What is the Promised Peace?

 

I am out of the studio this week, and so there is no podcast for this reflection…

 

For over a century, we have heard the promise of a coming “Triumph of the Immaculate Heart” that will usher in a “period of peace” for the whole world. Here is the full context of what was promised at Fatima in 1917:

God… is about to punish the world for its crimes, by means of war, famine, and persecutions of the Church and of the Holy Father. To prevent this, I shall come to ask for the consecration of Russia to my Immaculate Heart, and the Communion of reparation on the First Saturdays. If my requests are heeded, Russia will be converted, and there will be peace; if not, she will spread her errors throughout the world, causing wars and persecutions of the Church. The good will be martyred; the Holy Father will have much to suffer; various nations will be annihilated. In the end, my Immaculate Heart will triumph. The Holy Father will consecrate Russia to me, and she shall be converted, and a period of peace will be granted to the world.” —Our Lady to Francisco Marto (1908 –1919), Jacinta Marto (1910–1920) and Lúcia dos Santos (1907–2005); Message of Fatima, vatican.va

To understand what this “Triumph” is, we have to first understand what Our Lady means by peace. 

 

What is True Peace?

True peace is not the absence of noise, or even war; it is not the mere existence of a “peace treaty” or apparent “ceasefire.” Rather, Jesus speaks of a peace that is literally out of this world. 

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. (John 14:27)

St. Paul instructs the Philippians that if they enter into a spirit of total abandonment to God, rejoicing in all things since they are the permissive will of God, then…

...the peace of God, that surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 4:7)

How does one find this peace, much less experience a “period of peace” in our wayward world?

 

The Word is the Way

The Scriptures are brimming with hints on how to attain the peace “that surpasses all understanding,” beginning with Our Lord himself:

Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am meek and humble of heart; and you will find rest for yourselves. For My yoke is easy, and My burden light. (Matthew 11:29-30)

Peace, or what Jesus also calls rest, comes from taking up Christ’s yoke. What is this yoke? St. Paul writes to the Galatians:

For freedom Christ set us free; so stand firm and do not submit again to the yoke of slavery. (Galatians 5:1)

Jesus said, 

Everyone who commits sin is a slave of sin. (John 8:34)

So it’s clear that the yoke Jesus extends to us is His Word, or more precisely, obedience to it. Disobedience leads to unrest and slavery; obedience leads to rest and peace, to interior freedom and joy. Everyone on the planet experiences this to one degree or another, even non-Christians, since God has given all of us a conscience.^[1]Hence, “Evangelization and interreligious dialogue, far from being opposed, mutually support and nourish one another.” [Evangelii Gaudium, n. 251] See A Gospel for All 

They show that what the law requires is written on their hearts, while their conscience also bears witness and their conflicting thoughts accuse or perhaps excuse them… (Romans 2:15)

Hence, the Scriptures say:

Lovers of your law have much peace; for them there is no stumbling block. (Psalms 119:165)

Even sickness or death is not a stumbling block for the one who accepts them as God’s permissive will. Jesus said, “My food is to do the will of the one who sent Me…” (John 4:34). Hence, even crucifixion could not rob Him of the peace He had through abiding in the Father’s Will — so much so, that His peace converted the centurion at the foot of the Cross.^[2]Mark 15:39 But the Scriptures imply that this peace can extend to entire peoples and nations. 

If you live in accordance with My statutes and are careful to observe My commandments… I will establish peace in the land, and you will lie down to rest with no one to cause you anxiety. (Leviticus 26:3-6)

What more need be said? Well, it’s even more profound than that. Jesus said, 

Whoever loves Me will keep My word, and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our dwelling with him. (John 14:23)

The Holy Trinity promises to make their dwelling within you if you abide in their word. How could you not be at peace? And how could you not impact everyone around you? It goes both ways. “How much pain you will spare yourself if you will abandon yourself to God!” said St. Elizabeth Anne Seton. She continues…  

Commit everything to Him that passes through your hands, and you will help others more by the peace and tranquility of your heart than by any eagerness or care you can bestown on them. —Elizabeth Seton: Selected Writings, Dr. Ellin Kelly and Dr. Annabelle Melville, Paulist Press; Magnificat, October 2026, p. 252

Acquire a peaceful spirit, and around you, thousands will be saved. —St. Seraphim of Sarov (1754–1833)

If you doubt this, the evidence that obedience brings peace is all around you… 

 

Creation – A Fifth Gospel

The Psalmist writes:

The heavens declare the glory of God; the firmament proclaims the works of his hands. Day unto day pours forth speech; night unto night whispers knowledge… (Psalm 19-2-3)

As I write you from Alberta, Canada Geese, as though following a hidden clock, are beginning to flock for their migration south; animals, large and small, are gathering food stocks into their dens and holes; trees and perennials are shedding their leaves or seeds, and drawing nutrients into their roots for the winter rest. All of creation is teaching us that obedience to God’s laws brings harmony, order, and life. Consider the Earth itself and the seasons. Were the planet to move from its orbit or change its tilt by just a few degrees, planetary chaos would ensue. Yet, every spring and winter at equinox, the Earth obediently turns back, following the course set by its Creator.

