Our Lady of La Salette – a Marian apparition approved by the Church
Recently, on the 19th September, was the feast day of Our Lady of La Salette. 175 years ago, in the year 1846, the Blessed Virgin Mary appeared to two French teenagers, Mélanie Mathieu and Maximin Giraud, in the alpine pasture land near the village of La Salette, giving them a prophetic message they were supposed to spread to call the people of this region, of the whole French nation, and the entire Church to repentance.
The bishop of Grenoble judged after years of inquiry that
“(…) the Apparition of the Blessed Virgin (…) bears within itself all the characteristics of truth, and that the faithful have grounds for believing it indubitable and certain“.
Bishop Philibert de Bruillard of Grenoble on the 19th September 1851 about the Apparition of the Blessed Virgin at the parish of La Salette
In those days, Pius IX was the Holy Father. He, too, endorsed the apparition and message of La Salette, as did several of his successors:
“The Shrine of La Salette is of great authenticity and is destined to have a future. I love this devotion and shall be glad to see it spread.“
Pope Pius IX
“The devotion of Our Lady of La Salette ought to spread, for it is a devotion that goes straight to the heart.“
Pope Benedict XV
A basilica was built at the apparition site, and the Blessed Virgin left behind a spring that was opened on that very day. The water coming from this spring has cured many people ever since.
Maximin drank this water on his deathbed at the age of 40, having received the Sacrament of Penance and the Viaticum, his last Holy Communion.
The dress of Our Lady: Who is the high priest?
On this 19th September 1846, Mélanie and Maximin, fourteen and eleven years of age, were watching after herds of cows in the French alps. Before seeing “the Beautiful Lady“ appear to them and hearing her speak, they had taken a little nap in the grass. When they woke up, the went looking for their cows…
“Quickly they climbed slope opposite Mount Gargas (…). Turning around they could view the entire alpine pasture land and were greatly relieved to see that their cows had remained where they had been left, peaceably chewing the cud. Reassured, Mélanie began to redescend towards the dried-up fountain to recover her little sack of provisions before once again watering the cows. Half-way down the grassy slope she paused immobilized, frozen with fear. ‘Memin‘, she called out, ‘look at that great light over there‘. ‘Where is it?‘, the boy replied, as he ran and stood at her side. (…)
Marcel Schlewer / Maurice Sublet: The Message of La Salette, as published on the website of the Missionaries of La Salette (https://www.lasalette.org/about-la-salette/apparition/the-story/705-the-message-of-la-salette.html)
At the very spot where they had slept was a globe of fire, as if, in the children‘s words, ‘the sun had fallen there‘. The light swirled, then grew in size, and opening, disclosed within it a woman, seated, hear head in her hands, her elbows on her knees, in the attitude of one oppressed with grief.“
September is the month dedicated to the Blessed Virgin as the Sorrowful Mother. During the entire apparition, “the Beautiful Lady“ was weeping tears while delivering the prophetic message to these two children.
In fact, in those days, the feast of Our Lady of Sorrows was celebrated not on the 15th September, like today, but on the first Sunday after the feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross. In that very year Our Lady of Sorrows fell on the 20th September, just one day after the Saturday, the Marian day, when Mélanie and Maximin encountered their Sorrowful Mother…
But that upcoming Sunday was not only the day of remembering the sorrows and pains the Blessed Virgin in her immaculate and maternal love took upon herself in order to cooperate with God‘s grace in bringing about the salvation of the world through her crucified Son. In the Jewish calendar it was the beginning of a new year: Rosh haShana, the first day of the month of Tishrei.
This means that originally, in Old Testament terms, it was the day of the “Feast of Trumpets“, Yom Teruah, a day when the shofar – the ram’s horn – was blown to call the people of Israel to repentance. Yom Teruah is the starting point of the Yamim Noarim – the ten “days of awe“ or repentance – leading up to Yom Kippur, the “Day of Atonement“, on which the high priest would enter the Holy of Holies in the temple in Jerusalem to make atonement for the sins of all Israel.
