I think every Christian knows very well the verses of the 23rd psalm, of Jesus as our Good Shepherd who leads us and guides us and cares for us, leading us finally to the life giving waters of eternal life. Jesus is not only the Good Shepherd, but he is alway the Lamb of God who is sacrificed to take away the sins of the world. This ties into the story of Our Lady of Knock, a Marian apparition that occurred in Ireland on August 21, 1879. The feast day of Our Lady of Knock is celebrated today- August 17.
On the evening, two women from the small village of Knock were walking near the local church when they noticed several luminous figures. They recognized one of the figures as the Blessed Virgin and the other two as St Joseph and St John the Evangelist. The family members and other villagers gathered to see the apparition. In addition to the three figures, they saw an altar with a lamb on it, a cross and angels hovering over the altar. There was no sound and no verbal message.
At the time of the apparition of Our Lady of Knock, the Archbishop made an investigation, but no definitive statement for or against the apparition was made. Over time, the apparition was officially acknowledged by the Church, culminating in a visit from Pope John Paul II in 1979. The symbolism of the lamb, the cross, and the altar were seen as pointing to the sacrificial death of Christ and the Mass. With Mary’s figure in front of the altar, she is seen as the Blessed Mother who always intercedes for us.
The apparition of Mary at Knock took place in County Mayo in Ireland in an area that suffered greatly from famines, forced evictions, and desperate immigrations to other lands in the 1870s. Mary always has a great love and compassion for the poor and for those who are going through trials and tribulations. Like her Son, the Good Shepherd, Mary is always there for us with her loving care. Her apparitions such as Our Lady of Knock remind us of that.
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