By Father Rich Tomkosky
As we close out the month of October, which honors Our Blessed Mother Mary in a special way, what are the common elements that the Lord — through her as our spiritual Mother in Heaven — is calling us to embrace, as He sends her as His messenger, especially over the last 200 years?
Most of the approved apparitions have occurred in that time. Are we approaching the end? Only the Lord knows!
Remember, these apparitions are supplements to our faith based on Sacred Scripture and Tradition, and you are not required to believe in them, but they are very helpful in making our Catholic faith come alive and showing God’s care for us through our Lady down through the centuries. The Lord and Our Lady never abandon us – no matter how dire the times.
Prayer
At every approved apparition, be it at Guadalupe, LaSalette, Lourdes, Champion, Wisconsin, Fatima, Akita, Kibeho, etc., Our Lady urges with all her maternal spiritual love for us to get into the daily habit of praying the Rosary, both the regular daily Rosary and the Seven Sorrows Rosary that she taught again to the young women seers at Kibeho, Rwanda (in 1981-82) – to say especially on Tuesdays and Saturdays for peace in the world (that comes from deeper interior and exterior union with God) and for the conversion of hardened sinners. Along with that, she encourages praying the Divine Mercy chaplet, Mass daily – if at all possible (especially making the five 1st Saturday Masses in a row – more of us need to do that and the other elements of that devotion as a help to ultimate salvation of souls), monthly Confession, praying with others, and reading and meditating on the Sacred Scriptures especially the Gospels — making our life a living sacrifice.
Penance/Fasting
Mary always implores us to do more penance and fasting, which can take on a variety of forms of self-denial to grow in true love for God and neighbor. We all need to do penance, hopefully daily, not just during Lent, to make reparation for our past sins against God and neighbor and for the spiritual damage they caused, of which only God knows the full extent – if that process is not completed in this earthly life that is what Purgatory will finish up. Penance can also be offered to help other souls have a deeper conversion to God whether on earth or to help the souls being purified in Purgatory.
Our primary penance each day is the sufferings that come from carrying out our daily duties in our vocation. But there are other things we can do: fasting in regards to food – for some that may be bread and water some days or giving up snacks/candy or eating between meals or eating out. Other types of penance/fasting may include giving up at times things we really like, be it listening to music, watching a favorite show or sporting event, etc. All this is done for the intention of reparation for our sins and those of others, both on earth and for the souls in Purgatory, and for a deeper conversion to the Lord in all of us. We should make a morning offering prayer each day when we first get up to offer our suffering and penances in union with Jesus, in company with Mary, so that they bear good spiritual fruit. See the life of Saint Jacinta at Fatima as a model of penance as a little girl and Saint Jerome as an adult.
Works of Charity
Our Lady reminds us that we need to put our faith into concrete actions of charity. As she told the visionary Adele at Champion, Wisconsin, I am the Mother of God and am praying for the conversion of sinners. You need to do the same, after making a good general Confession, ASAP. And once she did that, Our Lady told her that her life’s mission was to teach the Catechism to others especially children, to teach all to make the Sign of her Son’s Cross with reverence, and to prepare people to receive the Sacraments with proper faith, reverence, and love. Nothing earthshattering, but basic solid Catholic stuff.
The Corporeal and Spiritual Works of Mercy help us to put our faith into concrete practice. Try to do one of each every month, and switch it up over time, as much as you are able to do so in your circumstances, and to hopefully help your family, especially your children and grandchildren to do the same.
The Seven Corporal Works of Mercy are:
1). Feeding the hungry
2). Giving drink to the thirsty
3). Clothing the naked
4). Sheltering the homeless
5). Visiting the sick
6). Visiting the imprisoned
7). Burying the dead
The Seven Spiritual Works of Mercy are:
1). Admonishing the sinner
2). Instructing the ignorant
3). Counseling the doubtful
4). Comforting the sorrowful
5). Bearing wrongs patiently
6). Forgiving injuries
7). Praying for the living and the dead
As we can see, the Corporal Works of Mercy address a person’s physical needs while the Spiritual Works of Mercy address a person’s spiritual needs. They teach us how to show charity to the whole human person made in the image and called to grow in the likeness of the all-holy Triune God.
May Our Lady’s prayers and example help us to live our faith well in prayer, penance, and works of charity for the good of souls on earth and in Purgatory leading us all on the narrow path to Heaven. God bless you.
Father Rich Tomkosky is the Pastor of Saint Thomas the Apostle Parish in Bedford and Seven Dolors of the Blessed Virgin Mary Parish in Beans Cove.
