Children of Medjugorje
President: Denis Nolan
Vice-President: Sister Emmanuel

Advisory Board:
Cardinal Jaime Sin
Cardinal Bernardino Echeverria, O.F.M.Ý
Archbishop Frane Franic
Archbishop D. Peter Chung
Bishop Nicholas D'Antonio, O.F.M.
Bishop Michael D. Pfeifer, O.M.I.
Bishop Donald Montrose
Bishop William Ellis
Fr. Daniel Ange
Ralph Martin

October 15, 2001

Dear Children of Medjugorje!
Praised be Jesus and Mary!

In her last message, Our Lady asked us to ³be carriers of peace in this world without peace.²  She has said this many, many times.  But this time, it caught my attention in a new way.  What does she mean by being a carrier of peace?  The events of September 11 have cast a new light on this call.

Over the last few weeks, the plan of the terrorists has slowly been revealed.  We now know that small groups of men have been thoroughly trained in terrorist tactics and then sent throughout the world, prepared to do violence.  Though faceless, these ³terrorist cells² are now positioned to strike at us unawares.  Their plan is to spread fear and to provoke ³war and hatred.²  But God has not been asleep during this time of preparation by our enemy (Satan).  For the last 20 years, He has sent Our Lady to enact another plan, a plan for peace.  The Queen of Peace has been drawing millions of her children to Medjugorje, where she has been training us for the work of peace.  She has sent us home to our countries to carry out her plan.  

We are to be ³peace cells,² operating all over the world to bring peace and love.  We are to ³witness peace to every heart² by living peace in our individual lives.  And she has worked tirelessly to give us the tools we need to be carriers of peace.  What are these tools? Prayer, fasting, conversion, and penance!  Lets examine anew these great tools for peace.

A. Pray!  ³Also today I call you to prayer, especially today when Satan wants war and hatred.²  Prayer has been the foundation for all of Our Lady¹s messages.  She has told us, ³Without prayer there is no peace² (9/6/84).  ³God alone is peace.  Therefore, approach Him through your personal prayer and then live peace in your hearts.² (2/25/91).  Without a true, continuous dialogue with God, we cannot possibly do his will.  We must be connected to the vine of Christ, receiving sustenance and life from Him, through prayer and the sacraments in order to live out our mission in the world.  Especially, pray the Rosary.  The Holy Father, John Paul II, has asked that every family pray the Rosary daily together for peace during the month of October.  Pray!

B. Fast!  ³I call you anew, little children: pray and fast that God may give you peace.²  Our Lady has asked us to fast on bread and water on Wednesdays and Fridays.  She has told us, ³I invite you to prayer.  Only by prayer and fasting can war be stopped.² (4/25/92).  It is important that we learn to place our cravings and desires second, and to open ourselves to the needs of others.  Fasting is the school for this.  It creates in us an atmosphere of self-giving which leads to peace.  Cardinal Theodore McCarrick has urged all the Catholics in his diocese to fast one day a week until this conflict ends.  Let us embrace this most important weapon for peace.

C. Convert!  ³I call you anew.²  Our Lady never tires of repeating her call to us.  She knows that holiness is a daily commitment for us.  Each day we must turn from our self-concern and try to put God in the first place.  This is the path to peace.  

D. Penance!  Through reconciliation we are given peace.  The Catechism of the Catholic Church affirms: ³For those who receive the sacrament of Penance with contrite heart and religious disposition, reconciliation  ‘is usually followed by peace and serenity of conscience with strong spiritual consolation¹² (1468).   Peace, which is a gift from God, comes to our souls when we are reconciled with Him through the Church.  When we have received the gift of peace, we carry it.

E. Peace!  Finally,  through our prayer, penance, fasting, and conversion we can receive the gift of peace from God.  Peace rules out fear.  Our Lady said ³And do not be afraid because the one who prays is not afraid of evil and has no hatred in the heart.² We can only witness to peace if we have no fear, if we have no hatred, only love in our hearts.  Carriers of peace are those who love and embrace the world.  Fear is not from God.  It is a sin of despair.  When we fear, we don¹t trust God.  We say that He cannot overcome our problems, and that He is not strong enough to redeem every situation.  So to be carriers of peace, we cannot harbor fear.  We cannot hate.  To hate is to be a tool of the enemy, to love is to be a tool of Our Lady.  "Through love, dear children, you can turn to good all that Satan wants to destroy and take for himself."

A true carrier of peace is one who blesses.  Our Lady said: ³Bless and seek the wisdom of the Holy Spirit to lead you at this time.² (5/25/01).  To be carriers of peace we must be transmitters of the blessing of God that we are receiving through Our Lady of Medjugorje.  We must transmit that blessing to everyone we meet, everyone in our lives, everyone in our thoughts and prayers.  If we bless, we cannot hate.  If we bless we cannot fear.  ³Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God,² (Matt. 5:9). Let us be peacemakers, blessers, carriers of peace.

