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Post by Admin on Jan 21, 2018 20:20:01 GMT
OUR LADY OF GOOD SUCCESS
It was the year 1563. In the Basque province of Viscaya, near to the border with France, into an aristocratic family of Spain, Mariana Francisca de Jesus Torres y Berriochoa was born as the first daughter of Diego Torres and Maria Berriochoa, both devout Catholics. Mariana was endowed “with rare beauty, quick intelligence, a sweet nature and, above all, a strong inclination toward virtue”. From infancy, Mariana rejected all the childish games of youth to secretly retire to the church of her baptism, which was close to her home. Her mother would often find her prostrate there before the Tabernacle. At the age of seven, a fire broke out in the church destroying it and damaging her house and paternal property, precipitating the family into poverty. The parents of the young girl found themselves obliged to leave Viscaya and to relocate themselves and their three children to Santiago of Galicia, in the northwestern part of Spain. One day, prostrate at the foot of the Tabernacle, with her heart inflamed with burning desire to unite herself to Jesus in Holy Communion, Mariana exclaimed aloud: « Oh, my Love! When will that day arrive when I might unite myself to You in Holy Communion?». Instantly, she heard a voice coming from the Tabernacle: « Whatever day you desire, My daughter, for your heart is even now prepared!». Unveiling the secret of this dialogue to a Franciscan priest, with his instruction, she began to prepare for this great day. On December 8, 1572, at the age of nine, Mariana received her First Holy Communion. Upon her first embrace with Jesus the torrent of divine love in her heart overwhelmed her and she fell into ecstasy. She saw our Immaculate Mother who explained to her the grandeur of the vow of virginity. She taught her the meaning of such a vow and instructed Mariana to make it, for her Heavenly Queen had destined her to be a religious of her Immaculate Conception. Then, she saw in the Tabernacle the Three Persons of the Most Holy Trinity and St. Joseph. She pronounced the solemn vow of chastity, repeating the words taught to her by Our Lady. When she was finished, the Eternal Father blessed the union of Mariana and His Holy Son, who asked her to walk the road of sacrifice and love.
*** The leading families of Quito, along with many inhabitants of the city, met a group of friars to petition the King of Spain to found the first Convent of the Immaculate Conception of the New World, in their colony. The King, Philip II, in 1566, issued the Royal Edict for the foundation of the Convent of the Immaculate Conception of Quito, dedicated to praying the Divine Office and devoted to the religious education and formation of the Spanish daughters and criollas of the spanish colony. The King himself sent from Spain the first group of founding mothers and he placed at their head the Rev. Mother Maria de Jesus Taboada, related to the royal family and aunt of Mariana. As soon as Mariana heard of the foundation of this new Convent, she understood Jesus’ words when He was inviting her to leave her paternal home to join Him. The founding Mother Maria decided to take Mariana with her and, a few days before taking leave, upon receiving Holy Communion, she had a vision of Jesus Who explained to her: « My Spouse, the time has already arrived for you to bid an eternal farewell to your motherland and to your paternal home. Eagerly coveting your beauty, I will bring you to My house, where, behind strong walls, you will live far from flesh and blood, hidden and forgotten by all human creatures. For your inheritance and patrimony, you will have, in imitation of Me, the cross and great sufferings. Strength and courage will not be lacking to you. I desire only that your will be always prepared to do Mine». In 1576, no sooner did Mother Maria, the other four founding mothers and Mariana embarked for Ecuador, when a tempest of unimaginable fury came over the ocean. The clear sky of day suddenly darkened, being transformed into a most disastrous night. The ship began to sink and the frightened sailors, rendering their efforts futile, cried out that this terrible tempest would bury them all in the ocean’s bottomless tomb. Thinking to be cause of such disaster, Mariana joined her aunt to pray to God for His mercy. Then both Mother Maria and Mariana beheld a vision. From out of the ocean, a monstrous serpent with seven heads arose, stirring up the waters of the sea, and attempting to destroy and sink their ship. Mariana fainted. However Mother Maria continued her entreaties to Heaven and upon completion of her prayer, suddenly, the light of the day made a breach in the darkness and the tempest calmed down. God had answer her prayer. When Mariana woke up, she told her aunt that she has seen a serpent larger than the sea and then a Lady of incomparable beauty appeared “ clothed in the sun, crowned with stars, carrying a beautiful Child in her arms” and over her heart a monstrance of the Blessed Sacrament. In her hand she carried a large cross of gold, which had a sharp lance at its end. The Lady, with the help of the Blessed Sacrament and the hand of the Child, struck the head of the serpent with the end of this cross so forcefully that the serpent was slashed to pieces. Two years later, Mother Maria ordered to strike a cloth medallion showing the scene of Mariana’s vision, and since that time the Conceptionists wear it on the breast of their habit. The founding Sisters arrived in Quito on December 30, 1576. On January 13, 1577, the Convent was founded. The spiritual and temporal government of the religious was placed in the hands of Rev. Father Antonio Jurado O.F.M. who received the vows of obedience of the Founding Mothers. All the inhabitants of Quito joined in this solemn celebration of the first Convent of the Immaculate Conception in their Colony. On completing her 15th year, September 8, 1577, Mariana entered the novitiate, beginning the year of probation under the guidance of her aunt and the Friars Minor. On October 4, 1579, after observing two years of religious life, practicing all virtues and strictly following the Rule, Mariana made her religious profession at the hands of her Abbess, Mother Maria. As she finished pronouncing her vows, she fainted in