The Five Stones
How to Fulfill the Messages of Mary Queen of Peace
At the end of the third day of the apparitions, Our Blessed Mother communicated the first and fundamental message saying: “Peace, Peace, Peace and only Peace!” And then she repeated: “Peace must reign between God and men.”
How to get it? Father Jozo, parish priest of Medjugorje at the time of the apparitions, liked to allude to the biblical passage in which David confronts the giant Goliath and how he was able to defeat him with just a wave and a pebble. It was his way of showing how Our Blessed Mother, through the extraordinary pedagogy of her messages, teaches us how we too can begin to transform our inner selves, to embark on the path of holiness and peace, and to become invincible by means of five weapons that Father Jozo called “the five stones”
What are the five stones of Medjugorje?
Prayer
“If conversion is the most important message, then prayer is the most persistent one from Our Lady. The most repeated word by Our Blessed Mother in her messages is: PRAY, PRAY, PRAY. Practically, in all her messages, she calls for prayer. ‘Dear children, let prayer be your life!’ Prayer is the life of a Christian. Through her messages, Our Blessed Mother develops an authentic pedagogy of Christian prayer. Not with new forms or expressions, but by adapting to those already known and endorsed by the Magisterium of the Church. Prayer should never be just an activity parallel to others, but the very life of the believer. She expects the faithful, in the present time and with their busy rhythms of life, to resume a life of continuous prayer.
“But the life of prayer that Our Blessed Mother desires to awaken in her children must be developed ‘with the heart.’ It is about always associating the mind and senses with interior prayer, avoiding distractions, in serenity, peace, and affection. Prayer with the heart is one of the most relevant aspects of the spirituality of Medjugorje.”
Therefore, from the beginning, Our Blessed Mother asks for prayers, and that the recitation of the Rosary be part of those daily prayers because among all prayers, the most valuable in the eyes of Our Lady is undoubtedly this one, in which we contemplate the life of her Son through the mysteries while venerating her as an intercessor.
“When we open our hearts to Mary, it becomes easy to renounce pleasures and find time to pray as a family. The Holy Rosary, by ancient tradition, is a prayer that is particularly suited for gathering the family together. Contemplating Jesus, each member of the family also regains the ability to look into each other’s eyes, to communicate, show solidarity, forgive one another, and start anew with a renewed covenant of love by the Spirit of God. Praying the Rosary as a family again means introducing into everyday life very different images, those of the saving mystery: the image of the Redeemer, the image of His most holy Mother.”
Message, 25. June 1985
“I invite you to call on everyone to pray the Rosary. With the rosary you shall overcome all the adversities which Satan is trying to inflict on the Catholic Church. All you priests, pray the Rosary! Dedicate your time to the Rosary!” (This message Our Lady gave in response to the question of Marija Pavloviæ: “Our Lady, what do you wish to recommend to priests?”)
Message, 25. August 1997
“… Especially, I call all those who have consecrated themselves to my Immaculate Heart to become an example to others. I call all priests and religious brothers and sisters to pray the rosary and to teach others to pray. The rosary, little children, is especially dear to me. Through the rosary open your heart to me and I am able to help you. Thank you for having responded to my call.”
The Eucharist
Message, 25. January 1998
“…May Holy Mass, little children, not be a habit for you, but life. By living Holy Mass each day, you will feel the need for holiness and you will grow in holiness. I am close to you and intercede before God for each of you, so that He may give you strength to change your heart. Thank you for having responded to my call.”
“In Medjugorje, many of the messages lead us to focus on the Eucharist, on Jesus alive. Our Blessed Mother asks us to make the Holy Mass the center of our lives. The Eucharist has always been the center of spirituality in Medjugorje. From the beginning, Our Blessed Mother introduced the visionaries and the parish to a deep Eucharistic spirituality. To the point that her daily apparition occurs precisely twenty minutes before the grand Eucharistic concelebration, with all the priests and pilgrims who come to the Sanctuary. In this way, the appearance of Our Lady becomes a preparation for a more significant encounter for the faithful: the presence of Jesus on the Altar. In Medjugorje, everyone understands that the Eucharist comes first. Our Blessed Mother herself recommends, ‘It is better to stay in the church preparing for the Eucharist than to be with the visionaries at the time of the apparition.’ And she has taught them that ‘receiving Communion is worth more than being a visionary.’ She has also said to them, ‘If you have to choose between going to Mass and meeting me in the apparition, choose the Eucharist because my Son is present in it, and I am present in the apparition.'”
