Our Lady of America

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Beginning in 1938, Washington, DC, USA, a sister of the Congregation of the Precious Blood, known as Sister Mary Ephrem, began receiving locutions from Christ. These inner locutions were later followed by apparitions of the Archangels Michael and Gabriel. On September 25, 1956, while stationed in Rome City, Indiana, the Blessed Virgin Mary, Our Lady of America, began appearing to her. The main theme of the apparitions was the call to purity and conversion of the United States and for the sanctification of the family.

While Our Lady continued to appear to Sister Mary Ephrem for the next few years, it was in October of 1956 that she received an inner locution from St. Joseph, followed by his apparitions in 1958 in which he spoke of his spiritual fatherhood, his protection of the Catholic Church and devotion to his Most Pure Heart.

It is known that Archbishop Paul F. Leilbold, spiritual director of Sister Mary Ephrem, was a supporter of the apparitions, granting the Imprimatur to the messages and also having medals struck according to the instructions of Our Lady of America.

More recently, in a letter dated May 31, 2007, Archbishop Raymond L. Burke (now Cardinal Burke) states:

“What can be concluded canonically is that the devotion was both approved by Archbishop Leibold and, what is more, was actively promoted by him. In addition, over the years, other Bishops have approved the devotion and have participated in public devotion to the Mother of God, under the title of Our Lady of America.”

October, 1956

In early October, 1956, about a week after Our Lady’s first appearance, St. Joseph, though I did not see him at this time, spoke to me the following words:

It is true, my daughter, that immediately after my conception I was, through the future merits of Jesus and because of my exceptional role of future Virgin-Father, cleansed from the stain of original sin.

I was from that moment confirmed in grace and never had the slightest stain on my soul. This is my unique privilege among men.

My Pure Heart also was from the first moment of existence inflamed with love for God. Immediately, at the moment when my soul was cleansed from original sin, grace was infused into it in such abundance that, excluding my holy spouse, I surpassed the holiness of the highest angel in the angelic choir. My heart suffered with the Hearts of Jesus and Mary. Mine was a silent suffering, for it was my special vocation to hide and shield, as long as God willed, the Virgin Mother and Son from the malice and hatred of men.

The most painful of my sorrows was that I knew beforehand of their passion, yet would not be there to console them. Their future suffering was ever present to me and became my daily cross, so I became, in union with my holy spouse, co-redemptor of the human race. Through compassion for the sufferings of Jesus and Mary I co-operated, as no other, in the salvation of the world.

March 11, 1958

Our Lady said to me: St. Joseph will come on the eve of his feast. Prepare yourself well. There will be a special message. My holy spouse has an important part to play in bringing peace to the world.

March 17, 1958

St. Joseph came as was promised, and these are the words he spoke at this time:

Kneel down, my daughter, for what you will hear and what you will write will bring countless souls to a new way of life. Through you, small one, the Trinity desires to make known to souls Its desire to be adored, honored, and loved within the kingdom, the interior kingdom of their hearts.

I bring to souls the purity of my life and the obedience that crowned it. All fatherhood is blest in me whom the Eternal Father chose as His representative on earth, the Virgin-Father of His own Divine Son. Through me the Heavenly Father has blessed all fatherhood, and through me He continues and will continue to do so till the end of time.

My spiritual fatherhood extends to all God’s children, and together with my Virgin Spouse I watch over them with great love and solicitude. Fathers must come to me, small one, to learn obedience to authority: to the Church always, as the mouthpiece of God, to the laws of the country in which they live, insofar as these do not go against God and their neighbor. Mine was perfect obedience to the Divine Will, as it was shown and made known to me by the Jewish law and religion. To be careless in this is most displeasing to God and will be severely punished in the next world.

Let fathers also imitate my great purity of life and the deep respect I held for my Immaculate Spouse. Let them be an example to their children and fellowmen, never willfully doing anything that would cause scandal among God’s people. Fatherhood is from God, and it must take once again its rightful place among men.

As St. Joseph ceased speaking I saw his Most Pure Heart:

The Most Chaste Heart of St. Joseph seemed to be lying on a cross which was of brown color. It appeared to me that at the top of the Heart, in the midst of the flames pouring out, was a pure white lily. Then I heard these words: Behold this pure heart so pleasing to Him who made it.

