A different ripple
March 29, 2022
The Church in the metaverse
March 29, 2022

IF…Humanity turns towards God, there will be peace, says Archbishop Gordon

God has a plan for peace in the world but the only obstacle to it is the human heart which needs to be converted.

“When our hearts are turned towards God and we are bending our hearts to the will of God, God’s plan for peace will come about in the world,” Archbishop Jason Gordon said. He said there will be peace in families, the Church, communities, and the nation.

“It will come about in Ukraine and in Russia and in all the parts of the world where there is war and terror,” he said Friday, March 25 at the Mass of Consecration for Russia, Ukraine, and all humanity to the Immaculate Heart of Mary. On that day, the Church celebrated  the Solemnity of the Annunciation.

There was a good turnout at the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception, Port of Spain for the Mass which Pope Francis asked bishops and priests around the world to join him in the prayer for peace and the consecration.

Archbishop Gordon reiterated, “It is our hearts that need to be turned towards the Divine so that we become a conduit of peace in our world today.”

He touched on the third part of the secret of Fatima 1917 when Our Lady stated: “’If not [Russia] 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.”

Archbishop Gordon said the word used often in Our Lady’s prophetic messages is “if”. “If we would do as she asked, Our Lady of Fatima…with prayer, with fasting, with penance, with the first Saturdays as a devotion and turn towards God asking and begging for peace and the conversion of the people Russia…then the course of history would be different from what she promised.”

He said in her messages, Our Lady is giving a sense of the future “if” people did not seek repentance and God’s intervention to bring the world and its people into harmony with Him and with His plan for salvation.

Our Lady’s message warned about Russia but this did not absolve others from the things they did which contributed to violence and negativity in the world.  Archbishop Gordon highlighted at the personal level, ignoring people in distress, violent language, and actions.

“We come today as a recognition that we are all sinners and all in need of the mercy of God, that we are all contributing to the violence that is in our world and the warped thinking that is in our world and that we need to repent.”

Archbishop Gordon voiced distress that the war taking place between Russia and Ukraine, “war of Europe” with “a small misstep” can engulf the whole world. He begged God’s mercy and for all to heed the call of Our Lady of Fatima.

He also offered supplication to Mary Undoer of Knots to undo the knot of war and the knots in the hearts of those who have influence to make decisions for peace. “Give them the courage to stand for peace, no matter what it means personally for them.” He begged for God to spare His people and hear their cries. After communion he prayed the Act of Consecration. —LPG