A closer look at Our Mother's July 2 message to us.

Medjugorje - Our Lady's July 2, 2016 Message to Mirjana

"Dear children, my real, living presence among you should make you happy because this is the great love of my Son. He is sending me among you so that, with a motherly love, I may grant you safety; that you may comprehend that pain and joy, suffering and love, make your soul live intensely; that I may call you anew to glorify the Heart of Jesus, the heart of faith, the Eucharist. From day to day through the centuries, my Son, alive, returns among you - He returns to you, though He has never left you. When one of you, my children, returns to Him, my motherly heart leaps with joy. Therefore, my children, return to the Eucharist, to my Son. The way to my Son is difficult, full of renunciations, but at the end, there is always the light. I understand your pains and sufferings, and with motherly love I wipe your tears. Trust in my Son, because He will do for you what you would not even know how to ask for. You, my children, you should be concerned only for your soul, because it is the only thing on earth that belongs to you. You will bring it, dirty or clean, before the Heavenly Father. Remember, faith in the love of my Son will always be rewarded. I implore you, in a special way, to pray for those whom my Son called to live according to Him and to love their flock. Thank you."

Prayerfully considering, exploring, examining the message from Our Lady of Medjugorje. Questioning with an open heart while letting God do the rest.

After reading Our Lady’s message this morning, once again I feel compelled to break it down as I look for deeper meaning. However I believe most will agree that today’s message is not difficult to understand and as I contemplate this encouraging and inspiring message I have the relief of personal certainty that these holy words were truly spoken by Our Lady of Medjugorje.

"Dear children, my real, living presence among you should make you happy because this is the great love of my Son. As usual the Mother of God greets us by calling us Her children. Because She loves us as a Mother I refer to her as Mother. Can we not be full of joy when Mother reminds us of Her real living presence? She is present to everyone on earth, not just the visionaries. Our Lady is not a delusion or a shadowy figure. She is real and unimaginably beautiful. Though we can’t see her with our eyes we can see Her through Faith. Mother reminds us that happiness should come with knowledge of Her presence and from the realization that Jesus in His great love for mankind is responsible for sending Her to us. God’s children are joyful because Mother graces us with Her presence. What a comfort in times of disappointment, despair and discouragement as we accept Mother’s tender love for us. Our Lord Jesus mercifully willed that She come to us. How wonderful! How blessed!

He is sending me among you so that, with a motherly love, I may grant you safety; that you may comprehend that pain and joy, suffering and love, make your soul live intensely; that I may call you anew to glorify the Heart of Jesus, the heart of faith, the Eucharist. Remember to ask Mother for the safety she promised you, physical safety yes but more importantly spiritual safety. Ask Her to help keep your faith strong and secure. She wants to keep your faith safe. How easy it is for one to lose faith especially when one doesn’t suspect that this can happen? Yes, it is possible to lose faith. Mother desires to keep us safe body and soul.

Every Saturday I attend Mass in gratitude to Our Heavenly Mother for all Her love and protection. Before Mass begins I say, “This Mass is for you Dear Mother.” This morning Father Frank shared a story that was told to him by a WWII veteran. The veteran showed Father his very old beat up Brown Scapula. The scapula had a bullet hole through it. The veteran told this story: The Catholic chaplain explained the blessings and promises associated with the Brown Scapula and advised the men to wear it always. As the soldiers received their scapula, I informed the chaplain priest that I am not a Catholic but I asked for and received a scapula as well. During battle when bullets were flying I remembered that Mary would protect me but I didn’t know how to pray the Hail Mary. Thinking of the lyrics to a big band song I cried, “Lady help me. Lady help me”. The scapula was in my Bible. The Bible was in my chest pocket. A bullet shot through my Bible, passed through the scapula and stopped. The rest of the Bible was okay.

Through the grace of God, Mother will protect us if we sincerely ask, as she saved Pope John Paul from an assassination attempt. However, Mother may not always protect us from pain and suffering. Pain and suffering is our connection with the Savior. Pain and suffering: “…make your soul live intensely.” Love and joy “…make your soul live intensely.” Mother reminds us that through our pain and suffering we experience the joy and love of Christ. Mother is always calling us to glorify the Sacred Heart of Jesus in faith. Mother is always calling us to what is most important, our strong faith and desire for the Real Presence of Jesus in Holy Eucharist.

