While on the theme of "Hope" that currently seems to be permeating my posts to this blog I have found a lovely Novena to Our Lady of Hope.
http://www.ewtn.com/Devotionals/novena/hope.htm
Devotion to Our Lady of Hope is one of the oldest Marian devotions. The first shrine bearing that title was erected at Mezieres in the year 930.
On January 17, 1871, Our Lady of Hope appeared in the French village of Pontmain. There she reveales herself as the "Madonna of the Crucifix" and gave the world her message of "Hope through Prayer and the Cross."
She said: "PRAY, MY CHILDREN. GOD WILL ANSWER BEFORE LONG. MY SON LETS HIMSELF BE MOVED."
I am so deeply consoled with these words. Personally in my own motherhood I have lived through almost seven years of practicing the virtue of hope and am just now seeing the fruit. Our Lady is Queen of Hope to me!
And also now for me, and for many others world-wide, Sister Marie has become Our Lady's dear apostle of hope for peace in this world. Join me and all of Sr. Marie's friends and let us accept Our Lady's invitation to pray so that before long her Son will be moved!
Let there be peace on earth, and let it begin with me.
“The grace of our Lord be with us forever.” ~ Sr. Marie
Thursday, August 30, 2007
Tuesday, August 28, 2007
Be Like Mary, Children of Holy Hope
“Be like Mary.” This is Sister Marie’s simple instruction to the Children of Mary, an Association that became prominent in France in 1858 due to the holy influence of St.Bernadette and Lourdes. Within her community Sister Marie had always been known for her devotion to the Blessed Mother. When assigned to Smyrna, Turkey in 1886 she brought this devotion with her and there promulgated the Children of Mary as she restored the Naval Hospital there, cared for the sick, and established an orphanage and workshops for the youth that eventually became a flourishing school.
And so Sister Marie teaches all Children of Mary to “Be like Mary.” These three little words of instruction contain an infinite number of lessons. There are so many ways to live this teaching, so many virtues to apply it to. But considering the title under which Our Lady is honored in Mary’s House in Ephesus, Mother of Holy Hope, and the heroic efforts of Sr. Marie to procure and preserve this grace filled House, it must be concluded that of all the holy virtues of our Blessed Mother, in these times Sister Marie desires us most to imitate Mary's hope. Think of the Blessed Mother on Holy Saturday. In her darkest hours when each breath she took was a perfect sigh of hope, she teaches us that light surely does overcome darkness. She could not see the Light that darkest of all days, but she had hope. Her hope was fulfilled. In our Lord’s Resurrection, the Most Glorious Light did indeed come!
If the Blessed Mother is the Mother of Holy Hope, then we as Children of Mary, are Children of Holy Hope. In these times of religious tension and violence we and our children need hope…hope that peace will prevail; that light will overcome darkness.
“Hope is confident that what is desired will certainly be obtained; it is the opposite of despair. Yet it recognizes that the object wanted is not easily obtained and that it requires effort to overcome whatever obstacles stand in the way.” (Pocket Catholic Dictionary, 1980, John A. Hardon, S.J.)
Ultimately our hope lies in the goodness, mercy, and providence of God. In the end, God’s will is done. There will be peace. Jesus has already won the war! However, the powers of darkness still "prowl the world seeking the ruin of souls" and continue to provoke battles in this life. In these times many of the battles which develop on the spiritual plane are played out on the field of religious violence. The “object” of peace that we desire is “not easily obtained; it requires our efforts” to overcome all obstacles of darkness against peace. The most efficacious action we can offer is uniting in prayer. Sr. Marie was completely dedicated to the Mother of God and spent twelve years of her life protecting and preserving Mary's House. It is in Mary’s House that this peaceful prayer prevails and its effects ripple all over the world. We must follow Sr. Marie's example; we must become more dedicated to making these little ripples become tidal waves of grace!
The prayer on Sr. Marie’s prayer card contains these very powerful words: “Around this cornerstone we build our faith and the powers of darkness will not prevail.” We know that the cornerstone given to Sr. Marie is from Mary’s House, a place of peace where Muslims and Christians pray side by side and honor the Mother of Holy Hope. Let us be Children of Holy Hope. Let us often spiritually enter into Mary’s House and there pray with Sister Marie for peace so that the Mother of Holy Hope might obtain from Her Son wave after wave of grace to cover our world with His peace.
Thank you again, dear Sister Marie, for preserving for us this true beacon of holy hope, Mary’s House, and for being an example of persevering prayer and untiring efforts in the service of Mary, Mother of Holy Hope. Help us to follow your words to “Be like Mary,” and continually grow in our efforts for peace as we become more fully the Children of Holy Hope in this world for our Lord Jesus Christ and His Immaculate Mother. "We pray for God's will to be completely fulfilled through the intercession of Sister Marie. Amen."
