Glory Glory News About COVID and The Website

First, and foremost, our heartfelt prayers go out to everyone that is fighting this pandemic and especially to those that have lost someone to it.  It is truly horrific and scary times for not only our country but the world as well.

We did want you to know that at the moment we are up and operating even though we are not considered an essential business  in the eyes of New York state. We do however, consider ourselves "essential" as these are the times when people most often turn to God and we are more than happy to assist them in getting the prayer aids and items that they consider necessary.

We can continue to operate as Glory Glory Gifts' home office is actually located on the first floor of our home and the majority of our items are shipped to you from our warehouses in several states. At the moment we only have 1 full timer (myself) and 1 part-timer (Tom) in the home office. We do practice what the CDC has recommended that we do as far as keeping ourselves safe via sanitizing, hand-washing and social distancing ourselves from each other on a day-to-day basis. We do not have customers visit this location either.  We will continue to be here for you unless our warehouses become unavailable due to any further state restrictions. We will address that if it happens.

Please be safe! Take this time of quarantine to grow ever closer to God. There are so many tools that you can use online i.e. Masses, Prayers, Novenas and even perpetual Adoration. Take advantage of them. Just this morning I watched the Sunday Mass at TheSundayMass.org, and "attended" perpetual adoration from a live stream from a gorgeous chapel in Poland with my prayer book and Bible in hand. It truly helps me feel more connected to the outside world and more importantly to God. I'm sure that if you managed to find this blog, you can find what you need on Youtube. I have several autoimmune diseases that often keep me self-quarantined and have years of experience doing it. It is the perfect opportunity to grow spiritually and mentally. Remember as St. Therese said, "you are exactly where God intends you to be." Use your time wisely.

As for the website? It's now downsized, meaning you will not be able to purchase products directly on the website. It was decided earlier this year that we would triple the size of the eBay store. It will be so much easier for customers to find items in one place, rather than at two. You can access the Ebay store by clicking on the "SHOP" button on the website, or on the Lily to the right of this post.

Of course, if you are looking for specific items please contact us! We still have thousands of products available even though they may not have a listing on the store. So..... contact us! 

Please be safe and do as the CDC and the COVID-19 Task Force have asked you to do. Most of all, please pray. You are all in my prayers. God bless us all.

Love and peace and HEALTH to you all.

Mare

The Quest

Define irony... irony is when people are afraid to go to places like church, or order from a local Chinese restaurant, for fear of getting COVID-19 yet they stand on line for HOURS with, perhaps, thousands of others trying to get toilet paper and bottled water. Alrighty then...

NY Post article from March 14, 2020

I get it. People are scared to death of this virus and want to be prepared for it lest it comes knocking on their door. Or maybe they are terrified of being on lockdown for two weeks without going anywhere (though the women in the pic looks like she won't have to leave her house for a year or so, at least to get t.p.).

This is how Tom and I roll and it never, ever, fails. Our groceries and personal hygiene things, like t.p., run low and a natural disaster hits so we can't get our staples of bread, milk, eggs, because they are sold out. It happens again and again and we rarely have a month supply of anything in the house. Of course, it happened again just last week when the shut downs started to occur. So, on Wednesday I put in an order for Shoprite from home, including our staples and t.p. We got the delivery the next day and, of course, no t.p., they are sold out. I needed office supplies so I said to myself, self, order t.p. from Staples. Order came on Friday, no t.p. It's on back order. So we currently have 1.5 rolls of t.p. in the house with our back ordered package arriving (fingers crossed) this Wednesday. When it arrives I'm going to feel like Indiana Jones did when he found the Ark of the Covenant. I'm going to be elated, and awed and I bet a tear of emotion will slide down my cheek too in sheer gratitude to Staples for delivering on their promise to deliver the goods. My quest will be fulfilled, praise the Lord! 

