17 January 2012

Our Lady’s Apparition in Pontmain, France*
On the evening of this day in 1871, during the Franco-Prussian War, Mary appeared in Heaven wearing a dark blue dress with a crucifix in her hands. Below the apparition appeared the words, ‘Pray please. God will hear you soon. My Son lets Himself be touched’. That same night an order from the German headquarters called the army back, and on January 28 the French-German armistice was signed. (*Approved)
Ref: Ted and Maureen Flynn, “The Thunder of Justice”, 1993, p23

Christ Becomes Light and Salvation ...
‘... of the people to whom He was sent at the beginning of His public life’.
The glory of the Lord had already enveloped the shepherds in light during the night (cf Lk 2:9) of the birth of Jesus Christ; but this is the first time that the Gospel speaks of a light shown to all. When Jesus quit Nazareth, was baptized in the Jordan, and then went to Capernaum to begin his public ministry, it was as like a second birth. It consisted in abandonment of private and hidden life in order to give himself to the total and irrevocable commitment of a life spent for all, even unto the supreme sacrifice of Himself.
Ref: Cf Pope John Paul II, “Prayers and Devotions”, 1994, p85

Jesus calls His first disciples
Jesus, like the early prophets, preached alone. After some months he began to call disciples. The first two came on hearing John the Baptist say, “Behold the Lamb of God!” (Jn 1:36) They said to him, “Rabbi, where are you staying?” He replied, “Come and see”. They went and saw, and remained with him that day. (Jn 1:38-9)
They are Andrew and John. Andrew tells his brother, “We have found the Messiah”, and brought him to Jesus. Looking at him, Jesus said, “You are Simon, son of John; you shall be called Cephas” (cf Jn 1:41-2) which means Peter or rock. The next day, in Galilee, He found Philip and said to him, “Follow Me” (Jn 1:43).
And going on, he saw two other brothers, James and John, the sons of Zebedee, in a ship with their father mending the nets. He called them. They immediately left their nets and father, and followed him. (Mk 1:19-20)
Andrew, John, Simon, James and Philip were the privileged first disciples to be called by the Saviour of the World. Their vocation, seemingly accidental, was decreed by God from all eternity. Our state in life may seem to be due only to favorable circumstances; but with the eye of faith we will perceive the hand of God.
These first disciples also manifested admirable generosity and correspondence with grace; and the father of James and John, too! There is neither hesitation on one side, nor complaint or opposition on the other.
They were honest, hardworking, and pious men; but of low birth. They were Galilean fishermen whom Jews despised. Ignorant and obscure, the world held them in contempt. Why did Jesus choose them? First, to teach the world which values only riches and honors; second, to exalt poverty and simplicity when lived with the virtue of honesty. Third, to preserve the disciples from all danger of pride in the high office to which they were destined; and fourth, chiefly, to convince the world that establishment and triumph of the Church were not the work of man.
Ref: Cf “Practical Meditations” by a Father of the Society of Jesus, 1964, pp352-3

Our Lord calls them in the midst of their work.
Even nowadays, Jesus invites his followers wherever he finds them, so that their love for God will be known through family ties, at work and among friends. But he wants their work to be different henceforth.
“You are writing to me in the kitchen, by the stove. It is early afternoon. It is cold. By your side, your younger sister, the last one to discover the divine folly of living her Christian vocation to the full, is peeling potatoes. To all appearances -- you think -- her work is the same as before. And yet, what a difference there is! It is true: before she only peeled potatoes -- now she is sanctifying herself peeling potatoes.” (St Josemaria Escrivá, “Furrow”, 498)
For a Christian who lives thinking of God, work must be prayer, a way of union with Our Lord throughout the day. A great opportunity for practising virtues to reach the sanctity to which the Christian has been called. Prayer is therefore, also “any work that is well-finished and carried out with supernatural outlook”. (cf R Gomez Perez, “Faith and Life”)
Thus, work and interior life will not conflict, “just as the beating of the heart does not interrupt our attention to whatever our activities may be” (St Josemaria Escrivá, “Letter”, 15 September 1948). “May the whole of our day, our prayer and our work take their strength from you and always begin with you, O Lord, and may all that we have began through you reach a happy end.” (cf Salvatore Canals, “Jesus as Friend”)
As love is very resourceful, we will find reminders which help us never to forget that we go to God through what is human. “Place on your desk, in your room, in your wallet, a picture of Our Lady, and glance at it when you begin your work, while you are doing it, and when you finish it. She will obtain, I can assure you, the strength for you to turn your task into a loving dialogue with God.” (St Josemaria Escrivá, “Furrow”, 531)
Ref: Cf F Fernandez, “In Conversation with God”, 3:1-4, 6

The role of an apostle
An apostle is to preach the Gospel with whatever means and talents he or she possesses. A casual observance of our faith is passé. These days we must know our faith or we will be buffeted like a small boat on a stormy sea.
The lives of the people who have found God and proclaimed his messages have been similar throughout the ages. Each of them had the courage to speak the truth, the virtue Heaven is asking of its apostles, without a blush and fear of man. This is, and will always be, the apostle’s role.
Ref: Cf Ted and Maureen Flynn, “The Thunder of Justice”, pp371, 374

Naturalness -- “‘Blessed are you for believing’, said Elizabeth to our Mother. Union with God, supernatural virtue, always brings with it the attractive practice of human virtues: Mary brought joy to her cousin’s home, because she brought Christ.” (St Josemaria Escrivá, “Furrow”, 566)

• Our Lady of Peace, at Rome. 1843. [In the year 1483 the Duke of Calabria, having besieged Borne, to punish Sixtus IV., for having prevented his aiding the Duke of Ferrara against the Venetians, this sovereign pontiff had recourse to the Queen of heaven, bound himself by vow to build a church, under the title of Our Lady of Peace, if it should please her to deliver the city from the siege, and to restore peace to Italy. His prayer having been heard, he fulfilled his vow, by commencing a church, which was finished by Innocent VIII, his successor. (Bethlehem Observer Historical Calendar); (Gabriel Pennotus, Historia tripartia Canonicorum Regularium, book 3, cap. 33, sect. 2)."]; (www.marylinks.org/Mary-Calendar.htm)
• Our Lady of Peace (Rome). (maryfest.htm / www.starharbor.com/santiago/m_feasts.html)
• Our Lady of Peace, Rome (1483). (www/divinewill.org/feastsofourlady.html); (www.iskandar.com/ourlady/ourladyfeasts.html); (www.miraclehunter.com/marian_apparitions/calendar/index.html)
• “Notre Dame de Pontmain”. France. 1871. (www.marylinks.org/Mary-Calendar.htm)
• Our Lady of Pontmain, France (1871). (www/divinewill.org/feastsofourlady.html); (www.iskandar.com/ourlady/ourladyfeasts.html); (http://mariedenazareth.com)
• Our Lady of Pontmain (France). (maryfest.htm / www.starharbor.com/santiago/m_feasts.html)
• Our Lady of Pontmain - Our Lady of Hope. France 1871. (www.miraclehunter.com/marian_apparitions/calendar/index.html)