And so Sister Marie teaches all Children of Mary to “Be like Mary.” These three little words of instruction contain an infinite number of lessons. There are so many ways to live this teaching, so many virtues to apply it to. But considering the title under which Our Lady is honored in Mary’s House in Ephesus, Mother of Holy Hope, and the heroic efforts of Sr. Marie to procure and preserve this grace filled House, it must be concluded that of all the holy virtues of our Blessed Mother, in these times Sister Marie desires us most to imitate Mary's hope. Think of the Blessed Mother on Holy Saturday. In her darkest hours when each breath she took was a perfect sigh of hope, she teaches us that light surely does overcome darkness. She could not see the Light that darkest of all days, but she had hope. Her hope was fulfilled. In our Lord’s Resurrection, the Most Glorious Light did indeed come!
If the Blessed Mother is the Mother of Holy Hope, then we as Children of Mary, are Children of Holy Hope. In these times of religious tension and violence we and our children need hope…hope that peace will prevail; that light will overcome darkness.
“Hope is confident that what is desired will certainly be obtained; it is the opposite of despair. Yet it recognizes that the object wanted is not easily obtained and that it requires effort to overcome whatever obstacles stand in the way.” (Pocket Catholic Dictionary, 1980, John A. Hardon, S.J.)
Ultimately our hope lies in the goodness, mercy, and providence of God. In the end, God’s will is done. There will be peace. Jesus has already won the war! However, the powers of darkness still "prowl the world seeking the ruin of souls" and continue to provoke battles in this life. In these times many of the battles which develop on the spiritual plane are played out on the field of religious violence. The “object” of peace that we desire is “not easily obtained; it requires our efforts” to overcome all obstacles of darkness against peace. The most efficacious action we can offer is uniting in prayer. Sr. Marie was completely dedicated to the Mother of God and spent twelve years of her life protecting and preserving Mary's House. It is in Mary’s House that this peaceful prayer prevails and its effects ripple all over the world. We must follow Sr. Marie's example; we must become more dedicated to making these little ripples become tidal waves of grace!
The prayer on Sr. Marie’s prayer card contains these very powerful words: “Around this cornerstone we build our faith and the powers of darkness will not prevail.” We know that the cornerstone given to Sr. Marie is from Mary’s House, a place of peace where Muslims and Christians pray side by side and honor the Mother of Holy Hope. Let us be Children of Holy Hope. Let us often spiritually enter into Mary’s House and there pray with Sister Marie for peace so that the Mother of Holy Hope might obtain from Her Son wave after wave of grace to cover our world with His peace.
Thank you again, dear Sister Marie, for preserving for us this true beacon of holy hope, Mary’s House, and for being an example of persevering prayer and untiring efforts in the service of Mary, Mother of Holy Hope. Help us to follow your words to “Be like Mary,” and continually grow in our efforts for peace as we become more fully the Children of Holy Hope in this world for our Lord Jesus Christ and His Immaculate Mother. "We pray for God's will to be completely fulfilled through the intercession of Sister Marie. Amen."
Monday, August 27, 2007
From the back of the prayer card…
In the left hand column of this page is a link to a printable Sr. Marie prayer card. The link goes to a copy of the front of the prayer card with the photograph of Sr. Marie and the beautiful prayer. Do you wonder what is on the back of the prayer card?
Under another striking photograph of Sister Marie standing in front of Mary’s House at Ephesus is this short biography.
Mary’s Home
Sister Marie de Mandat-Grancey, D.C. was born of a distinguished family at the family estate – Chateau de Grancey (Bourgogne) in France, in 1837. In 1858 she became a Sister when she joined the Daughters of Charity of St. Vincent de Paul in the parish of St. Sulpice, Paris. On September 27, 1862 she made her Religious Profession. After years of nursing in France, she was assigned to the Mission to Turkey in 1886, serving in the French Naval Hospital at Smyrna. In 1890 she became the Superior of the Community and of the Hospital. While there, she became the central figure of an effort by Vincentian priests and archeologists to locate and identify a house (July 29, 1891) said to be originally occupied by Mary, the Mother of Jesus and by St. John, the Beloved Disciple in the first century. Besides being a pious and devout Religious, Sister Marie was also gifted with a profound practical sensibility. She at once secured the purchase of the house and its property (November 15, 1892), despite many obstacles. The noteworthiness of the Domus Mariae (Meryem Ana Evi) is located in the fact that it is a precious shrine for both Moslems and Christians alike. Pope Paul VI visited the House on the 26th of July, 1967 and Pope John Paul II came here to celebrate Mass, as a public pilgrim November 30, 1979. Sister Marie lived an heroic life of Christian charity and devout dedication to the dignity of Mary, the Mother of Jesus. Sister Marie died in 1915 in the midst of the First World War. Her cause for canonization is currently being considered.
Jerome M. Vereb, C.P., S.T.D.
Under another striking photograph of Sister Marie standing in front of Mary’s House at Ephesus is this short biography.
