7 Quotes from Saint Lucia, Visionary at Fatima

Saint Lucia was one of the three visionaries that Mother Mary appeared to in Fatima in 1917. Two of the children Jacinta and Francisco, died just a few short years after the visions, but Lucia lived to an old age of 97 as a Carmelite nun and died in Coimbra, Portugal. She spent her life in solitude praying and writing of the visions of the Blessed Mother, which included several after she became a nun. Following are some of the life lessons that she has suggested for all of us to live by to grow a life closer to her son, Jesus Christ.

 

𝗥𝗼𝘀𝗮𝗿𝘆

“𝘞𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘭𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘴 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘵𝘰𝘨𝘦𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳, 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘺 𝘴𝘱𝘦𝘯𝘥 𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘳𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘳𝘴 𝘳𝘦𝘱𝘦𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘢𝘮𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨: ‘𝘐 𝘭𝘰𝘷𝘦 𝘺𝘰𝘶!’ 𝘞𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘪𝘴 𝘮𝘪𝘴𝘴𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘱𝘦𝘰𝘱𝘭𝘦 𝘸𝘩𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘬 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘳𝘰𝘴𝘢𝘳𝘺 𝘮𝘰𝘯𝘰𝘵𝘰𝘯𝘰𝘶𝘴 𝘪𝘴 𝘓𝘰𝘷𝘦; 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘪𝘴 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘥𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘭𝘰𝘷𝘦 𝘪𝘴 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘵𝘩𝘭𝘦𝘴𝘴.”

“𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘔𝘰𝘴𝘵 𝘏𝘰𝘭𝘺 𝘝𝘪𝘳𝘨𝘪𝘯 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘴𝘦 𝘭𝘢𝘴𝘵 𝘵𝘪𝘮𝘦𝘴 𝘪𝘯 𝘸𝘩𝘪𝘤𝘩 𝘸𝘦 𝘭𝘪𝘷𝘦 𝘩𝘢𝘴 𝘨𝘪𝘷𝘦𝘯 𝘢 𝘯𝘦𝘸 𝘦𝘧𝘧𝘪𝘤𝘢𝘤𝘺 𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘳𝘦𝘤𝘪𝘵𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘙𝘰𝘴𝘢𝘳𝘺 𝘵𝘰 𝘴𝘶𝘤𝘩 𝘢𝘯 𝘦𝘹𝘵𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘪𝘴 𝘯𝘰 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘣𝘭𝘦𝘮, 𝘯𝘰 𝘮𝘢𝘵𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘩𝘰𝘸 𝘥𝘪𝘧𝘧𝘪𝘤𝘶𝘭𝘵 𝘪𝘵 𝘪𝘴, 𝘸𝘩𝘦𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘵𝘦𝘮𝘱𝘰𝘳𝘢𝘭 𝘰𝘳 𝘢𝘣𝘰𝘷𝘦 𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘴𝘱𝘪𝘳𝘪𝘵𝘶𝘢𝘭, 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘰𝘯𝘢𝘭 𝘭𝘪𝘧𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘦𝘢𝘤𝘩 𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘶𝘴, 𝘰𝘧 𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘧𝘢𝘮𝘪𝘭𝘪𝘦𝘴… 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘤𝘢𝘯𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘣𝘦 𝘴𝘰𝘭𝘷𝘦𝘥 𝘣𝘺 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘙𝘰𝘴𝘢𝘳𝘺. 𝘛𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘪𝘴 𝘯𝘰 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘣𝘭𝘦𝘮, 𝘐 𝘵𝘦𝘭𝘭 𝘺𝘰𝘶, 𝘯𝘰 𝘮𝘢𝘵𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘩𝘰𝘸 𝘥𝘪𝘧𝘧𝘪𝘤𝘶𝘭𝘵 𝘪𝘵 𝘪𝘴, 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘸𝘦 𝘤𝘢𝘯𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘰𝘭𝘷𝘦 𝘣𝘺 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘱𝘳𝘢𝘺𝘦𝘳 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘏𝘰𝘭𝘺 𝘙𝘰𝘴𝘢𝘳𝘺.”

