“Thank you for responding to my call!”

The Queen of Peace ends her every message by thanking us “for having responded to her call.” In fact, she has been calling us with endearing motherly passion every day for the last 25 years: “I am, my dear Children, untiring; I call you even when you are far from my heart...” ( Mess. 14.11.1985 ).

Only fathomless love, that same love that enflamed the Heart of the Son so much that it led Him to the “folly of the cross,” can explain this incomprehensible “lowering” of the Queen of Heaven and earth, who isn’t afraid to remain lengthily at the door, knocking upon the stone hearts of her children: it is because they are so sick that they are loved even more. Only this inexpressible love urges her to immerse herself totally in the mystery of “kenosis” of her Son who did not consider his equality with God a thing to be grasped jealously. Instead, “he emptied himself, taking the form of a servant... and humbled himself” (Phil 2:6-8). This is the true root of Mary’s humility. Though she weeps tears of blood for her children that are lost through sin ( cf. mess. 24.05.1984 ) , she submits herself to the precious yet terrible gift of freedom given to each of her children, which is a divine seal: “...God gave everyone freedom which I respect with love; and I submit myself, in humility, to your freedom” ( Mess. 25.11.1987 )

The only weapon Mary uses in this decisive battle against the powers of darkness is the pure love of God that gushes forth from her Immaculate Heart: that same love able to change at the last hour on Calvary the heart of the centurion, head of the crucifiers. Today, with that same love, she desires working the full transfiguration of the world, making it receptive to the uncreated light of the new heavens and new earth.

Mary’s “thank you” each time surprises us, while also inspiring in us sentiments of filial love, and... a certain degree of uneasiness for the ambiguity of our response to the ineffable gift of her pure love. We know only too well how much obstinate indifference and subtle treason sits deep in the folds of our ailing hearts, that continue to resist to the Mother’s tender and faithful love.

Nonetheless, her motherly heart – more attentive to a spark of good than to an ocean of evil present in the hearts of her children knows how to recognize and give worth to every little gesture of response to the heavenly gift of Her call. For this she thanks us, implicitly entrusting us with keeping it and developing it. It is Mary’s desire to bring it to maturation, so that it will produce currents of life and salvation for ourselves and others.

Mary today is the hand and heart of the Father who is calling His children to the heavenly wedding banquet of the Lamb, to unite them eternally to his regal gift that lights up the new creation: “Dear Children, decide and believe that God offers Himself to you in fullness. You are called, and you must respond to the Father who is calling you through me.” ( Mess. 25.10.1987 ).

The unfolding of the enormous potential of salvific grace that God desires spreading over the world today through the “handmaid of the Lord” depends – incredibly – on our free response of love to her call. In this sense, we are objectively responsible for the salvation of a multitude of brothers and sisters throughout the world. “Jesus... needs you. Your hearts offered up to Him will help Him save the world” ( Mess. 12.03.1984 )

We ought not underestimate the decisive importance of the present hour and of our personal response to Mary’s calls! Also the prophetic Magisterium of the Pope, in perfect harmony with the message of the Queen of Peace, warns us that the time has come to make unambiguous and decisive choices: “The Cross of the Lord embraces the world; His Way to Calvary crosses continents and time. In the Way of the Cross there is no chance to be neutral. We must look for our place.” (Pope Benedict XVI, 14.04.06)

“Dear Children, Today as never before I am calling you to prayer... Satan is strong and desires destroying not only human life, but also nature and the planet on which you live... I bless you and I will remain with you for as long as God wills. Thank you because you will not betray my presence here. Thank you because your response is serving the good and the peace.” ( 25.1.91 ).