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| At the Gable Wall |
Many of the first pilgrims prayed for an end to famine and poverty, others came in search of cures.
Today, people from all over the world made their way to Knock Shrine on pilgrimage.
The first Annual Apostolate of Perpetual Eucharistic Adoration Pilgrimage was held at the famous Apparition site, and four thousand pilgrims attended this joyous celebration.
Among them were people from all corners of Ireland, and international visitors from countries such as Romania, United States of America, South Africa, India and the Philippines.
Place of prayer and hope
A visit by Mary of Nazareth, together with Joseph, John, the Lamb of God and Angels on the 21st August 1879 transformed Knock from a small country village into an international place of prayer and hope.
The year 1879 was a year of suffering and despair in Ireland.
The harvest of 1879 was disastrous.
The potato blight and the ensuing famine brought misery and death upon many.
Many lived in poverty stricken circumstances, and much illness was suffered.
An epidemic of typhus fever was sweeping through the countryside.
Divine Visitation
There was unrest in the land.
It is reported that outside agitators organised meetings and discussed the land question.
The district of Knock was selected as a place that required attention, particularly because Archdeacon Cavanagh was preaching caution and restraint to his parishioners.
It was decided that this local parish priest was to be subjected to threats and finally to have his ears cut off.
This was to serve as warning to other parishes, and a date was fixed for the deed.
Prior to the date fixed, Heaven intervened in the course of events which was unfolding with a Divine Visitation to the village.
Apparition
It had rained all day.
The south-westerly wind carried a thick mist against the gable wall of the small parish church.
In the quiet village of Knock there was not much astir.
The Byrnes' home was a thatched farmer's cottage about two hundred yards off the main road to the east of the church.
The rain and wind had not abated by evening.
Margaret Byrne was sent to lock up the church for the night.
When she had done her work, she was returning home when she saw brightness over the church.
She thought this somewhat unusual, but took no further notice.
Church Gable
That Thursday evening, Mrs Byrne and her daughter Mary, had just returned from travelling to the health resort at Lecanvey.
Visitors were in to welcome them back.
Mary Byrne went out on the road with the priest's housekeeper after her visit, and coming into view of the church gable on the way, thought she saw statues and remarked on them to Mary McLoughlin.
But Mary McLoughlin said she heard nothing about them.
On coming nearer, Mary Byrne exclaimed:
"But they're not statues, they're moving.
It's the Blessed Virgin."
Mary of Nazareth
An apparition of Mary of Nazareth wearing a large brilliant crown and clothed in white garments was at the south gable wall of the church.
Mary had her hands raised as if in prayer, and her eyes turned towards heaven.
On her right hand was Joseph of Nazareth, his head inclined towards her.
On her left was John the Evangelist, dressed as a bishop.
His left hand held the Book of the Gospels, and his right hand was raised as if preaching.
To the left of John was an altar on which stood a cross and a Lamb, around which angels' wings hovered.
The gable wall where this manifestation was seen was covered with a cloud of light, and the vision lasted for two hours.
During all this time the rain continued to fall heavily, yet the figures and area where they stood were quite dry.
Fifteen people eventually arrived at the scene as the word spread of the Divine Visit, and they were all witnesses to the wonder of the sight.
After the Apparition
The story of the Apparition brought a complete change to the unfolding events in the parish vicinity.
The plan to mutilate the Archdeacon as an example was denounced and cancelled.
The story of the Apparition impressed all, and it was regarded as a direct sign from the Heavenly Visitors that such action would be desecration.
The agitators thereafter remained away, and peace returned to Knock.
Cures
People began to visit Knock in great numbers, coming to pray and seek assistance from Heaven with their difficulties.
Cures from serious illnesses began to be reported regularly.
These continue to this day.
Cnoc Mhuire - The Hill of Mary
Knock is known in the beautiful Gaelic as Cnoc Mhuire, or the Hill of Mary.
What is the essence of the message Mary, Joseph and John brought us?
They all had one common denominator, the Lamb of God;
Jesus, the Son of David, God incarnated as human.
- Jesus' mother
Mary of Nazareth - Miriam of Nazareth - of the royal line of David and appearing as crowned Queen - is Jesus' mother.
Mary is descendent of King David and Queen (Gebirah) of the Heavenly Kingdom.
The Gebirah, the Queen Mother of of the Kingdom of Judah, was an official position held by the mother of the Davidic kings.
She was the most important and influential woman in the royal court and the king's chief counselor.
The Book of Revelation 12;1-17 speaks of a great sign appearing in Heaven; a woman clothed with the sun, who gave birth to a male child - symbolic of Mary of Nazareth, and Jesus, her Son.