“Our Blessed Mother also laments because many Catholics do not understand what the Eucharist is. One day she appeared crying, and when asked why, she responded: ‘Because many do not know the value that the Eucharist holds.’ She then asked that before participating in Mass, the faithful should prepare themselves, at least, with 15 minutes of prayer, and after finishing, they should do the same ‘to thank God for the multiple benefits received.’ For this reason, in Medjugorje, before starting each evening Mass, ten mysteries of the Rosary are prayed, and upon conclusion: the Creed, seven Our Fathers, seven Hail Marys, and seven Glory Bes; to then proceed to the third part of the Rosary. Our Blessed Mother has also mentioned that ‘the most solemn moment of the Eucharist and where one can receive the most graces is during the Consecration.'”
“And regarding the worship of the Eucharist, outside of Mass, Our Lady recommends: ‘Let the Most Holy Sacrament of the Altar be adored without interruption. I am always present when the faithful are in Adoration. At that moment, particular graces are obtained.'”
Message, 25. September 1995
“Dear Children! Today I invite you to fall in love with the Most Holy Sacrament of the Altar. Adore Him, little children, in your Parishes and in this way you will be united with the entire world. Jesus will become your friend and you will not talk of Him like someone whom you barely know. Unity with Him will be a joy for you and you will become witnesses to the love of Jesus that He has for every creature. Little children, when you adore Jesus you are also close to me. Thank you for having responded to my call.”
Message, 25. March 2008
“Dear children! I call you to work on your personal conversion. You are still far from meeting with God in your heart. Therefore, spend all the more time in prayer and Adoration of Jesus in the Most Blessed Sacrament of the Altar, for Him to change you and to put into your hearts a living faith and a desire for eternal life….”
“It is incomprehensible, therefore, the message of Medjugorje without explicit reference to the Eucharist. Our Blessed Mother asks, ‘if possible, to attend Mass every day.’ And she has said, ‘that the Eucharist is the best and most complete of all prayers.’ The following message teaches us to value the great treasure we have in our churches.”
Message, 25. April 1988
“Dear children! God wants to make you holy. Therefore, through me He is inviting you to complete surrender. Let holy mass be your life. Understand that the church is God’s palace, the place in which I gather you and want to show you the way to God. Come and pray. Neither look at others nor slander them, but rather, let your life be a testimony on the way of holiness. Churches deserve respect and are set apart as holy because God, who became man, dwells in them day and night. Therefore, little children, believe and pray that the Father increase your faith, and then ask for whatever you need. I am with you and I am rejoicing because of you conversion and I am protecting you with my motherly mantle. Thank you for having responded to my call.”
Fasting
Our Blessed Mother said:
Message, 25. January 2001
“Dear children! Today I call you to renew prayer and fasting with even greater enthusiasm until prayer becomes a joy for you. Little children, the one who prays is not afraid of the future and the one who fasts is not afraid of evil. Once again, I repeat to you: only through prayer and fasting also wars can be stopped – wars of your unbelief and fear for the future. I am with you and am teaching you little children: your peace and hope are in God…”
Message, 25. March 2007
“Dear children! I desire to thank you from my heart for your Lenten renunciations. I desire to inspire you to continue to live fasting with an open heart. By fasting and renunciation, little children, you will be stronger in faith. In God you will find true peace through daily prayer. I am with you and I am not tired. I desire to take you all with me to Heaven, therefore, decide daily for holiness. Thank you for having responded to my call.”
“Fasting purifies our soul, fasting truly allows us to have self-control, the fruit of the Holy Spirit” (Letter to the Galatians).
From the third day of the apparitions Our Blessed Mother mentioned that it was necessary to fast to obtain peace.
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When they asked her “how should it be done” she responded: “The best fast is fasting on bread and water.” And on the eve of his Assumption on August 14, 1984, he asked that it be done twice a week: on Wednesdays and Fridays.
Not so that one of the two days would be chosen, but so that of the seven days of the week Wednesdays and Fridays would always be chosen for fasting.
