The Eucharist and the Dove

Some of you, particularly if you are more seasoned readers of this blog, or of the Facebook page, may already know about what I considered to be miracles on Christmas a few years ago. Last year I created a rather inadequate video that was loaded onto Youtube. I do wish to once again share this experience, and the photos, including one that has never been shown before of (one of) the Eucharist photos still clearly in the camera. It is my intent by showing these photos that people can see the dinky little camera that captured both events and that the photos that I printed were not doctored nor tampered with in any way. The photos are real and, I believe, meant to be shared at this time. With the state of the world, the economies and the religious wars unfolding I believe it is imperative that people return to the love of Jesus and prayer, veneration of the Blessed Sacrament and return to pious behavior while in church. If these photos help one person to open their eyes and hearts, I will feel fulfilled.

First I will load the photos and then the description of events on that day. God bless and have a beautiful week.

Mare

BTW, all photos are copyrighted as of 2012 my Marianne E. Hare
You may share them as long as you include the copright information and story of the photos. I actually encourage you to do so.

First Photo with Flash - Although the flash went off you can see the dark host behind it

Second photo with macro on (oops)

Enlargement of third photo on correct setting

Third photo on correct setting

Cloud Photo over Holy Child Church at 3:00 PM, Christmas Day

Cloud photo - still in the camera (reverse image)

Third picture of the Eucharist - still in the camera - note the darkened Eucharist
(Again, reverse image)

The story behind the photos as written down and provided to my Pastor, priests and the Cardinal of NYC:

"I normally have Adoration on Sundays from 12:00 to 2:00 pm.  On Christmas Day 2011, which fell on a Sunday, I had switched my hours from 12-2 to 1 to 3 instead so that the women that normally do those hours could celebrate the holiday with their family. I was also making dinner for my family, but we were not eating until later and they had to travel so there was no problem for me to move my hours back.

I bought my camera with me. It is a simple Polaroid digital, 5 mega pixel camera, with a memory disk. The reason why I bought the camera with me is because I wanted to take a photo of the Nativity in the church to put on my blog and on my website.

I arrived at the Adoration Chapel around 1:00 PM and the woman that I relieved left, so I was alone. While alone shortly after 1 it was as if someone whispered in my ear, take a picture of the monstrance and the Host. The feeling was overwhelming. So I took out the camera, stood up, and snapped the first shot. I noticed that the flash went off so I turned it off. I then snapped another without the flash and realized that the camera was on macro (for close up).  I then switched the camera to normal and took a third photo, only this time I was a little further away to try and get the flowers and angels in too. I then put the camera back into my pocketbook and was joined by another adorer shortly after that.  As it was Christmas there were a few people in and out of the Chapel after the mass and it was actually lovely. There was a lot of love in there that day, with many kisses and hugs and well wishes for a beautiful Christmas. After the 12:30 mass Angela L came in and wished me a Merry Christmas and we spoke briefly about babies and the blessings of the day. She talked about her granddaughter and I spoke about my great niece. I also told her about a couple I had been praying for that wanted to start a family. I told her I expected that she would be pregnant in the Spring. She asked me to pray for a couple in Holy Child that was trying to start a family. I agreed to do so. Before she left she said to me you watch – today you will be blessed with a Christmas Miracle.

Just after 3:00  pm I left the Chapel and took my pictures of the nativity. (They came out beautiful). When I left the church and was walking down the ramp I was met by THE MOST INCREDIBLE cloud display that I have ever seen. It seemed to span from one end of the sky to the other. When first looking at it - it looked like a dove to me. (I see a man in the photo though when not enlarged). I cannot begin to describe how HUGE this was and how beautiful! Unfortunately the pictures just do not do it justice. But, you can get an idea of how big it was by the buildings on the bottom of the screen. Of course I took pictures of that and thought WOW, Angela was right, that was amazing and my soul was so lifted that I practically skipped all the way home smiling.

When I got home I started dinner and then (since I had time) put the memory disk into the computer and downloaded the photos. It is about this time that I almost fell off my chair. In the 2^nd and 3^rd photos of the Host I see two distinctly different faces. The descriptions of what I see are on the backs of the photos I have given you here. In the 2^nd I can clearly see the face of Jesus and in the 3^rd I see a person looking left.  The 1^st I took where the flash went off blurs out the face, but I can see it behind the flash. I have not included it here as you mostly just see the flash in the center.

I am humbled, and feel incredibly blessed to have had this experience. I believe it was a gift from God meant just for me. The Host and monstrance did not look any different to me on Christmas Day then it did any other day, but I will add that my hours there were unlike any I have ever experienced there before and I have been doing hours of Adoration regularly since 2008 and sporadically for years before. When people were not there and I was saying my prayers I felt almost as if I was in a trance and I do remember that at one point when I was finishing the rosary that it took me over an hour and a half to say it, when it normally takes about 20 minutes.  It was as if every word was measured and meditated upon. I cannot explain it any better than that. I remember speaking to Angela, I remember David coming in, (shortly after I took the photos) but I do not remember anything else about those hours.

When I saw the photos on the computer screen I showed them to those living with me. Every one of us see something in the Host, even the Agnostic and the Atheist!

Although I have shared the pictures with people on Facebook and the blog, I have not shared the experience with anyone. I wish I could YELL FROM THE ROOFTOPS the good news but instead I share them with just a few that will appreciate the goodness of God and his many gifts. Feel free to share these photos and the story with others in your life as well.

God Bless You for being a part of the Holy Child Family!

Love,

Marianne Hare

P.S. –

 The couple that I told Angela about did get pregnant in the Spring of 2012. Their boys were born prematurely in the Summer and celebrated their 3rd birthday this year. Even though I agreed to pray for the couple that she asked prayers for, I know that God has other plans for them."

**Some of the description relates to specifics provided to the clergy with their photos.