Virgin Mary appear in sky

The figure appeared in the clouds above Tonga, leading some people to claim it was a miracle. According to local reports resident Joey Mataele spotted a cloud in the shape of Mary, that was then lit up by the sun as he photographed it. It was taken above his brother’s house in the village of Halaleva in Tongatapu. Mr Mataele said the clear outline of a head, body and feet, coupled with the golden glow, led him to believe it was a sign from the heavens.He uploaded the image online with the caption: “This is an image that was unexpected and I know it’s a miracle in my life. “Thank you Lord for everything you’ve provided for me and my family.” Some have said the image was that of the Virgin Mary, but others, including Mr Mataele’s niece, Onelua, told 7 News Online it was the image of Jesus. She said: “We all thought it was an image of Jesus. We were shocked, it was pretty random to see that.”It looks like Jesus himself sent this message, and someone out there really needed enough for him to do it.” Of course, sceptics point out that religious sightings such as these are just the effects of pareidolia, when the brain tricks the eyes into seeing familiar objects such as faces or animals in patterns or textures such as a rock surface or clouds.Once an active imagination is added to the mix, the possibilities are endless

The Lady of Fátima & the Miracle of the Sun

The story of a famous miracle in Fátima, Portugal, began in May 1917, when three children (ages 7, 9, and 10) claimed to have encountered the Virgin Mary on their way home from tending a flock of sheep. The oldest girl, Lucia, was the only one to speak to her, and Mary told the children that she would reappear to them on the thirteenth day of the next six months. She then vanished.

The children soon told their parents, and while some in the village didn’t believe their tale, others did — and told more people. As the weeks and months passed, more and more of the faithful made pilgrimages to Fátima, where the children claimed to receive Mary’s visits. Still no one else saw the Virgin Mary; instead, the gathered adults would stand riveted as Lucia took the lead and began to describe her visions.

It was Mary’s final appearance, on Oct. 13, 1917, that became the most famous. In his book “Looking for a Miracle,” Joe Nickell states that “an estimated 70,000 people were in attendance at the site, anticipating the Virgin’s final visit and with many fully expecting that she would work a great miracle. As before, the figure appeared, and again only to the children. Identifying herself as ‘the Lady of the Rosary,’ she urged repentance and the building of a chapel at the site. After predicting an end to [World War I] and giving the children certain undisclosed visions, the lady lifted her hands to the sky. Thereupon Lucia exclaimed, ‘The sun!’ As everyone gazed upward, and saw that a silvery disc had emerged from behind clouds, they experienced what is known [as] a ‘sun miracle’.”