Saturday, September 19, 2009

Niece of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Speaks at St. Cecilia's Church in NJ


Dr. Alveda King
Photograph By Loci B. Lenar

News Story by Loci B. Lenar

On September 18, 2009, Alveda King, the niece of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., spoke on behalf of the pro-life movement at Saint Cecilia's Church, located in Rockaway, NJ.  Congressman Chris Smith (R-4th District) of New Jersey, joined Dr. Alveda King in championing the cause for life at the Catholic church with a presentation that included video of the civil rights era and made a comparison to the civil rights of the unborn.



Dr. Alveda King and Congressman Chris Smith
Photograph by Loci B. Lenar

Dr. Alveda King is advocating to prevent abortion from being included in health care reform on a federal level.  Dr. Alveda King is also a Pastoral Associate of Priests for Life and Coordinator of the African-American Outreach.

Dr. Alveda King said, “We are living in turbulent times, but in the midst of these times, there is always hope and promise.”  Dr. King is encouraged in helping to make a difference with her cause in support of civil rights for the unborn.  She believes in working collectively to achieve bipartisan support on the issue.



Lord God, I thank you today for the gift of my life,
And for the lives of all my brothers and sisters.
I know there is nothing that destroys more life than abortion,
Yet I rejoice that you have conquered death
by the Resurrection of Your Son.
I am ready to do my part in ending abortion.
Today I commit myself
Never to be silent,
Never to be passive,
Never to be forgetful of the unborn.
I commit myself to be active in the pro-life movement,
And never to stop defending life
Until all my brothers and sisters are protected,
And our nation once again becomes
A nation with liberty and justice
Not just for some, but for all,
Through Christ our Lord.
Amen!

By Father Frank Pavone
National Director, Priests for Life


Photographs Copyright 2009 Loci B. Lenar

Monday, September 14, 2009

Saint Michael the Archangel Prayer

Photograph by Loci B. Lenar


News Story by Loci B. Lenar

Saint Michael the Archangel is recognized for being the guardian and protector of God's church and people.  While traveling through the town of Netcong on September 14, 2009, I stopped into The Church of St. Michael to say a prayer and took some photographs of the beautiful display of stained glass windows.  The Catholic church is located in Morris County, New Jersey.

Perhaps the most remarkable photograph is of Saint Michael with stained glass behind the statue which gives the appearance of being a window.  In order to capture the rainbow colors seen on the stained glass behind the statue, I photographed the image without using a flash even though indoor lighting was dim.  The only inflowing light was from some church windows nearby - best described as faint.  Perhaps inflowing light from Our Lord caused the rainbow effect.  Whatever the case, it is an interesting phenomena.

If you examine the photograph closely, it appears as if Saint Michael is creating a trail of rainbow colors as he lands on top and crushes the head of the serpent.  Furthermore, I did not observe any indoor lighting that might create such an effect, since church lights were turned off. 

The Lord indeed works in mysterious ways.

The following biblical prophecy is noted in Daniel 12:1, 3-4: "At that time there shall arise Michael, the great prince, guardian of your people; It shall be a time unsurpassed in distress since nations began until that time. But the wise shall shine brightly like the splendor of the firmament, And those who lead the many to justice shall be like the stars forever. As for you Daniel, keep secret the message and seal the book until the end time; many shall fall away and evil shall increase."

In Revelation 12:7 and 8 the following is stated:  Then war broke out in heaven; Michael and his angels battled against the dragon. The dragon and its angels fought back, but they did not prevail and there was no longer any place for them in heaven.

To view a miraculous photo of the Shield of Archangel Michael which I photographed in 2005, please visit Christian-Miracles.com.

The following excerpt regarding prayers to Saint Michael is found in the Wikipedia Encyclopedia:

The Prayer to Saint Michael is a prayer, used mainly by Catholics, which is addressed to Michael the Archangel.

Pope Leo XIII added it in 1886 to the Leonine Prayers, which he had directed to be said after Low Mass two years earlier. The practice of reciting these prayers after Mass was suppressed in 1964. However, Pope John Paul II referred to the St. Michael prayer in his Regina Coeli address of 24 April 1994 as follows:

"May prayer strengthen us for the spiritual battle that the Letter to the Ephesians speaks of: 'Be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might' (Ephesians 6:10). The Book of Revelation refers to this same battle, recalling before our eyes the image of St Michael the Archangel (cf. Revelation 12:7). Pope Leo XIII certainly had this picture in mind when, at the end of the last century, he brought in, throughout the Church, a special prayer to St Michael: 'Saint Michael the Archangel, defend us in battle. Be our protection against the wickedness and snares of the devil...' Although this prayer is no longer recited at the end of Mass, I ask everyone not to forget it and to recite it to obtain help in the battle against the forces of darkness and against the spirit of this world."

Regarding prayers to angels, Revelation 8:3-4 says, Another angel came and stood at the altar, holding a gold censer. He was given a great quantity of incense to offer, along with the prayers of all the holy ones, on the gold altar that was before the throne. The smoke of the incense along with the prayers of the holy ones went up before God from the hand of the angel. 

