Where Word Became Flesh

Basilica in Loretto

I was not excited to step foot back in Ancona since I did not have the most pleasant memories there.  But thankfully, we took a bus to Loretto where we were able to have mass and spend time in prayer in the Basilica.  Inside the Basilica there is the house of the incarnation, where Mary was visited by the Angel. There is literally a plaque that says in Latin, “Here is where word was made flesh.”  I got to pray inside this small brick house just 2 days before we were going to celebrate the feast of the Ascension and where I was going to finish my consecration to Jesus through Mary according to St. Louis De Montfort.  To pray in the house where the Holy Spirit overtook Mary and sent the Son of God to earth was incredible!  Afterwards we grabbed lunch and took the 3 ½ hour train ride back to Rome.  Before stepping into Bernardi, Emma, Savannah and I all agreed that we still didn’t know exactly why God wanted us to go to Medjugorje, but one thing was for sure: We all felt like something had changed.  Maybe it is what the priest was talking about? 

The Gang

Maybe it is a place to go to learn how to pray authentically and to hear people’s stories.  It gave definitely gave me a sense of urgency in prayer and I desired, once I processed things, to share all that I could remember that I had learned about Mary.  I found that I knew so little, and so I was worried that my consecration to her would be a failure.  But I had faith that the Lord would show his mercy and I felt determined to be open to receive whatever he wanted to show me through his mother. 

The next few days were filled with graces.  After I made my final consecration, I honestly felt like I had no clue what to do now.  I just signed my life away….what does being a servant of Mary actually mean?  The day of my consecration I kept receiving flowers (which I associate with Mary) and I kept feeling called to present them to the statue of Mary at the Ang.  Then, I received a rosary in my mailbox complete with the nuptial cross (my favorite) with a note that said, “use me well.”  Also, one of the guys who went to Germany and learned about Mary of Shoenstat there felt inclined to give me a small image of Our Lady that is popular there and explained to me all that it meant.  One seminarian also presented to me a book called “True Devotion to Mary” by St. Louis De Montfort (what the consecration is based off of) and some documents on the Church’s teachings on Mary.  I opened to the first page of the book and discovered that St. Louis De Montfort’s feast day is on my birthday!  How providential is that?  It was like Mary was saying, “ Do you want to learn how to love my Son?  Come to me and I will bring you to his side.  But first, you must learn more about my life and my love for you.”  So I continue on my pilgrimage even after Medjugorje to persevere in prayer, especially the Rosary, for all the unbelievers and that they may know Mary’s intense love for them.  Will you join me?