CHAPTER NINETEEN

Jesus appeared to His disciples shortly after His resurrection. ‘He said to them, “These are the words which I spake unto you, while I was yet with you, that all things must be fulfilled, which were written in the law of Moses, and in the prophets, and in the psalms, concerning me.” Then opened he their understanding, that they might understand the scriptures. And said unto them, “Thus it is written, and thus it behoved Christ to suffer, and to rise from the dead on the third day: and that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem.” ’ 1

The words - ‘Thus it is written’ - spoke to me very specifically concerning the importance Jesus placed upon the fact that people should believe what is written in the Holy Scriptures.

For many years I had believed what was written by various people concerning the Blessed Virgin. But when I read what God said about her in His book I got a completely different picture. I discovered that these other writers had no Biblical foundation whatsoever for some of the claims they made concerning Mary. Many of the teachings and traditions that were taught to my grandparents, concerning the mother of Jesus, completely contradicted the teachings of the Word of God.

Like many Irish people Jack and Mary were hoping that their good works, religious exercises and membership of the Church would save their souls. They were completely unaware of the fact that God says in the Holy Bible that eternal life is not found in religion, but in a Person. The Apostle John puts it like this – ‘God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life. These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life..’ 2

John was writing to those who believed that Christ had, through His death on the cross, taken upon Himself the punishment for their sins. They were not relying upon what they themselves could do, through religion or good works, to earn or merit salvation. They were depending upon what Christ had done on their behalf. They could KNOW their sins were forgiven because of the fact that the guilt of their sins had been put to Christ’s account. They could KNOW they had the gift of eternal life because the merits of Christ’s sinless life and substitutionary death had been put to their account,

The Apostle Paul puts it this way – ‘Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ: by whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand…’ 3 ; ‘But after that the kindness and love of God our Saviour toward man appeared, not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us…’ 4 ; ‘For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.’ 5

I was greatly encouraged to see the way of Salvation outlined so clearly in the Bible. Through reading the Scriptures I had learned a lot about the Blessed Virgin. But I had also discovered so much concerning her Son, the Man Christ Jesus. It was wonderful to read of how God the Son left Heaven, took upon Himself a human nature, and died upon the cross as a substitute for sinners.

I was so grateful to God for the fact that I had the opportunity to read the Scriptures. But my grandparents didn’t have that privilege. The majority of Irish people who lived in those days did not have easy access to the Bible. It is perhaps understandable then that they adhered so closely to religious practices that had no basis in the Scriptures.

If they had the Bible they would have had the opportunity to read about the REAL Mary, the Handmaid of the Lord and mother of Jesus. They could have read Mary’s own words concerning her dependence upon God for her salvation - ‘ - My spirit hath rejoiced in God my Saviour’. They would have read of her obedience to the Scriptures and of her instructions to people to do whatever Jesus says. To read of how the Blessed Virgin prayed to the Saviour would have greatly encouraged them. What a great blessing it would have been to that generation of Irish people if they had greater access to the Scriptures.

But the Bible is now freely available in this country. We all have the opportunity to discover what God says in His Word.

It is my prayer, and I’m sure it is the Blessed Virgin’s wish, for the people of Ireland, that we should follow her example by submitting ourselves wholly to the Lord, trusting Him as Saviour, praying to Him alone and doing whatever He tells us in His Word, the Holy Bible.

SCRIPTURE REFERENCES

Chapter 10:
(1):Isaiah Ch.7 v 14 ; (2):Luke Ch.1 vs. 26-38 ;(3):Luke Ch.1 v 38 ; (4):Matthew Ch.1 vs. 18-25; (5):Matthew Ch.1 v 21 ; (6):Luke Ch.1 vs. 42, 45-47 ; (7):Isaiah Ch.45 v 22 ; (8):Romans Ch.3 v 23 ; (9):Luke Ch.1 v 35 ; (10):Revelation Ch.15 v 4 ; (11):Titus Ch.2 v 13 ; (12):Hebrews Ch.7 v 26 ; (13):Hebrews Ch.4 v 15 ; (14):1Peter Ch.1 v 19

