“Dear children! Also today I call you to live my messages. God gave you
a gift of this time as a time of grace. Therefore, little children,
make good use of every moment and pray, pray, pray. I bless you all and
intercede before the Most High for each of you. Thank you for having
responded to my call. ”
In her preceding messages, Our Lady was telling us: “Live my messages;
open your hearts for my messages; live my messages in humility and in
love; be open for my messages; with a great joy, I am inviting you to
live my messages; I am praying, that the Holy Spirit helps you and
increases your faith, so that you can still more accept the messages that I
give you here, in this holy place; live my messages and put into
practice each word that I give you, let them be precious for you, because they
come from Heaven; with me, little children, you are in safety, I wish
all to lead you on the way of holiness.” This is the goal of Our Lady’s
apparitions, of Her presence and of each word that She is addressing to
us in love.
“God gave you a gift of this time as a time of grace”, tells us Mary.
We have received everything from God as a gift: life, time and eternity.
Often, we have the impression that time is running, that we have wasted
our time. People often say: I have no time. And this is why so many
live under stress, are tensed, nervous and empty. Each one finds time for
what he likes. We deceive ourselves when we say not to have time. If we
do not have time for God, this is the sign of our lack of faith, heart
and love, not only for God but also for ourselves. Those who really
love themselves will find time for God, for prayer, for the encounter with
themselves and with God.
We ask ourselves: why do we have to live this strange life with all its
difficulties and sufferings, sins and failures, before the door of
eternity opens? If God is Love, if He is so good, why didn't He give us
everything at the same time? Why such a long time, before arriving at the
goal? God created us imperfect, not to make life difficult to us, but
to allow us to have share in his Trinitarian life. God does not want
that we only receive, but that we learn how to give too. Love is giving
and receiving.
God lives outside of time, in the eternal now, in the bliss of
happiness where He is missing nothing. From this bliss of happiness, in this
time, is coming the Virgin Mary to help us, so that we can arrive where
She is. God has not created us perfect, but He gave us possibilities,
which we have to develop ourselves. God gave us free will, with which we
can reject Him or choose Him.
The meaning of time is in the fact that we can progress and grow. The
time, in which we live, can become for us a time of grace if we choose
Mary and listen to Her, who is speaking to us. This is our chance for
growth. Like Mary, saint Paul recommends to Ephesians, but to us also:
“See then that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise,
redeeming the time, because the days are evil. Wherefore be ye not unwise, but
understanding what the will of the Lord is.” (Ep 5,16-17) Saint Paul
has written to the Colossians: “Walk in wisdom toward them that are
without, redeeming the time.” (Col 4,5) We should not waste our time,
because it is precious and limited. To make use of it intelligently and to
take guard of it, means to redeem it. Each time that we renounce to our
selfishness and choose love, we transform our time into eternity, in
life, which does not pass. Love alone is eternal and preserves us from
corruption. Only the time spent in prayer is a time that is made use of.
Only the time used for God and for men - in love - is a redeemed time.
Let us help the Virgin Mary to lead us already now towards eternity.
Fr. Ljubo Kurtovic
Medugorje 26.8.2005.