Dear American pilgrims, I am addressing you from Medjugorje, from this place that you like, that you visit often during normal times. However, because of the pandemic we are going through difficult times not only in the United States, not only in the world, but also here in Medjugorje. We suffer because of the situation of few pilgrims. We are all assigned to this health regime and we miss our mobility in the world. And here, as you know, we venerate the Holy Virgin, Queen of Peace, this peace we want to proclaim to all of you who are close and those who are far away.
The time that we live in, one can compare to a very grave moment, which is noted in the Gospel. After the death of Our Lord, the world was immersed in darkness as the evangelists tell us. When Jesus Christ, Son of God and Son of Man, was sent by God to save us, died in human hearts, hearts were filled with darkness, also this world that caused the death of Jesus Christ, fell into darkness.
We have to be able to read what is being presented as a “sign of the time”. God, who is Master of history, who is the master of our present life, wants us to know what the sign tells us, it is, “Without Me, you can’t do anything” so we have to attach ourselves to His presence in us, and around us, so that we can dispel darkness, so that we can go towards the Light. He brings us light, as the Canticle of Zechariah says; today He is the sunshine that comes from on high. Today, we are so much in need of this sunshine.
In my message, I will address from living here, intelligently, with intelligence from the heart, the situation in the United States. I would like to formulate a perspective: if the United States promises and projects a life towards the development of human life and protection of Human life in all stages of existence, the United States will be saved. If your politics pushes you towards the negation of the values of human life, all of that will contribute to the enlargement of a darkness that scares us all.
Therefore we are all witness to the proclamation of hope in the world, the hope that comes from God because God comes to us from the future. He is waiting for us in the time to come. He is not waiting for us any more in history. We are going towards Him. So we can live what he offers us – peace with God and peace with all men, starting with those who are close to us to those who are far away from us.
So, may this time when we await better times strengthen your fidelity and give you courage to overcome difficult moments of your life. May the Holy Virgin, Queen of Peace, bless you, protect you, and love you without limit.
Archbishop Hoser.
