Our Lady of Sorrows and the Hole in Her Heart

Last Sunday I was in the adoration chapel, as I normally am for my two hours, and while I was saying the Chaplet of the Seven Dolores, to Our Lady of Sorrows I received an interior locution and was prompted to write it down. It was for specific people that I know, but, I believe the message is so important for so many others that I'm sharing it too. I am not the author of this; it was told to me and I wrote it down, but I did tweak it here and there, like adding the Bible quote, which was provided to me immediately after the locution. God bless all those that grieve the loss of a child with strength.

Just as you have lost your child,

so too has our Blessed Mother.

Just as you experienced your child’s suffering before their death,

so too did our Blessed Mother experience the pain of feeling her own child’s suffering.

Ask our Mother to guide you through

the years, months, days, hours, the minutes, that pass.

 Mary, knows your pain.

Our Mother lived your pain and has walked the same path as you.

Just as her child suffered and died to fulfill his destiny,

so too has yours.

Just as Christ Jesus said, It is accomplished,

so too did your child before they closed their eyes.

It is not up to us to understand the reason why.

“We have been predestined according to the purpose of Him….” Ephesians 1:11

Only God in His eternal and omnipotent knowledge has all the answers.

In His grace and generous love, He has given us His Mother

to turn to and to emulate.

His Mother is the one in whom we should place our trust,

as she is our Mother as well.

It is only by opening up our hearts to her, that we find solace and strength

to fulfill our own lives, as God intended.

Mary, too, had a hole in her heart.

Turn to her and ask her not to fill the hole in your heart,

but to help it keep beating for she has shed your tears

but she also knows your strengths,

because she needed the same strength to persevere.

She will help you to face each moment of this life

and will give you the faith and courage to go on.

Our Lady of Sorrows,

Pray for us.

Mother’s Day, 5/12/2019,1:30 PM

Happy Divine Mercy Sunday, April 28, 2019~

Happy Divine Mercy Feast Day! Check your parish for celebrations and confessions starting at 3:00 PM today. Have a blessed and beautiful day!

The Church of Holy Child, Staten Island, will have a celebratory gathering with song, The Chaplet of Divine Mercy, and prayers beginning at 3:00 PM in the forum. You will then move into the church at 3:30 for Confessions, readings from St. Faustina's Diary, testimonials, veneration of the Blessed Sacrament, adoration of the image of Jesus, the Divine Mercy and Mass at 5:30 PM.

Join us for this special Feast Day and God bless you.

"The Feast of Mercy emerged from my very depths of tenderness. It is my desire that it solemnly be celebrated on the first Sunday after Easter. Mankind will not have peace until it turns to the fount of My Mercy." Jesus

 "I desire that the Feast of Mercy be a refuge and shelter for all souls, and especially for poor sinners. On that day the very depths of My tender mercy are open. I pour out a whole ocean of graces upon those souls who approach the fount of My mercy. The soul that will go to Confession and receive Holy Communion shall obtain complete forgiveness of sins and punishment. On that day all the divine floodgates through which grace flow are opened. Let no soul fear to draw near to Me, even though its sins be as scarlet." Diary 699  

Marian Apparitions and Devotions

Did you know that the Blessed Mother has appeared several times in the Americas? Lots of people know about Our Lady of Guadalupe and the miraculous image on the tilma, which is still studied today and is as bright and beautiful as it was when it was revealed on December 12, 1531.

But, have you ever heard of Our Lady of Good Help? That Marian apparition, which occurred in Champion, Wisconsin, is the first approved one in the U.S.  “I am the Queen of Heaven who prays for the conversion of sinners,” are the first words that Our Mother spoke to Adele Brise on October 9, 1859. As she often does when she appears, Mary gave Adele a mission. "The young woman was told by Heaven’s Queen that she must pray for the conversion of sinners, and warn them, for if they do not convert, her Son was going to punish them. She was told to gather together the children in this remote area and teach them the truths they must know for their salvation; teach them the catechism; teach them how to bless themselves with the Sign of the Cross; and teach them how to approach the sacraments. Our Lady ended by telling Adele, whose faith was strong but simple, to fear nothing and be confident in her help. For the next thirty-seven years of her life, until her death in 1896, Sister Adele Brise was faithful to this mission." Excerpt from Catholicism.Org. The Shrine of Our Lady of Good Help is located at 4047 Chapel Drive, New Franken, WI 54229.

You have heard of the apparition of Medjugorje, which the church warns against venerating as a miracle, as it is NOT approved and under investigation but have you heard of Kibeho? Both commenced in the same year, which was 1981. Kibeho HAS been sanctioned by the church as worthy of veneration.

“The Virgin Mary said that the purpose of Her coming was to communicate a message of conversion (through a life of prayer and confession, a life renewed by the Word of God, and by works of charity and justice).

“She had also stated Her name, `the Mother of the Word', so that one will not mistake Her for another mother: the child to whom She gave birth is God.

“She insisted on the same message of rejection of sin, and recommended the practice of unceasing prayer that keeps us in communion with the Holy Trinity. This is how the devotion to the Seven Sorrows of the Virgin Mary was discovered."

