Wednesday, March 21, 2007

Our Lady of La Salette V

The Appartion Continues
Our Lady to her young French seers: “You will make this know to all my people.” She then turned from them and floated up the ravine, paused and without turning to face them she repeated, “You will make this known to all my people.” She continued to move away from them, Melanie and Maximin began to follow her.

The Heavenly Lady paused a moment, then rose into the air. She turned her gaze to heaven and the children could see a joyful expression on her lovely face, her tears having ceased. She turned her gaze southeast to Rome. The light surrounding her grew more resplendent and glorious before beginning to fade. The Lady and the heavenly light surrounding her then “melted away” and could be seen no more. Melanie then said to Maximin “Perhaps she was a great saint.” They had no idea they were speaking to the Blessed Virgin Mary.

A spring of water was found in very close proximity to the place the Blessed Virgin had appeared to the seers and miracles and healings were soon reported. Pilgrimages began in earnest; the town priest preached a sermon on the message and the word spread to French villages near and far. In July of the following year, Bishop Philibert de Bruillard opened an official investigation into the apparition, this following the two initial inquiries held the previous fall. The children were questioned by as many as nine bishops who aided Bishop de Bruillard. In the mean time, reports of miracles associated with the miraculous spring and pilgrimages to the site multiplied.

The official diocesan report describes the most remarkable effect of these events to be the large number of conversions taking place in the region of previously atheist France. “Striking was the acceptance of the story by the people of Ablandins and La Salette.” At first skeptical and mocking, they quickly were swayed by cures and the sweeping peace and grace at the site of apparition. Three years into the inquiry, during which the seers never contradicted themselves or each other, it was decreed, “Therefore, to demonstrate our lively thanks to God and to the glorious Virgin Mary, we authorize the cult of Our Lady of La Salette.”

Prayer
I will greatly rejoice in the Lord, and my soul shall be joyful in my God: for He hath clothed me with garments of salvation, and with the robe of justice He hath coverd me, as a bride adorned with jewels. I will extoll Thee, O Lord, for Thou hast upheld me: and hast not made my enemies to rejoice over me. Glory be to the Father, and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen+

(Sources: Meetings with Mary by Janice Connell. Ballantine Books. NY. 1995.
“You will make this known to all my people” by the Franciscan Friars of the Immaculate. New Bedford, MA. 1998)

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