While the world is literally crashing around me I am unbelievably calm though. Illness can strike at any time and I can tell you that from experience. Anything can take you down and in the words of Bon Jovi, "I ain't gonna live forever." Many of my friends and family members have devastating chronic illnesses that keep them home bound for weeks on end, myself included. The one thing we all share, though our illnesses differ, is our strong faith in God. As the collective "they" say, if God brings it to you, He will bring you through too.

As my quest for toilet paper continues it is my hope that this virus brings people back to God. Maybe while people are on lockdown they can pray together or read the Bible as a family. Talk to God and each other. Truthfully? You should be contemplating your relationship with God all the time, as you never know when your time is up. It is times like this when God starts to hear from people that he hasn't heard from in years. Make conversations with Him a part of your daily life so that when the world starts spinning again you will be in good company with Him and hopefully also by then He will be an integral part of your life.

I'm always reminded of the line in Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, "my soul is ready Dr. Jones. Is yours?" I want to be able to say yes at all times. I want everyone to be able to say it as well, so I will pray for conversion of hearts as well as for all those that get sick or die from COVID-19. Let us all turn to God for direction, healing, peace and grace during this trying time in our history.

Peace Within

May today there be peace within.
May you trust God that you are exactly where you are meant to be.
May you not forget the infinite possibilities that are born of faith.
May you use those gifts that you have received, and pass on the love that has been given to you
May you be confident knowing you are a child of God.
Let this presence settle into your bones, and allow your soul the freedom to sing, dance, praise and love.
It is there for each and every one of us. 

- St. Therèse of Lisieux and St. Theresa of Avila

Serenity Prayer

God grant me the serenity
to accept the things I cannot change;
courage to change the things I can;
and wisdom to know the difference.

Living one day at a time;
enjoying one moment at a time;
accepting hardships as the pathway to peace;
taking, as He did, this sinful world
as it is, not as I would have it;
trusting that He will make all things right
if I surrender to His Will;
that I may be reasonably happy in this life
and supremely happy with Him
forever in the next.
God bless us all.

Mare

P.S. We DO have paper towels in the house so no worries... all is not lost.

Update! Our t.p. arrived yesterday, the 18th. Thank you Staples!

I've Been Thinking.... About Prayer

A few weeks ago, while I was sitting at Mass I felt like a book wedged between two bookends; two very different bookends, at that. Sitting on one side of me was a family of about 8 (I didn't actually do a head count) and on the other side was a family of 4. 
I must admit both sets of kids were very well-behaved which was nice. (I know I'm starting to sound like a cranky pants with this but it will come in handy further down in the post., I promise). I also want to point out that I didn't sit and stare at all of these people it was just something I observed intermittently throughout the service. The Dad with the larger fam pointed out where we were throughout the Mass, told the kids what pages the hymns were on and really worked at keeping the kids involved and interested in what was going on. The family of 4? Well, they looked like they were being held hostage with no means of escape and with no end in sight. I even snuck a peek at them while saying the Our Father. The Mother was yawning and looking at her watch. The others were equally uninvolved.  Now, I would love to say that I was the attentive parent that taught my son well, but sadly I was the watch monitor to my right during his formative years. Sometimes I did feel like it was a chore bore to get to Mass and trust me, I was raised very well by my parents, I was expected to participate in the Mass as a child,  and was even in the choirs.

Here's the thing, though, Mass is the ultimate form of prayer. It is the ultimate in praise. I can pretty much surmise that if attending Mass weekly is not important to you, if praying at said Mass isn't as well, then there is a woefully shallow chance that you will say daily prayers either. I'm not even going to mention the Bible. That's probably collecting dust on a bookshelf somewhere.  I've been there. I know. Now? I'm one of those people that are like an ex-smoker that will get in your face about smoking or someone who has just found the next great diet and tells everyone how to eat. For me now it's about rattling cages and getting people to open up their eyes to how and for what they are praying.