That same message is a continuation of those received at Fatima, Lourdes, and others ~ pray for sinners, make reparation for the conversion of sinners, turn to her son for forgiveness, receive the sacraments, love each other through works of charity and justice.

Though Mary often speaks of conversion of heart, she has also given seers messages that are more ominous in nature, such as the Our Lady of Good Success narratives, that pertain to this exact moment in history even though they were verbalized to Sr. Mariana de Jesús Torres in the 15th and 16th centuries. The Akita message of 1973 and the Garabandal apparition of 1961-1965 and Fatima of 1917 have all included messages about how angry God is with the world and chastisements. Why would we not listen when things she had said in the past visions have come to pass (WWI, Rwandan genocides)?

Over 1,500 Marian apparitions have been reported in the last century. Only 20 have been sanctioned by the Vatican. Instead of writing a dissertation on what it takes for an approval, I'm just going to quote what the Catholic News Service says about it:

"Like with Fatima, responsibility for determining an apparition's veracity lies with the local bishop, according to the norms established by the Vatican Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith.
The process is never brief, with some cases taking hundreds of years. Visionaries and witnesses must be questioned and the fruits of the apparitions, such as conversions, miracles and healings, must be examined.
According to the norms, the local bishop should set up a commission of experts, including theologians, canonists, psychologists and doctors to help him determine the facts, the mental, moral and spiritual wholesomeness and seriousness of the visionary, and whether the messages and testimony are free from theological and doctrinal error.
A bishop can come to one of three conclusions: He can determine the apparition to be true and worthy of belief; he can say it is not true, which leaves open the possibility for an appeal; or he can say that at the moment, he doesn't know and needs more help.
In the last scenario, the investigation is brought to the country's bishops' conference. If that body cannot come to a conclusion, the matter is turned over to the pope, who delegates the doctrinal congregation to step in and give advice or appoint others to investigate.
Still, the Catholic Church does not require the faithful to believe in apparitions, even those recognized by the church.
Church recognition of a private revelation, in essence, is just the church's way of saying the message is not contrary to the faith or morality, it is licit to make the message public "and the faithful are authorized to give to it their prudent adhesion," now-retired Pope Benedict XVI said in his 2010 apostolic exhortation, "Verbum Domini" ("The Word of the Lord")."

There is nothing that says that we have to listen to the messages of the Marian apparitions, but seriously, wouldn't it be a prudent thing to do? She is, after all, the woman that carried Jesus in her womb and is His Mother. He gave her to not only John, but to all of us when he was on the cross. Why would we not listen to the Queen of Heaven, on whom Jesus relied on as a child? Did we not listen to our earthly Mothers?

There are a few devotions that are quite beautiful that will help you to convert your own heart to her son and to pray for others. Most notable is the Rosary, which is said daily. You can find the prayers for that at our website's Prayer Page, www.gloryglorygifts.com.

Another beautiful devotion is the Miraculous Medal Novena said on Mondays. That includes prayers for conversion of hearts and for special intentions. The wearing of a Miraculous Medal is a sacramental of the church and the novena is so beautiful. That too can be found on our website prayer page. I have had many prayers answered from saying this Novena. God has been good to me.

The Brown Scapular of Our Lady of Mount Carmel is a devotion that includes special graces from our Mother if you say the Little Office, 5-decades of the rosary or do an act of mercy every day that you wear it. The scapular is a sacramental of the church.

The next devotion that comes to my pretty little mind is the Angelus. I say that as part of my daily prayers in the morning. It's an awesome prayer to start the day with as it is the Visitation from the angel telling Mary that she has been chosen to carry the Messiah and her yes, that has resounded through the centuries. We have that on our prayer page too.

The last prayer, or more accurate description, hymn that I would like to mention is The Canticle of Mary, aka The Magnificat. It is Mary's prayer praising God and is just magnificent. Where can you find it? On the prayer page, of course.

There are many prayers and novenas asking Mary to help you find your way back to her Son. Find one that you love and pray it often. Advent is the perfect time to pray anyway, don't you think? Our holy Christmas day will be here in just a few days. Ask Mary to help you. She is after all Mother of us all. Pray for the conversion of hearts. Pray for the conversion of your own heart if you are struggling. Just pray and I can assure you that your life will change.

Have a peaceful and joyful Advent season and God bless you.

Mare

Going to the Chapel......

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Last Sunday, when I was walking home from church, there was a family with young children walking beside me. The Mother asked the boy, who looked to be about 7, how he liked going to church. He said, “well, we went there once before.” The Mother responded, “yes, but today we went for real. “ It made me sad to hear the brief conversation. Of course, it may have been continued out of my earshot, but I don’t think that it was.  I really, truly, hope that the last time they were there wasn’t for his Christening and that now he is preparing for his First Communion, but sadly that is the case with many families.

The reality is that many families do just that and I personally think that they are not only short-changing their children but that they are also short-changing themselves. They christen their children and then don’t come back to church again until it is time for the child to receive First Communion, which is perplexing to me, but I won’t get into that. Faith building and religious instruction should be from birth, through life. Not just when you need it to make a sacrament.

