit the Holy Spirit to govern our lives.  So, how often do we ask Jesus, for the gift of the Holy Spirit, so that we may desire Heaven?  We should pray for the desire for Paradise, as the Saints did, and ask Jesus to increase this yearning in us.  

Dear Friends, In these Marian times, Mary is our Mother and teacher.  She is Mother of the Church and cares deeply for our Salvation.  She accompanies us and guides us towards God.  The conditions of this month's message are very clear: To convert, to be silent, to pray more, to be orderly and responsible in our living, we are passing through, so be closer to God, and we will be witnesses to him. Let us thank Jesus for the great grace of Medjugorje!

God Bless, Fr. Martin