March 13, 2022 – Praying for Peace in Ukraine
Just over a century ago, during the “Great War” in Europe (That is, World War I), the Blessed Virgin Mary appeared to three children in Fatima, Portugal. She appeared to them monthly for a period of six months. During this time she had various things she told them and revealed to them. At the heart of the message was calling the world to repentance and also to pray the rosary for peace in the world. She gave the warning that if the world would not repent, things would boil over into an ever greater war (which, eventually it did in World War II). Interestingly, she also warned about Russia “spreading its errors throughout the whole world.”
As she had predicted, the world saw World War II; it saw the rise of communism in Russia and the eventual establishment of the Soviet Union. And as communism is explicitly anti-religion as well as explicitly in favor of fostering violent revolution, the world saw persecution of the Church and the violations of human rights wherever communism took hold (usually with the support of the Soviet Union (Russia)).
God’s Providence worked through the message of Our Lady of Fatima and Pope John Paul II and his consecrating the world (with Russia in mind) to the Immaculate Heart of Mary, and the end of the Soviet Union.
Yet, history seems to have a funny way of repeating itself.
People have commented how eerily similar the Russia/Ukraine conflict seems to the events that led to World War II. And how the “errors of Russia” was something Our Blessed Mother Mary explicitly expressed concern about regarding peace in the world. Yet also, wherever there is a great evil, God is also at work against that evil. While Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has brought violence, destruction, death, and the fear of potential world war, it does seem Providential that this was done on verge of the holy season of Lent, when the Universal Church throughout the world enters into an intentional period of prayer, fasting, and almsgiving, a time of doing penance and calling ourselves and the world to repentance.
In Matthew 17:21, the Apostles are struggling to drive out a demon, and Jesus has to step in and do it for them. When they ask Jesus why they were unsuccessful, Jesus tells them that some demons can only be driven out by “prayer and fasting.” Jesus was clear that prayer combined with fasting is a powerful way to work against the forces of evil.
So while we may feel helpless watching these world events unfold, what we can do is pray. And in what way can we pray? All prayer is good but Our Lady, Mary the Mother of Christ, specifically asked us to pray the rosary for peace in the world. And, as Jesus told us, we can combine our prayer with fasting as particularly powerful in driving out the work of evil! So pray the rosary. Pray and fast. And offer this for peace in the world, especially in Ukraine.
Peace,
-Fr. Kevin
