Our Lady’s Messages — September 2010

Message of September 2, 2010 to Mirjana

Dear children. I am beside you because I desire to help you to overcome trials, which this time of purification puts before you. My children, one of those is not to forgive, and not to ask for forgiveness. Every sin offends Love and distances you from it – and Love is my Son. Therefore, my children, if you desire to walk with me towards the peace of God‘s love, you must learn to forgive and to ask for forgiveness. Thank you.

Mary’s central theme in this message is forgiveness. She phrases it in a very interesting way– as a trial we must overcome. I like the word “trial” when describing the act of forgiveness, both asking and giving it. Indeed, asking for forgiveness or forgiving those who have hurt us is challenging and something many of us would like to avoid. In general, our reluctance to admit our mistakes comes from our prideful human nature. No one ever wants to think of their behavior as being wrong. Mary understands that coming before Jesus with a humble heart is not an easy task and that is why She offers Her help. Mary, in the Fourth Glorious Mystery, was assumed into Heaven and now serves as our guide to find the path of Jesus Christ. Asking for forgiveness is difficult, but it becomes much easier with the support of the Holy Spirit, Mary, the saints, and the angels. It is our choice whether we want to face these trials alone. Personally, I think we should take Mary up on Her offer and ask for Her help to overcome this challenge.

Message, 25. September 2010

Dear children! Today I am with you and bless you all with my motherly blessing of peace, and I urge you to live your life of faith even more, because you are still weak and are not humble. I urge you, little children, to speak less and to work more on your personal conversion so that your witness may be fruitful. And may your life be unceasing prayer. Thank you for having responded to my call.

Perhaps it is because football season started a few week ago but Mary’s message very much feels like a coach talking to the athletes. Mary, like a coach, sees a bunch of players that are fumbling on the field and just aren’t playing with any strategy. She sees us losing by not sticking to the “game plan” of following God’s laws, avoiding sin, and just simply putting God first in our hearts, minds, and actions. The Church lays down a winning strategy as seen in the Bible, Church doctrine, our priests and other Church leaders, and messages from Mary and the saints. The plan for eternal happiness is out there, but we first must make room in our lives to hear it and then find the energy to live it.

Fumble Retrieval — Image by The PAW Project via Flickr

This message reminds me of the September 26, 2010 Gospel of Luke where Jesus recites the story of the rich man and Lazarus (Lk, 16:19-31). At the end of the story, the rich man goes to Hell because of his uncaring ways towards poor Lazarus. In Hell, the rich man asks God if he could return to earth and warn his brothers to reform their ways and avoid a similar outcome. But God responded that they can hear His Word through Moses and the prophets. We too, have the Church’s teachings freely available to us and yet we so often ignore it. We know what is good and what is evil and yet too often we unrepentantly choose evil and ignore the good. Mary’s frustration in Her message is understandable since She sees so many of us walking on a path towards eternal suffering and unhappiness. She repeatedly tells us how to walk on the road to God’s grace and yet we ignore Her, the Holy Spirit, the saints, and the Church’s teachings.

Let us not be like the rich man and ignore God’s Word which can be found all around us. May we try to listen more in our prayers in order to receive guidance so that we may transform our lives and imitate Christ. We should particularly meditate on the Third Luminous Mystery where Jesus asks us all to have a converted heart.