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Laity in the Church

Bronze of Mary speaking with the
children, in the actual place of the
Apparition, La Salette, France
(Editor: This summary document was prepared for the First International Encounter of La Salette Laity, held at La Salette, France from Sept. 1-10, 2011 and was based on Pope John Paul II’s Apostolic Exhortation, Christifideles Laici [Christ’s Faithful People]. Reflection questions follow each of the two parts of the summary.)
 
The Tireless Devotion of the Laity
 
Anyone who knows the history and the spirituality of the apparition of Mary at La Salette is aware of two central elements. First of all, Mary's message is notably prophetic and therefore implies a mission that is not limited to Mary herself nor to the two children-witnesses; the words “make this known to all my people” challenge each of us personally as disciples of Jesus of Nazareth. Secondly, the missionary command is directed to laity, to two child shepherds with no ecclesial responsibilities. It's the parishioners of the valley who take on the mission of making the message known. Today, beyond the generous consecration of men and women as La Salette religious dedicated to take the message of reconciliation to the whole world, the La Salette event is known in great part due to the tireless devotion of laity.
 
For centuries the importance of the lay vocation was forgotten by a model of the Church that saw itself as the “Perfect Society,” absorbed with its internal organization and hierarchy. In the twentieth and twenty-first centuries we have seen a return to the inspirations of the primitive churches. As Paul VI reminded us in Evangelii Nuntiandi, the Church exists for mission; its purpose is the proclamation of Jesus Christ, crucified and risen. So besides the importance of ministers who serve the community of believers (ad intra) we need to appreciate the value of all the baptized, disciples who are called to make the Kingdom present in every culture and people (ad extra).

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Image of the Reconciler

Mosaic of Our Lady of
La Salette, previously in
Ipswich, MA, Shrine Chapel.
As we approach the Feast of Our Lady of La Salette of September 19th, when we celebrate Mary, the Reconciler of Sinners, we may benefit from a closer look at the “Jesus – Image of the Reconciler.” The image of the reconciler has many faces, just as Christ is to be seen in the many faces of his people. It is among such people as ourselves that we recognize the need for forgiveness, peace and reconciliation.
 
Our world is a fragmented puzzle of broken relationships between people: individuals and families, nations and continents. That broken puzzle – caused by war, hatred, jealousy, separation, prejudice, injustice and fear – must be pieced together by us who have been empowered to live together the life of Christ our Peace. I hope to piece together some of the many faces of the “Image of the Reconciler” that we can be, so that Christ's reconciling, forgiving and peace-making reflection may be seen anew in us.
 
A Mosaic of Images
 
The images we reflect on are pieces of a mosaic, each a unique shape, color and facet. My hope is that these ten images or pieces of the mosaic can be joined to form a picture of The Reconciler, who was broken for us and yet became victorious over death itself.

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La Salette Feast on La Reunion

Map of Island of La Reunion, in the Indian Ocean

Ever Since Mary first told the two children – and all the followers of her Son – to make her message known, the message and devotion to Our Lady of La Salette and her message has spread to the four corners of the earth.

 
Fr. Fabien Raharilamboniaina (before he
became a bishop) with Bp.
Gilbert Aubry of La Reunion
In the Indian Ocean, east of Madagascar, lies the French island of La Reunion, the outermost region of the European Union, just 970 sq. mi. (30 miles wide) and has risen in population from 90 people in 1671 to presently over 800,000 people. Natives (“Creoles”) make up the majority of the population. 
 
This unique island in the middle of the Indian Ocean has an active volcano on its south coast, 17 miles of beaches in the west, and lots of mountains and forests in between. It offers hiking its unique “cirques” or canyoning the island's many waterfalls to scuba diving or surfing in its crystal-clear waters.
 
The La Salette Missionaries from Madagascar now minister in five small parishes. With the ministry of the La Salettes, devotion has taken root on the island. On Sept. 19, 2010, the Feast of Our Lady of La Salette, over 5,000 pilgrims from all over the island converged on our Shrine and Parish at St. Leu for eight full hours. 

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Be Not Afraid

Our Lady of La Salette speaks
with the two children
(window: St. Joseph’s
Church, Waipahu, Oahu, Hawaii)

It was September 19, 1846. High up in the stillness of a mountain, a little boy and a little girl spotted a whirling globe of dazzling light. A woman was seated on a stone, her face buried in her hands, and her elbows resting on her knees. She was crying.

