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Reflecting on the apparition at Knock, Ireland

This past week I had the opportunity to visit Ireland on business. My wife and I took the opportunity after the conference to journey to the northwest part of Ireland and visit the small village of Knock. More specifically, we visited the Catholic Knock Shrine, who had been previously visited by Pope John Paul II and Mother Teresa.

On the evening of the 21st August, 1879, Our Lady, St. Joseph, and St. John the Evangelist appeared in a blaze of heavenly light at the south gable of the Church of St. John the Baptist. Behind them and a little to the left of St. John was a plain altar. On the altar was an empty cross and a Lamb on an altar. Everyone in the scene was still, except for adoring angels that unceasingly circled the altar completely focused on the Lamb. The Apparition was seen by fifteen people whose ages ranged from six years to seventy-five and included men, women, teenagers and children. The Apparition lasted for two hours. It was raining hard and the witnesses, drenched, got on their knees and prayed the rosary. The ground where the apparition was stayed dry. The entire Apparition was silent. No verbal messages were given.

They described the Lamb as amazingly radiant, projecting a white light that was reflected by the other figures, with Mary reflecting the most light. The Lamb was peacefully and attentively looking at the other figures, listening. Joseph had his hands together in prayer, his head bowed in respect, and he was looking at the Lamb. Mary was looking up to heaven, her hands open in prayer of worship, thanksgiving, and intercession. Everyone and everything was of white color, but Mary wore a brilliant golden crown. Over the forehead she wore a beautiful full-bloom golden rose. Next to Mary was St. John the Evangelist. He was the disciple that at the cross Jesus confided him to his mother and his mother to him. They both lived in Ephesus after that. St John is the author of the Gospel according to John and the Book of Revelation. St John is dressed as a bishop wearing a mitre. On his left hand he is holding an open Bible and it looks as if he is preaching.

What does this silent Apparition mean?

Gospel Reflection for Sunday, September 7, 2008

A reflection on the Scripture readings for Sunday, September 7, 2008. In this Gospel reading Jesus is explaining how the community should deal with someone that is sinning against a member or the community as a whole. First, we approach the person in private. If that works we have "won over your brother." Some versions say you have "gained your brother," which is a technical rabbinic term for missionary conversion. If this stage doesn't work, we bring one or two witnesses so that we can more easily get to the facts. If unsuccessful we escalated it "to the church", which could mean the community or a group representing the community. If the person still refuses to accept and correct the sin, then Jesus recommends a drastic measure: "then treat him as you would a Gentile or a tax collector." This means to exclude the person from the community, probably to protect the community from the impact of this person's actions and future actions.

What I found most challenging in today's readings is that it's not enough to empathize with a sinner, or to "forgive those who trespass against us." Jesus challenges us to be proactive and take the person aside to confront them with their sin and see what we or the members of the community can do for the person. Why? The answer is in the second reading, love, "you shall love your neighbor as yourself." Moved by love, we would go out of our way to help the sinner, but also to protect future victims of whatever the sin may be. Impact? We find this in the first reading, "If I tell the wicked, “O wicked one, you shall surely die, ”and you do not speak out to dissuade the wicked from his way, the wicked shall die for his guilt, but I will hold you responsible for his death." We are partly responsible for not speaking out.

Tough challenge, compelling reason, and a significant impact of ignoring our responsibility. Well, I have a few people to call today, for which I have been praying, but not confronting 1:1.

God bless!

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