Mary is mentioned in the Scriptures more than most people think. Most are in relation to events connected to Jesus:
- The birth of Jesus
- The visit of Mary and Joseph to Jerusalem as they present the child Jesus in the Temple
- Their flight to Egypt, the wedding in Cana where we see the power of Mary’s intercession
- Her presence at the foot of the cross, where Jesus gives her as mother to John and consequently to each of us.
- Finally, she is present at Pentecost for the birth of the Church.
Mary has had a powerful presence in the life of the Church since the first century. Her first reported apparition was to the Apostle James in the year 40, when he was struggling to make converts in the Roman province of Iberia. She was living in Jerusalem at the time and bilocated in a vision to James, standing on a pillar from heaven. She told James that his efforts would bear much fruit and instructed him to build a chapel there in her honor, which eventually came to be called Our Lady of the Pillar, located in Zaragoza, Spain.
She has had a prominent place in the lives of saints and popes through the ages; it was especially the introduction of the Rosary that brought Mary into the prayer life of the faithful.
Two Heavenly Apparitions
Two world-famous apparitions of Mary tell us how Mary gave us this gift from Heaven, the rosary.
On February 11th, 1858, the Blessed Mother, with a rosary in hand, appeared to Bernadette Soubirous in Lourdes, France. Bernadette was a frail 14-year-old who had difficulty with her studies because her poor health caused her to miss so many classes. Why did the Virgin Mary choose to appear to her? Perhaps it was the humility and docility of the young girl. Mary implored Bernadette to pray the rosary for the conversion of sinners. Without question, Bernadette obeyed every request of Mary, even those she didn’t understand, such as digging in the dirt for water. Because of her obedience, the healing waters of Lourdes were discovered. Millions of pilgrims visit Lourdes each year to pray the rosary in procession, attend Mass, and go to confession. In addition to the numerous unverified miracles from this experience, there have been 69 miracles that have been scientifically proven to be supernatural.
On May 13, 1917, in Fatima, Portugal, three young children were tending sheep and praying the rosary when a lady more brilliant than the sun, from whose hands hung a rosary, appeared to them. She told them it was necessary to pray the rosary for peace and the conversion of sinners. She appeared to them on the 13th of each month from May through October with the message of prayer, penance, and conversion. At the last apparition on October 13th, with about 70,000 people present, Mary asked that a chapel be built in her honor. After the apparition, all present witnessed the miracle of the sun that had been promised previously. It had rained all day, and the ground was soaked. During the miracle, it appeared that the sun was spinning and approaching the earth. The ground became dry, and there were reported miracles of healing.
Our Lady's Ongoing Call
Lourdes and Fatima are the two most popular apparitions where Our Lady promoted the rosary, but there are many others as well. The message given, along with the importance of praying the rosary, is the same as the message in the Gospel: repent, believe in the Gospel, order our lives to God, and share our faith with others. This, combined with the Mass and the Sacraments, is the solution to all the problems in the world. St. Pope John Paul II, who was deeply devoted to Mary and the Rosary, reminds us:
“The Rosary is a prayer both so humble and simple and theologically rich in Biblical content. I beg you to pray it.”
We all know what we must do, but it won’t become a reality until it is the desire of our hearts. This will only happen when we have a discipline of prayer, and the rosary is an important part of that discipline. If you would like to receive a complimentary rosary with a rosary pamphlet, contact us at Pilgrim Center of Hope: 210-521-3377 or ministry@pilgrimcentrofhope.org
Originally written by Pilgrim Center of Hope for Today's Catholic newspaper.
Deacon Tom Fox, K.C.H.S., and Mary Jane Fox, D.C.H.S. are the Co-Founders & Co-Directors of Pilgrim Center of Hope. The two left their careers after a profound conversion experience and began working full-time in ministry at their parish in 1986. After several years and having impacted tens of thousands of families, the Foxes founded Pilgrim Center of Hope in 1993 as a response to the Church’s call for a New Evangelization. Deacon Tom is an invested member of the Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem, a Commander Knight of the Holy Sepulchre.
Pilgrim Center of Hope provides events, experiences, and media; initiating a desire in people to encounter Jesus Christ in their daily journey of life. See what’s happening & let us journey with you! Visit PilgrimCenterOfHope.org.