If you have a home, furniture, heating/a/c, water, electric, a car and a vast wardrobe you have more than Jesus had in life or especially during His ministry days. He had the clothes on his back and the sandals on His feet. That's it. It occurred to me that the homeless, those that do not know where their next meal is coming from, are living a life pretty close to that of Jesus. He even mentions it in the Bible,  "As they were walking along the road someone said to Jesus, 'I will follow you wherever you go.' Jesus replied, foxes have dens and birds of the air have nests, but the son of man has no place to lay his head." Luke 9:58. If I contemplate that it makes me feel very foolish to ask Jesus for anything but I know that should I ask Him for help with say putting food on my table or keeping a roof over my head that He will respond. God knows what we need before we know it and it will be provided be it through our own work or that of another.

Pray with an open heart and without strings, i.e. God, if you let the [insert team name here] win, I will go to Mass this Sunday. Have a daily dialogue with Him. Thank Him for every good thing that you have in life, your health, your home, warmth, food, family. Ask Him for help getting the things that can help you to live a good life here like a job, another job, so that you can not only support yourself and your loved ones but those that are less fortunate than you are as well. Humbly ask him for healing of mind, body or soul for yourself or your loved ones. If it is His will, I assure you He will answer your prayers. If you are meant to live a life of wealth, you will do exactly that. No need to pray to win the lotto.

Pray for your loved ones, your neighbors, your friends. Pray for people that are suffering from health problems or natural disasters. Pray for those that are persecuted and those that have not heard the message of Jesus. Pray for your enemies, your frenemies and even terrorists that they have a conversion of heart. Say morning, afternoon and evening prayers. Say Novenas. Pray the Rosary. Pray the Chaplet of Divine Mercy at 3:00 P.M. Pray before meals, and after. There are so many things to pray for and that's why it is so important to do it every day. That's why attending Mass is so important too. At Mass we do pray for so many as well as praising God. Trust me when I say that anyone that attends Mass regularly, and participates in it, and prays daily is so much more balanced and accepting of their cross in life than any other person you will encounter. The Holy Trinity is the way, the truth and the light and without them, and a personal relationship with them through daily dialogue, life is pretty dark. Pray for grace. Pray for an increased faith and prayer life. Pray for your own redemption and for others. Pray for peace.

Thank God for every thing in your life, even the little seemingly inconsequential things. I thanked Him just this morning because I was able to print shipping labels on a temperamental printer. (I just thanked Him again because I thought I had erased this blog post. whew.)

I wish that I could turn back time to when my son was young. That is the best time to teach children about prayer and all of the Sacraments, but especially the Mass. I've said it in prior posts, faith has to be nurtured throughout life but the seeds have to be planted by the parent. Wishing won't make it happen; actions will. If you are like I was I implore you to immerse yourself in the Mass next time you go. If your child sees that you are interested, they too will be. They want to emulate you but teach them about how important God is. He answers in His time, not yours, make sure you impart that as well. This way, when He does not answer the prayers right away they don't ask Satan for things. It sounds odd to say that, I know, but that is what the pop star Rhianna supposedly told her followers to do. (SMH).

There is so much evil in the world we have to be secure in our faith and relationship with God the Father, God the son Jesus and God the Holy Spirit to withstand it. Prayer is your armor to do just that. Teach yourself to do it well and teach the children.

Have a blessed and beautiful week.

Mare

Eucharist Miracles in The Perpetual Adoration Chapel ~ Christmas 2011

Two weeks ago (as of this update, which is 8/19/18) I decided to pray on why me? I prayed for days, as truthfully I have always been at a loss as to what I'm supposed to do with this blessed occurrence, if anything. I have spoken to my Pastor about it, he was also my spiritual advisor on other experiences. He has told me that it is a blessing and a private revelation and that I could share it or not.

I can also say that my prayers were answered as, while in the Adoration chapel, it was revealed to me that, should I decide to share it, it will help the "seekers of truth." It will help those that need to be drawn closer to God. It is to strengthen the faith of those that will need it in the coming years. It is for those whose faith is being strongly tested and they need to be shored up. So, that is why I decided to share these updates with you.
   
