"Dear children! With joy I am calling all of you, little children, who have responded to my call: be joy and peace. Witness with your lives Heaven, which I am bringing to you. It is time, little children, that you be a reflection of my love for all those who do not love and whose hearts hatred has conquered. Do not forget: I am with you and intercede for all of you before my Son Jesus, that He may give you His peace. Thank you for having responded to my call."
Dear children! With joy I am calling all of you, little children, who have responded to my call: be joy and peace.
The Apostle Paul tells us that love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control are the fruits of the Holy Spirit (cf. Gal 5:22-23). These virtues are not achieved by our own power but are gifts that come from the Holy Spirit. Without the Holy Spirit, we cannot receive these gifts. Paul advises us: “If we live in the Spirit, let us also follow the Spirit” (Gal 5:25).
In this month’s message, the Virgin Mary calls us to be joy and peace. If we connect this to Paul’s advice, it means that to become joy and peace, we must first walk by the Spirit. For this, the Holy Spirit must dwell within us, guiding our lives with His power and presence. We should therefore pray daily for the Holy Spirit to come, remain with us, and grant us the gift of becoming joy and peace. A simple yet powerful prayer taught by the Virgin Mary in To the Priests, Our Lady’s Beloved Sons, through Father Stefano Gobbi, can serve as our petition for the Holy Spirit: “Come, Holy Spirit, through the powerful intercession of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, Your beloved spouse!”
Be joy and peace. Witness with your lives Heaven, which I am bringing to you.
The Virgin Mary tells us that she is bringing heaven to us. What is this heaven? It is God Himself, and more specifically, Jesus Christ, true God and true man. The Virgin Mary assures us that God exists and that Jesus lives among us, calling us to place Him at the center of our lives. Wherever God is, wherever Jesus is present, there is heaven. Those who firmly believe in God’s existence and in Jesus’ presence already begin to experience the life of heaven here on earth.
Through her apparitions and messages, the Virgin Mary continually teaches us how, through prayer, fasting, faith, and repentance, we can be born as citizens of heaven and live the life of heaven, even in this world. Although our feet may be on the ground, our heads are in the heavens. Our lives, as citizens of heaven, must be different from those who do not yet know heaven, not to look down on them, but to set a good example and help them taste heaven and live the life of heaven from this world onward. We can bear witness to heaven by trusting in God, placing Him at the center of everything, and living according to His will. We must live free from worldly attachments, demonstrate unconditional love, and selflessly serve others for God’s sake. Finally, we can bear witness to heaven by leading a spiritual life of constant prayer.
It is time, little children, that you be a reflection of my love for all those who do not love and whose hearts hatred has conquered. Do not forget: I am with you and intercede for all of you before my Son Jesus, that He may give you His peace. Thank you for having responded to my call.
The Virgin Mary, conceived without sin, lived a life free from sin because her heart was filled with love for God and for humanity. Even when she witnessed the greed, violence, and hatred of those around her, she did not condemn them but prayed for their conversion and salvation. Before His death on the cross, Jesus gave this sinless mother to all humanity as our mother (cf. Jn 19:26).
It is this same Virgin Mary who now comes to us, calling us “Dear children!” without distinction between good or bad, transcending race, religion, language, gender, age, and culture. She loves each and every person on this earth just as they are. That is why she can call out to all of humanity, “My dear children, my beloved children, my little children!” She tells us that now is the time to show her love to all those whose hearts have been conquered by hatred. Those who do not love and whose hearts are filled with hatred are not to be met with our hatred or judgment, but with love and mercy. They are our brothers and sisters whom we must embrace with open arms.
However, it is not possible for us to show the Virgin Mary’s love to those whose hearts are ruled by hatred on our own strength. We need Jesus and the Virgin Mary to be with us and empower us. That is why the Virgin Mary assures us that she is with us and that she is interceding for us before her Son, Jesus, so that we may receive His peace. She reminds us not to forget this. Let us never forget that we are not alone, that the Virgin Mary is always with us, interceding for us before Jesus. Let us always remember that Jesus, through the Virgin Mary’s intercession, gives us the strength to fill our hearts with love and peace.