The biblical year would begin with the month of Pesach in the spring, and therefore Tishrei was the “seventh month“ according to the calendar as established in the Torah of Moses. In the days of Ezra and Nehemiah, the meaning of this very feast day on the first day of the “seventh month“ – of Yom Teruah – was fulfilled when the people who had returned to Jerusalem from their Babylonian exile realized that they had neglected the commandments of their God – and, with tears, repented:
“ADONAI spoke to Moses saying: ‘Speak to Bnei-Yisrael, saying: In the seventh month, on the first day of the month, you are to have a Shabbat rest, a memorial of blowing shofarot (i.e. trumpets), a holy convocation. You are to do no regular work, and you are to present an offering made by fire to ADONAI.“
Leviticus 23: 23-25
“Then all the people were brought as a single body into the plaza that was before the Water Gate. They said to Ezra the scribe, ‘Bring out the Torah scroll of Moses that ADONAI had commanded Israel.‘
Nehemiah 8: 1-9
Ezra the kohen (i.e. priest) brought the Torah before the assembly, which included men and women and all who could understand what they heard. This happened on the first day of the seventh month. So he read from it before the plaza in front of the Water Gate from first light until midday, in the presence of the men and women, and others who could understand. And all the people listened attentively to the scroll of the Torah. Ezra the scribe stood on a high wooden platform constructed for this purpose. (…)
Ezra opened the scroll in the sight of all the people for he was above all the people. When he opened it, all the people stood up. Ezra blessed ADONAI, the great God, and all the people answered, ‘Amen, amen!‘ as they lifted up their hands. Then they bowed down and worshiped ADONAI with their faces to the ground.
The Levites (…) instructed the people in the Torah while the people were standing in their place. They read from the Torah scroll of God, distinctly explaining it and giving insight. Thus they understood what was read.
Then Nehemiah the governor, Ezra the kohen-scribe, and the Levites who were teaching the people said to all the people, ‘Today is kadosh (i.e. holy) to ADONAI your God. Do not mourn or weep!‘ For all the people had been weeping when they heard the words of the Torah.“
Let us return to the apparition as experienced by Mélanie and Maximin. The Lady they saw was both excessively beautiful, splendid in light, and grieving. How did she look like exactly?
“As Maximin put it, ‘She was like a mama whom her children had beaten and who had escaped to the mountain to weep.‘ The beautiful Lady was tall and seemed to be made of light. She was dressed like women of the region with a long dress, an apron nearly as long as the dress, a shawl that crossed over her breast and was knotted in the back, and a cap or bonnet similar to the ones worn by peasant women. Roses crowned her head while another wreath of roses adorned the edges of her white shawl and a third garland surrounded her shoes. Over her brow shone a light in the form of a diadem. On her shoulders shone a heavy chain and from a smaller golden chain hung a resplendent crucifix with a hammer and pincers placed on each side of the Cross, a little beyond the nailed hands.“
Marcel Schlewer / Maurice Sublet: The Message of La Salette, as published on the website of the Missionaries of La Salette (https://www.lasalette.org/about-la-salette/apparition/the-story/705-the-message-of-la-salette.html)
The Blessed Virgin appears as the crowned Queen of Heaven, and at the same time as the weeping and sorrowful Mother of the Church and of mankind, while identifying with the women living in this rural area of France in the mid 19th century.
When I read this description and looked at the traditional images of Our Lady of La Salette, one thing caught my attention the most: the crucifix hanging from chains over her breast… Why? Because I had to think of the “breastplate of judgment“ of the high priest…
“Make a breastplate of judgment, the work of a skillful craftsman. You are to make it like the design of the ephod – of gold, blue, purple, scarlet and finely twisted linen. It is to be square and doubled over, a span in length and a span in width. Set within it four rows of jewels: a row of ruby, topaz and emerald for the first row; a turquoise, a sapphire and a diamond for the second row; a jacinth, an agate and an amethyst for the third; and a beryl, an onyx and a jasper for the fourth row. They are to be enclosed in gold filigree settings. The stones are to be engraved in the order of the names of Bnei-Yisrael, twelve according to their names, like the etchings of a signet seal, one corresponding to each name of the twelve tribes.
Exodus 28: 15-30
Also you are to make, upon the breastplate, braided chains of wreathed work from pure gold. Forge on the breastplate two rings of gold and fasten the two rings on the two ends of the breastplate. Then attach the two wreathed chains of gold on the two rings at the ends of the breastplate. The other two ends of the chains you are to place on the two settings, and put them on the shoulder pieces of the ephod in front. (…)
Aaron will bear the names of Bnei-Yisrael in the breastplate of judgment on his heart, whenever he enters the holy place, as a continual memorial before ADONAI. (…) Aaron will bear the judgment of Bnei-Yisrael on his heart before ADONAI continually.“
Do you see the connection? Instead of a breastplate, Our Lady is wearing the crucifix – on golden chains – which is alluding and pointing to the true High Priest who entered the Holy of Holies once and for all to atone for all of Israel’s and mankind‘s sins with His own blood.