The two children looked at each other and then at the Beautiful Lady. At first, they thought that she might be a mother who had been beaten by someone and that had come up to the mountain to weep alone. It turned out that she was a mother and while she had not been beaten physically by anyone, she was deeply hurt by the sins and offenses heaped upon her Son by her earthly children.

Suddenly, the Beautiful Lady arose. The two small children startled, began to move away. But the Lady beckoned them with tender and powerful words, “Come near my children, do not be afraid.”

Learning to Trust

Some time ago, I found a wonderful story in Cardinal Suenens’ book, “Christian Life Day by Day.” This was the story of a roaring fire that started very quietly one night in a house. The moment the flames broke out, the mother, father and children came rushing out and stood gazing in despair at the sight of their home engulfed in flames. 

Suddenly, they noticed that the youngest child, a little boy of five, was missing. He had been frightened by the smoke and flames, and just as they were leaving the house he had turned back and run upstairs again. They all looked at each other. There was no possibility of venturing into what was already beginning to be a blazing inferno. Then upstairs a window opened. The little boy was calling for help.

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Reconciled to the Land

Perhaps we have all had the opportunity to meet or hear about environmental radicals – people who have definite ideas about how we should be treating the earth. Such people may remove themselves from lucrative jobs and successful social positions and take up residence in some uninhabited wooded or mountainous area. Some establish or join communes built around a respect for the land.
 
Whatever we may recall about such stories, there always seems to be a religious aspect to the espousing of such a lifestyle. Yet, as long as we name such people fanatics, they are easily dismissed. Perhaps we have asked the same questions they did, and have suspected that the way we treat our earth has something to do with our religious beliefs. Chances are, we are right.
 
We can say unreservedly that this is so, once we understand that our faith response is not a sometime thing.
It embraces every aspect of our lives, the way we come to view reality, our method for making decisions, our relationships, everything that is seen as being touched by God.

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The Core is Love

 

Painting of a bronze of Our Lady of La Salette
in Attleboro, MA, by Fr. Alfredo Velarde, M.S.,
Parish of Our Lady of Perpetual Help, Las
Termas de Rio Hondo, Argentina.
This marvelous picture is a painting by a La Salette Missionary, Fr. Alfredo Velarde, M.S., stationed in the Parish of Our Lady of Perpetual Help (Nuestra Señora de Perpetuo Socorro), Las Termas de Rio Hondo, Argentina. His painting was exhibited at one of the venues of the Lay Ministry Summit which took place in Georgia from July 20-23, 2011. The inspiration for this picture and its original version in bronze is displayed in the Reconciliation Chapel of the La Salette National Shrine in Attleboro, MA.
 
This imaginative image, even beyond its depiction of the initial phase of the La Salette Apparition, is a daring expression of the circumstances in which our Mother Mary was commissioned by her Son to be our Mother, as heard in the gospel of the La Salette Mass: 
 
“Standing by the cross of Jesus were his mother and his mother's sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary of Magdala. When Jesus saw his mother and the disciple there whom he loved, he said to his mother, “Woman, behold, your son.’ Then he said to the disciple, ‘Behold, your mother.” And from that hour the disciple took her into his home” (John 19:25-27).
 
This depiction has been residing in my soul ever since I first saw it. I don't know if my understanding of the message is the same as that of the original sculptor but nevertheless I wish to share it with you. 
 
As I see it, our Mother Mary came to us at La Salette wracked by emotional pain. She came accompanied by the vivid memory of the pain that her Son endured on the Cross for love of us. She also came to us after being “baptized and commissioned” at the foot of the cross. She and Jesus were enveloped in the fiery pain of human suffering. 
 
I see our Holy Mother is here depicted by the artist in the dialectic between the heat of suffering and that of love. The bloody cross embedded in the core of Mary’s heart is also the generator of the fire of her love for all her children. 

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I Will Speak to Her Heart

 

I will allure her now; I will lead her into the wilderness
and speak persuasively to her. (Hosea 2:16)
 
An Invitation
 
Fr. Peter Julian Eymard
Many pilgrims when analyzing Mary's words at La Salette are surprised by certain unsettling expressions. There is a risk of incorrectly understanding or interpreting the message of Our Lady of La Salette. It's necessary to go deep into the message. The more we meditate on the message, the greater richness we discover. 
 