From day to day through the centuries, my Son, alive, returns among you - He returns to you, though He has never left you. This statement may sound like a contradiction but Mother knows that we who believe accept the enduring presence of Christ in our lives even though at times we can’t feel it. When we fall away from Jesus, Our Lord Jesus waits by our side for us to want to come back to Him. We find our way back to Jesus through sanctifying grace in the Sacraments and we become aware of His presence once again. From May 2 message of Our Lady 3 months ago, “Do not forget that in the Eucharist, which is the heart of faith, my Son is always with you. “Mother never ceases to glorify Her Son through reminders such as this, Jesus alive! Jesus with us! Mother wants so much for us. She knows She must remind us of Jesus alive again and again.

When one of you, my children, returns to Him, my motherly heart leaps with joy. Therefore, my children, return to the Eucharist, to my Son. Here is another reminder from Mother’s May 2 message: “Therefore, I invite you, my children, to observe well the signs of the times, to 'gather the shattered crosses' and to be apostles of the revelation.” At that time I felt certain that the ‘shattered crossed’ where Her baptized children who deny their inheritance of faith. Our Mother asks us to be apostles of the revelation (Holy Scripture, Her messages, holy witness of the saints and martyrs, our shepherds). She wants those of us still strong in faith to gently bring the ones who drifted away back to the heart of Jesus. When we help one return to God, we cause her “motherly heart to leap with joy!” In today’s message she is appealing to the confused souls, ‘shattered crosses’ directly to RETURN* to the Sacraments, to RETURN to Jesus. Remember, Jesus is always with us but if we want to stay with Him, receiving Him in Holy Eucharist is the best way.

The way to my Son is difficult, full of renunciations, but at the end, there is always the light. I understand your pains and sufferings, and with motherly love I wipe your tears. Ah Mother are you wiping away my tears as well? Mother will you wipe away my tears and those of my children? “He will wipe every tear from their eyes, and there shall be no more death or mourning, wailing or pain, the old order has passed away.”Revelation Chapter 21:4 How my heart radiates love for Mother! As I analyze Her message, I read it over and over. There’s a desperate plea in Mother’s words that breaks my heart. She has no intention of deserting us. I believe She has no intention of leaving until we hear and heed Her words. Mother pleads and begs. Mother appeals to us and petitions us. She gives us the promise of heaven. Esteem Her Immaculate Heart so full of love for us. Wanting such wonders for me and for the whole world. Calling us to share great Love and Glory. Mother never gives up on us. I trust in the Light She promises. He is the Light! What more can we desire then the Light of Christ? Yes, believers are asked to live renunciations (repudiation, self-denial and more). We must accept the difficulties that come with following Jesus and be prepared for pain and suffering. Still I ask, why is pain and suffering seemingly impossible to accept?

Trust in my Son, because He will do for you what you would not even know how to ask for. You, my children, you should be concerned only for your soul, because it is the only thing on earth that belongs to you. You will bring it, dirty or clean, before the Heavenly Father. Remember, faith in the love of my Son will always be rewarded. Mother answers my question about pain and suffering. “He will do for you…!” I must trust Jesus even when I don’t understand; even when I don’t know how to ask for help; even when I don’t know what I should ask for; and especially when I ask for the wrong things. Yet if I trust in Him, Jesus will work with me and in me. We need to be concerned for our soul as Mother reminds us. Mother’s concern for our soul is greater than our concern for our own souls. When we pray, when we ask for help are we asking for that which will benefit our souls? This is all that matters. Mother is really making me think! Mother reminds us that when everything is gone our soul will still be. Mother shares concern for our soul with her Divine Son. This is why Mother continually reminds us to go to Jesus in Holy Eucharist. Receiving Jesus in Holy Eucharist is the best way to stay close to Him. And last She scares us! Is it Her intent is to scare us? If so it is more proof of Her tremendous love for us. “You will bring it (your soul), dirty or clean, before the Heavenly Father.” And what will happen if we bring our soul clean before the Father? “Remember, faith in the love of my Son will always be rewarded.” If we bring our soul clean in faith and love of Jesus we will be rewarded. God forbid we should lay our dirty souls before God!

I implore you, in a special way, to pray for those whom my Son called to live according to Him and to love their flock. Thank you. Mother most often ends Her message with a plea for us to pray for priests. I take this plea seriously. I have a list of priests I pray for by name daily. I implore you as does our Blessed Mother to please take Her plea seriously. Pray for specific priests every day. Please pray for all priests every day. Please appreciate and respect priests. Don’t forget to thank priests for being dedicated to God and to you. Remember, a priest job is to sanctify our souls and what they most need from us is our prayers.

*A book recommendation that will help us help Our Lady of Medjugorje accomplish Her mission. https://freereturnbook.com/claim-book-now

[Editor's note: the events and individuals surrounding Medjugorje are under Church investigation]