Original work of art by Jean Keaton

When I went to grade school we were not only taught the Catechism but we also went to Confession and Mass on the first Fridays of the month. We started each school day with a prayer (and the Pledge of Allegiance) and a blessing. I was a good little girl, for the most part, and even taught religious instruction when I was in the 7^th and 8^th grades, to the 1st graders. Even though I knew all of the teachings of the church, I still struggled with them when I got older and had to re-educate myself on my faith, which I did when I was in my late 30’s. It wasn’t until then that my eyes were opened and I began to truly live my faith and understand the doctrines that I had learned from such an early age.  The thing is, though, that I had a very good basis and understanding of the faith and even I struggled. Is it possible to provide a good, solid, religious instruction to your child if they go to a public school and only attend religious instruction once a week? Of course it is.

I will admit, I did a terrible job of it, but I did at least get Tom to church every week and to religious instruction until he was about 12. His first 6 years of life were steeped in it too from us living with my parents and from our full-time baby sitters, Betty and Bob (God bless them both). He didn’t get confirmed but that blame lies squarely on my shoulders. I could make a whole bunch of excuses about it from my Mom dying, to our Pastor telling him that he didn’t have to come to church to pray for his Grandma, but the fact is I didn’t want to drag him there because we did have a battle royal every Sunday after that Pastor made that stupid remark. I caved because I freaking hated screaming and yelling and then sitting in church boiling over; that was just ridiculous. So on Sunday mornings, Tom would pop out of bed and go to our friend’s house up the street where, as he put it, everyone slept late and ate bagels for breakfast and I went to church to fulfill my obligation and nothing more. Even though I was lacking in my parenting skills when it came to religious instruction I do know quite a few families that now have adult children that continue in their parent’s footsteps, which is refreshing to see in this day and age.  Even Tom has made his peace with God and visits the chapel with me once in a while.

I guess what I am trying to say is two things. It’s never too late to find Jesus in the scriptures and to embrace Him. I’ve written about my own reversion to Him through the Rosary on here. Prayer will lead you to Him; reading the Bible will too. Ask for His help and guidance. Ask the Holy Spirit to open your eyes, ears and heart to the scriptures as He is the one that increases our faith and hope.

Glory be to the Father who created me.

Glory be to the Son who redeemed me.

Glory be to the Holy Spirit who sanctifies me.

Read the Catechism regardless if you are a Catholic or not. Either way it will strengthen you in faith, hope and charity and thus, prepare you to teach your children well. Share it with your children. The other point I'm trying to make is to make your faith a huge part of your family life from the womb to the tomb. Pray with your children. Read the Bible with your children. Attend Mass and services regularly with your children, as a family. Receive the Sacraments as a family. Do the same with your grandchildren, if you are able. Let go of the material things in this world, which are fleeting and immaterial in the long run, and embrace the spiritual.  Your child needs to know that not only are you always there for him/her, God is ALWAYS there for them too. As Jesus taught us in the parables of the mustard seed and the fruits of the vine, faith in God is something that needs to be planted, but it also needs to be nurtured to grow throughout life. Not only the child, but the adult needs to continue to change and grow with the ever changing tides of life and a strong faith will give them the tools to make it through all those periods of life. Never stop nurturing that faith, through continuous learning and prayer, and your faith will never fail you when it is needed most. That's why it is so important to nurture our children during the formative years. Otherwise, just like the untended grapes on a vine, that faith will wither up and cease to exist.

As a grown up I know that when I was younger that I rarely listened to others' opinions and suggestions, but I do hope that in some small way my own shortcomings may help someone else. One of my only regrets is that I did lose my connection with God in my younger years and didn't bother to provide a substantial faithful upbringing for my own child. My own experience has taught me that my relationship with God and my family has gotten me through many horrible things in my life and it has made me stronger. I do now see that my faith was always strong, even if I didn't think it at the time. It was because of the positive upbringing and strength of conviction of my formative years.   It is true that a family that prays together stays together. Remember that the next time you go to church “for real.”

Peace * Love

Mare

Our Lady of Sorrows ~ Feast Day is September 15th

"When I tell you this, I am not addressing myself strictly to you, child, but I am making this appeal to the world," the Virgin told the seer Marie-Claire Mukangango – who was later killed in the war. She said the Virgin described the world as in revolt against God, the world “is on the edge of catastrophe.” 

This is a quote from Our Blessed Mother to Marie-Claire Mukangango, who was one of the seers of Kibeho in the 1980's. If you have never heard the events of those apparitions, here is a good link to learn more and to read the messages. http://www.kibeho.org/en/history.php. In brief, Our Lady appeared to 3 young women, Alphonsine Mumureke, Marie-Claire, and Nathalie Mukamazimpaka in Kibeho, Rwanda, beginning in 1981. They are the 3 recognized by the Catholic Church, though many more reported seeing her, as well as a young man. This is the official determination by the church: https://www.ewtn.com/library/MARY/OLKIBEHO.HTM.  Over the course of 8 years she appeared to them numerous times and told them the importance of saying the rosary daily, going to mass often but especially every Sunday, doing penance, sacrifice and fasting and reciting the rosary of the seven sorrows. Our Mother even taught one of the seers, Marie-Claire, how to say it so that she could teach others. She told us to love and care for one another and to obey God and his commands. She also said that ANYONE can recite the rosary and the chaplet of the sorrows. You can be any religion and do so.

