In November message, Our Lady called us to family prayer as well as to prayer for peace in the world. In this message, she emphasizes three times the invitation to pray for peace. When we read Our Lady’s messages over the past years, we see that the messages most often mention peace and the invitation to pray that the Lord may grant us the much-desired gift of peace. Also, the messages from the first apparitions of Our Lady are relevant even today. We see that little or nothing has changed regarding the situation in the world where there are wars, threats to man and attacks on truth and Christian values.

            Only if there are those who pray in spite of the threats and wars will there still be the possibility of saving the world and peace. Just as Pope Benedict XVI says, “True prayer is the driving force of the world since it keeps it open to God. For this reason without prayer there is no hope but only illusion. In fact, it is not God’s presence that alienates man but his absence“.

            The spiritual state of the world confirms to us the alienation of man, who is unable to accept the peace and grace that God offers. Restlessness and hostility have existed since man ceased to be man when sin entered the world. This inability to live in peace with ourselves and others has been with us ever since. Neither the great ideas of peace nor the efforts of scientists and politicians will bring us peace. Many have taken the side of war rather than peace in the struggle for peace.

            That is why Mary of Nazareth, the Mother of God, comes to our aid, willing to offer all the turmoil of humanity to God. She frees herself from the pressure of her own will and opens herself to the almighty and perfect will of the Father. “And his will is our peace!” And that is why we rightly call her and pray to her as the Queen of Peace. By praying the rosary, wars have been stopped. God gave to Our Lady the power to crush the head of the infernal serpent in unity and most intimate communion with His Son. This is the cooperation between the creation and the Creator.

            Our Lady, because she is united with God, obtains the divine fruits of intercession for what we need most.

            What we need is not an illusory peace, but the real one. Jesus says to us, “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give it to you. Do not let your hearts be troubled or afraid” (John 14:27).

            Jesus paid for this peace with his blood. It is the peace that comes from love freely given on the cross and crucified.

            Let us prayerfully allow the peace of Jesus to permeate our whole being and life. May this be our contribution to peace in the world. The Russian saint Seraphim of Sarov says it beautifully, “Acquire a peaceful spirit, and around you thousands will be saved”.

Let us pray:

            Our Lady, Queen of Peace, we thank you for your patience and perseverance with us whom you call to prayer for peace, knowing that it is possible to achieve peace if those who persevere on the way of faith and surrender to the will of the Father. You yourself have experienced in your life that nothing is impossible for God and you want us also to experience God’s omnipotence in our lives and in this world. Your presence, your nearness and your messages tell us that God has not withdrawn from this world or from us. May your motherly love, your messages and your invitations encourage us not to grow weary of offering prayers and sacrifices so that peace may reign in human hearts and in the world. Amen.