The events regarding Our Lady of the Thunderbolt in XIX century Mexico illustrate the meaning of the message received by our community:
"Do not be afraid of what must take place, but rejoice always because I am making all things new. From this great devastation will come new life: the new springtime for Christianity."
Message received by our community on 8/27/24
The Lamentations Will Be as a Thunderbolt
I am making all things new through the Blood of the Lamb. Remain in My peace, for the hour is approaching in which the lamentations will be as a Thunderbolt. But you, My little one, and the few who have listened to My voice preparing and guiding you, will be in My peace. Do not be afraid of what must take place, but rejoice always because I am making all things new. From this great devastation will come new life: the new springtime for Christianity, a new humanity clothed in purity, a new earth alive in praise of God. Prepare yourself and My few followers of these end times in silence and continuous prayer, gazing at the God who loves you and is with you to guide and strengthen you. Remain gazing at Me, and I will be your guide during this perilous time that must come.
I asked Jesus about what he desires from me for the MC retreat. He said:
Just remain gazing at Me, and I promise you(pl.) peace amid great suffering.
After I received this message from the Lord, I did a search for the word “thunderbolt” and discovered Our Lady of the Thunderbolt. This was a GREAT CONFIRMATION of the words from the Lord because the history (see below) of what happened to the statue of our Blessed Mother in the convent in Guadalajara centuries ago reveals how God is making all things new!
The Miracle of Our Lady of the Thunderbolt
August 13, 1807, was a night to remember in the Dominican convent of Jesus Maria in Guadalajara, the second largest city in Mexico. At 2:30 in the morning a violent thunderstorm erupted. Since 1792 the nuns had lived in the convent peacefully and uneventfully. This was all to change.
While the nuns were asleep in their quarters on this fateful night, the storm raged in full force. Thunder rolled and crackled all around the sky; rain pounded at the windows. A tremendous crash shook the convent to its foundations, waking everyone.
In the dormitory, lightning had hit the statue of Our Lady! Smoke filled the room and the smell of burning wood was everywhere—the convent was on fire! The terrified nuns fled for their lives.
Once the fire was safely extinguished, the nuns returned to the convent to assess the damage. A sad sight met their eyes: the statue of Mary was damaged beyond repair. Its crystal eyes had been shattered, and its face had been blackened. The pearl rosary which encircled the image was now black and twisted.
The Infant Jesus in His mother’s arms, however, was completely unscathed, as were the two paintings hanging on the wall on either side of the statue, that of St. Dominic and the other of the Most Holy Trinity. One of the nuns, who was sleeping inches away from the statue, escaped unharmed, as did all the rest of the nuns in the dormitory.
A Mass of Thanksgiving was offered the next day in immense gratitude to Our Lady for her protection. This was, after all, an order of nuns, devoted to Our Lady! The statue of Our Lady was relegated to a place of honor in the convent chapel.
This is not the end of the story, however.
Five days later, on August 18, 1807, two workmen and some of the nuns were in the chapel in the middle of the afternoon. Without warning, the chapel turned as black as night. Another storm was on its way.
Before the startled eyes of the onlookers, the statue of Mary began to shine with an intense, “unearthly” glow. The occupants of the chapel were stupefied. Petrified. They wanted to bolt from the room but found themselves unable to move. Mesmerized, they all stood as if “turned to stone,” their eyes riveted on the image. It was at this time that the prioress and the rest of the nuns entered the chapel for Vespers. One can only imagine their surprise!
In the next moments, a loud clap of thunder roared through the chapel, followed by an “extraordinary” flash of lightning. The entire chapel became illuminated by an unusual, brilliant light. The drama was just beginning. The lighting struck the statue once again!
Several times the statue changed color, from rosy pink to white, then back again. Eventually, after a few minutes, it resumed its normal color. As if this were not enough, the eyes, which had been shattered, opened up and became as bright as diamonds.
The blackened features of Our Lady’s face transformed into a rosy peach color; in fact, the entire statue looked more beautiful than it had originally! The Rosary, which had become blackened and distorted by the first lightning strike, became perfectly restored by the second.
Devotion to Our Lady of the Thunderbolt grew exponentially as the events of August 18th became public.
She became known for her healing powers of intercession. One of the many miracles of healing attributed to her was the healing of a young nun from the convent. At the age of 22, Cecilia de San Cayetano had become ill with a fever, which left her spine paralyzed. For eight years, she received treatment from the finest doctors in the city.
In August 1850, her personal physician said to her: “I am so sorry, but I can do absolutely nothing more to help you.” She could no longer walk and was in constant pain. On December 17, 1850, she experienced an irresistible urge to visit Our Lady of the Thunderbolt in the chapel. With the aid of the subprioress, she navigated her agonizing way to the feet of Our Lady’s statue, where she slumped down almost unconscious.
