The Apparitions and Miracles at Knock; also, the Official Depositions of the Eye-witnesses

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atLaSalette; in every one of the spirit manifestations recorded
in the "Lives of the Saints," and they are numerous, or in
those we read of in the records of the Catholic Church, as, for
instance, in the " Life of St. Columba, or Columbkille," the
apostle of Scotland. He, like Abraham, walked continuously
with angels, and talked with his spirit-guardians day after
day. Whenever he was in his room alone, rays of light,
although he had no lamp or source of material flame within,
appeared to shine through the chinks of his cell.
The Burning Bush, seen by Moses, is an instance ; and
the Angel Gabriel, whom Daniel beheld in the land of cap
tivity ; the angelic choirs descending from heaven on the
morning of the Nativity, and the bright light that shone
around the shepherds ; and the light on Thabor at the Trans
figuration—these are proofs that the presence of angels and
beatified souls is accompanied by light. Light, also, like the
aurora before sunrise, is the herald of their coming, and as at
sundown, the parting rays of day still illume the earth yet a
little longer, so the departing messenger come from the world
of beatified souls leaves for a time a bright line of radiance in
his wake. This subject is very interesting, but just at pre
sent one can only touch the matter. It is singular, too,
that it was on a Thursday that our Blessed Lady appeared at
the Grotto of Massabielle, nearLourdes, to the young peasant
girl, Bernadette Soubirous. February, nth, 1858, was the
day that the Virgin conceived without sin— "Immaculate
Conception "—first appeared at Lourdes, and that day was
Thursday. It is not much, but the coincidence is remark
able that it was on a Thursday she appeared at Knock—21st
of August, 1879.
The Apparition in Bavaria.
The same day, July 3rd, 1876, that the image of the Im
maculate Conception was crowned at Lourdes, at Marpingen,