“𝘚𝘪𝘯𝘤𝘦 𝘸𝘦 𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘯𝘦𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘱𝘳𝘢𝘺, 𝘎𝘰𝘥 𝘢𝘴𝘬𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘶𝘴, 𝘢𝘴 𝘢 𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘥 𝘰𝘧 𝘥𝘢𝘪𝘭𝘺 𝘪𝘯𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵, 𝘢 𝘱𝘳𝘢𝘺𝘦𝘳 𝘸𝘩𝘪𝘤𝘩 𝘪𝘴 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯 𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘤𝘩: 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘙𝘰𝘴𝘢𝘳𝘺, 𝘸𝘩𝘪𝘤𝘩 𝘤𝘢𝘯 𝘣𝘦 𝘳𝘦𝘤𝘪𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘦𝘪𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘪𝘯 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘮𝘰𝘯 𝘰𝘳 𝘪𝘯 𝘱𝘳𝘪𝘷𝘢𝘵𝘦, 𝘦𝘪𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘪𝘯 𝘤𝘩𝘶𝘳𝘤𝘩 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘱𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘦𝘯𝘤𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘉𝘭𝘦𝘴𝘴𝘦𝘥 𝘚𝘢𝘤𝘳𝘢𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘰𝘳 𝘢𝘵 𝘩𝘰𝘮𝘦, 𝘦𝘪𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘵 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘧𝘢𝘮𝘪𝘭𝘺 𝘰𝘳 𝘢𝘭𝘰𝘯𝘦, 𝘦𝘪𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘸𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘷𝘦𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘰𝘳 𝘸𝘩𝘪𝘭𝘦 𝘸𝘢𝘭𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘲𝘶𝘪𝘦𝘵𝘭𝘺 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘧𝘪𝘦𝘭𝘥𝘴. 𝘈 𝘮𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘰𝘧 𝘢 𝘧𝘢𝘮𝘪𝘭𝘺 𝘤𝘢𝘯 𝘴𝘢𝘺 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘙𝘰𝘴𝘢𝘳𝘺 𝘸𝘩𝘪𝘭𝘦 𝘴𝘩𝘦 𝘳𝘰𝘤𝘬𝘴 𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘣𝘢𝘣𝘺’𝘴 𝘤𝘳𝘢𝘥𝘭𝘦 𝘰𝘳 𝘥𝘰𝘦𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘴𝘦𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘬. 𝘖𝘶𝘳 𝘥𝘢𝘺 𝘩𝘢𝘴 24 𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘳𝘴 𝘪𝘯 𝘪𝘵. 𝘐𝘵 𝘪𝘴 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘢𝘴𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢 𝘨𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘵 𝘥𝘦𝘢𝘭 𝘵𝘰 𝘴𝘦𝘵 𝘢𝘴𝘪𝘥𝘦 𝘢 𝘲𝘶𝘢𝘳𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘰𝘧 𝘢𝘯 𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘱𝘪𝘳𝘪𝘵𝘶𝘢𝘭 𝘭𝘪𝘧𝘦, 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘪𝘯𝘵𝘪𝘮𝘢𝘵𝘦 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘧𝘢𝘮𝘪𝘭𝘪𝘢𝘳 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘦 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘎𝘰𝘥.”

𝗗𝗮𝗶𝗹𝘆 𝗦𝗮𝗰𝗿𝗶𝗳𝗶𝗰𝗲𝘀

“𝘗𝘶𝘵𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘶𝘱 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘢𝘯𝘺 𝘴𝘢𝘤𝘳𝘪𝘧𝘪𝘤𝘦𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘢𝘴𝘬𝘦𝘥 𝘰𝘧 𝘶𝘴 𝘪𝘯 𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘥𝘢𝘺-𝘵𝘰-𝘥𝘢𝘺 𝘭𝘪𝘷𝘦𝘴 𝘣𝘦𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘴 𝘢 𝘴𝘭𝘰𝘸 𝘮𝘢𝘳𝘵𝘺𝘳𝘥𝘰𝘮 𝘸𝘩𝘪𝘤𝘩 𝘱𝘶𝘳𝘪𝘧𝘪𝘦𝘴 𝘶𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘳𝘢𝘪𝘴𝘦𝘴 𝘶𝘴 𝘶𝘱 𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘭𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘭 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘶𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘯𝘢𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘢𝘭, 𝘵𝘩𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘦𝘯𝘤𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘰𝘧 𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘴𝘰𝘶𝘭 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘎𝘰𝘥, 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘢𝘵𝘮𝘰𝘴𝘱𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘱𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘦𝘯𝘤𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘔𝘰𝘴𝘵 𝘏𝘰𝘭𝘺 𝘛𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘪𝘵𝘺 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯 𝘶𝘴. 𝘞𝘦 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘢𝘯 𝘪𝘯𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘱𝘢𝘳𝘢𝘣𝘭𝘦 𝘴𝘱𝘪𝘳𝘪𝘵𝘶𝘢𝘭 𝘳𝘪𝘤𝘩𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘴!”

