In our age of wars, transgenderism, abortion up till birth in various nations, natural and moral calamities and a host of other seemingly insurmountable problems, sometimes it looks as if the world has gone barking mad. Many of us remember times that were much more tranquil not so long ago. But take heart. Our Lady of Good Success of the Purification foretold the sad realities of this epoch to a holy nun named Mother Mariana de Jesus hundreds of years ago. This apparition happened at the Royal Convent of the Immaculate Conception in Quito, Ecuador. And most importantly, these apparitions enlighten us on how to live in these tumultuous times. Plus our Lady went further by informing us who will win in the end. I wrote a book, Our Lady’s Prophecies—God’s Messages for our Times (published by Sophia Institute Press and available for pre-order on Amazon) to bring these ancient prophecies to light and help people during these times.
Mother Mariana of Jesus Apparitions Approved By JPII
The messages were approved by the local bishop, Salvador Ribera Avalos, in 1611 and have been upheld by every bishop in that diocese since that era. Even John Paul II gave the devotion a special canonical approval in the 1990’s. Incidentally, the era of the apparitions was so far back in time that clock making was the new technology and long distance travel was by sailing ship. But I digress, the point is that ecclesial approval is always very important in determining whether apparitions are worthy of belief. Another signpost of the veracity of a prophecy predicting future events is whether they actually happen or not.
Our Lady told Mother Mariana of Jesus that Ecuador would become a republic. Mother Mariana was a cloistered nun in the colony of San Francisco de Quito which is now a city called Quito, in the country of Ecuador. As prophesied, Ecuador did become a republic in 1830. Also our Blessed Lady said that a great Catholic president, a man of character, would emerge in the republic of Ecuador in the nineteenth century. And this leader would obtain the palm of martyrdom in the very square where the Royal Convent of the Immaculate Conception was located.
Gabriel Garcia Moreno was elected president of Ecuador in 1860. This was 278 years after our Lady told Mother Mariana of the future man of character that would lead the republic. As a timid and fearful child, Gabriel’s father helped him confront and overcome his fears, sometimes with methods we might find excessive. In adulthood he was known for his honesty, valor and dedication. He served two terms and made truly remarkable reforms that tremendously benefited his country. Moreno transformed education—so that many new schools opened and large numbers of the young could learn and improve their lot in life. He also strengthened the military with excellent training and religious instruction via the chaplains and purged it of the thugs that previous corrupt regimes had attracted to it like flies on dung. In addition, he got rid of corruption on all levels of government and tremendously improved the economy and even the credit rating of the republic. But most notably, he consecrated the entire country to the Sacred Heart of Jesus. This was a bridge too far for his enemies. Lastly, true to our Lady’s prophecy, he was assassinated in the square near the presidential palace and the Royal convent. So these prophecies pass two crucial tests.
Prophecies Of Crisis
This past summer many of us watched the powerful story of the dangerous trek to rescue two young children being trafficked for profit in the blockbuster movie, the Sound of Freedom. In the true account portrayed in the film, we learned that this crime of human sex trafficking has increased massively in recent years. When our Lady told Mother Mariana of specific evils that would start in the 20th century and increase into our time, several key messages involve young people. Certain prophecies discuss the targeting of children for corruption. Many of us did not foresee that deeply disturbing reality coming down the pike. Other prophecies involve education, the secular press, heresy, blasphemy and sacrilege. The old saying to be forewarned is to be forearmed applies here. Learning more about these ancient prophecies and the virtues our Lady informed our generation to pursue will help us face the crisis and ride the wave above despair.
Some might say it is conspiracy theory to point out prophecies that deal with the infiltration of certain institutions by anti-Catholic forces or the huge crisis in the Church—until it happened right before our very eyes. My grandmother use to say, the proof is in the pudding. Many leaders today agree that we are in the midst of an unprecedented period of crisis but may not know that our Lady warned of these days and of the coming good restoration of faith and morals.
Yet we cannot sit back and wait it out. Each person has an important part to play in our era. The promised renewal and restoration will be transformative in many good ways but our baptismal call invites us to join the fight in our own neck of the woods or where we are summoned. In the messages, our Lady even calls wealthy Catholics to utilize their resources to combat evil and make a substantial difference in our troubled world. One time, in Steubenville, Ohio a vandal broke off the hands on a statue of our Lord Jesus in front of a Catholic church. Someone hung a sign on it that read: you are my hands. That was a profound message to all entering that particular church and it still rings out today. We can bring about renewal and positive change by being His hands and abiding in Him—and ultimately participate in the great restoration.
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