Posted on 08/06/2011 5:34:45 PM PDT by johngrace
Our Lady of Hostyn Normally when you see an image of the Virgin Mary flanked by lightning bolts, it is presented to show us her infinite intercession with her Son to hold back some Divine Justice for the sins of man, the wrath of God. In a minor basilica, the Church of the Assumption, nestled on a hill barely 200 feet high in the middle of Europe, there is an exception. In this image, she holds the child Jesus, and the fiery lightning pouring forth from His hand is being directed by her.
In the southeast corner of the Czech Republic which makes up today’s Moravia, the Carpathians fade from mountains into hills and the last hill (of any account) is known by the name of Hostyn. Because of its location, this territory has been important, worth holding on to; signs of civilization have been found dating back two thousand years before the Age of Christ. It’s name literally means “trader castle” and probably stems from a fortress built there by the Celts in 200 BC. Story has it that the residents there traded in their pagan gods when Saint Cyril (at the time still known as Constantine) arrived and built a cave chapel marked with a painting of the Holy Virgin.
It’s always been a crossroads, Hostyn, a place where history happened. In June of the year 1241, it so happened that it was in the path of Mongolian invaders – the Tatars. Having already devastated Russia and Slovakia and Poland, the hordes’ advance towards the treasures of Bohemia went straight through Hostyn.
With the armies of King Wenceslaus occupied in the north, the great “Moravian Open” was left to its own defense. City after city fell to the hordes. Those with forewarning and quick feet escaped to live in the forests while the Mongols raped, slaughtered, and burned what was left. The villagers who lived near Hostyn at least had the ancient walls to hide behind. It wasn’t long though before they began to suffer. Hunger and sickness set in as the siege dragged on for weeks. With no natural supply of water, thirst drove them to the brink of despair.
In a final plea for help, they called upon the Mother of God to deliver them.
Suddenly, a roll of thunder echoed through the hills. The sky grew dark and crackled with electricity. When the first drops of rain began to fall, the besieged Moravians ran to gather buckets. They weren’t necessary. In a rocky clearing, the ground opened and a fountain of water spouted forth. The people slaked their thirst and sang praises in honor of the Virgin Mary who had answered their prayers.
Outside the walls, the Tatar camp was in chaos. Bolts of lightning knocked men from their horses and tents were bursting into flames. The very ground beneath their feet burned like coals. Terrified and beaten, the invaders fled, never to turn westward again in their lust for war.
After the miraculous victory, the residents erected a massive stone statue of the Blessed Mother. Hostyn became holy ground, a place of pilgrimage that continued even during the iconoclasm of the Calvinists three hundred years later when ownership of the lands fell into the hands of a national traitor and the original statue and shrines were destroyed.
The love of the people of Moravia for the Holy Virgin proved too strong though for the false faith imposed upon them and like every other occupier, the Calvinists disappeared too. As did the Austrians. And the Hungarians. And the Germans. And the Russians... Churches and shrines were rebuilt, each time grander and more numerous than before, all in honor of their divine protectress, the Victorious Guardian of Moravia.
I know far more about my Polish half than I do my Slovakian one, but I like to imagine that my relatives of the distant past took part in this miracle at Hostyn. I’m positive at least that they venerated our Holy Mother under the protection of her holy and miraculous mantle. I’m positive because I know that my father did. He was at the 1981 dedication of the “Czech” Shrine in the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington DC – the Shrine that was dedicated by name to Our Lady of Hostyn.
We need to pray like this for America.
Some of us ARE praying for America. A Freeper suggested that if you are saying the Rosary for peace, we should up it to two Rosaries a day. Yesterday, a friend from out of state phoned, and when I told her about it, she agreed to say a Rosary each morning and evening. I invite all other believers in Mary, Mother of Jesus, to join us. It could be our only hope.
If you don’t believe in saying the Rosary, but believe in God, I encourage you to pray, and pray diligently.
We have been blessed with the best country the world has ever known. Don’t let the communists take it away.