“ The world hastens to its ruin, it will fall into the abyss… The world is rebellious against God, it commits too many sins, it has neither love nor peace. If you do not repent and do not convert your hearts, you will fall into the abyss."  

"Do not forget that God is more powerful than all of the evil in the world....The world is on the edge of catastrophe. Cleanse your hearts through prayer. The only way is through God. If you do not take refuge in God, where will you hide when the fire has spread everywhere?"

This is a synopsis of her messages:

1. am the Mother of the Word.
2. Repent without delay.
3. Repent when it is still time.
4. Repent so that you may not fall in a gulf.
5. Mortify yourselves in order to help Jesus to save the world.
6. Accept your sufferings with faith and joy.
7. Nobody will enter into heaven without endure sufferings.
8. The child of Mary accepts its sufferings.
9. Pray always without hypocrisy.
10. Pray always for the Church.
11. Pray without becoming weary.
12. Pray always for the world.
13. Meditate on the Rosary.
14. Meditate on the Rosary of sorrows of the Virgin Mary.
15. Repent, Repent, Repent.
16. Stand strong in your faith.
17. Come back to God.
18. Faith and doubt will come in maliciously.
19. I have opened and you did not come in.
20. What are you waiting for? What are you waiting for? What are you waiting for?

With all of the events going on today in the world, the natural devastations, the wars, the hatred and lack of God in thoughts, words and actions, it seems prudent that we listen to the messages of Our Mother and heed her message. She recommended that the Chaplet of the Seven Sorrows be said on Tuesdays, Fridays and on her feast day, which is the 15th of September. Since tomorrow is her feast day, I think it is a great time to start this devotion, which does have graces attached to it, I might add. The graces are:

1. I will grant peace to their families.
2. They will be enlightened about the divine mysteries.
3. I will console them in their pains and I will accompany
   them in their work.
4. I will give them as much as they ask for as long as it does not oppose the adorable will of my divine Son or the sanctification of their souls.
5. I will defend them in their spiritual battles with the infernal enemy and I will protect them at every instant of their lives.
6. I will visibly help them at the moment of their death; they will see the face of their Mother.
7. I have obtained (this grace) from my divine Son, that those who propagate this devotion to my tears and dolors, will be taken directly from this earthly life to eternal happiness since all their sins will be forgiven and my Son and I will be their eternal consolation and joy.

 You say the rosary of the seven sorrows as follows:

Beginning

When starting the Rosary of Sorrows, after the sign of the cross, we do not recite the "Creed," but immediately say the following prayer:

Introductory prayer
My God, I offer you this Rosary in honor of the seven principal Sorrows of Mary, for your greatest glory, for my conversion and that of all people through your beloved Son, Jesus Christ, our salvation and our unique way to come to you, in union with the Holy Spirit for ever and ever. Amen!

Act of contrition
My God, I regret so much to have offended you because you are infinitely good, infinitely kind and you dislike sin. I make a firm resolution, with the help of your holy grace, never to offend you and to do penance. In this state of contrition, I want to live and die. Amen!

Then recite the first sorrow (see list following this paragraph). Say the Our Father and then 7 Hail Mary's. Then say, Pray for us, Virgin most sorrowful, that we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.

Proceed with the next sorrow.

1. The Prophecy of Simeon (Luke 2:34–35)
2. The Flight into Egypt (Matthew 2:13)
3. The Loss of the Child Jesus in the Temple of Jerusalem (Luke 2:43–45)
4. The Meeting of Mary and Jesus on his Way to Calvary (traditional)
5. Standing at the Foot of the Cross (John 19:25)
6. Jesus Being Taken Down from the Cross (Matthew 27:57–59)
7. The Burial of Jesus (John 19:40–42)

Closing Prayer:

Let us pray.

GRANT, we beseech Thee, O LORD JESUS CHRIST, that the most blessed Virgin Mary, thy Mother, may intercede for us before the throne of thy mercy, now and at the hour of our death, whose most holy soul was transfixed with the sword of sorrow in the hour of thine own Passion. Through Thee, JESUS CHRIST, SAVIOR of the world, who lives and reigns with the Father and the Holy Spirit, forever and ever. Amen. 

The Chaplet of the Seven Sorrows is a beautiful tradition in the Church and allows a soul to walk the via matris, following Mary who kept all of these sorrows in her heart.

If we all pray, pray, pray as Mother Mary requests, and turn our lives to God, perhaps we can attain peace on earth and good will toward men. Have a peaceful week.