"Dear children! I am calling you to be prayer for all those who do not pray. Little children, witness with your lives the joy that you are mine and God will heed your prayers and give you peace in this peaceless world where pride and selfishness reign. Little children, you be generous and be the love of my love, so that pagans can feel that you are mine and convert to my Immaculate Heart. Thank you for having responded to my call."
Dear children! I am calling you to be prayer for all those who do not pray.
Prayer is the tool that opens our hearts to God and allows God's heart to be opened to us. Without prayer, we cannot repent, know who God is, have faith in Him, or experience the salvation and peace He offers. Through prayer, we can lead happy and peaceful lives in this world and enter into eternal life. Therefore, for us, prayer is more important than anything else—it is a matter of life and death. If we pray, we live; if we don’t, we die. For this reason, over the past 40 years, the Virgin Mary has consistently appeared in Medjugorje, urging us repeatedly to "pray, pray, pray." She has said that she will never tire of speaking about prayer because she knows all too well what happens when we neglect it. With deep concern for the present and future of her children, she calls us to pray until prayer becomes life itself.
Despite the Virgin Mary’s concern and invitation, how many of us truly pray until prayer becomes our life and place it at the forefront of our daily lives? We are not in a position to judge those who neglect or do not pray. Instead, we should devote ourselves even more to prayer, becoming prayer for all those who do not pray, as the Virgin Mary asks this month. If we not only pray for the salvation and peace of those who do not pray but also become prayer itself, we will be fulfilling God’s love and neighborly love. This will also bring great grace and holiness to ourselves.
Little children, witness with your lives the joy that you are mine and God will heed your prayers and give you peace in this peaceless world where pride and selfishness reign.
The Virgin Mary calls us her beloved children and declares herself to be our mother. We belong to the Virgin Mary, and she belongs to us—this is the relationship of mother and child, a family bond. What greater honor could there be? The Mother of God and Queen of Heaven calls us her children. Is there any greater joy than this? We could sing songs of gratitude and dance with joy every day, and it would not be enough. Indeed, knowing that we are the Virgin Mary's people brings immense joy. The Virgin Mary asks us to bear witness to this joy through our lives. By living lives of love, humility, faith, prayer, and sacrifice—just as the Virgin Mary did—we can testify that we belong to her. A particularly visible way to express the joy of being hers is by holding the Rosary in our hands, constantly calling on her name in prayer, as if holding her hand in love. If you want to know if someone loves the Virgin Mary and rejoices in being hers, look at how devoted they are to praying the Rosary with all their heart.
God the Father chose the Virgin Mary as the spouse of the Holy Spirit and the mother of His Son, Jesus. Therefore, if we embrace being part of the Virgin Mary's family as our greatest joy and bear witness to it through our lives, God the Father will be pleased with our prayers and fulfill our petitions with goodness.
The Virgin Mary joyfully accepted the role of the Lord’s servant for the salvation of the world, offering herself completely. In her, there was no pride or selfishness—only humility and selflessness. As her children, we too are called to live lives of humility and selflessness, just like the Virgin Mary. The Virgin Mary promises that God will grant peace to those who live such lives.
Little children, you be generous and be the love of my love, so that pagans can feel that you are mine and convert to my Immaculate Heart. Thank you for having responded to my call.
Generosity means being charitable and forgiving. A generous person, moved by love, can empathize with others' difficulties, share their resources with love, and forgive others’ faults. The Virgin Mary calls us to become such generous people. She also calls us to become "love itself"—her love. This means loving all people without distinction, just as the Virgin Mary does. This is no easy task, but the Virgin Mary set the example for us, practicing this kind of love more than anyone else when she lived on earth. She strove to resemble God, who “makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the righteous and on the unrighteous” (Matthew 5:45). Now, the Virgin Mary asks us to follow that path. If we live like this, those who do not believe in God—strangers—will recognize that we belong to the Virgin Mary, and they may turn their hearts toward her Immaculate Heart.
