The Roses of Grace – Miracle in Lipa
By Bro. Richmond Lim [CFD Navotas]
Elevated at 1,025 feet above sea level the climate in Lipa is generally delightful. There is no need to lose one’s temper nor one’s wits, Lipa is shielded from the fury of violent storms or devastating typhoons and calamities and one is never too far from a convent, a seminary, a retreat house, a cathedral or church, and other avenues of houses of worship of other Protestant sects. However, since Lipa is predominantly Catholic, the entire city induces its catholic populace, to look around, and about, with the eyes of faith. It is indeed clearly manifested in the hearts and minds of the Lipeños and the whole Philippine Nation the importance of believing in the Omnipresent God and this is the particular reason why the Philippines is considered as one of the most blessed country and Lipa City as the Prayer Capital of the Philippines.
Encounters with the divine, with the “Woman clothed with the sun”, is an experience beyond words, beyond reason. But since this apparition goes beyond the senses, one has to hold on to something – and use the eyes of faith. With faith, the divine becomes palpable, acceptable, and triumphant. In the city of Lipa within the cloisters of the tiny Carmelite convent, the apparition of the Mother of God, Mary, the shower of rose petals in 1948, in 1949, and another in 1991, the human, has been touched by the divine, and the divine has left the people with a message and a mission. In many ways, God showed his love to us by giving us his only begotten son (John 3:16) and giving us saints that we can imitate and be a role model for our lives, but indeed God gives special roles or task to one of her beloved daughter in heaven and that is none other than the Blessed Virgin Mary herself to guide all the astray people to God and in special way she can be the ‘Mediatrix of all Graces’ that we confer to the living God, Indeed Mary is one of the most powerful interceder to us in times of peril, distress and in times of joy and happiness and she is the most powerful interceder because she is the Mother of Christ the word that became flesh (John 1:14) and we honor her because God honor her first, Not only is she Mother, but she also is Advocate, Helper, Benefactress and Mediatrix (CCC #969). Her job, so to speak, began at the moment she conceived Jesus in her womb and continues until this day. What’s more, it will continue for all eternity. As the first and most perfect disciple, she is devoted to accompanying him and continuing her saving office by interceding for us so that we may receive the gifts of eternal salvation. She’s at work 24/7/365/forever, for whatever we need, whenever we need it.
For all these reasons and more, Mary deserves honor because of her simplicity and obedience to the will of God.
We lived in solidarity for Christ and in Christ through the intercession of the Most Blessed Virgin Mary the Tower of Ivory and The New Eve, Mary, obeyed and believed God’s message which was given to her at the Annunciation ( Lk .1 :26-38 ), and brought salvation and life to the world in her son, Jesus, who crushes the head of the serpent. Mary, like us, shares in this victory .
We remain under the mantle of her maternal protection as long as we honor her beloved son our Lord Jesus Christ the Redeemer of the World and we respect the teachings of the true church that He founded way back 33 A.D. and that is none other than the Catholic Church.