Angels do indeed intercede before the throne of God on behalf of all who pray for God's assistance.

The Church of Saint Michael, Netcong, NJ, USA
Photo by Loci B. Lenar

Prayer to Saint Michael
Saint Michael the Archangel,
defend us in battle,
be our protection against the malice and snares of the devil.
May God rebuke him we humbly pray; and do thou,
O Prince of the Heavenly host,
by the power of God,
thrust into hell Satan and all evil spirits
who wander through the world seeking the ruin of souls.
Amen.

***

Please Note - The following addendum is added to my original testimony:

After the photograph was taken, I shared the image directly as captured on the camera's digital memory card with my spiritual advisor, Father Richard Tartaglia of Saint Mary's Church, Denville, NJ. The original digital image was transferred onto a CD for church archives.  About a week after photographing the statue, I handed a copy of the CD to the youth minister at The Church of Saint Michael for parish records.


Photographs Copyright 2009 Loci B. Lenar
 
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Saturday, September 12, 2009

Message from Our Lady of Medjugorje




On September 2, 2009, the following message from Our Lady of Medjugorje was conveyed to visionary Mirjana Soldo: 

 “Dear children! Today, with a motherly heart, I call you to learn to forgive, completely and unconditionally. You suffer injustice, betrayals and persecutions, but by that you are closer to and dearer to God. My children, pray for the gift of love. Only love forgives all, as my Son forgives—follow Him. I am among you and am praying that when you come before your Father you can say: ‘Here I am Father, I followed your Son, I had love and forgave with the heart, because I believed in your judgment and trusted in you.’ Thank you.”

For additional information on the story, please visit Medjugorje.com

The Canticle of Mary




The Magnificat - (Also known as the Song of Mary)

And Mary said,
"My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord;
my spirit rejoices in God my savior.
For he has looked upon his handmaid's lowliness;
behold, from now on will all ages call me blessed.
The Mighty One has done great things for me,
and holy is his name.
His mercy is from age to age to those who fear him.
He has shown might with his arm,
dispersed the arrogant of mind and heart.
He has thrown down the rulers from their thrones
but lifted up the lowly.
The hungry he has filled with good things;
the rich he has sent away empty.
He has helped Israel his servant,
remembering his mercy,
according to his promise to our fathers,
to Abraham and to his descendents forever."


The stained glass window detail photographed inside St. Christopher Church, Parsippany, NJ, USA.

 

Photograph Copyright 2009 Loci B. Lenar
Christian-Miracles.com

Sunday, September 06, 2009

Acts of the Apostles



In Acts of the Apostles we read about the Glory of God working through Peter by curing a man unable to walk.  We also read that God the Father inspires us to believe in the healing power of Jesus Christ with miracles of faith accomplished through the Apostles.

Through the power of prayer, God's grace enfolds humanity with the Holy Spirit for healing and salvation. The Lord's work continues today through church ministries.

In Acts 3:1-10 the following is noted:  One day Peter and John were going up to the temple at the time of prayer—at three in the afternoon. Now a man crippled from birth was being carried to the temple gate called Beautiful, where he was put every day to beg from those going into the temple courts. When he saw Peter and John about to enter, he asked them for money. Peter looked straight at him, as did John. Then Peter said, "Look at us!" So the man gave them his attention, expecting to get something from them.

Then Peter said, "Silver or gold I do not have, but what I have I give you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise and walk." Taking him by the right hand, he helped him up, and instantly the man's feet and ankles became strong. He jumped to his feet and began to walk. Then he went with them into the temple courts, walking and jumping, and praising God. When all the people saw him walking and praising God, they recognized him as the same man who used to sit begging at the temple gate called Beautiful, and they were filled with wonder and amazement at what had happened to him.

To read inspiring stories of the Lord's miracles being performed in modern times, please visit the following links:

http://www.christian-miracles.com/anthonyfuinasmiracle.htm

http://lenarpoetry.blogspot.com/2009/07/active-year-for-miracles.html

http://lenarpoetry.blogspot.com/2009/07/investigator-for-vatican-finds-evidence.html

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/worldnews/article-1166858/Wheelchair-boy-miraculously-walks-memorial-visit-tomb-Pope-John-Paul-II.html

Stained glass window art photographed inside Saint Peter the Apostle Church, Parippany, NJ, USA.

Photograph Copyright 2009 Loci B. Lenar
Christian-Miracles.com

Thursday, September 03, 2009

Tower of Remembrance


The Tower of Remembrance has steel from the North Tower Building of the World Trade Center. The steel is combined with bells from the Missionary Servants of the Most Holy Trinity's Seminary in Monroe, Virginia.

The bells are a reminder by calling all people to pray and strive for world peace. The names of each innocent victim who died at the World Trade Center, the Pentagon, and in the field in Pennsylvania from Flight 93, are inscribed on the memorial walls.

The structure is located on the grounds of the Shrine of Saint Joseph, Stirling, NJ, USA.

The memorial site is a place of healing, prayer, and peace, honoring the innocent victims who died on September 11, 2001.

Photograph Copyright 2009 Loci B. Lenar