In the Apparition Mary wore a glowing crown as she visited the land where Kings of Eire were crowned in ancient times.
-Jesus' father
Joseph of Nazareth - Yusuf ben Jacob - is father on earth to Jesus, incarnated God.
Joseph belongs to the house and line of King David.
- John the Evangelist
John - Yohanan - wrote the Gospel of St John and the Book of Revelation.
The latter tells us;
'Worthy is the Lamb that was sacrificed
to receive power, riches, wisdom,
strength, honour, glory and blessing.'
(The Bible, Book of Revelation, Chapter 5 verse 12).
The Lamb is the symbol in Revelation of Jesus Christ, God incarnated.
John also witnesses in his vision that he saw a Lamb that seemed to have been sacrificed, to whom a hymn was sung;
'You are worthy to take the scroll
and to break its seals,
because you were sacrificed, and with your blood
you bought people for God
of every race, language, people and nation
and made them a line of kings and priests for God,
to rule the world.'
(Revelation Chapter 5 verses 9 to 10).
- The Angels
Angels - holy spirits - have been devoted and loyal to the service of God and Jesus Christ.
An angel appeared to Zechariah; to Mary of Nazareth; to Joseph.
Angels appeared to the shepherds at the time of Jesus' birth.
Angels ascended and descended above Jacob at Bethel, intent on God's work.
Angels attended Jesus after His temptation in the desert, and at His time of deepest fear in Gethsemane.
They pushed away the stone from the mouth of the tomb preparatory to their God and King walking alive and free, true King and Conqueror.
Angels witnessed Jesus' triumph at the Resurrection over humanity's real enemy; satan and death.
John tells us in Revelation that in his vision, he heard the sound of an immense number of angels gathered round the throne of the Lamb. (Revelation Chapter 5, verse 11).
The message they brought
The message they thus brought was;
Look at the Lamb.
He is the One Who has come to save the world.
Jesus of Nazareth has fulfilled the Old Testament prophecy of the great prophet Isaiah;
'Who has believed our message
and to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?
He grew up before him like a tender shoot,
and like a root out of dry ground.
He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to him,
nothing in his appearance that we should desire him.
He was despised and rejected by men,
a man of sorrows, and familiar with suffering.
Like one from whom men hide their faces
he was despised, and we esteemed him not.
Surely he took up our infirmities
and carried our sorrows,
yet we considered him stricken by God,
smitten by him, and afflicted.
But he was pierced for our transgressions,
he was crushed for our iniquities;
the punishment that brought us peace was upon him,
and by his wounds we are healed.
We all, like sheep, have gone astray,
each of us has turned to his own way;
and the LORD has laid on him
the iniquity of us all.
He was oppressed and afflicted,
yet he did not open his mouth;
he was led like a lamb to the slaughter,
and as a sheep before her shearers is silent,
so he did not open his mouth.
By oppression and judgement he was taken away.
And who can speak of his descendants?
For he was cut off from the land of the
living;
for the transgression of my people he was stricken.
He was assigned a grave with the
wicked,
and with the rich in his death,
though he had done no violence,
nor was any deceit in his mouth.
Yet it was the LORD's will to crush
him and cause him to suffer,
and though the LORD makes his life
a guilt offering,
he will see his offspring and prolong
his days,
and the will of the LORD will prosper
in his hand.
After the suffering of his soul,
he will see the light of life, and be
satisfied;
by his knowledge my righteous
servant will justify many,
and he will bear their iniquities.
Therefore I will give him a portion
among the great,
and he will divide the spoils with the
strong,
because he poured out his life unto
death,
and was numbered with the
transgressors.
For he bore the sin of many,
and made intercession for the
transgressors.'
(Old Testament, Isaiah Chapter 53).
Lamb of God
John the Evangelist tells us of John the Baptist giving the revelation to disciples.
'The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said,
"Look, the Lamb of God, Who takes away the sin of the world!"
(John Chapter 2 verse 29).
A message of hope
The Apparition thus clearly pointed towards Divine Truth
Jesus, incarnate as human, has released all through His self-sacrifice from the slavery of sin and death.
He has opened the gate to Heaven for each one of us.
And so today, as we gathered in Knock, we celebrated the message of hope that Mary of Nazareth brought to us.
John proclaims Jesus the Lamb of God. See link
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T-QNHqJw3CM
Link to the official testimonies of the fifteen witnesses to the Apparition at Knock
http://www.knock-shrine.ie/uploads/documents/The%2015%20Depositions%20arranged%20alphabetically.pdf
With thanks to Youtube
Photograph by Catherine Nicolette
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