Let us take to heart the truth that one act of love is more important and powerful than a hundred words. Let us live as the Virgin Mary’s people by following her message and responding to her call.
"Dear children! Also, today I am with you to tell you: Little children, who prays does not fear the future and does not lose hope. You are chosen to carry joy and peace, because you are mine. I have come here with the name 'Queen of Peace' because the devil wants peacelessness and war, he wants to fill your heart with fear of the future - but the future is God's. That is why, be humble and pray, and surrender everything into the hands of the Most High Who created you. Thank you for having responded to my call."
Dear children! Also, today I am with you to tell you: Little children, who prays does not fear the future and does not lose hope.
In this message, Our Lady calls us "Dear children" twice in a row, showing her deep love and concern for us. As her children, we are called to receive her words with serious intent and respond faithfully.
She assures us that those “who pray are not afraid of the future and do not lose hope." This demonstrates that Our Lady understands the uncertainty and fear many of us face regarding the future. However, she doesn’t leave us alone in this struggle; she gives us a remedy: prayer. By becoming "people of prayer," we can live without fear of the future and without losing hope. Why? Because through prayer, we recognize God's infinite love and providence, allowing us to trust Him entirely. This brings us comfort, as described in Psalm 23:
"The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I lack. In green pastures he makes me lie down; to still waters he leads me; he restores my soul. He guides me along right paths for the sake of his name. Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff comfort me” (Ps 23:1-4).
Through prayer, we also hold on to hope. No matter the circumstances, a person of prayer knows that God is with them and will guide them. This understanding enables them to remain hopeful in every situation, as expressed in Psalm 62:
"My soul, be at rest in God alone, from whom comes my hope. God alone is my rock and my salvation, my fortress; I shall not fall. My deliverance and honor are with God, my strong rock; my refuge is with God. Trust God at all times, my people! Pour out your hearts to God our refuge!” (Ps 62:6-9)
You are chosen to carry joy and peace, because you are mine. I have come here with the name 'Queen of Peace' because the devil wants peacelessness and war, he wants to fill your heart with fear of the future - but the future is God's. That is why, be humble and pray, and surrender everything into the hands of the Most High Who created you. Thank you for having responded to my call.
Our Lady reminds us that we belong to her: "You are my children." We have been chosen by the Mother of God to be her own, a deeply moving and humbling truth. This incredible gift fills us with gratitude, as we are called to be her faithful children.
Because we are her children, we are chosen to bring joy and peace to others. This mission is possible through prayer, as joy and peace are gifts from God, given to us when we pray. Our Lady desires that we live as people who spread these blessings, especially in a world so often filled with fear and uncertainty.
The devil desires a state of unrest and war and seeks to fill your hearts with fear of the future, but the future belongs to God.
While Our Lady calls us to be people of peace and joy, the devil desires the opposite. He seeks to create unrest, conflict, and fear. Although invisible, his influence is real, and he constantly works to take away our peace and fill us with anxiety. He wants us to turn away from God and fall into sin, leading us to despair. However, no matter how strong or deceptive he may be, if we firmly reject his temptations and turn to God, he has no power over us.
Our Lady emphasizes that "the future is God's." The devil cannot control the future or any part of creation, even though he may try to deceive us otherwise. All things, including our future, are in God's hands. As such, we must place our trust in God alone and not in the devil's lies or the fears he tries to instill.
Our Lady, the "Queen of Peace," reminds us that only God can bring true peace, and it is to Him that we must turn. She invites us to entrust everything to God's hands, humbly relying on Him through prayer and trust.
