Our Lady of Aokpe on Keeping Heaven as our Goal
Why did our Lady appear at Aokpe?
Fr. John Beirne, C.S.Sp answered in question form,
“Help us to do the will of Jesus so that we can see heaven” she taught us in the prayer she gave to Christiana. Our Lady comes to help us prepare for heaven. Repent the kingdom of God is close at hand. Heaven is the goal of our lives as Christians. In the Beatitudes, it was made quite clear! Blessed are the poor, pure, merciful.... for theirs is the kingdom of heaven! Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven! Pray for us sinners now and at the hour of our death!
The absolute reason why she the Mediatrix of All Graces calls us is to help us focus and organize our lives on the way to heaven. Do you dream heaven? Do you think heaven? Do you know that heaven is God's consolation to all in this valley of tears otherwise, all is vanity! Our Lady at Aokpe fills us with every temporary consolation and channels us to the ultimate consolation of heaven.
We can understand why she urges us to repent and do penance. Say your rosary! Attend Mass! Offer our sufferings as penance every day! She asks us to enter her Immaculate Heart as a shield against the devil. She asks us to follow her with absolute patience. She gave us a place of renewal of our commitment; the apparition ground. To help us do pilgrimage and if we persevere would lead us to heaven.
She graced the visionary with visions of heaven, purgatory and hell fire so that she being a living witness of these realities could retell the story over and over again to the pilgrims, to help them make a conscious decision for their final destination. On the subject of the last things it is Sin that will deny us heaven and because of this she comes to assist us defeat sin in our lives and become repentant and ready for Heaven.
Let us allow our Lady to prepare us for heaven. Thanks!
Author: Fr. Paulinus Emeka