“Dear children! Also today, my prayer is for all of you, especially for all those who have become hard of heart to my call. You are living in the days of grace and are not conscious of the gifts which God is giving to you through my presence. Little children, decide also today for holiness and take the example of the saints of this time and you will see that holiness is a reality for all of you.

Rejoice in the love, little children, that in the eyes of God you are unrepeatable and irreplaceable, because you are God´s joy in this world. Witness peace, prayer and love. Thank you for having responded to my call.” (October 25, 2015)

The Virgin Mary has come to us through all these years to encourage us on our earthly journey so that our actions may lead us to God. She is already on the other side, and has experienced resurrection and the celebration in heaven. Although Mary is an ordinary person, she has been lifted up to the heavenly heights. She has not remained though, only in the heights – she comes to us with the desire that we understand and accept her. Mary shows us with the example of her own life that it is possible to overcome earthly temptations and sufferings, and to enter the place on the other side of death. Beneath the cross of Calvary, where Jesus entrusted humanity to her, she adopted all of us in her maternal heart. She never ceases to pray for us, invite us and intercede for us.

„Search me, O God, and know my heart; Try me and know my thoughts; See if there be any hurtful way in me, And lead me in the everlasting way“  (Psalm 139, 23-24)

Last month Our Lady’s message invited us to pray to the Holy Spirit, so that our faith would be strengthened. In this message she wants to assure us that she is and will remain with us and that she will pray for us. A real mother cannot forget any of her children, even if the child forgets its mother. She does not give up on us. Her prayers for those who have become hard-hearted are even stronger.

The Catechism of the Catholic Church says, ‘The spiritual tradition of the Church emphasizes the heart, in the biblical sense, expressing the depth of being, where the person decides or does not decide for God’ (CCC 368). The heart is the place where one meets God. The heart is hidden from human sight. Man possesses the terrible ability to live a double life. The Bible strongly condemns evil. One can feel naked before God and cannot hide from him. ‘The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it? I the Lord search the heart and examine the mind, to reward a man according to his conduct, according to what his deeds deserve.’ (Jer 17, 9-10)

A hardened heart means a closed spirit. It may happen that the prophecy of Isaiah is fulfilled: ‘You will keep on hearing, but will not understand; you will keep on seeing, but you will not see. For the heart of this people has become dull. These people honor me with their lips, but their heart is far from me.’

...Mary, we want to learn from you to pray, so that we can also give to Jesus our trust, our hearts and our lives...

The Gospel frequently mentions how hardened and closed the hearts of the apostles were, even though they saw Jesus’ many miracles and healings. There is a saying – It was easier for God to come down from heaven to earth than for Him to go from our heads into our hearts. Despite even perhaps much prayer and service, it may happen that we live as if God did not exist. Prayer may be unholy, that means without God. It may happen that we give to God our prayer, but we do not give Him our heart.

Our prayer is sincere when we continue to call on God together with the Psalmist: ‘Search me, O God, and know my heart; Try me and know my thoughts; See if there be any hurtful way in me, And lead me in the everlasting way.’ (Psalm 139, 23-24)

Let us encounter Mary as the example and encouragement for us to follow, observing all the events and history of our own life in our hearts, thus recognizing God’s hand leading all the moments of our life.

Let us pray:

Mary, I turn to you, you who have known how to protect, maintain and meditate in your heart all the events, words and memories of your Son. You were and remained the mother of faith, hope and love. Pray for us so that we, from day to, grow in these virtues. Obtain for us from the Lord, the grace of your heart, so that we can see the truth before God and have the courage to choose to walk the path that leads us to the truth and fullness of life that Jesus gives us. Queen of Peace, you invite us not only to pray but also you pray for us as you have prayed with the apostles whilst awaiting the promise of Jesus – the Holy Spirit. We want to learn from you to pray, so that we can also give to Jesus our trust, our hearts and our lives. Amen.