26 MARCH - OUR MOTHER OF SOISSONS (FRANCE

 In the year 1128, a plague afflicted the city of Soissons. For six consecutive days, the victims went to the shrine of Our Mother and called out to her for help. 

      The Blessed Virgin Mary appeared to them, accompanied by heavenly hosts of angels. The people who witnessed the miracle and believed were healed. The Bishop asked all who 

      were healed to make a Novena of thanks and to kiss the slipper of the Holy Virgin kept in the Church. A rustic servant of one of the knights of Soissons came to the Church 

      for the festival which was to follow the Novena. While his companions gave gifts and talked of the slipper of Our Mother, he gave nothing but scoffed at the idea. 

      His blasphemous mouth was drawn toward his ear with such sharp pain that his eyes seemed to slip out of his head. A tumor appeared and covered his face, making it unfit for 

      human use. Roaring and writhing, he threw himself before the Altar of Mary, begging for help, as he had offended the Mother of God, and he knew there was no one else who 

      could heal him. The Abbess, a woman named Mathilda took the slipper and made the sign of the Cross over the victim. Immediately he began to heal. The punished scoffer 

      repented and gave himself up to the service of the Church of Soissons.





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