At the very pinnacle of creation are man and woman, with one extraordinary difference from all other creatures and objects: We are made in the image of God. Our purpose and place in creation extend beyond hunting and gathering. Other creatures glorify God by obeying the laws of nature; but because “God is love,” man glorifies Him by obeying the laws of love. 

The commandments, “You shall not commit adultery; you shall not kill; you shall not steal; you shall not covet,” and whatever other commandment there may be, are summed up in this saying, namely: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” Love does no evil to the neighbor; hence, love is the fulfillment of the law. (Romans 13:9-10)

The outcome — the fulfillment of this law of love — is peace. 

 

Our Co-operation

So how will a “period of peace” be possible when the entire world seems engulfed in hatred and rebellion against God? The ultimate answer is that His Word will prevail. The “Our Father” we pray each day will be fulfilled — the Kingdom will come, and His will be done “on earth as it is in heaven.” This implies, then, that we must cooperate directly in bringing this about, rather than passively waiting for Tinkerbell to wave her wand and transform the world into a spiritual Disneyland. Put another way:

It is not therefore a matter of inventing a “new programme.” The programme already exists: it is the plan found in the Gospel and in the living Tradition… —POPE ST. JOHN PAUL II, Novo Millennio Inuente, n. 29

Repentance, conversion, obedience. That’s the plan. Still, it is clear that not only the world, but even the Church is in trouble. We are living through a time of great spiritual darkness, despite technological progress. 

If God and moral values, the difference between good and evil, remain in darkness, then all other “lights”, that put such incredible technical feats within our reach, are not only progress but also dangers that put us and the world at risk. —POPE BENEDICT XVI, Easter Vigil Homily, April 7th, 2012

This is why God is sending Our Lady to appear all over the earth as “Queen of Peace”: the primordial battle of Genesis 3:15 and Revelation 12 between the “woman” and the “serpent” is coming to a head. 

At least five of the six seers of Medjugorje have said that these are the last apparitions of the Blessed Virgin on Earth.^[3]10. Fr. René Laurentin and Prof. René Lejeune, Messages and Teachings of Mary at Medjugorje, pp. 186,188. Mary said this twice in early 1982, first on May 2nd and then on June 23rd. “That is why they are lasting so long and occurring so frequently”;^[4]Dr. Thomas W. Petrisko, Twilight of Marxism: Medjugorje, the Downfall of Systematic Evil, and the Fulfillment of the Secret of Fatima (p. 721), Kindle Edition because when the apparitions are over, so too will be this era — after a great purification of the world. Thus, those who follow “the plan found in the Gospel and in the living Tradition” will assist the “Triumph of the Immaculate Heart.” Pope Benedict explained that praying for the Triumph… 

…is equivalent in meaning to our praying for the coming of God’s Kingdom… The point was rather that the power of evil is restrained again and again, that again and again the power of God himself is shown in the Mother’s power and keeps it alive. The Church is always called upon to do what God asked of Abraham, which is to see to it that there are enough righteous men to repress evil and destruction. —Light of the World, p. 166, A Conversation With Peter Seewald (Ignatius Press)

Jesus likened the growth of His Kingdom to a plant:

…first the blade, then the ear, then the full grain in the ear. (Mark 4:28)

Well, dear friends, the ear appears ready to be harvested. As Blessed Fulton Sheen observed:

We are at the end of Christendom… Christendom is economic, political, social life as inspired by Christian principles. That is ending — we’ve seen it die. Look at the symptoms: the breakup of the family, divorce, abortion, immorality, general dishonesty… Only those who live by faith really know what is happening in the world. The great masses without faith are unconscious of the destructive processes going on. —Venerable Archbishop Fulton Sheen (1895 – 1979), Jan. 26, 1947 broadcast; cf. ncregister.com

But these very destructive processes are what is sifting the weeds from the wheat, preparing the latter for a new outpouring of the Holy Spirit upon the Church. 

