Mary’s message at Medjugorje on October 25, 2009:
Dear children! Also today I bring you my blessing, I bless you all and I call you to grow on this way, which God has begun through me for your salvation. Pray, fast and joyfully witness your faith, little children, and may your heart always be filled with prayer. Thank you for having responded to my call.
Her message, as always, is a simple one — pray and embrace your faith. She asks us to make our lives a living prayer. This means living a life dedicated to God. Living a life of prayer is not something reserved for priests or nuns, but is the way God desires us all to live. I always chuckle when people justify sin when they say, “I’m not a priest! You can’t expect me to live like one!” And you know what, they are right. God doesn’t ask us to live a life of prayer like a priest. In reality, God calls us to be more spiritual than any priest, nun, bishop, cardinal, or pope. Because everyone, even the Pope, usually fall short of how God wants us to live. All of us, from the daily-churchgoer to the non-churchgoer, can always improve our spiritual life in little and big ways. Mary’s message, asking us to have a heart filled with prayer, is simple to understand but takes a lifetime to implement. As She stresses in Her many messages, there is no time like the present to live a holy life.
I know that many times I focus on the rules of the Catholic Church in my articles. I mention using Church doctrine as a guide for discerning between right and wrong. I talk about praying the rosary every day and finding ways to integrate prayer into your life. To some, all of these rules just seems too rigid, too strict, and requiring too much effort or a giant leap of faith. This causes many people to become resentful of the Church and all its “rules” and abandon Her. I’m sure all of us can think of a handful of people who are feeling detached from God’s graces and are lost in life (it might even be you). Unfortunately, we forget about these lost souls as we go about managing our lives. We often don’t want to deal with the added burden of dealing with others’ misery. However, we must always pray for those who are lost and sacrifice for their conversion. After all, when compared to God and the majesty of Heaven, we are all lowly sinners in need of each others’ prayers. The next time you pray or fast offer it up to those who are in most need of God’s mercy.
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Thank you, Brent, for your inspiring words. We do read them all and are moved by them – God bless you always…Mom & Dad