February 11

Our Lady of Lourdes (France), 1858

Our Lady of America

Our Lady of Lourdes

Our Lady of America

The next day Our Lady spoke again:

“My child, nothing is accomplished without pain. Prepare to suffer much. You see the sword in the Heart of your Mother. Suffering completed the work of divine grace in my soul. He who refuses to suffer will never abide in the Spirit of Christ, will never be formed into His image.

“My sweet child, the Father will never recognize a soul as His own unless He sees in it the likeness of His beloved Son. Souls must attain to the perfection of the Father through the Spirit of the Son.

"Beloved daughter, you wonder at the sword and the deep wound it has made in my Heart. It is the sword of grief plunged therein by my children who refuse to let me teach them the true way. There is only one true way to the Father, my child, only one way to eternal union. It is the way of the divine humanity. It is through my Son, the Only-begotten of the Father, that souls attain perfect union with the Divinity, as perfect as human nature is capable of, aided by divine grace.

“But my children will not heed; they will not listen. Every other way they will take, but not this one.

“I ask greater sacrifices of the most favored and beloved of my children. I ask in the Name and for the love of my Son, Who so desires this.

"If I ask for reform of life, it is first from the chosen that I look for it. They must by the example of a sacrificial life lead the way for souls to union with Christ, honoring the Father by putting on His Spirit and His likeness in all things.

"O my small one, beloved of my Son's Heart, prepare yourself by prayer, penance, and suffering for what is to come.

“Your Mother has many more things to tell you, but this is enough for now. Take your rest now. I wish it. Good night, sweet child."

Towards evening of February 11, I heard these words addressed to me by Our Lady:

“I am the Mother of the sacred humanity, and it is my special work as co-redemptrix of the human race to help souls reach the sanctity of the Father in eternal union by showing them how to put on Christ, to imbibe His Spirit, and thus become one with Him.''

Prayer to Our Lady of America

O Immaculate Mother, Queen of our Country, open our hearts, our homes, and our Land

to the coming of Jesus, your Divine Son. With Him, reign over us, O heavenly Lady, so pure and so bright with the radiance of God's light shining in and about you. Be our Leader against the powers of evil set upon wresting the world of souls, redeemed at such a great cost by the sufferings of your Son and of yourself, in union with Him, from that same Savior, Who loves us with infinite charity.


We gather about you, O chaste and holy Mother, Virgin Immaculate, Patroness of our
beloved Land, determined to fight under your banner of holy purity against the wickedness that would make all the world an abyss of evil, without God and without your loving maternal care.


We consecrate our hearts, our homes, our Land to your Most Pure Heart, O great Queen,
that the kingdom of your Son, our Redeemer and our God, may be firmly established in us.


We ask no special sign of you, sweet Mother, for we believe in your great love for us, and
we place in you our entire confidence. We promise to honor you by faith, love, and the purity of our lives according to your desire.


Reign over us, then, O Virgin Immaculate, with your Son Jesus Christ. May His Divine
Heart and your most chaste Heart be ever enthroned and glorified among us. Use us, your
children of America, as your instruments in bringing peace among men and nations. Work your miracles of grace in us, so that we may be a glory to the Blessed Trinity, Who created, redeemed, and sanctifies us.


May your valiant Spouse, St. Joseph, with the holy Angels and Saints, assist you and us in
"renewing the face of the earth." Then when our work is over, come, Holy Immaculate Mother, and as our Victorious Queen, lead us to the eternal kingdom, where your Son reigns forever as King. Amen (200 days)


Written at the behest of Our Lady, October 5, 1956.
Nihil Obstat:-Daniel Pilarczyk, S.T.D.
Imprimatur:-†Paul F. Leibold, V.G.
Cincinnati, January 25, 1963

Ave Maria!