At the end of time, the Kingdom of God will come in its fullness. —CCC, n. 1060

…it will be men themselves who will provoke the imminent conflict, and it will be I, Myself, who will destroy the forces of evil to draw good from all this; and it will be the Mother, most holy Mary, who will crush the head of the serpent, thus beginning a new era of peace; it will be the advent of My Kingdom upon earth. —Our Lord to Fr. Ottavio Michelini, member of the Papal Court of Pope St. Paul VI, December 9, 1976

Still, Our Lady has repeatedly said that we, the laity, and especially priests,^[5]cf. Our Lady: Prepare – Part I are intrinsic to this crushing of evil. As God said to Satan in the Garden of Eden: “I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers.”^[6]Genesis 3:15 So you see, it’s not just Our Lady, or just us; it’s both. And thus, Medjugorje seer Mirjana warns: 

“Our Lady said that this time in which we live is a time of decision.” It should be a decision to change, to convert one’s life to God, she writes in her book, to prepare for the future by “preparing your soul.” This is not done, Mirjana made abundantly clear, by “erecting bunkers and stockpiling supplies.” —Twilight of Marxism: Medjugorje, the Downfall of Systematic Evil, and the Fulfillment of the Secret of Fatima (p. 710),  Kindle Edition

 

A New Pentecost

That said, we can never forget that everything flows from grace, a gift from God. Even Our Lady, who prefigures the Church, was “overshadowed” by the Holy Spirit in order to assist the first coming of Jesus in His Incarnation. So too, the Church in these end times will be overshadowed by the Holy Spirit, in order to prepare within her the life of Jesus in an all new manner.^[7]cf. The Coming New and Divine Holiness Here, I am not speaking of the end of the world when the Lord will come to receive His Bride, but what St. Bernard refers to as a “middle coming” of Christ that, in fact, prepares her for the Wedding Feast of the Lamb.^[8]cf. The Middle Coming

In case someone should think that what we say about this middle coming is sheer invention, listen to what our Lord himself says: If anyone loves me, he will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him. —St. Bernard, Liturgy of the Hours, Vol I, p. 169

St. Bernard is essentially pointing to the Gift of Living in the Divine Will that God will bestow upon His Bride in the last days, in order to establish true peace on earth for a time “as a witness to all nations, and then the end will come” (Matthew 24:14). All of creation is groaning, awaiting this revelation of the sons and daughters of the Divine Will^[9]cf. True Sons who will restore to the People of God what was established at the dawn of creation when Adam and Eve lived in perfect harmony with the Holy Trinity.^[10]cf. Creation Reborn

Thus is the full action of the original plan of the Creator delineated: a creation in which God and man, man and woman, humanity and nature are in harmony, in dialogue, in communion. This plan, upset by sin, was taken up in a more wondrous way by Christ, Who is carrying it out mysteriously but effectively in the present reality, in the expectation of bringing it to fulfillment…  —POPE JOHN PAUL II, General Audience, February 14, 2001

While it is certainly possible to receive and live in this Gift now, I personally believe that it will come in its fullness upon the Church by a special outpouring of the Holy Spirit. To Servant of God Fr. Stefano Gobbi, Our Lady said:

The Holy Spirit will come to establish the glorious reign of Christ and it will be a reign of grace, of holiness, of love, of justice and of peace. With His divine love, He will open the doors of hearts and illuminate all consciences. Every person will see himself in the burning fire of divine truth. It will be like a judgment in miniature. And then Jesus Christ will bring His glorious reign in the world. —from the “Blue Book”, May 22nd, 1988

It is a reign that will begin in the hearts of men and women who, through these long years of appeals from the Blessed Virgin Mary, have entered with her, as it were, into a new upper room. As St. John foresaw in Revelation 20:6;

…they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and they shall reign with him a thousand years. (Revelation 20:6)

The Church Fathers called this reign a “Sabbath rest” for the Church, a reign a peace — true peace — which will indeed be a triumph: the Triumph of the Immaculate Heart of Mary:

…the Spirit of Pentecost will flood the earth with his power and a great miracle will gain the attention of all humanity. This will be the effect of grace of the Flame of Love… which is Jesus Christ himself… something like this has not happened since the Word became flesh. Satan’s blindness means the universal triumph of My divine Heart, the liberation of souls, and the opening of the way to salvation to its fullest extent. —Jesus to Elizabeth Kindelmann, The Flame of Love, p. 61, 38, 61; 233; from Elizabeth Kindelmann’s diary; 1962; Imprimatur Archbishop Charles Chaput

Yes, a miracle was promised at Fatima, the greatest miracle in the history of the world, second only to the Resurrection. And that miracle will be an era of peace which has never really been granted before to the world. —Mario Luigi Cardinal Ciappi, October 9th, 1994, Family Catechism, p. 35

 

Related Reading

Preparing for the Era of Peace

The Programme

The Coming Sabbath Rest

 

So grateful for your prayers and support.
Thank you!

 

To journey with Mark in The Now Word,
click on the banner below to subscribe.
Your email will not be shared with anyone.

Now on Telegram. Click:

Follow Mark and the daily “signs of the times” on MeWe:

Listen on the following: