66 TIME-LIFE MIRACLES OF FAITH
They tied their waists tightly with cords, fasted, and beat
themselves withstinging nettles—all acts of penance.
Though Mary often appears more than once over a
period of time in the same location, she tends to be vis-
ible only to one seer or a small group of them—but there
have been exceptions. For several years beginning in
1968, thousands claimed to have witnessed the luminous
figure of Mary hovering regularly in the night sky above
Cairo, Egypt.
There are similarities in Mary’s appearance, too. She
is almost always bathed in brilliant light. Sometimes rays
emanate from her body or clothing. She is often clad in
white. She may hold an object, such as a goblet, or appear
to be standing on something, such as a shining globe. She
may be silent or she may speak, bidding witnesses to per-
form some task. It could be to build a church or find con-
verts. One French nun in the 1830s was asked to create a
piece of jewelry.
On occasion, Mary will leave behind a souvenir. In the
1531 Mexico City apparition known as Our Lady of Gua-
dalupe, the Blessed Virgin provided her seer, a peasant
named Juan Diego, with proof of her presence: Her image,
burned into the fabric of his cloak.
While Mary herself is seen as a manifestation of love,
peace, and maternal kindness,her messages canbe omi-
nous. Sometimes she warns of coming war or destruction
that can only be averted with prayer, conversion, and repen-
tance. The visionaries who in turn share Mary’s warnings
with the world at large aren’t always received positively.
A common thread woven through the Marian miracleMARY AND THE SAINTS