15 January: Our Lady of Banneux, Our Lady of the Poor
PRAYER TO THE VIRGIN OF THE POOR
O virgin of the Poor, May you ever be blessed !
And blessed be He who deigned to send you to us. What you have been and are to us now, you will always be to those who, like us, and better then us, offer their faith and their prayer. You will be all for us, as you revealed yourself at Banneux :
Mediatrix of all graces, the Mother of the Saviour, Mother of God. A compassionate and powerfull Mother who loves the poor and all Peaople, who alleviates suffering, who saves individuals and all humanity, Queen and Mother of all Nations, who came to lead all those who allow themselves to be guided by you, to Jesus the true and only Source of eternal life.
Amen.
PRAYER
Mary Virgin of the Poor, You lead us to Jesus, source of grace, and you come to alleviate our suffering.
We implore you with confidence: Help us to folow your Son with generosity, and to belong to Him unreservedly.
Help us to welcome the Holy Spirit Who guides and sanctifies us. Obtain us the grace to look like Jesus everyday more, so that our life will glorify the Father and contribute to the salvation of all.
INVOCATIONS
Blessed Virgin of the Poor, lead us to Jesus, Source of grace. Blessed Virgin of the Poor, save all Nations. Blessed Virgin of the Poor, relieve the Sick.
Blessed Virgin of the Poor, alleviate suffering. Blessed Virgin of the Poor, pray for each one of us. Blessed Virgin of the Poor, we believe in you.
Blessed Virgin of the Poor, believe in us. Blessed Virgin of the Poor, we will pray hard. Blessed Virgin of the Poor, bless us (+) Blessed Virgin of the Poor, Mother of the Saviour Mother of God, we thank You.
The Apparitions at Banneux in 1933ù
One snowy January evening in 1933, 11-year-old Mariette Beco was sitting in her kitchen looking out the window, waiting for her 10-year-old brother to arrive home. What she saw surprised and excited her: It looked like the Virgin Mary.
The apparition of a woman surrounded by an aura of pure white light attracted Mariette’s attention, and she exclaimed, “Look, mother! It’s our Blessed Lady. She’s smiling at me!”
When Mariette’s mother glanced out the window and caught sight of the apparition, she was afraid and told her daughter they should be careful because it could be a ghost or witch. Although the shining lady gestured for Mariette to come outside and her lips moved as if she was saying something, Mariette’s mother forbade her to leave and locked the door.
The next time Mariette looked out the window, the apparition was gone. After her brother got home, her family all just went to bed.
Mariette told her story to a friend at school, who advised her to tell her local priest, who was curious yet skeptical about exactly what it was that Mariette had seen.