Mare

Some Perfect Places to Pray on Staten Island

Last week, I was talking to a good friend of mine, Camille, and I told her that I loved to say my daily prayers in my yard. She lit up like a dazzling Christmas tree and said, oh, I never thought to do that!

Our conversation got me to thinking about all the beautiful places that are, on Staten Island, that are peaceful and perfect for prayer. Of course, one of my favorites is my yard, since I usually stop working either late in the morning or early afternoon for my mid-day dailies. Though I do have to put up with the constant banging and hum of the a/c units in everyone's backyards, the mosquitoes and flies, I can't beat the commute. But, aside from my yard, there are quite a few quiet, lovely, places to go. The quickest way to get to all of them is by car.

Since my yard isn't available for everyone here are some suggestions. We have beautiful places like our shorelines ~ Wolffs Pond Park, Great Kills Park, South Beach, and Conference House Park ~ which are great for walking and meditating. We also have our more interior parks i.e. Bloomingdale, High Rock, Silver Lake, Clove Lakes, to name a few, and they all have walking trails available (just bring your bug spray to keep the biting vermin, like ticks, away.) There is probably a small park in your area that is within walking distance too. I have spent quiet time with God in my local park in Annadale, which is lovely.

Here are some of my suggestions for peaceful places for prayer and meditation.

The Grotto of Our Lady of Mount Carmel, 256 St. Mary's Avenue, Rosebank, SI 10305 Vito Grosso was the driving force that, along with the society he founded, created this beautiful shrine to our Blessed Mother. It is open 24-7. You can check out their FB page for more details or click this link: https://www.ourladyofmountcarmelshrineofrosebank.com/.

One of my favorite places to go is to the chapel at Resurrection Cemetery, on the south end of Hylan Boulevard. The main entrance is 361 Sharrott Avenue. If you are going South on Hylan, make a right onto Sharrott and another right onto the grounds. Okay, some people may be a little creeped out by the chapel as it is a repository for people, but just look at this amazing stain glass window at the back of it! You can see it has an amazing depiction of Jesus on the cross in front of the window too. The cemetery is open from 9:00 A.M. to 4:30 P.M. Monday through Sunday. Catholic Mass is held there every Saturday at 9:30 A.M. BONUS! Blessed Dorothy Day is buried in Resurrection Cemetery. She is buried in Section 10, East parcel, which is diagonally across from the office.

Of course, my absolute favorite place to go is to the Perpetual Adoration Chapel at my church. The church is located at 4747 Amboy Road, but the entrance to the parking lot is on Arden Avenue. The chapel is always open (unless there is inclement weather). On off hours, when the building is locked, you can get into the chapel, by going to the door on the right hand side (from the parking lot). There is a doorbell that is on your right that you need to ring in order to gain entrance into the building. The chapel is inside, immediately to your right and has a big, beautiful, stained glass image of Jesus. Rosary beads are available to take in the ante-room of the chapel and you can also write a prayer intention on the small desk in there and leave it in the white basket in front of the Blessed Sacrament. All members that do hours of perpetual adoration pray for the intentions in the basket, but, please remember to pray for those intentions as well.

Easter Sunday at the chapel

Mid-island we have the incredible Alba House places of prayer. It is located at 2187 Victory Boulevard. Alba House has a beautiful small, stone, chapel, in which you can light candles, a lovely little garden you can sit in, a grotto of saints and of Our Lady of Fatima, as well as a small walk of the Stations of the Cross. All of these are on the right hand side of the grounds, behind the bookstore. To the left, in the back, there is a Perpetual Adoration Chapel. The entrance to this chapel is located up a small flight of stairs right next to a huge picture of the Last Supper. This place is amazing, if you have never been there, especially the small chapel that has a poignant Pieta in its center. I can promise you that you will feel the presence of God in both chapels. It is truly a place of peace. Both chapels are open 24/7. You may need to ring a bell to get into the Perpetual Adoration chapel though. There is adequate parking there btw, and the adoration chapel is adjacent to additional parking.

Last, but not least, is the wonderful grounds of Snug Harbor. Snug Harbor, once the home of retired sailors, is chock full of beautiful gardens and lush green lawns as well as old buildings. It is on acres of land! It is located at 1000 Richmond Terrace, which is in the north part of the island. It is generally open daily, but the grounds close at dusk. You may want to check their site as well, as they have numerous activities and events there! The website is: http://snug-harbor.org/.

Of course, any place that you can find some peace and quiet, even if it is a designated room or area in your house, is the perfect place to pray. After all, it is all about spending quiet time with God and leaving the distractions at the door. I find it is refreshing to set aside time during the day to just sit outside, breathe deep, feel the warmth of the sun and smell the soft scent of my olive wood beads as they slide through my fingers. It doesn't matter that I'm in my yard. It matters that I am talking to God.

I hope that you can do that as well and that you find the perfect place to enhance your prayers. If you have the perfect place to suggest to the readers of this blog, feel free to leave them in the comments below. I would appreciate your suggestions!

Have an awesome day and remember to pray for our brothers and sisters in Texas and Louisiana!