Mary’s Home
Sister Marie de Mandat-Grancey, D.C. was born of a distinguished family at the family estate – Chateau de Grancey (Bourgogne) in France, in 1837. In 1858 she became a Sister when she joined the Daughters of Charity of St. Vincent de Paul in the parish of St. Sulpice, Paris. On September 27, 1862 she made her Religious Profession. After years of nursing in France, she was assigned to the Mission to Turkey in 1886, serving in the French Naval Hospital at Smyrna. In 1890 she became the Superior of the Community and of the Hospital. While there, she became the central figure of an effort by Vincentian priests and archeologists to locate and identify a house (July 29, 1891) said to be originally occupied by Mary, the Mother of Jesus and by St. John, the Beloved Disciple in the first century. Besides being a pious and devout Religious, Sister Marie was also gifted with a profound practical sensibility. She at once secured the purchase of the house and its property (November 15, 1892), despite many obstacles. The noteworthiness of the Domus Mariae (Meryem Ana Evi) is located in the fact that it is a precious shrine for both Moslems and Christians alike. Pope Paul VI visited the House on the 26th of July, 1967 and Pope John Paul II came here to celebrate Mass, as a public pilgrim November 30, 1979. Sister Marie lived an heroic life of Christian charity and devout dedication to the dignity of Mary, the Mother of Jesus. Sister Marie died in 1915 in the midst of the First World War. Her cause for canonization is currently being considered.
Jerome M. Vereb, C.P., S.T.D.
Tuesday, August 21, 2007
An interesting article...
I recently read an interesting article about World Youth Day preparations. I learned that Sydney's Muslim leaders have extended an olive branch of peace and cooperation by offering their mosques and school halls to the many Catholic pilgrims who will be visiting the Australian city in 2008. Australian Bishop Anthony Fisher was quoted as saying: "Peace and co-operation between people of faith - especially the three great monotheistic traditions of the book - is an inspiration of most young people and given the tensions in our world, it is an urgent message for us to all hear."
Please read the article (below) and pray through the intercession of Sr. Marie for this special grace filled effort for peace!
http://www.smh.com.au/news/national/truce-as-catholics-invited-to-mosques/2007/08/15/1186857597017.html
Please read the article (below) and pray through the intercession of Sr. Marie for this special grace filled effort for peace!
http://www.smh.com.au/news/national/truce-as-catholics-invited-to-mosques/2007/08/15/1186857597017.html
Thursday, August 16, 2007
Be part of the Cause for Sr. Marie!
I understand the process for beatification less that anyone. Could this be why I'm writing this request at all? God works in mysterious ways indeed! But I do know the beatification process must begin, is sustained, and ends in prayer. That's why it so, so imperative to spread the word and let the Sr. Marie prayer card find its way far and wide! Please send a SASE (self addressed stamped envelope) to: Sr. Marie de Mandat-Grancy Foundation, P.O. Box 275, Cold Spring Harbor, NY 11724. Send as often as you like. There are generous people ready to fill your envelope with prayer cards. You will receive printed prayer cards with the Imprimatur of the Church that have the Sr. Marie prayer on one side and a short history on the other side with two lovely photos; one of Sr. Marie and one of Mary's House at Ephesus. They are beautiful.
Share this blog address http://srmarie-lorraine.blogspot.com/ with your family, prayer friends, and parish.
Be part of the work for peace in the world. All it takes is a stamp and your devoted heartfelt prayer through the intercession of Sr. Marie. Our Lady of Ephesus will do the rest. God bless you and Sr. Marie, Pray for us!
Share this blog address http://srmarie-lorraine.blogspot.com/ with your family, prayer friends, and parish.
Be part of the work for peace in the world. All it takes is a stamp and your devoted heartfelt prayer through the intercession of Sr. Marie. Our Lady of Ephesus will do the rest. God bless you and Sr. Marie, Pray for us!
Tuesday, August 14, 2007
The Assumption of Mary, Hope, and Sister Marie
“The Blessed Mary left this life in Ephesus and ascended into Heaven." ~ Pope Benedict XIV (18th century)
There is a very special grace attached to Mary’s House at Ephesus, the place of the Assumption. Her Assumption gives us a glimpse of the Heaven we long for. The Assumption is about hope.
This grace is for all time but I believe in a special way for these, our times. Like never before do we need hope that peace will prevail, especially between the religions of the world. Our Lady of Medjugorje has been asking us for 25 years to pray, pray, pray for peace. Now our current Holy Father, Pope Benedict XVI, visits Mary’s House as one of the first pilgrimages of his pontificate. The Vicar of Christ travels to this little beacon of hope where all God’s children are welcomed by Mary, Mother of Jesus; where Muslims, Christians, and Orthodox pray together in peace and honor Our Blessed Mother.
