Did you know that the Blessed Mother has appeared several times in the Americas? Lots of people know about Our Lady of Guadalupe and the miraculous image on the tilma, which is still studied today and is as bright and beautiful as it was when it was revealed on December 12, 1531.
But, have you ever heard of Our Lady of Good Help? That Marian apparition, which occurred in Champion, Wisconsin, is the first approved one in the U.S. “I am the Queen of Heaven who prays for the conversion of sinners,” are the first words that Our Mother spoke to Adele Brise on October 9, 1859. As she often does when she appears, Mary gave Adele a mission. "The young woman was told by Heaven’s Queen that she must pray for the
conversion of sinners, and warn them, for if they do not convert, her
Son was going to punish them. She was told to gather together the
children in this remote area and teach them the truths they must know
for their salvation; teach them the catechism; teach them how to bless
themselves with the Sign of the Cross; and teach them how to approach
the sacraments. Our Lady ended by telling Adele, whose faith was strong
but simple, to fear nothing and be confident in her help. For the next
thirty-seven years of her life, until her death in 1896, Sister Adele
Brise was faithful to this mission." Excerpt from Catholicism.Org. The Shrine of Our Lady of Good Help is located at 4047 Chapel Drive, New Franken, WI 54229.
You have heard of the apparition of Medjugorje, which the church warns against venerating as a miracle, as it is NOT approved and under investigation but have you heard of Kibeho? Both commenced in the same year, which was 1981. Kibeho HAS been sanctioned by the church as worthy of veneration.
Over 1,500 Marian apparitions have been reported in the last century. Only 20 have been sanctioned by the Vatican. Instead of writing a dissertation on what it takes for an approval, I'm just going to quote what the Catholic News Service says about it:
"Like with Fatima, responsibility for determining an apparition's veracity lies with the local bishop, according to the norms established by the Vatican Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith.
The process is never brief, with some cases taking hundreds of years. Visionaries and witnesses must be questioned and the fruits of the apparitions, such as conversions, miracles and healings, must be examined.
According to the norms, the local bishop should set up a commission of experts, including theologians, canonists, psychologists and doctors to help him determine the facts, the mental, moral and spiritual wholesomeness and seriousness of the visionary, and whether the messages and testimony are free from theological and doctrinal error.
A bishop can come to one of three conclusions: He can determine the apparition to be true and worthy of belief; he can say it is not true, which leaves open the possibility for an appeal; or he can say that at the moment, he doesn't know and needs more help.
In the last scenario, the investigation is brought to the country's bishops' conference. If that body cannot come to a conclusion, the matter is turned over to the pope, who delegates the doctrinal congregation to step in and give advice or appoint others to investigate.
Still, the Catholic Church does not require the faithful to believe in apparitions, even those recognized by the church.
Church recognition of a private revelation, in essence, is just the church's way of saying the message is not contrary to the faith or morality, it is licit to make the message public "and the faithful are authorized to give to it their prudent adhesion," now-retired Pope Benedict XVI said in his 2010 apostolic exhortation, "Verbum Domini" ("The Word of the Lord")."
There is nothing that says that we have to listen to the messages of the Marian apparitions, but seriously, wouldn't it be a prudent thing to do? She is, after all, the woman that carried Jesus in her womb and is His Mother. He gave her to not only John, but to all of us when he was on the cross. Why would we not listen to the Queen of Heaven, on whom Jesus relied on as a child? Did we not listen to our earthly Mothers?
There are a few devotions that are quite beautiful that will help you to convert your own heart to her son and to pray for others. Most notable is the Rosary, which is said daily. You can find the prayers for that at our website's Prayer Page, www.gloryglorygifts.com.
Another beautiful devotion is the Miraculous Medal Novena said on Mondays. That includes prayers for conversion of hearts and for special intentions. The wearing of a Miraculous Medal is a sacramental of the church and the novena is so beautiful. That too can be found on our website prayer page. I have had many prayers answered from saying this Novena. God has been good to me.
The Brown Scapular of Our Lady of Mount Carmel is a devotion that includes special graces from our Mother if you say the Little Office, 5-decades of the rosary or do an act of mercy every day that you wear it. The scapular is a sacramental of the church.
The next devotion that comes to my pretty little mind is the Angelus. I say that as part of my daily prayers in the morning. It's an awesome prayer to start the day with as it is the Visitation from the angel telling Mary that she has been chosen to carry the Messiah and her yes, that has resounded through the centuries. We have that on our prayer page too.
The last prayer, or more accurate description, hymn that I would like to mention is The Canticle of Mary, aka The Magnificat. It is Mary's prayer praising God and is just magnificent. Where can you find it? On the prayer page, of course.
There are many prayers and novenas asking Mary to help you find your way back to her Son. Find one that you love and pray it often. Advent is the perfect time to pray anyway, don't you think? Our holy Christmas day will be here in just a few days. Ask Mary to help you. She is after all Mother of us all. Pray for the conversion of hearts. Pray for the conversion of your own heart if you are struggling. Just pray and I can assure you that your life will change.
Have a peaceful and joyful Advent season and God bless you.
