Skip to content
The Catholic Leader
  • Home
  • News
    • QLD
    • Australia
    • Regional
    • Education
    • World
    • Vatican
  • Features
  • Opinion
  • Life
    • Family
    • Relationships
    • Faith
  • Culture
  • People
  • Subscribe
  • Jobs
  • Contribute
No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • News
    • QLD
    • Australia
    • Regional
    • Education
    • World
    • Vatican
  • Features
  • Opinion
  • Life
    • Family
    • Relationships
    • Faith
  • Culture
  • People
  • Subscribe
  • Jobs
  • Contribute
No Result
View All Result
The Catholic Leader
No Result
View All Result
Home Opinion Letters

Weeping statue sign from God

byStaff writers
13 October 2002
Reading Time: 2 mins read
AA
Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

RE the response to the Weeping Madonna statue in Western Australia (CL 21/9/02).

In all such phenomena, the immediate question for believers is: Is this a miracle of divine communication, or is it a hoax? Unbelievers will respond, especially when scientific examination fails to fault it: There is definitely a logical explanation. I wonder how they have done it.

I do not know what further, reasonable, scientific testing needs to be done, if any, but by what has been done, the pendulum for believers must be well on the side of its authenticity. While not forgetting the joy and wonder of it, convinced people must meditate on the message it communicates.

A weeping image unavoidably implies we have a serious, not to say sombre, sign from heaven, concern

ing our world’s future. Bearing in mind that the phenomenon has clearly passed, at least its prima facie testing, and given its serious implications, the Church must follow up with alacrity, any further, reasonable investigation that needs attending to.

This would get us past the ‘if’ question, allowing us to give our full attention to what heaven specifically requires of us at this stage in our history. We should keep in mind the warning messages at Fatima, which told us we needed to get back to God or suffer grievously.

The Second World War certainly provided such suffering. Those already convinced should make a prayerful, but peaceful effort to avoid future catastrophe (implied by the statue’s weeping) for our world, remembering always there is no real calamity for people who walk in Jesus (Rm 8:35).

Unfortunately prophetic communication often gets cold reception from the structural Church and ‘testing’ becomes distancing, slowing down, avoiding. ‘If this is of God let it prove itself’, becomes the modus operandi, which is in similar vein to Gamaliel’s advice to the Sanhedrin. (Acts 5:38-39).

But a weeping statue is already a sign from God, and in looking for a further sign we display the avoidance mentality of the pharisees and sadducees (Lk 16:1-4). Jesus was the sign, and from him signs regularly flowed. Jesus’ response to them is to tell them to read the signs that have been given in the ordinary, honest way that weather signs are normally read (ibid).

J.K. CREEVEY

Related Stories

Ethiopian cardinal brings sense of gratitude to Australia

Blessed Sacrament desecrated in robbery of sacred vessels at Canberra church

Pope Francis – ‘My heart is broken’ over Texas elementary school shooting

West End, Qld

ShareTweet
Previous Post

STUART LITTLE 2

Next Post

Preparing for challenges

Staff writers

Related Posts

Ethiopian cardinal brings sense of gratitude to Australia
Australia

Ethiopian cardinal brings sense of gratitude to Australia

26 May 2022
Blessed Sacrament desecrated in robbery of sacred vessels at Canberra church
Australia

Blessed Sacrament desecrated in robbery of sacred vessels at Canberra church

26 May 2022
Pope Francis – ‘My heart is broken’ over Texas elementary school shooting
World

Pope Francis – ‘My heart is broken’ over Texas elementary school shooting

26 May 2022
Next Post

Preparing for challenges

Evil hits Bali

Archbishop Pell cleared

Popular News

  • Blessed Sacrament desecrated in robbery of sacred vessels at Canberra church

    Blessed Sacrament desecrated in robbery of sacred vessels at Canberra church

    0 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • Archbishop calls for prayers in “troubled times”

    0 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • Pope Francis – ‘My heart is broken’ over Texas elementary school shooting

    0 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • Nuncio take in the sights of Queensland’s far north

    0 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • Ethiopian cardinal brings sense of gratitude to Australia

    0 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
Search our job finder
No Result
View All Result

Latest News

Ethiopian cardinal brings sense of gratitude to Australia
Australia

Ethiopian cardinal brings sense of gratitude to Australia

by Staff writers
26 May 2022
0

ETHIOPIAN Cardinal Berhaneyesus Souraphiel says his trip to Australia gives him the chance to thank individuals and...

Blessed Sacrament desecrated in robbery of sacred vessels at Canberra church

Blessed Sacrament desecrated in robbery of sacred vessels at Canberra church

26 May 2022
Pope Francis – ‘My heart is broken’ over Texas elementary school shooting

Pope Francis – ‘My heart is broken’ over Texas elementary school shooting

26 May 2022
Nuncio take in the sights of Queensland’s far north

Nuncio take in the sights of Queensland’s far north

25 May 2022
Hong Kong

Cardinal Joseph Zen appears in court in Hong Kong on day of prayer for China

25 May 2022

Never miss a story. Sign up to the Weekly Round-Up
eNewsletter now to receive headlines directly in your email.

Sign up to eNews
  • About
  • Advertise
  • Contact
  • Contribute
  • Jobs
  • Subscribe

The Catholic Leader is an Australian award-winning Catholic newspaper that has been published by the Archdiocese of Brisbane since 1929. Our journalism seeks to provide a full, accurate and balanced Catholic perspective of local, national and international news while upholding the dignity of the human person.

Copyright © All Rights Reserved The Catholic Leader
Accessibility Information | Privacy Policy | Archdiocese of Brisbane

The Catholic Leader acknowledges Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people as the First Peoples of this country and especially acknowledge the traditional owners on whose lands we live and work throughout the Catholic Archdiocese of Brisbane.

No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • News
    • QLD
    • Australia
    • Regional
    • Education
    • World
    • Vatican
  • Features
  • Opinion
  • Life
    • Family
    • Relationships
    • Faith
  • Culture
  • People
  • Subscribe
  • Jobs
  • Contribute

Copyright © All Rights Reserved The Catholic Leader

0
    0
    Your Cart
    Your cart is emptyChoose another Subscription
    Continue Shopping