For those of us who have let the call of Our Lady become dormant, it is not too late.  We can awaken the call of Our Lady in our hearts today, by beginning to live her messages.  We can become part of her plan for peace.  Good is more powerful than evil, Our Lady's plan is more powerful than the plan of the enemy.  Awaken to her call, become carriers of peace!

Dear Gospa, may we carry out your plan for peace in our hearts,
our homes, our countries, and the world.

 

Cathy Nolan   USA  

PS. Denis has this note to share:  A recent news report - stating that Cardinal Vinko Puljic of Sarajevo, speaking at the Synod of Bishops, complained that Medjugorje was becoming a source of division in the Church - was misleading.  The Cardinal was not commenting on the Medjugorje phenomenon per se:  he was talking about the problem between the Franciscans and the local hierarchy which has
deep roots in the history of the region.  In any case, if you study the history of most of the recent approved apparitions of the Church, they were great sources of divisions until they were approved (the apparitions in Belgium in particular).  The fact that there is difference of opinion or controversy over an apparition is no argument against it - this was not only the case with all these apparitions but with the ministry of
Our Lord and the definition of every dogma in the history of the Church.  The only salient point is what the Church has officially said on Medjugorje.  The answer is that there is no judgment at the moment.  Cardinal Ratzinger has said in various interviews that the Church will not pass a verdict on Medjugorje until the phenomenon is over.  That's why neither the local bishop nor the bishops' conference has said any more.  No judgment can be made until the phenomenon is over because only then all the data will be in.  By the way, one of the reasons Lourdes was approved was the devotion of the faithful (devotion shown before it was approved).  Sad to say, the cogency of most critiques of Medjugorje can best be gauged by the degree of venom injected between the lines: these critics would never be taken seriously as credible witnesses in a court of law.

PPS.  I have attached several messages from Our Lady that have spoken of peace. Take time to pray with them, they will fill you with hope and purpose!

SEPTEMBER 6, 1984: "Dear children; Without prayer there is no peace. There-fore, I say to you, dear children, pray at the foot of the cross for peace. Thank you for your response to my call."

JUNE 25, 1987: "Dear children, today I thank you and I want to invite you all to God's peace. I want each one of you to experience in your heart that peace which God gives. I want to bless you all today. I am blessing you with God's blessing and I beseech you, dear children, to follow and to live my way. I love you dear children, and so not even counting the number of times, I go on calling you and I thank you for all that you are doing for my intentions. I beg you, help me to present you to God and to save you. Thank you for having responded to my call."

DECEMBER 25, 1988: "Dear children, I am calling you to peace. Live peace in your heart and in your surroundings, so that all may recognize the peace, which does not come from you, but from God. Little children, today is a great day. Rejoice with me! Celebrate the birth of Jesus with my peace, the peace with which I came as your Mother, Queen of Peace. Today I am giving you my special blessing. Carry it to every creature so that each one may have peace. Thank you for having responded to my call."

JULY 25, 1990: "Dear children, today I invite you to peace. I have come here as the Queen of Peace and I desire to enrich you with my Motherly Peace. Dear children, I love you and I desire to bring all of you to the peace which only God gives and which enriches every heart. I invite you to become carriers and witnesses of my peace to this unpeaceful world. Let peace rule in the whole world, which is without peace and longs for peace. I bless you with my Motherly Blessing. Thank you for having responded to my call."

DECEMBER 25, 1990: "Dear children, today I invite you, in a special way, to pray for peace. Dear children, without peace, you cannot experience the birth of the Child Jesus today or in your daily lives. Therefore, pray that the Lord of Peace may protect you with His Mantle and that He help you to comprehend the greatness and the importance of peace in your hearts. In this way, you shall be able to spread peace from your hearts throughout the whole world. I am with you and I intercede for you before God. Pray, because Satan wants to destroy my plan of peace. Be reconciled with one another and, by means of your lives, work that peace may reign in the whole world. Thank you for
having responded to my call."

FEBRUARY 25, 1991: "Dear children, today I invite you to decide for God because distance from God is the fruit of the lack of peace in your hearts. God alone is peace. Therefore, approach Him through your personal prayer and then live peace in your hearts. In this way, peace will flow like a river into the whole world. Do not speak about peace, but make peace. I am blessing each of you and each good decision of
yours. Thank you for having responded to my call."

APRIL 25, 1992: "Dear children, today also I invite you to prayer. Only by prayer and fasting can war be stopped. Therefore, my dear little children, pray; and by your life give witness that you belong to me, because Satan wishes, in these turbulent days, to seduce as many souls as possible. Therefore, I invite you to decide for God and He will protect you and show you what you should do and which path to take. I invite all of those who have said "yes" to me to renew their consecration to my Son, Jesus, and to His Heart and to me, so we can take you more intensely as instruments of Peace in this unpeaceful world. Medjugorje is a sign to all of you and a call to pray and live the Days of Grace that God is giving you. Therefore, dear children, accept the call to prayer with seriousness. I am with you and your suffering is also mine. Thank you for having responded to my call."

