02-02-2021, 10:25 AM
Continued:
On September 17, 1588, Sister Mariana was saying her customary prayers at midnight, when suddenly her body shuddered so violently that she could not help but cry out. Taken to bed, her body was examined and it was discovered that on each palm of her hands was something similar to a hole into which something had been driven. The same was present on the soles of her feet in the very place where the spikes had been driven into the feet of Our Lord. Upon her heart was a purple bruise and red mark, as if it had been wounded by a sword.
The next morning, the doctor examined her carefully and said she was completely debilitated: the marrow of her bones dried up, her body paralyzed. The only movement he could find was the beating of her heart. This infirmity lasted for one year and, in the first months, to the physical suffering were added the spiritual ones. One day, on her bed of pain, she suddenly heard a dreadful clamor in the cell. She opened her eyes and saw a hideous serpent writhing and twisting in her cell, crawling frantically on the walls, as if pursued by someone trying to drive him away. Her pain increased and her spirit was overwhelmed with despair. All the heroic acts of her life seemed criminal to her. Her good works appeared as works of perdition, her very vocation an illusion and sham by which she had delivered herself to eternal damnation.
In this woeful interior state, when it seemed to her that her soul would detach itself from her body from the violence of her suffering and sink like lead into Hell, she mustered all her strength, crying out: «Star of the stormy sea, Mary Most Immaculate, the weak vessel of my soul is sinking. The waters of tribulation are drowning me. Save me, for I am perishing!». Before she had pronounced the last word, she saw a celestial light around her and felt a loving hand touching her head. At the same time, she heard a sweet voice that said: «Why do you fear, My daughter? Do you know that I am with you in your tribulation? Rise up and look at Me!». The humble religious raised herself up in her bed and saw a Lady of great majesty and grandeur who breathed sweetness and love. She asked: «Who are you, beautiful Lady?». «I am the Mother of Heaven whom you invoked. I have come to dissipate the darkness of the night of your soul. (...) for your Lord and God has destined for you great and auspicious things during your lifetime (…). Now, I will impart life to your nerves, veins and arteries, and I will dispel the infernal serpent».
As she finished speaking, the enormous serpent emitted a horrible scream of despair and hurled himself into Hell with such a great roar that it caused the earth to tremble throughout the Convent and the city of Quito. Mariana still remained in her bed suffering acute pains, and her health continued to worsen until September 1589. The second Wednesday of the month, at 9 o’clock in the morning, her agony began. The Holy Mass was celebrated in her presence and she received Extreme Unction. Her agony continued up to Friday. At 3:30 o’clock of the afternoon, Sister Mariana breathed her last breath. Her funeral were set for the next Monday. The next morning, the Sisters of the Convent directed their steps to the choir to pray the Little Office. When they arrived, they saw Sister Mariana praying there.
In 1592, Mother Maria, the Abbess of the Convent for 15 years, fell severely sick and Sister Mariana was elected to take her place. But after the death of the Founding Mother (1593), a group of rebel Sisters was formed. The plots of these Sisters aimed at separating the Convent from the Friars Minor giving the jurisdiction to the Bishop of Quito. The resulting deterioration of the conventual life spread terrible suffering and the slanders and false accusations reached the point of trials in behalf of the presumed guilty Sisters.
First Apparition of Our Lady
On September 17, 1588, Sister Mariana was saying her customary prayers at midnight, when suddenly her body shuddered so violently that she could not help but cry out. Taken to bed, her body was examined and it was discovered that on each palm of her hands was something similar to a hole into which something had been driven. The same was present on the soles of her feet in the very place where the spikes had been driven into the feet of Our Lord. Upon her heart was a purple bruise and red mark, as if it had been wounded by a sword.
The next morning, the doctor examined her carefully and said she was completely debilitated: the marrow of her bones dried up, her body paralyzed. The only movement he could find was the beating of her heart. This infirmity lasted for one year and, in the first months, to the physical suffering were added the spiritual ones. One day, on her bed of pain, she suddenly heard a dreadful clamor in the cell. She opened her eyes and saw a hideous serpent writhing and twisting in her cell, crawling frantically on the walls, as if pursued by someone trying to drive him away. Her pain increased and her spirit was overwhelmed with despair. All the heroic acts of her life seemed criminal to her. Her good works appeared as works of perdition, her very vocation an illusion and sham by which she had delivered herself to eternal damnation.
In this woeful interior state, when it seemed to her that her soul would detach itself from her body from the violence of her suffering and sink like lead into Hell, she mustered all her strength, crying out: «Star of the stormy sea, Mary Most Immaculate, the weak vessel of my soul is sinking. The waters of tribulation are drowning me. Save me, for I am perishing!». Before she had pronounced the last word, she saw a celestial light around her and felt a loving hand touching her head. At the same time, she heard a sweet voice that said: «Why do you fear, My daughter? Do you know that I am with you in your tribulation? Rise up and look at Me!». The humble religious raised herself up in her bed and saw a Lady of great majesty and grandeur who breathed sweetness and love. She asked: «Who are you, beautiful Lady?». «I am the Mother of Heaven whom you invoked. I have come to dissipate the darkness of the night of your soul. (...) for your Lord and God has destined for you great and auspicious things during your lifetime (…). Now, I will impart life to your nerves, veins and arteries, and I will dispel the infernal serpent».
As she finished speaking, the enormous serpent emitted a horrible scream of despair and hurled himself into Hell with such a great roar that it caused the earth to tremble throughout the Convent and the city of Quito. Mariana still remained in her bed suffering acute pains, and her health continued to worsen until September 1589. The second Wednesday of the month, at 9 o’clock in the morning, her agony began. The Holy Mass was celebrated in her presence and she received Extreme Unction. Her agony continued up to Friday. At 3:30 o’clock of the afternoon, Sister Mariana breathed her last breath. Her funeral were set for the next Monday. The next morning, the Sisters of the Convent directed their steps to the choir to pray the Little Office. When they arrived, they saw Sister Mariana praying there.
In 1592, Mother Maria, the Abbess of the Convent for 15 years, fell severely sick and Sister Mariana was elected to take her place. But after the death of the Founding Mother (1593), a group of rebel Sisters was formed. The plots of these Sisters aimed at separating the Convent from the Friars Minor giving the jurisdiction to the Bishop of Quito. The resulting deterioration of the conventual life spread terrible suffering and the slanders and false accusations reached the point of trials in behalf of the presumed guilty Sisters.
"So let us be confident, let us not be unprepared, let us not be outflanked, let us be wise, vigilant, fighting against those who are trying to tear the faith out of our souls and morality out of our hearts, so that we may remain Catholics, remain united to the Blessed Virgin Mary, remain united to the Roman Catholic Church, remain faithful children of the Church."- Abp. Lefebvre