The meaning of the apparitions of Mary in various times & places

[WildBlueYonder]

many years after I left the Catholic church, I remember hearing that Mary had appeared in the former Yugoslavia, and as a professing Christian, I wondered what that would mean & why God would allow Mary to make a public appearance to bring messages to the world, which in former times were delivered by angels (messengers in Hebrew), this because it feeds into Catholic Mariology & Marytheism of the average Mexican Catholic (of which I was a former member, (Catholic that is, I’m still Mexican, thank God . )

Anyway, it didn’t fit with the Bible & what Jesus had said about Himself, Mary or God.

What Jesus said about Mary:

Luk 8:19 Then came to him [his] mother and his brethren, and could not come at him for the press.
Luk 8:20 And it was told him [by certain] which said, Thy mother and thy brethren stand without, desiring to see thee.
Luk 8:21 And he answered and said unto them, My mother and my brethren are these which hear the word of God, and do it.

from: http://www.blueletterbible.org/kjv/Luk/Luk008.html#19

what Mary said of herself:

Luk 1:46 And Mary said, My soul doth magnify the Lord,
Luk 1:47 And my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Saviour.
Luk 1:48 For he hath regarded the low estate of his handmaiden: for, behold, from henceforth all generations shall call me blessed.
Luk 1:49 For he that is mighty hath done to me great things; and holy [is] his name.
Luk 1:50 And his mercy [is] on them that fear him from generation to generation.

from: http://www.blueletterbible.org/kjv/Luk/Luk001.html#46

what Jesus said about WHo to worship:

Luk 4:8 And Jesus answered and said unto him, Get thee behind me, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve.
from: http://www.blueletterbible.org/kjv/Luk/Luk004.html#8

what an angel said to the Apostle John:

Rev 19:9 And he saith unto me, Write, Blessed [are] they which are called unto the marriage supper of the Lamb. And he saith unto me, These are the true sayings of God.
Rev 19:10 And I fell at his feet to worship him. And he said unto me, See [thou do it] not: I am thy fellowservant, and of thy brethren that have the testimony of Jesus: worship God: for the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.

from: http://www.blueletterbible.org/kjv/Rev/Rev019.html

what Paul said about satan:

2Cr 11:13 For such [are] false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ.
2Cr 11:14 And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light.
from: http://www.blueletterbible.org/kjv/2Cr/2Cr011.html#14

so what is the meaning of these apparitions? I think it is to keep millions of Catholics 1 step away from God, because they worship Mary, they are idolaters, thinking that they are ‘Christians’, while all the while being pagan idolaters, I do think that the Catholic Church has some truth, it is “christian’, but misses the boat on Scripture, Jesus, salvation & his saints (use them as examples, not worship them)

I left the Catholic Church because after 17 years of preaching mysteries, hierarchies, saints & popes, during confirmation classes, they finally preached the Trinity to me, which after reading the Bible cover to cover (at 15 y.o.) sounded like paganism (which I believed until I asked a rabbi about "Elohim", his answer send me back on the road to Christianity)

As a Mexican catholic, I grew up with statues, trinkets, amulets, the 'evil eye', processions, feats days, confessionals, the Virgin Mary & saints

You have to remember that the main reason that Mexican Indians turned to Catholicism, was the apparition of Mary as the "Virgin of Guadalupe" to Juan Diego, telling him to build a church on the site of a pagan temple, the image used by millions of Mexicans, is said to have appeared on his poncho as he dropped roses from it to the local bishop

The Virgin of Guadalupe is a cultural symbol of significant importance to the Mexican identity. Mexican Catholics believe that Guadalupe was a manifestation of the Virgin Mary in the Americas.

Some historians speculate the icon was meant to syncretically represent both the Virgin Mary and the indigenous Mexican goddess Tonantzin, providing a way for 16th century Spaniards to gain converts among the indigenous population of early Mexico. It may have provided a method for 16th century indigenous Mexicans to covertly practice their native religion, although the contrary was asserted in the canonization process of Juan Diego.[1]

The Virgin of Guadalupe has also symbolized the Mexican nation since Mexico's War of Independence. Both Miguel Hidalgo and Emiliano Zapata's armies traveled underneath Guadalupan flags, and Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe is generally recognized as a symbol of all Mexicans. The Mexican novelist Carlos Fuentes once said that "...one may no longer consider himself a Christian, but you cannot truly be considered a Mexican unless you believe in the Virgin of Guadalupe."
from: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Virgin_of_Guadalupe

So what purpose did she serve? Is she from God or not?

I think she is just close enough to hear the truth, but not understand it