Colton Burpo: Glimpses of Heaven

Colton Burpo: Glimpses of Heaven - CBN TV - Video

Colton's 4 year old spirit left his body during an emergency surgery and he experienced heaven with Jesus.

Saved by Prayer

Elena Popkov: Swept Away - CBN TV - Video

The following excerpt is from CBN.com:

By Jewel Graham Taylor

The Popkov children loved to play in the streets when it rained, that is until a flash flood swept Elena out of sight and into a drain pipe.

"I was on like a swimming tube, " remembers Elena. "I just sat on it and the water just kept carrying me until I got to the drain pipe."

Elena's brother Viktor remembers the terrifying ordeal. "There was like no air in there, so she couldn't, she had no chance of breathing or anything."

While the current pushed Elena farther and farther down the sewer line, one of the other children ran to the house to get help.

Elena's mother Olga immediately began praying. "I couldn't believe it at first. I couldn't believe it. And I started praying right away that God, please keep her alive, please keep her alive."

While struggling to surface, Eleven year-old Elena remembered what her mother taught her. "From the beginning I said, 'if you're alone by yourself,'" said Olga, "'and you're struggling, you can't, you know, find your way out, just pray. God, He's there for you, you know, He's listening to you'."

"'Jesus, help me.' That's all I said in my head," says Elena. "And then seconds later there was some sort of bright light and somebody , it was like some sort of power was like just dragging me out of there by my arms. I did not feel any pain or anything. It was like my body was already on shore and somebody was just dragging my soul from there."

Elena surfaced at a split in the pipe, two city blocks from her back yard.

"I don't really know how I got out," says Elena. "But I'm pretty sure it was God."

The entire family credits God for Elena's miraculous survival, especially Olga. "I told my kids that life is boring without God. If you live for Jesus, your life will be exciting and full of miracles."

Read more: Elena Popkov

Book Describes how Angels have Helped Popes throughout History

YouTube - RomeReports's Channel

The followining information is from the website of RomeReports.com:

This italian priest is dedicating his life to promote the proper devotion to angels. That's why Father Marcello Stanzione has written several books on these heavenly beings.

His most recent work describes how angels have helped popes throughout history. His book, The Pope and the Angels, begins by saying how guardian angels are a special help to anyone.

St. Mary's Prayer Service is held on January 20th

St. Mary's Church, Denville, NJ
Photo by Loci B. Lenar

St. Mary's Catholic Church holds an evening prayer service every third Thursday of each month.  The next prayer service is on January 20th and begins at 7:30 PM (eastern standard time) and will be held at the church with Father Richard Tartaglia.  The church is located on 15 Myers Avenue in Denville, New Jersey.  Myers Avenue intersects with Route 46 by the Denville Township Police Department.

All are welcome to attend! 

Prayer requests include those from St. Mary's Parish as well as those which are emailed and posted on the website of Christian-Miracles.com.  Prayer requests from the website are personally hand delivererd by Loci B. Lenar to Fr. Richard Tartaglia.

Please consider visiting the church and joining in prayer with Fr.Tartaglia as he prays for those in need of God's help and intervention.

Regarding prayer, Jesus said in Matthew 18:19-20, “Again, truly I tell you that if two of you on earth agree about anything they ask for, it will be done for them by my Father in heaven. For where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them.”

For additional information about the prayer service, please contact St. Mary's Parish by calling 973-627-0269.

For requesting prayer, please visit the following link: http://www.christian-miracles.com/apps/prayers/

For a selection of devotional prayers, please visit the following link:
http://www.christian-miracles.com/devotionalprayers.htm


St. Mary's Mass Schedule:

Sunday: 7:00, 8:30, 10:00, and 11:30AM

Saturday: 5:00PM

Weekdays: 8:00AM and 12:05PM - except June ~ Labor Day-NO 12:05PM


Confessions:

Saturday: 4:15 - 4:45PM , before 5:00PM mass


Holy Hour Adoration (Exposition)

Mondays following 8:00 AM mass

Ray Hayworth: Cancer Vanishes with Prayer

Ray Hayworth: Cancer Cast Out - Christian Broadcasting Network

By Dory Nissen and Aaron Little

CBN.com – Ray and Billie Hayworth are pretty happy with where they are in life. Their kids are grown and gone. They’ve been married over 46 years and still consider themselves best friends. But their lives were altered dramatically when Ray found a golf ball size lump on his neck. At first, he saw no reason for concern.