ecstasy. Thus, at the same time, Mother Maria accepted her profession, Mariana heard the Eternal Father repeating the words of her aunt: « If you are faithful in this, I promise you eternal life». She then saw Our Lord Who, with ineffable majesty and sweetness, then espoused Himself to her, placing on the finger of her right hand a beautiful ring with four precious stones. On each stone was written one of the four vows: poverty, obedience, chastity and cloister. Our Lord addressed her, saying: « My Spouse, I desire for you a life of immolation. Your life will be a continuous martyrdom». Apparition of the Most Holy TrinityIt was the year 1582. One day, after a particularly bitter incident with one of her Sisters, Mother Mariana went to the feet of Jesus Christ communicating to Him her torment and begging Him for fortitude. While she was talking to Jesus, at a moment, she heard an overwhelming sound, and saw that the whole Church had become immersed in darkness, as from dust and smoke. Looking up, Sister Mariana saw the main altar illuminated by full day. The Tabernacle opened and Christ Himself emerged, suffering, as on Golgotha in His agony with the Blessed Virgin, St. John and Mary Magdalene at His feet. Seeing this, the humble virgin, believing herself to be at fault, prostrated herself on the ground with her arms extended in the form of a cross, exclaiming: « Lord, I am the guilty one. Punish me and pardon your people». Her Guardian Angel made her rise, saying: « No! You are not to blame. Arise and approach, for God desires to reveal to you a great secret». She arose, and seeing the tears of the Most Holy Virgin, she addressed her, saying: « My Lady, am I to blame for thy sadness?». « No, it is not you, but the criminal world!». Then, as Our Lord agonised, she heard the voice of the Eternal Father saying: « This punishment will be for the 20th century»! Then, she saw three swords over the head of Christ. On each was written: “I shall punish heresy”, “I shall punish impiety”, “I shall punish impurity”, and she was given to understand all that would take place in the 20th century. The Holy Virgin continued: « My daughter, will you sacrifice yourself for the people of this time?». « I am willing» Mariana replied. Immediately, the swords moved away from the agonising Christ and buried themselves in the heart of Sister Mariana, causing her a mystical death from the violence of the pain. She appeared before God’s justice. Our Lord presented her with two crowns: one of immortal glory of indescribable beauty; the other of white lilies surrounded by thorns, and He said: « My Spouse, choose one of these crowns». She had to choose between the glory of Paradise and the glory of her return to earth, for suffering as a sacrificial victim to placate the Divine Justice for the heresies, impieties and impurities that would be committed in the 20th century. Reassured by the Virgin Mary’s words and her promise of help in this terrible test, Sister Mariana replied: « My Lady and Mother, may the Divine Will be accomplished in me». After these words, Mariana chose, with humility and resignation, the crown of lilies surrounded with thorns and returned to the world to suffer. |
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Post by Admin on Jan 21, 2018 20:24:07 GMT
Continued:
1st Apparition of Our Lady
On September 17, 1588, Sister Mariana was saying her customary prayers at midnight, when suddenly her body shuddered so violently that she could not help but cry out. Taken to bed, her body was examined and it was discovered that on each palm of her hands was something similar to a hole into which something had been driven. The same was present on the soles of her feet in the very place where the spikes had been driven into the feet of Our Lord. Upon her heart was a purple bruise and red mark, as if it had been wounded by a sword. The next morning, the doctor examined her carefully and said she was completely debilitated: the marrow of her bones dried up, her body paralised. The only movement he could find was the beating of her heart. This infirmity lasted for one year and, in the first months, to the physical suffering were added the spiritual ones. One day, on her bed of pain, she suddenly heard a dreadful clamor in the cell. She opened her eyes and saw a hideous serpent writhing and twisting in her cell, crawling frantically on the walls, as if pursued by someone trying to drive him away. Her pain increased and her spirit was overwhelmed with despair. All the heroic acts of her life seemed criminal to her. Her good works appeared as works of perdition, her very vocation an illusion and sham by which she had delivered herself to eternal damnation. In this woeful interior state, when it seemed to her that her soul would detach itself from her body from the violence of her suffering and sink like lead into Hell, she mustered all her strength, crying out: « Star of the stormy sea, Mary Most Immaculate, the weak vessel of my soul is sinking. The waters of tribulation are drowning me. Save me, for I am perishing!». Before she had pronounced the last word, she saw a celestial light around her and felt a loving hand touching her head. At the same time, she heard a sweet voice that said: « Why do you fear, My daughter? Do you know that I am with you in your tribulation? Rise up and look at Me!». The humble religious raised herself up in her bed and saw a Lady of great majesty and grandeur who breathed sweetness and love. She asked: « Who are you, beautiful Lady?». « I am the Mother of Heaven whom you invoked. I have come to dissipate the darkness of the night of your soul. (...) for your Lord and God has destined for you great and auspicious things during your lifetime (…). Now, I will impart life to your nerves, veins and arteries, and I will dispel the infernal serpent». As she finished speaking, the enormous serpent emitted a horrible scream of despair and hurled himself into Hell with such a great roar that it caused the earth to tremble throughout the Convent and the city of Quito. Mariana still remained in her bed suffering acute pains, and her health continued to worsen until September 1589. The second Wednesday of the month, at 9 o’clock in the morning, her agony began. The Holy Mass was celebrated in her presence and she received Extreme Unction. Her agony continued up to Friday. At 3:30 o’clock of the afternoon, Sister Mariana breathed her last breath. Her funeral were set for the next Monday. The next morning, the Sisters of the Convent directed their steps to the choir to pray the Little Office. When they arrived, they saw Sister Mariana praying there. *** In 1592, Mother Maria, the Abbess of the Convent for 15 years, fell severely sick and Sister Mariana was elected to take her place. But after the death of the Founding Mother (1593), a group of rebel Sisters was formed. The plots of these Sisters aimed at separating the Convent from the Friars Minor giving the jurisdiction to the Bishop of Quito. The resulting deterioration of the conventual life spread terrible suffering and the slanders and false accusations reached the point of trials in behalf of the presumed guilty Sisters. |