St. Joseph then continued:

The cross, my little one, upon which my heart rests is the cross of the Passion, which was ever present before me, causing me intense suffering. I desire souls to come to my Heart that they may learn true union with the Divine Will. It is enough, my child; I will come again tomorrow. Then I will make known to you how God wishes me to be honored in union with Jesus and Mary to obtain peace among men and nations. Good night, my little one.

March 19, 1958

On the evening of the next day, March 19, 1958, St. Joseph again appeared to me as he had promised and addressed me in these words:

My child, I desire a day to be set aside to honor my fatherhood. The privilege of being chosen by God to be the Virgin-Father of His Son was mine alone, and no honor, excluding that bestowed upon my Holy Spouse, was ever, or will ever, be as sublime or as high as this. The Holy Trinity desires thus to honor me that in my unique fatherhood all fatherhood might be blessed.

Dear child, I was king in the little home of Nazareth, for I sheltered within it the Prince of Peace and the Queen of Heaven. To me they looked for protection and sustenance, and I did not fail them. I received from them the deepest love and reverence, for in me they saw Him Whose place I took over them. So the head of the family must be loved, obeyed, and respected, and in return be a true father and protector to those under his care. In honoring in a special way my fatherhood, you also honor Jesus and Mary. The Divine Trinity has placed into our keeping the peace of the world. The imitation of the Holy Family, my child, of the virtues we practiced in our little home at Nazareth is the way for all souls to that peace which comes from God alone and which none other can give.

Then suddenly, as he ceased speaking, I was favored with a unique and marvelous vision of the glorious St. Joseph:

St. Joseph seemed suspended, as it were, a short distance above what had the appearance of a large globe with clouds moving about it. His head was slightly raised, the eyes gazing upward as if in ecstasy. The hands were in a position similar to that of the priest during the celebration of Holy Mass, only they extended upward somewhat. The color of his hair, as also of his   rather small and slightly forked beard, seemed a very dark brown. His eyes resembled in color the hair and beard.

He was clothed in a white robe that reached to his ankles. Over this he wore a sort of cloak which did not come together at the throat, but covering the shoulders and draped gracefully over each arm, reached to the hem of the robe. The cloak at times had, or seemed to have, the appearance of a brown, sometimes a purple, hue, or perhaps a slight blending of the two. The belt about his waist was of a gold color, as were his sandals.

His appearance, though quite youthful, gave at the same time the impression of rare maturity combined with great strength. He seemed a bit taller than medium height. The lines of his face appeared strong and purposeful, softened somewhat by a gentle serenity. I also saw his most Pure Heart at this time.

Moreover, I saw the Holy Spirit in the form of a dove hovering above his head. Standing sideways, facing each other, were two angels, one on the right, the other on the left. Each carried what appeared to be a small pillow in a satin covering, the pillow on the right bearing a gold crown, the one on the left, a gold scepter. The angels were all white, ever their faces and hair. It was a beautiful whiteness that reminded me of the stainlessness of heaven.

Then I heard these words: Thus should he be honored whom the King desires to honor.

When the vision ended, St. Joseph before taking leave spoke to me in the following manner:

The Holy Father need have no fear, for I have been appointed his special protector. As God chose me to be the special guardian of His Son, so has He chosen me as the special guardian of him who in Christ’s Name is head of the Mystical Body of that same Son on earth. My special protection of the Holy Father and the Church should be made known to him. God wishes to make this known to him that he may receive thereby renewed consolation and encouragement. During the war, little daughter, it was I who saved him from death at the hands of his enemies. Continually I watch over him and the Church, and I desire this to be acknowledged for the greater glory of God and the good of souls.

Lovely child, precious to the heart of your spiritual father, I will come again on the last Sunday of this month. Jesus and Mary will come also in a special visit. Receive my blessing.

As I knelt down to receive it, I felt his hands on my head and heard the words: May Jesus and Mary, through my hands, bestow upon you eternal peace.