Mare

Affirmations and My Daddy

This morning, just as I do every morning (praise the Lord), I swung my feet over the side of my bed, took my c-pap mask off, turned off the machine, and reached for my little prayer book that used to be my Dad's. I don't know how old it is, but, it has yellowed and the binding is reaching the point where I will have to add a piece of tape to it so that it doesn't fall apart in my hands. When I'm done with my prayers I kiss the remnants of a scapular that was once his. The two weathered leather pieces are kept safely between the pages of the prayer book. I remember him wearing it all those years ago. He used to wear the scapular and a Miraculous medal on a ball chain and truth be told he never, ever, took them off.  In that regard, I'm not like him. I have tried to wear a scapular. Because of my buffalo hump and thick neck (thanks to my Cushing's syndrome) the scapular doesn't hang right around my neck. It curls and sticks out both in the front and back and it generally looks awful and out of place (I know, I'm being vain). I tried wearing the plastic ones, which I really like, but they always get twisted up into the chain, that has my Miraculous Medal and crucifix on it, and that just keeps getting tighter and tighter as the days go by. After years of failed attempts at wearing the scapular I gave up and stopped wearing it.

While sitting there this morning I thought to myself, self, why don't you look for a Sacred Heart badge to carry with you at all times? I could easily get one from the people that we buy our scapulars from. I tried to carry my scapulars with me, but they always ended up in the wash in a pants pocket or I forgot to take them out before putting them away in a drawer. Sadly, I don't even know where my cloth one is anymore; the plastic ones are safely in my jewelry box though. 

Anyway, getting back to this morning a split second after thinking about buying the badge I heard the little voice in my head tell me to look into my Dad's wallet. I have had it since he died in 1989 and it is now tucked into a drawer in my bureau. Looking at it, I don't know how he ever sat down with that bulging beauty in his back pocket. It is chock full with pictures of every one of his kids, grandkids, my Mom, his parents, and just a few prayer cards. He actually has two pictures of me in there; one is of the two of us at my high school Father~Daughter dance and the other is one with me and a 3-year old Tom. Included in the sleeve, in front of both pictures, was a Sacred Heart badge. Of course I wasn't surprised, but I was elated! One of them is now in my pocket. May it always be with me and never see the inside of a washing machine.

The experience of looking through the wallet for the first time in many, many, years not only brought back memories of the days gone by but also of a pretty amazing man. I know my Dad loved me and prayed that Jesus would protect me just as I pray for my own son. My Dad's wallet is testament to the incredible love that a parent has for his child, wife, parents and grandchildren. It's also an affirmation of the devout faith that he had in the protective love of Jesus. My Dad knew that he couldn't be with me at all times, so he put my safety into Jesus' hands. Thank you Daddy. I'm in good hands. It was such an awesome way to start a day, knowing that I was loved beyond belief and that I still am...

So are you; by Jesus. God bless and have a beautiful day.

Mare

Returning to Jesus, Through Mary

I don't know why people find that concept to be so confusing or even deny that it is even possible. Many people return to Jesus, or find Him, through His Mother.  Today, I couldn't imagine my life without Him. He is the reason why I get up each day and is the absolute center of my life. It hasn't always been this way. It has been a long and windy road for me but it was definitely His Mother that put me on the path to Him and I am most grateful to her for doing so.

Many years ago, going back to the mid-90's in fact, I was struggling with and juggling so many things. My Dad had died in '89 and my Mom had gotten sick shortly after that. Tom was young and we were running to evening and weekend things like basketball and Boy Scouts. I had a full-time, stressful, job was going to school at night, chauffeuring  him around, was a Scout leader and had a significant other. On top of that, I was caring for my gravely ill Mom. The same year that she was sick my best friend also became gravely ill. They passed away within months of each other, in 1994.

Way back then I was not a practicing Christian, let alone Catholic, but I did make it to church every Sunday. I was also heavily into spiritual stuff like psychic readings, tarot, crystals, healing and read everything I could get my hands on from people like Sylvia Brown and John Edward. I also dabbled with the Ouija when I was younger (BIG, BIG mistake).  I read the Dead Sea Scrolls, the Gnostic Gospels, the Infancy Gospels and all of the texts from the Nag Hammadi scrolls. I was definitely heading into more of a Gnostic bent than anything else. That is, until my Mom was in her last days with us.

I remember hospice telling us what to look for. People that are dying seem to be walking that fine line between our reality and the next. By the time my Mom was at that point I had already had the experience with two other close relatives but nothing prepared me for what happened with her. Quite a lot of things happened in the house when she was in her final week, but I will only acknowledge one of them that had a direct influence on my spiritual life. I have to first say that when people are dying, (those that are NOT medicated but going through the natural process), they can see and talk to us, but they also kind of disconnect from us and can see and hear things that we can't. They see those that have passed, they can see angels and other entities and they can hear and converse with them as well. Sometimes they are cognizant of both realities, other times they are in one or the other. I know this all sounds strange, but ask any hospice worker and they will tell you some amazing tales of their own. I saw it with my own eyes, as did anyone else that was in the room with her. I will call the periods of when she was not in our reality as "in the zone."