On this Feast Day of the Assumption Our Lady, again we have reason to thank Sister Marie de Mandat-Grancey, Foundress of Mary’s House at Ephesus. For 12 years of her life she never gave up working towards saving Mary’s House. It seemed an impossible task but she had hope. God placed it on her heart. She believed in Mary’s House being the place of the Assumption long before it was declared or even talked about among the religious of her time. She knew the crucial significance of this little House of Our Lady’s Assumption and with her strong faith and nothing but hope in her heart she pursued, acquired, protected, and preserved the little place for which the Church eventually gave her the title Foundress. We can say, against all hope she assured “hope” for us all ….especially now when we are in desperate need of it.
Thank you, Sister Marie. Please pray for us as we gaze upon your legacy to the world, Mary’s House, as we spiritually enter therein with our brothers and sisters of all faiths, hearts full of hope, to pray for peace.
There is a very special grace attached to Mary’s House at Ephesus, the place of the Assumption. Her Assumption gives us a glimpse of the Heaven we long for. The Assumption is about hope.
This grace is for all time but I believe in a special way for these, our times. Like never before do we need hope that peace will prevail, especially between the religions of the world. Our Lady of Medjugorje has been asking us for 25 years to pray, pray, pray for peace. Now our current Holy Father, Pope Benedict XVI, visits Mary’s House as one of the first pilgrimages of his pontificate. The Vicar of Christ travels to this little beacon of hope where all God’s children are welcomed by Mary, Mother of Jesus; where Muslims, Christians, and Orthodox pray together in peace and honor Our Blessed Mother.
On this Feast Day of the Assumption Our Lady, again we have reason to thank Sister Marie de Mandat-Grancey, Foundress of Mary’s House at Ephesus. For 12 years of her life she never gave up working towards saving Mary’s House. It seemed an impossible task but she had hope. God placed it on her heart. She believed in Mary’s House being the place of the Assumption long before it was declared or even talked about among the religious of her time. She knew the crucial significance of this little House of Our Lady’s Assumption and with her strong faith and nothing but hope in her heart she pursued, acquired, protected, and preserved the little place for which the Church eventually gave her the title Foundress. We can say, against all hope she assured “hope” for us all ….especially now when we are in desperate need of it.
Thank you, Sister Marie. Please pray for us as we gaze upon your legacy to the world, Mary’s House, as we spiritually enter therein with our brothers and sisters of all faiths, hearts full of hope, to pray for peace.
Sunday, August 12, 2007
The Cornerstone
The word "cornerstone" is mentioned twice on the Sr. Marie prayer card. Have you wondered about this? We know that Jesus, St. Peter, and even all the Apostles are referred to as cornerstones in the spirituality of our Church. But what has cornerstone to do with Sister Marie?
When Sister Marie took charge of promoting, protecting and developing Meryem Ana Evi (The House of Mary), her family who provided the means for this endeavor, was rewarded the original first century cornerstone of Mary's House! The authorities at Izmir sent it to Sr. Marie's family who still cherishes it to this day where it rests in the family Chapel in France.
As I meditate on this and it's connection to our prayers for peace between religions in the world, it seems particularly relevant to pray "Around this cornerstone we build our faith and the powers of darkness will not prevail."
Below find a link to a 16 page biographical booklet on the life of Sr. Marie where you can view this actual cornerstone.
http://holyfaceofjesus.com/Srmarieofstpeter_files/VonUffel_SISTERMARIE_Booklet_11%5B1%5D%5B1%5D.05.pdf
When Sister Marie took charge of promoting, protecting and developing Meryem Ana Evi (The House of Mary), her family who provided the means for this endeavor, was rewarded the original first century cornerstone of Mary's House! The authorities at Izmir sent it to Sr. Marie's family who still cherishes it to this day where it rests in the family Chapel in France.
As I meditate on this and it's connection to our prayers for peace between religions in the world, it seems particularly relevant to pray "Around this cornerstone we build our faith and the powers of darkness will not prevail."
Below find a link to a 16 page biographical booklet on the life of Sr. Marie where you can view this actual cornerstone.
http://holyfaceofjesus.com/Srmarieofstpeter_files/VonUffel_SISTERMARIE_Booklet_11%5B1%5D%5B1%5D.05.pdf
Saturday, August 4, 2007
Walking and Praying
Today my family and I will go away for a week to the oceanside for a little vacation. Although I won't be posting, I'll have this brand new blog and all of you on my mind and in my heart...and wrapped in my Rosary and Chaplet of Divine Mercy. I like to walk along the shore in the early mornings and sometimes at dusk (my favorite times at the beach) and pray my Rosary, Chaplet or just meditate on Jesus' unfathomable Mercy. Remember how St. Fasutina taught us that our sins are like a single drop of water in the vast ocean of Jesus' Mercy? Jesus came to take them all on...each and every sin...and pay the price for them. Mercy Incarnate. This year as I walk I'll ask Sr. Marie to walk and pray with me for all your intentions and for mercy on the whole world believing that the "powers of darkness will not prevail."