March 30, 1958

As he had promised, St. Joseph came again – accompanied by Jesus and Mary. His requests were similar to those of Our Lady and the First Saturday Devotion. The Sacred Hearts of Jesus, Mary, and Joseph have been chosen by the Most Holy Trinity to bring peace to the world; hence, their request for special love and honor, also, in particular, reparation and imitation.

I am the protector of the Church and the home, as I was the protector of Christ and His Mother while I lived upon earth. Jesus and Mary desire that my pure heart, so long hidden and unknown, be now honored in a special way. Let my children honor my Most Pure Heart in a special manner on the First Wednesday of the month by reciting the Joyful Mysteries of the Rosary in memory of my life with Jesus and Mary and the love I bore them, the sorrow I suffered with them.

Let them receive Holy Communion in union with the love with which I received the Savior for the first time and each time I held Him in my arms. Those who honor me in this way will be consoled by my presence at their death, and I myself will conduct them safely into the presence of Jesus and Mary. I will come again, little child of my Most Pure Heart. Until then, continue in patience and humility, which is so pleasing to God.

St. Patrick

     Here is the purpose of this Book (The Virgin Mary in the Kingdom of the Divine Will) explained to you. Those who will welcome it with love will be the first fortunate children who will belong to the Kingdom of the Divine Fiat; and I, with gold characters, will write their names in My Maternal Heart.

     See, My daughter, that same Infinite Love of God which, in Redemption, wanted to use Me in order to make the Eternal Word descend upon earth, is now calling Me into the field once again, and entrusting to Me the difficult task, the sublime mandate of forming on earth the children of the Kingdom of His Divine Will. Therefore, with Maternal Care I set to work, and I prepare for you the way that will lead you to this Happy Kingdom.

     For this purpose I will give you sublime and Celestial Lessons and, finally, I will teach you Special and New Prayers, through which you will commit the heavens, the sun, the Creation, My very Life and that of My Son, and all the acts of the Saints, so that, in your name, they may impetrate the Adorable Kingdom of the Divine Will. These Prayers are the Most Powerful, because they bind the very Divine Operating. By means of them, God will feel disarmed and conquered by the creature. Confident of this help, you will hasten the Coming of His Most Happy Kingdom, and, with Me, you will obtain that the Divine Will be done on earth as It is in Heaven, according to the Desire of the Divine Master.

     Courage, my daughter—make Me content, and I will bless you.

Father, Son, and Holy Spirit

Excerpt from the Hours of the Passion

I too unite myself to You, O Sweet Mama (Mary). Upon the wings of the winds I want to go around the heavens to ask of the Father, of the Holy Spirit and of all the Angels, for an “I bless You” for Jesus, so that, as I go to Him, I may bring Him their Blessings. And here on earth, I want to go to all creatures and ask, from every lip, from every heartbeat, from every step, from every breath, from every gaze, from every thought—blessings and praises for Jesus. And if no one wants to give them to me, I intend to give them for them.

Book of Heaven 
5/19/31 – Vol. 29

     I was continuing my acts in the Divine Volition, and uniting myself to the acts that It did in Creation, in order to give It the homage, the love, the adoration for each thing created for love of creatures.  My poor mind brought itself into Eden, in the act of the fall of man, as the infernal serpent, with his cunning and lie, induced Eve to withdraw from the Will of her Creator; and Eve, with her enticing manners, induced Adam to fall into the same sin.

     Now, while I was thinking about this, my beloved Jesus told me:  “My daughter, My Love was not extinguished because of the fall of man, but became more ignited; and even though My Justice justly punished him and condemned him, My Love, kissing My Justice, without delay promised the future Redeemer, and said to the deceitful serpent, with the empire of My Power:  ‘You have made use of a woman to snatch man from My Divine Will, and I, by means of another woman, who will have in Her power the Power of My Fiat, will knock down your pride, and with Her immaculate foot, She will crush your head.’  These words burned the infernal serpent more than hell itself, and he stored so much rage in his heart, that he could no longer stay still—he would do nothing but go round and round the earth, to discover She who was to crush his head—not in order to let it be crushed, but so as to be able, with his infernal arts, with his diabolical tricks, to make fall She who was to defeat him, debilitate him, and bind him in the dark abysses.  So, for four thousand years he kept always wandering; and when he would see women who were more virtuous and good, he would arm his battle, he would tempt them in every way, and only then would he leave them, when he would be assured, by means of some weakness or defects, that they were not She through whom he was to be defeated.  And he would continue his wandering.

