Fr. Martin’s
reflection on - Our Lady’s Message
25th
July 2022
“Dear children!
I am with
you to lead you on the way of conversion, because, little children, with your
lives you can draw many souls closer to my Son. You be joyful witnesses of
God's word and love, and with hope in the heart, which conquers every evil.
Forgive those who inflict evil on you, and go on the
way of holiness. I am leading you to my Son, for Him to be the way, the truth and the life for you. Thank you for having responded
to my call.”
Dear Brothers and Sisters of Medjugorje North East and beyond,
Our Lady begins this month’s message by reminding us of her presence
with the Church and the world at this time. “I am with you to lead you on the way of
Conversion”
The opening words of this message keep a central truth of our faith
before us, the call to Conversion and Repentance in the Christian life. Indeed the very
first words of Jesus as he begins his public ministry are the same, “Jesus
began his proclamation with the message,
‘Repent, for the kingdom of Heaven is close at hand.’ (
Matthew : 4 : 17)
From the start of our Lady’s coming to Medjugorje ,
Mary has consistently emphasised the reason for her coming, to help us on the
path of daily conversion, that turning of our lives to the Lord and his Gospel
message. Our Lady is our Mother, but she is also our Teacher, who shows how to lead
the life of Faith, in her Son, our Saviour.
“Because little
children, with your lives you can draw many souls nearer to my Son.”
Our Conversion is not just for our personal sanctification. The Church exists to evangelise, so each one
of us is ‘sent’ as disciples, or like Apostles to help others discover
the love of God. Note, Our Lady does not
say, ‘with your words’ or ‘with your actions’, but ‘with your lives’ –
i.e. with your whole
being!
With our lives we can draw many souls closer to Jesus her Son. These are beautiful words, words that remind
us we are witnesses to Jesus, and the closer we are to Him, then we draw others
to Him too. We may never see it, or even
sense it, but through our nearness to the Lord, we are influencing others.
This is why the Church
exists, to draw souls close to Jesus.
Our Lady says, ‘many souls’ – this is the power of conversion,
that is genuine and rooted in Jesus Christ.
I’m often struck by those who return to the practise of the Faith after
many years absent. They tell me how they
encountered someone who gave good witness to their faith, and it became
inspirational for them. They too in turn
bring others back to Church. So we should take Our Lady’s words to heart, “With your
lives you can draw many souls to my son.”
This flows from our own
conversion. ‘ In every age you raise up men
and women outstanding in holiness, living witnesses of your unchanging love.’ (Preface to Eucharistic prayer for Saints.’
“You be joyful witnesses of God’s word and love.” Joy is indeed a gift of the Holy
Spirit; it is a spiritual gift we should regularly pray for. The saints were so full of Joy, it influenced
others. Our Lady asks us to be witnesses
of ‘God’s Word’, that means to be close to his Word, in Holy
Scripture. Maybe when we pray the
Rosary, we can use short scripture reflections before each decade, to help us
become witnesses of God’s word. As we
bless ourselves at Holy Mass, by tracing three crosses over us, on our
foreheads, lips and hearts, let us say the
accompanying words with great faith, ‘May the word of God be in my mind, on
my lips and in my heart.’ In our
private prayer we can hold the Sacred Scriptures close to our hearts, reverence
it and say, ‘speak Lord, give me a deep love for your
holy word.’Our Lady wants us to be filled with God’s
word, His love.
“And with hope in the heart which conquers every evil “
Flowing from the Word of God is Hope, Christian Hope. Our Hope in Christ crucified and Risen is everything.
Without Hope the Christian life is meaningless. Our Lady is calling us to be people of Hope
today. Like the Disciples and Apostles, like the Saints, Our Lady desires a new
tidal wave of hope to fill humanity for it’s
future direction. So let us remember
these words of Hope, let us never be defeated by events in the world, or around
us, but always see Hope present, where there are believers. For hope is stronger than evil, Mary tells us,
Hope in the heart flowing from Jesus and his word.
“Forgive those who inflict evil on you, and go on the way of holiness“
These words turn us to think about Our Lady at the foot of the
Cross. God asked of her that day
something very great and profound. When
Mary heard her Son say, ‘Father forgive them.’
She knew this was her invite too. She would have had to repeat those words with
her Son, and meant it.
We are called to become other Mary’s today – Ambassadors of God’s
mercy. It is not easy to forgive those
who inflict evil on us, but Our Lady knows the importance of breaking the cycle
of revenge in the world and in our own lives.
The power of God’s forgiveness, is seen in the
cross, when we have evil inflicted on us, in whatever form, let us firstly go
before the cross. Before trying to
reason the situation, before discussions and offloading try and sit in patience
before a crucifix, and ask our Lady to be
present. Our Lady wants us to have a
free pure heart. To leave behind
injuries done to us, leave them at the Cross, and “Go on the way of
holiness.” This doesn’t always come
quickly or easily, but it is what Our Lady asks us to do. Every hurt can be transformed
, every wrong overcome by going forward ‘on the way of holiness.’
“I am leading you to my son, for him to be the Way, the Truth and the
Life for you.”
Our Lady has already spoken about the importance of being ‘Joyful
witnesses of God’s Word’ earlier in this message, and he who is the Joyful
witness of the Word, leaves us with words from Holy Scripture. Jesus Christ is at the heart of this message,
Mary wants her Son, to be at the heart of each of our lives.
The way to be followed,
The Truth to be told,
The Life to be lived.
Our Lady is quoting from (St. John’s Gospel, 14 ;
6,) pointing each of us to her Son, and
His saving Love. She wants us to be near
Him, to receive His Love and His Life, and so draw many souls to Him too.
God Bless, Fr. Martin