The La Salette Apparition – The anatomy of a private revelation

Editor: This is the second in a series of three talks, based on notes taken by Fr. Donald Paradis, M.S. and expanded by Fr. Ron Gagne, M.S. These talks, entitled “La Salette – Charism as Mission,” were delivered at Shrine of Our Lady of La Salette Attleboro, MA, by Fr. Johann Roten, S.M., Director of the Marian Center at Dayton University, Dayton, Ohio. They were given on two occasions: August 17, 2002, and April 23, 2005.

Our Weeping Mother of La Salette with the cross of her SonIn the Catechism of the Catholic Church, #67, we hear about the purpose of private apparitions such as La Salette: “Throughout the ages, there have been so-called ‘private’ revelations, some of which have been recognized by the authority of the Church. They do not belong, however, to the deposit of faith. It is not their role to improve or complete Christ's definitive revelation, but to help live more fully by it in a certain period of history.”

In addition, Fr. Karl Rahner, S.J., in his book, Visions and Prophesies (pgs. 13-14), explains how apparitions fit into our life of faith: “The possibility of private (apparitions) through visions . . . is evident in principle for a Christian. God as a free personal being can make himself perceptible to the created spirit, not only through his works but also by his free, personal word . . . (An) ‘apparition’ represents and manifests God, his will, or the like.”

The gift qualities of these approved apparitions include:

• Concerning God’s presence: Remaining the visible Invisible God through apparitions, God challenges us in a direct and hands-on way.
• Concerning the message: God’s message was entrusted to fragile carriers.
• Concerning God’s continued interest in our lives: Ongoing communication of this urgent message depends on its being received, assimilated, and passed on by us.
• Concerning God’s gifts to us: Communication of the message is and remains a gift to the community of believers and all the friends of God.
• Concerning the value of God’s message: Apparitions bring us face to face with our eternal destiny; they offer God’s view of the life we are living and the world in which we are living it.

A prophetic call

While never bypassing the Church’s official channels, God elects people — freely and in a timely fashion — to highlight the fundamental realities of his definitive and total revelation. The charism of prophecy — that is, speaking in the name of God — stands out in sharp relief at La Salette.

La Salette is prophetic in character because, like all authentic apparitions, it adapts the Gospel message for today. It calls us to adapt the essentially complete and definitive Gospel message to a new situation. The news of La Salette does more. It makes the Gospel’s hidden potential known to us.

A simple message

Simplicity is a definite advantage. The message of La Salette is down-to-earth, to the point, and practical. Stamped all over it are the words: Back to basics. It advocates daily prayer, Sunday Mass, Lenten observances; it bids us refrain from swearing and honor the name of Jesus; it focuses exclusively on the first three commandments, which outline our duties toward God:Ten Commandments by Segar; photo: Rajasegar

First Commandment: “I am the LORD your God, . . . You shall not have other gods beside me” (Exodus 20: 2-3);
Mary said: “If my people refuse to submit, I will be forced to let go the arm of my Son. It is so strong and so heavy, I can no longer hold it back.”

Second Commandment: You shall not invoke the name of the LORD, your God, in vain (Exodus 20:7a);
Mary said: “And those who drive the carts cannot swear without throwing in my Son's name.”

Third Commandment: You shall remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy (Exodus 20:8);
Mary said: “In the summer, only a few elderly women go to Mass. The rest work on Sundays all summer long.”

This simple message has a widespread appeal. It addresses the people of God and provides those who ask a straight answer to the question: “What should we do?” (see Acts 2:37). Peter’s simple, direct response is like Mary’s words at La Salette about following her Son and those who “refuse to submit” to the will of her Son:

“‘Therefore let the whole house of Israel know that God has made him both Lord and Messiah, this Jesus whom you crucified.” When they heard this, they were cut to the heart, and they asked Peter and the other apostles, ‘What are we to do, my brothers?’ Peter [said] to them, ‘Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you will receive the gift of the holy Spirit” (Acts 2:36-38, emphasis added).

In the wilderness, John the Baptist proclaimed:

“Produce good fruits as evidence of your repentance ... And the crowds asked [John the Baptist], ‘What then should we do?’... Even tax collectors came to be baptized, ‘What should we do?’ ... Soldiers also asked him, ‘And what is it that we should do?’” (Luke 3:2-14).

La Salette is blessed with a simple vocation, and it is the church’s link to the masses. When the church wishes to speak to real people about real-life situations in real down-to-earth terms, the church speaks the language of Mary at La Salette. The very simplicity of the message allows for further elaboration: daily prayer becomes a felt need for a life of prayer; fidelity to the discipline of Lent leads to a deeper understanding of what it can mean to live one’s whole life in union with Christ.

A network of signs

La Salette enfolds a treasure trove of symbols – of signs, verbal and visual. They compensate, in a sense, and enrich the otherwise pragmatic character of its message. Symbols entice, fascinate, intrigue, and engage us.

a modern stylized version of the three phases of the La Salette Apparition, in La Salette House in La Tronche, FranceIn their sermons and instructions, the pioneer Missionaries of La Salette put the Apparition’s varied and moving visuals to good effect. This hastened the spread of the devotion to the Virgin of the Alps. This spoken-word/sign-language dialectic remains effective at their many La Salette shrines and in the many parishes staffed by La Salette Missionaries. To mention but a few of these signs and symbols:

• the mountain site, remote in its pristine beauty: “In those days [Jesus] departed to the mountain to pray, and he spent the night in prayer to God” (Luke 6:12);
• the spring, once dried up, now gushing all year long: “See, I am doing something new! Now it springs forth, do you not perceive it?” (Isaiah 43:19a)
• the globe of light, related to Mary’s person, her crown of light, the radiant crucifix she wore: “Every athlete exercises discipline in every way. They do it to win a perishable crown, but we an imperishable one” (1 Corinthians 9:25);
• her elegant beauty, her motherly appearance, and compassionate manner: ‘Your adornment should . . . be . . . the hidden character of the heart, expressed in the imperishable beauty of a gentle and calm disposition, which is precious in the sight of God” (1 Peter 3:4);
• her tears constantly flowing during her message: “ As [Jesus] drew near, he saw the city [of Jerusalem] and wept over it” (Luke 19:41).
• the chain and roses (symbols of suffering or imprisonment and resurrection):
  • the chains: hint at the captivity or bondage of sin; “For the law of the spirit of life in Christ Jesus has freed you from the law of sin and death” (Romans 8:2);
  • the roses: “In Christianity, the five petals of the rose symbolize all five of Christ's wounds from the crucifixion. The color of a rose also holds symbolic meaning. Typically, . . . a red rose represents Christ's sacrificial blood” (from Wikipedia); “ I am a flower [or rose] of Sharon, a lily of the valleys” (Song of Songs 2:1);
• her apron, like that of women of the area: “. . . women should adorn themselves in respectable apparel, with modesty and self-control” (1 Timothy 2:9b);
• the crucifix with its hammer and pincers (perhaps symbolizing our sin and our good deeds)
• the “arm of the Son” expresses her particular vocation, pleading for her Son's grace and supporting the mission of her Son.

Deeply rooted in the Scriptures, these symbols are perennial and yet contemporary. In our visual age, they further impact the social and missionary dimension of La Salette because they present many advantages. These signs and symbols, unifying in character, provide a dynamic impulse. Because they are less apt to encounter resistance than verbal statements, they are more inclined to lead to action. Because they are virtually inexhaustible and versatile, they point to the future because they are multifaceted and lend themselves to various meanings. Thus they allow for unity in their diversity.