Why Wednesdays and Fridays? The answer is simple: Because originally they were the fast days of the Church. The first Christians replaced the usual Jewish fasting days (Mondays and Thursdays) with Wednesdays and Fridays. This is stated in the “Doctrine of the Twelve Apostles”. A kind of catechism of the Apostolic Fathers written in Syria at the end of the second century. The first day of fasting was done for the conversion of sinners because that day the church remembered the betrayal of Judas. The second, in union with the sacrifice of Christ on the cross.
It is a mistake to think that two days of fasting a week is too much, or that they can affect body health. If so, we would have to conclude that: “Our Lady comes to make us sick.” And in reality it is the opposite. Today it is known that many diseases appear due to eating disorders. When a person visits a naturopath, he or she generally recommends fasting and no one refutes him or her. When many gain weight and have health problems, they begin to exercise. Our Blessed Mother, however, invites us to fast twice a week on bread and water, and many think that she has made a mistake. Or, that it is not necessary for your spiritual life.
Our Blessed Mother has said that:
It is necessary to remember that when Our Blessed Mother asks to fast, she is not asking to go hungry, but rather to replace the three usual meals with only bread and water. Experts say that if you eat enough bread and drink enough water during the day, you can obtain up to 1,200 calories necessary to perform daily tasks. It is not recommended, on the other hand, to accompany fasting with other drinks (for example coffee, tea, soft drinks) because they can affect the stomach. It should also be noted that the day of fasting that Our Blessed Mother recommends concludes with the first meal of the next day. In the English language, the etymological root of “breakfast” means, precisely, to end the fast (break-fast), to eat after the fast.
Fasting the body frees man from passions, fears, insecurities, etc., to provide the spirit with joy, peace and love. Our Blessed Mother also reminds us that “in order to pray with the heart it is necessary to fast.” Those who fast frequently will have fewer problems with distractions in prayer and will be more open to the will of God.
Fasting, therefore, is one of the main messages of Our Lady, and perhaps the most practical because it has been neglected in the Church. From her message we read:
Message, 25. February 2003
“Dear children! Also today I call you to pray and fast for peace. As I have already said and now repeat to you, little children, only with prayer and fasting can wars also be stopped. Peace is a precious gift from God. Seek, pray and you will receive it. Speak about peace and carry peace in your hearts. Nurture it like a flower which is in need of water, tenderness and light. Be those who carry peace to others. I am with you and intercede for all of you. Thank you for having responded to my call.”
“Do penance, renounce, sacrifice for yourselves, for your salvation and for the salvation of your brothers and sisters. In this sense,
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Fasting is a gift, a grace that each person can receive from God. It was and continues to be the surest help to find peace of heart, peace in the family, to free oneself from all addiction and all slavery. Fasting is still perceived as the surest means for man to return to God, from whom he turned away. Fasting helps us face ourselves, with all our dark sides: failures, deficiencies, demands and sinful desires… Fasting is an experience in the fight for purity of heart. Fasting helps us to always live in the presence of God and as reparation for the sins and offenses we committed against God and our neighbor.”
Confession
Message, 25. February 2007
Message of February 25, 2007 “Dear children! Open your heart to God’s mercy in this Lenten time. The Heavenly Father desires to deliver each of you from the slavery of sin. Therefore, little children, make good use of this time and through meeting with God in confession, leave sin and decide for holiness. Do this out of love for Jesus, who redeemed you all with His blood, that you may be happy and in peace. Do not forget, little children: your freedom is your weakness, therefore follow my messages with seriousness. Thank you for having responded to my call.”
Our Lady asks that we confess once a month.
Message, 25. November 1998
“…. May holy Confession be the first act of conversion for you and then, dear children, decide for holiness. May your conversion and decision for holiness begin today and not tomorrow….”
Message, 25. November 2002
“….Open your heart to God, little children, through Holy Confession and prepare your soul so that little Jesus can be born anew in your heart. Permit Him to transform you and lead you on the way of peace and joy….”
