The Apparitions of the Virgin Mary

Timothy Roos

Miss Schmidt

Honors English 9

May 1st, 2017

 Roos 2

Throughout history, reports have spread, describing an apparition of the Queen of

Heaven. St. Mary has shown herself in many locations, for an increase in faith, to predict future

wars, and to present messages directly from God. The Mother of Jesus has come to call sinners to

repent and to remind us that our lives arent permanent, but our afterlife will be.

For the last thirty years, St. Mary has appeared to thousands of people, looking for more in their

life. In a small village called Medjugorje, the Blessed Mother appeared to six visionaries in

1981. Since then, people of all religions have flocked to Medjugorje, Bosnia-Herzegovina.

Medjugorje means between the mountains. Thousands of foreigners travel to Medjugorje

every year, in hope of having an apparition of the blessed mother. She has bestowed on these

followers love, peace, and faith. One of the six visionaries, Mirjana, presently lives in

Medjugorje, serving others, praying, and passing on Our Lady of Peaces message. Through

Mirjana, St. Mary has revealed many wondrous things. Each year, the Queen of Heaven converts

thousands of unbelievers to turn towards Jesus. The anniversary for the apparitions is celebrated

on June 25th. Our Lady used to appear daily, but is almost always seen the 25th of each month.

There are several locations where visionaries have seen the Blessed Mother. Of these locations,

the most prominent is Apparition Hill, where the Queen of Heaven first appeared. St. Mary has

chosen to show herself in Medjugorje, because there are many true believers in this area.

This is not the first time that an apparition of St. Mary has occurred. During the time

when Our Lady of Guadalupe appeared, tensions were high between the Aztecs and Spanish. The

capital of Aztec, Tenochtitlan, just fell under Spanish rule. The Queen of Heaven appears first to

a simple Indian, named Juan Diego. Juan Diego brings the Mother of Jesus request to the

bishop, but the bishop demands a sign, before he allows construction. Our Lady of Guadalupe

told Juan Diego to gather roses in his tilmtli as a sign. When Juan Diego presented the flowers
 Roos 3

to the bishop, he knew it was a miracle, because roses did not grow during winter in

Tenochtitlan. Once the bishop finally answers Marys request, to build a basilica, the Virgin

Mary leaves a lasting sign on Juan Diegos tunic. The cloak still exists today, with Our Lady of

Guadalupes imprint still on it. The cloak resides in the basilica, and attracts many Catholics,

Mexicans, and tourists each year. St. Mary first appeared to Juan Diego on December 9th, and

then again on December 12th, to give him a sign in the year 1531 A.D. The Basilica finished

construction in 1709.

By developing your spiritual life, you can create a connection with the Virgin Mary as

well. Immaculee Ilibagiza prayed constantly to Jesus, God, and the Queen of Heaven. Day and

night, Ilibagiza prayed constantly. Ilibagiza recalls how she had been, praying the rosary since

dawn, for God to give His love and forgiveness to all the sinners of the world (Forgiving the

Unforgiveable). Ilibagiza wanted God on her side, and knew that God wanted her to pray for

everyone, including her trespassers. This was very hard for her to do, given all they had done to

her. As a compromise, Ilibagiza prayed the rosary passionately, serval times a day, which took

twelve to thirteen hours per day. Wherever Ilibagiza was praying the Our Father, she tried not

thinking of the killers, when she said, forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who

trespass against us.

God gave us everything for a reason, including the saints, your guardian angel, and the

people around you to help you grow in your faith. Through the Queen of Heaven and the saints,

we can enrich our spiritual life. Our Lady of Medjugorje said on April 25th, 2017, Dear children!

Love, pray and witness my presence to all those who are far away. By your witness and example,

you can draw closer the hearts that are far from God and His grace. I am with you and intercede

for each of you so that, with love and resoluteness, you may witness and encourage all those who
 Roos 4

are far from my Immaculate Heart. Thank you for having responded to my call. Are you going

to answer the Virgin Marys call?

Works Cited

Shawl, Steve. The Medjugorje Web. The Medjugorje Web - Apparitions of the Virgin Mary in

Medjugorje, ICRL, 1995, medjugorje.org/index.html. Accessed 28 Apr. 2017.

Paul, Christopher. "Forgiving the Unforgivable." Immaculee Ilibagiza, 'Left to Tell, Discovering

God Amidst the Rwandan Holocaust' - Beliefnet. Beliefnet, Inc. and/or its licensors, 10

May 2010. Web. 28 Apr. 2017. <http://www.beliefnet.com/inspiration/christian-

inspiration/2006/03/forgiving-the-unforgivable.aspx>.

Demsey, Jill. "Questions and Answers." Medjugorje.com. SJP, 17 Feb. 2014. Web. 28 Apr. 2017.

<http://www.medjugorje.com/medjugorje/questions-and-answers.html>.