It was such richness that attracted spiritual men of that time, such as Fr. Sylvain-Marie Giraud, one of the first La Salette Missionaries; Don Bosco (Fr. Giovanni Melchiorre Bosco), Fr. Peter Julian Eymard, St. Magdalena Sofie Barat and others. To that list we can add another of Catholic writers: Leon Bloy, Charles-Marie-Georges Huysmans, Paul Claudel, Fran?ois Mauriac, Jacques Maritain, Stanislas Fumet, etc. And we ourselves give witness to how that message is a source of life for men and women and youth who look for God in the way that the Tearful Virgin has indicated. 
 
Important Dimensions of the Question
 
Let's look at some aspects. In the first place, are we certain about what the Virgin said to the two shepherds? Critical analysis of the text done in light of the earliest witnesses leaves no doubt in this regard. There's no need to repeat here the work that was done well by others. We will go directly to the discourse. The first part was spoken in French. Most of the discourse was spoken in the dialect and later translated into French.

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The Ministry of Reconciliation

 

Pope John Paul II with would-be 
assassin, Mehmet Ali Agca

Pope John Paul II dramatically highlighted the call to reconciliation with his visit to the prison cell of his would-be assassin. The Pope himself recognized this visit as a unique opportunity in this holy year, allowing him the chance to show in his own life what the call to reconciliation is all about. We, too, take our stand on the ministry of reconciliation as something that has to find concrete expression in the lives of Christians. 
 
In Time Magazine's cover story on the Pope's visit to the prisoner (January 9, 1984), Lance Morrow wrote,
“It is difficult to imagine a world willing to follow John Paul's example, ending that stuttering repetition (of evil) any time in the near future… Forgiveness is not an impulse that is in much favor. It is a mysterious and sublime idea in many ways. The prevalent style in the world runs more to the high-plains drifter, to the hard, cold eye of the avenger, to a numb remorselessness. Forgiveness does not look much like a tool for survival in a bad world. But that is what it is.”
 
Not only is it a “tool for survival,” it is the mission we are called to engage in as Christians. The Pope has simply given us an image in our time of what that is like. It is based on an earlier image of Jesus on the Cross, and we hear again the words, “But I say to you, love your enemies...” Let us see what this call to the ministry of reconciliation is about.

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"Do Not Be Afraid!"

Untitled-1.jpg

Mélanie and Maximin were frightened by the bright light…
But the Beautiful Lady gently invited them:
“Come near, my children, do not be afraid:
 I am here to tell you great news!”

On the mountain of La Salette, Mary wished to address (speak with) Mélanie and Maximin about prayer. But we should not hesitate to open the Bible without fear! About 800 times, God, throughout scripture, begs us not to be afraid! Jesus asks us: “Why are you afraid? Do you not have any faith in me?”

Mary knows what it means “to fear.” Was she not greatly troubled by the announcement of the angel? But the angel counseled her: “Do not fear, Mary.” In fact, Mary was released from her fears once she had given her consent to Him for whom nothing is impossible. She had faith in God’s word. She had confidence; the loving presence of God in her life dissolved all her fears.

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Mary’s Motherly Care

Let there be no doubt – at La Salette, Our Lady came to us with the attitude and love of a mother for her children. At the very beginning of her discourse, she wanted to reassure the two hesitant young witnesses who trembled in fear. She did everything she could – like a good Untitled-1.jpgmother who wanted to calm her children. Loving she called to them: “Come near, my children, be not afraid.”

A little later in her discourse the Blessed Virgin realizes that her two small witnesses didn’t understand the French that she spoke. “Ah, my children, you do not understand? Well, wait, I shall say it another way.” Then she continued her discourse in the local dialect of their region.

During her entire message, she shed tears, both surprising and touching the hearts of the two children. Who could remain unimpressed by the sincere tears of a loving mother?

Reading her message again, we hear, loud and clear, that she cared for her children. The incident concerning the field of Coin was in truth just a small detail in the life of Maximin. Her question was simple, “Have you never seen wheat that is spoilt, my children?” They quickly replied, “No, Madam.” When she spoke directly to Maximin about this event, reminding him of the incident, characters, and the words spoken by the owner of the field and by his father, his memory finally awakened. He shyly answered: “Oh yes, Madam, I remember now; just at that moment I didn’t remember.”

This small event, hidden from all except the three concerned is the signature of Mary at her apparition. Only a mother could be concerned about such minute but important details. Only a mother could show such delicacy, attention, and genuinely personal concern. She simply wanted to communicate with her children.

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