The History of Our Lady of Hope
Imagine yourself coming out of your house on a winter day to see in the sky not just clouds, but a woman dressed in a dark-blue robe studded with stars, a dark veil covering her head, and a crown made of solid gold. What would you do or say?
Well my dear friends, IT DID HAPPEN, on a winter day on January 17th in a town called Pontmain, a small town north of Mayenne. Two young boys, Eugene and Joseph Barbedette, were the first to see this great apparition* in the sky. It was Mary, the Mother of Our Lord, who appeared to Eugene and Joseph. The question is "why"?
She appeared as a sign of Hope.
Who would ever think that children would be the witnesses of this great sign of Hope. They brought family, friends, and even the sisters from the Catholic school in their town, to see the beautiful apparition. But none could see her, only Eugene and Joseph. Later two little girls saw the beautiful woman and described her beauty before the people looking towards the sky.
At the time of this apparition, a great army was moving to invade the country of France. On January 17th, 1871, Prussian troops moved into the outskirts of Laval, near Mayenne, close to Pontmain. Their purpose was to conquer France, which only brought major confusion and fear amongst the people.
All in the town gathered around Eugene and Joseph to pray during that evening. They summoned the pastor of Pontmain, Father Guérin, to come and see this apparition, as he joined the crowd in prayer. While in prayer, our Lady became radiant in glory, and when they began to pray the Rosary, the apparition grew in size, and more magnificent in beauty. The stars that were on her robe brightened with intensity, revealing the dark blue colors of her robe.
The people ended the Rosary with the Magnificat, when suddenly, an enormous white banner appeared in the sky, as the people watched in awe, gold letters began to appear slowly as though they were written by the hands of the angels. Only Eugene and Joseph could read the inscription, as it read:
All in the crowd were moved by these words. Tears of joy and great cries of praise to God sprung up from the hearts of the people. Fr. Guérin moved the crowds to praise our Lady with the hymn "Mother of Hope." The children that gathered with their families and friends leaped up with joy and clapped shouting: "See how she smiles! Oh, how beautiful she is!"
Suddenly the banner vanished from their sight, and a greater sign appeared in the sky, a large red crucifix bore the words on a placard with the name: Jesus Christ. All who were there saw the great sadness of our Lady as they sang "Gentle, Jesus Pardon now our penitent hearts…" Our Lady presented this image of Jesus crucified to Eugene and Joseph as the sign of Hope, that calls all mankind, young and old, to repentance.
The red crucifix vanished from the sky, and our Lady remained as though waiting to be carried off into Heaven. Suddenly a small white veil appeared below her feet. It slowly lifted her up into the sky. This happened during the evening prayer. At the end of the evening prayer she vanished.
Children of Hope
What can we take from this story? That Our Lady of Hope is calling youth and young adults to be her Champions of Hope. They are to bear the name of Hope, which is in the Name of Jesus Christ. The message of the apparition is clear, we must hope in Jesus Christ through our Mother Mary for he lets Himself be moved by our prayers.
Our youth should look at their lives as a great sign of hope for their family, for their friends, for their neighbors, for their community, for their society, and for the whole world. As our Holy Father, Pope John Paul II said to the youth of the world from Castel Gandolfo:
Dear young people, you understand well that no one is not the "salt of the earth" or "light of the world" if one does not aspire to holiness. How I hope that you will never fail to keep this high spiritual ideal in your life! Mankind in the third millennium needs young people who are strong in faith and generous in serving their brethren. It needs young people who are in love with Christ and his Gospel.
Angelus From Castel Gandolfo,
August 19, 2001
Let us respond to Our Lady as her little children of hope!
NOVENA
I am the mother of fair love, and of fear, and of knowledge, and of holy hope. In me is all grace of the way and of the truth; in me is all hope of life and of virtue. Come to me all that desire me and be filled with my fruits (Sirach 24:24-26).
O Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of Grace, Hope of the world.
Hear us, your children, who cry to you
Let Us Pray
O God, who by the marvelous protection of the Blessed Virgin Mary has strengthened us firmly in hope, grant we beseech You, that by persevering in prayer at her admonition, we may obtain the favors we devoutly implore. Through Christ Our Lord. Amen.
Prayer to Our Lady of Hope
O Mary, my Mother, I kneel before you with heavy heart. The burden of my sins oppresses me. The knowledge of my weakness discourages me. I am beset by fears and temptations of every sort. Yet I am so attached to the things of this world that instead of longing for Heaven I am filled with dread at the thought of death.
O Mother of Mercy, have pity on me in my distress. You are all-powerful with your Divine Son. He can refuse no request of your Immaculate Heart. Show yourself a true Mother to me by being my advocate before His throne. O Refuge of Sinners and Hope of the Hopeless, to whom shall I turn if not you?
Obtain for me, then, O Mother of Hope, the grace of true sorrow for my sins, the gift of perfect resignation to God's Holy Will, and the courage to take up my cross and follow Jesus. Beg of His Sacred Heart the special favor that I ask in this novena.
(Make your request.)
But above all I pray, O dearest Mother, that through your most powerful intercession my heart may be filled with Holy Hope, so that in life's darkest hour I may never fail to trust in God my Savior, but by walking in the way of His commandments I may merit to be united with Him, and with you in the eternal joys of Heaven. Amen.
Mary, our Hope, have pity on us.
