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The Russians have been waging war against the Ukraine since February 2022. Since after the 7 October 2023 Hamas terrorist attacks, Israel has been fighting Hamas in Gaza and periodically striking Hezbollah in Lebanon. This week, the Israelis attacked Iran’s nuclear facilities and both nations are at war with each other. Within the last few hours, U.S. aircraft bombed Iranian nuclear facilities.
This whirlwind of events brought to mind what Jesus said in the Gospels and what Our Blessed Mother said at Medugorje in December 1982.
In Mark’s Gospel, Jesus tells his apostles: "When you hear of wars and reports of wars do not be alarmed; such things must happen, but it will not yet be the end. Nation will rise against nation and kingdom against kingdom. There will be earthquakes from place to place and there will be famines. These are the beginnings of the labor pains” (13:7-8).
On 25 December 1982 Our Blessed Mother said to the visionary Mirjana: "You have forgotten that through prayer and fasting you can avert wars and suspend the laws of nature.”
See https://www.countdowntothekingdom.com/mirjana-on-the-revelation-of-the-secrets/ and https://www.lifesitenews.com/opinion/prayer-and-fasting-can-help-prevent-the-outbreak-of-war/?utm_source=most_recent&utm_campaign=usa
Without being alarmist about recent events, prudence nevertheless says that we pay heed to Our Blessed Mother’s words. Wars are already underway, but hopefully through prayer and fasting, we can prevent them from getting worse and maybe, just maybe, help bring about peace. I do not know if Jesus’s words are coming to fruition but now is definitely the time to pray and fast.
Sub Tuum Praesidium
We fly to thy protection,
O holy Mother of God.
Despise not our petitions in our necessities,
but deliver us always from all dangers,
O glorious and blessed Virgin.
Sub tuum praesidium confugimus,
Sancta Dei Genetrix.
Nostras deprecationes ne despicias in necessitatibus,
sed a periculis cunctis libera nos semper,
Virgo gloriosa et benedicta.
Bryan J. Dickerson is an author and historian specializing in military and naval history, and Catholicism. He earned his BA in History from Rowan University (NJ), MA in American History from Monmouth University (NJ) and a graduate Certificate in Archival Studies from Louisiana State University. His writings have appeared online and in print in such publications as Columbia (the magazine of the Knights of Columbus) and Celebrate Life (the magazine of the American Life League). He is a 4th Degree member of the Knights of Columbus and a Past Grand Knight of a council in New Jersey. His book The Liberators of Pilsen: the U.S. 16th Armored Division in World War II Czechoslovakia was published by McFarland Books in 2018 and his book Dive Bomber Down: James A. Nist Naval Aviator in the Pacific War is now available from McFarland Books. He has also self-published sixeen books, including In the Name of COVID: The Assault on Religious Freedom in 2020. A former U.S. Navy Reserve Religious Program Specialist 1st Class (Fleet Marine Force), he mobilized and deployed in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom twice. He and his wife Lisa have four children and live in southern New Jersey.