Let us hold these words from Psalm 123 close to our hearts as we continue to seek God's guidance:
"Like the eyes of servants on the hand of their masters, Like the eyes of a maid on the hand of her mistress, So our eyes are on the Lord our God, till we are shown favor” (Ps 123:2).
May we humbly respond to Our Lady’s call, entrusting everything to God and living as instruments of peace and joy in the world.
"Dear children! God has permitted me to be with you also today, to call you to prayer and fasting. Live this time of grace and be witnesses of hope, because I repeat to you, little children, that with prayer and fasting also wars can be suppressed. Little children, believe and live this time of grace in faith and with faith; and my Immaculate Heart does not leave any of you in peacelessness if you have recourse to me. I intercede for you before the Most High and I pray for peace in your hearts and for hope for the future. Thank you for having responded to my call."
Dear children! God has permitted me to be with you also today, to call you to prayer and fasting. Live this time of grace and be witnesses of hope, because I repeat to you, little children, that with prayer and fasting also wars can be suppressed.
Our Lady is full of grace, yet she does everything solely for God and always follows His will. She is the embodiment of humility, which is why God sends her to us as a messenger of His words.
In this month's message, Our Lady says, "Dear children! God has permitted me to be with you also today, to call you to prayer and fasting." This reminds us that Our Lady’s apparitions in Medjugorje and the messages she delivers are entirely in accordance with God's plan. Ultimately, the messages we receive through her are from God Himself. We cannot help but feel grateful for God's love and mercy revealed through these apparitions and take the messages seriously.
Our Lady emphasizes that God has allowed her to call us to prayer and fasting. Although Our Lady wants us to pray and fast, it is first and foremost God who desires this for us. How can we reject what God wants from us, especially when it directly concerns our own conversion, peace, and salvation? In fact, we should be thankful for this invitation and strive to pray and fast even more earnestly.
Our Lady also reminds us that prayer and fasting can even restrain wars. She has mentioned this several times before, such as on April 25, 1992, January 25, 2001, and February 25, 2003. The root of all wars lies in the hatred in human hearts, and Satan stirs this hatred, amplifying it among individuals, groups, and nations until it leads to war. The only way to counteract this is to cleanse the hatred from human hearts and plant seeds of love instead. Evil must be driven out, and goodness must be instilled. Strife must be eradicated, and seeds of peace must be sown. This can only be achieved through prayer and fasting. Prayer invites God's power into our hearts, and fasting allows that power to work within us.
We are living in a time of grace, with ample opportunities for prayer and fasting. While the external situation—due to COVID-19—is challenging, it also provides us with more time to stay home and pray, making it an ideal time for spiritual growth. As we practice social distancing, it is also important to distance ourselves from distractions like television, computers, and smartphones, in order to grow closer to God through prayer and fasting.
The Apostle Paul reminds us, "For we brought nothing into the world, just as we shall not be able to take anything out of it (1 Tm 6:7), and "those using the world as not using it fully. For the world in its present form is passing away" (1 Cor 7:31). Indeed, the world is passing away. Our Lady has often mentioned in her messages that our earthly life is fleeting. Therefore, our hope must not be in worldly things, people, or possessions but in heaven, eternal life, and God, the only one who can give us these gifts. By living with this perspective, we become witnesses of hope.
Little children, believe and live this time of grace in faith and with faith.
Our Lady again urges us to live in this time of grace, but now she emphasizes that we should live it with faith. Faith is the act of entrusting ourselves to the power and providence of the infinite God, rather than relying on our own finite strength. When we trust in God's power and His divine plan, we can endure any hardship and find peace in all circumstances. We also experience that what seems impossible becomes possible through faith. Jesus Himself highlights the incredible power of faith: " Amen, I say to you, if you have faith the size of a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you" (Mt 17:20), and "If you have faith and do not waver, not only will you do what has been done to the fig tree, but even if you say to this mountain, ‘Be lifted up and thrown into the sea,’ it will be done" (Mt 21:21).
