Apparitions of Mary: Paris, Lourdes, Fatima. Our Lady's message
It seems interesting to me, before going on to tell the story of Lourdes, to make a comparison between the three major series of apparitions of the last two centuries, stopping to examine the external circumstances of each and their main purpose.
Paris 1830. - Three apparitions, of which the first preparatory in the middle of the night (18-19 July 1830) and the others, almost equal, with three phases, which we can summarize as follows: Madonna of the globe, or Virgo Potens - Madonna of the rays o front picture of the Miraculous Medal - Reverse of the Medal with the Monogram of Mary, the two Hearts and the Stars.
The apparitions all take place in the chapel of the Mother House of the Daughters of Charity in Paris. Nobody learns of the apparitions except a few people, the superiors and the confessor of the visionary, St. Catherine Labourè, who then remains hidden in silence until her death (1876).
Purpose: to prepare the minds of the faithful from all over the world for the next definition of the dogma of the Immaculate Conception of Mary (1854).
To this end, the Madonna leaves the Medal, later called Miraculous, faithful reproduction of the apparitions, teaches the
Giaculatoria: «O Mary, conceived without sin, pray for us who turn to you!» and requires the institution of the Daughters of Mary.
The SS. Virgo looked like this: Of medium height, with an aurora-white silk robe. On his head a white veil that went down to the ground and a blue cloak. Under her veil her hair was seen split in two, gathered in a kind of little cap adorned with a lace. His feet rested on a half white sphere and under his feet he had a greenish snake with yellow spots. He held his hands at heart level and in his hands he had another small golden sphere, topped with a cross. His eyes were turned to heaven.
- She was of indescribable beauty! - says the saint.
Lourdes 1858. - Eighteen apparitions, almost always in the early morning, at the Massabielle cave, many people present from the early days. The whole of France is moved; the seer Bernadette is known to all.
Purpose: to confirm what the Pope has done with the definition of the dogma of the Immaculate Conception, with words and miracles. With the word when the Beautiful Lady finally says: "I am the Immaculate Conception!". With miracles when the pool of miraculous water gushes out at the foot of the cave and Lourdes begins to be the land of wonders.
Our Lady looked like this: «« She looks like a young woman of sixteen or seventeen years old. Dressed in white, she is tightened on her hips by a blue band, the ends of which hang down along the robe. He wears an equally white veil over his head, which barely lets his hair see and falls back to the bottom of his person. Her feet are bare, but covered by the ends of the dress and two golden roses shine on their toes. On his right arm he holds a crown of the Holy Rosary, with white grains and a gold chain, shining like the two roses of the feet ».
Fatima 1917. - This time the SS. Virgo chooses Portugal, and appears to three children (Lucia, Giacinta and Francesco) outdoors while grazing.
Six apparitions take place (one a month), the last of which in the presence of many tens of thousands of people, and are closed with the famous sun miracle.
Purpose: Our Lady recommends the penance and the recitation of the Holy Rosary, so that the war in progress can soon cease and humanity can avoid another more terrible one, under the next pontificate. Finally, he asks for the devotion and consecration of the world and of every soul to his Immaculate Heart, with the reparatory Holy Communion on the first Saturday of each month.
The SS. Virgo looked like this: «The wonderful Lady seemed to be between 15 and 18 years old. His snow-white robe was tightened around his neck by a golden cord and will drop down to his feet.
A white coat also embroidered with gold edges covered her head and person. From the hands clasped on the breast hung a rosary with white grains like pearls, ending with a small cross in burnished silver. The face of the Madonna, very delicate in features, was surrounded by a halo of sun, but it seemed veiled by a shadow of sadness ».
Reflections: The teachings of the Miraculous Medal
I hope you know it and wear it around your neck day and night. As a son who loves his mother, when he is far away from her, jealously guards his photograph and often contemplates it with affection, so a worthy son of the Madonna often contemplates her effigy, the one that she brought us from heaven, the Miraculous Medal. From it you must draw those lessons and the strength that is necessary for you to live in a way worthy of the Immaculate Conception, in a world so corrupt and corrupt.
The Mediator. - Look at the front face of your tag. He introduces you to the SS. Virgin in the act of pouring torrents of grace on the world, which she has under her feet. To the visionary who asked her why some of her rings did not send light, Our Lady replied: - It is the graces that I would like to do, but that nobody asks me!
Do not all the prevailing goodness of the Mother of Heaven tell you these words? She wishes to help us and awaits from us only a memory, a prayer made from the heart.
The monogram of Mary and the Stars. - Now look at the back face of the tag. The great M surmounted by the cross is Mary, from whose virginal heart Jesus was born. Jesus was for her a cross, a continuous sword of pain, for the participation that the Mother had in the sufferings of the Son.
The love of Jesus and Mary should also always be at the center of your heart, surrounded by stars, which represent the virtues most dear to the Immaculate Conception. Every child of his must try to imitate them and reproduce them in himself: humility, purity, meekness, charity.
The two hearts. - Now contemplate the two Hearts, one crowned with thorns, the other pierced by the sword. When Saint Catherine asked the Virgin if a few words were to be engraved around the two hearts, Our Lady replied: "The two hearts say enough".
Fioretto: I will kiss the Tag every morning and evening and I will carry it constantly around my neck with love.
Giaculatoria: "O Mary, conceived without sin, pray for us who turn to you!".
"BABBO, READ THESE WORDS!"
Mission is preached in a church in Lyon. One day a seven year old girl comes to the Missionary and asks him for a Medal of Mary Immaculate. He asks with a smile what he wants to do with it, and the little girl: - You said that whoever recites the words that are engraved on you three times: “O Maria, conceived etc. Will be converted, and so I hope to be able to convert a soul too ...
The pious missionary smiles, gives her the medal and blesses her. Here she is at home; he goes to his father, caresses him and with all grace: - See - he tells him - what a beautiful medal the missionary gave me! Do me the favor of reading those little words that are written inside.
The father takes the medal and reads in a low voice: "O conceived Mary, etc." The girl rejoices, thanks her father and exclaims to herself: - The first step is done!
Shortly thereafter he is again with his father, to caress and kiss him; and he surprised: - What do you want, my child?
- Here - he said - I would like you to read me a second time that beautiful prayer, which is engraved on my medal ... - and meanwhile puts it under his eye.
The father is bored, he sends her to play; what do you want? That little angel knows how to do that the good man has to yield and reads: «O Mary conceived without sin etc. - Then he returns the medal to her saying: - Now you will be happy; go and leave me alone.
The girl leaves happily ... Now she has to study how to make her repeat it a third time, and the girl waits for the following day. In the morning, while the father is still in bed, the little girl slowly comes to him and takes him with such sweetness that the good man is forced, to satisfy her, to reread the ejaculation a third time.
The girl does not want more and jumps from joy.
Father is amazed at such a party; he wants to know the reason and the little girl explains everything to him: - My Father, you too have said three times the Virgin's word; therefore you will go to confession and communicate and thus you will make your mother happy. It's a long time since you no longer go to church! ... The missionary has in fact promised that whoever had said the Immaculate prayer, even if only three times, would have converted! ...
Father is moved: he cannot refuse and kissing his little angel: - Yes, yes, - he promises her, - I too will go to confession and I will make you and your good mother happy.
He kept his word and in that house they loved each other even more than in the past.
Source: BERNADETTE AND THE APPARITIONS OF LOURDES by p. Luigi Chierotti CM - Downloaded from the site