Our Lady of Good Success Teaches Us How to Respond to the Crisis in the Church.
An
article written for the website Rosary to the Interior: For the Purification of the Church discusses the fourth
Joyful Rosary mystery, the Presentation of Jesus / Purification of
Mary, in the light of the prophecies of Our Lady of Good Success
(OLGS). These Church-approved apparitions and revelations were made
to Mother Mariana de Jesus Torres (1563-1635), a Conceptionist
religious in Quito, Ecuador.
Unlike many of the recent articles on OLGS, it's primary focus is not on the dramatic prophecies that describe the current crisis in the Church. Rather the emphasis is on the hope for final victory, and God's “Secret Designs” on how attain it, as indicated by Our Lady. The lengthy article provides an excellent overview, with appropriate details, of the entire drama of the Conceptionist Nuns of that era, interwoven with the apparitions, teachings and messages of Jesus and Mary.
The basic principle of God’s “Secret Designs” according to the article is this: “God’s promise of Our Lady’s Triumph (and thus the Church’s) will be fulfilled through the formation of souls who, with the graces which make this possible, will live a profound victimhood in imitation of Christ – a victimhood which they will suffer at the hands of both good and evil persons.” The laity are called to participate in this victimhood, and the key to this victimhood is remaining truly and fully united with the Church no matter what sufferings or deprivations this may bring.
From a study of the OLGS apparitions, the author states that rendering full obedience to the Vicar of Christ, after understanding the limits placed upon the powers of the Papacy, “is not at all inconsistent with criticism of a Pope’s personal errors in regard to doctrines and their implications, nor is it inconsistent with refusing to follow these errors and policies if they are contrary to the Gospel.” He bases his conclusion on the way the Conceptionist Nuns offered their “victimhood” that was suffered at the hands of their Superiors, who wanted to mitigate, weaken, and relax the Rules of the convent. Rather than rebelling, the observant nuns accepted the lawful jurisdiction of those over them, however unjust it was, even to the point of being cast into the convent prison. “For those who choose not to abandon the Cross, however, it is within the depths of this suffering that is to be found the grace of victory.”
Unlike many of the recent articles on OLGS, it's primary focus is not on the dramatic prophecies that describe the current crisis in the Church. Rather the emphasis is on the hope for final victory, and God's “Secret Designs” on how attain it, as indicated by Our Lady. The lengthy article provides an excellent overview, with appropriate details, of the entire drama of the Conceptionist Nuns of that era, interwoven with the apparitions, teachings and messages of Jesus and Mary.
The basic principle of God’s “Secret Designs” according to the article is this: “God’s promise of Our Lady’s Triumph (and thus the Church’s) will be fulfilled through the formation of souls who, with the graces which make this possible, will live a profound victimhood in imitation of Christ – a victimhood which they will suffer at the hands of both good and evil persons.” The laity are called to participate in this victimhood, and the key to this victimhood is remaining truly and fully united with the Church no matter what sufferings or deprivations this may bring.
From a study of the OLGS apparitions, the author states that rendering full obedience to the Vicar of Christ, after understanding the limits placed upon the powers of the Papacy, “is not at all inconsistent with criticism of a Pope’s personal errors in regard to doctrines and their implications, nor is it inconsistent with refusing to follow these errors and policies if they are contrary to the Gospel.” He bases his conclusion on the way the Conceptionist Nuns offered their “victimhood” that was suffered at the hands of their Superiors, who wanted to mitigate, weaken, and relax the Rules of the convent. Rather than rebelling, the observant nuns accepted the lawful jurisdiction of those over them, however unjust it was, even to the point of being cast into the convent prison. “For those who choose not to abandon the Cross, however, it is within the depths of this suffering that is to be found the grace of victory.”
Instead of Despair, there
is Hope.
Applying this to the
Church of today, he writes: that “the rejection of obedience to
the Pope in his government and discipline of the Church entails the
loss of that grace which is the very life-blood of the Church. Such
is the position in which such groups as the SSPX and the
Sedevacantists find themselves. They are depriving both themselves
and the Church of the grace whereby Our Lady’s Triumph will be
achieved.” These choices and others which revolve around defiance of
the pope, the validity of his election, or plotting to depose him,
assert at least implicitly that “God does not know what He is
doing, that God is not trustworthy in his promises, or that God has
failed.” The jurisdiction of the Church hierarchy must be
accepted, we must remain within the fold, but we should not be silent
in the face of Modernist fantasies that are taught or proposed, which
seek to mitigate and relax our obligation to follow the teachings of
Christ.
“If, on the other hand, we unite ourselves to the Heart of Mary, now pierced with the sword of sorrows and suffering necessary for the purification of the Church and the triumphal re-entry of the Light of Christ into his temple, then our Lady’s Immaculate Heart will not only be our refuge and the way that will lead us to God, but the means by which we also may become true vessels of merciful love and full participants in God’s “secret designs” of mercy for a suffering, sinful world. Unquestionably, the primary means which Our Lady has given us to effect this spiritual childhood in service to Her Triumph is the Rosary.”
I highly recommend reading this very important article in its entirety.
“If, on the other hand, we unite ourselves to the Heart of Mary, now pierced with the sword of sorrows and suffering necessary for the purification of the Church and the triumphal re-entry of the Light of Christ into his temple, then our Lady’s Immaculate Heart will not only be our refuge and the way that will lead us to God, but the means by which we also may become true vessels of merciful love and full participants in God’s “secret designs” of mercy for a suffering, sinful world. Unquestionably, the primary means which Our Lady has given us to effect this spiritual childhood in service to Her Triumph is the Rosary.”
I highly recommend reading this very important article in its entirety.