"That first day, even for the first week, I really had no thought of what the results would be," Ray said. "I wasn’t worried about it. There was no pain. So if there is no pain, there is no worry.”

Billie was immediately alarmed.

“I kept noticing him do this [feeling his neck],” Billie said. “And I said, ‘why do you keep doing that?’ And then he said, ‘well look at this. I’ve got this knot on my neck.’ I thought it was cancer instantly, immediately. And I said, ‘oh, honey. This isn’t good; I don’t think this is good.’”

"My wife caused me to realize the severity of it and the importance of getting some answers," Ray said.

Ray’s doctor called with the results of the biopsy. Billie answered the phone.

"And I said, 'please tell me, is it cancer?' And she said, 'yes it is cancer,'" Billie said.

Ray had not one, but two types of cancer: carcinoma and melanoma.

"Our worlds actually stopped," Ray said. "Probably the lowest part of my life is when the doctor said, ‘you have cancer.’ Your heart goes to the bottom at that point.”

"At night, I would lay my hands on his neck and he’d be sleeping away," Billie said. "And I would say, 'Satan, how dare you! How dare you come against us like this! Greater is He, God, who is in us!' And I would just yell out, 'I command you in the name of Jesus, you get off; you get off of his neck!"

Friends and family started praying.

"That really meant the world," Ray said. "It lightens your load. You don’t feel like you are carrying it yourself and that elates me."

The lump went completely away! A trip to the doctor confirmed the cancer was completely gone.

"The doctor walked in with a big smile on her face and immediately relieved our fears," Billie said. "She looked at Ray and said, 'I don’t know what you did, but whatever you did, don’t stop. Keep doing it. And he just raised his hands and said, 'thank you Jesus, thank you Jesus.' I looked at her and I said, 'Doctor, we just prayed and God healed him.'"

"I was elated when the doctor said there was no cancer," Ray recalled. "None of the scans showed it; there was no evidence of any cancer in my body. I was very happy for that and told her that. For her sake and for medical science sake, I went back and took another MRI and it was negative also."

Ray has had no sign of cancer for three years. He says the Lord gave him a scripture that signifies God’s amazing power.

“Be still and know that I am God. That’s my theme for the rest of my life," Ray said, “to know that God is still there."

Book about Angels a Bestseller

Lorna Byrne

The following excerpt from FoxNews.com is about Lorna Byrne's new book, Angels in My Hair:

Author Sees Angels, and Her Book's a Bestseller

By Lauren Green

They are messengers from God, heavenly beings without material bodies, spiritual envoys carrying out God's will.

They are angels. And according to Lorna Byrne, everyone has one -- a guardian angel who’s always with you and will never leave you. She says they are “the gatekeepers of your soul.”

She knows this, she says, because all her life she's been surrounded by them and has talked to them. Her book, Angels in My Hair, recounts her lifelong experiences with angels directing her and teaching her.

Byrne's story begins with the telling of her toddler years, when the angels told her that her tiny playmate was the brother who had died before she was born.

"We actually touched while playing blocks," says the Irish-born Byrne, who is a practicing Catholic. "When I touched his, arm it sparkled, my hands went through his into mine. I was two and a half."

Whether the public believes Byrne's angel accounts is up to them. But the popularity of her book illustrates the fascination people have with these mystical beings. Her tome is an international bestseller, translated into 20 languages. Doubleday reportedly paid a six-figure advance for the U.S. publishing rights.

But this diminutive, mild-mannered 57-year old, who grew up dyslexic, says it's a miracle that she has even written a book. She says it was a directive from an angel she calls Michael, who she says is the archangel talked about in the Bible.

