Solemnity of Our Lady Queen of Nigeria

Today is the Solemnity  of Our Lady Queen and Patroness of Nigeria. This is a National Celebration to mark the Country's independence from British Colonial rule in 1960.  Soon after the Country's Independence in 1960, the Bishops of Nigeria dedicated the Country to the Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of God as the Queen, Paronness and Mother of Nigeria. In honour of her Queen, the Cathedral at the Nation's Federal Capital is named  Our Lady Queen of Nigeria Pro-Cathedral, Abuja.
Today, is therefore, the Birthday of Nigeria and the feast of her Mother and Queen, the Blessed Virgin Mary. Since Independence, Our Lady has been protecting Nigeria from collapse despite series of coups, wars and several other crises, whether political, religious or ethnic. Our Lady has really established her Queenship of Nigeria in response to the Dedication, by Her Apparition at Aokpe in Central Nigeria where She declared that She is the Mediatrix of all Graces amidst signs and wonders. There are also reports of her apparition in Kaduna state asking for more prayers for Nigeria.
1st October is not only the Solemnity of Our Lady Queen of Nigeria, but also marks the Solemn beginning of October Devotions to the Blessed Virgin Mary in the whole Universal Church; the Month specially dedicated to Our Lady of the Rosary by the Pope.
As we celebrate and thank God for the gift of Nigeria, let us also thank Our Mother and Queen for Her Special Maternal care for our Country.
Our Lady Queen of Nigeria, pray for us.

Feast of St Michael the Archanggel

St Michael the Archangel whose feast we celebrate on the 29th of September every year, is the great Prince and the commander of the faithful angels who defeated the rebellious Angels (devils) and threw them out of Heaven. He is one of the Seven Archangels and the prince of Seraphim.
This Feast is also the feast of St Gabriel, St Raphael and all the Nine Choirs of Angels.
 St Michael is the Great warrior and protector of the Church and the people of God. The great Archangel is the protector of Christians on earth as well as those in purgatory. He assists the dying, accompanies the souls to their private judgment, brings them to purgatory, and thereafter presents them to God at their entrance into Heaven. He is the patron of the holy souls and Christian Soldiers.
St Gabriel is the messenger of Good News. St Raphael is the Angel of Health, of healing, and therefore the Doctor of God.
 The Nine choirs of Angels are divided into three categories; the first category operate mainly in Heaven around the throne of God,  they are, Seraphim, Cherubim and Thrones. The second Category govern the Heavenly Bodies, they are: Dominions, Powers and Virtues. While the last group are concerned with the affairs of man, they are; Principalities, Archangels and Guardian Angels. The Principalities guard Nations of the world, while Guardian Angels guard each person.
The world does not exist by chance but designed  and governed by God through His holy Angels.
All ye Angels of God, pray for us.

The Most Holy Name of Mary

THE MOST HOLY NAME OF MARY The name, MARY was decreed and formed by the three Divine Persons from the beginning before ages, with delight. God Himself who gave the Name, Mary to our Lady explains to the Venerable Mother Mary of Agreda in a vision as He says:  “Our Chosen One shall be called MARY, and this Name is to be powerful and significant. Those that shall invoke it with devout affection shall receive most abundant graces; those that shall honour it and pronounce it with reverence shall be consoled and vivified, and will find in it the remedy for evils the treasures for their enrichment, light which shall guide them to heaven. It shall be terrible against the power of hell, it shall crush the head of the serpent and it shall win glorious victories over princes of hell. ” Our Lady herself says to the Visionary Mary of Agreda: “Be very devout towards my most sweet Name. I wish that thou be convinced of the great prerogatives and privileges, which Almighty God concedes to it, so that I myself, when I saw them in the Divinity, felt most deeply obliged to and solicitous to make a proper returns, and whenever the Name MARY occurred to my mind and whenever I heard myself called by that name I was roused to thankfulness and urged to new fervor in the service of the Lord who gave it to me.” St Alphonsus de Liguori, also affirmed that in his Book titled, THE GlORIES OF MARY Saying: “The great name of Mary, which was given to the Divine Mother, did not come to her from her parents, nor was it given to her by the mind or will of man, as it is the case with all other names that are imposed in this world, but it came from heaven, and was given by a divine ordinance.” St Bernard raises his heart to our Lady saying, “O great! O pious! O thou who art worthy of all praise! O most Holy Virgin Mary! Thy name is so sweet and amiable, that it cannot be pronounced without inflaming those who do so with love towards thee and God.” With regard to its power over the devil, Thomas à Kempis said that,”the devils fear the Queen of heaven to such a degree that only on hearing her great name pronounced, they fly from him who does so as from a burning fire.” Our Lady herself revealed to  St Bridget “that there is not on earth a sinner, however devoid he may be of the love of God, from whom the devil is not obliged immediately to fly, if he invokes her holy name with a determination to repent. On the power of the sweet name of Mary during life and at hour of death, St Alphonsus de Liguouri says; “The most holy name of Mary is sweet indeed to her clients during life, on account of the very great graces that she obtains for them. But sweeter still will it be to them in death on account of the tranquil and holy end that it will insure them.” From Etymological point of view, St Bonaventure interpretes the Name Mary as a bitter sea to the demons;  to men She is the Star of the sea; while to the Angels She is illuminatrix, and to all creatures She is Lady ." [St. Bonaventure +1274] The Feast of the Most Holy Name of Mary originated in Spain and was granted Papal Indult by Pope Julius II to the Diocese of Cuenta in1513.  It was assigned with proper Office on September 15, the Octave of Our Lady’s Nativity. In 1683, Pope Innocent XI extended the feast to the Universal Church  to be celebrated on the 12th of September. It is now celebrated as an Optional Memorial. O Clement! O Loving! O Sweet Virgin Mary!

Monthly Pilgrimage to Aokpe, Nigeria.

Today is Monthly pilgrimage to Aokpe, Nigeria, where Our Lady declared that She is the "Mediatrix of All Graces". The first public pilgrimage took place there on 4th August, 1994 when our Lady sent the visionary, Christiana to inform the Bishop of the then Makurdi Diocese that she wants her Children to come and receive graces of God from her. Since then pilgrims from all over the country have been pouring there every month especially the month of August; the Day of Grace(4th August)
There have been miracles of the Sun there for the past twenty years. Pilgrims go there to pray, to do penance and to collect healing water from the holy spring.
On 29th March, 1995, Our Lady explained the meaning of Mediatrix of All Graces saying: "I am the one that receives graces for my children from God, in order words I am the Mediatrix of all Graces."
That same day, Jesus also came and said: "I have come to talk about Mary and the ways she obtains graces for you. Your trust in Mary should be immense knowing that by decree of God her power is without limit. She is the special means of grace by which you can approach God more faithfully. All that I could give to Mary I have given Her and all that she was capable of receiving She has received in fullness..."
At the end of Jesus speech our lady then said: "Christiana! This is the One to whom I submit all your requests."
Our Lady also gave the Prayer to ' Our Lady Mediatrix of all Graces to the Visionary, first in Idoma language, then translated into English by Bishop Fidelis Orgar, the late Bishop of Otukpo Diocese. Since then the Church has been providing care for the pilgrims awaiting official approval.

St Ambrose Barlow (1585-1641), a Catholic Priest who was killed for the faith, said to his disciples:  "let them fear that have anything to lose which they are unwilling to part with."