Medjugorje: five stones and… a slingshot

How many times in life have we felt small in the face of challenges that seemed insurmountable? Perhaps a problem at work, a family concern or, simply, that feeling of not being able to cope, of being small, sinners, fragile like clay vessels.
The life of faith is a continuous struggle, and we often feel like David facing Goliath, a giant who frightens us and seems unbeatable.
But there is good news, a message of hope that reaches us from the Queen of Peace directly from Medjugorje! The story of David and Goliath is a powerful lesson that still resonates today. The young man, with five stones and… a sling, managed to defeat the fearsome giant. And it is precisely from this image that the “five stones” of Medjugorje originate, which the Queen of Peace wanted to give us through her messages.
Think about it: just as David’s stones brought down Goliath, these five spiritual stones are enough to defeat the enemy, Satan!

Why “five” stones

Scripture teaches us that the number five indicates the smallness of the human contribution which, blessed by God, can accomplish the impossible. Can you think of another example? The multiplication of the five loaves performed by Jesus. A very small human contribution, absolutely insufficient to feed more than five thousand people, but which, placed in the Lord’s hands and blessed by Him, made it possible to accomplish the impossible.
So, let us never become discouraged! It does not matter how imposing the giant we are facing or will have to face may be. If we place our “few stones” in the sling, the Lord will help us win.

But what, concretely, are these powerful tools for our spiritual battle? There are five, just like the fingers of one hand! Thus, every time we look at our hand, we will remember these weapons.

1. The thumb: prayer

Prayer is the fundamental pillar, often greatly absent from our lives, and yet everything must begin with it. From the fifth day of the apparitions, and almost daily, the Virgin has recommended prayer: «I invite you again to prayer of the heart. Dear children, if you pray with the heart, the ice in your brothers will melt and every barrier will disappear. Conversion will be easy for all those who wish to accept it» (23.01.1986). «I invite you to pray. Little children, through prayer you receive joy and peace. Through prayer you are richer in divine grace. Therefore, little children, may prayer be life for each one of you. I invite you, in particular, to pray for all those who are far from God, so that they may convert. Then our hearts will be richer, because God will reign in the hearts of all people. Therefore, little children, pray, pray, pray! May prayer reign throughout the world» (25.08.1989).
Mary also gives us some practical guidance for the journey or training in prayer, and in particular recommends: «Pray the Angelus, the Creed, five Our Fathers, Hail Marys and Glory Bes in honor of Jesus’ Passion every day, a sixth for our Holy Father, the Pope, and a seventh for the outpouring of the Holy Spirit upon you. Then pray the invocation of the Holy Spirit» (27.01.1984); «Every morning, as a family, renew the prayers of consecration to the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary» (27.01.1984).
The Madonna, with her motherly pedagogy, teaches us that to pray means to let God enter our lives as a beloved person, as a light that illuminates, as a love that gives life and helps us grow!

2. The index finger: the Eucharist

The Virgin defined the Mass as «the highest form of prayer» (January 13, 1984); therefore she emphasizes: «Do not forget that in the Eucharist, which is the heart of faith, my Son is always with you. He comes to you and breaks bread with you because, my children, He died for you, rose again and comes again» (May 2, 2016).
In Holy Mass we encounter God-with-us, God-in-our-midst, our companion on the journey toward eternal life, our comforter and support in the difficulties along the way, our «way» to the Father in the concrete reality of everyday life.
«I invite you to live the Holy Mass. Many of you have experienced its beauty, but there are also those who do not come willingly. I have chosen you, dear children, and Jesus gives you His graces in Holy Mass. Therefore, live Holy Mass consciously, and may your coming be filled with joy. Come with love and welcome Holy Mass into yourselves» (3.04.1986). «May Holy Mass be life for you» (25.04.1988).

3. The middle finger: the Bible

The Queen of Peace explicitly invites and recommends the daily reading and meditation of Sacred Scripture, because it is God Himself speaking to us here and now. In reading and meditating on Sacred Scripture, we listen to what God has to tell us and understand His will for us and our lives.
In her message of April 19, 1984, she reveals: «Dear children, I reveal a spiritual secret to you: if you want to be stronger against evil, create an active conscience. For this reason, pray a great deal in the morning and read a passage from the Gospel. Engrave the divine Word in your heart and live it during the day, especially in times of trial, and at night you will be stronger».

4. The ring finger: fasting

Starting as early as the sixth day of the apparitions, the Virgin recommended the practice of fasting. It serves the fundamental purpose of helping us know what our hunger is, what we live on, what nourishes us, and of ordering our appetites around what is truly central.
How should we fast? Mary replies: «The best fast is on bread and water. Everyone, except the sick, must fast. Almsgiving and charitable works cannot replace fasting» (21.07.1982).
Through fasting, our will is strengthened and becomes capable of resisting the seductions of the evil one. The ultimate purpose of fasting is the ability to renounce sin so that Jesus may grow within us. Fasting is connected to faith. Fasting does not mean being hungry; fasting means opening ourselves to the Lord.

5. The little finger: Confession

Breaking radically with sin is the necessary condition for reconciliation with God: «Go to Confession frequently! Do not allow even a small sin to remain in your soul for a long time. Confess and make reparation for your sins» (02.08.1981); «Today I want to invite everyone to Confession, even if you went to Confession only a few days ago. I desire that you live the feast in your heart» (24.03.1985). The sacrament of reconciliation must become for us a festive encounter that heals the heart.

The sling

And finally, let us not forget the sling. We have the stones, but what about the sling to throw them at the adversary?
The sling we must take in hand is the Holy Rosary: «Pray! May the Rosary always be in your hands, as a sign to Satan that you belong to me» (25.02.1988); «Little children, prayer works miracles. When you are tired and sick and do not know the meaning of your life, take the Rosary and pray; pray until prayer becomes a joyful encounter with your Savior» (25.04.2001).
Not through strength, not through human power, but with divine help obtained through this prayer, strong as the sling, we can face the infernal enemy, repeating David’s words against him: «You come against me with sword, spear and javelin. But I come against you in the name of the Lord» (1Sam17,45).

The five stones and the sling that God offers us through the Queen of Peace are tremendously powerful spiritual weapons that can bring about incredible changes: in our personal lives, in our families, in our communities.
Let us welcome them with open hearts, and our lives can be transformed!