And my Immaculate Heart does not leave any of you in peacelessness if you have recourse to me. I intercede for you before the Most High and I pray for peace in your hearts and for hope for the future. Thank you for having responded to my call.
Just as babies cry when they are hungry, uncomfortable, or in pain, instinctively seeking help from their mothers or those around them, we too should seek help from Our Lady when we are in need. She reassures us: "My Immaculate Heart does not leave any of you in peacelessness if you have recourse to me.” The Immaculate Heart of Our Lady will not abandon even a single person in need of peace. Her heart is open to everyone, regardless of race, religion, language, nationality, or status. The only requirement is that we ask for her help. Anyone who seeks her assistance will find peace through her Immaculate Heart.
Even if we do not ask, Our Lady is still interceding for all of humanity before the Most High, praying for peace in our hearts and for hope in our future. Knowing that Our Lady is praying for us, caring for our past, present, and future, and interceding for us should fill us with gratitude. The Gospel of John tells us that, as Jesus was dying on the cross, He gave Mary to all of humanity as our mother, and the Apostle John took her into his home (cf. Jn 19:25-27). As our heavenly mother, Our Lady carries our past, watches over our present, and prays for our future. Let us respond to her call, as she continues to guide us toward peace and hope.
"Dear children! I am carrying to you little Jesus who brings you peace, Him who is the past, present and future of your existence. Little children, do not permit for your faith and hope in a better future to be extinguished, because you are chosen to be witnesses of hope in every situation. That is why I am here with Jesus that He may bless you with His peace. Thank you for having responded to my call."
Dear children! I am carrying to you little Jesus who brings you peace, Him who is the past, present and future of your existence.
When Jesus was born in Bethlehem, an angel appeared to the shepherds in the fields of Bethlehem and said to them, “Do not be afraid; for behold, I proclaim to you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. For today in the city of David a savior has been born for you who is Messiah and Lord. And this will be a sign for you: you will find an infant wrapped in swaddling clothes and lying in a manger.” And suddenly there was a multitude of the heavenly host with the angel, praising God and saying: “Glory to God in the highest and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests” (Lk 2:10-14).
The Blessed Mother, by saying, "I am carrying to you little Jesus who brings you peace," is once again echoing this song of praise. Jesus was born to bring peace to humanity, and the Blessed Mother, more than anyone, understood Jesus’ heartfelt desire for this peace and continues to understand it today. However, not everyone can receive this divine and heavenly peace that is offered as a gift. Although Jesus desires to give His peace to all, only those who open their hearts to Him as Savior can accept and experience this peace. Like the shepherds who, upon hearing the angels' message, went to Bethlehem to worship the Infant Jesus lying in a manger and praised God (Luke 2:15-20), those who hear God's word, accept it as truth, and follow it are the ones who please God and are able to receive the peace that Jesus offers.
Paul writes in his letter to the Colossians:
"He is the image* of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. For in him* were created all things in heaven and on earth, the visible and the invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers; all things were created through him and for him. He is before all things, and in him all things hold together. He is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in all things he himself might be preeminent. For in him all the fullness* was pleased to dwell, and through him to reconcile all things for him, making peace by the blood of his cross [through him], whether those on earth or those in heaven” (Col 1:15-20).
As this hymn reveals, all creation was made in and through Jesus Christ, and for Him. Thus, all beings, including humanity, derive life from Jesus, continue to exist through His power, and will ultimately return to Him. Therefore, when the Blessed Mother says that Jesus is the past, present, and future of our existence, her words are absolutely true. Jesus is the foundation of our being. Without Him, we would not have come into existence, we would not exist now, and we cannot continue to exist. Our past, present, and future are meaningful only when connected to Jesus. When we fully entrust ourselves to Jesus, who created us, sustains us, and leads us to eternal life, His birth becomes the fulfillment of our salvation.
Little children, do not permit for your faith and hope in a better future to be extinguished, because you are chosen to be witnesses of hope in every situation. That is why I am here with Jesus that He may bless you with His peace. Thank you for having responded to my call.
