The Age of Mary and Its Rapid Pace
The Age of Jesus on earth established His kingdom as the reign of faith and love in the hearts of mankind. Knowing their weaknesses, however, He established for them and for this faith a visible guide and guardian, His holy Church. His Church and His people have flourished for two millennia, progressing together along a sometimes rocky path toward His kingdom.
Now a new episode of spiritual time is unfolding in our world. It was and is the Age of Mary. It heralds a time of great love and mercy from God, a kind of final amnesty for a mankind gone frighteningly awry. It defines as never before the love of God for all of His creatures, especially His mother, and the high degree of intense, loving, intercessory effort she expends on man’s behalf. As never before, the fire of love in His Sacred Heart and her Immaculate Heart for every creature grows more and more clearly defined. But this Age of Mary speaks also of God’s justice, of a time of a kind of purification of His people, of a second coming of Jesus and of the establishment of a true kingdom of Christ on earth. A growing consensus of modern prophecy seems to project that this coming of Jesus does not mean a time of final judgment, the end of the world. No, that seems to be far off. Rather, many foresee a time of the reign of the truly noble human spirit in the world, a world in near-perfect harmony with man’s Maker, his Savior, and the rest of creation, a world almost like a new Eden.
Many place the onset of this Age of Mary as the events in Fatima, Portugal in 1917. But the tone for Fatima, and for present times, was probably set earlier with Our Lady’s appearance to St. Catherine Labouré at Rue du Bac in 1830, and her gift of the Miraculous Medal. It was there that Our Lady first lamented the condition of mankind and warned of disaster if strong measures were not soon taken by people of faith.
But the popularity of Fatima, and the fact that many people are aware of events and prophecies there, is a good starting point for defining this age. For this was assuredly a powerful statement of God’s mercy, a source of great prophecy and promise for His people. Ringing through the words given to the peasant children were powerful theological undertones associated with the burning love of Jesus’ Sacred Heart and Mary’s Immaculate Heart. Truly at Fatima there was food for every level of Christian faith and understanding.
Events at Fatima were witnessed by many. Its messages and prophecies were approved by the Church in 1930 in the only way in which the Church approves apparition phenomena, i.e., that associated events and messages may be believed by the faithful without risk to the faith. Since official approval by the Catholic Church, Fatima has been much reverenced and much studied by the faithful. But like most other private revelation, Fatima has lost some of its popular appeal over time and is today honored and respected by but a small fraction of the faithful who believe that Mary would see fit to visit God’s people and that her messages, given in 1917, would still apply to her people today. In short, people have forgotten.
Our Lady of Light
In a message of December 31, 1993, at a seemingly peak point of world immorality, Jesus, through a personal revelation to the anonymous Batavia visionary, speaks of His Mother as being sent among us in this Age of Mary as declared in heaven. He states that she is to untangle us from our sins and is to lead us to His Sacred Heart. He laments, however, that in this special Age of Mary we have already witnessed many of her manifestations throughout the world, yet still do not accept her. Mary as Our Lady of Light comments on this acceptance and understanding of apparitions in a message of February 3, 1994. She reminds us that it is only through faith that the spiritual veil is lifted from our hearts and that, if we wish to see, we must first believe.
The concept of a special age of Mary seems to fit precisely, given the many years over which we have experienced a multiplicity of her mystical phenomena, locutions and visions occurring all over the world. Such events are calling us to return God and His laws to the forefront of our lives so we can become a people of personal holiness and prayer. They also warn of the dire consequences of following the path we now tread. An apparently common thread woven through her messages, and those of Jesus, is that we are approaching a spiritual climax of grave, eternal consequence. Her request that we become Mary’s Special Apostles is her response to our concerns. The path to follow, she says, is a spiritual one and not one with a safety net based on stockpiling worldly goods in anticipation of some impending physical catastrophe.
In a personal message of December 8, 1994 (Chapter 2 of Personal Revelations of Our Lady of Light, Volume 4) to the Batavia visionary, Our Lady says,
I came here as Our Lady of Light in days past (September 1, 1991) and I wish to be known here in America as Our Lady of Light in the days to come and for all future generations.
…Know that my coming here to America as Our Lady of Light was a special gift of the Father, honoring the special feast of my Immaculate Conception.
In reading previous messages, you can see that it was on December 8, 1991 that I first announced that I would be coming here to St. Joseph Church. I had sent that message through another of my messengers. I also said that I come, Mother of God, Bearer of Light, to be among you as a shining beacon in this very urgent time.
You will also recall that I promised you a miracle would be sent on December 8, 1991 and that this miracle was granted through the Father. This miracle, the fall of Communism, was part of the fulfillment of my Fatima messages that communism would be defeated and that my Immaculate Heart would triumph.
On December 8, 1993, I brought forth my third ambassador, the priest of the west, Father Lawrence Sweeney of Ogden, Utah. His appearance on this date was no coincidence.
To further explain the importance of the feast of my Immaculate Conception, the date of the eighth day of each month was chosen for my appearance at my Farm in Falmouth (Kentucky) in order to coincide with the feast date of December 8.
…As I have spoken many times, I am the same lady, giving the same messages, even though I may have to approach some in a different manner or under a different title. This is simply my plan to reach more of my children.
…You could not see in the beginning all that has happened here, even though I foretold it, and you cannot see what lies ahead now, but I can.
Our Lady of Light Ministries has started here as a small seed but will grow into a giant faith that will flow over this land and then over the world. For this reason, it is still my desire that all work done for me here in this area, and at all seven apparition sites, be contained under and within my Our Lady of Light Ministries. This is to avert any confusion that could arise in the future.
The Fulfillment of Fatima
The fulfillment of Fatima is transpiring here. “The foretold fulfillment of Fatima is upon us.” An astounding statement, isn’t it? In a personal message to Father Leroy Smith, Our Lady said:
Tell them of Our Lady of Light Ministries and ask that they join in this movement to help bring about the triumph of my Immaculate Heart as promised at Fatima. As I have already spoken, I am the Lady of Fatima, continuing here in this land and in these times as Our Lady of Light. What is transpiring here now is the fulfillment of the promises and prophecies made at Fatima at the beginning of this century. Remind my children that these times are very serious, but also very blessed.
When visiting any area (of the country), ask the people there to join my movement. Ask that they accept and wear my holy scapular, that they take up and pray my holy Rosary daily. These are the tools I gave in earlier days to defeat the fallen angel. I ask that they consecrate themselves and their families to the Sacred Heart of Jesus and to my Immaculate Heart.
She has invited everyone to become her Special Apostle and to be an active part of her newly formed Our Lady of Light Ministries. This has started here as a small seed, but remember, “it will grow into a giant faith that will flow over this land and then over the world.” Our Lady promised it!
She has asked Father Leroy Smith to enlist others in establishing Our Lady of Light centers so that her ministries can continue to expand in America. She wants her messages, and those of her Son, distributed from these centers to the children of our country.
Here in America most do not realize the great spiritual awareness now forming through the movement called Our Lady of Light Ministries. Hearts are changing and a spiritual reform back to Jesus is under way. As evidence, a U.S. News and World Report survey showed that no less than 61% of Americans believed Jesus Christ would return to earth. A third of those thought that would occur within the next few years or, at most, the next few decades. A lot of Americans seem to be on the same interesting page!