How Many Warnings Are We Going to Get
How many of us just take Marian apparitions for granted or don’t give them a second thought? These events don’t just happen to make us feel good about our faith. They happen to give us a message or a direction. That’s what happened the first time Our Lady appeared as Queen of Heaven in the book of Revelation. That’s what happened to St. Dominic in 1208 at Prouille, France. That’s what happened on Tepeyac Hill at Guadalupe in 1531. That’s what happened at Fatima, Portugal in 1917 when the Miracle of the Sun was witnessed by 70,000 people gathered at the Cova da Iria who all saw the spinning sun appear to crash toward the earth. Doubters explained it away by saying those people present were caught up in a mass hysteria, but children in a school some thirty miles away from Fatima were taken outside their classrooms to see that very same sun spinning in the sky. The miracle happened to get our attention. The children were given a warning for the entire world, “Do not offend God any more for He is already too greatly offended.”
The children were also told that if the world did not return to God, another war even worse than the First World War taking place at the time would come later. We didn’t listen and World War II along with all of the other wars and skirmishes followed. The real question is, how many warnings are we going to get?
In the early 1970s, Mary appeared with another warning all the way around the world in Akita, Japan. The events took place at a convent known as the Institute of the Handmaids of the Sacred Heart of Jesus in the Holy Eucharist. This may be one of the most important warnings we’ve been given. It’s especially important for us to talk about it today.
Akita, Japan
Sister Agnes Katsuko Sasagawa was born on the 28th of May back in 1931. She was brought up in a happy, Buddhist home. As a child, Sister Agnes enjoyed a normal, well-adjusted childhood and was very bright, but not physically strong. Shortly before her 20th birthday, she underwent an appendectomy with disastrous results that caused her to be disabled for about 10 years. Her father, in a spirit of Buddhist forgiveness, sought no compensation from the physician’s malpractice. The future Sister Agnes was transferred to several different hospitals, finally reaching the Miyoko Hospital in Niigata. There she became a close friend with a Catholic nurse who gave her a book on Catholic teachings. She loved it so much she read it three times. She also became acquainted with a Catholic physician suffering the effects of the atomic bombing of Nagasaki. Though he was in great pain, he still devoted his skills to helping other atomic victims until he too succumbed to radiation poisoning.
Sister Agnes Katsuko Sasagawa
All of this motivated the future Sister Agnes to become a Catholic in 1960 at the age of thirty-three. However, before her baptism, a Buddhist priest came to try to convince her to remain with the faith of her family. She was so kind and clear in her presentation of her new faith with the feeling that God was calling her, and she was so convincing that the Buddhist priest left, asking her to pray for Him.
During her extended period of hospitalization, she underwent eleven painful and complicated surgical procedures. When an acquaintance asked for advice for others who may be suffering, Sister Agnes said, “God never places a burden on you which you cannot bear. Trust and belief are the key.”
Although not physically strong, she was eventually dismissed from the hospital. Early in 1962, Sister Agnes became associated with the convent of the Sisters of the Immaculate Heart of Mary. Four months later, her health failed again, and she was again admitted to the hospital. There she was unconscious for four days and required a year’s rehabilitation. To make matters worse, she fell and was unconscious for ten more days. But God’s holy providence adds an exclamation mark. Someone had sent holy water from Lourdes to the hospital, and, in February of 1964, they put a few drops into the mouth of the unconscious Agnes. As the water entered her lips, she regained consciousness, and her paralyzed limbs became mobile once again.
Everything Is A Gift From God
After her life was saved through the miraculous healing, Agnes remained somewhat sickly and weak, but determined to serve God. She was allowed to leave the hospital to work as a catechist in a new church. Sister Agnes’ mother and father, devout Buddhists, visited her there, and when they listened to the Catholic faith, they also converted.
When she lived alone at the Mission Church, a burglar once accosted her, demanding food and money. She smiled at him and said gently, “I have nothing but this…” She held out a handful of sweets and candies for him to take. Then she offered, ”Could I make you a pot of hot tea?”
Not used to such kindness, the would-be thief took her hand in his and broke into tears before leaving with the goodies she had given him. It wasn’t the offer or the sweets, but her kindness that moved him to tears. There were many more stories about her goodness remarkably similar to this. She had a mission and danger came with the job.
When asked about her vocation as a catechist, she wrote, “My supreme joy was in being able to lead souls to God. I could forget any toil or labor whenever I saw the joyful faces of catechumens who had been baptized, starting to lead a new life of faith and love.”
Sister Agnes Guardian Angel
In 1969, Agnes was in the hospital in Miyoko praying her rosary, and suddenly a beautiful being stood right next to her. One could only imagine the wonder she experienced. However, with the great faith and devotion that Agnes possessed, she accepted this as just another gift from God. The angel told her there was another prayer that should be prayed at the end of each decade of the rosary. With a voice of tenderness and beauty, the angel taught her, “O my Jesus, forgive us our sins, save us from the fires of hell, lead all souls to heaven, especially those in most need.”