DECEMBER 25, 1992: "Dear children, today I wish to place you all under my mantle to protect you from every Satanic attack. Today is the day of peace, but throughout the whole world there is much lack of peace. Therefore, I call you to build up a new world of Peace together with me, by means of prayer. Without you, I cannot do that and, therefore, I call all of you with my Motherly love; and God will do the rest. Therefore open yourselves to God's plans and purposes for you to be able to cooperate with Him for peace and for good. And, do not forget that your life does not belong to you, but is a gift with which you must bring joy to others and lead them to Eternal Life. May the tenderness of my little Jesus always accompany you. Thank you for having responded to my call."

MARCH 25, 1993: "Dear children, today, like never before, I call you to pray for peace: for peace in your hearts, peace in your families and peace in the whole world, because Satan wants war...wants lack of peace...wants to destroy all which is good. Therefore, dear children, PRAY! PRAY! PRAY! Thank you for having responded to my call."

SEPTEMBER 25, 1993:"Dear children, I am your Mother and I invite you to come closer to God through prayer, because only He is your peace, your Savior. Therefore, little children, do not seek comfort in material things; rather, seek God. I am praying for you and I intercede before God for each individual. I am looking for your prayers, that you accept me and accept my messages as in the first days of the apparitions. And only then, when you open your hearts and pray, will miracles happen. Thank you for having responded to my call."

OCTOBER 25, 1993:"Dear children, these years I have been calling you to pray, to live what I am telling you, but you are living my messages a little. You talk but do not live. That is why, my dear little children, this war is lasting so long. I invite you to open yourselves to God and to live with God in your hearts, living the good and giving witness to my messages. I love you and wish to protect you from every evil, but you do not desire it. Dear children, I cannot help you if you do not live God's Commandments, if you do not live the Mass, if you do not abandon sin. I invite you to become Apostles of Love and Goodness. In this world without peace, give witness to God and God's love and God will bless you and give you what you seek of Him. Thank you for responding to my call."

JANUARY 25, 1995: "Dear children; I invite you to open the door of your heart to Jesus as the flower opens itself to the sun. Jesus desires to fill your hearts with peace and joy. You cannot, little children, realize peace if you are not at peace with Jesus. Therefore, I invite you to confession so Jesus may be your truth and peace. So, little children, pray to have strength to realize what I am telling you. I am with you and I love you. Than you for your response to my call."

FEBRUARY 25, 1995: "Dear children; Today I invite you to become missionaries of my messages, which I am giving here through this place that is dear to me. God has allowed me to stay this long with you; and therefore, little children, I invite you to live with love the messages I give and to transmit them to the whole world, so that a river of love flows to people who are full of hatred and without peace. I invite you, little children, to become peace where there is no peace and light where there is darkness, so that each heart accepts the light and the way of salvation. Thank you for your response to my call."

DECEMBER 25, 1995: "Dear children, today also I rejoice with you and I bring you little Jesus that He bless you. I invite you, dear children, that your life be united with Him. Jesus is the King of Peace, and only He can give you the Peace that you seek. I am with you and I present you to Jesus in a special way now, in this new time when it is necessary to decide for Him. This time is the time of grace. Thank you for having responded to my call."

JUNE 25, 1997 "Dear children! Today I am with you in a special way and I bring you my motherly blessing of peace. I pray for you and I intercede for you before God, so that you may comprehend that each of you is a carrier of peace. You cannot have peace if your heart is not at peace with God. That is why, little children, pray, pray, pray, because prayer is the foundation of your peace. Open your heart and give time to God so that He will be your friend. When true friendship with God is realized, no storm can destroy it. Thank you for having responded to my call."

DECEMBER 25, 1999 "Dear children! This is the time of grace. Little children, today in a special way with little Jesus, whom I hold in my embrace, I am giving you the possibility to decide for peace. Through your 'yes' for peace and your decision for God, a new possibility for peace is opened. Only in this way, little children, this century will be for you a time of peace and well-being. Therefore, put little newborn Jesus in the first place in your life and He will lead you on the way of salvation. Thank you for having responded to my call."

JANUARY 25, 2000 "Dear children! I call you, little children, to pray without ceasing. If you pray, you are closer to God and He will lead you on the way of peace and salvation. That is why I call you today to give peace to others. Only in God is there true peace. Open your hearts and become those who give a gift of peace and others will discover peace in you and through you and in this way you will witness God's peace and love which He gives you. Thank you for having responded to my call."

SEPTEMBER 25, 2001 "Dear children! Also today I call you to prayer, especially today when Satan wants war and hatred. I call you anew, little children: pray and fast that God may give you peace. Witness peace to every heart and be carriers of peace in this world without peace. I am with you and intercede before God for each of you. And do not be afraid because the one who prays is not afraid of evil and has no hatred in the heart. Thank you for having responded to my call."