𝗠𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗮𝗴𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝗙𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗺𝗮

“𝘏𝘦𝘭𝘭 𝘪𝘴 𝘢 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘭𝘪𝘵𝘺. 𝘐𝘵 𝘪𝘴 𝘢 𝘴𝘶𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘯𝘢𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘢𝘭 𝘧𝘪𝘳𝘦 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘱𝘩𝘺𝘴𝘪𝘤𝘢𝘭. 𝘐𝘵 𝘤𝘢𝘯𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘣𝘦 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘱𝘢𝘳𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘧𝘪𝘳𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘣𝘶𝘳𝘯𝘴 𝘸𝘰𝘰𝘥 𝘰𝘳 𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘳𝘤𝘰𝘢𝘭… 𝘊𝘰𝘯𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘶𝘦 𝘱𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢𝘣𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘩𝘦𝘭𝘭 𝘣𝘦𝘤𝘢𝘶𝘴𝘦 𝘖𝘶𝘳 𝘓𝘰𝘳𝘥 𝘩𝘪𝘮𝘴𝘦𝘭𝘧 𝘴𝘱𝘰𝘬𝘦 𝘢𝘣𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘩𝘦𝘭𝘭, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘪𝘵 𝘪𝘴 𝘪𝘯 𝘚𝘢𝘤𝘳𝘦𝘥 𝘚𝘤𝘳𝘪𝘱𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘦. 𝘎𝘰𝘥 𝘥𝘰𝘦𝘴 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘥𝘦𝘮𝘯 𝘢𝘯𝘺𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘩𝘦𝘭𝘭. 𝘎𝘰𝘥 𝘨𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘮𝘦𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘭𝘪𝘣𝘦𝘳𝘵𝘺 𝘵𝘰 𝘤𝘩𝘰𝘰𝘴𝘦, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘎𝘰𝘥 𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘱𝘦𝘤𝘵𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘩𝘶𝘮𝘢𝘯 𝘭𝘪𝘣𝘦𝘳𝘵𝘺.” [𝘊𝘩𝘳𝘪𝘴𝘵𝘶𝘴 𝘔𝘢𝘨𝘢𝘻𝘪𝘯𝘦 𝘐𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘷𝘪𝘦𝘸]

“𝘓𝘦𝘵 𝘶𝘴 𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘸𝘪𝘭𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘭𝘺 𝘦𝘯𝘥𝘦𝘢𝘷𝘰𝘳 𝘵𝘰 𝘧𝘰𝘭𝘭𝘰𝘸 𝘧𝘢𝘪𝘵𝘩𝘧𝘶𝘭𝘭𝘺 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘱𝘢𝘵𝘩 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘏𝘦 𝘩𝘢𝘴 𝘮𝘢𝘱𝘱𝘦𝘥 𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘶𝘴. 𝘠𝘦𝘴, 𝘣𝘦𝘤𝘢𝘶𝘴𝘦 𝘪𝘵 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘰𝘧 𝘭𝘰𝘷𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘎𝘰𝘥 𝘴𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘶𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘱𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘴𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘤𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘮𝘦𝘳𝘤𝘺, 𝘪𝘯 𝘰𝘳𝘥𝘦𝘳 𝘵𝘰 𝘩𝘦𝘭𝘱 𝘶𝘴 𝘢𝘭𝘰𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘢𝘺 𝘰𝘧 𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘴𝘢𝘭𝘷𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯.”