For those of you that do not know the full story, you can do a search on here for "Eucharist" and find all the posts about it. You can also visit our Youtube channel at the link above for a detailed account. In short, on Christmas day, 2011 at 1:00 P.M.  an interior locution was received to take a photo of the Monstrance (which is the beautiful holder of the Host). 

In all, 3 photos were taken. The flash went off the first time. Because of that, I basically ignored it until it was decided, October 2016, to have an analysis done of all 3 photos. When this one was analyzed, Jesus' face was immediately recognizable to me. He is very somber in the photo, eyes cast down and it absolutely  breaks my heart.

I will take you step by step through this. This first photo is of a Host, in the chapel, as it normally looks to our eyes. As you can see, it is white. This Monstrance was used in 2016 just FYI. The chapel has 3 different designs that are used. The Host is in the very center of all of them. You can click on the photos to enlarge them btw. That's my fellow adorer, Rosaria, in this photo. I have her permission to publish this photo with her in it.

This photo is the original one taken, when the flash went off. You can see that there is a changed host behind the flash and to the right of it. (compared to the one above).

This is the photo analysis enlargement that was done in October, 2016. Note that the analysis is being done of the right hand side of the Eucharist, specifically where the top left corner of the inset is pointing. Jesus' face is remarkably clear to me in the photo. He is very somber, facing left, and looking down. The white dot in the center, just above his eye and the smaller one, to the right of that, in His hair, are the flash glinting off the glass. Unfortunately there is a green pixelated line going down the side of His face right below the large dot.

This is the photo of Jesus, that I did use photo shop on, to erase the sides of the Monstrance and curtains, so that we focus purely on the face. The face of Jesus is untouched. He is looking to the left.

Here are the other photos that were taken that day. I am also sharing the enlargement of the 2nd. Clearly, you can see that the Host has changed in the following pictures. There is a face in them as well, but people have also reported seeing hearts and babies in utero. I think that you will see what you are meant to see. Many adorers I know have seen, with their own eyes people, crosses and other things in the Host, when they are doing their devotional hours.  What I will say about these photos, after having my eyes opened by the grace and goodness of God is that 

WE ARE ALL ONE BODY IN CHRIST.  God is in us.

This is the second photo that was taken. Note that you can see the Host has changed. The camera was on macro at the time.

This is the enlargement of the second photo. If you place your hand over the left side of the enlargement, the face to the right will be clearer to you. He is looking directly at the camera.

Next up is the third photo that was taken that day in the chapel. It is the clearest of the three. Again, you can clearly see that the Eucharist has changed. The camera was on the right setting, however, I stepped back when I took the photo. Oddly, the photo is crystal clear, but when it is enlarged it becomes pixelated, so it is clearer as is. It is exactly the same face as the second, with the only difference being that the camera was on the correct setting.

Last, but not least, is the photo that was taken when I was leaving the church at 3:00 P.M. The clouds were in the shape of a dove and were from one end of the sky to the other end. It was HUGE and magnificent.

Error Level Analysis:
An error level analysis has been done on all 3 photos. If a picture is unaltered, the colors will be uniform in nature, as these are. I am sharing here the ELA for all three photos photos.

 

Flash photo analysis. Both the original picture and the enlargement are uniform in the respective colors, however you can tell that the enlargement has been added and not part of the original photo.

 This is how the analysis would have looked, if the original pic was tampered with to add a face. I did exactly that so that you can see how an altered photo would appear.

Analysis of Photo #2 Notice it is an unaltered, original photo

Analysis of photo #3. Notice it too is an unaltered, original photo.

The photos still in the camera.

I am awed and overcome with emotions when I look at the photos and contemplate the meanings of them. I am humbled and frankly tremble at the thought that we are all one body in Christ. If I sit and truly think about that it is a life-changer, in how I live my life and how I treat others. It is not only mind-blowing it is overwhelming. I urge you to sit and contemplate on that one thought, which is mentioned twice in the Bible btw, and really think about it and how you live your life. I ask myself, do I approach Him in the Eucharist with a clean heart and soul all the time? Are my actions and words a good representation of Him on earth?

