Reflection on the Message of August 25, 2006

ONLY IN PRAYER WILL YOU BE CLOSE TO ME AND TO MY SON

"Dear children! Also today I call you to pray, pray, pray. Only in prayer will you be near to me and my Son and you will see how short this life is. In your heart a desire for Heaven will be born. Joy will begin to rule in your heart and prayer will begin to flow like a river. In your words there will only be thanksgiving to God for having created you and the desire for holiness will become a reality for you. Thank you for having responded to my call." Message of August 25, 2006

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The Virgin Mary has not given up, neither her love nor the words of her messages constantly conveyed to us have not changed. What she did for her Son is the same thing she is doing for his brothers and sisters, for everybody that has become her child. Her mantle is now so large that anybody searching a place under it can find it.

Mary wants us to become aware of the brevity of this life here and the eternity for which we have been created. There is only one excellent way in which we may uncover eternity in time, and that is prayer. Through prayer we speak directly to God knowing that the past and the future meet in Him united in an eternal NOW. Opening up to God is opening up towards eternity.

"Only in prayer" – Mary speaks to us. Not in a prayer uttered shallowly in a listless manner, a prayer in which nothing happens, but in a sincere, devoted prayer from the bottom of one's heart. Do we really open up while praying? There is a way of praying which does not free us completely from our prison. It just makes it a little bit easier. As long as we limit our prayer by praying for something, we cannot rise to eternity. In order to achieve progress in prayer, we must pray for more important things. "So do not worry, saying, ? What shall we eat? ? or ? What shall we drink? ? or ? What shall we wear? ? for the pagans seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all." (Mat 6: 31- 32).

If a prayer does not change us, then we must change our prayer and the way we pray. Only in prayer do we get close to Mary and Jesus, and only in prayer do we become aware of the things we shall never be able to do so anywhere else.

Most people feel tense and under stress. Sometimes we are not even aware of the strain we are under. Just like the people who are not aware of their own absent-mindedness. Only when they start praying do they become aware of their wandering thoughts. Such tension and anxiety are a result of the lack of openness and faith in God. Just as blood wants to flow freely through our veins, just as the air wants to be introduced into our lungs and bring oxygen to our whole body, so Godly life, which is in the depths of our souls, wants to permeate the whole of our body and animate our energy. Tension makes the acceptance of God's love more difficult for us.

Prayer is not a simple exercise, it is life. Those who want to dedicate themselves to prayer must decide firmly to often raise their spirit during the day, and, above all, to turn their hearts towards God. If we fail to do so and if we let our thoughts and feelings wander, our experience will tell us that prayer is impossible. Prayer is about our heart and life. It is a fruit of love, and we are unable to limit love to a certain period of time.

Mary wants us to experience the joy nobody and nothing may bring to us. She wants us to become holy. Being holy simply means to become what we were cut out for. Not being holy is against nature. Being holy means to be a unique, healthy and normal person created in God's image.

Fr. Ljubo Kurtovic
Medugorje 26/8/2006