I have a little challenge for you! Why not take this week to memorize Sr. Marie's prayer? This way it takes no effort at all to call upon her when in need. And also...share her prayer card and story with just one special person that she will place on your heart . Until next week, you'll be in my prayers. Please pray for me. Sr. Marie, pray for us.
We thank God for giving us the privilege of
Sister Marie De Mandat-Grancey.
Through her great generosity she acquired the property at Ephesus,
the home of Mary and St. John the Evangelist.
We ask God and Sr. Marie
to continue to bless this cornerstone given to her.
"Around this cornerstone we build our faith
and the powers of darkness will not prevail."
We pray for God's will to be completely fulfilled
through the intercession of Sr. Marie.
Amen.
Walking and praying...they just go together!
I have a little challenge for you! Why not take this week to memorize Sr. Marie's prayer? This way it takes no effort at all to call upon her when in need. And also...share her prayer card and story with just one special person that she will place on your heart . Until next week, you'll be in my prayers. Please pray for me. Sr. Marie, pray for us.
We thank God for giving us the privilege of
Sister Marie De Mandat-Grancey.
Through her great generosity she acquired the property at Ephesus,
the home of Mary and St. John the Evangelist.
We ask God and Sr. Marie
to continue to bless this cornerstone given to her.
"Around this cornerstone we build our faith
and the powers of darkness will not prevail."
We pray for God's will to be completely fulfilled
through the intercession of Sr. Marie.
Amen.
Walking and praying...they just go together!
Friday, August 3, 2007
Friday with the Mother of Fair Love
It's Friday, the day we pray the Sorrowful Mysteries and the Stations of the Cross, and I'm thinking of Sr. Marie, Mary's House at Ephesus, and the love Sr. Maire bore for the Mother of Fair Love.
I often get lost in thought thinking of Our Blessed Mother walking the Stations of the Cross behind her House at Ephesus; carving markings into the rocks herself as she relived and prayed through her Son's Passion. I'm told that the actual stones with the markings of Our Lady are kept out of view in a museum in Turkey somewhere.
How is it that Our Lady held not a hint of bitterness towards the people who tortured and executed her Son? Not only that, but she was drawn more and more deeply into her perfect motherhood of this sinful humanity! She spends her eternity saving our poor souls because she loves us beyond our comprehension. It can only be because the Son she loved above all else asked her to be our Mother and her Heart is in complete union with His. That's what it's all about isn't it? Choosing to love through the sacrifice and pain so that in the end Love heals, Love saves, Love wins.
I can imagine Sr. Marie walking those Stations of the Cross made by this Mother of Fair Love and knowing she must preserve this Holy Ground for all of us who put Fair Love on that Cross. We would need this place where the Mother of God showed us how to let Love win. How blessed we are to have this place of peace and redemptive Love. Thank you Sr. Marie. Love wins.
I often get lost in thought thinking of Our Blessed Mother walking the Stations of the Cross behind her House at Ephesus; carving markings into the rocks herself as she relived and prayed through her Son's Passion. I'm told that the actual stones with the markings of Our Lady are kept out of view in a museum in Turkey somewhere.
How is it that Our Lady held not a hint of bitterness towards the people who tortured and executed her Son? Not only that, but she was drawn more and more deeply into her perfect motherhood of this sinful humanity! She spends her eternity saving our poor souls because she loves us beyond our comprehension. It can only be because the Son she loved above all else asked her to be our Mother and her Heart is in complete union with His. That's what it's all about isn't it? Choosing to love through the sacrifice and pain so that in the end Love heals, Love saves, Love wins.
I can imagine Sr. Marie walking those Stations of the Cross made by this Mother of Fair Love and knowing she must preserve this Holy Ground for all of us who put Fair Love on that Cross. We would need this place where the Mother of God showed us how to let Love win. How blessed we are to have this place of peace and redemptive Love. Thank you Sr. Marie. Love wins.
Thursday, August 2, 2007
A Talk on Sister Marie
M.A.N. Foundation, Inc.
1121 Oyster Bay Road
Muttontown, NY 11732 U.S.A.
Phone: (516) 624-9033 / Fax: (516) 624-9042
An informative presentation and discussion will be given on Friday, August 3 at 1 PM
Please call for details and directions.http://www.manfoundation.org/index.asp
1121 Oyster Bay Road
Muttontown, NY 11732 U.S.A.
Phone: (516) 624-9033 / Fax: (516) 624-9042
An informative presentation and discussion will be given on Friday, August 3 at 1 PM
Please call for details and directions.http://www.manfoundation.org/index.asp
Why Sister Marie? Why Now?
© 2007, Lorraine Fusaro
A few years ago while recovering from the tragedy of September 11, 2001, and subsequently learning of the life and works of Sister Marie De Mandat-Grancey, I became convinced that Sister Marie is a woman for our time.
