The Grace of God

[Rich]

The Grace of God

"No one of us does anything good unless aided by Christ's grace.
What we do badly comes from ourselves; what we do well, we do with the
help of God. Therefore, let us give thanks to God who made it
possible. And when we do well, let us not insult anyone who does not
act in the same way. Let us not extol ourselves above such a person."
--St. Augustine--Commentary on Psalm 93, 15

Prayer: Lord, I have seen Christ the Bridegroom. Let no one now
lure me away from among the members of your Bride. Be not my Head if I
fail to be among her members.
--St. Augustine--Commentary on Psalm 147, 18

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January 20th - Our Lady of the Miracle
(Madonna del Miracolo)

In 1842, a 28-year-old French Jew named Alphonse Ratisbonne was
visiting Rome. He was the youngest son of an important banking family
in Strasbourg, a close relation of the Rothschilds. As often happens
with European Jews, a family takes the name of a city. The French
Ratisbonne comes from Ratisbona, the Latin name for Regensburg, a
famous German city near Munich. Alphonse was a Jew by race and
religion, virulently anti-Catholic, and libertine in his customs.

Alphonse Ratisbonne was making a tour of Europe and the East before
settling to marry his cousin Flore and assume a partnership at his
uncle’s bank. Ending by coincidence in Rome instead of Palermo as he
had intended, he was well received by the French diplomatic circle
residing there. He reluctantly made a call on Baron Theodore de
Bussières, a very fervent Catholic. Even though the Jew seemed quite
far from any conversion, the Baron, undaunted by his sarcasm and
blasphemy, saw in him a future Catholic and encouraged his visits.

One afternoon, during a lively conversation in which Ratisbonne was
ridiculing the superstitions of the Catholic religion, the Baron
challenged Ratisbonne to submit to a simple test and wear the
Miraculous Medal. Taken aback but wanting to prove the ineffectiveness
of such religious baubles, Ratisbonne consented and allowed the
Baron’s young daughter to put the medal around his neck. Baron de
Bussières also insisted that Ratisbonne recite the Memorare once a
day. Ratisbonne promised, saying, “If it does me no good, at least it
will do me no harm.”

The Baron and a close circle of aristocratic friends increased their
prayers for the skeptical Jew. Notable among them was a devout
Catholic who was seriously ill, Count Laferronays, who offered his
life for the conversion of the “young Jew.” On the same day he entered
a church and prayed more than 20 Memorares for this intention, he
suffered a heart attack, received the last Sacraments, and died.

The next day, his friend Baron de Bussières was on his way to arrange
the Count’s funeral in the Basilica of St. Andrea delle Fratte when he
met Ratisbonne. He asked him to accompany him and wait in the church
until he had arranged some matters with the priest in the sacristy.

Ratisbonne did not accompany his friend into the sacristy. He wandered
through the church admiring the beautiful marbles and various works of
art. As he stood before a side altar dedicated to St. Michael
Archangel, Our Lady suddenly appeared to him. It was January 20, 1842.

Standing over the altar, Our Lady appeared wearing a crown and a
simple long white tunic with a jeweled belt around her waist and
blue-green mantle draped over her left shoulder. She gazed at him
affably; her hands were open spreading rays of graces. Her bearing was
quite regal, not just because of the crown she was wearing. Rather,
her height and elegance gave the impression of a great lady, fully
conscious of her own dignity. She transmitted both grandeur and mercy
in an atmosphere of great peace. She had some of the characteristics
of Our Lady of Graces. Alphonse Ratisbonne saw this figure and
understood that he was before an apparition of the Mother of God. He
knelt down before her and converted.

Returning from the sacristy, the Baron was surprised to see the Jew
fervently praying on his knees before the altar of St. Michael the
Archangel. He helped his friend to his feet, and Ratisbonne
immediately asked to go to a confessor so he could receive Baptism.
Eleven days later, on January 31, he received Baptism, Confirmation
and his First Communion from the hands of Cardinal Patrizi, the Vicar
of the Pope.