A sense of despondency overwhelmed her. Only later did she confess that she had suffered the most sorrowful depression during the years of her illness. She said her only consolation was “to place her afflicted heart in the hands of the most Holy Virgin at the foot of the cross.”
On this December day, she prayed: “Oh, restore my health, Good Mother, for if I continue like this, I fear for my salvation.” Within minutes, she was walking! She walked unaided back to her room for the first time in eight years.
Our Lady of the Thunderbolt has received approval from the Church at the highest levels. She was pontifically crowned (a singular distinction granted to few statues) with the authorization of Pope Pius XII in 1940, in the Cathedral of Guadalajara.
Over the years, Our Lady of the Thunderbolt has acquired two new titles: she has become known as the principal advocate for those without work and for those with urgent needs.
Thunder and Lightning in Scripture
John 12:27-32: Thunder: the voice of God.
Jesus is praying, giving His life to the Father.
27 “Now is my soul troubled. And what shall I say? ‘Father, save me from this hour’? No, for this purpose I have come to this hour. 28 Father, glorify thy name.”
The Father responds,
Then a voice came from heaven, “I have glorified it, and I will glorify it again.”
But the crowd only hears thunder.
29 The crowd standing by heard it and said that it had thundered. Others said, “An angel has spoken to him.”
The voice of the Father is hidden behind thunder, and only Jesus can reveal it. That is why He came to the world. He tells the crowd:
30 “This voice has come for your sake, not for mine.”
Then, He tells them how the Father glorifies Him:
31 Now is the judgment of this world, now shall the ruler of this world be cast out; 32 and I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all men to myself.
Jesus was going to the Cross and called all to share in it: "I will draw all to myself." But they did not want to hear that. Thunder is all they heard.
In this time of great trial, are we turning our gaze to Jesus lifted up, Love Crucified?
The Lord in a message pleaded with us: Persevere in love as I did during the darkness of My passion. Pray, pray, pray, and keep watch, and you will have the strength to persevere as God’s saints of the end times. 4/2/23
Note: As I wrote this, a powerful thunderstorm suddenly came, and I lost the Internet.
Lk 10:18 vs Lk 17:24
Satan fell from heaven "like lightning." Through sin, he gained power over the world, and as we endure the thunderbolts of his devastation, we must remain attentive to God's thundering voice, which restores us to new life, like the statue of Our Lady.
Jesus rose and will come triumphant "as the lightning flashes and lights up the sky from one side to the other". Satan comes hidden, but all will see Jesus coming in glory.
Thunder, the wrath of God to confront evil
God's wrath is the fruit of His love, which is incompatible with evil. He is like a surgeon who removes a tumor.
Thunder and hail were the 7th plague against Pharaoh.
Exodus 9:23.
Then Moses stretched out his staff toward heaven, and the Lord sent thunder and hail, and fire came down on the earth.
Thus, Pharaoh relented and said: Exodus: 9:28
Entreat the Lord; for there has been enough of this thunder and hail; I will let you go, and you shall stay no longer.
The adversaries of the Lord shall be broken to pieces; against them he will thunder in heaven. The Lord will judge the ends of the earth; he will give strength to his king, and exalt the power of his anointed.”
Esther 1:1
Mordecai’s Dream
Behold, noise and confusion, thunders and earthquake, tumult upon the earth! And behold, two great dragons came forward, both ready to fight, and they roared terribly. And at their roaring every nation prepared for war, to fight against the nation of the righteous.
Lightning is a theophany (a manifestation of God's presence).
During the Exodus. Ex 19:16-17
There were thunders and lightnings, and a thick cloud upon the mountain, and a very loud trumpet blast, so that all the people who were in the camp trembled. 17 Then Moses brought the people out of the camp to meet God; and they took their stand at the foot of the mountain.
You will be visited by the Lord of hosts with thunder and with earthquake and great noise, with whirlwind and tempest, and the flame of a devouring fire.
Revelation 11:19. Thunder is a sign of the spiritual battle. The dragon against Mary. She appears in Rev 12.
Then God’s temple in heaven was opened, and the ark of his covenant was seen within his temple; and there were flashes of lightning, loud noises, peals of thunder.
Thunder is God's call, shaking us up to be attentive.
In distress you called, and I delivered you; I answered you in the secret place of thunder.
Often, we do not understand and must remain attentive until God breaks through the hardness of our hearts.
God thunders wondrously with his voice; he does great things which we cannot comprehend.
Comments