Sometime later, a priest overheard this additional prayer as Sr. Agnes prayed her rosary in the chapel aloud. He asked her where she had learned it. She explained that this beautiful creature had taught it to her. The priest recognized the prayer as the same one given to Lucia by the angel at Fatima many years before to pray at the end of each decade of the rosary, but that part of the Fatima story had not yet been told in Japan.
Sister Agnes Katsuko Sasagawa Became Deaf
On the 16th of March in 1973, Sr. Agnes answered the phone in the house of the Akita convent and as she put the receiver to the ear, there was silence–not the silence of a missed call, but the silence of everything around her. When she spoke, she could not hear her own voice. She was completely, 100% deaf. Her world was now that of total silence.
Sr. Agnes, back in the hospital again, was subjected to a battery of tests Her condition proved to be incurable. This was not just an in-and-out-of-the-hospital situation. She was kept there for a total of 47 days and was also taught lip reading so she could communicate better. But out of all the troubles, there was also good.
Despite the fact she was now deaf, she was accepted as a full-fledged member of the Mother House of the convent and accepted residence there with six other nuns. God did have special plans for her. She accepted the ever-increasing difficulties as gifts from God.
Then, on the 12th of June in 1973, Sister Agnes’ life would change forever. While once again praying in the chapel, Sister Agnes saw a brilliant light emanating from the tabernacle. There seemed to be a multitude of angels surrounding the altar in adoration of the exposed host. This happened for three consecutive days. Each time, she asked other sisters who were praying in the chapel if they could also see what was transpiring and they said no. She was stunned, hardly believing the experience. Finally, one evening when she returned to the chapel, she felt as though a sharp object had penetrated the palm of her left hand.
She Received A Partial Stigmata
As the days passed, the pain in Sister Agnes’s hand became even worse. On each Friday during the entire month of July, her hand bled, just on that day. She had received a partial stigma.
Then on the 6th of July, while she was going about her duties, the guardian angel again appeared to her and said, “Do not fear. Pray with fervor not only because of your sins but in reparation for all men. The world today wounds the most Sacred Heart of the Lord by its ingratitude and injuries. The wounds of Mary are much deeper and sorrowful than yours. Let us go pray together in the chapel.” Though deaf, Sister Agnes clearly heard all of these words and hurried to the chapel in obedience.
As she entered the chapel, she noticed something enveloping the altar like a mist or a dense smoke. There appeared to be a group of angels turned toward the Blessed Sacrament, whose pure and clear voices proclaimed, “Holy, holy, holy.” Then the beautiful wooden statue of Mary, about three feet tall, seemed to come to life and speak to her.
Mary Appeared To Sister Agnes
Sister Agnes said the sound of Mary’s voice was that of indescribable beauty. “My daughter, my novice, you have obeyed me well in abandoning all to follow me. Is the infirmity of your ears painful? Your deafness will be healed. Be sure, be patient. It is the last trial. Does the wound of your hand cause you to suffer?” She spoke as the solicitous mother. “Pray in reparation for the sins of men. Each person in this community is my irreplaceable daughter. Do you say well the prayer of the Handmaids of the Eucharist? Then let us pray together:
‘Most Sacred Heart of Jesus, truly present in the Holy Eucharist, I consecrate my body and soul to be entirely one with your heart being sacrificed at every instant in all the altars of the world and giving praise to the Father, pleading for the coming of his kingdom and the salvation of souls.’”
Sister Agnes Reported Personally to the Bishop
As her guardian angel had told Sister Agnes, a cross-shaped wound–much like she had on her hand–also appeared on the right hand of the Virgin and blood began to flow from that particular wound. Sister Agnes reported personally to Bishop Ito of her diocese all that had happened, and he told her to pray. It’s hard to say exactly what was in the bishop’s mind, but he encouraged Sister Agnes to continue her life in humility and to keep him informed.
Then on August the third, the first Friday of the month, Sister Agnes received the second of her messages from Mary. As the statue seemed to come alive again, the Blessed Mother asked her, “My daughter, my novice, do you love the Lord? If you love the Lord, listen to what I have to say to you. It is important that you convey it to your superior. Many men in this world afflict the Lord. I desire to console Him, to soften the anger of the Heavenly Father. I wish, with my son, for the souls who will repair by their suffering and their poverty for the sins and ingrates of others.
Then the Blessed Mother warned, “In order that the world might know His anger, the Heavenly Father is preparing to inflict a great chastisement on all mankind. With my Son, I have intervened so many times to appease the wrath of the Father. I have prevented the coming of calamities by offering him the suffering of my Son on the cross, his precious Blood, and beloved souls who console him and form a cohort of victim souls.