Overview
What Do the Approved Apparitions of Our Lady Have in Common?
By Father Rich Tomkosky
As we close out the month of October, which honors Our Blessed Mother Mary in a special way, what are the common elements that the Lord — through her as our spiritual Mother in Heaven — is calling us to embrace, as He sends her as His messenger, especially over the last 200 years?
Most of the approved apparitions have occurred in that time. Are we approaching the end? Only the Lord knows!
Remember, these apparitions are supplements to our faith based on Sacred Scripture and Tradition, and you are not required to believe in them, but they are very helpful in making our Catholic faith come alive and showing God’s care for us through our Lady down through the centuries. The Lord and Our Lady never abandon us – no matter how dire the times.
Prayer
At every approved apparition, be it at Guadalupe, LaSalette, Lourdes, Champion, Wisconsin, Fatima, Akita, Kibeho, etc., Our Lady urges with all her maternal spiritual love for us to get into the daily habit of praying the Rosary, both the regular daily Rosary and the Seven Sorrows Rosary that she taught again to the young women seers at Kibeho, Rwanda (in 1981-82) – to say especially on Tuesdays and Saturdays for peace in the world (that comes from deeper interior and exterior union with God) and for the conversion of hardened sinners. Along with that, she encourages praying the Divine Mercy chaplet, Mass daily – if at all possible (especially making the five 1st Saturday Masses in a row – more of us need to do that and the other elements of that devotion as a help to ultimate salvation of souls), monthly Confession, praying with others, and reading and meditating on the Sacred Scriptures especially the Gospels — making our life a living sacrifice.
Penance/Fasting
Mary always implores us to do more penance and fasting, which can take on a variety of forms of self-denial to grow in true love for God and neighbor. We all need to do penance, hopefully daily, not just during Lent, to make reparation for our past sins against God and neighbor and for the spiritual damage they caused, of which only God knows the full extent – if that process is not completed in this earthly life that is what Purgatory will finish up. Penance can also be offered to help other souls have a deeper conversion to God whether on earth or to help the souls being purified in Purgatory.
Our primary penance each day is the sufferings that come from carrying out our daily duties in our vocation. But there are other things we can do: fasting in regards to food – for some that may be bread and water some days or giving up snacks/candy or eating between meals or eating out. Other types of penance/fasting may include giving up at times things we really like, be it listening to music, watching a favorite show or sporting event, etc. All this is done for the intention of reparation for our sins and those of others, both on earth and for the souls in Purgatory, and for a deeper conversion to the Lord in all of us. We should make a morning offering prayer each day when we first get up to offer our suffering and penances in union with Jesus, in company with Mary, so that they bear good spiritual fruit. See the life of Saint Jacinta at Fatima as a model of penance as a little girl and Saint Jerome as an adult.
Works of Charity
Our Lady reminds us that we need to put our faith into concrete actions of charity. As she told the visionary Adele at Champion, Wisconsin, I am the Mother of God and am praying for the conversion of sinners. You need to do the same, after making a good general Confession, ASAP. And once she did that, Our Lady told her that her life’s mission was to teach the Catechism to others especially children, to teach all to make the Sign of her Son’s Cross with reverence, and to prepare people to receive the Sacraments with proper faith, reverence, and love. Nothing earthshattering, but basic solid Catholic stuff.
The Corporeal and Spiritual Works of Mercy help us to put our faith into concrete practice. Try to do one of each every month, and switch it up over time, as much as you are able to do so in your circumstances, and to hopefully help your family, especially your children and grandchildren to do the same.
The Seven Corporal Works of Mercy are:
1). Feeding the hungry
2). Giving drink to the thirsty
3). Clothing the naked
4). Sheltering the homeless
5). Visiting the sick
6). Visiting the imprisoned
7). Burying the dead
The Seven Spiritual Works of Mercy are:
1). Admonishing the sinner
2). Instructing the ignorant
3). Counseling the doubtful
4). Comforting the sorrowful
5). Bearing wrongs patiently
6). Forgiving injuries
7). Praying for the living and the dead
As we can see, the Corporal Works of Mercy address a person’s physical needs while the Spiritual Works of Mercy address a person’s spiritual needs. They teach us how to show charity to the whole human person made in the image and called to grow in the likeness of the all-holy Triune God.
May Our Lady’s prayers and example help us to live our faith well in prayer, penance, and works of charity for the good of souls on earth and in Purgatory leading us all on the narrow path to Heaven. God bless you.
Father Rich Tomkosky is the Pastor of Saint Thomas the Apostle Parish in Bedford and Seven Dolors of the Blessed Virgin Mary Parish in Beans Cove.