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗘𝗻𝗱-𝗧𝗶𝗺𝗲𝘀

“𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘧𝘪𝘯𝘢𝘭 𝘣𝘢𝘵𝘵𝘭𝘦 𝘣𝘦𝘵𝘸𝘦𝘦𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘓𝘰𝘳𝘥 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘥𝘰𝘮 𝘰𝘧 𝘚𝘢𝘵𝘢𝘯 𝘸𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘣𝘦 𝘢𝘣𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘮𝘢𝘳𝘳𝘪𝘢𝘨𝘦 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘧𝘢𝘮𝘪𝘭𝘺. 𝘋𝘰 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘣𝘦 𝘢𝘧𝘳𝘢𝘪𝘥, 𝘣𝘦𝘤𝘢𝘶𝘴𝘦 𝘢𝘯𝘺𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘸𝘩𝘰 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘬𝘴 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘵𝘺 𝘰𝘧 𝘮𝘢𝘳𝘳𝘪𝘢𝘨𝘦 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘧𝘢𝘮𝘪𝘭𝘺 𝘸𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘢𝘭𝘸𝘢𝘺𝘴 𝘣𝘦 𝘧𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩𝘵 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘰𝘱𝘱𝘰𝘴𝘦𝘥 𝘪𝘯 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺 𝘸𝘢𝘺, 𝘣𝘦𝘤𝘢𝘶𝘴𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘪𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘥𝘦𝘤𝘪𝘴𝘪𝘷𝘦 𝘪𝘴𝘴𝘶𝘦. 𝘏𝘰𝘸𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳, 𝘖𝘶𝘳 𝘓𝘢𝘥𝘺 𝘩𝘢𝘴 𝘢𝘭𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘥𝘺 𝘤𝘳𝘶𝘴𝘩𝘦𝘥 𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘩𝘦𝘢𝘥.”

 

Do, as our Mother requested. 

Peace,

Mare 

When Saint Benedict Saved My Life

Ugh, today didn't start out the way I planned. It was one of those mornings. I swung my feet over the side of the bed, sat up, and the room spun. I just needed to lie back down and do it again, slowly, so that my positional vertigo caught up with my surroundings. Then, with my crumbling knees and wonky ankles I wobbled over to the bureau and I decided on my outfit for my outing with the fam for brekkie. 

We drove south to Ellis Street on the island, where our destination Fina's Farmhouse is located, and the traffic was rather insane heading to New Jersey. We found out that there was an accident on the Outerbridge that wasn't going to be cleared up anytime soon. Turns out it was not only an accident but also an oil spill, so that would tie up traffic on the island to New Jersey for hours. Now that truly is a bad way to start a day. I just checked the news and thank God it doesn't appear that anyone was injured in the 3-car collision. PTL We sat in traffic for a bit but managed to get out of it so that was unexpected. Sigh.

Now I'm no food critic, but I've had way better at a diner than I did at Fina's. Lisa's honey butter pancakes were suspiciously under cooked and not what she expected. We sat and watched them pour Timmy's apple juice from a Shoprite container into a plastic cup with ice, which cost us $3, and oddest of all, they only had two types of tea ~ black regular and green (according to the waitress). Now, I LOVE black tea, but my body hasn't done caffeine since the 90's so it was a disappointing green tea for me. But sitting with family for breakfast, or any meal, is priceless though isn't it? I digress...

When i got home I changed into my play clothes and headed into the backyard to say my Rosary and Divine Mercy Chaplet. That's when I started to think of just how fragile life is. I'm not sure what got me thinking about it but I thought of January 2025 when I was in the hospital with pneumonia and a UTI. Oh, I know what it was! My sugar is absolute crapola today. It was crashing when I woke up so I ate a banana (worst fruit ever for a diabetic). I have cyclical Cushing's syndrome so my sugar goes up when I get stressed, or if if I'm sick, or if my cortisol is wonky, or if I'm surprised, or tired, or singing, or exercising, or dancing,or if it's a Friday in August or no reason at all. Of course what I eat happens to affect it too, but normally my blood sugar just needs a high cortisol to get it pumping so it can and does raise while fasting too. 