We are ALL one body in Christ. 

He IS present in a consecrated Host. He IS with us at the Mass. He IS with us until the end of the age.

Luke 22:19 "And when He had taken some bread and given thanks, He broke it and gave it to them, saying, 'This is My body which is given for you; do this in remembrance of Me.'"

John 6:54 "He who eats My flesh and drinks My blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day."

I hope this post opens up hearts and minds to literally walk with Christ day to day. Our world needs more eyes, and hearts, opened. Christ, IS working through us and we are in Him and He is in us. We should all live accordingly.

Have a peaceful week.

Mare

Nearer My God to Thee

I positively love the song Nearer My God to Thee, which was written by Sarah Flower Adams in 1841 in Loughton, Essex, England. The first to set it to music was Sarah's sister Eliza Flower. The tune I have shared here, without lyrics, is (I believe) that of   John Bacchus Dykes, which is named "Horbury" after a place he found comfort and peace in. Following my thoughts, are the lyrics Ms. Adams wrote, which are just beautiful (IMHO anyway). Hopefully this link to the Youtube video will stay live so that you can enjoy the lovely hymn for yourself. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mCEfqj9pDAI. It should open in a new window.

When do you feel closest to God? Do you ever feel close to Him or are you too busy during your day to spend a few moments in solitude and prayer? I try to find Him in so many of the little things I do throughout the day, that are part of my humble existence. When I'm washing my dishes, I think of him and thank him for the food he has given me. While washing my clothes, I think of Him and thank Him for clothing me (so do my neighbors, LOL). When I put my feet on the floor in the morning, and every joint in my body seems to scream at me, I think of Him and offer it up to Him as a silent prayer. When I am busy vacuuming, dusting, sweeping, polishing and straightening inside and outside of my house I thank Him for putting a roof over my head. Every little thing you do during your day can bring you closer to God if you offer it up to Him as a blessing or, if suffering, as a sacrifice. Of course, Glory Glory Gifts is doing His work so that definitely makes me feel closer to Him. Yesterday, I continued my efforts to renew and refresh the garden in the backyard by trimming the rose bush and pulling out all of the vines that love to congregate in that general area. All I could think of while doing so was the crown of thorns that was placed on Jesus' head. For me, it was a painful, humbling and poignant experience, as I'm sure you can imagine, and I had gardening gloves to protect my hands. More than once a prickle found some of my bare skin, which drew a yelp from my lips and a trickle of blood. To think that my dear, sweet, Lord, suffered as He did from a crown of them being placed on His head is enough to take my breath away and bring me to my knees. How about you?

Think of the little things in your life that you can offer to God each and every day. Find ways to bring yourself nearer to God. He is, after all, a God of love, mercy and forgiveness. Who doesn't want to be closer to someone like that?

Peace,

Mare

"Nearer, my God, to Thee, nearer to Thee!

E'en though it be a cross that raiseth me;

Still all my song shall be nearer, my God, to Thee,

Chorus: Nearer, my God, to Thee, nearer to Thee!

Though like the wanderer, the sun gone down,

Darkness be over me, my rest a stone;

Yet in my dreams I'd be nearer, my God, to Thee,

Nearer, etc.

There let the way appear steps unto heav'n;

All that Thou sendest me in mercy giv'n;

Angels to beckon me nearer, my God, to Thee,

Nearer, etc.

Then with my waking thoughts bright with Thy praise,

Out of my stony griefs Bethel I'll raise;

So by my woes to be nearer, my God, to Thee,

Nearer, etc.

Or if on joyful wing, cleaving the sky,

Sun, moon, and stars forgot, upwards I fly,

Still all my song shall be, nearer, my God, to Thee,

Nearer, etc.

A sixth verse was later added to the hymn by Edward Henry Bickersteth Jr. as follows:^[1]

There in my Father’s home, safe and at rest,

There in my Saviour’s love, perfectly blest;

Age after age to be, nearer my God to Thee,

Nearer, etc."

Jesus Said....

