Visions of Jesus and Mary: Vassula Ryden, Poem of the Man God, Maria Valtorta, Holy Face of Jesus, Mary Faustina Kowalska, Leo Dupont, Chaplet of Divine Mercy, Marian Movement of Priests, Gianna Talone, Maria Pierina, Marie Martha Chambon, Mary of the Div

Source: Wikipedia. Pages: 40. Chapters: Vassula Ryden, Poem of the Man God, Maria Valtorta, Holy Face of Jesus, Mary Faustina Kowalska, Leo Dupont, Chaplet of Divine Mercy, Marian Movement of Priests, Gianna Talone, Maria Pierina, Marie Martha Chambon, Mary of the Divine Heart, Stefano Gobbi, Vicka Ivankovic, Marie of St Peter, Prayer to the shoulder wound of Jesus, Berthe Petit, Our Lady of Banneux, Our Lady of Laus, The Golden Arrow Holy Face Devotion, Our Lady of Beauraing, Benoîte Rencurel, Fatima Movement of Priests, I Am Your Jesus of Mercy. Excerpt: Since the Crucifixion of Jesus Christ on Calvary until today, a number of people have claimed to have had visions of Christ and personal conversations with him. Some people make similar claims regarding the Blessed Virgin Mary. Discussions about the authenticity of these visions have often invited controversy. The Catholic Church endorses a fraction of these claims and various visionaries it accepts have achieved beatification, or even sainthood. The very first reported visions of Christ, and personal conversations with him, after his resurrection and prior to his ascension are found in the New Testament. One of the most widely recalled Resurrection appearances of Jesus is the doubting Thomas conversation (John 20:24-29) between him and Thomas the Apostle after his death. The last book of the Bible itself is simply based on a series of visions. In the Book of Revelation, the author, often identified as John of Patmos, recorded visions that became part of the New Testament. The Incredulity of Saint Thomas by Caravaggio. Some visions predate the Protestant Reformation, yet among Christian denominations, the Catholic Church has made more formal comments on visions of Jesus and the Virgin Mary, and Roman Catholics have, in general, paid more attention to visions. Saint Teresa of Avila, by Rubens, 1615.Author Michael Freze argues that Catholic practices such as Eucharistic adoration, rosary devotions and contemplative meditation with a focus on interior life facilitate visions and apparitions. For instance, the first step in the mysticism of Saint Teresa of Avila, a Doctor of the Church who reported extensive visions, was "mental prayer", i.e. devout contemplation or concentration, the withdrawal of the soul from without and specially the devout observance of the passion of Christ and penitence (Autobiography 11.20). Yet, in recent centuries, people reporting visions of Jesus have been of diverse backgrounds: laity and clergy, young and old, Catholics and Protestants, de