Wow! Good idea!! Yes I say the Rosary and Divine Mercy. My mother was a Rosary society and Blue Army veteran. She would pray miracles for the family. She had a vision that I would be a Divine Mercy and Rosary prayer with big results. She died in1999. Since 2003 I pray the Divine Mercy. After that year I remembered her prediction. I have seen at least two personal(about people I knew) dream visions. These two became true. One a national dream vision(2008). Not good. This one showed the polarization of the country also the demise of American dominance.
Daily rosary here. And I always pray that St Michael will loosen Satan’s grip on this nation.
**This one showed the polarization of the country also the demise of American dominance.**
That’s happening right now!
10-4!! I think that is so powerful!! St Michael. You ever read about the north korea story with the US soldier named Michael. They have posted it on this site. Wonderful faith filled story. Amen!
And we all need to remember that it was millions saying the Rosary that kept Europe from being invaded by the Moslems!
Lepanto!
It was when Obama got elected that I started posting the daily Rosary and Prayer to Saint Michael!
Lord, save us.
The army is in green army camouflage not desert camouflage. They all looked light skin not dark. But before they landed I woke up. This happen on New Years eve (2008/2009)night the lights went out. Before Obama was sworn in as president. So I went to bed early with the candle burning in my bedroom. When the dream ended. It was so profound I woke up right away to candle light. Then suddenly the power came back on with the lights like to accent this was an important dream. Just uncanny! Everything up to the field show the former america is gone in industrial might. I was in a old rusted model T watch the parade for Obama then turning into fighting among the paraders. Hitting each other with the Obama signs.
I know this might sound crazy! Not that this is the dream but a reason for what I thought I believe because Obama is viewed as weak by the world. I think China and Russia will knock America out of the world power business. They are doing joint operations together all the time. If we are out of the way they can divide the world to there own end. Also the Chinese have so many people they are so arrogant from what I read they hate there population. I know I sound movie ish but I know my personal ( about friends or family)visions came true. One to the exact broadcast of a drive by shooting several months before it happen. Same channel 12 in long island NY. Same town reported. Same female broadcaster. How can that not be God if comes exactly true. That was heavy prayer for her soul. I feel I have to remind people. So when this happened of all nights for a New Year’s eve night(2008/2009) before a new president getting in office. Then accented when I woke up. Too much of a coincide .
I believe the rosary brigrade that made up the Blue Army saved us from world war 3 in the 1950’s and 1960’s. I remember the magazines my mother had sent to the house. I believe they had more than millions of prayers signed up for this organization in its heyday or peak. This I believe was daily and weekly. Awesome amount of dedicated prayers. Do you remember this at all? I do.
“Do you remember this at all?”
Nope. I was born in 1977, but I’ll take your word for it - I believe in the power of the rosary
I was born in 1962. We would got to these Rosary rallies at Roosevelt Raceway on Long ISLAND N.Y. Several thousands at a time. The churches were too small. You would have a Mass then rosary rally prayers then homilies or speeches. I was a kid mostly at these functions. I think they stopped by 1975.
Our Lady, Queen of Angels
August Queen of Heaven!
Sovereign Mistress of the angels!
Thou who from the beginning
hast received from God
the power and mission to crush the head of Satan,
we humbly beseech thee
to send thy holy Legions,
that, under thy command
and by thy power,
they may pursue the evil spirits,
encounter them on every side,
resist their bold attacks
and drive them hence into the abyss of eternal woe.
Amen.
I like to conclude my recitation of the Most Holy Rosary with the St. Michael’s prayer and close with the prayer of Our Lady, Queen of Angels.
All in her true capacity that only God gave her!! Yes! Indeed! Amen!!
Lepanto ! I have read articles on this time and time again. I am truly in awe on every read. The answer to prayer can be amazing. I can always remember my Mother putting all her problems to prayer. I think this form of pray we pray for the world while we pray for our own intentions impresses God so much. Whatever you ask in my name to the father. My mother would do prayer for the whole neighborhood. She got so many answers.
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