“When I was a child, the angels said I would write a book and tell people about God. After I had my first child, the angel Michael came up behind me and said, ‘It’s now time to write that book.'”

She believes she was told to write in order to give people hope that there is life beyond this material world. That we don’t just die and rot, but have an eternal soul.

To read the complete story, visit the following link: FoxNews.com

Ethan Payne: Angels Catched Me

Ethan Payne: Angels Catched Me - CBN.com

The following excerpt and news video is about the amazing medical recovery of Ethan Payne after falling out of his house window and landing on a concrete pavement:

Two-year-old Ethan Payne fell out of a second-story window. Doctors worried he would have brain damage or never walk again. But through the power of prayer, Ethan was better within six hours.

He does have a simple explanation of what happened to him after he fell from the window.

"The angels catched me," Ethan said.

The Major Characters of the Bible - The New Testament

Cover Illustration by Stephane Jorisch

The Major Characters of the Bible - The New Testament - Compiled by Lise Lachance

By Loci B. Lenar

I was recently contacted by FPR Editions, a Christian book publisher located in Quebec, Canada.  The publisher requested permission to use my photograph of the stained glass window showing the Transfiguration of Jesus. The photograph appears inside The Major Characters of the Bible on page eighty.

Transfiguration of Jesus

Photo by Loci B. Lenar

I photographed the colorful glass window inside of St. Peter the Apostle Church, which is located on 179 Baldwin Road in Parsippany, New Jersey, USA.

To view a larger photograph of the image, please visit the following link: Transfiguration of Jesus

The book is published in the French language and has beautiful illustrations and artwork to complement the stories of the bible. Published in 2010, the book (ISBN: 978-2-89499-108-4) is now available through the publisher by visiting this link: FPR Editions 

The following excerpt regarding The Major Characters of the Bible appears on the website of FPR:

Joseph and Mary through John the Baptist and the disciples; Zacchaeus, the rich young man to Nicodemus, the New Testament is full of witnesses to the faith which have marked the history of the Christian culture. Rediscover these witnesses who knew Jesus of Nazareth with the first Christian communities. They are now grouped into a single volume: The Major Characters of the Bible - The New Testament.

The book is written by Lise Lachance. She studied literature at the University of Laval in Quebec and Bible studies at the Catholic Institute of Paris. She also writes for publications such as Prions en Église. Her training as a teacher allows her to share the love of the Bible, both with children and with adults.

The cover Illustration is by Stephane Jorisch who has received on four occasions the Governor General's Award for his work as an illustrator. He is considered one of the most talented illustrators of his generation. Born in Brussels, he is now based in Montreal.

Kent Bryant: A Bad Boy Finds God

The following story of Kent Bryant is from CBN.com.  In the video interview, Kent Bryant says that his life was transformed from "a divine encounter with God."

Kent Bryant: A Bad Boy Finds God

By Michelle Wilson

CBN.com - “With all the success, women and money, it still wasn’t enough. The void was there.”

Kent Bryant worked as a scout for one of the hottest record labels in New York City. But this wasn’t his first career choice. At age 12, he was already 6'3" tall. His dream was to become a superstar in the NBA.

“It was the thrill of a lifetime to play basketball and to have that great competition.”
 
By his senior year, he became high school All-American, which guaranteed a full ride at a number of division one universities. He decided on San Diego State.

“Having the ability to shoot the basketball and to drive to the basket were my specialties. They used to call me ‘K-Swish.’ I used to drop it in that net at all times.”

But instead of focusing on basketball and his grades, Kent turned his attention to other pursuits. By the time he graduated from college, he’d become a drug dealer.

“My friends called me ‘the pharmacist’. I really knew how to dice it up and serve it up well.”

Kent lost his shot at the NBA and with it his dream of super stardom. The thousands of dollars a week he was making as a dealer did little to fill a growing emptiness inside. So he started using the drugs he sold.

“Drugs kept me numb. Drinking and smoking and sniffing cocaine. Living a crazy lifestyle and blacking out. Meeting a girl at a club or at a bar and going home with her...”