Gorgeous depiction of Our Lord called 
"Jesus II" by adryan 

Gospel Lk 6:36-38

Jesus said to his disciples:
"Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.

"Stop judging and you will not be judged.
Stop condemning and you will not be condemned.
Forgive and you will be forgiven.
Give and gifts will be given to you;
a good measure, packed together, shaken down, and overflowing,
will be poured into your lap.
For the measure with which you measure
will in return be measured out to you."

...definitely words to live by. May we all find the strength and courage to BE the people that God wants us to be and to love one another.

Have a beautiful week.

Mare

Celebrities, Sales, Ethics and Third Parties

I came across a rather disturbing note today from "Lady Grey" jewelry to Ivanka Trump. I found it in incredibly poor taste but decided it is a jumping board for me to address our own ethics, philanthropy, and information sharing when it comes to our customers.

First, I will say that we have had "celebrity" customers shop with us in the past. I do not believe in name dropping to promote our business. Celebs are just regular people and just like everyone else. We respect everyone's privacy. Of course, we would welcome their feedback or endorsement, but we would not actively pursue them to do so. We definitely would not post a personal note to any of our customers on social media. That is a very unethical form of advertising.

Second, we will not share your feedback, notes of thanks (to or from us), or endorsements on any of our business pages without your absolute consent.

We do not share your personal information. As a matter of fact, there isn't any place on our website to store that information. All orders are placed through a shopping cart with Paypal, which is a secure site, and they do not share your information either. If you do provide your contact info to us on the website, we rarely, if ever, send you marketing emails. It is used specifically to follow up with you on a question or comment and that is as far as it goes. We do not sell, nor share, any customer contact information with third parties.

As far as eBay sales go, we only have access to shipping information. All correspondence must be conducted through that site so that Ebay can monitor it. Ebay is a secure site to do business through and they do not share personal information with third parties. Feedback, good or bad, cannot be altered, by us, so what you see is actual customer testimonial.

As for donations, Glory Glory Gifts has a few things that your purchases support. It is our goal to promote prayer and unity between our brothers and sisters in Christ through social media and the products that we sell. It is also our goal to support our brothers and sisters, that are still living in the Holy Land, that have been affected by the downturn in tourism. They support themselves by creating the olive wood, crystal, and Armenian pottery products that we offer for sale. Your purchase from us puts food on their tables and a roof over their head.

That's it. You can shop with us with confidence. Keep smiling, have a grand day, and let's go shopping! http://www.gloryglorygifts.com.

Peace,

Mare

Pray Internally........ Live Externally

That is my favorite new motto, which came to me yesterday during Mass. It seems odd that this would come to me during a community prayer meet, but such is life. You just never know where or when you will be inspired.

God loves when we come together in a communal celebration of worship and thank Him for all the good things in life. Many times our community is what sustains us. You can see that phenomenon often after tragedy strikes or even daily by the donated food that lines the pantries across our nation. Yesterday we had one of our visiting priests, who used to be a part of our community, get up and thank us for our past support of his parish in Nigeria. It was our community that provided the funds for his parish to build their own place of worship. This is the second church that we have built in Nigeria and both were done so through our financial support. We have also built a school, in the last few years, and provided the books and computers and other items necessary for a good education in today's world. That is certainly the beautiful side of humanity and is the definition of living externally. It is giving to others what you have of your excess, or better yet, doing without so that you can enhance someone else's life. A sacrifice is the most beautiful act that you can do for another and so much more rewarding. You do not have to build schools and churches in a far off country to live externally; there are things much closer to home that you can do. It is as simple as acknowledging your neighbor. 

After all, it is the simple things that mean so much, a smile, a gesture, a friendly touch...

Get out of your own head and small little world and treat others the way that you want to be treated. Hold the door for the next person coming out behind you; take your neighbor's garbage can in; be kind to cashiers and the others in line; lay off the horn ~ that will not make traffic move quicker. For God's sake SMILE. It's true, a smile does not cost you anything. It can, however, be priceless for the one receiving it as well. You cannot change the world, but, you can change the way that you interact with all of the people in it, particularly those that come in contact with you. You don't live in a bubble, therefore, what you do does have an affect on people. Make it a positive one.

