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Our Lady of Akita
Background
In 1973, the Blessed Virgin Mary gave SisterAgnes Katsuko Sasagawa in Akita, Japan three messages through a statute ofMary. Bathed in a brilliant light, the statute became alive and spoke with avoice of indescribable beauty. Her
Guardian Angel also appeared and taught her to pray. The wooden statute fromwhich the voice came wept 101 times over a course of several years. It alsoperspired abundantly and the perspiration sent out a sweet perfume. Its rightpalm bled from a wound having the form of a cross. Hundreds of people witnessedmany of these events. Scientific analysis of blood and tears from the statuteprovided by Professor Sagisaka of the faculty of Legal Medicine of theUniversity of Akita confirmed that the blood, tears, and perspiration are realhuman tears, sweat, and blood. They come from three blood groups: O, B, and AB.Sister Agnes also has stigmata on the right palm. A Korean woman with terminalbrain cancer received immediate healing while praying before the
statute in 1981.The miracle was confirmed by Dr. Tong-Woo-Kim of the St. Paul Hospital in Seouland Fr. Theisen, President of the Ecclesiastical Tribunal of the Archdiocese ofSeoul. The second miracle was the complete cure of total deafness of SisterAgnes.
April, 1984 - Most Rev. John Shojiro Ito, Bishopof Niigata, Japan, after years of extensive investigation, declares the eventsof Akita, Japan, to be of supernatural origin, and authorizes throughout theentire diocese the veneration of the Holy Mother of Akita. He said: "Themessage of Akita is the message of Fatima."
June, 1988 - Vatican City - Joseph CardinalRatzinger, Prefect, Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, givesdefinitive judgement on the Akita events and messages as reliable and worthy ofbelief.
The Messages
The First Message on July 6, 1973
"My daughter, my novice, you have obeyed Me wellin abandoning all to follow
Me. Is theinfirmity of your ears painful? Your deafness will be healed, be
sure. Be patient.It is the last trial. Does the wound of your hand cause
you to suffer?Pray in reparation for the sins of men. Each person in this
community is myirreplaceable daughter. Do you say well the prayer of the
Handmaids of theEucharist? Then, let us pray it together:"
"Most Sacred Heart of Jesus, truly present in theHoly Eucharist, I
consecrate mybody and soul to be entirely one with Your Heart being
sacrificed atevery instant on all the altars of the world and giving praise
to the Father,pleading for the coming of His Kingdom."
"Please receive this humble offering of myself.Use me as You will for the glory of the Father and the salvation of souls."
"Most Holy Mother of God. Never let me beseparated from your Divine Son. Please defend and protect me as Your specialchild. Amen."
" Pray very much for the Pope, the bishops andthe priests."
The Second Message on August 3, 1973
"My daughter, my novice, do you love the Lord? Ifyou love the Lord listen to what I have to say to you."
"It is very important. You will convey it to yoursuperior."
"Many men in this world afflict the Lord. Idesire souls to console Him to
soften the angerof the Heavenly Father. I wish, with my Son, for souls who
will repair bytheir suffering and their poverty for the sinners and
ingrates."
"In order that the world might know His anger,the Heavenly Father is preparing to inflict a great chastisement on allmankind. With my Son, I have intervened so many times to appease the wrath ofthe Father. I have prevented the coming of calamities by offering Him thesufferings of the Son on the Cross, His Precious Blood, and beloved souls whoconsole Him and form a cohort of victim souls. Prayer, penance and courageoussacrifices can soften the Father's anger. I desire this also from yourcommunity, that it love poverty, that it sanctify itself and pray in reparationfor the
ingratitude and outrages of so many men. Recite the prayer of the Handmaids ofthe Eucharist with awareness of its meaning: put it into practice: offer(whatever God may send) in reparation for sins. Let each one endeavor,according to capacity and position, to offer herself entirely to the Lord."
"Even in a secular institute prayer is necessary.Already souls who wish to pray are on the way to being gathered. Withoutattaching too much attention to the form, be faithful and fervent in prayer toconsole the Master."
The Third and the Last message on October 13, 1973:
". . . if men do not repent and betterthemselves, the Father will inflict a
terriblepunishment on all humanity. It will be a punishment greater than
the deluge, suchas one will never have seen before. Fire will fall from the
sky and will wipeout a great part of humanity, the good as well as the bad,
sparing neitherpriests nor faithful. The survivors will find themselves so
desolate thatthey will envy the dead. The only arms which will remain for
you will be theRosary and the Sign left by my Son. Each day recite the
prayers of theRosary. With the Rosary, pray for the Pope, the bishops and
the priests."
"The work of the devil will infiltrate even intothe Church in such a way
that one will seecardinals opposing cardinals, bishops against other
bishops. Thepriests who venerate me will be scorned and opposed by their
confreres (otherpriests). Churches and altars will be sacked. The Church
will be full ofthose who accept compromises and the demon will press many
priests andconsecrated souls to leave the service of the Lord."
"The demon will be especially implacable againstthe souls consecrated to God. The thought of the loss of so many souls is thecause of my sadness. If sins increase in number and gravity, there will be nolonger pardon for them."
". . . Pray very much the prayers of the Rosary.I alone am able still to save you from the calamities which approach. Those whoplace their confidence in me will be saved."
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