Patroness of music. (Fr James Socias, et al [Eds], “Daily Roman Missal”, 1989, p1700) Considered inventor of the organ, called vocal frame, by which she expanded the former narrow bounds of musical instruments and added length to solemn sounds. (Tom Peete Cross, et al, “English Writers”, p62)
Our Lady of La Vang (1798)
The name refers to a claimed Marian apparition at a time when Catholics were persecuted and killed in Vietnam. Many people sought refuge in the rain forest of La Vang, and many became very ill. They were praying when a lady appeared, wearing the traditional Vietnamese ‘áo dài’ dress and holding a child in her arms, with two angels beside her.
The people present interpreted the vision as the Virgin Mary and the infant Jesus Christ. They said that Our Lady comforted them and told them to boil leaves from the trees for medicine to cure the ill. The Feast Day of Our Lady of Lavang is celebrated on November 22nd.
Mary is believed to have first appeared in Lavang in 1798 to console persecuted Christians in Vietnam. Some say “La” (leaf) “Vang” (herbal seeds) refers to the name of a tree, often a place of hiding for persecuted Christians, while others say it means a noise by villagers beating on household utensils to chase away wild animals. [Some say it is derived from a type of fern which used to grow in great quantities in the region.]
In 1961, the Catholic bishops of Vietnam selected the Church of La Vang as the National Sacred Marian Centre. In 1962, Pope John XXIII declared the Church the Basilica of La Vang. Though there is no official Vatican recognition of this event as a Marian apparition, on June 19, 1988, Pope John Paul II publicly recognized the importance of Our Lady of La Vang and expressed desire to rebuild the La Vang Basilica in commemoration of the 200th anniversary of the first vision. (Our Lady of La Salette and Saint Joseph Church)
Ref: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Chief Priests and Rulers conspire against Jesus
“Many of the Jews who had come with Martha and Mary had seen the resurrection of Lazarus, believed in him. But some of them went to the Pharisees and told them what Jesus had done. The chief priests and Pharisees called a council meeting and said, ‘What are we to do? This Man is performing many signs. If we let him alone, everyone will believe in him ...’” (Jn 11:45-8)
Here are clear proofs of the jealousy and hatred the chief priests and Pharisees bore our Lord, both because he rebuked their pride and hypocrisy. Passion blinded them, and led to putting to death one who had come to save them.
Passion is ever ashamed to come out openly and hides under spurious pretexts. Thus the chief priests and the Pharisees reasoned, “If we let him alone, ... the Romans will come and take away our place and nation” (Jn 11:48).
How many members of the Church, distinguished by their learning and talents, have been similarly deceived? May their example make us fear for ourselves. We still see men, notable among their peers as these Scribes and Pharisees, who conspire against Jesus and his Church. Their passions make them persecutors of all that is holy; but would pretend to be influenced only by the good of humanity and succeed in inducing many to join them.
The hostility of the priests and Pharisees comes out openly. “But one of them, Caiphas, the high priest that year, told them, ‘You know nothing at all! You do not understand that it is better for you to have one man die for the people than to have the whole nation destroyed’.
He did not say this on his own, but being high priest that year, he prophesied that Jesus was about to die for the nation, and not for the nation only, but to gather into one the dispersed children of God. So from that day on they planned to put him to death.
“Jesus therefore no longer walked openly among the Jews, but went to a town called Ephrem.” (cf Jn 11:49:54)
The prophetic words of Caiphas show us that in the supernatural order the power of the priest is derived from his office, and not from his personal character. This is our security in the reception of the Sacraments.
By his flight, our Lord teaches us also that to hide from persecution is not cowardice, and that a contrary act would oftentimes be rashness.
Ref: cf “Practical Meditations” by a Father of the Society of Jesus, 1964, pp729-31
Work as Sharing in Christ’s Cross and Resurrection
There is yet another aspect of human labor, an essential dimension, where spirituality founded on the Gospel enters deeply. Every kind of work, manual or mental, is inevitably linked with effort and fatigue.
In a certain sense, the Gospel has its last word to say on this matter as well, in the paschal mystery of Jesus Christ. It is necessary to seek there the answers to these problems which are so important for the spirituality of human labor.
The paschal mystery contains the cross of Christ, his obedience unto death, which the Apostle contrasts with that disobedience which weighed upon man’s history on earth from the beginning. Contained in it also is the elevation of Christ: through the death on the cross, he returns to his disciples with the power of the Spirit in the resurrection.
The Christian finds a little bit of the cross of Christ in human work, and accepts it in the same spirit of redemption in which Christ accepted his cross for our sake. Thanks to the light entering us from the resurrection of Christ, we always find a gleam of new life, of new good, in labor, by way of announcement of “a new heaven and a new earth”, which are really shared by man and the world through the effort of work.
Through effort and fatigue, never without it. On the one hand, this confirms the indispensability of the cross in the spirituality of human labor; on the other hand, it discovers a new good in this cross and in effort, a new good arising from labor itself ....
Ref: cf “Prayers and Devotions from Pope John Paul II”, pp392-3
Understanding the horror of sin
Nowadays many have lost, or are losing, their sense of sin; and thus, their sense of God. Unnatural behaviour contrary to divine law is treated as normal in movies, on television, in media. Some people may deplore the sad consequences but not relative to the Creator.
‘Lifestyles’ publicized to attract public curiosity devoid of any attempt to treat the subject on a moral plane. Many members of the Church, distinguished by their learning and talents, have been deceived! May their example make us fear for ourselves. Marital infidelity, defamation, divorce, living-in, lying, same-sex marriages, cheating, etc described in lurid detail, but not called by their name.
Totally forgotten is what it means to God who gives true meaning to everything human. Some people tend to judge according to so-called principles which omit God, as if He never existed or has no role in our lives. A paganized environment has reverted to the world of the first Christians which they transformed. We must similarly transform our society.
We will feel the weight of our sins if seen as offences against God. Sin separates us from God, making our soul incapable of listening to the Holy Spirit. We may even reach that point St Augustine described: There are those who have committed certain kinds of sins, sins without human victims, which they say are no sins at all. (Sermon 278, 7)
Let us ask Our Mother Mary, so docile to the inspirations of the Holy Spirit, to teach us to develop a delicate and discriminating conscience. We must promptly and vigorously avoid even the least deliberate venial sin.
Ref: cf F Fernandez, “In Conversation with God”, 5:259-61
Eternity -- “Even in our times, despite those who deny God, earth is very close to Heaven.” (St Josemaria Escrivá, “The Forge”, 992)
Institution of the Confraternity of the Presentation of Our Lady, at St Omer’s, in the year 1481. — Adalardus Tassart, in Chrou., ad ann. 1481. (“Catholic Gems or Treasures of the Church” Historical Calendar; http://www.bethlehemobserver.com); (www.marylinks.org/Mary-Calendar.htm); (maryfest.htm / www.starharbor.com/santiago/m_feasts.html)
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