My husband Anthony and I have lived all our lives in the New York City area on Long Island where we met, married in 1981, and have raised six children. On September 11 Anthony, who has commuted to work in New York City for twenty-five years, stood on the street at the foot of the World Trade Center viewing with unspeakable horror as two planes attacked our city; our nation. He had recently left his employment at One World Trade Center in a career move. Tragically, in a matter of minutes, among the thousands who perished, many of Anthony’s previous co-workers and friends were brutally taken from this world. He returned to work a few months later to be haunted daily by the view from his new office window; a dark and desolate hole.
At this same time, my friend Erin introduced me to a nun from the 1800’s who had captured her interest while she had visited Ephesus, Turkey; Sister Marie, the hidden nun who is Foundress of Mary’s House in Ephesus. This House is the once hidden holy place where Mary, Mother of Jesus, not only spent her final years on this earth but was Assumed into heaven. My friend had been diligently working for the cause of Sister Marie’s beatification. As we parted she pressed Sister Marie’s prayer card into my hand.
Sister Marie,[1] the Mother Superior of the Sisters of Charity, is responsible for acquiring and thereby protecting for all time the House of the Mother of God at Ephesus, Meryem Ana Evi, where Our Lady lived with St. John until Her Dormition and Assumption. Now in this new millennium she, like her beloved Mary’s House, is no longer hidden. But why?
Later that year, my friend and I met to discuss Sister Marie and a connection formed in my mind between the recent tragedy of September 11, 2001 and Sister Marie. The few pieces of Sister Marie’s story with which I had become familiar and the role of Mary’s House as a gathering place for Muslims and Christians added up in my mind to a beautiful possibility. I recall saying to Erin that day, “This isn’t only about recognizing a woman’s holiness; this is about world peace!”
Later that evening, the date being 1/19, thinking about our discussion it occurred to me that our meeting date of 1/19 was the exact reverse number of 9/11, the date of tragedy. Could the hatred of 9/11 be reversed with forgiveness and prayer through the intercession of Sister Marie just like those numbers?
The “Why Now?” question was answered. The world was ripe for healing in these times after 9/11 and the need for peace between Muslims and Christians was all too obvious. But to unwrap the answer to the “Why Sister Marie?” question would require some more study and prayer. What was clear, however, was that Sister Marie was the reason my friends and I were in discussion and prayer about the subject at all.
Sister Marie's love for Our Lady and Her House at Ephesus is one shared with the Muslims. I was intrigued to learn that Mary’s House is a common pilgrimage destination for both faiths where they join in peaceful prayer; a place where Christians and Muslims pray together in their own way to God the Father while honoring Jesus’ Mother, Mary. Muslims honor Mary as God’s only creature, along with Jesus Christ, to be conceived without the stain of sin just as we Catholics implore the Mother of God under the title The Immaculate Conception.
Muslims visit this House to honor Mary, Mother of Jesus each August 15; coincidentally August 15 is the Catholic Feast of the Assumption of Mary. The Assumption of Mary took place in this very House.
Another beautiful dimension to this story is that our Greek and Armenian Orthodox brothers and sisters also visit this holy House to pray and honor whom they call Theotokos, Mother of God. The division between the Eastern left hand of Christian Orthodoxy and the Western right hand of Christian Catholicism is an unnatural continuous rent in the Body of Christ; but in Mary’s House Orthodox and Catholic kneel side by side.
Before she was the Mother of Our Savior, Mary was a devout Jewish maiden who was raised by her mother and father, St. Anne and St. Joachim, to be a devout Jewish wife and mother. This Mother given to all God’s children by Our Lord Jesus Christ from His Holy Cross calls all God’s children home to Her House.
Clearly, Our Lady has established a common ground between different faiths of this world where She gathers them in a little place of peace. Even though some in the world may define different religions as enemies, God Our Father calls us all His Children. The House at Ephesus can be thought of as an earthly symbol of Mary’s Heart where She accomplishes this fraternity; where She fulfills Her mission as Mother of all.
Sister Marie’s essential contribution to assist Our Lady by the acquisition and preservation of this House has been a crucial link in this story heretofore appreciated by very few. Thankfully, one such devotee kept a diary.
The Holy Virgin’s House: The True Story of Its Discovery is the Journal of Father Eugene Poulin, a Lazarist priest and contemporary of Sister Marie. At the outset of his record, we find Father Poulin a skeptic of what he calls “women visionaries,” particularly A.C. Emmerich, the Catholic mystic whose detailed visions would later lead to the re-discovery of Mary’s House at Ephesus. Sister Marie, on the other hand, already had a lively faith in Emmerich, convincing Father Poulin to read the mystic’s vivid account of sacred history, particularly the passages relating to Our Lady’s life in Ephesus while in the care of the Apostle John.
Not only was Father Poulin immediately (and some might say, “miraculously”) impressed by Emmerich’s compelling and inspired work, he agreed to assist Sister Marie in her search for the Holy House, conducting an expedition using A.C. Emmerich’s testimony as a “map.” Within a few weeks, he had found the house, and Sister Marie was arranging for its purchase with the help of her generous family in France.
