Back when the Philippines were in a terrible political turmoil and the troops were ordered to quell the popular uprising, a well attested miracle occurred. Thousands were marching on the presidential palace guarded by armed regular army troops who were ordered to fire on the demonstrators. However, as the people marched they were praying the rosary and when they approached the military line a vision of Mary the Mother of Jesus was seen leading them by thousands including the troops. The troops opened their ranks and the people peacefully marched to the palace and the government was peacefully replaced.
I know that devotion to Mary along with asking the saints to help us flies in the face of most Christian denominations. So many say that we must only go directly to Jesus with our prayerful requests for help. But Judeo/Christian history is filled with references to divine help coming in the form of angels and holy persons long departed. Are we ignoring a resource?
Sometimes I think that we are like chess players who insist on playing without the queen. Their opponent has no such limitations. Our opponents have full use of all kinds of evil minions while we fight among ourselves about the proprieties of using gifts presented to us by the arsenal of hope, Jesus.
Such is the case with the ongoing revelations about clergy abuse. The sixties presented all of us with a new world of open sexual behavior. We are all still trying to deal with that reality. Our clergy are no exception. We loosed a powerful force on ourselves. The virtues of chastity have been ruptured by the demands for freedom. The consequences for this behavior were predicted in the eighties. The visions of Mary at that time warned that the Catholic clergy were about to be rendered. The causes of this plague of clergy sexual misconduct are vague. Sociologists and psychiatrists are still wrestling with them. However the results fill the headlines. We need help now.
My little prayer group has dedicated itself to the healing of priests and all Christian clergy. We do not judge, we pray. Our main source of hope is Mary along with unknown and known personal spirit guides that are only waiting to be asked to help. Ask.