Confession is another one of the main messages of Our Lady in Medjugorje. She has said that the faithful should go to Holy Confession every month, and whenever they are conscious of having committed a grave sin. On August 2, 1981, the visionaries narrate the following anecdote that will make us recognize how serious sin is before God and the need we all have to confess frequently: Our Blessed Mother appeared to the visionary Maria Pavlovic in her room and said, “Go all together to the plain of Gumno, for a great battle is taking place, a battle between my Son and Satan; the souls are at stake.” That day, about forty people followed the visionaries to the indicated plain, about 200 meters from Vicka’s house. Before Our Lady appeared, some faithful said to the visionaries, “since we cannot see her, ask her if we can touch her.” When Our Blessed Mother appeared, they conveyed the concern to her and she replied, “There are always unbelievers. Tell them they can touch me.” Then, the young people reached out their hands, each one towards the place where they saw the apparition suspended. When it ended, most of them affirmed that they had felt something strange when touching the Virgin’s garments. Some felt a kind of current, others felt warmth or something similar to a piece of clothing.
The visionaries left while Maria Pavlovic remained sitting on a stone, crying. When they asked her, “Why are you crying?” she replied, “Because you have stained Oue Blessed Mother’s dress. While you were putting your hands on her garments, we saw black stains appear. We asked her, ‘Why are these stains appearing?’ and she told us, ‘Because you have touched me in sin. Tell them to confess.’ So, everyone went to confess. Some had not done so for many years. For Our Blessed Mother, it was obvious that confession was more important than touching her. The ongoing battle that was being fought was that the devil made many believe that confession was not necessary. However, Christ prevailed by using human curiosity through Mary. Let us remember that Confession is the most important sacrament after Baptism, the only one that anticipates, in a certain way, the judgment that the faithful will undergo at the end of their earthly life. The Catechism of the Catholic Church states: ‘Because it is now, in this life, that we are offered the choice between life and death, and only through the path of conversion can we enter the Kingdom from which grave sin separates us’ (CIC 1470).
Our Lady says:
Message, 25. January 1995
“Dear children! I invite you to open the door of your heart to Jesus as the flower opens itself to the sun. Jesus desires to fill your hearts with peace and joy. You cannot, little children, realize peace if your are not at peace with Jesus. Therefore, I invite you to confession so Jesus may be your truth and peace. So, little children, pray to have the strength to realize what I am telling you. I am with you and I love you. Thank you for having responded to my call.”
Read the Bible
“Our Blessed Mother proposes to families that they have a dedicated space for prayer in their homes, called in the Christian tradition: ‘family altar.’ In the center of it, a Crucifix, and in front of it, an open Bible, to encourage everyone to read and meditate. It can also include an image of Our Lady, holy water, and the Holy Rosary.”
Message, 25. January 1999
“…Open yourselves in prayer. Renew prayer in your families. Put Holy Scripture in a visible place in your families, read it, reflect on it and learn how God loves His people. His love shows itself also in present times because He sends me to call you upon the path of salvation.”
The family altar is a privileged place for the daily or weekly prayer meeting. In it, the Rosary is prayed and the Holy Scripture is meditated according to the liturgical calendar. Our Blessed Mother speaking about the importance of daily meditation on the Word of God said:
Message, 25. April 2005
“Dear children! Also today, I call you to renew prayer in your families. By prayer and the reading of Sacred Scripture, may the Holy Spirit, who will renew you, enter into your families. In this way, you will become teachers of the faith in your family. By prayer and your love, the world will set out on a better way and love will begin to rule in the world.”
Our Blessed Mother also hopes that parents teach their children to read and meditate on the Bible. Let them pray with them and give them good advice. She also warns that “television is a moral danger for families.”
The Bible and the Rosary, then, are appropriate means for the Christian family to recover its vocation to love and be more open to the will of God. Jesus had already said: “Everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice will be like the wise man who built his house on rock: the rain fell, the torrents came, the winds blew, and beat against that house; but it did not fall because it was founded on rock.” Mt 7,24-26. Mary in Medjugorje remembers that the Word of God and prayer are the “rock” of the home. In a message, Our Lady said:
Message, 25. August 1996
“Dear children! Listen, because I wish to speak to you and to invite you to have more faith and trust in God, who loves you immeasurably. Little children, you do not know how to live in the grace of God, that is why I call you all anew, to carry the word of God in your heart and in thoughts. Little children, place the Sacred Scripture in a visible place in your family, and read and live it. Teach your children, because if you are not an example to them, children depart into godlessness. Reflect and pray and then God will be born in your heart and your heart will be joyous. Thank you for having for responded to my call.”