On that one occasion, I walked into the room, she was in the zone. She had a small, clear crystal, one-decade rosary on her bureau top that I had actually bought for her for Christmas one year. I hadn't picked one up in years, but I did pick up that one and started to pray on it. When I was done, I put it back on the bureau and sat with her, waiting for her to come back. When she did, she took my hand and said, "They said you are doing good with that." I asked, with what? She nodded toward the rosary beads and said, "with them." Well, knock my socks off, why don't you, Mom? She went on to tell me that "they" were praying with me. She was fully aware of them doing just that.

After she passed, I took the rosary. I started to pray on it once in a while. I learned how to say it correctly, reciting the mysteries of Jesus and contemplating them while the beads moved through my hands and the prayers through my heart. In 1998 I started going to the Monday night Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal novena at my church. I wasn't actually wearing one at the time but it was a beautiful service with prayers said to Mary, imploring her to protect us and lead us to God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. During the novena, there was a short sermon by the priest and then a benediction, where songs were sung in Latin and the Eucharist was exposed for adoration. It is a beautiful service and I soon found that prayers asked for during the novena were being answered. My reciting of the rosary grew from one decade a day to all five. I can tell you, you cannot say a rosary without growing closer to Jesus as you meditate on so many of his experiences ~ the birth, the agony in the garden, the carrying of the cross, the crucifixion. THIS is how Mary brings people to Jesus through her.  By 1997, I was not only going to Mass on Sunday, I was listening to the readings and hearing them, I was singing the hymns, I was listening to the homily given by the priest, and I was not only saying the prayers but understanding the meanings. With that, something wonderful happened. The Mass became a time of community and joy and a celebration of Christ with us, instead of a place I had to be on Sundays because that is the way it always was with my family. I am going to make a suggestion here. Put the book down and LISTEN during the readings and the homily. Flipping pages and reading along is distracting.  Just listen.

Instead of just having a Bible in the house, I cracked it open and read it from cover to cover. I went to Bible study groups, read the Catechism of the Catholic Church, started to go to the perpetual adoration chapel at a local church and eventually at my own church when it was created. By leaps and bounds, by prayer and contemplation, by opening myself up to my faith and closing myself off to many of the temptations of the world I found Christ Jesus waiting for me.

Now, my days are filled with prayer and my love of the Lord. I say prayers, I share them, I write them and I teach them. In the world's eyes I am not wealthy but in my eyes I am rich and enriched beyond belief.  I am so blessed that I picked up a small rosary so many years ago and answered Mary's call to return to her Son. It has been an incredible ride and an amazing journey. Thank you Mother Mary for loving me that much.

Have a beautiful week, despite the weather.

Peace,
Mare

Does God Answer Our Prayers?

Well, I think He answers my prayers, SOMETIMES.  AT Times I don't like the answer; sometimes I feel like He isn't listening. The truth of the matter is that God hears all of our prayers.

Admittedly, many days I feel very close to him and it is often on days that I least expect to find any kind of peace or solace that I experience it. I live with a chronic, often very painful, syndrome that is basically a ticking time bomb in my body. I know that it is fatal but we are all dying so that thought really doesn't bother me. After all, you do have to die in order to be with our Lord and hold his hand or be held in his embrace. Truly, I long for that day however I wouldn't do anything to speed the process along; I have too many things I want to accomplish here before that happens. There are days, though, that I am wracked with so much pain that I have curled up into my bed and under the covers. On those days I have cried out to him to relieve the pain and yes, with the help of things like Advil and warmth the pain is alleviated.

Almost a decade ago I met a man. The moment our eyes met it was like the world stopped and I got hit by a lightning bolt at the same time. We got very friendly very fast and when I was with him, even if there were hundreds of people in the room with us, it was like we were the only two people standing there. I can't even count how many nights I tossed and turned and wrote in my journal all because of him. The first few years it was agony and ecstasy as any new relationship is. You know how it is, you think of your love night and day and can't wait to see them, even if it is just a glimpse of their smile. You don't have to go anywhere or do anything special, just being with them is special enough and you want to spend all of your free time with them. The only problem was that there wasn't any sunsets and rainbows in our future. There wasn't even any dates or stolen kisses in the present. I was gob-smacked, over the moon, crazy in love with a man that was totally and completely off the market and there was no way that was going to change either. It was sheer torture. Now I'm a reasonably level-headed gal. I do not give into flights of fancy and my feet are pretty grounded in reality but the man just overwhelmed me with emotion. After a few years of intensity I finally dropped to my knees in my bedroom one night and prayed fervently that God would lift this burden from my heart. He did just that and He also knocked me on my butt for a few years too. When I saw the man a  year or so later my heart still leaped, I can't lie, but at least I was able to talk to him without blushing wildly like a school girl. God answered my prayer yet I also got the opportunity to distance myself from things so that a clearer head could prevail. He is such an awesome God for doing that for me. It does show me, though, that even if you are truly, madly, deeply in love with someone that doesn't mean that you are meant to be together. It isn't a fun part of life yet it is a fact of life (and no he was not a married man, not in the traditional way anyway).

