In this video, Sr. Jean Rhoads, DC, Vocation Director of the Daughters of Charity of St. Vincent de Paul in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, discusses the apparition of Our Lady, Help of Christians and reflects on how we can embrace the Blessed Mother’s example during Lent.

Transcript:

Today, I’d like to talk a little bit about a beautiful apparition of Our Lady to a woman in Philippsdorf (located today near the northern border of the Czech Republic). It’s a beautiful apparition where this young woman named Magdalen Kade, she was only 31, Magdalen had these serious illnesses, she was bedridden for a while, and it is one evening, it was January 13, 1866, she was lying in bed, could barely talk, and there was a very good friend sitting with her. I would surmise she might have been even at the dying stages, in that town. She happened to be focused on this beautiful image of Our Lady of Sorrows, and after a few hours, she just all of a sudden said to her friend, “Oh my gosh, look at that shine, look at that beauty!” And her friend looked, but didn’t see anything. And all of a sudden Magdalen saw the Blessed Mother motion and move her lips and Magdalen heard, “My daughter, now you are healed.” Imagine, immediate healing just from a few words.

What I found so special about this particular apparition, especially as we celebrate Lent, and journey through these six weeks in preparation for Easter, think of Magdalen lying in her bed, and not able to do anything. Totally weak, totally acknowledging how sick she is. I think, I believe, all of us in our lives are in need of some healing. Right? Not sure, I’m not going to name it, for anybody. We all know what that inner healing is needed, or what is needed in our lives. So I think the season of Lent is for us to peel back the layers and acknowledge, yeah, how are we in need of healing, what is it that we need to ask, not only Blessed Mother, but her Son, to be healed from.

And so, would it be something if each of us could hear in our hearts, “My daughter, Jean, you are healed!” Our Lady, Help of Christians is available. All we have to do is ask. So, those are the messages I hope you can live and hear, and experience during this season of Lent. Amen.