2nd Sunday, Wedding Feast (Fires and Miracles)

 

Today’s Gospel of the wedding Feast of Cana gives us inspiration with regard to Mary’s Motherly intercession. As Catholics, we have the Virgin Mary as our Mother. She interceded for the wedding couple at the Wedding feast of Cana. When Mary discovered the wine ran out, She wanted to save the couple from embarrassment, and so She asked Her Son Jesus to perform His first public miracle, when He changed water into wine.

Was the fire in Los Angeles, the worst in American history. No. The fire killed 27 people, but there was a much worse fire.

In 1871 a fire killed 2000 in Wisconsin. 12 years years earlier the Virgin Mary began to appear to a young girl on October 9th of 1859. Adele describes what happened. She said, “I saw a beautiful lady, clothed in dazzling white, with a yellow sash around her waist. Her dress fell to her feet in graceful folds. She had a crown of stars around her head, and her long, golden, wavy hair fell loosely around her shoulders.”

Such a heavenly light shone around her that Adele could hardly look back at her sweet face. Overcome by this heavenly light and the beauty of her amiable visitor, Adele fell on her knees. Adele said to the woman, “‘In God’s name, who are you and what do you want of me?’ Mary said, “I am the Queen of Heaven, who prays for the conversion of sinners, and I wish you to do the same. You received Holy Communion this morning, and that is well. But you must do more. Make a general confession, and offer Communion for the conversion of sinners. If they do not convert and do penance, my Son will be obliged to punish them”.

'Adele, who is it?'' said one of the women, who was with Adele at the time of the apparitions. 'O why can't we see her as you do?' said another weeping. “‘Kneel,’ said Adele, ‘the Lady says she is the Queen of Heaven.’

Our Blessed Lady turned, looked kindly at them, and said, ‘Blessed are they that believe without seeing. What are you doing here in idleness…while your companions are working in the vineyard of my Son?’

“‘What more can I do, dear Lady?’ said Adele, weeping. “Gather the children in this wild country and teach them what they should know for salvation’ “‘But how shall I teach them who know so little myself?’ replied Adele. “Teach them, ‘their catechism, how to sign themselves with the sign of the Cross, and how to approach the sacraments; that is what I wish you to do. Go and fear nothing. I will help you.’ "

Adele’s mission was to pray for the conversion of sinners and to instruct the children. She would begin a religious order of Franciscan Sisters, who would do as Mary asked, to pray for the conversion of sinners and to instruct children. At the site of the apparitions, a chapel was built as well as a school and other buildings.

A miracle occurred on Oct. 8th, 1871, when an enormous fire began throughout the region killing more than 2000 people, which was worse than the great fire of Chicago, which occurred on the same day.

According to the Shrine of Our Lady of Good Help, here is what happened, “When the tornado of fire approached Robinsonville, Sister Adele and her companions were determined not to abandon the Chapel. Encircled by the inferno, the Sisters, the children, area farmers and their families fled to the Shrine for protection. The statue of Mary was raised reverently and was processed around the sanctuary. When wind and fire threatened suffocation, they turned in another direction to hope and saying the rosary. Hours later, (after praying the Rosary) rains came in a downpour, extinguishing the fiery fury outside the Chapel. The Robinsonville area was destroyed and desolate…except for the convent, the school, the Chapel, and the five acres of land consecrated to the Virgin Mary. Though the fire singed the Chapel fence, it had not entered the Chapel grounds. Those assembled at the Chapel, realizing that they had witnessed a miracle, were asked by Sister Adele to retire to the Convent, where they were made as comfortable as possible for the rest of the night.”

Many miracles have since occurred at the shrine, mostly involving children. A mother brought her blind child to the Chapel for a novena. During the praying of that novena’s rosary, the blind child shouted his mother’s name, pointed in several directions, and cried out “Mama, look! Mama, look, look!” The child could see.

Another example: a five-year-old child, niece of Sister Marguerite and Sister Addie at the Chapel, was kicked in the face by a horse. When the mother saw the limp, bleeding body of her little daughter, she promised to make a 12-mile pilgrimage on foot to the Chapel. Immediately afterward, the bleeding stopped. And, after examination, the child suffered no internal injuries or physical aftereffects. That girl became a religious for many years in Wisconsin, and her family has always been grateful for Mary’s special protection.

Nine-year-old Michael LaFond fell from a barn leaving him crippled. Four years later, nine women made a novena at the Chapel with Michael. After the third visit, Michael was cured, leaving his crutches behind at the Chapel.

A little girl of three had a (open) sore that received medical care for a long time. After making a novena at the Chapel, the wound closed.

A five-year-old boy could not walk. His mother promised to visit the Chapel, which was 16 miles from her home. She made the pilgrimage on foot. Feeling confident that her prayer would be heard, she took the boy by the hand upon her return and told him to walk. The boy, who had never walked before, could walk from that moment.

A possible miracle happened in our own parish due to a couple who prayed the Rosary for their daughter.

A newborn baby, Molly Leonard, who was just 5 days old, contracted the flu and got an infection. She was in Pediatric ICU at St. Francis hospital in Wichita. The baby wouldn’t wake up and consequently was not eating. The parents, Dave and Emily went to the chapel at the hospital and prayed a Rosary before the Eucharistic Jesus in the tabernacle. By praying the Rosary, they were asking the Virgin Mary to help their daughter get better. After praying the Rosary, they returned to the baby’s ICU room Molly was awake and starting eating again. From the time they prayed the Rosary together, Molly got better. The parents call it a miracle, thanks to the Rosary.

Today, let us rejoice and give thanks to God for Mary, who He has chosen to appear to a humble young girl, who cared about the conversion of sinners, religious education of the children, in what She called, “This wild country.” Just as She interceded for the wedding couple asking Her Son to perform His first public miracle, Mary wants to intercede for us, especially if we pray Her Rosary.

May all Americans keep us close to Mary’s Immaculate Heart, and may we call upon Her as, Our Lady of Good Help! And may we do penance, pray for the conversion of sinners and educate our children in what Our Lady called “this wild country.”