Fr Jozo's reflection on the 25th Message

Our Lady's message January 25, 2025 

"Dear children! In this year of grace, I call you to conversion. Place God, dear children, at the center of your life and the fruits will be love for your neighbor and the joy of witnessing, and the holiness of your life will become a true testimony of faith. Thank you for having responded to my call." 

Dear brothers and sisters! 

Pope Francis has declared this year a jubilee year - a year of hope. The door in St. Peter's Basilica that the Holy Father opened is an invitation to meet the Lord who knocks and waits to be opened for him and to come in to dine with us. In the year of grace in which people received forgiveness of all debts, today the Lord awaits us in the temple - the church for reconciliation and conversion. He is the only one who can forgive our sin. He awaits us as the merciful father of his prodigal son and forgives us even the gravest mortal sin. The son came to himself and realized his sin, his betrayal. The father recognized him, rushed to him to embrace him, to bring him into the house. 

The son humbly asked for forgiveness, repentantly told his father that he was not worthy to be called a son because he had lost the dignity of a son and asked to be the last servant. The father's love is greater than his son's sin. Our Heavenly Father loves us so much that he gave us his Son so that no one would perish. This year of grace wants to awaken a return to the Father, a return to the Church, a return to the family and to the Lord's Day - Sundays. 

Putting God at the center of our lives is the highest calling here and now. We cannot put God with our idols. Let us remember how Joshua takes over the leadership of his people. - We cannot enter the promised land with the idols of Egypt. This is the moment of our choice. Today, I and my house choose the Lord, we will serve him. - All those present tore down the idols they wore under their clothes. And quickly a great pile of pagan idols was formed. The prophet had the idols burned so that the Jews present would forget them more easily. And the Hebrews listened to their prophet as Christ teaches: - You cannot serve God and mammon! 

Putting God at the center of our lives is the call of the Queen of Peace. Today, our Mother and Queen of Peace calls us to conversion in this holy year. Putting God at the center of our lives means cleansing our lives and souls, hearts and entire beings from our idols such as sports and entertainment. Everything is organized to squeeze the Lord's Day out of our practice. All television programs try to postpone family prayer. What is a family without prayer? Prayer nourishes love and protects harmony in the family. Without prayer, the family and the entire society collapse. We are witnesses of this violence among children, among adults. Only prayer can lift us out of the mud. Our Lady says that our prayer brings the fruits of faith, love for our neighbor. This joy in the family, in our work, makes us happy people. Dear prayerful families, respond to the call of the Mother. 

This month we will pray for the following intentions: 

1.⁠ ⁠For all pilgrims who bring blessings with their sacrifice and prayer; we especially pray for sick pilgrims who seek the great grace of healing to obtain the necessary grace. 

2.⁠ ⁠We pray for the intentions of the Holy Father Francis, our Pope, for the conversion of Christian families and churches; we pray for spiritual vocations. 

3.⁠ ⁠We pray for all who have not responded to the call of the Mother to accept the grace that calls everyone to conversion. Fr Jozo Zovko

January 25, 2025
"Dear children, In this year of grace, I am calling you to conversion. Put God, dear children, in the center of your living and the fruits will be love towards neighbor and joy of witnessing; and the holiness of your life will become a true witness of faith. Thank you for having responded to my call." (With Ecclesiastical approval)

My dear friends in Christ,

For nearly 45 years, Our Lady has been reminding us that we are constantly living in a ‘time of grace.’ This grace is given by God alone allowing the Virgin Mary’s presence among us in Medjugorje, to be that call for us to return to the Father through heartfelt authentic conversion. We must not forget that this particular time of Our Lady’s presence among us, will someday come to a close and She will no longer appear on the earth “in this way.” So, on a daily basis, Our Lady has been emphasizing and appealing her children to utilize this time of grace and turn back to God before events and changes on the earth occur. Isn’t She such a beautiful Mother?!

