Our Lady of La Salette:
A Mother Weeps for Her Children
ISBN 9781689019392
ASIN B07X2LV68V
The statue and images of Our Lady of La Salette have had a profound impact upon me since I first saw them. I use one as the lock screen on my phone, and every time I see it, it reminds me to pray. This is the first book I have read that is dedicated to this apparition. And it is a fascinating little read. It is the first book by Patrice Fagnant-MacArthur that I have read, but it will not be my last by her. The description of the book is:
“In 1846, the people of the small town of Corps, located in the French Alps, had largely forgotten God. That was soon about to change. Our Lady of La Salette appeared to two peasant children, sharing a warning message of the importance of Sunday observance and respecting the name of the Lord. She told the young children to share that message with the world. It is a message even more needed in our world today.
Our Lady of La Salette: A Mother Weeps for her Children shares the story of the apparition, the seers, the message, and the secrets revealed on a rural mountain in France over 170 years ago. It also reflects on the importance of that message for our own time.”
And the chapters are:
Introduction
The Apparition
After the Apparition
The Bishop Speaks
The Seers and the Secrets
The Blessed Mother’s Message and its Importance for Today
The book is an easy read, and presents the events and their importance in clear and concise language. Some of the passages I highlighted while reading the book are:
“Maximin and Melanie met on September 17, 1846 while tending their animals. Two days later, they would experience the apparition that would change their lives forever. It was noon on September 19th. The children were in a desolate mountain spot of La Salette, frequented only by the shepherds of the region.”
“Both children carried shepherd sticks. Surprised by this vision, Melanie dropped hers, but Maximin held on to his, planning to use it as a weapon in case the woman did them any harm. Melanie feared it was a devil coming to get her. As soon as the woman began to speak, their fear left them. “They were fully reassured and felt, as it were, irresistibly attracted to this Lady.”[ 5] The woman wept the entire time she spoke to them. Maximin wanted to help her. He believed that she was hurt by either her son or husband.”
““Six days I have given you to labor, the seventh I have kept for myself; and they will not give it to me. It is this which makes the arm of my Son so heavy. “Those who drive the carts cannot swear without introducing the name of my Son. These are the two things which make the arm of my Son so heavy.”
“Melanie and Maximin heard the message more with their hearts than with their ears. At times, the Lady spoke in proper French, which neither child knew much of. At other times, she spoke in their local dialect. “They retained all of it perfectly, the French as well as the dialect, whether or not they understood everything.” For the rest of their lives, they would not forget.”
But from this book we will gleam that the rest of their life was not easy. But the message is one of lasting importance to us individually and to the world. This is an excellent little volume well worth picking up.
Note: This book is part of a series of reviews: 2021 Catholic Reading Plan!
Books by Patrice Fagnant-MacArthur:
The Catholic Baby Name Book
Letters to Mary from a Young Mother
The Work of Our Hands: The Universal Gift of Creativity
The Crash Course Guide to Catholic Homeschooling
The Power of Forgiveness
Jesus: The Savior Among Us
…
Contributed to:
The Catholic Mom's Prayer Companion
The Mother Letters: Sharing the Laughter, Joy, Struggles, and Hope
The Handbook for Catholic Moms
Don't Cut Me Again: True Stories about Vaginal Birth after Caesarean
…
