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

25^th September 2025

“Dear children! May this time for you be a time of prayer for peace. 

Thank you for having responded to my call.”

(With Ecclesiastical approval)

Dear Brother’s and sister’s of Medjugorje North East and beyond, there is a saying, ‘less is more.’ This month’s message from Our Lady is short, one sentence, but we could call it a synthesis of the Medjugorje spirituality, that goes to the very foundations of the apparitions of the Queen of Peace.

Let us return to the very first day of Our Lady’s coming, June, 24^th, 1981. Speaking to the five children, Mary introduced herself as ‘The Queen of Peace’ and said, “Peace must reign between God and Man.” So for the last forty four years Mary, as the Queen of peace has invited us on the path to conversion, which means overcoming our lack of peace, by drawing close to God, who is the source of all peace.

The peace Our Lady invites us to, isn’t some sentimental or superficial peace, but a peace that is from God and rooted in his life and love. “Peace I leave, my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives, do I give it to you.” ( John : 14: 27.)

Our Lady says, “May this time for you be a time of prayer for peace.” This simple invitation, this simple plea, comes from the heart of our Heavenly Mother who wants only the good for her children. Humanity has lost it’s way, and Our Lady shows us how to move forward. This means listening to her, and letting her guide us at this crucial time for world peace. It means making a decision for God, and that guidance begins with the Creed that we pray at the start of the Rosary, which is our path to peace.

Distance from god is the lack of peace in so many hearts today, and in the life of the world. The wars currently raging in our world are the result of sin, and the distance humanity has placed between itself and God. Man is God’s creature, and God is the source of all life, the one who invites us into communion with him. To distance oneself from God, means to leave ourselves isolated and vulnerable, and lacking inner peace.

So many in the world today are really restless and their hearts cry out like St. Augustine, “Our hearts are restless until they rest in thee.” Humanity can only find it’s true peace with a total and radical conversion to God. His name is ‘Emmanuel’. – God with us and for us, the path of conversion is the path of Joy leading us out of the distance into communion with God and into his true peace.

We have begun the month of October, traditionally the month of the Holy Rosary. Our Lady invites us in Medjugorje to pray the Rosay daily. Can we aim to pray the Rosary during this month everyday for peace, as Mary asks? Can we come together in our parishes, prayer groups, in whatever way we can and respond to this simple request of Our Lady, “Dear children, may this time for you be a time of prayer for peace.”

This message should make us all very reflective, it should touch us deeply. The Mother of God is calling; let us be generous in our response.

God Bless,

Fr. Martin

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