Hope of the Hopeless, pray for us.
3 Hail Mary's
Well my dear friends, IT DID HAPPEN, on a winter day on January 17th in a town called Pontmain, a small town north of Mayenne. Two young boys, Eugene and Joseph Barbedette, were the first to see this great apparition* in the sky. It was Mary, the Mother of Our Lord, who appeared to Eugene and Joseph. The question is "why"?She appeared as a sign of Hope.
Who would ever think that children would be the witnesses of this great sign of Hope. They brought family, friends, and even the sisters from the Catholic school in their town, to see the beautiful apparition. But none could see her, only Eugene and Joseph. Later two little girls saw the beautiful woman and described her beauty before the people looking towards the sky.
At the time of this apparition, a great army was moving to invade the country of France. On January 17th, 1871, Prussian troops moved into the outskirts of Laval, near Mayenne, close to Pontmain. Their purpose was to conquer France, which only brought major confusion and fear amongst the people.
All in the town gathered around Eugene and Joseph to pray during that evening. They summoned the pastor of Pontmain, Father Guérin, to come and see this apparition, as he joined the crowd in prayer. While in prayer, our Lady became radiant in glory, and when they began to pray the Rosary, the apparition grew in size, and more magnificent in beauty. The stars that were on her robe brightened with intensity, revealing the dark blue colors of her robe.
The people ended the Rosary with the Magnificat, when suddenly, an enormous white banner appeared in the sky, as the people watched in awe, gold letters began to appear slowly as though they were written by the hands of the angels. Only Eugene and Joseph could read the inscription, as it read:
"Pray, my children, God will answer before long. My Son lets Himself be moved."
All in the crowd were moved by these words. Tears of joy and great cries of praise to God sprung up from the hearts of the people. Fr. Guérin moved the crowds to praise our Lady with the hymn "Mother of Hope." The children that gathered with their families and friends leaped up with joy and clapped shouting: "See how she smiles! Oh, how beautiful she is!"
Suddenly the banner vanished from their sight, and a greater sign appeared in the sky, a large red crucifix bore the words on a placard with the name: Jesus Christ. All who were there saw the great sadness of our Lady as they sang "Gentle, Jesus Pardon now our penitent hearts…" Our Lady presented this image of Jesus crucified to Eugene and Joseph as the sign of Hope, that calls all mankind, young and old, to repentance.
The red crucifix vanished from the sky, and our Lady remained as though waiting to be carried off into Heaven. Suddenly a small white veil appeared below her feet. It slowly lifted her up into the sky. This happened during the evening prayer. At the end of the evening prayer she vanished.
Children of Hope
What can we take from this story? That Our Lady of Hope is calling youth and young adults to be her Champions of Hope. They are to bear the name of Hope, which is in the Name of Jesus Christ. The message of the apparition is clear, we must hope in Jesus Christ through our Mother Mary for he lets Himself be moved by our prayers.
Our youth should look at their lives as a great sign of hope for their family, for their friends, for their neighbors, for their community, for their society, and for the whole world. As our Holy Father, Pope John Paul II said to the youth of the world from Castel Gandolfo:
Dear young people, you understand well that no one is not the "salt of the earth" or "light of the world" if one does not aspire to holiness. How I hope that you will never fail to keep this high spiritual ideal in your life! Mankind in the third millennium needs young people who are strong in faith and generous in serving their brethren. It needs young people who are in love with Christ and his Gospel.
Angelus From Castel Gandolfo,
August 19, 2001
Let us respond to Our Lady as her little children of hope!
NOVENA
I am the mother of fair love, and of fear, and of knowledge, and of holy hope. In me is all grace of the way and of the truth; in me is all hope of life and of virtue. Come to me all that desire me and be filled with my fruits (Sirach 24:24-26).
O Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of Grace, Hope of the world.
Hear us, your children, who cry to you
Let Us Pray
O God, who by the marvelous protection of the Blessed Virgin Mary has strengthened us firmly in hope, grant we beseech You, that by persevering in prayer at her admonition, we may obtain the favors we devoutly implore. Through Christ Our Lord. Amen.
Prayer to Our Lady of Hope
O Mary, my Mother, I kneel before you with heavy heart. The burden of my sins oppresses me. The knowledge of my weakness discourages me. I am beset by fears and temptations of every sort. Yet I am so attached to the things of this world that instead of longing for Heaven I am filled with dread at the thought of death.
O Mother of Mercy, have pity on me in my distress. You are all-powerful with your Divine Son. He can refuse no request of your Immaculate Heart. Show yourself a true Mother to me by being my advocate before His throne. O Refuge of Sinners and Hope of the Hopeless, to whom shall I turn if not you?
Obtain for me, then, O Mother of Hope, the grace of true sorrow for my sins, the gift of perfect resignation to God's Holy Will, and the courage to take up my cross and follow Jesus. Beg of His Sacred Heart the special favor that I ask in this novena.
(Make your request.)
But above all I pray, O dearest Mother, that through your most powerful intercession my heart may be filled with Holy Hope, so that in life's darkest hour I may never fail to trust in God my Savior, but by walking in the way of His commandments I may merit to be united with Him, and with you in the eternal joys of Heaven. Amen.
Mary, our Hope, have pity on us.
Hope of the Hopeless, pray for us.
3 Hail Mary's
posted by Arthanius | 8:19 AM
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