It caught the Marian movement by surprise and sparked fervor anew, word that the Blessed Mother of Medjugorje had changed time and location for her daily appearances to seer Marija Pavlovic-Lunetti and for nine days was going to appear at 11:30 p.m. instead of 6:40 and not at a private residence but on Aparition Hill, where it all began.

Those nine days were to include a special novena for world peace.

And the novena ended precisely on June 24, anniversary of the very first aparitions in 1981, feast day of John the Baptist.

The next day, June 25, 2024, Our Lady gave her monthly message to Marija, saying, “Dear children! I rejoice with you and thank God for permitting me to be with you, to lead you and love you. Little children, peace is in danger and the family is under attack. I am calling you, little children: return to prayer in the family. Put Sacred Scripture in a visible place and read it every day. Love God above all that it may be good for you on earth. Thank you for having responded to my call.”

This all brought back two key previous events at the apparition site.

First, the fact that in 1991, Mary likewise requested nine days of prayer and fasting to fulfil all the secrets of Fatima. In that message, the Virgin warned about the forces that sought to obstruct peace and stressed the need for prayer and sacrifice. However, on that occasion, the novena was not associated with extraordinary apparitions, as was the case recently.

The second noteworthy observation has to do with that phrase, “peace is in danger.”

That was used only once before, November 25, 2015: “Dear children! Today I am calling all of you: pray for my intentions. Peace is in danger, therefore, little children, pray and be carriers of peace and hope in this restless world where Satan is attacking and tempting in every way. Little children, be firm in prayer and courageous in faith. I am with you and intercede before my Son Jesus for all of you. Thank you for having responded to my call.”

Why 2015?

One can note the similarities: in 2015, Russia and Ukraine were engaged in conflict—albeit much smaller skirmishes—in the eastern part of Ukraine.

As in the current time, and just about any time, there were tensions in the Middle East (although not on the scale of Gaza).

Saudi Arabia was involved, as was ISIS. There were Muslim issues in Yemen. The Russians had sent military aid and forces to Syria, intervening in its civil war. And during that engagement, Turkey shot down a Russian jet at the Turkish border with Syria.

Turkey is a member of NATO, and so if it had begun openly battling Russia, Western Europe and North America too would have been drawn in.

But, again, the situations were not at the level we are observing in our own time, and so we see matters once more ratcheted up and close calls getting closer.

[resources: Michael Brown online retreat, July 13, 11 am-1 pm EST and Pilgrimage to Medjugorje]