“For a tent was prepared: in the outer part were the menorah, the table, and the presentation of the bread – this is called the Holy Place. Beyond the second curtain was a dwelling called the Holy of Holies. It held a golden altar of incense and the ark of the covenant, completely covered with gold. In the ark was a golden jar holding the manna, Aaron‘s rod that budded, and the tablets of the covenant – and above it, cherubim of glory overshadowing the mercy seat. But it is not now possible to speak in detail about these things.
Hebrews 9: 2-12
Now with these things prepared this way, the kohanim do continually enter into the outer tent while completing the services; but into the inner, once a year, the kohen gadol (i.e. the high priest) alone – and not without blood which he offers for himself and for the unintentional sins of the people. (…)
But when Messiah appeared as Kohen Gadol of the good things that have now come, passing through the greater and more perfect Tent not made with hands (that is to say not of this creation), He entered into the Holies once for all – not by the blood of goats and calves but by His own blood, having obtained eternal redemption.“
This day, when the high priest of the Old Covenant would sprinkle the “mercy seat“ in the Holy of Holies with blood, was the day of Yom Kippur.
“It is to be a statute to you forever, that in the seventh month, on the tenth day of the month, you are to afflict your souls, and do no kind of work – both the native-born and the outsider dwelling among you. For on this day atonement will be made for you, to cleanse you. From all your sins you will be clean before ADONAI. (…) The kohen who is anointed and who is consecrated to be the kohen in his father‘s place will make the atonement, and put on the linen garments, the holy garments. He is to make atonement for the Holy Sanctuary, for the Tent of Meeting, for the altar, for the kohanim, and for all the people of the assembly.“
Leviticus 16: 29-33
“In this way shall Aaron come into the Sanctuary: with a young bull for a sin offering and a ram for a burnt offering. He is to put on the holy linen garment, have the linen undergarments on his body, put on the linen sash, and wear the linen turban – they are the holy garments.“
Leviticus 16: 3-4
Just like the successor of Aaron would intercede for the people of Israel and just like Jesus, the Son of God, continually offers Himself for us as the one true and eternal High Priest, so, too, the Blessed Virgin Mary intercedes for us, wearing her crucified Son and the memorial of His Holy Passion and basically all of mankind which was entrusted to her maternal care by her Son over her heart in a fashion reminding one of the priestly breastplate that bore the representations of the twelve tribes of Israel, pressing them upon Aaron‘s heart.
“For how long a time do I suffer for you! If I would not have my Son abandon you, I am compelled to pray to him without ceasing; and as to you, you take no heed of it. However much you pray, however much you do, you will never recompense the pains I have taken for you.“
Public message of Our Lady of La Salette, 1846
Let us now take a closer look at the content of the public message Maximin and Mélanie were supposed to share with God‘s people.
To honor God‘s holy name
“Come near, my children, be not afraid; I am here to tell you great news.“
Public message of Our Lady of La Salette, 1846
The message “the beautiful Lady“ delivered to the children was prophetic in several ways: It was, with urgency, reprimanding the people for their sins, desiring to correct them, and it was opening up an understanding of the spiritual causes and significance of present and future events.
“You must not take the Name of ADONAI your God in vain, for ADONAI will hold him guiltless that takes His Name in vain.“
Exodus 20: 7
“Those who drive the carts cannot swear without introducing the name of my Son.“
Public message of Our Lady of La Salette, 1846
“If the harvest is spoilt, it is all on your account. I gave you warning last year in the potatoes but you did not heed it. On the contrary, when you found the potatoes spoilt, you swore, you took the name of my Son in vain. They will continue to decay, so that by Christmas there will be none left.“
The 1840s were known as the “Hungry Forties“ due to the “European Potato Failure“. The countries of Northern and Western Europe for years had to endure food shortages, with people even starving to death because of a potato blight that destroyed the harvest. One of the sins of the people that, on the spiritual level, contributed to their misery and plight was disregarding the Second Commandment.
To keep the Sabbath day holy
“Remember Yom Shabbat, to keep it holy. You are to work six days, and do all your work, but the seventh day is a Shabbat to ADONAI your God. In it you shall not do any work – not you, nor your son, your daughter, your male servant, your female servant, your cattle, nor the outside that is within your gates.“
Exodus 20: 8-10
“Keep my Sabbath days holy, so they will be a sign between Me and you, that you may know that I am ADONAI your God.“
Ezekiel 20: 20
A second grave sin – as a lack of love and honor toward God – which the people were called to repent of was breaking the instructions of the Third Commandment to rest for one day a week unto the Lord.