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Post by Admin on Jan 21, 2018 20:29:58 GMT
Continued:
2nd Apparition of Our Lady
On the morning of February 2, 1594, with a heart filled with bitterness and pain, Mother Mariana was praying prostrate to the ground in the upper choir of her Convent. She was beseeching Our Lord, through the intercession of His Blessed Mother, to stop these trials through which her beloved Convent was passing and for an end to the many sins being committed in the world. During this long penitential act, she perceived the presence of someone before her. Her heart was perturbed, but a sweet voice called her name. She rose rapidly and saw before her a most beautiful Lady, who carried the Child Jesus in her left arm and, in her right, a polished gold crosier adorned with precious stones of unearthly beauty. With her heart filled with joy and happiness, she said: « Beautiful Lady, who art thou and what dost thou want? Dost thou not know that I am but a poor sister, filled with love for God, most surely, but also overflowing with pain and sorrow?». The Lady answered: «The Most Holy Virgin placed the Divine Child in the arms of the happy religious, who embraced Him next to her heart and caressed Him fondly. As she did so, she felt within herself a strong desire to suffer. The spirit of rebellion and of nonobservance of the Rule, turned against Mother Mariana. In 1595, the rebel Sisters opposed her reelection to Abbess, electing instead Mother Magdalene. Furthermore, aggravating their relationship with the Friars Minors, in 1598, they achieved the separation of the Convent from them and obtained the jurisdiction of the Bishop of Quito. The long period of time, ranging from 1599 to 1610, was the most dramatic and turbulent period for the Convent. Mother Mariana and the Founding Mother were slandered, humiliated, persecuted, tried and several times sent to prison.
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Post by Admin on Jan 21, 2018 20:37:03 GMT
Continued: 3rd Apparition of Our Lady
It was in the prison of the Convent that Our Lady chose to appear again. It happened January 16, 1599. In a brilliant light, Mother Mariana saw appearing a most beautiful Lady who said: « I am Mary of Good Success, an invocation well known in Spain and one to whom you have often resorted. (…). The tribulation that my Most Holy Son has given you is a celestial gift to embellish your soul and to hold back the divine ire, so ready to unleash a terrible chastisement upon this ungrateful Colony. How many hidden crimes are committed in it! (…). In a short time, the Country in which you live will cease to be a Colony and will become a free Republic1. Then, known by the name of Ecuador, it will need heroic souls to sustain it in face of so many public and private calamities. Here, in this Convent, God will always find these souls, like hidden violets. Accursed would be Quito without this Convent! The most powerful king on earth with all his riches could not erect new buildings on this site, for this place belongs to God. In the 19th century, a truly Christian president (Garcia Moreno - ndr) will come; a man of character whom God Our Lord will give the palm of martyrdom on the square adjoining this Convent2 of mine. He will consecrate the Republic of Ecuador to the Sacred Heart of my Most Holy Son and this consecration will sustain the Catholic Religion in the years that will follow, which will be ill-fated ones for the Church.
These years, during which the accursed sect of Masonry will take control of the civil government, will see a cruel persecution of all religious communities, and will also strike out violently against this one of mine. These unfortunate men will think the Convent destroyed, but God lives and I live, and we will raise up powerful defenders and set before these enemies difficulties impossible to conquer, and the triumph will be ours. (...).
Thus it is the wish of my Most Holy Son that you command a statue of me to be made, just as you see me now, and that you place it upon the Abbess’ chair so that I may govern my Convent. In my right hand, place the crosier and the keys to the cloister as a sign of my proprietorship and authority. In my left arm, place my Divine Child: first, so that the men understand how powerful I am in placating the Divine Justice and obtaining mercy and pardon for every sinner who comes to me with a contrite heart, for I am the Mother of Mercy and in me there is only goodness and love; and second, so that throughout time my daughters will understand that I am showing and giving them my most Holy Son and their God as a model of religious perfection. They should come to me, for I will lead them to Him».
To Mother Mariana’s doubts that even the most skilled sculptor could not make such a statue, Our Lady responded: «My daughter, I agree to what you said. My servant Francis with his own wounded hands will carve my statue and the angelic spirits will assist him. He himself will place me on his cord, the symbol of all his sons and daughters who belong so closely to me. As for the height of my form, you yourself will measure me with the seraphic cord that you wear around your waist: bring your cord to me and place one end of it in my hand. Then you should touch the other end of it to my foot (...). Here, my daughter, you have the measurement of the height of your Heavenly Mother. Tell this to my servant, Francisco del Castillo, and describe to him my features and bearing. He will do the exterior work on my statue...».
