Installment 7.6: Does it really matter?

“This is Brigid Barkley From the Front Line.  Today we are reporting from Loyola Marymount University.  I am interviewing Professor Joachin Luzon, Society of Jesus, Dean of the School of Psychology.  Members of the 'Society of Jesus' are more commonly called 'Jesuits'. Professor Luzon is also known as Father Luzon, a Roman Catholic priest.  Hello Professor Luzon.”

“Hello Brigid.  Thanks for having me.” Professor Luzon said.

“Earlier today we learned that many of the migrants are leaving Sedelia because of reports of an apparition of the Blessed Lady.  What can you tell me about these phenomena?” Brigid asked.

“First of all, it is my personal preference that we not use the word  “Apparition” when speaking of the Blessed Lady.” Professor Luzon corrected.  "Even though it is commonly used, the nuance of the word ‘apparition’ is of a ghosts and ghouls.  A legitimate appearance of the Blessed Virgin  should not be dismissed as a common ‘ghost’ story.”

“Second, appearances of the Blessed Mother are far more common than generally believed.  Most of her intercessions are small, private matters.  What is uncommon is that the Blessed Mother is telling her audience to to go forth and spread the message.” Professor Luzon said.

“Can you give me an example of ‘small, private matters’?” Brigid asked.

“Certainly.” Professor Luzon said.  “I was providing spiritual guidance to a student at the University when her apartment was robbed and her jewelry box was stolen.  She was heartbroken because one of the items in her jewelry box was a rosary that was her grandmother’s.  The rosary had no monetary value but it was the only thing she had left to connect her to her grandmother due to a house fire.

“She prayed to the Virgin.” Professor Luzon continued.  “One day, while crossing the ‘quad’ in the middle of the campus she saw the Blessed Virgin standing in a garden and pointing down.  The thief had thrown the rosary beneath a rose bush.”

"In another case" Professor Luzon continued, "a co-worker had a child who could not drink milk. A week before the Holy Mother appeared to my co-worker, his four-year old child had been at a birthday party and had been served ice cream.  His child was up half the night vomiting."

"The Virgin Mary appeared to him as he was driving to work.  This was before Cal-exit.  He can tell you exactly where on the freeway.  Mary said, 'Warren can now drink milk.' " Luzon said.

"My co-worker called his wife.  She poured half of the water out of the bottle they kept in the refrigerator and replaced it with milk.  Warren drank it just fine.  When it was half gone she topped it off with milk and Warren had no problem with that, either."  Luzon said.  "After that, they served Warren cow's milk and other dairy products and never had a problem."

Brigid observed, "That seems so...pedestrian, so ordinary."

Professor Luzon said, "The Bible tells us that God counts every hair on our head and that we should not invoke publicly invoke his power.  Why should we be surprised when the woman he chose to bear his son follows His guidance?  Besides, think about Jesus's first public miracle:  Changing water into wine after being asked to do so by his mother...so a host is not humiliated.  Surely not a huge thing in the eyes of the world but a very big thing to the person who received the miracle."

“Do you believe the reports that Arielle and Lailia Guzman and Alejandro Quinteri saw the Virgin Mary are legitimate?” Brigid asked.

“If you ask me as Father Luzon, Society of Jesus I will tell you that I believe that the Blessed Mother is very capable of making these kinds of appearances.  We certainly live in tumultuous times.” Professor Luzon said.

“What if I ask you as Professor Luzon?” Brigid asked.

“Stepping away from the jargon that mental health professionals love to use...I, as Professor Luzon, believe that the human mind can sense...can intuit... things that are impossible to measure objectively. 

“Did you know that pure silver wire makes the best antennas?” Professor Luzon said, abruptly changing topics.

“No.” Brigid said.  “Why is that?”

“It is because pure silver has no resistance.  It will pick up and resonate any signal no matter how faint.” Professor Luzon said.  “Certain people, often young ones, are like silver wire.  Their minds are not filled with the buzz that drowns out faint messages.”

“Whether the message is from the Virgin Mary or from the God-given ability to sense the collective gestalt, I am not sure it really matters.”  Professor Luzon said.

“What would the Vatican say about this duality you expressed?” Brigid asked.  She was genuinely curious and his answer would be easy enough to edit out.

“The Roman Catholic Church is a very big tent.  The Vatican is perfectly happy with Professor Luzon's professional view as long as I recognize God created those finely attuned intuitions and gave us eyes, and ears and intellect to discern His creation.” Professor Luzon said.

“And, as a scientist, I must honor and respect the reality of the migrants.  Who am I to dispute their reality.  I was not there.  Multiple groups report the same observations.  Science says I must respect that.  And so does the Vatican.” Professor Luzon said.

"What stands out to me" Professor Luzon said "is that God and the Virgin Mary deviated from their regularly scheduled programming of small, intimate acts of mercy and made a Public Service Announcement.  In my mind, that should give one pause to think and pray." 

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