One day, Kent was introduced to Sean “P. Diddy” Combs who was in the beginning stages of starting Bad Boy Records. Kent joined the company as a scout to develop and promote new music artists. Working with Diddy brought a new kind of high.

“Music industry, Bad Boy Entertainment was fast paced. A lot was coming at you all the time. A lot of success. A lot of fame. Working with artists such as the Notorious B.I.G., Faith Evans, Craig Mack. The list goes on and on. You can throw a party, have your artists come, charge at the door and make up to $30,000 $40,000 on a given night.”

Kent’s tenacity and ability to develop new talent earned him the name “Topp Dwagg”. He loved the lavish lifestyle that came with the title, but one morning after an all night party, he came face to face with how bankrupt his life had become.

“This suicidal thought came to me. Here you are everything that you felt that you desired with drugs, money, women, notoriety, but yet there was still this emptiness. I grab this rail. I’m looking over, and I’m ready to jump. Then I heard a voice say, ‘I have a plan for you. I have work for you. No, you don’t want to do that,’ and it was as if hands were pushing me back from the rail.”

Less than a month later, Kent became seriously ill. In two days, he lost 22 pounds.

“The destructive lifestyle that I led, sleeping with so many different women and having unprotected sex... I thought I had the AIDS virus. I thought I was dying.”

At the hospital, Kent discovered that he didn’t have AIDS, but a bad case of food poisoning. While recovering at home, his friend Steve paid him a visit.

Steve recalls, “I told him that I got saved. He really didn’t understand what saved meant. He thought maybe I had some beef on the street. Then I explained to him that Jesus saved me from my sins. I gave my heart to the Lord, and I’m going to church now.”

Kent says, “He had a Bible in his hand. He opened the Bible up, and he read John 3:16 to me. He started reading other scriptures. Steve, the same guy I used to do drugs with and run with in the music industry, is talking to me about Jesus.”

Steve says, “I was like, ‘Kent, God is real and He loves us. He wants you to know Him.’ I told him that God had me praying for him and he started to listen.”

Kent quit his job at Bad Boy Records and began to read the Bible. He says, “Here is a thug, a dude from the music industry and a drug addict, and I left all of that behind. I’m reading the Bible now, staying up all night reading book after book, studying and looking up words.”

Then one Sunday, Kent went to church and surrendered his life to God.

“I went straight to the altar, and I remember getting ready. These two brothers approached me, and they laid their hands on me. They started to pray, but I started to pray for myself. I lifted my hands. I said, ‘God, if You can take away this lust within me, I will give You my life.’ I had a divine encounter with God right there. The Holy Spirit filled me, took away my sin, my shame, my guilt, everything that I was struggling with, forgave me of everything that I did. It was as if God Himself embraced me. I was different, and I was changed right there in a moment.

“Nine and a half years later, [I am] happily married and God has so kept me. I can tell you this. The Lord is so awesome. I’ve never cheated on my wife. Never. From the lifestyle that I led, that is the most powerful part of my testimony to me.”

Today, Kent is in full-time ministry. He travels around the country with Urban Impact sharing his testimony and holding basketball clinics for at risk youth.

“Jesus has a plan for our lives no matter what rock you crawled out from up under, no matter what lifestyle that you were in, how much sin you committed. God is big enough and strong enough to forgive you and to show you His plan for your life.”

Ron Zaucha: A Vision of Jesus

YouTube - Ron Zaucha: A Vision of Jesus - CBN.com

I recommend viewing Ron Zaucha's life-changing story after he had a vision of Jesus Christ.  The following testimony by Ron Zaucha is published on CBN.com:

“I had a vision there in jail of Jesus Christ. He appeared to me as real as you are and finally spoke. I said, ‘What do You want?' And He said, ‘You.' I said, 'You can’t want someone like me. I’ve done all these things. Hurt all these people. Done all this stuff in my life.' And He said, 'I came for people like you.' When that happened, I knew I needed to change my life."

Is there intolerance to Judeo-Christian beliefs?

Moses and the Burning Bush

By Loci B. Lenar

Several blogs use my photography from Flickr.com to illustrate a story or news item with good intentions. I do appreciate their support and they have my approval to continue to do so.