*** In this period, Mother Mariana had been jailed again with the Founding Mothers, but the same year, the Bishop of Quito, after an inquiry about the facts happened in the Convent, having realised his mistakes, wrote a note to Mother Mariana in which he stated: «... I order Your Reverence to be now and forever the one who governs and rule the Convent, above even the governing Abbess, who should consult you in everything and seek your counsel in all she does, obeying you as Mother and Founder...». The charity of Mother Mariana toward the rebel Sisters and particularly for their leader, moved her to ask Our Lord to receive the needed punishments to save her soul. So, in 1601, the rebel Sister fell severely ill and was cured with care by Mother Mariana, who started a five year period of expiation suffering for the rebel soul she wanted to save. At the conclusion of this period, the rebel Sister died and, straight after, Mother Mariana was elected Abbess for the third time (1606-1609), and again for the fourth time (1609-1612). 1 In fact, Ecuador was declared a Republic on August 19, 1809. The following years witnessed a terrible massacre of the nobility, even women and children being put to the sword. Independence was definitively secured May 22, 1820, after the battle of Pichincha. Since that time, Ecuador has been torn by internal dissentions. 2 The Catholic Gabriel Garcia Moreno had been president of Ecuador in the periods 1861-1865 and 1869-1875. He transformed his Country, freeing it from continuous revolutions and from its public debt, and reorganizing civil and religious affairs favoring the Catholic Church. In 1873, Garcia Moreno made a public consecration of Ecuador to the Sacred Heart of Jesus. This act infuriated the Freemasons, and the German Grand Lodge gave an order for his death. As Our Lady forwarned, on August 6, 1875, on his way out of the Cathedral, he was struck down and killed by assassins, in the square of Quito adjoining the Convent.
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Post by Admin on Jan 21, 2018 20:45:37 GMT
Continued:
4th Apparition of Our Lady
On January 21, 1610, Mother Mariana was praying when, suddenly, the choir was inundated with celestial splendour. Amid this refulgent brilliance, she saw the arrival of three Archangels, St. Gabriel, St. Michael and St. Raphael who had preceded the Apparition of Our Lady to illuminate the Intelligence, to strengthen the weak heart and cure the blindness of Mother Mariana. After the celestial messengers departed, Mother Mariana remained prostrated to ground until 2 o'clock in the morning, when the Celestial Queen, carrying in Her arms the Divine Child, appeared and addressed her with these words: « Arise from the ground upon which you lay, favored daughter of my maternal Heart and beloved spouse of my Divine Child. Your humility has attracted my heart, just as the pride that reigns in this poor Colony separates it from Me. But because I have faithful and loving daughters in this Convent, and among them, you my chosen one, I come as always to confide to you my secrets». After talking to her about the religious unfaithful, who would live in the Convent throughout the course of the centuries, of their inveterate lukewarmness and deafness to any grace, inspiration, charitable counsel and warning of the chastisements to which they would incur, Our Lady told her:
Mother Mariana, with the help of the Virgin Mary, measured again, with her cord, the height of the Our Lady of Good Success. |
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Post by Admin on Jan 21, 2018 21:07:30 GMT
Continued:
5th Apparition of Our Lady
On February 2, 1610, at 1:30 o’clock, Mother Mariana was praying near the grille in the upper choir, meditating on the humility of Mary the Most Holy in the sublime mystery of the Purification. When she resolved to conclude her prayer and retire, suddenly she felt herself overcome by a joy intermixed with fear, and immediately saw herself in the presence of Our Lady of Good Success, who was looking at her with amiable severity without saying a single word. To the worries of Mother Mariana, Our Lady said: « Hard-hearted and long-delaying creature (...). With the making of my Statue, I will favour not only you and my Convent, but also the people – and the general public – through the centuries. Since this Convent is a fortress, it will bring salvation for many souls, drawing them from the abyss of sin in which they find themselves. God will be glorified in those souls. How many conversions it will bring about! Do you want to be responsible for the loss of so many souls by remaining deaf to my voice and command?».
«Beautiful Lady - responded Mother Mariana - your reprimand is most just and I receive it humbly before God. (...) but permit me to tell you my fears and request a grace, which, as a Mother, you will not be able to deny me. The fear that I present is this: since the people of this land are so inclined to idolatry, this might prove an occasion for them to deliver themselves to this practice. The grace that I ask is that you will hide my name so that only you, as the Sovereign and Queen that you are, might be glorified and I always hidden. Also, I ask that you give me your measurement once again, so that I can be certain at least of your height, since it would be impossible to represent your features, even if your holy stature were carved by the angelic spirits».
