Our Lady’s February message to Mirjana

Dear children, you are gathering around me, you are seeking your way, you are seeking, you are seeking the truth but are forgetting what is the most important, you are forgetting to pray properly. Your lips pronounce countless words, but your spirit does not feel anything. Wandering in darkness, you even imagine God himself according to yourselves, and not such as he really is in his love. Dear children, proper prayer comes from the depth of your heart, from your suffering, from your joy, from your seeking the forgiveness of sins. This is the way to come to know the right God, and by that also yourselves, because you are created according to him. Prayer will bring you to the fulfillment of my desire, of my mission here with you, to the unity of God’s family. Thank you. February 2, 2011

This people approaches me only in words, honours me only with lip service while its heart is far from me. Isaiah 29 L 13

• My heart is ready, God, my heart is ready... Psalm 57 : 7

My soul, give thanks to the Lord,
all my being, bless his holy name.
My soul, give thanks to the Lord,
and never forget all his blessings.
Psalm 102 : 1-2

Everyone moved by the Spirit is a son of God. The spirit you received is not the spirit of slaves bringing fear into your lives again; it is the spirit of sons, and it makes us cry out, “Abba Father!” Romans 8 : 14-15

• And when you pray, do not imitate the hypocrites: they love to say their prayers standing up in the synagogues and at the street corners for people to see them. In truth I tell you, they have had their reward. But when you pray, go to your private room, shut yourself in, and so pray to your Father who is in that secret place, and your Father who sees all that is done in secret will reward you.

In your prayers do not babble as the pagans do, for they think that by using many words they will make themselves heard. Do not be like them; your Father knows what you need before you ask him. So you should pray like this:

Our Father in heaven, may your name be held holy, your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as in heaven. Give us today our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we have forgiven those who are in debt to us. And do not put us to the test, but save us from the Evil One.

Yes, if you forgive others their failings, your heavenly Father will forgive you yours; but if you do not forgive others, your Father will not forgive your failings either. Matthew 6 : 5-15

• Today is also the Feast of the Presentation of the Lord (Candlemas Day) when we light candles to celebrate the end of the Christmas festival of light and to welcome Jesus, a light to enlighten the pagans and the glory of his people, as Simeon does in today’s gospel.

Our lady does not mention the words “pagans” or “gentiles” or “unbelievers” in her message, but she does speak about those wandering in darkness, the unenlightened. And she makes reference to praying in countless words in a way that does nothing for our spirit, a similar caution given by Jesus in Matthew’s gospel when he taught the disciples how to pray. He said, “In your prayers, do not babble as the pagans do” (Matthew 6 : 7)

So today’s message can be seen as a message of enlightenment, warning us about the “pagan” way of praying that we sometimes adopt – prayer without heart. The light of Christ can only shine brightly in us if we pray with the heart, when we can say, “My heart is ready, God, my heart is ready...” (psalm 57 : 7) and allow the Spirit within us to move and make us cry out, “Abba, Father!” (Romans 8 : 14). We will only be able to recognise our true God, our salvation, as Simeon was able to see, and not imagine a false God, when we stop our babbling and allow ourselves to be truly open to meeting with God in prayer and heart.

As all Our Lady’s messages are, this is yet another to enlighten and teach us the way that leads to holiness.

• Fr Neil Buchlein’s reflection on Mirjana’s message