Friday, February 10, 2006

Our Lady of La Salette (France)

We trekked the road which Napoleon took when he marched from Elba to Grenoble to overthrow Louis the 18th, but stopped at Corps, a small quiet village for it was the nearest place the the La Salette Sanctuary with lodging.

La Sallette is located up the mountains 15 km from Corps. Our bus tried going up the steep climb, passing through narrow wooded roads till it reached a basilica of sienna and grey stones.

At an altitude of 1,800 meters, our bus stopped a few meters away from the Blessed Virgin's statue outside the church for the snow was almost waist high as you can see from some of the photos.

The group photo shows my dad, Lolo Dick and wife (Justice Puno) and the Geraldez couple. Another photo below shows my late mom on another trip this time her photo shows the back of the Virgin Mary with the visionaries.

During my visit, the only visible statue was that of Our Lady, all the rest were covered with snow.



Story of The Apparition

At La Salette, France, September 19, 1846, sixteen years after the Marian apparition in Rue du Bac, Paris, and twelve years before the famous appearances of Mary in Lourdes, France the Virgin Mary appeared to two children, Maximin Giraud and Melanie Mathieu, and gave them an explanation of future world events. This was kept secret for a time, then later it was allowed to be revealed to all through publication.

The secrets given to the two children are very different. Some parts of the secrets are given in a veiled manner, so that one cannot understand without faith nor without some time, effort and thought. The arrogant will not be able to understand or to believe, for Holy Scripture says, God “teaches the humble his way.”

"She warned of a coming famine, but that before the food shortage, many of the young children of the area would die of a serious disease. She said, 'If you do not convert, I am unable to hold back the hand of God.' Our Blessed Mother, in one famous version of the so-called "secret of LaSalette," revealed that 'Lucifer was unleashed in 1864. The Church would be severely attacked and the monster [communism] would be unleashed at the end of the Nineteenth or beginning of the Twentieth Century. Rome will lose faith and become the seat of Antichrist, and the Church will be in eclipse. Many chastisements are predicted, the Antichrist will be defeated, fire will purge the earth and consume all the work of men's pride, and all will be renewed.' She called upon 'the children of light, the few who can see, the true disciples of the living God, the true followers of Christ, the faithful of the last days to come out and fill the world with light. For now is the time of all times, the end of all ends.' La Salette was approved by the Church in 1851.
---Thunder of Justice, pgs. 22-23

Significance of the Messages

The warning from La Salette is "seldom mentioned....Its message has been overlooked to the present day, partly because after the apparition several different versions of the secret were circulated and determining the authentic message was difficult. The version from which we quote here, is generally believed to be the most authentic and is awe-inspiring in its prophetic and predictive power.
The message was not only for France but for the Church and the whole world. The message tells of future world events in great detail; it has great relevance for our times. The message is stated in its entirety because of its importance in our day. The apostasy we are now living was all foretold at La Salette. The message at La Salette helps explain why the devil has so much dominion and power in our world today, although Mary says he is now losing power."
---Thunder of Justice, pg. 111