The story of Joseph is found in Genesis chapters 37 to 50. Joseph was the eleventh son of Jacob, who was later named Israel by God. Through Joseph, God planned to save his father, his brothers, and their entire family. No one expected Joseph to be chosen by God. At seventeen, Joseph nearly lost his life due to his brothers' jealousy and was sold to Ishmaelite traders, who brought him to Egypt. There, he became the steward of Potiphar, the captain of Pharaoh’s guard. However, after resisting Potiphar’s wife’s advances, he was falsely accused and imprisoned. In prison, Joseph interpreted the dream of Pharaoh’s cupbearer, who was later reinstated. Joseph asked the cupbearer to remember him when he was freed, but the cupbearer forgot.
Two years later, Pharaoh had two strange dreams that none of Egypt’s wise men could interpret. Then the cupbearer remembered Joseph, who interpreted Pharaoh’s dreams as a warning from God: Egypt would experience seven years of abundance followed by seven years of famine, urging Pharaoh to appoint someone to prepare. Impressed, Pharaoh appointed Joseph as Egypt’s prime minister at thirty years old.
Joseph prepared Egypt for the coming famine. When the famine struck, Egypt had enough grain, but Canaan, where Jacob and his family lived, did not. Jacob sent his sons to Egypt to buy grain, where they encountered Joseph, who eventually revealed himself as their brother. Shocked and fearful, the brothers were reassured by Joseph, who told them, “Do not be distressed, and do not be angry with yourselves for having sold me here. It was really for the sake of saving lives that God sent me here ahead of you. The famine has been in the land for two years now, and for five more years cultivation will yield no harvest. God, therefore, sent me on ahead of you to ensure for you a remnant on earth and to save your lives in an extraordinary deliverance. So it was not really you but God who had me come here; and he has made me a father to Pharaoh, lord of all his household, and ruler over the whole land of Egypt. “Hurry back, then, to my father and tell him: ‘Thus says your son Joseph: God has made me lord of all Egypt; come down to me without delay. You can settle in the region of Goshen, where you will be near me—you and your children and children’s children, your flocks and herds, and everything that you own. I will provide for you there in the five years of famine that lie ahead, so that you and your household and all that are yours will not suffer want.’”
Jacob and his entire family moved to Egypt, where they prospered, and Jacob (now Israel) passed away peacefully in Joseph’s embrace. After their father’s death, Joseph’s brothers feared he might seek revenge. But Joseph reassured them, saying, “Don’t be afraid. Am I in the place of God? You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives. So then, don’t be afraid. I will provide for you and your children.”
Despite being abandoned, nearly killed, sold into slavery, and imprisoned, Joseph never lost hope. Through his trials, he deeply understood that the Lord was with him, strengthened by prayer and reflection. This conviction that God was with him was Joseph’s source of hope, even in the worst circumstances. He believed that God would use his trials and even his brothers' wrongdoings for the good of all. His faith kept the flame of hope alive.
During World War II, a prisoner in Cologne, Germany, wrote on a basement wall, “I believe in the sun even when it is not shining. I believe in love even when I don’t feel it. I believe in God even when He is silent.” This unknown individual held unshakable hope and faith in God’s presence and love, even amid silence.
The God who came to us as a human being is Jesus. We call Him Emmanuel, which means “God with us.” Although we cannot see Him, He is present among us. We firmly believe that He came as our Savior, is with us now, and grants us peace. That is why we can kneel before the Christ child in the manger and pray, “Lord Jesus, You are my past, present, and future. Only You can provide me with a better future. I place all my hope in You alone. Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to those on whom His favor rests!”
Lord Jesus, You are the past, present, and future of my existence. Only You can give me a better future. I trust in You completely and place all my hope in You. Glory to God in the highest, and peace on earth to those with whom He is pleased.
> Messages > Fr. Stephen Shin’s Reflections on the Messages