The Queen of Heaven responded:
Instantly, the humble religious, filled with confidence in and loving gratitude to the Blessed Virgin, took the cord that she wore around her waist and offered one of its ends to her Blessed Mother, while she touched the other end to the foot of Our Lady. The cord stretched as if it were elastic until it reached the height of the Queen of Heaven and Earth. When she raised her eyes to contemplate the forehead of Her Mother, she saw the Divine Child was standing and holding the end of the cord that touched the forehead of His Blessed Mother. (...). Then, extending His small, gracious hand, He handed the cord to Mother Mariana, saying: «My beloved spouse, here you have the measurement of the height of My Most Holy Mother that you desired. Conserve it reverently, for I desire that the many spouses I will have here throughout the centuries should measure themselves by it. The Measurement has already been given. And do you know how I desire that they be measured? I shall measure their humility, their silence, their charity, their patience, and their love for Me and My Blessed Mother, in Whom all should see themselves mirrored. And as Christians and, even more, as religious, I desire that they have My spirit in every act of their lives. My spirit is one of patience, meekness, abnegation, and total abandonment to the Divine will. Let them serve Me with diligence and disinterest, abandoning even their eternal happiness to the loving will of My Divine Heart (...)».
*** The following day, Mother Mariana started moving immediately to have the Statue of Our Lady of Good Success realized. She spoke with her spiritual director, Friar Juan of the Mother of God, and then with the Bishop of Quito who committed himself to have the Keys of the Convent made up, while the Crown was offered by the Chapter of the Cathedral. The sculptor Francisco del Castillo called to the Convent two days later, considered himself fortunate to make such work, and accepted the commitment. He left Quito immediately to find a special wood for the Statue. At the end of August, he came back to the Convent and started his work on September 15. As he sculpted the holy Statue, the sculptor seemed a man transformed, and he was often found working with tears streaming for his eyes. The Bishop visited the work from time to time and always He would leave quite moved. At the end of September, Mother Mariana called the Marquesa Maria de Yolanda, who took the assignment of having the gold Crosier made in Spain by her family. Known, then, of the measurement of the height of Our Lady of Good Success with the cord of the Abbess, the Marquesa asked the favor to see it. Received it in her hands, and just given it back, her left arm, inert since days as a consequence of a severe fall, was suddenly cured. The Statue completed by the Angels
On January 16, the fervent religious arose in the early morning to pray the Little Office, as was the custom. As they drew near the choir, they heard distant refrains of melodious music. They hurried their steps to the upper choir, and there, wonder of wonders, they saw the whole choir enveloped in a celestial light and heard the resounding voices of Angels who, accompanied by celestial music, were intoning in sweet and enchanting harmony the Salve Sancta Parens. The holy Statue had been finished by the Angels! From her face issued rays of intense light that diffused through the whole Choir and church. Little by little it became less brilliant so that the Sisters could draw near and contemplate more closely the miracle worked by God for His Convent and mankind with the angelic completion of the holy and venerable Statue. Haloed by this brilliant light, the physiognomy of the Statue was not severe, but majestic, serene, sweet, amiable, and attracting, as if she were inviting her daughters to approach their Heavenly Mother with confidence to give her a filial embrace of thanks-giving and welcome. The Divine Chid was a masterpiece. His countenance expressed love and tenderness for the spouses so beloved of His Heart and so dear to His Mother. (…). Overflowing with love of God and His blessed Mother, they recited the Little Office with redoubled fervour on that happy morning. At the prearranged hour, Señor Francisco del Castillo after receiving Communion, arrived at the Convent to give the last coat to his great work. He brought with him the best and finest paint that he could find for that purpose. Mother Mariana and the Founding Mothers decided that they would have the sculptor enter the choir to verify what had taken place. Without telling him anything, they brought him into the cloister. Arriving at the choir, he looked at the Statue in astonishment and exclaimed with great emotion: « Mothers, what has happened? This magnificent Statue is not my work! I cannot express what my heart feels! This is an angelic work, for a work such as this could not be made on this earth by hands of mere clay. No sculptor, no matter how skilled he might be, could ever imitate such perfection and unique beauty». He fell to the feet of the holy Statue, his heart overflowing with sentiments of faith and piety while a flood of tears poured from his eyes. Then, rising, he asked for paper and ink so that he might draw up a written testimony swearing that this blessed Statue was not his work, but that of the Angels. In it, he testified that he had found the Statue different from the way he had left it in the upper Choir of that Convent, six days earlier. The Bishop, informed of this miracle, went immediately to the Convent to personally see the marvel of the completion of the Statue and, after realizing this miraculous event, invited Mother Mariana to the confessional, to know from her what had really happened. Solemn Anointment of the Statue
In preparation for the anointment of the Statue, the Bishop ordered the Sisters to make a Novena, and blessed the miraculous Statue with the name of “ Mary of Good Success of the Purification, or Candlemas. On February 2, 1611, in the church of the Convent, Fr. Juan of the Mother of God celebrated the Mass in presence of the Bishop, all the Conceptionist Sisters, the Chapter of the Cathedral, and a vast public of every social class that was overflowing the church. At the conclusion of the Mass, the Statue was carried down from the high altar and placed on the main altar, along with the Crown, the Crosier, the brooch, a precious dress and two strips of a long belt make of silk, along with a golden mantle of silk interwoven with threads of silver. In addition to these treasures, there were also a beautiful necklace of fine pearls and three rings of gold, one with precious emerald, another with a diamond, and the third finely set with rubies in a form of a small royal crown. These fine pieces were placed on a small gold shell made for this purpose and engraved in letters adorned with precious emerals: “ I am Mary Most Holy of Good Success, February 2, 1611”. The Solemn Anointment, then, began. After the sermons that followed, the Bishop began the solemn procession through the cloisters, preceded by a tall Cross. The participants held lighted candles in their hands. The procession ended at the choir, festively decorated, and the Statue was placed in its niche by the Friars. Intoned a solemn Salve Regina, followed by the Litany and by Salve Sancta Parens, with tears, the Bishop reverently and tenderly placed the Crown on the head of the holy Statue saying: « Señora, I deliver to Thee the Church». Then, he placed the Croiser in Her right hand, saying: « Señora, I deliver to Thee the government of this Convent and of my flock in general». Finally, he placed the Keys in the same hand holding the Crosier, saying: « Señora and my Mother, I deliver to Thee my soul. Open the doors of Heaven to me, for the time remaining to me in this life is quite brief. Watch over this Tabernacle and these cloisters of your daughters with care and affection. Defend them always and conserve in them the religious spirit that should characterize the spouses of thy Most Holy Son».