BTW, keep your good actions to yourself for your good acts are between you and God and nobody else.

As for praying internally, well I'll leave that part of my motto to the big guns. Nobody said it better than Our Lord in Matthew 6:5-15:

 “And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. 6 But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. 7 And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words. 8 Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.

9 “This, then, is how you should pray:

“‘Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name,
10 your kingdom come,
your will be done,
    on earth as it is in heaven.
11 Give us today our daily bread.
12 And forgive us our debts,
    as we also have forgiven our debtors.
13 And lead us not into temptation,[a]
    but deliver us from the evil one.[b]’

14 For if you forgive other people when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. 15 But if you do not forgive others their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins."

Have a blessed week. Peace,

Mare

Earliest painting of Mary?

http://forher.aleteia.org/articles/oldest-picture-of-mary/?utm_campaign=Echobox&utm_medium=Social&utm_source=Facebook#link_time=1454834774

I found this on another site and thought it was just amazing. I love art of all types and forms (except for maybe the portraits or figures done in dung) and find some of it quite fascinating. According to Michael Peppard, a theology professor at Fordham University, it is a depiction of Mary during the Annunciation. Check out the article  and see the drawing by visiting the above link. 

Peace!

Mare

Jeremiah 1:5

"Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, And before you were born I consecrated you; I have appointed you a prophet to the nations."

I was reading the Bible yesterday and the power of this one line had such an impact on me that I am still pondering it today. Of course, this is part of the story of Jeremiah, who was a prophet in his time, but think of how that one line resonates with you, and everyone else, today and through the ages. If you think of the magnitude of this statement it is quite overwhelming and, frankly, sad, when you think of life from God's perspective. 

I think of an artist that has created a piece. Sure, it is an inanimate object, but that artist thought about it, sketched it out, designed it with specific colors, textures and objects. He or she made it a specific size and then shared it with everyone so that they too could be moved by it as well. That one piece has a part of the artist retained in it and, as an artist myself, I know that the piece is cherished even if it isn't kept. Usually with artists, no two original pieces are alike. That is the beauty of being an artist; you create pieces that are as unique as the sand granules on a beach or a snowflake.

God has done the same with us. Before He formed us, He thought of how we would look; who we would be; what we would accomplish and what gifts He was going to give us in order to do that work. He designed our senses, our thought process and our perceptions. He knew our hopes and our dreams. He knew what would make us laugh and He knew what would make us cry. He knew what part of the world He was going to put us into, so that we could learn the life lessons that we needed to learn in order for our souls to be enriched or for us to enrich someone else. He had a plan for each one of us. Before we were a twinkle in our parents' eyes, we were a twinkle in God's eyes. God knew us before we were conceived as a life in a womb, and He had great aspirations for us.  

How incredibly heartbreaking it must be for Him to watch us terminate that life with a pill or a procedure. What a very sad society we have become....

Earliest embryo stages in a human life

Eucharist Miracles in New York (of all places)

The world behind me; the cross before me.

I'm not sure how to begin this blog post. I have so many thoughts swirling through my head that I guess I will just delve in, take the plunge and talk straight up, no nonsense about the Eucharist and why we need Jesus.

On December 25, 2011 something happened that transformed my life, yet I never fully understood the message nor the enormity of it until just last night. Christmas was on a Sunday that year and I normally have my adoration hours from noon to two on Sundays. I switched with someone that year and pushed my hour back to one. Shortly after I arrived and sat down (I was alone) I heard a voice tell me to take a picture of the monstrance. I did not hear the voice with my ears. It was received in what is called an interior locution. This was not the first time that has happened to me, so I did as I was told. I happened to have my camera with me to take pictures of the church decorations so I took it out of my purse and snapped away. In all, I took 3 photos. The first time the flash went off. The second the camera was on macro (for close up), and the third was perfect, yet I stepped back to take it. I have shared 2 of the photos on here in the past and will do so again** but this post is about the picture that I never published. It is the one where the flash went off.