Mare
You have heard of the apparition of Medjugorje, which the church warns against venerating as a miracle, as it is NOT approved and under investigation but have you heard of Kibeho? Both commenced in the same year, which was 1981. Kibeho HAS been sanctioned by the church as worthy of veneration.
“The Virgin Mary said that the
purpose of Her coming was to communicate a message of conversion
(through a life of prayer and confession, a life renewed by the Word of
God, and by works of charity and justice).
“She had also stated Her name, `the
Mother of the Word', so that one will not mistake Her for another
mother: the child to whom She gave birth is God.
“She insisted on the same
message of rejection of sin, and recommended the practice of unceasing
prayer that keeps us in communion with the Holy Trinity. This is how the
devotion to the Seven Sorrows of the Virgin Mary was discovered."
That same message is a continuation of those received at Fatima, Lourdes, and others ~ pray for sinners, make reparation for the conversion of sinners, turn to her son for forgiveness, receive the sacraments, love each other through works of charity and justice.
Though Mary often speaks of conversion of heart, she has also given seers messages that are more ominous in nature, such as the Our Lady of Good Success narratives, that pertain to this exact moment in history even though they were verbalized to Sr. Mariana de Jesús Torres in the 15th and 16th centuries. The Akita message of 1973 and the Garabandal apparition of 1961-1965 and Fatima of 1917 have all included messages about how angry God is with the world and chastisements. Why would we not listen when things she had said in the past visions have come to pass (WWI, Rwandan genocides)?
Over 1,500 Marian apparitions have been reported in the last century. Only 20 have been sanctioned by the Vatican. Instead of writing a dissertation on what it takes for an approval, I'm just going to quote what the Catholic News Service says about it:
"Like with Fatima, responsibility for determining an apparition's veracity lies with the local bishop, according to the norms established by the Vatican Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith.
The process is never brief, with some cases taking hundreds of years. Visionaries and witnesses must be questioned and the fruits of the apparitions, such as conversions, miracles and healings, must be examined.
According to the norms, the local bishop should set up a commission of experts, including theologians, canonists, psychologists and doctors to help him determine the facts, the mental, moral and spiritual wholesomeness and seriousness of the visionary, and whether the messages and testimony are free from theological and doctrinal error.
A bishop can come to one of three conclusions: He can determine the apparition to be true and worthy of belief; he can say it is not true, which leaves open the possibility for an appeal; or he can say that at the moment, he doesn't know and needs more help.
In the last scenario, the investigation is brought to the country's bishops' conference. If that body cannot come to a conclusion, the matter is turned over to the pope, who delegates the doctrinal congregation to step in and give advice or appoint others to investigate.
Still, the Catholic Church does not require the faithful to believe in apparitions, even those recognized by the church.
Church recognition of a private revelation, in essence, is just the church's way of saying the message is not contrary to the faith or morality, it is licit to make the message public "and the faithful are authorized to give to it their prudent adhesion," now-retired Pope Benedict XVI said in his 2010 apostolic exhortation, "Verbum Domini" ("The Word of the Lord")."
There is nothing that says that we have to listen to the messages of the Marian apparitions, but seriously, wouldn't it be a prudent thing to do? She is, after all, the woman that carried Jesus in her womb and is His Mother. He gave her to not only John, but to all of us when he was on the cross. Why would we not listen to the Queen of Heaven, on whom Jesus relied on as a child? Did we not listen to our earthly Mothers?
There are a few devotions that are quite beautiful that will help you to convert your own heart to her son and to pray for others. Most notable is the Rosary, which is said daily. You can find the prayers for that at our website's Prayer Page, www.gloryglorygifts.com.
Another beautiful devotion is the Miraculous Medal Novena said on Mondays. That includes prayers for conversion of hearts and for special intentions. The wearing of a Miraculous Medal is a sacramental of the church and the novena is so beautiful. That too can be found on our website prayer page. I have had many prayers answered from saying this Novena. God has been good to me.
The Brown Scapular of Our Lady of Mount Carmel is a devotion that includes special graces from our Mother if you say the Little Office, 5-decades of the rosary or do an act of mercy every day that you wear it. The scapular is a sacramental of the church.
The next devotion that comes to my pretty little mind is the Angelus. I say that as part of my daily prayers in the morning. It's an awesome prayer to start the day with as it is the Visitation from the angel telling Mary that she has been chosen to carry the Messiah and her yes, that has resounded through the centuries. We have that on our prayer page too.
The last prayer, or more accurate description, hymn that I would like to mention is The Canticle of Mary, aka The Magnificat. It is Mary's prayer praising God and is just magnificent. Where can you find it? On the prayer page, of course.
There are many prayers and novenas asking Mary to help you find your way back to her Son. Find one that you love and pray it often. Advent is the perfect time to pray anyway, don't you think? Our holy Christmas day will be here in just a few days. Ask Mary to help you. She is after all Mother of us all. Pray for the conversion of hearts. Pray for the conversion of your own heart if you are struggling. Just pray and I can assure you that your life will change.
Have a peaceful and joyful Advent season and God bless you.
Mare
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