How is the apparition in Luke chapter one different from other apparitions, such as in Lourdes? Many people, including me, are confused about apparitions. We read about the apparition of St Gabriel in Luke Chapter 1.
Luke 1:34:

&quot;And Mary said to the angel: How shall this be done, because I know not man?&quot; (Douay-Rheims).

It seems to me that she never questioned the apparition or that the Church ever had to investigate if this is a real apparition. I am not sure I have even heard about an Angel appearing to anyone after St Mary and St Joseph had their experiences.
How is the apparition in Luke chapter 1 different from other apparitions, such as the  one at Lourdes?
This is one that has an actual biblical backing to it. Remember 2 Timothy 3:16 declares “All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right.”
God inspired Luke to write about Mary being visited by Gabriel and than a few months later Joseph. These we know to be true for the Word of God says they happened. However, we don’t have that kind of backing for other people claiming to see visions, and hear from God. Instead they must be proved, or be ignored. Colossians 2:18-19 mentions people having “visions” which is of their own imagination, and he condemned them quite strongly in said verses “Don’t let anyone condemn you by insisting on pious self-denial or the worship of angels, saying they have had visions about these things. Their sinful minds have made them proud, and they are not connected to Christ, the head of the body. For he holds the whole body together with its joints and ligaments, and it grows as God nourishes it.”
They are too many people these days who are seeking a spirituality that goes further than the Bible, and will willingly open themselves up to deception, such as Bethel Redding in California, who are bringing occultism into their beliefs, because they are not satisfied with God and His word, and instead seek after experiences instead of Biblical Accuracy.
Edit: To the guy who mentioned “Why even bring up Bethel” I did because Bethel is a perfect example of those who are seeking emotional experience, who are seeking a mystical approach to things, who are consumed in their lust for symbols and signs, to the point that they create their own. AKA the so-called glory cloud of Bethel. We should be very careful about what we trust, a vision of Mary or of an Angel has no standing over the word of God.
Paul in Galatians 1:8-9 writes “But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach to you a gospel contrary to the one we preached to you, let him be accursed. As we have said before, so now I say again: If anyone is preaching to you a gospel contrary to the one you received, let him be accursed.”
Paul also says this in 1 Corinthians 11:13-15 “For such men are false apostles, deceitful workmen, disguising themselves as apostles of Christ. And no wonder, for even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light. So it is no surprise if his servants, also, disguise themselves as servants of righteousness. Their end will correspond to their deeds.”
There is great danger in putting theological significance in places or people outside of Scripture.