Steven Merten:
Hello Eden,
In the 90’s I had some friends very devoted to the apparitions in Medjugoria. Some of my friends went to Yugoslavia several times. I never went there. Then my freinds said an apparitionist was coming to a parish in town. Wow! I thought. It turned out not to be one of the Medjugoria apparitionists but another.
We went to the meeting and sure enough Mary appeared. Well not to us but to the apparitionist. At the end of the gathering the basket was passed around to help the appariitoinist with “traveling expenses”. Then they passed around a pre-zeroxed copy of the message that Mary had given that evening. On the back of the copies was the address of the apparitionist in case you forgot your wallet that night and now you could mail her a check to help her with “traveling expenses”. Oh! and mail her any “prayer requests”. Then the apparisionist told us that Mary had said that she would be back tomarow after the nine and elleven oclock Masses. In case we had friends who missed out that evening.
On the way home I told my friends, "I am sure that if you gave the apparisionist enough money for “traveling expenses’ you could have Mary appear in your own living room.” They were very upset with me for “judging” this apparisionist.
I think there is a great deal of room for Satan to work in decieving the faithful when it comes to apparitionists.
Hi Steve,
I actually think you are making great point here. One that Catholics and non-Catholics BOTH need to recognize.
I realize that the purpose of this thread was to discuss approved Marian apparitions, however, it is hard to overlook the endless number of “apparitions” and “revelations” that Catholics and non-Catholics flock toward.
Stories such as yours are perfect indicators that Satan is at work in this world and he is the ultimate wolf in sheep’s clothing.
This is precisely why the Church is so guarded in her “approval” of such.
We are told, through Scripture and by the teaching authority of the Church that private revelations (including appartitions) are to be tested.
1Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world. 2This is how you can recognize the Spirit of God: Every spirit that acknowledges that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God, 3but every spirit that does not acknowledge Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist, which you have heard is coming and even now is already in the world. 1 John 4: 1-3
Here, we have Biblical “proof” of certain spiritual apparitions which are “from God” and those which are false. The Biblical model is to test those spirits, which is exactly the teaching of the Church.
Throughout the ages, there have been so-called “private” revelations, some of which have been recognized by the authority of the Church. They do not belong, however, to the deposit of faith. It is not their role to improve or complete Christ’s definitive Revelation, but to help live more fully by it in a certain period of history. Guided by the Magisterium of the Church, the sensus fidelium knows how to discern and welcome in these revelations whatever constitutes an authentic call of Christ or his saints to the Church.
Christian faith cannot accept “revelations” that claim to surpass or correct the Revelation of which Christ is the fulfillment, as is the case in certain non-Christian religions and also in certain recent sects which base themselves on such “revelations.” CCC 67
All private revelation should always point us towards Christ.
The challenge should be, then, for those who oppose such private revelations to give concrete, tested proof that the approved Marian apparitions which they oppose are contrary to Christ and his teachings.
I think a turn in that directions may help in this profitable discussion!