Now, in this monthly message, Our Mother highlights “this year of grace,” marking the Church’s extraordinary gift to the world of a Jubilee Year. Traditionally, a Jubilee Year is given to the Church to provide believers with a unique opportunity to seek spiritual renewal of the heart, reconciliation, and indulgences, while celebrating our faith together as a universal Church. In essence a Jubilee Year calls us to deeper conversion. A Jubilee Year is a special period of grace. Our Lady is helping us understand that this year 2025 is a “special grace within a grace.” Just as She teaches us with the essentials of protecting and strengthening our personal conversion with the 5 stones, so too She is teaching us to obtain extra grace by following the Church’s instructions and disciplines during this Jubilee Year of Hope. As “Pilgrims of Hope” this year, why not go on a pilgrimage to obtain that extra grace for you or offer it for another? Are you called to a deeper reconciliation with God? With family members? Enter into special acts of Mercy and take a risk. How blessed we are my friends, able to receive a ‘double portion’ of grace this year! Let’s not waste it! Praise be Jesus and Mary! 

Conversion calls us to decide for God. Love is a decision that must come from the heart. These days our hearts are easily led astray and we falter. So, our yes to God must be a firm yes! Stay strong! Our Blessed Mother Mary is asking us to make a heartfelt daily decision placing the Almighty God as the first, last and the only point of reference in all our actions. This requires an act of faith. When Jesus is at the center of our thoughts, our focus, and our hearts, then holiness naturally bears fruit. These fruits are those of charity, sacrifice, selflessness, hope and joy. They are easily recognized and felt by others because they are born from within us through the Holy Spirit. Our witnessing of holiness then becomes an absolute joy – and joy is contagious! May this call by Our Lady be taken to heart and put into action.

Let us pray this month for vocations to priesthood, religious and consecrated life.

Fr. Dermot S. Roache, SMA

January 25, 2025
"Dear children, In this year of grace, I am calling you to conversion. Put God, dear children, in the center of your living and the fruits will be love towards neighbor and joy of witnessing; and the holiness of your life will become a true witness of faith. Thank you for having responded to my call." (With Ecclesiastical approval)

My dear friends in Christ,

For nearly 45 years, Our Lady has been reminding us that we are constantly living in a ‘time of grace.’ This grace is given by God alone allowing the Virgin Mary’s presence among us in Medjugorje, to be that call for us to return to the Father through heartfelt authentic conversion. We must not forget that this particular time of Our Lady’s presence among us, will someday come to a close and She will no longer appear on the earth “in this way.” So, on a daily basis, Our Lady has been emphasizing and appealing her children to utilize this time of grace and turn back to God before events and changes on the earth occur. Isn’t She such a beautiful Mother?!

Now, in this monthly message, Our Mother highlights “this year of grace,” marking the Church’s extraordinary gift to the world of a Jubilee Year. Traditionally, a Jubilee Year is given to the Church to provide believers with a unique opportunity to seek spiritual renewal of the heart, reconciliation, and indulgences, while celebrating our faith together as a universal Church. In essence a Jubilee Year calls us to deeper conversion. A Jubilee Year is a special period of grace. Our Lady is helping us understand that this year 2025 is a “special grace within a grace.” Just as She teaches us with the essentials of protecting and strengthening our personal conversion with the 5 stones, so too She is teaching us to obtain extra grace by following the Church’s instructions and disciplines during this Jubilee Year of Hope. As “Pilgrims of Hope” this year, why not go on a pilgrimage to obtain that extra grace for you or offer it for another? Are you called to a deeper reconciliation with God? With family members? Enter into special acts of Mercy and take a risk. How blessed we are my friends, able to receive a ‘double portion’ of grace this year! Let’s not waste it! Praise be Jesus and Mary! 

Conversion calls us to decide for God. Love is a decision that must come from the heart. These days our hearts are easily led astray and we falter. So, our yes to God must be a firm yes! Stay strong! Our Blessed Mother Mary is asking us to make a heartfelt daily decision placing the Almighty God as the first, last and the only point of reference in all our actions. This requires an act of faith. When Jesus is at the center of our thoughts, our focus, and our hearts, then holiness naturally bears fruit. These fruits are those of charity, sacrifice, selflessness, hope and joy. They are easily recognized and felt by others because they are born from within us through the Holy Spirit. Our witnessing of holiness then becomes an absolute joy – and joy is contagious! May this call by Our Lady be taken to heart and put into action.

Let us pray this month for vocations to priesthood, religious and consecrated life.

Fr. Dermot S. Roache, SMA