Chapter 11:
(1):Luke Ch.2 vs. 6-7 ; (2):Galatians Ch.4 vs. 4-5 ; (3):John Ch.1 vs. 1, 14 ; (4):Isaiah Ch.7v.14; Ch.9 v 6 ; (5):Revelation Ch.3 v 20 )

Chapter 12:
(1):Isaiah Ch.53 v 6 ; (2): Luke Ch.19 v 10 ; (3):John Ch.10 v 11 ; (4):Luke Ch.2 vs. 10-12 ; (5):Revelation Ch.5 v 9 ; (6):Acts Ch.4 v 12 ; (7):Matthew Ch.1 v 21 (8):Mark Ch.2 vs. 5-11 ; (9):Matthew Ch.18 v 18 ; (10) John Ch.20 v 23 ; (11):Acts Ch.8 v 22 ; (12):1John Ch.1 v 9 ; Ch.2 v 1 ; (13):Luke Ch.2 v 19

Chapter 13:
(1):Luke Ch.2 vs. 21-24 ; Leviticus Ch.12 ; (2):Matthew Ch.1 v 24 ; (3):Mark Ch.6 v 3 ;
(4):Matthew Ch.12 v 46 ; (5):Luke Ch.8 v 19 ; (6):John Ch.2 v 12 ; (7):Luke Ch.2 v 30 ;
(8):1John Ch.5 v 11 ; (9):Luke Ch.2 vs. 37-38 ; (10):Ephesians Ch.4 v 7 ; (11):John Ch.1 v 17 ;
(12): 2Timothy Ch.1 v 9 ; (13):Titus Ch.2 v 11

Chapter 14:
(1):Matthew Ch.4 v 10 ; (2) Matthew Ch.2 vs 2-11 ; (3):Matthew Ch.2 vs 13-14

Chapter 15:
(1):Exodus Ch.3 vs 7-8 ; (2):Exodus Ch.12 vs. 3-13 ; (3):John Ch.1 v 29 ; (4):Hebrews Ch.9 v 22 ; (5):1Corinthians Ch.5 v 7 ; (6):1Peter Ch.1 vs. 18-19 ; (7): Matthew Ch.26 v 28

Chapter 16:
(1):Luke Ch.2 v 48 ; (2):Luke Ch.2 v 49

Chapter 17:
(1):John Ch.2 v 5 ; (2):1Timothy Ch.2 v 5 ; (3): Matthew Ch.11 v 28

Chapter 18:
(1):Luke Ch.2 v 35 ; (2):Isaiah Ch.53 vs. 4-6 ; (3):Romans Ch.8 v 32 ; (4):1John Ch.5 v 11 ;
(5):Acts Ch.4 v 12 ; (6):John Ch.19 v 27 ; (7):John Ch.19 v 30 ; (8):John Ch.17 v 4 ;
(9):Mark Ch.1 v 15 ; (10):Hebrews Ch.7 v 27 ; Ch.10 v10 ; Ch.9 v 12 ; (11):Hebrews Ch.9 v 28 ; Ch.10 vs 14, 18 ; (12):Revelation Ch.1 v 18 ; (13) Isaiah Ch.52 v 14 ; (14):Acts Ch.1 v 14

Chapter 19:
(1):Luke Ch.24 vs. 44-47 ; (2):1John Ch.5 vs. 11-13 ; (3):Romans Ch.5 vs. 1-2 ; (4):Titus Ch.3 vs. 4-5 ; (5):Ephesians Ch.2 vs. 8-9

BIBLIOGRAPHY:

An Hour With Jesus: Messenger Publications, 37, Lower Leeson St., Dublin 2.

A Simple Prayer Book: Catholic Truth Society, 192, Vauxhall Bridge Rd., London.

The Victorious Queen Of The World: Two Hearts Books & Publishers, P.O. Box 844, Mountain View, California 94042, U.S.A.

The Story Of Knock: Knock Shrine Society, Belcarra, Castlebar, Co. Mayo.

Fatima: The Little Way Association, Sacred Heart House, 119, Cedars Road, Clapham Common, London SW4 OPR, England.

Assorted Leaflets; Published by Our Blessed Lady's Press, St. Michael, 2, Beverly Close, Fforesthall, Swansea SA5 5DS, Wales.

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