Last night, I got some forensic answers and a startling close up of the first photo that I took. I am going to share it here with you, along with one of the original photos, of a changed Host, still in the camera.

The second pic is the original photo, where the flash went off. The first is the same photo that has a forensic analysis and enlargement of the section that the top left corner is pointing to. The square shows the right hand side of the Eucharist, that is not blurred by the flash.

If you are able to see the person in the photo great! If not, look at the July 2017 post which has an illustration too. (You can find it be searching the posts on the top right of this blog).  It is relatively clear and shows the face of a man, dark hair, beard and mustache, with His head bowed in a somber position. It is the right of the host that was not affected by the flash.  The flecks of green across his face are because of the pixels in the photo. You can see the light reflecting off the glass in front of His profile in a few spots above his brow. It took my breath away to see it with my own eyes last night. It broke my heart to see the pain across His face.

This is a forensic analysis and enlargement of the pic follow this one.

Original photo, where the flash went off. You can see there is a figure on the right side of the host and the flash takes up the majority of the left half. That is why I never really paid attention to it before last night. 

A fellow adorer of mine, Ron Gatto, was gracious enough to outline the face of Jesus in the Eucharist. Ron cannot see the image, so his features are larger than those of Jesus' features. It does give you an approximate guide on where to see the face, in profile.

JESUS CHRIST IS PRESENT IN THE EUCHARIST. If you are a lukewarm or fallen away Catholic, get yourself back to church. If you are one of those that dash for the doors at Communion time, this is WHO you are running out of the doors from. If you are going up to receive Communion please be in a state of grace. What does that mean? Stop sinning and go to Confession. Say the Act of Contrition while you are on line. Take Communion on your tongue instead of onto your dirty hands. Visit with Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament. Find a local perpetual adoration chapel and commit to an hour with Him. You will thank me for it as it will change your life. *Catholics and Coptic Christians WILL be judged harsher than any other faith. Did you know that? Yeah, it is true. It is because we have Jesus Christ in the Eucharist.  Pray. Pray every day for everyone, including those that you dislike. 

If you are another form of Christianity or of another faith, I hope that this humble post opens your eyes and your hearts. 

Bring yourself to Christ in the Eucharist. He is waiting for you.

**To see the story behind this experience please visit our Youtube channel at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bqorS3cCP7Q

Mother Mary, To Thee I Pray

Oh gentle and peaceful Mother
most blessed Handmaiden of God
for centuries our world has been inspired
by the images of your own ecstasy and agony

The image of you, our perfect Mother
in a humble stable
rocking your new born Son in your arms
and gently laying him in a creche
filled with straw of golden hues
On that holiest of nights
the great star shines down and
the angels proclaim
Glory to God in the highest

And

The image of you, our heartbroken Mother
Holding the battered and broken body
of your Son in your arms
While you clutch Him closer
to the heaving grief of your own heart
the ground quakes, the tears of heaven rain down
and the angels are silenced

Dear Mother Mary, to thee I pray

That I may be the all loving Mother that you are
That I may bring the peace and joy of God
to my home and family as you did; and
that I may emulate your strength,
grace and forgiveness
during this life's darkest of days

Amen.

An original poem of Marianne E. Hare 4/17/08

Puddles

Here is a little Villanelle I came up with six years ago after 28 days of rain in May though it fits quite nicely into this years weather pattern as well.

Puddles

What is in a drop of rain?

Falling hard or misting dew

puddles causing much disdain

Tapping on the window pane

in the sky not a hint of blue

What is in a drop of rain?

The forecast is the same refrain

so I dream about a rendezvous

Puddles causing much disdain

Days are becoming most mundane

we could share a kiss or two

What is in a drop of rain?

When will this stormy weather wane

with sunbeams bright and shining through?

What is in a drop of rain?

puddles causing much disdain