     “Then came, indeed, the Celestial Creature who crushed his head, and the enemy felt such power in Her, that knocked him down, and he did not have the strength to go near Her.  This consumed him with rage, and he employed all his infernal weapons to fight Her.  But—no!  He would try to go near Her, he would feel himself being worn down, his legs being broken, and would be forced to draw back; and from afar he would spy on Her admirable virtues, Her power and sanctity.  And I, in order to confound him and make him doubtful, would let him see the Celestial Sovereign, Her human things, like taking food, crying, sleeping and other things; and he would persuade himself that it was not She, because, being so powerful and holy, She was not to be subject to the natural needs of life.  But then he would go back to doubts, and wanted to return to assault—but in vain.  My Will is Power that debilitates all evils and all the infernal powers; It is Light that makes Itself known by all, and wherever It reigns, It makes Its Power felt, that not even the very demons can get themselves to deny.  Therefore, the Queen of Heaven was, and is, the terror of all hell.

April 28, 1923
Luisa must crush the head of the infernal serpent. The living in the Divine Will is the complete triumph of the Creator over the creature. The primary purpose of the coming of Jesus upon earth was that the Divine Will would triumph over the human will.

I felt as though immersed in the endless light of the Eternal Will, and my sweet Jesus told me: “My daughter, My Divinity does not need to operate in order to make Its works come out – It only needs to want them. So, I want and I do; the greatest works, the most beautiful, come out upon My mere wanting them. On the other hand, even if the creature wanted them, if she does not work, she does not move, she does nothing. Now, to one who makes My Will her own and lives in It as in her own royal palace, the same power is communicated, as much as it is possible for a creature.”

Now, while He was saying this, I felt myself being drawn outside of myself, and I found an ugly monster under my feet, which was biting itself out of rage. And Jesus, being near me, added: “Just as My Virgin Mother crushed the head of the infernal serpent, so do I want another virgin, who must be the first possessor of the Supreme Will, to press that infernal head again, so as to crush it and debilitate it, in such a way as to confine it into hell, that she may have full dominion over it, and it may not dare to approach those who must live in My Will. Therefore, place your foot on its head, and crush it.” Made brave, I did it, and it would bite itself more, and so as not to feel my touch, it shut itself up in the darkest abysses. Then Jesus resumed His speaking: “My daughter, do you think that the living in My Will is nothing? No, no – on the contrary, it is the all, it is the fulfillment of all sanctities, it is the absolute dominion of oneself, of one’s passions, and of one’s capital enemies; it is the complete triumph of the Creator over the creature. So, if she adheres, and I come to having her live in My Will, and she does not want to know her own ever again, I have nothing left to want from the creature, and she has nothing left to give Me. All My yearnings are fulfilled, My designs realized – there is nothing left but to delight in each other. It is true that I came upon earth to redeem man, but My primary purpose was that the Divine Will would triumph over the human will by according these two wills together and making them one, taking the human will into that Will from which it had gone out. This was the main offense that My Celestial Father received from man, and I was to compensate Him for it, otherwise I would not have given Him full satisfaction. But in order to obtain the first purpose, first I had to issue the second – that is, to save him, to extend My hand to him, since he had fallen; to wash him of the mud in which he was lying. How could I say: ‘Come to live in My Will’, if he was horrid to look at, and was under the slavery of the infernal enemy?

