Mary’s prayer with us for peace has been going on for 43 years since the beginning of her apparitions in Medjugorje. 

“Peace, peace, peace and only peace! Let peace prevail between God and man and between people. Pray, fast. Wars and natural disasters can be stopped by prayer and fasting,” She told us on June 26, 1981. The situation in the world is very serious, evil is growing every day. We hear about crazy wars, disasters, abuse of people, injustice. From a human point of view, it seems that evil cannot be defeated. Mary, the Mother of Hope, shows us the way out and the only winner – trust in Almighty God. Let us remember once again Her strategic plan for peace in our hearts and throughout the world. World peace begins in the human heart. We cannot have it if we are not at peace with God, with people and with ourselves. Jesus said that what comes out of a man’s heart defiles a man. From the human heart comes both good and evil. We ourselves choose what will prevail. Peace is obtained through the prayer of the heart, daily meditation on God’s Word, fasting, frequent confession and attendance at the Divine Service. Next comes peace in our family, prayer in the family, creation of prayer communities and joint prayer with Her for peace. In one family, a brother succumbed to an aggressive addiction to alcohol. It was unbearable. The whole family suffered. Nothing helped, the situation became worse and worse. The family members decided to fast continuously. Each of them chose one day a week and fasted for their brother. A few weeks later, they shared what was going on. One said: “I had no hope that anything would change. Through fasting, hope began to come that everything is possible with God.” Another said: “Lately I have felt a lot of anger, even rage towards him when I see him drunk. Since we started fasting for him, the evil has disappeared and I feel compassion and love for him.” Another said: “When I told him to get over it and stop drinking, he got angry and drank even more out of anger. I realized that words do not help, but only a silent struggle in prayer and fasting.” Everyone came to the conclusion that the atmosphere in the family began to change day by day for the better. “With prayer and fasting, you will pave the way for Jesus into your hearts,” Mary teaches us. She has been telling us the same thing for 43 years: “Only through prayer and fasting can we stop evil.” Prayer and fasting are the way to the coming of Jesus. And He is the absolute good, the absolute winner. The prophetess Anna “did not depart from the temple, serving (God) night and day with fasting and prayer” (Lk. 2:37). Anna saw the coming of the Messiah, the King of Peace. When the disciples returned from their mission and were unable to cast Satan out of one possessed man, Jesus told them that such a person could not be cast out by anything but fasting and prayer. Prayer and fasting will make us a person of hope and great trust in God, to whom all things are possible. Mary gives us her Motherly blessing and entrusts us with a mission: to be a joy to everyone we meet. Joy is a decision. We choose what we will carry to others. Choosing good is joy. Mary calls us in her messages: “Be courageous, so as not to give up, because even the smallest good and the smallest sign of love triumphs over more and more obvious evil.” “My children, listen to Me, that good may prevail, that you may know the love of My Son.” Saint Mother Teresa advised: “Smile at everyone, no matter who they are, and this will help you grow in greater love for everyone.” “Joy is the net of love in which souls can be caught.” The Holy Father Francis encourages us: “Let us carry her smile in our hearts and give it to those we meet on our way, especially to those who suffer. In this way, we will open the horizons of joy and hope.”Mary is also called the Cause of our joy because she brought it to us. She gives birth to it in a spiritual way in our hearts, when we surrender to Her and obey Her motherly advice. Prayer Mary, help us to believe that thanks to our decision in favor of good, good will begin to triumph on earth. Help us to be brave and steadfast in good, to find good even where there is the greatest evil. Intercede for us so that we may be children of hope, prayer and great trust in God the Creator. Together with You, we pray for peace in our hearts, families and in the whole world. Amen