Our Lady of Medjugorje: prepare yourselves for Christmas with prayer, penance and love

When Mirjana said the contents of the penultimate phrase, many telephoned and asked: "Did you already say when, how? ..." and many were also taken by fear. I also heard rumors: "If something has to happen, if we can't prevent it, then why work, why pray, why fast? ». All reactions like these are false.

These messages are apocalyptic and in order to understand them, perhaps we need to read John's Apocalypse again or Jesus' speeches in the Gospel when he admonished his listeners.

In these last two Sundays you have heard of the signs in the stars and many other things: when will this happen? Jesus said: «Soon». But this "early" is not to be measured with our days or months. These apocalyptic messages have a task: our faith must be awake, not sleep.

Remember some parables of Jesus when he spoke of the ten virgins, five wise and five fools: what was the foolishness of the foolish? They thought: "The groom will not come so soon", they were not prepared and could not enter the dinner with the groom. Our faith must always have this dimension.

Think of the other parable of Jesus when he said: "My soul now rejoice, you have enough to eat and drink" and the Lord says: "Fool, what will you do tonight if your soul is asked? Who will you leave everything you have collected to? ». One dimension of faith is the dimension of waiting, of watching. The apocalyptic messages want us to be awake, that we do not sleep with regard to our faith, our peace with God, with others, conversion ... There is no need to be afraid, no need to say: « So soon? you don't have to work, you don't have to pray ... »

The reaction in this sense is false.

These messages are, for us, to be able to arrive. The last station of our journey is Heaven and, if listening, hearing these messages we begin to pray better, to fast, to believe, to reconcile, to forgive, to think of others, to help them, we do well: this is the reaction of a Christian.

The source of peace is the Lord and our heart must become the source of peace; open to the peace that the Lord gives.

In a message, perhaps a month ago, Our Lady asked again for love of neighbor and said: "Especially for those who provoke you". Here Christian love begins, that is, peace.

Jesus said: «What do you do special if you love those who love you? If you forgive those who forgive you? ». We must do more: love also the other who causes us evil. Our Lady wants this: at this point peace begins, when we begin to forgive, to reconcile ourselves, without condition on our part. In another message he said: "Pray and love: even the things that seem impossible to you become possible."

If any of us say, "How can I forgive? How can I reconcile myself? Perhaps he has not yet asked for strength. Where to look for it? From the Lord, in prayer. If we have decided to live peace, reconciled with the Lord and with others, peace begins and the whole world is perhaps closer to peace for a millimeter. Each of us who radically decides to live peace, reconciled, brings new hope to the world; thus peace will come, if each of us does not ask for peace from others, does not ask for love from others, but gives them. What does conversion mean? It means not to get tired. We all know our weaknesses and the weaknesses of others. Think of the words of Jesus when St. Peter asked

«How many times do we have to forgive? Seven times? ». Peter thought seven times, but Jesus said: "Seventy times seven." In any case, do not tire, continue your journey with the Madonna.

In the last message of Thursday, Our Lady said: "I invite you, prepare yourselves for Christmas", but you must prepare yourselves in prayer, in penance, in works of love. "Don't look at material things because they will prevent you, you won't be able to live the Christmas experience". He repeated thus, to say all the messages: prayer, penance and works of love.

We understood the messages in this way and we try to live them in the community, in the parish: an hour of preparation, an hour for Mass and after Mass to thank.

It is very important to pray in the family, pray in groups, pray in the parish; pray and love as Our Lady said and, all things, even those that seem impossible, become possible.

And with this I want you, when you return to your homes, you must have this experience. Everything can be changed for the better if we begin to pray, to love radically, unconditionally. In order to love and pray like this, one must also pray for the grace of love.

Our Lady has said many times that the Lord is happy if he can give us his mercy, his love.

He is also available tonight: if we open up, if we pray, the Lord will give them to us.

Written by Father Slavko