Anyhoo, literally a week or so before going into the hospital in 2025, I had received 5 or 6 Saint Benedict medals for myself and my family that had been blessed by an Exorcist (how cool is that?) My cousin knew a guy, that knew him or something like that, but anyway, I got them and instantly switched the blackened one on my neck for the new one, so I had a brand new, shiny, Saint Benedict jubilee medal on my neck. While in the hospital on the third day, at dinner time, the lovely lady from dietary came and delivered my dinner and also a half turkey sandwich and graham crackers for later in the evening. (You know how hospitals are ~ serve dinner at 4:30-5 and the next meal is breakfast at 8:30 the next day.) The hospital administers insulin to diabetics before you eat, based on a finger stick just prior to the meal, and the shot is adjusted based on your numbers. At around 10, the aide came in to do a finger stick and give me my regular dose of long-term insulin for the night. At one point the doctor decided that the sugar was still too high so he sent her in again with another 10 units and then again with another 60 units, that was way, way, way over-medicating me. Aside from that, my long-lasting insulin should not be mixed with the short ones.

The moment she left I started to feel sick. I can't even begin to describe what it did to me mentally. I couldn't even form the words to speak, my heart started racing and I broke out in a sweat. Most of all, I swear I could feel my soul about to leave my body. It was a very odd feeling like my body was transitioning. I knew that I was in trouble because I was in the bed but didn't feel connected to my body. Very odd. My first thought was to get that sandwich into my mouth, which I did along with the graham crackers that were with it. My roommate saw that I was in trouble, from my gray color and flailing arms) and came over to me (she was a nurse too) and yelled for the night nurse. They got orange juice, opened it up, and added sugar to it and had me gulp two of them. The nurse then took a finger stick and it was in the low 20's!!!!! That's a coma number. It started to go up from there. After my body started to calm down, the nurse told me to get some sleep and I told her that I was afraid to, because I was afraid I would die in my sleep. She assured me she would watch out for me and I did finally manage to get to sleep.  

Now, normally, you just get meals delivered but that day dietary brought those extras. Because of Cushing's, I have a horrible immune system and I'm constantly at the hospital or in the hospital for something and that's the first and only time that has ever happened. 

Saint Benedict is the patron saint of many things, but one of them is protection against poison. Insulin is poison to a body that doesn't need it. I'm a firm believer that it was 100% because of the intercession of Saint Benedict, whom I have a devotion to, that I am still here. If I didn't have that half a sandwich and graham cookie, I would never have been able to function and get my roomy's attention. Praise the Lord, and thank you Saint Benedict. You won't change my mind about that and say what you want, but I just happened to get a new Saint Benedict jubilee medal, blessed by an Exorcist, a week before I was overdosed on a poison? Yes, it was him.

So that is when Saint Benedict saved my life. It is because of his intercession, and God, that I am still here and able to enjoy brekkie with the family and my little Timothy.

Enjoy each day. Thank your saints that answer your prayers. Thank God when you get a little God wink. Life is so fragile. Be kind to one another. Love and peace to you.

Mare 

 

 

These Are a Few of My Favorite Things

 

The Rich Man

¹⁷ As Jesus was starting out on his way to Jerusalem, a man came running up to him, knelt down, and asked, “Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?”

¹⁸ “Why do you call me good?” Jesus asked. “Only God is truly good. ¹⁹ But to answer your question, you know the commandments: ‘You must not murder. You must not commit adultery. You must not steal. You must not testify falsely. You must not cheat anyone. Honor your father and mother.’^[a]”

²⁰ “Teacher,” the man replied, “I’ve obeyed all these commandments since I was young.”

²¹ Looking at the man, Jesus felt genuine love for him. “There is still one thing you haven’t done,” he told him. “Go and sell all your possessions and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.”

²² At this the man’s face fell, and he went away sad, for he had many possessions.

²³ Jesus looked around and said to his disciples, “How hard it is for the rich to enter the Kingdom of God!” ²⁴ This amazed them. But Jesus said again, “Dear children, it is very hard^[b] to enter the Kingdom of God. ²⁵ In fact, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the Kingdom of God!”

²⁶ The disciples were astounded. “Then who in the world can be saved?” they asked.

²⁷ Jesus looked at them intently and said, “Humanly speaking, it is impossible. But not with God. Everything is possible with God.”

²⁸ Then Peter began to speak up. “We’ve given up everything to follow you,” he said.