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Post by Admin on Jan 21, 2018 21:12:08 GMT
Continued:
Vision of the fury of the Devil
On the Feast of Corpus Christi, Thursday 1623, Mother Mariana was praying at the foot of the Tabernacle when, suddenly, she fell into ecstasy. She saw, in a vision, that this Country would be favored with graces and mercy as a result of the public and solemn devotion that would be rendered to the Blessed Sacrament, in future centuries. She saw devout processions that would be made through the main streets of the city that would include religious men, women, children, youth, and persons from all the social classes. She saw the profound recollection of all, and the great respect and devotion of the diverse groups, with many of their members using instruments of penance on their bodies. She saw the faith and piety of the faithful and the complaisance of Our Lord Jesus Christ as He passed through the streets of the city in those fortunate times to come. But, alas! She also saw how all this aroused the fury of the Devil who would strive to raze this solid edifice of Catholic piety founded upon the faith of the children of God. To achieve this evil intent, he would avail himself of the sons of this country who would lose the sentiment of faith, bequeathed to them by their parents and elders. These countrymen would work to oppress the Church in their assemblies and prevent this public devotion, for they would have already entered the party of Satan by becoming members of the Masonic Lodges.She saw that this generation of men without faith would be formed by unworthy children of the Catholic Church who would impiously oppress her and put an end to the reverent processions that attract the blessing of God. This would be a time of sorrow and grief for all the faithful children of the Church, who, with their Prelates and pastors, would be few in number. Our Lord showed her how the hideous and pestiferous wild boar of Masonry would enter the beautiful, flourishing vineyard of the Church, leaving it destroyed and in complete ruins.(…). Mother Mariana returned to herself in the arms of her Sisters, who were weeping, believing her to be dead, for it was now five o’clock in the afternoon and she had shown no sign of life since nine o’clock that morning. With a deathlike pallor, Mother Mariana made an attempt to speak, stand up and walk but despite her greatest efforts, she could not succeed (…). In this weakened state, she again lost her senses! This time she saw the infidelity of the ministers of the altar to their holy vocation, and the unworthy way that some would approach the Holy Sacrifice. She considered the causes of this and her soul was overcome with a profound, unearthly sorrow.
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Post by Admin on Jan 21, 2018 21:23:20 GMT
Continued:
6th Apparition of Our Lady
At 3 o’clock in the morning of February 2, 1634, with her eyes fixed on the Tabernacle, Mother Mariana was praying Our Lord telling Him all the love she had for Him. After these prayers, she saw the sanctuary light, which burned before the Sacramental Jesus, go out, leaving the main sanctuary in complete darkness. Then, suddenly, she saw a celestial light illuminate the whole church. The Queen of Heaven appeared, lit the Tabernacle lamp, and approached her, presenting Herself as Mary of Good Success and explaining to her the meaning of the extinguishing of the sanctuary lamp with these words: « The sanctuary light burning before the altar that you saw be extinguished has many meanings:
*** After this admirable vision, all that had been narrated by Our Lady passed before the eyes of Mother Mariana as if on a silent presentation. She was given to know the countless number of souls who would be condemned for the above-mentioned reasons. Seeing this, Mother Mariana fainted and remained to all appearances, dead there in the choir for a couple days. But Mother Mariana, miraculously woke up and lived her last year of life.
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Post by Admin on Jan 21, 2018 21:28:03 GMT
Continued: Apparition of Jesus Christ
On November 2, 1634, after receiving Holy Communion, Mother Mariana had a vision of Jesus Christ: He was, however, but one wound, especially His Sacred Heart, which was covered with small but piercing thorns which tormented Him with extraordinary cruelty. He shed a deluge of tears, accompanied by tender lamentations and sighs. Mother Mariana embraced Him in her heart with all the tenderness and adoration for her Lord and God that burned in her soul. In an outburst of sorrowful love, she cried out: « Esteemed and adored Love of my soul, if it is possible, tell me what causes Thee to suffer such a cruel martyrdom?». Jesus Christ gazed at her with loving tenderness. Releasing a profound sigh, He said:
After this moving vision, Mother Mariana seemed transformed into a new creature. She seemed an angel in human flesh and a seraphim filled with God. Her words were flaming arrows of divine love that sweetly wounded the hearts of the fortunate daughters who lived with her.
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Post by Admin on Jan 21, 2018 21:37:38 GMT
Continued:
7th Apparition of Our Lady
The night of December 1634, at 11:30 o’clock, Mother Mariana directed her steps to the upper choir for her customary prayer. There, shedding a torrent of tears, she presented each one of her daughters to the Divine Prisoner and her Most Holy Mother. She implored good success for her own and their passages to eternity. During this colloquy, she felt the vehemence of divine love and lost her bodily senses.
