Cause of our Joy: Jesus’ messages through Mary

Mary is known by many different titles (Blessed Mother, Madonna, Our Lady), epithets (Star of the Sea, Queen of Heaven, Cause of Our Joy), invocations (Theotokos, Panagia, Mother of Mercy) and other names (Our Lady of Loreto, Our Lady of Guadalupe).

Over the centuries, she appeared in many places in the world. As a remembrance of the apparitions, various names of places are being attached to her name. To start the year, the Davao Catholic Herald selected nine among these appearances.

OUR LADY OF GUADALUPE

Our Lady of Guadalupe appeared to Saint Juan Diego on December 9, 10 and 12, 1531. The image left on Saint Juan Diego’s tilma is the only picture of Our Lady of Guadalupe in existence. The image has remained intact with all its original vibrancy for 475 years.

“Listen and let it penetrate your heart…do not be troubled or weighed down with grief. Do not fear any illness or vexation, anxiety or pain. Am I not here who am your Mother? Are you not under my shadow and protection? Am I not your fountain of life? Are you not in the folds of my mantle? In the crossing of my arms? Is there anything else you need?” (Our Lady’s words to her servant Juan Diego.)

OUR LADY OF THE MIRACULOUS MEDAL

That night in 1830 was a blessed night. The Holy Mother of God began her plans with a twenty four year old novice in the Motherhouse of the Sisters of Charity, on the Rue due Bac in Paris.

God entrusted to Catherine on November 27, 1830 the mission of making and distributing the Medal of the Immaculate Conception, now known as the Miraculous Medal. That day was the Saturday before the first Sunday of Advent. The Sisters were gathered in the chapel as usual for prayers at five-thirty in the afternoon. Suddenly Our Lady appeared to Catherine.

OUR LADY OF LA SALETTE

Mélanie and Maximin, the two children privileged to see Mary in 1846, came from the town of Corps near Grenoble, in a poor part of south-eastern France. Maximin Giraud was eleven years old at the time and Mélanie Calvat fourteen. On Saturday, September 19, they were looking after their employer’s cattle, high up on the pasture above La Salette, a village near Corps, when they saw a wonderful apparition of Mary.

La Salette (1846) contained secrets such as ‘Rome will become the seat of the Antichrist” that could be revealed in 1858.

Speaking tearfully she told them that unless people repented she would be forced to let go the arm of her son because it had become so heavy. Mary went on to complain that she had to pray ceaselessly to her son for them, but the people still worked on Sundays and blasphemed. She also spoke of coming punishments for these sins, including crop blights and famine.

OUR LADY OF LOURDES

Our Lady of Lourdes is a Roman Catholic title of the Blessed Virgin Mary venerated in honor of the Marian apparitions that reportedly occurred in 1858 in the vicinity of Lourdes in France. The first of these is the apparition of 11 February 1858, when Bernadette Soubirous, a 14-year-old peasant girl, told her mother that a “lady” spoke to her in the cave of Massabielle (a mile from the town) while she was gathering firewood with her sister and a friend.

Lourdes (1858) had 3 secrets that were for Bernadette alone and were never revealed. The gestures and words that were exchanged between Virgin Mary and Bernadette during the time of the eighteen apparitions were all about God’s love and how he loves us as we are.

OUR LADY OF PONTMAIN

Our Lady of Pontmain, also known as Our Lady of Hope is the title given to the Virgin Mary on her apparition at Pontmain, France on January 17, 1871. These apparitions were approved by Pope Pius IX.

The Barbadette family consisted of father César, his wife, Victoire, with their two sons Joseph and Eùgene, aged ten and twelve, and another older boy who was away in the army. On the evening of January 17, 1871, the two boys were helping their father in the barn when the eldest, Eùgene, walked over towards the door to look out. As he gazed at the star studded sky he noticed one area practically free of stars above a neighbouring house. Suddenly he saw an apparition of a beautiful woman smiling at him; she was wearing a blue gown covered with golden stars, and a black veil under a golden crown.

As the Magnificat was being said the four children cried out, “Something else is happening.” A broad streamer on which letters were appearing unrolled beneath the feet of the Lady, so that eventually the phrase, “But pray, my children,” could be read. A large basilica was built at Pontmain and consecrated in 1900.

OUR LADY OF KNOCK

Knock Shrine (“Mary’s Hill”) is a Roman Catholic pilgrimage site and National Shrine in the village of Knock, County Mayo, Ireland, where observers stated that there was an apparition of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Saint Joseph, Saint John the Evangelist, angels, and Jesus Christ (the Lamb of God) on August 21, 1879. It recorded the testimony of 15 witnesses: men, women and children, ranging in ages from 5 to 75.

The apparition was completely silent. As Fr. William J. Smith said, “There was no message of any kind given, no word was uttered by any of the three celestial visitors. Yet the apparition must have a meaning, an extraordinary, deep and divine significance.”

OUR LADY OF FATIMA

The Blessed Virgin Mary, the Mother of God, appeared 6 times to 3 shepherd children; Lucia, Francisco, and Jacinta; between May 13 and October 13, 1917. She came to the little village of Fatima which had remained faithful to the Catholic Church during the recent persecutions by the government. Our Lady came with a message from God to every man, woman, and child of our century.

Fatima (1917) included 3 secrets: 2 were soon revealed, and the third was to be revealed in the event of Lucia’s death or by 1960. John XXIII refused to reveal the secret in 1960. Later in 2000, a bogus secret was revealed by Cardinals Bertone and Ratzinger on behalf of St. John Paul II, but it did not find great acceptance among the faithful. They still await the release of the authentic warning of Our Lady to the world.

OUR LADY OF BEAURAING

Beauraing is a small town in the southern, French speaking, part of Belgium, and it was here that the Blessed Virgin appeared to a group of children, between late November 1932 and January 1933.

Mary told the children that she would speak to each of them separately and gave each a secret before bidding them farewell.

“Goodbye.” (to Gilberte Degeimbre)
“I will convert sinners. Goodbye.” (to Gilberte Voisin)
“Goodbye.” (to Albert Voisin)
“I am the Mother of God, the Queen of Heaven. Pray always, Goodbye.” (to Andree Degeimbre)

Mary appeared later and spoke to Fernande Voisin asking her if she loved her Son and herself; when Fernande replied that she did, the response was: “Then sacrifice yourself for me.” “Goodbye.”

OUR LADY OF BANNEUX

Our Lady of Banneux, or Our Lady of the Poor, is the sobriquet given to the apparition of the Virgin Mary to Mariette Beco, an adolescent girl living in Banneux, province of Liège (Belgium). Between January 15 and March 2, 1933, Beco told her family and parish priest of seeing a Lady in white who declared herself to be the “Virgin of the Poor”, saying I come to relieve suffering and believe in me and I will believe in you.

Whatever the name may be, wherever the apparition may take place, the same message rings true: The Virgin Mary, the Cause of our Joy, our Mother, continues to urge us to repent and follow Jesus. Happy New Year!