The 21st has finally come, happy feast day of Our Lady of Knock everyone! Today was amazing! It was the most spiritual and enticing experience I’ve ever had in my lifetime. The Shrine was beautiful. It had beautiful landscaped gardens with meandering pathways and a diverse range of fauna. The site incorporates five churches: the Apparition Chapel, Parish Church and Basilica, a Religious Books’ Centre, Caravan and Camping Park, Knock Museum, Café le Chéile and Knock House Hotel.
It was a massive complex, I have no idea how we got around the whole thing in one day. Many statues would pop up around the Shrine of Our Lady of Knock, saints and Jesus Christ. This one especially caught my eye:
This is a statue of Mary and on her head is a golden crown. This is a representation of Mary during the Apparition as she was said to be ‘a beautiful woman clothed in white garments and wearing a large, brilliant crown.’ This reminded me of the Catholic Church teachings on Mary about her being the Immaculate Conception. This teaching basically stated that Mary was pure and free of sins since birth. This was defined by Pope Pius IX on the 8th of December, 1854. It grew out of the Church’s understanding of Mary as especially holy and fully graced by God, in that she did not share in the sinfulness like the rest of humanity. From the moment she was conceived, God preserved Mary from original sin and she was free from sin for her entire life. This grace was given to Mary because perfect human nature was required for the Mother of God. This is further reinforced in the Catholic Church Catechism 490, stating that ‘to become the mother of the Savior, Mary "was enriched by God with gifts appropriate to such a role”. The angel Gabriel at the moment of the annunciation salutes her as "full of grace". In fact, in order for Mary to be able to give the free assent of her faith to the announcement of her vocation, it was necessary that she be wholly borne by God's grace.’
I was some sort of a flashback from when I was taught this way before I came here to Ireland. It was a strange feeling, but it was good to know that background information as things became a whole lot clearer.
This a photo from inside the Apparition Chapel. The site really was very sacred, the whole atmosphere changed once I stepped inside. The first thing you see as you walk in is more statues, but this time the recreation of the Apparition. You can see on the left the three ‘luminous figures’ of Blessed Virgin Mary, St. Joseph and St. John the Evangelist, and next to them, the altar with the lamb and cross on it and the angels flying around it.
Back to 1879, within six weeks of the Apparition, two commissions of enquiry (1879 and 1936) were established. The 15 witnesses of the Apparition were examined and the Commission reported that their evidence was ‘trustworthy and satisfactory’. This report was published in newspapers and pilgrims began to flock from all parts of the country and overseas. The sick and disabled were also taken in great numbers and hundreds of cures were reported in the public press of that time. Knock gradually gained official support from the Church. The symbolism of the lamb, cross and altar has been seen as pointing to the sacrificial death of Christ and the Mass. These symbols were behind Mary in the apparition, suggesting the focus was on her and her role as a mediator. Knock then became a major Irish pilgrimage site of prayer and worship and in fall 1880, a statue of Our Lady of Knock was erected where she had been seen during the vision.
While we were in the Chapel, I was told that Knock was a place to strengthen one’s Catholic faith in God. And boy do I agree with that. Just from standing outside the Shrine, the place was radiating with faith and devotion. Pilgrims have ventured out to Knock in search of healing, reconciliation and peace. They pray at the site where Mary appeared by the church wall at 8 in the evening. Even Pope John Paul II had his own personal pilgrimage here in 1979, to commemorate the centenary of the Apparition. Also Mother Teresa Calcutta visited in 1993, which inspired greater devotion to the Shrine.
It has been said that the blessing upon Ireland was expected because of the people’s constant devotion to Mary that was evident always on the island. St. Joseph was admired greatly, St. John the Evangelist and the Irish people both shared the gift of love – Knock is a sign of that love. And the Blessed Mary. She is the mother of Jesus the Christ, who is divine and human. Mary is the Mother of God. She is the mother of the most powerful person who ever walked the earth. This is also another Catholic Church teaching on Mary, Mother of the church. Pope Paul VI proclaimed that Mary is Mother of the church. As mother of Christ, she is also mother of those who are his disciples, and she has motherly care for all.
Today was a great day, full of faith and spirit. With this experience, I will continue on my life with Mary and God closer to my heart.
Goodnight readers!
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