²⁹ “Yes,” Jesus replied, “and I assure you that everyone who has given up house or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or property, for my sake and for the Good News, ³⁰ will receive now in return a hundred times as many houses, brothers, sisters, mothers, children, and property—along with persecution. And in the world to come that person will have eternal life. ³¹ But many who are the greatest now will be least important then, and those who seem least important now will be the greatest then.^[c]”

I do love this story in the Bible but recently it has become even more poignant. It makes me think of people that have lost everything that they own in a natural disaster or accident. It makes me think of homeless people that are believers in Christ. Think of how close they are to Him; the poorest of the poor as well from all over the world. The last will be first when entering into the gates of heaven.

We are in the process of renovating my home and business area and I have moved to my first floor, while the rest of the house is being finalized. Somehow, someway, in the chaos that was my old upper floors, every single thing that either meant something significant, or I needed,  was thrown out. (My towels and bed linens,  books, CD's, and kitchen things survived the move.) They literally moved down two floors, not across the world. But, I'm extremely upset that 5-6 contractor bags of my clothes (pants, shirts, undies, socks, jammies, sweaters), blankets, towels, comforters, table cloths, 3 cases of family pictures and memories, (most of Tom as a baby and as he grew), a mandolin, my original artwork going back 22 years, my original writings going back 50 years, letters and postcard from my parents and grandparents, friends and even ex-love interests, original documents in a safe (yes, they threw out an actual SAFE), a hefty scarf collection (fashion), winter coat, my mom's wedding dress, my son's/brother's/grandfather's Christening gown and outfit, my parent's wedding cake topper and album, and pieces of artwork my Mom had made as well as prints of artists that I love, my clothes rack for drying, my bureau mirror and collector dolls and antiques. Yes, it's all stuff. Yes, I am beyond upset and angry over it. These were the items I decided to keep after meticulously going through the house purging and boxing things up for donations.  49 boxes went to the Vietnam Veterans of America and another 3 contractor bags of clothing and shoes went to St. Mary's. Probably 100 bags of garbage were discarded as well.  I have to say that it was Incredibly exhilarating to unburden myself of all of those items. Even my discarded furniture, which were antiques, found good homes. 

Contemplating this story now, I see myself in the rich man AND in the disciples. My heart is like the disciples ~ full of love for Christ and wanting to be as near to him as possible. My life was more like the rich man though ~ filled with material stuff. Prior to my purge I would have given Him that horrified look too. You want me to do what?? Give away all my stuff??

The good news is that I've reached the point now, after living with the reality for a few months, where I'm ready to let go of more of my items that are currently sitting in the garage,  It's items that I wanted to keep initially. They no longer hold the importance that they once did, even just a few months ago.

I will miss seeing all my baby's milestones and the family and friends I have lost over the years in my albums, but maybe losing the rest is a good thing. If I'm sick over everything that I lost, maybe I put WAY too much emphasis on my material things and not enough on my spiritual growth. God has knocked me on the head in the past to get my attention. Maybe this is another knock to help me to let go and let God.  I think that I will do just that.

Here's hoping that you can do the same.🙏

Peace,

Mare

The Chaplet of Divine Mercy, Said Daily at 3:00 P.M. on a Standard Rosary

 

CHAPLET OF THE DIVINE MERCY

Optional Opening Prayers:

You expired, Jesus, but the source of life gushed forth for souls,
and the ocean of mercy opened up for the whole world.
O Fount of Life, unfathomable Divine Mercy,
envelop the whole world and empty Yourself out upon us.

(Repeat 3 times) O Blood and Water, which gushed forth from the Heart of Jesus as a fountain of Mercy for us, I trust in You!

Our Father, Hail Mary and the Apostle's Creed

For each of the five decades (On each “Our Father” bead of the rosary, pray)

Eternal Father, I offer you the Body and Blood, Soul and Divinity of Your Dearly Beloved Son, Our Lord, Jesus Christ, in atonement for our sins and those of the whole world.

(On each of the 10 “Hail Mary” beads, pray)
For the sake of His sorrowful Passion, have mercy on us and on the whole world.

Concluding prayer (Repeat 3 times)
Holy God, Holy Mighty One, Holy Immortal One, have mercy on us and on the whole world.