However, it's been brought to my attention that some blogs with an intolerance to Judeo-Christian beliefs are posting my photographs on their sites to discredit religion in general. Furthermore, inappropriate conduct that targets a person’s religious belief is nothing less then disrespectful. Therefore, permission is denied to guilty parties and their websites for inappropriate exploitation of photographs and all the images should be removed as soon as possible.

*** 

However, in Luke 6:27-28, I am reminded of the following, "But I tell you who hear me: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you."

Psalm 27:1 states, The LORD is my light and my salvation, whom shall I fear? The LORD is the stronghold of my life of whom shall I be afraid?

In order for people to change their wrongful ways, Our Lord Jesus calls us to pray for them daily.  May Almighty God pour out the Holy Spirit and bring forth conversion and peace to everyone that has lost their way to the road of salvation.

The above photograph of the stained glass detail of Moses and the Burning Bush is one of the images in question.  The photograph is the right side of the double doors leading into the entranceway of the Church of St. Joseph. The Catholic church is located on New Street in Mendham, NJ, USA.

Copyright 2010 Loci B. Lenar
All Rights Reserved

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

Miraculous Image of Our Lady of Guadalupe

Photograph by Jan Zatko

Our Lady of Guadalupe ‘completely beyond' scientific explanation, says researcher

(In 1531, the Blessed Mother, known as Our Lady of Guadalupe, miraculously imprinted her image on Saint Juan Diego's cloak.)

The following excerpt is from Catholic News Agency:

Phoenix, Ariz., Aug 7, 2009 / 04:10 pm (CNA).- Researcher and physicist Dr. Aldofo Orozco told participants at the International Marian Congress on Our Lady of Guadalupe that there is no scientific explanation for the 478 years of high quality-preservation of the Tilma or for the miracles that have occurred to ensure its preservation.

Dr. Orozco began his talk by confirming that the conservation of the Tilma, the cloak of St. Juan Diego on which Our Lady of Guadalupe appeared 478 years ago, “is completely beyond any scientific explanation.”

“All the cloths similar to the Tilma that have been placed in the salty and humid environment around the Basilica have lasted no more than ten years,” he explained. One painting of the miraculous image, created in 1789, was on display in a church near the basilica where the Tilma was placed. “This painting was made with the best techniques of its time, the copy was beautiful and made with a fabric very similar to that of the Tilma. Also, the image was protected with a glass since it was first placed there.”

However, eight years later, the copy of the image of Our Lady of Guadalupe was thrown away because the colors were fading and threads were breaking. In contrast, Orozco said, “the original Tilma was exposed for approximately 116 years without any kind of protection, receiving all the infrared and ultraviolet radiation from the tens of thousands of candles near it and exposed to the humid and salty air around the temple.”

Dr. Orozco then discussed the Tilma’s fabric. He noted that “one of the most bizarre characteristics of the cloth is that the back side is rough and coarse, but the front side is ‘as soft as the most pure silk, as noted by painters and scientists in 1666, and confirmed one century later in 1751 by the Mexican painter, Miguel Cabrera.”

Following an analysis of some of the fibers in 1946, it was concluded that the fibers came from the Agave plant, however, noted Dr. Orozco, the researchers couldn’t figure out which of the 175 Agave species the Tilma was made from. Years later, in 1975, “the famous Mexican researcher Ernesto Sodi Pallares said that the species of the agave was Agave popotule Zacc,” Orozco explained,“but we don’t know how he reached this conclusion.”

Before concluding his presentation, Dr. Orozco made mention of two miracles associated with the Tilma.

The first occurred in 1785 when a worker accidentally spilled a 50 percent nitric acid solvent on the right side of the cloth. “Besides any natural explanation, the acid has not destroyed the fabric of the cloth, indeed it has not even destroyed the colored parts of the image,” Orozco said.

The second miracle was the explosion of a bomb near the Tilma in 1921. Dr. Orozco recalled that the explosion broke the marble floor and widows 150 meters from the explosion, but “unexpectedly, neither the Tilma nor the normal glass that protected the Tilma was damaged or broken. The only damage near it was a brass crucifix that was twisted by the blast."

