Message of October 25, 2008
„Dear children! In a special way I call you all to pray for my intentions so that, with your prayers, you could stop the satanic plan for this world, which is further from God every day, which puts itself in God’s place and destroys all the beautiful and good in the soul of each of you. So, little children, arm yourselves with prayer and fasting so that you may become aware of how much God loves you, and do God's will. Thank you for having responded to my call.”
Dear brothers and sisters, this message found me in Italy, near the City of Bari, where a large crowd of the faithful had gathered for a whole-day prayer. It served as an outline for my preaching and for the course of the day’s programme, which started at eight o'clock in the morning and finished at nine in the evening.
To me this message is a strong call of Our Lady in these hard times for the Church so similar to those in the Middle Ages, when the dignity of man was sinking, when people were divided into three estates or ranks. The Lord was not enthusiastic over nobility or any other class. He enlightened a rich man to show a new way, and a new image of man and his dignity.
– Francis, my Church is crumbling down – said the living Lord from the crucifix. – Lord, what do you want me to do? – Help me renew the Church. – How? – Read – the Lord said to him. Francis took the Bible in his youthful hands, opened it three times and found the answer: leave everything, give up everything, and follow Jesus.
The living Jesus was speaking from the cross, the living Jesus was speaking from the Bible. The man was listening with an open heart and realised that there was no other and more exalted way. He responded to the call. – Lord – said the pauper of Assisi – since I came to know and to love you my money, my business, my horses, the knightly prestige, friends, girls have become nothing. All that is nothing but dust. You are my God and my everything!
And he entered a school of prayer. The Crucified was the only Teacher and the Book from which he learnt all wisdom and drew all the love for all creatures. Everything led him to the Creator. The happiest man walking on this earth is the man set free from the slavery to things.
Taking the helm of Peter’s ship, Pope Benedict XVI, enlightened by the Holy Spirit, exclaimed to all: “This ship is leaking on all sides.”
Many interpreted this as a piece of humour of an eighty-year-old man and a wise teacher of the Church. No, I did not see or hear it that way. I understood him as the disciples and apostles understood Peter near Caesarea Philippi when he, answering Jesus’ question – Who do you say that I am? – said: – You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.
The only full answer at that moment and for all times.
And today our Peter answers in what condition the Church is.
Every divorce destroys the sacrament of love and makes a hole in the body of the Church. Every Christian who does not live his faith, that is, who lives without Mass and Sunday, without prayer and sacraments, in one word, without God, creates with his life and public sins a huge crack on the body of the Church. Young people who have fallen victim to video games and obscene programmes, victims to night time and night spots, are ruining their own selves and their families. A family that does not pray and does not bring up their children in the spirit of the Gospel is a big and always scandalous hole in the ship of the Church. Blasphemers, drug addicts, alcoholics as well as pseudo-theologians and scholars without holiness and holy life in the Church are destroying the Church.
Therefore we are called in a special way – all of us – to pray for Her intentions. The Queen of Peace is telling us again what the Church can do with her hopeful and joint prayers – stop Satan’s plan. It is him who destroys, divides, who sows weeds in the hearts of the Sons of God. He is the tempter who never sleeps. He is the destroyer of man, the Church and every God’s plan. He manages to take away more and more people every day from God or to cause them to oppose God and His plan. He puts himself first instead of God. This haughtiness manifests itself in the decadence and erosion of morals, which is best evident in the programmes of television and other media. They want to misuse everything. An immoral man has a better chance and greater support than a moral one, a spineless person more than a man of principle, especially more than a parent.
These false greats and false idols, who are put on the pedestal of pagan goddesses and gods, every day brainwash and mislead even little ones trying to convince them that the way they offer is the only way.
Pornography, drugs and the modern addiction to electronic games are mighty weapons for enslavement of today’s man. People of all ages are slaves to these vices. At a large gathering in Paris scientists reported devastating facts that pornography was a more murderous and widespread destroyer of man than drugs. That is how – through violence to life, slavery to pleasures and false entertainments – a family remains without children, and children without a family and family upbringing. In a very short time a large number of young people have abandoned every influence of religious life and education. Everything that exists, everything that is offered is permitted. Seminaries are being daily closed down, and the interest in God, the Church, the Revelation is dwindling.
Let us go back to the history of the Old Testament for a moment. The Philistines with Goliath are before Jerusalem. Professional soldiers with Goliath at the head are planning to destroy Jerusalem and subjugate Israel. The king Saul learns through reconnaissance patrols of thousands of warriors in the enemy’s camp. He is too week to resist them. He does not even count on God and His help any more. He thinks only in human terms, and pure mathematics tells him that he is going to lose the battle to the stronger enemy.
God forsakes the king who does not count on Him. He calls the young David, a shepherd. The prophet anointed him king, too. – You are going to win in my name – said the Lord to David – with your sling and the five stones. Have no fear. Face Goliath in my name. – And it was so. David believed the Lord and His word, His name. David prevails over and kills the invincible Goliath.
How to arm ourselves today? – With prayer and fasting – the Queen of Peace said to us. Our Lord also mentioned this weapon to his disciples when they had not been able to expel the devil from a possessed man. How did the prophets and the saints of the New Testament manage to be victorious? – With prayer and fasting. How did Francis renew the Church? – With prayer and fasting. What is our strength today, that Our Lady is speaking about, to stop the power of Satan? – Fasting and prayer. There is no other weapon. If you want to help your people, your family and the Church, listen to the Mother. Take up this weapon.
Let us remember the apostle Paul, too, who at the very beginning of the Church wrote to Christians: “Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of His might. Put on the full armour of God, so that you will be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil… Therefore, take up the full armour of God, so that you will be able to resist in the evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm.” (Eph 6:10)
Dear Mother, exalted are your words and precious your advice. You who are bruising our enemy on the head with your heel, you know best how to overpower him. Thank you for this strong message in which you call everybody.
Brothers and sisters, do not take this message as a mere piece of information. It is the only programme for our survival and our peace as believing and holy people. Do you not feel a deep gratitude that it reconfirms your calling and your vow, that it tells you again how important our praying and fasting family is for: Living Our Lady’s messages! At this moment nothing is so urgent. Respond to the call!
This month we are going to pray for the following intentions:
For the gift of the spirit of wisdom and fortitude, the gift of fasting and prayer, the gift of persistency in this consumerist environment so that our Lord may always remain in the first place: Our God and our everything!
For all those who have lost the gifts of: faith, love and hope, beauty and joy in prayer and sacrifice, that they may discover and live these graces again.
For all pilgrims, visionaries and parishioners that we may responsibly and literally live this message.
For all bishops and priests accompanying the pilgrims, that they may always be a model and good shepherds to them, who with the greatest love help them to conversion through sacraments of confession and Eucharist.
Dear brothers and sisters! This message first shocked me, then it encouraged me, because this sickness unto death – that is, multifarious apostasies and immense deviations from the path of faith, especially of our families and the young – has a remedy after all: fasting and prayer. This medicine we can administer. Luckily this gift is in our heart. Let us courageously respond to the call of the Queen of Peace.
Fasting and praying for you all, that we may succeed, is you brother fra Jozo.
30.10.2008., Široki Brijeg
