Grady's Corner: The Peace of Medjugorje Cannot Be Burned

Like many of you, I opened my phone yesterday morning to the news that the beautiful town of Medjugorje in Bosnia and Herzegovina, the place where alleged apparitions of Our Blessed Mother have been taking place since 1981, was devastated by an act of gross vandalism in the darkness of night. The statue of our Blessed Mother was defaced, and the outdoor sanctuary behind the beloved Church of St. James was set on fire.

Last year, our St. Michael Center team traveled to Medjugorje on pilgrimage. After visiting 23 countries over the past several years, I can honestly say the palpable peace found in this little town is unlike any other place on earth. Peace is not only at the heart of Our Lady's messages there, it is the very spirit of the place. In Medjugorje, she is called the Queen of Peace.  It is a glimpse of the supernatural peace that flows from the unity of Jesus' Sacred Heart and Mary's Immaculate Heart. I was heartbroken to think of this peace being disrupted by vandalism and vulgarity. 

Whenever these heartbreaking acts of hatred come to the surface of someone's heart, especially when they are directed at the Church, they feel deeply personal. The Church is a family, a heavenly one. When a church is destroyed, a statue is defaced, or the sacraments are desecrated, it is an attack on our family.

It is easy to find ourselves filled with righteous anger, as any good son or daughter would when their mother or father is disrespected and hurt. Yet it is precisely in these moments that God gives us the opportunity to live out what He asks of us through the humble messages of Our Lady. Prayer, penance and forgiveness are the way of Our Lady, and they must be our response.

The world tells us that strength is measured by our ability to win the fights we enter, whether it is a physical brawl or a verbal war. This temptation has only been amplified by an age of algorithmic outrage, where constant anger fuels online arguments and character assassination, even toward people we have never met.

Our Lady reminds us that true strength is found in humility, justice, and holiness, especially in moments surrounded by the contagion of hatred. It takes far more strength to show restraint than to lash out.

Whenever the devil seduces a soul into carrying out his evil works, we respond with the spiritual weapons he cannot imitate: humble prayer, penance, and forgiveness. This is the same love Christ showed each of us on the Cross when He prayed, "Father, forgive them, they know not what they do." This is strength. This is how we win the spiritual battle. Difficult, yes, but immensely powerful. 

Prayer often doesn't feel like enough. We should, of course, rely on the authorities and the legal system to address unlawful acts. But if we believe that alone is the solution, we are mistaken. The real work begins by interceding for these broken souls, praying for their repentance, healing, and peace. Our focus is on eternity.  

St. Paul reminds us, "We know that all things work for good for those who love God, who are called according to his purpose." Until today, the man who committed this act of vandalism was unknown to most of humanity. Today, he is known by millions of believers. If we respond to this moment, and to every moment of suffering, with prayer and penance, those prayers accomplish far more in the spiritual realm than anything ever recorded in a court of law or a police report.

Mary weeps, not because of the material damage done to her statue, but because one of her children is afflicted and lost. In our love for her and for our Heavenly Father, we storm heaven with prayer and penance for this unknown brother of ours who has not yet come to know God's love or the tender care of Our Lady. It is this Christian witness, rooted in trust in God's providence, that crushes Satan's kingdom. 

Satan seeks at every turn to disturb our peace and stir anxiety within us. But the peace found in Jesus Christ can never be taken away, no matter how hard the enemy instigates chaos.  We must never forget the Lord's words in John's Gospel: "Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give it to you. Do not let your hearts be troubled or afraid."

Our hope and love cannot be burned or defaced because they are not of this world.

Just a few days ago, Our Lady said in her Medjugorje message, "While darkness and peacelessness rule in many hearts, you, little children, be prayer and my extended hands of love." This is our moment to say "yes" to what she has always asked of us. Let us pray that the perpetrator is filled with the Holy Spirit and drawn into the loving embrace of Mary, his Mother. 

Let this attempt by the enemy to cause harm become a source of conversion.

– Grady J. Connolly