"I make an urgent appeal to the earth. I call on the true disciples of the living God who reigns in Heaven; I call on the true followers of Christ made man, the only true Saviour of men; I call on my children, the true faithful, those who have given themselves to me so that I may lead them to my divine Son, those whom I carry in my arms, so to speak, those who have lived on my spirit. Finally, I call on the Apostles of the Last Days, the faithful disciples of Jesus Christ who have lived in scorn for the world and for themselves, in poverty and in humility, in scorn and in silence, in prayer and in mortification, in chastity and in union with God, in suffering and unknown to the world. It is time they came out and filled the world with light. Go and reveal yourselves to be my cherished children. I am at your side and within you, provided that your faith is the light which shines upon you in these unhappy days. May your zeal make you famished for the glory and the honor of Jesus Christ. Fight, children of light, you, the few who can see. For now is the time of all times, the end of all ends."
The Basilica of La Salette was built on the site of Mary’s apparition in 1879.
For Reflection:
Reread Mary’s message to the children. What suggests that it is a prophetic word? Do you consider yourself to be a “true follower of Christ,” and a child of Mary? If so, what instruction is Our Lady giving to you through these words? How can you begin to follow through? Ask the Holy Spirit to illuminate your heart and mind and journal your insights.
Queen St. Helena and her son, Emperor St. Constantine, brought to the Basilica from the Holy Land a great Marian treasure – an image of the Madonna and Child known as the “Salus Populi, Romani” (The Protectress of the People of Rome) . It is attributed to St. Luke, the apostle and evangelist. Many healings and deliverances from oppressors have been credited to its miraculous intervention. The Basilica of St. Mary Major has celebrated the Divine Motherhood of Mary since the Council of Ephesus in 432 A.D. when Mary was first proclaimed “Theotokos,” Mother of God. On the Feast Day, August 5, beautiful white roses are released from the ceiling in the Basilica showering the sanctuary in remembrance of the snowfall that led to the building of Our Lady’s first church.
For Reflection:
Our Blessed Mother has a beautiful way of making her intentions known. Read the account of the Wedding Feast at Cana (John 2:1-11). How did she make her desires known to Jesus? To the servants? Why did she make these requests? In light of this, why do you think Mary would ask that a church be built in her honor? What is she asking of you today? For what purpose?
It was in Dalmatia that shepherds first discovered the sudden appearance of a little house in one of their fields. They sought out the local priest, a cripple, who visited the house. While there, he received a vision about the house and was cured of his physical handicap. He was told that St. Peter put the altar in the house and the figure of Mary (now known as Our Lady of Loreto) was carved by St. Luke. A delegation sent to the Holy Land discovered that the house of Mary had, indeed, disappeared, and the foundation left behind measured exactly the length and width of the house in Dalmatia which had amazingly appeared out of nowhere.
The house was transported by angels two other times to protect it from pillagers and ne’er do-wells. The house stands to this day, intact, and with no foundation.
Many miracles are associated with Our Lady of Loreto. A famous one involves Pope Pius IX, born Giovanni Maria Mastai-Ferretti, who was beatified along with Pope John XXIII in the year 2,000. Each year he made a pilgrimage with his mother to Loreto. As a wee child he fell into a stream and became subject to chronic fatigue, fever, and epileptic seizures causing him to leave seminary. Pope Pius VII, a close friend, counseled him with these words: "God is mysterious. He throws down to raise up. He throws into the gutter the ones He wants to lift to the stars. Above the wildest storms gleams the Star of the Sea. Renounce yourself and place yourself in the hands of the Madonna. Call out to her 'save me!' The Virgin of Nazareth is your future." With these words in his heart, he journeyed again to Loreto. There he prayed: "Mother, behold your child-----sick, miserable, useless. I am the shame of my family and disgust to myself. I dedicate myself to you-----save me. Immaculata, make me clean!" He was cured, returned to seminary, and was ordained. In 1846, the conclave elevated him, now Cardinal of Imola, to the papacy. He chose the name, Pius IX. In 1854, he proclaimed the dogma of the Immaculate Conception, thus officially inaugurating the Marian Era. As Pope he visited Loreto seven times.
For Reflection:
Read again the words Pope Pius VII spoke to Giovanni. How were they prophetic? Why do you think God “throws down to raise up?” Think of some canonized saints who had this experience. What do you consider to be your “gutter” experience? How can God use it to lift you “to the stars?” Call out to Our Lady, too, for her maternal help and assistance.
For Reflection:
Consider the words Our Lady spoke to St. Peter Nolasco. To what extent do you see yourself as brave, generous and unselfish? To which “lands” might she be sending you? Who might the “captives” be that she is asking you to release? Where, in your own midst, are the “children of the Faith suffering?” What is your response to Our Lady’s call?
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