We Must Do Prayer, Penance, and Courageous Sacrifices
Sister Agnes asked, “What can we do in today’s world?”
The Blessed Mother told her, “Prayer, penance, and courageous sacrifices can soften the Father’s anger. I desire this also from your community, that it love poverty, that it sanctify itself, and pray in reparation for the ingratitude and outrages of so many men. Recite the prayer of the handmaids of the Eucharist with awareness of its meaning. Put it into practice. Offer whatever God may send in reparation for sins. Let each one endeavor according to her capacity and position to offer herself entirely to the Lord.
Even in a secular institute, prayer is necessary. Already souls who wish to pray are on the way to being gathered without attaching too much attention to form. Be faithful and fervent in prayer to console the Master.”
Comparisons to Our Lady of Fatima
The next and arguably most important message of this series of apparitions came on the anniversary of the Miracle of the Sun: October 13th, 1973. The messages of Akita are remarkably similar to those of Fatima. There the Virgin spoke to incredibly young children. In Akita, she spoke to a young woman who had greatly suffered and humbly offered up her suffering. The apparitions at both Fatima and Akita inspired the seers to offer up more suffering with gladness. At Fatima, Jacinta gladly refused pain medications despite severe complications from the flu and asked the Blessed Mother to allow her to live a little longer just so that she could suffer for souls. At Akita, Sister Agnes grew more and more joyful and content that she had a role in suffering for sinners and the salvation of the world.
To little Lucia of Fatima, the Blessed Mother had said clearly, “Do not offend God anymore, because He is already too greatly offended.” The message of Akita, too, was a pretty clear message, “If men do not repent and better themselves, the Father will inflict a terrible punishment on all humanity. It will be a punishment greater than the deluge, such as will never have been seen before. Fire will fall from the sky and will wipe out a great part of humanity, the good as well as the bad, sparing neither priest nor faithful. The survivors will find themselves so desolate they will envy the dead. The only arms which will remain for you will be the rosary and the sign left by my Son. Each day recite the prayers of the rosary.”
The Rosary Is Our Weapon
Then the Blessed Mother gave us our marching orders, “With the rosary, pray for the Pope, the bishops, and the priests. The work of the devil will infiltrate even into the Church in such a way that one will see cardinals opposing cardinals, bishops against other bishops, the priests who venerate me will be scorned and opposed by the devil, and the demon will press many priests and consecrated souls to leave the service of the Lord. The demons will especially be implacable against the souls consecrated to God. The thought of the loss of so many souls is the cause of my sadness.
If sins increase in number and gravity, there will no longer be pardon for them.”
She went on to say, “Pray the prayers of the rosary very much. I alone am still able to save you from the calamities which approach. Those who place their confidence in me will be saved.”
The third message, a pretty impressive warning, wasn’t the last of our Blessed Mother’s proof. Much like the Miracle of the Sun at Fatima, she wanted to prove her point, and she did.
Miracles as Proof
In any apparition, the bishop is charged with discerning whether the miracles and messages are authentic or whether they are the result of demonic activity, mental illness, or simply someone trying to get attention. A bishop alone can declare a message valid and invalid. The Vatican usually yields to the God-given authority of the local shepherd, and will only weigh in when there is a major public controversy, an apparition takes place in multiple dioceses under the jurisdiction of more than one bishop, or if the apparition has global importance. Bishops are faced with alleged messages all the time, especially in the age of media when recognition is sought after, and must carefully weigh out the messages. Discernment is part of their responsibility to the Church and they are given the grace to make a judgment in these matters.
Bishop Ito, in his role as shepherd, listened to Sister Agnes, urged her to prayer and humility, and waited on God to reveal Himself. He also sent a Rev. Father Teiji Yasuda to the convent. His official job was to oversee the building of a Convent garden, but his unofficial job was to observe and guide Sister Agnes and keep the bishop posted on any alleged messages.
Our Blessed Mother knew that her little daughter Sister Agnes and the faithful shepherd needed to work with each other under the authority of the Church. She also knew that the bishop could not believe every unbelievable story brought to him by his parishioners or religious. She had a plan for proof. During the October 13th, 1973 message, the Blessed Mother told her, “From now on you will obey the one sent to you and your superior.” Sister Agnes humbled herself, continued to pray, carefully relayed all heavenly messages to her superiors, and followed their corresponding instructions.
Your Ears Will Be Opened
Several months later, in May of 1974, Sister Agnes found herself in the presence of the angel again. The angel told her, “Your ears will be opened in August or in October. You will hear. You will be healed. But it will only last for a month because the Lord still wishes this offering and you will become deaf again. In seeing that your ears are restored again, the hearts of those who still doubt will melt and they will believe. Have confidence and pray with good intentions. Report what I have told you to him who directs you. But speak of it to no one else until it takes place.”
