The Blessed Lady appeared and said, "My Children, do not give in to temptation, say your rosary and do not be afraid, for I am with you all the time. Many of my children are calling out to God but do not follow his ways. Pray with concentration so that your prayer will be received by God. Draw yourself close to God, be good to your neighbor, and make an extra effort to pray for those who hate you.
Part 1 Message of the Blessed Lady to Christiana Agbo in Aokpe Nigeria - 25th February 1994
The Blessed Mother has revealed to us in this apparition that most people give in to temptation for two reasons: prayerlessness and fear. Fear is a weapon used by the adversary and so the Blessed mother recommends a greater weapon to combat it – The Holy Rosary. That great prayer which looks ordinary and monotonously repetitive. That prayer that does not give room for shouting and commanding. That prayer that does not allow us to showcase our grammatical ability and how Holy Ghost filled we are in praying in tongues; yet so powerful and dreaded by the devils. It is the prayer with which the saints triumphed over every assault of the adversary. The prayer that assures us of her presence. St. Pio the stigmatist calls the Rosary “the weapon”. It is recommended daily.
The Holy Virgin is worried that we pray with laissez-faire attitude. St. Louis says that the prayer of the Rosary without meditation is like body without a soul. Meditating on the mysteries while we pray drops the prayer right in the hands of God. The secret of effective prayer is meditation.
Our mother also calls us to match our prayers with our actions. We call on God but do not follow his ways. The ways of God are the ways of his commandments. His commandments are summed up in one word: Love. This time around she wants us to go an extra mile (Mt. 5:39-44), showing love not only to our neighbor but our enemies as well by praying for them. This is a very difficult one for us but Jesus did it by matching his words with his action on the cross. He prayed for those who crucified him (Lk. 23:34). Praying for one’s enemies many years after their dastardly act could be imaginable because time might have given reasons to do so but certainly not on the spot, yet this is what the Lord demands of us and he showed us an example. The Blessed mother recognizes our difficulty and recommends extra efforts. Holy Mother, teach us to live like Jesus that we may be close to God. Amen