Reflection on the Message of December 25, 2003

I LOVE YOU ALL

"Dear children! Also today, I bless you all with my Son Jesus in my arms and I carry Him, who is the King of Peace, to you, that He grant you His peace. I am with you and I love you all, little children. Thank you for having responded to my call." Message of December 25, 2003

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The Blessed Virgin Mary, the Queen of Peace, tells us: “Dear children! Also today…” Also today, as during all these years for Christmas, the Mother of Peace comes to us carrying in her arms her Son Jesus, King of Peace. Also today, like the first day of the apparitions when the visionaries saw her for the first time on the hill called Crnica, Our Lady comes with the Child Jesus in her arms, as if she wanted to say: I bring Jesus to you and I lead you to Jesus. What do we need more? Let us desire the utmost; let us languish for that, because God does not want to give us a little but everything, not any kind of life but a life with Him, which begins already here.

Nobody could imagine how many hearts - during all these years - would make their experience of God, of a new birth and of a rebirth here; as at the beginning so today. We also cannot measure or imagine the power and the depth of the love of God and of his patience with us. God is patient with us; he waits until we finally trust him, so that He may give us nothing else but Himself. This is why, for Christmas, it is important to look forward to somebody and not to something. Here, the Virgin Mary does not bring something to us. Peace is not something but somebody. It is a person who has a name; it is the King of Peace - Jesus Christ, the Newborn Baby. Let us not be content with mediocrity, tepidity, traditions and customs that go along with Christmas, but let us desire the essence of Christmas. When we arrive to that, then everything has a meaning: feast day garments, food and drink and all decorations that accompany Christmas, according to the proverb: “What is the use of speed if you do not have a goal?” The same applies to our faith. What is the use of all external religious customs if we do not know their foundation, the core and the meaning of all that?

Christmas is a day that belongs to Jesus, and to us too. He is the one who has given us this solemnity, this feast. He, the King of Peace, did not come only to live with us but also to die for us to remain forever with us, to remain Emmanuel - God with us. God did it for us and for our salvation.

Only the small and the humble ones discover God. So many of them discovered Jesus through Mary and through her presence here, among us. Only the humble ones see that the heart of child can see further than the heart of the adult. But the adults also can have a heart of child. The humble ones - those who have a heart of child - see that something incredible has happened among us, something that exceeds our intelligence, something majestic. Also for this Christmas, Jesus comes to tell us, that our sins are forgiven, that God has nothing against us, that He has come to lead us out of darkness, out of restlessness and out of confusion. He penetrated our tombs to lead us to life. He penetrated our hatred to introduce us to love. Jesus Christ - He is Christmas, indeed. God descended on our earth; He was conceived by the Holy Spirit in the womb of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Also today, He comes to us through Mary.

When we look at a child, including the Child Jesus in the manger, it seems to us so fragile, so weak and so incredible. Just like His Church: weak, too human, sinful and frail. However, under external appearances is hidden the invincible force of heaven, which wants to live in each one of us, if only we allow it to approach us. Mary, the Queen of Peace, tells us again and again: “I am with you and I love you all.” She loves us all, whether we want it or not; she loves us, whether we receive her or not. If we receive her, it will be for our salvation and for a new life for us and for our neighbor. Let us pray the Lord that it may happen.

Fr. Ljubo Kurtovic
Medjugorje, December 26, 2003