Optional Closing Prayer
Eternal God, in whom mercy is endless and the treasury of compassion inexhaustible, look kindly upon us and increase Your mercy in us, that in difficult moments we might not despair nor become despondent, but with great confidence submit ourselves to Your holy will, which is Love and Mercy itself.

The Mystical in Me, Jim, and You

During the crucifixion scene of The Passion of the Christ, Jim Caviezel received an interior locution. Of this locution he said,

"God spoke to me... they don't love me. There are very few."

Jim responded,

"Well, I'm going to love You and I'm going to tell You that I love you."

In 2019, Jim, along with his friend Fr. Calloway and a large group of pilgrims traveled to the holy land. After walking the Stations of the Cross, they arrived at the tomb of Jesus just after 6 A.M. The doors were closed, and Fr. Calloway was standing near them, when another fellow pilgrim took a photo of the doors. The doors looked ordinary to the eye, but  the photo has an extraordinary event occurring, as there is a figure visible in them that was not present. It's a shrouded man.

In essence you have, at a minimum, two people that God directly communicated with. It happens and it seems to be happening more and more these days. It's like an incredible veil has been lifted and God is sending signs and wonders to more of those that are listening to Him.

Here is the tomb photo, which according to the youtube channel that published it, Mystic.com, it is enhanced so that you can see it:

Jim has said that he feels a deep spiritual connection to God. I get that. I feel the same connection and pretty much have for a few decades now.

My own most deep spiritual experience was when I was "told" to take a photo of the Host in the adoration chapel, Christmas day, 2011. Of course when the photos were downloaded onto the computer, I found it hard to breathe. Just as with the above photo, the Host looked ordinary to my eyes. The photo was beyond extraordinary. It's mystical, and a miracle and I was and still am awed that God shared Himself with me.I cannot say this loud enough or often enough, JESUS CHRIST IS PRESENT IN THE EUCHARIST..... Approach Him in grace and with reverence. I beg of you.

Glory Glory Gifts was created because of an interior locution. While in the adoration chapel, back in April 2008, I was told to, 

"Bring prayer to those that no longer come to my Father's house." 

I actually looked around to see where it came from and He repeated it because I was like, um... what? It was a direct commandment to me. 

That's why I'm always harping on you all to pray. Pray always. Thank God for everything that you have. Pray for everyone even your enemies. PRAY. PRAY. AND PRAY.

Also, in case you missed it before, JESUS CHRIST IS PRESENT IN THE EUCHARIST.

Another important, but short, locution that I received, while sitting in my living room, was:

"Do not sleep with your rosary in your hand, lest you drop them on the floor..." 

You should not sleep with any blessed item in your hand because of this. If you feel the need to sleep with a rosary, wrap it around your wrist so that it doesn't fall off. Put smaller blessed items in your pocket or next to your bed. Hang larger ones above your bed. I often sleep with a rosary around my wrist, particularly when I have felt attacked. That, and prayer, have helped me sleep many a night.

Who is attacking me you ask? Satan, that's who. The closer that you connect with God, the more that jerk is going to try and break up your relationship and break you down. On a daily basis, I deal with many health issues. Add to that machines breaking down for no reason, products disappearing and reappearing later,lost mail, irate customers, theft, scammers, spammers, trolls, and throw in a few stalkers for good measure. I'm having a major issue with our Word of God Bible Study page that FB hasn't been able to fix in a full two months now. I can't schedule posts. Now who do you think throws all those wrenches into our daily job of promoting prayer and spreading the Gospels? It's the darkness trying to seep into my life. The good news is, though, that God and light keeps all the darkness from taking over. It will try, but it will not win.

What's the point of this post? God speaks to those that listen. God speaks to those that speak to Him.God could be trying to get your attention right now. Are you open to Him? YOU will grow closer to him with every prayer that you utter. YOU grow closer to Him with every word in the Bible that you read. YOU grow closer to Him with every work of mercy that you do for someone. YOU grow closer to Him with every act of love that you give or show. Whatever you do for the least of your brethren, you do FOR Him. He KNOWS all about you. You need to know all about Him.