His conversion had enormous repercussions over all Christendom. The
entire Catholic world became aware of it and was impressed by it.
Afterward, Ratisbonne became a Jesuit priest. Ten years later, he and
his brother Theodore, who also had converted from Judaism, founded a
religious congregation--the Congregation of Sion--turned to the
conversion of the Jews.


The Significance of the Miracle

Shortly after the apparition, based on the description of Fr.
Ratisbonne, a picture was painted representing Our Lady who had
appeared to him that day in Sant' Andrea delle Fratte. When the
picture was completed, he viewed it and said that it only vaguely
depicted the beauty of the apparition he had seen. This is not
difficult to believe since the actual beauty of Our Lady must far
surpass any mere representation. The picture was placed on the exact
spot where she had appeared to him, and became know as Madonna del
Miracolo, Our Lady of the Miracle, referring to the two-fold miracle,
her apparition and the instantaneous conversion of Alphonse
Ratisbonne.

Obviously, that apparition represented a great benefit for the soul of
Ratisbonne. It also represented a benefit for the Catholic Church with
the foundation of the Congregation of Sion, with its special mission
to work for the conversion of the Jews. This congregation expresses
well the Church’s position toward the Jews. Her position is not to
hate the Jews, but rather to defend herself against their attacks. To
the measure that they attack the Church, she defends herself. But
above all, she desires their conversion.

But in the doctrinal and psychological context of those times, the
Ratisbonne miracle had a more profound significance. In the 19th
century, the Revolution was strongly promoting Rationalism, a school
of thought that today has become outdated. Then the Revolution was
emphasizing this point: the rational man, the man who tries to
determine everything according to reason, cannot find the necessary
supports in reason to believe that God exists, that the Catholic
Church is the true Religion, and that she was founded by Jesus Christ.
Therefore, the Revolution concluded, the entire Catholic edifice of
doctrines cannot be accepted by human reason.

To counter this unrelenting wave of attacks against the Catholic
Faith, Our Lady appeared and made miracles in several places.

The miracle of Ratisbonne’s conversion that took place in Rome shook
up all of Christendom. Then, the separation of the religions was much
deeper and, therefore, so also was the gorge that separates truth from
error, and good from evil. A wealthy and influential Jew, with
absolutely no reason to favor the Catholic Church, suddenly converted
because he saw Our Lady. He gave proof of his sincerity by giving up
his positions in the world and breaking his advantageous engagement.
He embraced the religious life, and founded a religious congregation
to convert other Jews and to combat Judaism. It is impossible to
imagine a more objective proof of the truth of the apparition. This
episode had an enormous impact throughout Italy and France, and then
the whole Catholic world.

It was evidently a miracle, a miracle that fell from Heaven like a
drop of water on a parched mankind that was being influenced by the
rationalist myths of the Revolution.

Divine Providence had done something very similar already in 1830... .
Our Lady also appeared in the grotto at Lourdes in 1858, and soon
after there were reports of many miracles of healing for those who
bathed in its waters. The miracles of Lourdes constitute the longest
series of miracles ever to occur in the History of the Church.
Inserted in this general sequence is the apparition of Madonna del
Miracolo to Alphonse Ratisbonne.

This series of apparitions and miracles was the blow Our Lady chose to
give to the Revolution at that time. She counter-attacked with a
skillful strategy, very well calculated. It was her way to smash the
head of the serpent. The very head of Judaism was smashed by the
public witness of an important Jew who affirmed that the Catholic
Church is true. ...

See more at:
http://www.traditioninaction.org/SOD/j112sdOLMiracles_1-20.htm


Saint Quote:
In the life of the body a man is sometimes sick, and unless he takes
medicine, he will die. Even so in the spiritual life a man is sick on
account of sin. For that reason he needs medicine so that he may be
restored to health; and this grace is bestowed in the Sacrament of
Penance.
--St. Thomas Aquinas

Bible Quote:
We were baptized into one body in a single Spirit, Jews as well as
Greeks, slaves as well as free men, and we were all given the same
Spirit to drink." [1 Corinthians 12:13]


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DAILY PRAYER TO THE HOLY SPIRIT # 2

O Holy Spirit,
I humbly impore You,
be with me always
so that in all things,
I may act under the influence
of Your holy inspiration. Amen.