Then she saw before her the Queen of Heaven, beautiful and captivating as always, with her Most Holy Son in her left arm and the crosier in her right hand. She was accompanied by the three Archangels. – St. Michael carried a countless number of white tunics sprinkled with stars, adorned with burnished gold. Each tunic was trimmed with an exquisite collar of fine pearls, from which hung a most beautiful gold cross with every type of precious stone. In the middle of the cross was a shining star engraved with the sweet names of Jesus and Mary. – St. Gabriel carried a chalice bearing the Blood of the Redeemer, a ciborium filled with Hosts, and a large quantity of fragrant, white lilies. – St. Raphael bore a large, precious ampulla, transparent and finely chiseled, which contained a superb balsam, whose suave odor floated out from the receptacle and diffused in the air, purifying the atmosphere and causing the soul to feel a supreme joy and admirable tranquility. He also carried many violet-colored stoles that shone with a splendorous brilliance and a writing quill of a shining and refulgent gold, marked with the name of Mary.
The three Holy Archangels stood before their Sovereign Queen, whose left arm sustained the King of the Heaven and the Prince of Eternity. The nine angelic choirs, upon a signal from Prince St. Michael, began to sing with celestial harmony, with one choir succeeding another until they reached the ninth. After this celestial symphony had ended, the Queen spoke these words:
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Post by Admin on Jan 21, 2018 21:41:53 GMT
Continued: Death of Mother Mariana
In the first five days of 1635, Mother Mariana remained very week, becoming worse every day. The seventh day, she began to suffer prolonged swoons daily. She did not remain in bed, however, but forced herself to always be with her beloved Sisters. On January 11, after Communion, she lost consciousness again and, after trying to stand, she fell to the ground. She then asked to be carried to the infirmary because those were her last days. She knew she would expire on January 16. And this day finally dawned. Mother Mariana assisted and consoled each Sister in private, confessed herself, assisted to the Mass celebrated in the room with the presence of the Bishop, made her profession of Faith, received the Extreme Unction, then the bell rang to gather the Sisters for their last meeting with her. Then, she read her Testament, asking, ordering and commanding that it be followed by her successors and transmitted from generation to generation. She desired its text to always be at hand. After she finished speaking, the Friar assisting her, placed his crucifix it in her hands. She held it tightly against her heart. At the conclusion of the prayers, two large tears rolled down the rosy cheeks of Mother Mariana and, with a profound sigh, she expired. The large bell, toning the hours, rang that moment: it was 15:00 o’clock of January 16, 1635.
The Testament of Mother Mariana
In her Testament, Mother Mariana addresses Jesus Christ saying: « My love, open to me the doors of Your Kingdom just as on that memorable day, You opened to me the blessed doors of the cloister of my Immaculate Mother where I sanctified myself by carrying out Your holy will under Your gaze alone. Behold me, weary of the harsh exile of mortal life where I suffered in silence and for love of You all the hardships that You sent me. The road was long, but I have finally reached its end. Open Your arms and permit me to rest from my labours and lay my weary head in the ardent fires of Your Divine Heart (...). Now I come eagerly to take possession of the blessed eternity that You promised me, when I will live under the mantle of my Immaculate Mother and in company of my Father, Francis of Assisi». But the major worry of Mother Mariana was the conversion of sinners. S he points out the means to convert sinners: the imitation of Christ in His meekness and heart humility and being united to Him and nailed with Him to the same Cross, to have Him always ready to hear the petitions and requests for the souls needing the divine help. It is important to note that the message of Our Lady of Good Success had been deemed by Mother Mariana so important for this poor world that her last thoughts were to promote the devotion and the messages received by Our Lady. In her Testament, in fact, she wrote:
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Post by Admin on Jan 21, 2018 21:50:04 GMT
Continued: The devotion of Our Lady Good Success
Mary of Good Success, Virgin of Good Success or Our Lady of Good Success was an invocation well known in Spain. The tracks of this invocation dates back to the time of wars of liberation from the Muslims. It is to the “ Buen Suceso” that a magnificent altar was devoted by the victorious El Cid upon entering triumphant in the city of Almenara The meaning of the term “ Buen Suceso” or “Good Success” is the miracle or supernatural intervention of the Mother of God calls in which She intercedes in favour of her children. It is the extraordinary event that converts an image of stone or wood, into a “door” to God or “gate of Heaven”. The Virgin of Good Success was patroness of Sagunto-Valencia. It is a marble statue of 40 cm in height which is venerated in the Convent of the Religious (Servite) of the city. The legend says that the statue appeared floating on the waters of the sea, surrounded by 5 stars. Over time, other invocations of Our Lady were transformed into that of “ Good Success”: in the area of Traiguera-Castellon, the people were venerating, as patroness of those lands, the Virgin of the Source of Health, found, according to tradition, by the two pastors: Anastasio and Jaime Sorlì, in 1384. This invocation had been changed into that of Our Lady of Good Success. In the area of Cabanes-Castellon, to the mother of a seriously sick child, Francisco Gavaldà – the future Bishop of Segorbe – one day, happened that, as she was praying before the Virgin of the Rosary, she saw that the statue begin to sweat. The mother wiped the perspiration of the statue with a cloth, then placed it under the pillow of her son. The next morning, the child woke up completely healed. This “ Good Success”, first of many “ Good successes” that followed, gave rise to the change of name of the sacred statue. Most importantly, however, the authoritative seal, placed on the invocation of Our Lady of Good Success which has been crucial to the success of the promotion of her devotion, originated directly from the will of a Pope: Paul V (1605-1621).