Father Poulin writes a most profound testimony to tell the world of Sister Marie’s selfless generosity, her valiant persistence and dedication, and his debt of gratitude to her that he entreats us to share with him and all of Christendom. He offers us a compelling reason for our zeal for the cause of Sister Marie and her mission in these times. He writes:
"The Lord, who sees and organizes things, had taken care to put before us a soul in love with beauty and goodness, who was ready to give herself to everything good. A great soul, devoted, ardent, pious, and generous; the noble Sister Marie de Mandat- Grancey. She was, God had chosen her to be, the terrestrial Providence, like Panaghia’s[2] Mother! For twelve years she has been charged of this valiant religious enterprise; she has never failed.
Oh! How happy I am to give her all the respect she merits! Also, could these writings make known to posterity, long after us, to whom France, the Catholic church are in debt for Panaghia! The Lord gave me this opportunity to say loudly what I had in my heart for a long time, to acquit what I deemed to be a serious debt. It is done. Praise be to God! "
Sister Marie has opened the door of Mary’s House so that all God’s children might enter. Every time we pray with Sister Marie our hearts and souls are united and placed inside the Home of Mary by the Foundress of Mary’s House. Muslims, Orthodox, and Christians all joined together in the home of a Jewish Mother.
Is it any wonder the cause for beatification of Sister Marie de Mandat-Grancey would be begun in New York, a city so recently devastated by murderous aggression cloaked in the guise of “religion?”
Let us thank God for Sister Marie without whom this beacon of peace, Mary’s House, might have been forever lost. Just as the Holy House at Ephesus is a place of healing, brotherhood and peace, so will Sister Marie’s intercessory prayer and rise to beatification bless our bruised and battered city, country, and indeed the whole world.
Out of that dark and desolate hole springs forth a flower of hope for all God’s children.
[1] 1837-1915, Daughter of Charity
[2] Panaghia Capouli or “The Door of the Holiest,” is a term that has come to refer not only to the Holy Virgin’s House, Meryem Ana Evi, but also many surrounding areas of Ephesus including the grave of the Blessed Virgin, the Chapel built and rebuilt in this place by devotees over the years, and the Way of the Cross carved into the hill where Our Lady once walked and prayed.
A few years ago while recovering from the tragedy of September 11, 2001, and subsequently learning of the life and works of Sister Marie De Mandat-Grancey, I became convinced that Sister Marie is a woman for our time.
My husband Anthony and I have lived all our lives in the New York City area on Long Island where we met, married in 1981, and have raised six children. On September 11 Anthony, who has commuted to work in New York City for twenty-five years, stood on the street at the foot of the World Trade Center viewing with unspeakable horror as two planes attacked our city; our nation. He had recently left his employment at One World Trade Center in a career move. Tragically, in a matter of minutes, among the thousands who perished, many of Anthony’s previous co-workers and friends were brutally taken from this world. He returned to work a few months later to be haunted daily by the view from his new office window; a dark and desolate hole.
At this same time, my friend Erin introduced me to a nun from the 1800’s who had captured her interest while she had visited Ephesus, Turkey; Sister Marie, the hidden nun who is Foundress of Mary’s House in Ephesus. This House is the once hidden holy place where Mary, Mother of Jesus, not only spent her final years on this earth but was Assumed into heaven. My friend had been diligently working for the cause of Sister Marie’s beatification. As we parted she pressed Sister Marie’s prayer card into my hand.
Sister Marie,[1] the Mother Superior of the Sisters of Charity, is responsible for acquiring and thereby protecting for all time the House of the Mother of God at Ephesus, Meryem Ana Evi, where Our Lady lived with St. John until Her Dormition and Assumption. Now in this new millennium she, like her beloved Mary’s House, is no longer hidden. But why?
Later that year, my friend and I met to discuss Sister Marie and a connection formed in my mind between the recent tragedy of September 11, 2001 and Sister Marie. The few pieces of Sister Marie’s story with which I had become familiar and the role of Mary’s House as a gathering place for Muslims and Christians added up in my mind to a beautiful possibility. I recall saying to Erin that day, “This isn’t only about recognizing a woman’s holiness; this is about world peace!”
Later that evening, the date being 1/19, thinking about our discussion it occurred to me that our meeting date of 1/19 was the exact reverse number of 9/11, the date of tragedy. Could the hatred of 9/11 be reversed with forgiveness and prayer through the intercession of Sister Marie just like those numbers?
The “Why Now?” question was answered. The world was ripe for healing in these times after 9/11 and the need for peace between Muslims and Christians was all too obvious. But to unwrap the answer to the “Why Sister Marie?” question would require some more study and prayer. What was clear, however, was that Sister Marie was the reason my friends and I were in discussion and prayer about the subject at all.
