Our Lady thanks us for every sacrifice and prayer we have offered for her intentions. This encourages us to be even more zealous to pray and offer sacrifices, because in doing so we bring her joy. When we place ourselves at Our Lady’s disposal, She will offer to God our prayers and sacrifices for what She herself considers most important at the moment. None of us knows who needs what grace first, or what grace we need, as much as she does.

It pleased God to accomplish the salvation of humanity through Our Lady. And She chooses us according to His will. Her intentions are our intentions; She does everything so that we may be well on earth.

To pray for her intentions means to follow Her. As She tells us, “Dear children, with much love and patience I strive to make your hearts like unto mine. I strive, by my example, to teach you humility, wisdom and love because I need you; I cannot do without you my children. According to God’s will I am choosing you, by his strength I am strengthening you. Therefore, my children, do not be afraid to open your hearts to me.”

Today again Our Lady calls us to open ourselves to the Holy Spirit to work in us and through us. She promises to be with us in these days when Satan fights for war and hatred, when division is strong and evil is at work as never before.

St Louis-Marie Grignion de Montfort in his book On True Devotion to Mary, explains it to us, “God the Holy Ghost wishes to form Himself in her, and to form elect for Himself by her, and He has said to her, In electis meis mitte radices. Strike the roots, My Well-beloved and My Spouse, of all your virtues in My elect, in order that they may grow from virtue to virtue, and from grace to grace… I desire still to find you on earth, without your ceasing to be in heaven. For this end, reproduce yourself in My elect, that I may behold in them with complacence the roots of your invinci- ble faith, of your profound humility, of your universal morti- fication, of your sublime prayer, of your ardent charity, of your firm hope, and all your virtues…  Mary has produced, together with the Holy Ghost, the greatest thing which has been, or ever will be, which is a God-Man; and she will consequently produce the greatest things that there will be in the latter times. The formation and education of the great Saints, who shall come at the end of the world, are reserved for her. For it is only that singular and miraculous Virgin who can produce, in union with the Holy Ghost, singular and extraordinary things.”

“I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; He will strike at your head, while you strike at his heel” (Genesis 3:15). God put not only one enmity, but enmities: not only between Our Lady and the demon, but also between the offspring of the Blessed Virgin and the offspring of the demon; but humble Our Lady always triumphs over the prideful one, and her victory will be so great that She will crush his head, the seat of his pride.

The victory is promised to Our Lady, and we hear it so many times in her messages in Medjugorje. “My Immaculate Heart will triumph.” “Apostles of my love, I am covering you with my mantle, because as a mother I desire to protect you. I am imploring you to pray for the whole world. My heart is suffering. Sins are multiplying, they are too numerous. But with the help of those of you who are humble, modest, filled with love, hidden and holy, my heart will triumph.”

Our Lady needs us just as we are, no matter of the age. She calls us now and where we are. Let us surrender ourselves to her, let us sacrifice our lives day by day for her intentions.

Let us pray: Dear Our Lady, we thank you for thanking and trusting us. For inviting us into your plans of salvation for mankind. Help us to be all the more fervent in prayer with you to the Holy Spirit. Strengthen us in sacrificing ourselves for your intentions. We take shelter in your heart of all our brothers and sisters around the world who are experiencing war and hatred face to face. We believe with you, as you teach us, that through prayer and love we can accomplish even what seems humanly impossible. With you, we pray for your intentions. Amen.