In September, she still hadn’t been healed, but the angel appeared again with further instructions to share with Father Yasuda and Bishop Ito.
“…during the time of the three novenas made before the Lord Truly Present in the Eucharist, your ears will be opened during the Adoration and you will hear. The first thing that you will hear will be the chant of the ‘Ave Maria’ which you are accustomed to singing. Then you will hear the sound of the bell ringing for the Benediction of the Most Blessed Sacrament.
After the Benediction, you will calmly ask the one who directs you to have the Canticle of Thanksgiving sung. Then it will be known that your ears hear again. At that moment, your body also will be healed and the Lord will be glorified. When he learns this, your superior will be filled with courage; his heart will be consoled and he will bear witness.”
This was to be a personal, hidden miracle specially created to let the Bishop know the messages were validly from Heaven. This was also a personal sign for Sister Agnes to let her see God’s power, but also her own personal mission. The angel also told her,
“…the more you offer with good intentions, the more there will be difficulties and obstacles. To overcome these exterior obstacles pray with more confidence in interior unity. You will be protected, be sure.”
The angel’s protection was spiritual protection in this battle against Satan, not bodily relief. Surrender to suffering would be her weapon against the powers of darkness. The angel warned her, “Your ears will hear only for a certain time. They will not yet be totally cured. You will become deaf again. The Lord still wishes this offering.”
The next month in October, everything came to pass just as the angel predicted. Since she had faithfully reported everything, Fr. Yasuda and Bishop Ito were filled with confidence that the messages came from Heaven. Their hearts were ready to hear what God had to say.
In March of 1975, Sister Agnes lost her hearing again. She gladly offered up this personal cross that Christ asked her to carry and prayed with confidence. No matter the exterior obstacles that arose, her heart unified with Christ in suffering.
On the last Sunday in May of 1982, as promised, Sister Agnes finally regained her hearing permanently, even though the doctor said it would not happen.
The private, intimate miracles increased the faith of Sister Agnes, Fr. Yasuda and Bishop Ito and built up their personal relationship with God and with each other. But God wasn’t done. He was preparing them to witness the more public miracles about to unfold. There was more proof of the truth of Akita.
The Tears of Mary
The Blessed Mother proved it with her tears. The three-foot solid wooden statue in the chapel emphasized the sorrow of the Blessed Mother for the sins of the world, and the statue wept real tears a hundred and one times. As you know, scientists are usually pretty hard to convince, so an experiment was undertaken on the tears falling from the eyes of the wooden statue.
Little drops of the tears were collected and taken to medical laboratories where they were examined and found to be human tears with definitive DNA. The Japanese national television even aired a special showing of the statue of Mary shedding human tears on TV. The message was clear. Since Akita is an extension of Fatima, we already know what we must pledge. But Akita makes us realize how urgent it is for us to make this commitment and live it more profoundly:
“If men do not repent and better themselves, the Father will inflict a terrible punishment on all humanity.”
Apparition Evidence Brought To Rome
Bishop Ito, convinced the events were a true miracle, made three trips to Rome to discuss Our Lady of Akita. Even though he did not need the Vatican’s stamp of approval in order to approve the validity of the messages, he persistently went with great concern due to the seriousness of the messages and their global importance. In 1988, he sought counsel from the prefect of the Sacred Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, who gave a definitive judgment on the events at Akita as reliable and worthy of belief. The prefect who gave his approval was then known as Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger, later to become Pope Benedict XVI.
Conclusion
Time has only allowed us to cover a few of the events and the wonders of Akita. They are well worth studying. Below is a list of books which explore the events more closely.
Our Lady counsels us at Akita not to be so attracted to forms, but to mean what we pray. The angel said, “Many men in this world afflict the Lord. I await souls to console Him. Pray in reparation for the ingratitude and the outrages of so many men. The Rosary is your weapon. Say it with care and say it more often for the intention of the Pope, of bishops, and priests.”
We’ve been warned now, and the rest is up to us.
Pilgrimage Information
For information on pilgrimage to Our Lady of Akita, check out the current information regarding the shrine at this website: https://www.seitaihoshikai.com/us/
Recommended reading:
- Our Lady of Akita by Bob and Penny Lord
- Akita: The Tears and Message of Mary by Rev. Teiji Yasuda
- The Meaning of Akita by John M. Haffert
- Akita: Mother of God as CoRedemptrix by Francis Mutsuo Fukushim
- Revelations by Xavier Reyes-Ayral
- The World of Marian Apparitions by Wincenty Laszewski
- Compendium of the Miraculous: An Encyclopedia of Revelation, Marian Apparitions, and Mystical Phenomena by Albert E. Graham