“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.“
Public message of Our Lady of La Salette, 1846
“There are none who go to Mass but a few aged women; the rest work on Sunday all summer, and in the winter, when they do not know what to do, they go to Mass just to mock at religion.“
To keep the appointed times of fasting and to do penance
“During Lent, they go to the meat-market like dogs.“
Public message of Our Lady of La Salette, 1846
“There will come a great famine. Before the famine comes, the children under seven years of age will be seized with trembling and will die in the hands of those who hold them; the others will do penance by the famine. The walnuts will become bad, and the grapes will rot.“
Dogs are, I think, wonderful animals – but here it is a polemic term usually used for those who do not belong to the people of God, an expression for non-believers.
Jesus told us, as recorded in the Gospel of Matthew, not to give “that which is holy to unto dogs“ (Mt 7: 6), and that those who may not enter the New Jerusalem are “the dogs and the sorcerers and the sexually immoral and the murderers and the idolators, and everyone who loves and practices falsehood“ (Apo 22: 15).
In the message of La Salette, the word “dog“ has the same meaning, referring to people outside the covenant with the God of Israel. Our Lady’s words are uncovering how those who are baptized and called to live as “children of God“ behave just like those who do not know God and who do not belong to Him. The appointed times of fasting, praying, and almsgiving mean nothing to them any more.
The term “like dogs“ also carries the connotation that once people forget God and do not seek, love, and honor Him, they also forget themselves. They forget who they really are – and eventually sink to the level of “beasts“, driven by appetites and lowly aspirations.
As the people do not do penance for their own sins and the sins of all mankind voluntarily, out of love for God, they will have to undergo a time of penance against their will, forced upon them by miserable circumstances as they will be losing their children to the cholera pandemic and will suffer under the failing harvest and the famine.
A cholera infection, by the way, would lead to excessive vomiting and muscle cramps – to the “trembling“ described in the message… In that very year 1846, a third cholera pandemic erupted that lasted until 1860.
To pray every morning and evening
“Do you say your prayers well, my children?“
Public message of Our Lady of La Salette, 1846
At this point, Maximin and Mélanie had to answer in the negative. Obviously, they were not the most devout and pious teenagers – a fact that makes their witness of the apparition all the more credible.
“Now, my children, you must be sure to say them well, morning and evening; when you cannot do better, say at least an Our Father and a Hail Mary. But when you have time, say more.“
Public message of Our Lady of La Salette, 1846
The Blessed Virgin wished to remind the people of God that daily prayer is necessary, but, being aware how hard it can be for laypeople to make room or to have enough strength left for the morning and evening prayer, she also lets them know that, if necessary, these prayers can be very short and most simple, yet should never be omitted – because prayer is a daily profession of faith, when we give thanks to God and petition Him, and a daily channel of God‘s grace we cannot do without.
“From the rising of the sun unto the going down of the same, the name of the LORD is worthy of praise.“
Psalm 113 (112): 3
“No duty is more urgent than that of returning thanks.“
Saint Ambrose of Milan, 4th century
The blessing and the curse – the way of life and the way of death
“There will come a great famine. Before the famine comes, the children under seven years of age will be seized with trembling and will die in the hands of those who hold them; and others will do penance by the famine. The walnuts will become worm-eaten, the grapes will rot. If people are converted, the stones and the rocks will be changed into heaps of wheat and the potatoes will be self-sown.“
Public message of Our Lady of La Salette, 1846
There is a theme of “blessing“ and “curse“ in the words of Our Lady of La Salette that is reminiscent of so many passages of the Old Testament books that convey a very similar message: There is way that leads to life, and there is a way that leads to death…
“Now if you listen obediently to to the voice of ADONAI your God, taking care to do all His mitzvot (i.e. commandments) that I am commanding you today, ADONAI your God will set you on high – above all the nations of the earth. Then all these blessings will come upon you and overtake you, if you listen to the voice of ADONAI your God:
Deuteronomy 28: 1-6
Blessed will you be in the city, and blessed will you be in the field.
Blessed will be the fruit of your womb, the produce of your soil, and the offspring of your livestock – the increase of your herds and the young of your flock.
Blessed will be your basket and your kneading bowl.
Blessed will you be when you come in, and blessed will you be when you go out.“
“But if you will not listen to the voice of ADONAI your God, to take care to do all His mitzvot (i.e. commandments) and statutes that I am commanding you today, all these curses will come on you and overtake you:
Deuteronomy 28: 15-22
Cursed will you be in the city, and cursed will you be in the field.
Cursed will be your basket and your kneading bowl.
