Our Lady of America The Immaculate Virgin Part III

In case you had not read this next item on the Our Lady of America website, these next two days will continue to be devoted to presenting what we feel is one of the most thorough explanations of the Our Lady of America apparitions and messages that has been presented so far.

It is the homily given by Father Peter Damian Mary Fehlner, F.I. on August 5, 2006 at the Shrine of the Most Blessed Sacrament, Our Lady of The Angels Monastery in Hanceville, AL. You can download the complete document at www.ourladyofamerica.com.

Text of Homily
Presented by Father Peter Damian Mary Fehlner, F.I.
Feast of The Dedication of The Basilica of Saint Mary Major
August 5th, 2006
Shrine of the Most Blessed Sacrament,
Our Lady of The Angels Monastery
Hanceville, AL – USA

Part III

The next day Our Lady appeared with tears in her eyes, because of the ingratitude of so many sinful men, and asking that her children in America comply with her requests to cleanse their hearts in the Precious Blood of her Son and to live in His Heart, and to take her that she might teach them to live in purity of heart. She concluded thus:

I desire to make the whole of America my shrine by making every heart accessible to the love of my Son.

Shortly after, in early October, 1956, St. Joseph also appeared to Sister Mary Ephrem and in illustrating how he participated the mystery of the Immaculate Coredemptrix confirmed the meaning of the above.

It is true, my daughter, that immediately after my conception, I was, through the future merits of Jesus and because of my exceptional role of future Virgin-Father, cleansed from the stain of original sin.

I was from that moment confirmed in grace and never had the slightest stain on my soul. This is my unique privilege among men.

My pure heart also was from the first moment of existence inflamed with love for God. Immediately, at the moment when my soul was cleansed from original sin, grace was infused into it in such abundance that, excluding my holy Spouse, I surpassed the holiness of the highest angel in the angelic choir.

My heart suffered with the Hearts of Jesus and Mary. Mine was a silent suffering, for it was my special vocation to hide and shield as long as God willed, the Virgin Mother and Son from the malice and hatred of men.

The most painful of my sorrows was that I knew beforehand of their passion, yet would not be there to console them.

Their future suffering was ever present to me and became my daily cross. I became, in union with my holy spouse, co-redemptor of the human race. Through compassion for the sufferings of Jesus and Mary I cooperated, as no other, in the salvation of the world.

It is perfectly clear here the link between purity of heart or sanctity and fruitful participation in the passion and Cross of the Savior, and that this link is concretely established through the maternal mediation of the Immaculate Coredemptrix.

In this context Sister Mary Ephrem was inspired to compose the prayer to Our Lady, Patroness of our land, to be found on the last pages of the booklet Our Lady of America.

The following month Our Lady taught Sister this prayer: “By thy holy and Immaculate Conception, O Mary, deliver us from evil.” Our Lady then asked Sister to draw a picture of her first appearance and have a statue made according to its likeness, to be placed after being carried in solemn procession in the Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington, D.C., there to be honored in a special way as Our Lady of America, the Immaculate Virgin.

During 1957 Our Lady made many warnings about the urgency of carrying out her requests, noting that the time was short, but persecution and punishment would be long for lack of compliance, and for some eternal. The Bishops in particular were to be informed of her desires and urged to carry these out. In particular Our Lady stressed the need of prayer and penance on the part of all. Peace will come as promised, but not until the children are purified and cleansed of defilement, their lives reformed and clothed with the garment of grace. The Rosary is to be a family prayer, but prayed devoutly and with meditation on each mystery. In this context, on Nov. 22-23, 1957, Our Lady identified herself as “Our Lady of the Divine Indwelling, handmaid of Him Who dwells within.”

On the feast of Our Lady of Lourdes, Feb. 11, 1958, Our Lady stressed in particular the centrality of the cross and the need to participate in the sufferings of Christ in order to contribute to that interior renewal of life and the purification of hearts so much desired by Jesus. Our Lady described herself as “the Mother of the sacred humanity, and it is my special work as Coredemptrix of the human race to help souls reach the sanctity of the Father in eternal union by showing them how to put on Christ, to imbibe His Spirit, and thus become one with Him.”

Our Lady then indicated that St. Joseph would come for his feast that year, and so he did, marvelously explaining the mystery of divine fatherhood represented by him in relation to Jesus and Mary, and so underscoring the link between the renewal of family life based on the mystery of Mary’s purity and the indwelling of the divine Trinity. On the evening of the feast (March 19, 1958) St. Joseph said: “The Holy Trinity desires to honor me that in my unique fatherhood all fatherhood might be honored.” Only by way of a reform of family life based on the immaculate purity of the Virgin Mother can the dignity and role of the man as head of the family be secured, particularly in an age where so much is calculated to degrade fatherhood and so destabilize the family and society.

To be continued...