*** Bernardino de Obregon (1540-1599) was a young Spaniard, rich and proud. One day in 1567, he was so taken by the humility of a poor passer-by, that he changed his life and decided to devote himself to serving the poor and the sick. With the approval of the Nuncio and the King Philip II of Spain, he founded, under the Rule of the Third Order of St. Francis of Paola, the “ Religious Congregation of Minims for assistance to the sick” (which served mainly in hospitals). The vows were to chastity, poverty, obedience and hospitality. In 1599, Obregon died and was buried in the General Hospital of Madrid, where his “ Obregones” were working. The successor, Brother Gabriel de Fontanet, along with Brother Guillermo de Rigosa, in 1606, went to Rome to ask the Pope for the approval for the extension of their jurisdiction from the city of Madrid to the entire country of Spain. They made the journey on foot. As they have traveled past Valencia, near the border with Catalonia, crossing the sierra of Valdancha between Traiguera and Castellon, the two brothers lost their way and a terrible storm came upon them during the night. Praying to find a safe place to die as they both feared that storm’s fury would cause their death, they beheld a bright light, high in the mountain range. They decided to climb toward this light. Upon doing so, they not only beheld this beautiful light within a cave but a shrine to the Mother of God with fragrant flowers or rare beauty growing there. As they entered the cave, they discovered a statue of a smiling Virgin Mary with Child Jesus in the left arm, a sceptre in his right hand and a wonderful crown encircled on her head. The statue was rather small, only 53 cm high, with the Child Jesus of 11 cm tall. They both had brown hair, black eyes, flesh colored skin. The Statue was made of cypress wood. Not only was there something miraculous in this discovery, but the wonder of the two Brothers was that they could not be able to imagine who could sculpture a work of art of such beauty and perfection! They placed the Statue in a basket and continued their journey to Rome. Pope Paul V received the two Brothers and heard the story of the discovery of the Statue. Understanding the supernatural nature of the event, He knelt down, put his pectoral cross around the neck of the Statue, embraced and kissed Her and exclaimed: « Look, She smiles! Why is She smiling? What a Good Success you have achieved with this trip! There is no doubt that Our Lady has decided to protect you and support you in your work. So I am not the one to go against Her. May your wishes have a Good Success!». Then, Pope Paul V blessed the Statue, granted Her many indulgences, gave her the name of “Our Lady of Good Success” and commanded that Her devotion had to be promoted at once. In memory of the pectoral cross which Paul V had placed on Our Lady of Good Success, He authorised the Friars, of the Order to use a cloth cross on their black tunic. At the end, Paul V decreed that the “ Religious Congregation of Minims for assistance to the sick” was erected to Religious Order. On their return journey, the two Brothers, arrived in Valencia, which was in the grip of the plague. They discovered that nine of their twelve brothers died by contagion. They continued for Madrid and placed the sacred Statue above the altar of the church of the General Hospital, until, in charge of the Royal Hospital care of the Court, at the “Puerta del Sol” in Madrid, replaced the Statue in its infirmary. This hospital, founded by King Ferdinand and Isabella of Castile for the assistance and care of infected soldiers, was enlarged by the Emperor Charles V in 1529. King Philip II personally traced out the plan of its small church, and the Hospital and the church were declared Royal Patronage. On June 6, 1611, King Philip II made the dedication of the new church and, in the presence of the Queen and the whole Court, placed the Statue of Our Lady of Good Success in the church, above the third chapel. Then, on September 19, 1641, with a solemn ceremony, the sacred Statue, which gave its name to the Hospital of the Court and to its church, was placed above the main altar. The church received considerable privileges: it was made a parish, depending on the Patriarch of the Indies, as Major Chapel of the Kings and of the Vicar General of the armies and the Armed Forces. The Statue remained, in this church at the “Puerta del Sol” in Madrid, for about two hundred years. It was moved during the horrors, the massacres and the destruction of the Spanish Succession War, when foreign armies invaded Spain and, in the courtyard of the Hospital, many heroes of Madrid were shot. Following the ruins caused by war, the sacred Statue was placed in a niche of the Church of the Good Success, until when, in 1832, was moved, first, to the Royal College of Our Lady of Loreto, then, in the Chapel of the Royal Palace. The area of the Hospital of the Court and its church was assigned for other uses and so, over the years, in those places, new and magnificent buildings had risen. There was a project to rebuild the church of the Hospital of Good Success in an area called Prado, before the Botanical Garden, but the idea was abandoned. It was Queen Isabella II who insisted that the idea of rebuilding the church dedicated to the Good Success was not abandoned; so this was erected in the district of Pozas, in 1868, before the Hospital Central del Aire (the Military Hospital), even if not so large and magnificent as it was planned in the original draft of reconstruction. King Philip III placed there the sacred Statue with a privilege unmatched in Spain and in the world: this was the only church in the world where the Mass was celebrated from 5 am until 2 pm. Even in Rome itself there was no church holding such a privilege!
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