It is mentioned in the Bible that God does not answer all prayer. John 9:31 states, "We know that God does not listen to sinners, but He does listen to the one who worships Him and does His will." Well, since we are all sinners, I am certainly flawed as you have read, does this mean that only a select few receive his response to our prayer? Seems so. I guess, if you are living a life that is rife with mortal sin don't expect to be hearing from Him anytime soon. You must have a penitent heart, turn your life to Him, and live in the graces that He has given you. If it is His will and in your best interest He will heed and answer your prayers. It takes courage and hard work to follow in His footsteps in this day and age. That is why the sacrament of Confession is such a beautiful thing. I find comfort and solace in knowing that I can unburden myself of my sins weekly, if need be, and then go on living my life with and for Christ.

There is a beautiful prayer, The Divine Mercy Chaplet, that can and should be said daily, though it is for the dying. Jesus said that ALL should say this prayer daily. This prayer is one of penitence that asks God to forgive all of your sins. It is said on a rosary. In the interest of space I will provide you with a link to our Prayer Page on the website. The link is above. This is said at 3:00 P.M., which is the holy hour. Another great habit to get into is to meditate on your sins before bed and then say an Act of Contrition. That is on our Prayer Page as well. Another wonderful prayer is The Chaplet of the Seven Sorrows. Also on that Page. That is said while you meditate on your sins and Mother Mary's sorrows. They are special beads that are available. Contact us for availability. The link is at the top of this blog.  Divine Mercy, Divine Child of Jesus, Rosary for Life, the Chaplet of the Seven Sorrows and a Chaplet to St. Benedict are some that are available at the moment. 

I can promise you, if you put God first in your life, He will put you first as well. Have a great week.

Mare

Faith & Healing

A few days ago  I read an interesting article about faith and healing. It was a nice article, in the Aletia on-line magazine, that showcased one man's perspective on how they go hand in hand. Can you have healing without faith? Of course you can. It happens every day in the hands of doctors, surgeons, therapists and other mental health professionals and even financial advisors. All of them can heal a person in one way or another. I guess you could say that you have faith in those people because you sought them out to help you, but I'm talking about a faith in God when it comes to healing. Even Atheists have faith in doctors and the others.

I know that my church, and one other local one, have monthly healing masses and services. During the mass the Holy Spirit is invoked and asked to provide healing for all of those present whether it be a spiritual, mental, or physical aspect. After the mass, at my church, a healing service is conducted where there is a laying on of hands and then prayers are said over a person. It probably took me a year to actually go and have that done to me. I remember the first time that I went to the mass I sat and watched the service afterward and some of the people that were being prayed over crumpled to the floor. That totally and completely freaked me out and, as one with a rather formidable figure, I had visions of myself crumbling to the floor while four skinny arms tried to stop me. The speaking in tongues thing gave me a "what the?" moment too. After that, I educated myself on what was happening and why. Speaking in tongues is a gift of the Holy Spirit. If you are truly speaking through this gift, either you will understand what is being said or someone else will. If it is all just garbled nonsensical ramblings, it is not the Holy Spirit speaking through them. The other thing I learned is that you can sit and have them pray over you. Once I found that out I decided to have a go at it.

I was prayed over by a group of 3 women, one of which was a Sister involved with the church's School of Religion. I sat down while they each put a hand on me and inquired what my prayer intention was. I told them that it was not actually for me but a family member that was struggling with addiction. During my education on the crumbling and tongues I found out that you can have them pray over you for the healing of another person. I did have some pretty serious things going on in my own body at the time, but I really needed to pray for my loved one. The women then put both of their hands on me and started to pray, with their eyes closed. The louder and more passionate they got, the more I felt a flush of heat pulsate through my body from my hair follicles to the tips of my toes. It only took a few minutes before some of them were speaking in tongues. After the flush I felt an incredible peace settle into my bones and then it was over. I just sat there with my eyes closed feeling the peace and warmth and utter silence in my head and it was just an awesome experience. I wish I could say that my loved one stopped using drugs and was immediately cured, but it took many more years of prayers before he decided to get clean and sober. On the other hand, I had a pretty miraculous, unexpected turn of events.

The following week I had to go for a follow up sonogram. A prior test had shown that four of my organs were filled with cysts. My pancreas had so many that they thought it was a tumor. The follow up sono could find no trace of any of them, neither in the pancreas nor in any other organ. My doc said whatever you are doing, keep doing it! I've been to a number of healing masses since then. I've had tumors disappear and many prayers answered. You can say that I am a firm believer in the power of prayers, the power of faith and its direct correlation with healing.

If you have the opportunity to go to a good healing service or mass do so. Stay away from things like Reiki though. They are not invoking the Holy Spirit and you are opening yourself up to some nasty things. It is okay to pray for yourself, but it is more important to pray for others.  God hears all prayers. God heals, if it is His will to do so. Sure, healing can occur without a faith in God, but isn't it nicer to have him by your side?

Have a great week.

Mare