If you truly open up your heart to God you will hear Him. WE ALL have the power to be as close to God as is humanly possible. We all have a bit of mysticism in us when it comes to Him. We are all open to receive His messages and signs. You just have to look for them, and no, I'm not talking about through the new age crapola. I'm talking serious dialogue with God the Almighty, God the Son, God the Holy Spirit. 

The mystical me wants to surrender totally and completely to God.

LOVE GOD, always. Say I love you God, every day. Be like Jim.

Pray and Listen, that is my message. By the grace and glory of God, you too will hear Him when he calls.

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

Daily Prayer

"Grace" by Eric Enstrom

Statistics show that Christian women pray daily more often then men at a difference of 61% to 51%. That is taking 53 countries into consideration. On average, Jewish men of Israel pray more than women at 34% vs 20%. In the U.S. and other countries, Jewish men and women daily prayer schedules are about the same at 71% and 72%. In the vast majority of countries surveyed, 34 out of 40, Muslim men and women prayed about the same amount of time, however, the men are more likely to attend weekly or daily service.

On average, the Jewish people pray 3 times a day. Shacharit (Morning service) varies by day:
Monday and Thursday mornings around 45 minutes
Sunday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday around 30 minutes
Minchah (Afternoon service) about 15 minutes
Ma'ariv (Evening service) about 20 minutes 

Muslims pray 5 times a day for about 7 minutes each time, but prepare for each appointed time as well.

Catholics are called to pray several times throughout a day.  Some of the prayers they may say are morning Lauds, prayer before and after meals, The Rosary and Chaplet of the Divine Mercy at 3:00 P.M. daily, Act of Contrition and evening prayer. If one was to say all of these prayers the average amount of time spent in prayer, daily, would be a little over an hour. The average amount of time spent in prayer, for the majority of people that associate themselves as Catholics, is 5 minutes a day. That's just heartbreaking.

55% of Americans say they pray every day. 21% said they pray weekly or monthly. 23% said they do not pray at all or rarely do. People over 65 are more likely to pray than those under 30 with a whopping difference of 65% to 41%.

Fascinating isn't it? Statistics also show that people are more likely to pray in a crisis, then when things are going smoothly. 

As Lent is fast approaching for the Christians around the world, I think it is time for all of us to take an inventory of our daily prayer life. The world is in a sad state of affairs and, quite frankly, I am really sick from the hatred. I am sure that you are too. Prayer brings an inner peace and a centering to people, or at least I find it does with me. If you think that you do not have time in your daily life to pray, think again. I used to pray to and from work. You can do it while exercising (take your earbuds out or get an app with the rosary.) You can do it while doing your dishes or cleaning up after the kids. You can pray standing in line at the supermarket, riding in a cab, bus, subway, during your lunch break. Be creative in finding ways you can incorporate it into your own life. 

At 3:00 P.M. Every day, stop and take 3 seconds to close your eyes and say, "Jesus, I trust in you." (I mean that 3 seconds in the literal sense). I might add that if radical groups are spending more time in prayer than you are, you really may want to reconnect with God and increase your time spent with Him every day. You cannot fight evil intent without the presence of God in your life.

We have some beautiful Catholic and Christian prayers on our Prayer Page if you need some assistance in getting started and learning the prayers. The link is:  https://gloryglorygifts.com/the-prayer-page

Have a beautiful week.

Peace,
Mare

**Statistics are from various Pew Research Center articles.

Ponder

To ponder what is peace of mind
A concept lost on some
The ebb and flow when thoughts unwind
A stress moratorium

A concept lost on some
too jaded by materialistic goals
A stress moratorium
still fleeting to these driven souls

Too jaded by materialistic goals
Propelled by typhoons, not a breeze
Still fleeting to these driven souls
A life of peace, a mind at ease

Propelled by typhoons, not a breeze
The drive to succeed outweighs the cost
A life of peace, a mind at ease
Succumbing to greed while Eden's lost

The drive to succeed outweighs the cost
Swimming with the sharks in kind
Succumbing to greed while Eden's lost
To ponder what is peace of mind

A pantoum by Marianne E. Hare, copyright 2003
(published - though I'm too lazy to get up and look for the book the poem was printed in)
THE PLATE DEPICTED IS NOT FOR SALE!