A closer look at Our Lady's Nov 2 message to Mirjana.

Our Blessed Mother’s message [as Our Lady of Medjugorje]* given to Mirjana for the whole world, strongly emphasizes the importance of prayer and what we can achieve through prayer. She encourages us to be vigilant. Mother wonders what Jesus will see when he looks in our heart. Mother calls us to be her apostles that we may spread the gospel of Our Lord.

Dear children, to come to you and to make myself known to you is a great joy for my motherly heart. It is a gift from my Son for you and for others who are coming.

Mother says so much in her salutation to us. With a joyful heart she comes to earth to be with us as she reminds us once again that Jesus is the one sending her. Mother wants us to keep coming to her from all over the world that we may be blessed to spread her message to all nations.

As a mother I am calling you: love my Son above everything. In order to love Him with all your heart, you need to come to know Him. You will come to know Him through prayer.

Mother assumes we already know of Jesus as revealed to us through Holy Scripture. For our sake Mother does not want us to be content to simply know of Jesus. She wants us to truly know and love Jesus with all our heart. Mother isn’t suggesting we pray in an effort to get to know Jesus but rather Mother makes it clear to us that “we will come to know Him through prayer.“ Through prayer we will come to love Jesus above everything. This is so true. Those who love Mother understand that it is our love for Jesus that makes it possible for us to love her as we do. And it is her love for her Son that makes it possible for Mother to be with us.

Pray with the heart and with your feelings. To pray means to think of His love and sacrifice. To pray means to love, to give, to suffer and to offer. I am calling you, my children, to be apostles of prayer and love.

Our Dear Mother goes on to tell us how we can know Jesus through prayer. She tells us how to pray as well. Mother reminds us that we do not pray just with our mind, lips and voice, but we also must feel our prayer. We must live our prayer. Prayer is giving, loving suffering, offering. What do these four words mean for each of us in prayer? We must search our hearts for the answer to this question as we follow the will of God. It is God’s will that we become apostles of prayer and love.

My children, it is a time of vigilance. In this vigil I am calling you to prayer, love and trust.

I believe Mother is calling each of us to personal vigilance. Ask yourself, what is my soul worth to me? How can I keep my soul safe? Mother tells me exactly what I must do to keep my soul safe. Devote time to prayer every day. When Mother calls us to prayer, love and trust it’s all about Jesus. Every moment Mother is present whether in a physical way though her apparitions or in a spiritual way it is all about Jesus. Mother’s presence with us always has been and always will be about her Divine Son.

As my Son will be looking in your hearts, my motherly heart desires for Him to see unconditional trust and love in them.

Only through personal vigilance will we attain unconditional trust and love in Our Lord Jesus. What does Jesus see when He looks into my heart? I know Jesus sees that I think a lot about unconditional love and trust in Him. I know Jesus sees that I gaze at my framed Divine Mercy Image of Him and contemplate the words “Jesus, I Trust in You,” inscribed at the bottom as I pray from the heart. Jesus will see that I talk and write a lot about the importance of unconditional love and trust in Him. But sadly Jesus will also see that I’m not yet were I to need to be in turning my will over to God.

The united love of my apostles will live, will conquer and will expose evil.

This is why it’s so important for Christians to be her united apostles, to conquer evil through the love of Christ. “I give you a new commandment: love one another. As I have loved you, so you also should love one another” John 13:34

My children, I was a chalice of the God-man; I was God's instrument.

Yes, Our Dear Mother was a vessel of Our Lord Jesus chosen by God for this purpose. Mother has given me a new way of thinking about Jesus in the Holy Eucharist.

That is why I am calling you, my apostles, to be a chalice of the true and pure love of my Son. I am calling you to be an instrument through which all those who have not come to know the love of God—who have never loved—may comprehend, accept and be saved. Thank you, my children."

Mother is comparing us to herself in the great responsibility of being willing vessels of Our Lord. To contain Jesus as the sacred chalice contains the precious blood of Christ, to let God choose us for this purpose as he chose our Heavenly Mother. This is the only way we can bring Christ to others. We must carry him within ourselves wherever we go. We must shine with the love of Christ who dwells within us. Only then can we help others to accept the gospel, understand and be saved. Thank you, Mother

While Our Lady was leaving, Mirjana said she saw a chalice.

How deeply Mother wants to impress on us the urgency of her message by showing Mirjana this image of a chalice. What love Mother has for us.

* Editor's Note: The events surrounding Medjugorje apparitions and messages are currently under Church investigation and are neither approved nor condemned.