In one of her messages at Medjugorje, Mary asked everyone to be an instrument of peace to others, as she herself has always been. To bring peace to others is a noble mission, so noble that Jesus gives it a lofty reward: The heralds of peace are considered to be sons of God by Him! Jesus is the Prince of peace and he came to restore this peace in all hearts. Those who fulfill this same Will are declared to be his father, mother, brother and sister. Mary is truly the mother and daughter of God because she, more than anyone else, worked for peace in the lives of everyone as well as for all of society. Those who meet Mary encounter peace. The pastors, three kings, Simeon and Anne, the wedding party, the Apostles, first Christians, etc. all found peace after they found Mary with Jesus. Nor did she stop there: she continues bringing peace to the world even in our age. She also has a “peace plan from heaven” for our troubled planet.

 

   Now Mary wants us to follow in her footsteps and help her to bring peace to others. The world is not at peace and it urgently needs peacemakers. Why is it that so many people are without peace? They don’t have love, and therefore no peace. Peace and joy are the fruit of love. Once someone feels that he is loved, peace comes to his heart. We need to open our hearts to those that are least loved and we will bring them a wonderful peace. We must first love the most fragile and defenseless ones of society. The unborn and the elderly have our priority. For the unborn, we need to be firm in our love to those who would take and destroy their lives. If someone could come to a point to obliterate the life of an unborn baby, it is because such a person herself is in extreme need of love and peace itself.

 

   If we bring love to the depressed, rejected, lowly, humiliated, discriminated and despised ones of society, we can restore peace to their hearts. With the peace of Jesus and Mary in them, they can be brought out of their emotional and spiritual poverty and pitiful situation and live according to their true dignity. Love recuperates one’s lost self-esteem and fills the heart with joy and peace. God is calling us to this sublime mission. Let us sanctify ourselves with this very easy and light yoke. St. Caspar de Bufalo who worked converting highway brigands loved very much this apostolate. He felt a deep joy in seeing so many criminals quit their sins and come back to God. On his deathbed, he exclaimed: “If it was such a delight to work for God, what a happiness it must be to enjoy Him!”

 

It is not only through love that we bring peace to others, but also by honesty. The doctor who is honest in his profession brings peace to all, as well as the policeman, politician, mechanic, engineer, judge, banker and so forth. Peace is a fruit of justice also and those who practice this justice by honesty in their attitudes and actions help establish peace in the world.

 

Let us lose no time, but hurry out to our lonely and needy brothers and sisters bringing to them the warm light of Jesus and Mary.

 

Father Anthony Mellace