Sister Marie's love for Our Lady and Her House at Ephesus is one shared with the Muslims. I was intrigued to learn that Mary’s House is a common pilgrimage destination for both faiths where they join in peaceful prayer; a place where Christians and Muslims pray together in their own way to God the Father while honoring Jesus’ Mother, Mary. Muslims honor Mary as God’s only creature, along with Jesus Christ, to be conceived without the stain of sin just as we Catholics implore the Mother of God under the title The Immaculate Conception.
Muslims visit this House to honor Mary, Mother of Jesus each August 15; coincidentally August 15 is the Catholic Feast of the Assumption of Mary. The Assumption of Mary took place in this very House.
Another beautiful dimension to this story is that our Greek and Armenian Orthodox brothers and sisters also visit this holy House to pray and honor whom they call Theotokos, Mother of God. The division between the Eastern left hand of Christian Orthodoxy and the Western right hand of Christian Catholicism is an unnatural continuous rent in the Body of Christ; but in Mary’s House Orthodox and Catholic kneel side by side.
Before she was the Mother of Our Savior, Mary was a devout Jewish maiden who was raised by her mother and father, St. Anne and St. Joachim, to be a devout Jewish wife and mother. This Mother given to all God’s children by Our Lord Jesus Christ from His Holy Cross calls all God’s children home to Her House.
Clearly, Our Lady has established a common ground between different faiths of this world where She gathers them in a little place of peace. Even though some in the world may define different religions as enemies, God Our Father calls us all His Children. The House at Ephesus can be thought of as an earthly symbol of Mary’s Heart where She accomplishes this fraternity; where She fulfills Her mission as Mother of all.
Sister Marie’s essential contribution to assist Our Lady by the acquisition and preservation of this House has been a crucial link in this story heretofore appreciated by very few. Thankfully, one such devotee kept a diary.
The Holy Virgin’s House: The True Story of Its Discovery is the Journal of Father Eugene Poulin, a Lazarist priest and contemporary of Sister Marie. At the outset of his record, we find Father Poulin a skeptic of what he calls “women visionaries,” particularly A.C. Emmerich, the Catholic mystic whose detailed visions would later lead to the re-discovery of Mary’s House at Ephesus. Sister Marie, on the other hand, already had a lively faith in Emmerich, convincing Father Poulin to read the mystic’s vivid account of sacred history, particularly the passages relating to Our Lady’s life in Ephesus while in the care of the Apostle John.
Not only was Father Poulin immediately (and some might say, “miraculously”) impressed by Emmerich’s compelling and inspired work, he agreed to assist Sister Marie in her search for the Holy House, conducting an expedition using A.C. Emmerich’s testimony as a “map.” Within a few weeks, he had found the house, and Sister Marie was arranging for its purchase with the help of her generous family in France.
Father Poulin writes a most profound testimony to tell the world of Sister Marie’s selfless generosity, her valiant persistence and dedication, and his debt of gratitude to her that he entreats us to share with him and all of Christendom. He offers us a compelling reason for our zeal for the cause of Sister Marie and her mission in these times. He writes:
"The Lord, who sees and organizes things, had taken care to put before us a soul in love with beauty and goodness, who was ready to give herself to everything good. A great soul, devoted, ardent, pious, and generous; the noble Sister Marie de Mandat- Grancey. She was, God had chosen her to be, the terrestrial Providence, like Panaghia’s[2] Mother! For twelve years she has been charged of this valiant religious enterprise; she has never failed.
Oh! How happy I am to give her all the respect she merits! Also, could these writings make known to posterity, long after us, to whom France, the Catholic church are in debt for Panaghia! The Lord gave me this opportunity to say loudly what I had in my heart for a long time, to acquit what I deemed to be a serious debt. It is done. Praise be to God! "
Sister Marie has opened the door of Mary’s House so that all God’s children might enter. Every time we pray with Sister Marie our hearts and souls are united and placed inside the Home of Mary by the Foundress of Mary’s House. Muslims, Orthodox, and Christians all joined together in the home of a Jewish Mother.
Is it any wonder the cause for beatification of Sister Marie de Mandat-Grancey would be begun in New York, a city so recently devastated by murderous aggression cloaked in the guise of “religion?”
Let us thank God for Sister Marie without whom this beacon of peace, Mary’s House, might have been forever lost. Just as the Holy House at Ephesus is a place of healing, brotherhood and peace, so will Sister Marie’s intercessory prayer and rise to beatification bless our bruised and battered city, country, and indeed the whole world.
Out of that dark and desolate hole springs forth a flower of hope for all God’s children.
[1] 1837-1915, Daughter of Charity
[2] Panaghia Capouli or “The Door of the Holiest,” is a term that has come to refer not only to the Holy Virgin’s House, Meryem Ana Evi, but also many surrounding areas of Ephesus including the grave of the Blessed Virgin, the Chapel built and rebuilt in this place by devotees over the years, and the Way of the Cross carved into the hill where Our Lady once walked and prayed.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
