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

25^th May 2026

“Dear children! may this time be for you a time of prayer and fasting. Return, little children, in love to God Who is your peace. I am with you, little children, and I love you with my motherly tenderness.

Thank you for having responded to my call.”

(With Ecclesiastical approval)

Dear Brother’s and Sister’s of Medjugorje North East and beyond, as we go towards the 45^th anniversary of Our Lady’s coming in Medjugorje, we can take this opportunity to re- evaluate our commitment to living the messages of the Queen of peace, and recognise how in each of Our Lady’s words, we have a profound gift of growing in Faith and holiness. In the early days of the apparitions Our Lady said, “I desire the Priest’s believe firmly, and the people pray more fervently.” (May, 1984).

Since then Our Lady as Mother and Teacher has visited us to help us on the way of Salvation, and show the world the way to peace. We should treasure each and every message that Our Lady gives, and ask the Holy Spirit help us understand what those words might mean for us.

This month’s message is short, but is a synthesis of the whole spirituality of Medjugorje, a summary, we could say, of these last forty five years.

“Dear Children, May this time be for you, a time of prayer, and fasting, return little children, in love to God who is your peace.”

Prayer, Fasting, and return in love to God. The invitation to Prayer and Fasting paves the way for our return to God in love. Our Lady often refers to ‘Prayer of the heart’ – this is when we pray with love, so too, with fasting, when we make sacrifices in a spirit of love towards God and neighbour. If we love Jesus, then we will pray with love, and make the necessary sacrifices that we are able. Prayer – it should be clear to us all what this entails. The Rosary, attending Holy Mass, and reading Holy Scripture. In the early days of the apparitions Our Lady told us she had come to teach us how to pray. She began with Apostles Creed, seven Our Fathers, seven Hail Mary’s, and seven Glory be’s. These simple steps in prayer , laid the foundations for later, when Our Lady recommended prayer of the whole Rosary, Eucharistic Adoration, and ‘ Prayer of the Heart’ i.e. praying with Faith and love. Through our prayers Mary has often said, we can receive a new life, a new inner life, a life of peace and Joy. Our Lady has told us what is most important, to be with God – who is love. Our Lady knows the power of prayer, and knows we can accomplish much through prayer. Prayer can have such strong influence at many levels, in our own lives, and in the life of the world. So let us renew our commitment to prayer as Mary asks, through Holy Rosary, Holy Mass, and Scripture, confession too. The fruit of prayer is peace, that is why Our Lady reminds us that God is the source of all peace, and we become peace for others in our families, and communities.

Our Lady asks that this time be a time of prayer and Fasting. I remember Fr. Jozo on a vist to our Diocese, at St. Mary’s Cathedral asking us not to wait for the sign of Medjugorje. “Now is the time for conversion‘ he said, emphasising the importance of the time we have now. Our Lady uses the word ‘time’ twice in this message. To make ‘this time’ a time for Prayer and Fasting. Our Lady has said on more than one occasion, “Prayer and fasting can suspend wars and catastrophies.” These are powerful words,- words which should remind us that prayer accompanied by Fasting is a true spiritual force. We can pray for the gift of fasting, and renunciation. We can ask the Holy Spirit to help us fast and make small sacrifices to accompany our prayer. Remember even the smallest fast and renunciation , offered in love is seen in the sight of God.

Let us take to heart this month’s message, Our Lady Queen of Peace is asking the whole world to “Return in love to God who is your peace.” May we be the witnesses for Our Lady, in our prayer and fasting.

God Bless,

Fr. Martin