My Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

May the peace of the Risen Lord, Jesus, be with you!

As we welcome the month of May, the month dedicated to the Blessed Mother, we turn to her as Mother of the Lord, the Mother of the Son of God, and ask her for her powerful intercession. Under the popular titles of Our Lady of Peace and Our Lady of the Rosary, we turn to her during these troubling times for protection and for the grace of conversion of mind and heart.

Our Lady reminds us that the remedy for the warring factions within the human heart is prayer, conversion, the surrender of our lives to her Son Jesus and his Divine Mercy. We are called to trust, and not to fear, for she is the one who will lead us to God and Mercy, itself- Jesus! It is Jesus who has told us: “Mankind will not have peace until it turns with trust to My mercy.” He emphasizes that his mercy is a “last hope of salvation.”

Also, Our Lady reminds us of a powerful means that we have at our disposal which can be utilized in times of warfare. And what is this weapon? Prayer – especially that of the Holy Rosary!

Throughout history, the Rosary has had an impact on world events. As followers of Christ, we know that prayer can heal the hardened heart. Through the grace of conversion and God’s mercy, prayer can help to counteract sin and thus grant hope for peace in the world.

Our Lady encourages all the faithful to take up the Rosary. She asks us to devoutly pray it daily, in order to attain peace and to bring about an end to the warring factions within hardened hearts, and to bring us into the peace of the redemptive presence of Jesus.

Of course, we need to believe and trust that prayer can make a difference. In addition, we need to continue to prayerfully pursue and entrust all efforts in promoting peace: dialogue, treaties, alliances, ceasefires, etc., to the Immaculate Heart of Mary.

In regard to the Rosary, Our Lady reminds us that it is in praying, and not just saying the prayers of the Rosary and, more importantly, it is in meditating upon the Gospel-based Mysteries of the Joyful, Sorrowful, Glorious, and Luminous Mysteries - that we discover the heart and strength of the Rosary. My friends, that is its power! The Rosary is Christcentered!

So, as the Diocesan Church: are you willing to join me as your bishop to “get on board” with this or not? We need families, the domestic church, to commit to this heavenly request from the Mother of Jesus. Are you willing to pray the Rosary daily for peace, especially during this month of May?

So, are we “on board?” Are we in agreement?

The peace and future of the world depends on it!

We are reminded, as Jesus carried his cross, of his prophetic words to the women of Jerusalem, in reference to the future chastisement of the fall of Jerusalem: “Do not weep for me, but for you and your children.”

May Jesus, through the intercession of his Blessed Mother, preserve us from war and the horror of all its repercussions.

Our Lady of Peace, pray for us!Our Lady of the Rosary, pray for us!

Amen.

In the Peace of Christ.

BACK TO LIST