Therefore, after having obtained the second purpose, I want to secure the first one – that My Will be done on earth as It is in Heaven, and that man, who had gone out of My Will, enter into Mine once again. And in order to obtain this, I give to this first creature all My merits, all My works and steps, My palpitating Heart, My wounds, My Blood – the whole of My Humanity, to dispose her, to prepare her, to let her enter into My Will. In fact, first she must take the complete fruit of My Redemption, and then, as though in triumph, enter the possession of the immense sea of My Supreme Will. I do not want her to enter as a stranger, but as a daughter; not as poor, but as rich; not as ugly, but as beautiful, as if she were another Me. Therefore, I want to centralize the whole of My life in you (Luisa).” And while He was saying this, it was as if many seas were coming out of Him, which poured upon me, and I remained inside of them, sunken; and at the same time, a Sun, beating down with Its light, receiving the complete fruit of Redemption in order to be able to give the complete fruit of Its Will to the creature. It was the Sun of the Eternal Volition, which celebrated the entrance of the human will into Its own. And Jesus: “This Divine Will of Mine grew within My Humanity like a flower, which I transplanted from Heaven into the true Eden of My terrestrial Humanity. It germinated in My Blood, it bloomed from My wounds, to make of it the greatest gift to the creature. Don’t you want to receive it?”

And I: ‘Yes.’ And He: “I want to transplant it into you – love it, and know how to keep it.”

***

Padre Bernardino Giuseppe Bucci Went Home to be with the Lord
on July 17, 2020

“See you again in the Kingdom”

“And the son said to him,
`Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you;
I am no longer worthy to be called your son.”

But the father said to his servants,
“Bring quickly the best robe, and put it on him; and put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet;
and bring the fatted calf and kill it, and let us eat and make merry;
for this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found.”

     We are all exiles on this earth and far away from our Heavenly home.  The parable of the Prodigal Son has a deep symbolic meaning.  When we ponder it, we spontaneously perceive that the Prodigal Son is non other than every person who through a sinful life has become estranged from God.  For this reason, the parable is very real to us; it is the story of our lives.  It is a symbol of our infidelity to God.  But it is also the symbol of God’s unbounded mercy toward us.  Today, as the world teems with prodigal sons and daughters, this parable is dramatized in countless millions.  Every person is either that older son who is ever faithful to his father or that younger son who only through hard and painful experience becomes convinced that outside the father’s house there is no happiness.

     The parable teaches us that God forgives and mercifully receives even the greatest sinners, if they repent and are sorry for their sins.  The history of the human race is nothing but the history of God’s mercy.  “The mercy of the Lord is from eternity to eternity upon them that fear Him.”  (Psalm 103,17)

     An awareness of one’s own misery induces sincere sorrow and repentance, as well as a desire to beg God for forgiveness and mercy.  And where there is sorrow for sin and repentance, there one will find the ever generous mercy of God.

Book of Heaven
Volume One

     … I had such fear of moving away and of doing worse than before, that I myself cannot express it. When I was with Him, I did nothing but tell Him of the pain I felt for having offended Him. I kept asking for His forgiveness, I thanked Him for having been so good to me, and I said to Him from the heart: ‘See oh Lord, the time I have lost, while I could have loved You.’ I was unable to say anything but the grave evil I had done.

     Finally, one day, reprimanding me, He told me: “I do not want you to think about it. When a soul has humbled herself, being convinced of having done wrong, and has cleansed her soul in the Sacrament of Confession, and is ready to die rather than offend Me – it is an affront to my mercy, it is a hindrance to drawing her close to my love, because her mind is always trying to wrap itself with the mud of the past. She also prevents Me from letting her take flight toward Heaven, because she is always with those ideas wrapped within herself, as she tries to think about it. And then, see, I no longer remember anything; I have perfectly forgotten about it.

THE CROSS IS THE MAGNET LOVE!

Excerpt from the Hours of the Passion:

     So, O Jesus, there is nothing You do which does not vividly portray Your Most Sorrowful Passion, which You keep always present in Your Mind, in Your Heart—in everything. And this teaches me that if I too had the thought of Your Passion before my mind and in my heart, You would never deny me the Food of Your Love. How much I thank You!

     O my Jesus, not one act escapes You that does not keep me present and that does not intend to do me a special good. So I pray you that Your Passion be always in my mind, in my heart, in my gazes, in my steps and in my pains, so that, wherever I turn, inside and outside of myself, I may always find You present in me. And You, give me the grace never to forget what You have borne and suffered for me. May this be my magnet, that, drawing my whole being into You, will never again allow me to go far away from You.