From: rich <
richarra@gmail.com>
January 16th - Happy Feast Day of Mother Mariana de Jesus Torres!
On January 16th, 1635, as Mother Mariana was given the great grace of
knowing the day and the hour of her death, she prepared her community
for her death. She had written a Last Will and Testament to be used as
a guide for the Conceptionist Monastery for all time. She read it
aloud to all of her daughters from her deathbed on this day.=C2 She died
at 3:00 PM--the hour of Our Lord's own expiring.=C2 Those who love Our
Lady should also take these words to heart.=C2 Always be close to Our
Blessed Mother beneath the Cross!
=C2 In the 3rd Clause of Mother Mariana's Last Will and Testament she
speaks of the great devotion to Our Lady of Good Success in this way
(taken from the Admirable Life of Mother Mariana Vol. 2) :
=E2=80=9CWhen the Divine Master was hanging from the ignominious gibbet of = the
Cross, on which He expired amidst His almost infinite sufferings and
torments, the 4th word, or testament, that He left to redeemed
humanity was that He left His own Mother to us so that She might be
our mother. Directing Himself to the Virgin Mother, He said: =E2=80=9CWoman=
,
behold your son," the beloved disciple. And, directing Himself to the
apostle, He said: =E2=80=9CBehold your Mother." Appropriating that fourth w= ord
of my dying Spouse, I, your dying Mother, directing to you from my bed
of agony my last words, tell you, my present-day daughters and those
throughout time until the end of the world: Behold your Heavenly
Mother, Mary Most Holy of Good Success. She will always give you good successes....
Have a great love for the Blessed Virgin. Imitate her virtues, above
all her profound humility and her ardent love for God and poor
sinners; love each other with a childlike simplicity and candor which
allows no guilt or hypocrisy in souls. Preserve and propagate devotion
to Our Lady under the tender invocation of Good Success, so that She
might obtain whatever you ask of Jesus and Mary...
Know, also, daughters and sisters of all times, that the holy Statue
is consecrated with Holy Oils and is under the care of the three
Archangels: St. Michael, St. Gabriel, and St. Raphael. Thus the
treacherous demon can not cause it harm. For, seeing himself oppressed
and this devotion and invocation snatching many souls from him, the
demon will always attempt to destroy it. But all in vain! God watches
over His works. But you should also take supreme care of your true
treasure and strive to make Her known and loved by the greatest number
of souls possible, assuring them that, with this devotion, they will
always attain good successes in time and in eternity.
Have recourse to Her in all your spiritual and temporal needs. When
your souls are suffering temptations and hardships, and if the star of
your divine vocation, by divine permission, is hidden from your soul's
sight, run to Her with confidence and say: Star of the tempestuous sea
of my mortal life, make Thy light shine so that I do not stray from
the road that will lead me to Heaven."
=E2=80=9CI am Mary of Good Success whom you invoked with such tender
affection. Your prayer has pleased me very much. Your faith has
brought me here. Your love has invited me to visit you."
( Our Lady of Good Success to Mother Mariana de Jesus Torres from =E2=80=9C= Our
Lady of Good Success Novena and Prayer Booklet")
The Apostolate of Our Lady of Good Success
Saint Quote:
Your first task is to be dissatisfied with yourself, fight sin, and
transform yourself into something better. Your second task is to put
up with the trials and temptations of this world that will be brought
on by the change in your life and to persevere to the very end in the
midst of these things.
--St. Augustine
Bible Quote:
In thy sight are all they that afflict me; my heart hath expected
reproach and misery. And I looked for one that would grieve together
with me, but there was none: and for one that would comfort me, and I
found none. And they gave me gall for my food, and in my thirst they
gave me vinegar to drink."=C2 (Ps. 68:21-22)
<><><><>
Are you troubled? think but of Jesus, speak but the name of Jesus, the
clouds disperse, and peace descends anew from heaven. Have you fallen
into sin? so that you fear death? invoke the name of Jesus, and you
will soon feel life returning. No obduracy of the soul, no weakness,
no coldness of heart can resist this holy name; there is no heart
--- NewsGate v1.0 gamma 2
* Origin: News Gate @ Net396 -Huntsville, AL - USA (1:396/4)