Cursed will be the fruit of your womb, the produce of your soil, the increase of your herd and the young of your flock.
Cursed will you be when you come, and cursed will you be when you go out.
ADONAI will send on you cursing, confusion and frustration in every undertaking of your hand that you will do – until you are destroyed and perish quickly, because of the evil of your deeds by which you have abandoned Me. ADONAI will make the plague cling to you, until He has put an end to you from the land that you are going in to possess. ADONAI will strike you with weakness, fever, inflammation, fiery heat, the sword, blight and mildew – they will pursue you until you perish.“
The prophets of Israel used to return to this theme of “life vs. death“, of “blessing vs. curse“ over and over again.
The harvest – abundant or scarce, full of good fruit or spoiling – serves as a sign pointing to the state of the relationship between Israel and their God. According to the testimony of the prophets, evil deeds cannot go unpunished, and the demands of justice must be satisfied. More so, chastisements are not only the just consequences of a choice for sin – a choice for living up and against the spiritual and moral fabric of the world God created – but also a wrath out of love as they are God’s way to shake and wake up His people so that they have a chance to get back in touch with Him. At the same time, the prophets always stress God‘s unending mercy and how it ultimately will triumph and overcome all evil.
Here are just a few examples from the books of the prophets Amos and Joel:
“Seek good and not evil, so you may live, and so ADONAI Elohei-Tzva‘ot may be with you – just as you said! Hate evil, love good, maintain justice at the gate. Maybe ADONAI Elohei-Tzva‘ot will extend grace to Joseph‘s remnant.
Amos 5: 14-17
Therefore thus said ADONAI Elohei-Tzva‘ot, my Lord: ‘There will be wailing in all plazas and in all streets. They will say: ‘Alas! Alas!‘ The farmer will be called to mourning along with those who know the lamentation song. In all vineyards will be wailing, for I will pass through your midst‘ – ADONAI has spoken.
“Hear this, elders! Give ear, all inhabitants of the land. Has this ever happened in your days, or even in the days of your fathers? Tell your children about it – your children to their children, their children to another generation.
Joel 1: 2-14
What the locust left, the swarming locust has eaten, and what the swarming locust left, the canker-worm has eaten, and what the canker-worm left, the caterpillar has eaten.
Awake, drunkards, and weep! Wail, all you drinkers of wine – on account of sweet wine, for it is denied to your mouth!
For a nation has invaded my land. Vast – yes, without number! Its teeth are lion‘s teeth, with jaw-teeth of a lioness. He has turned my vine to waste and my fig tree to splinters. He has stripped off all the bark and flung it down – its branches are left white.
Wail like a virgin dressed in sackcloth for the husband of her youth! Grain offering and drink offering are cut off from the House of ADONAI. Kohanim – ministers of ADONAI – mourn.
The field is ruined, the land grieves, for the grain has been devastated, new wine is dried up, oil languishes. Be ashamed, O ploughmen, wail, O vinedressers, over wheat and over barley, for the harvest of the field is lost. The vine withered, the fig tree wilted. Pomegranate, palm and apple tree – all trees of the field – are withered, for joy has withered away from the children of men.
Gird yourselves and weep, kohanim (i.e. priests)! Howl, ministers of the altar! Come, lie in sackcloth all night, ministers of my God. For grain and drink offering are withheld from the House of your God.
Consecrate a fast. Proclaim a solemn assembly. Gather elders and all living in the land to the House of ADONAI your God, and cry to ADONAI.“
“‘Yet even now‘ – it is a declaration of ADONAI – ‘turn to Me with all your heart, with fasting, weeping and lamenting.‘ Rend your heart, not your garments, and turn to ADONAI, your God. For He is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger, abundant in mercy, and relenting about the calamity due. Who knows? He may turn and relent, and may leave a blessing behind Him – so there may be a grain offering and a drink offering for ADONAI, your God.“
Joel 2: 12-14
“So be glad, children of Zion, and rejoice in ADONAI, your God. For He gives you the early rain for prosperity, yes, He will bring down rain for you, the early and latter rain as before. The threshing floors will be full of grain and the vats will overflow with new wine and fresh oil.
Joel 2: 23-27
‘I shall restore to you the years that the locust, the swarming locust, the canker-worm and the caterpillar have eaten – My great army that I sent among you.‘
‘You will surely eat and be satisfied, and praise the Name of ADONAI your God, who has dealt wondrously with you. Never again will My people be shamed. You will know that I am within Israel. Yes, I am ADONAI your God – there is no other – never again will My people be shamed.‘“
Our Lady of La Salette, pray for us!