He continued, “There are no explanations why the shockwave that broke windows 150 meters afar did not destroy the normal glass that protected the image. Some people said that the Son by means of the brass crucifix protected the image of His Mother. The real fact is that we don’t have a natural explanation for this event.”

Dr. Orozco thanked the audience for listening to his presentation and closed by reassuring them that “Our Lady visited Mexico 478 years ago, but she remains there to give Her Love, Her Mercy and Her Care to anyone who needs it, and to bring Her Son, Jesus Christ to everyone who receives Him.”

Miracle of the Sun Witnessed in Medjugorje During Apparition of Blessed Mother

A Great Cry Bursts Forth From The Thousands During Mirjana’s Apparition Today, August 2, 2009 - Medjugorje.com

Medjugorje.com reported that on August 2, 2009, a crowd of over 50,000 people at Apparition Mountain in Medjugorje, witnessed the Miracle of the Sun while the Blessed Mother appeared privatley to visionary Mirjana Soldo and gave her a message. The apparition took place at a nearby location known as Blue Cross.

The following excerpt is from Medjugorje.com:

Mirjana came early today, around 8:35 a.m. The apparition of Our Lady began at 8:45 a.m. and lasted approximately 4 ½ minutes. Shortly after the apparition began, cries of surprise, shock, deep emotion and awe were heard rippling through the crowd from different directions, growing in magnitude. While Mirjana was enraptured in her own vision of the Blessed Virgin Mary, something had happened. A commotion in the crowd was paralleled by something that the pilgrims could not have known, by what Mirjana had seen, and Mirjana, on the other hand, while in ecstasy could not have known what the pilgrims were seeing during the apparition. During the apparition, Mirjana herself saw the sun behind Our Lady. When she came out of ecstasy, Mirjana had to be surprised at what was taking place.

As for the pilgrims themselves, they had also seen a miracle. The sun became a miraculous sign for them. More and more people began looking where the first ones were pointing—at the sun. Many were seeing the sun “dancing” or “spinning,” others saw a cross illuminated in the sun, still others saw different colors within or streaming out of the sun. Tears were streaming down many faces, others stared in wonder, others in joy. And there were those who did not look up at all, so intense in their prayer as the apparition was still taking place. It swept through the crowd what the early days of Medjugorje were like when physical miracles abounded. It was very moving as the people knew what a chance of a lifetime it was to see the actions of God take place right before their eyes. To know after the apparition that Mirjana also had the sun in her apparition behind Our Lady confirmed the pilgrims’ “vision,” and the pilgrims confirmed Mirjana’s vision that the miracle was wed to each other.

The following message was conveyed to Mirjana by the Blessed Mother, Our Lady Queen of Peace:

“Dear children, I am coming, with my Motherly love, to point out the way by which you are to set out, in order that you may be all the more like my Son (Jesus); and by that, closer to and more pleasing to God. Do not refuse my love. Do not renounce salvation and eternal life for the sake of transience and frivolity of this life. I am coming to lead you and, as a mother, to caution you. Come with me.”

To read complete story, please visit Medjugorje.com.

For news story regarding the Miracle of the Sun being witnessed on October 13, 2008 at the National Blue Army Shrine in Washington, NJ, please visit the following links:

Christian Miracles.com

Angels, Wonders, and Miracles of Faith

Catholic Online

Intercessory Prayer Responsible for Miraculous Recovery?

Healed by monk’s divine intervention?

Peter Andersen (left) began to recover from flesh-eating disease after Rev. John Horgan put a relic of Blessed Marmion on his head, heart and diseased leg.

Photograph by Bill Keay, Vancouver Sun

The following excerpt is from an article by Gerry Bellett of The Vancouver Sun:

VANCOUVER - Rev. John Horgan knew a dying man when he saw one. Years of working as a chaplain in Vancouver General and St. Paul’s hospitals had seen to that.

So when he saw Peter Andersen in Vancouver General’s intensive care unit on the afternoon of July 3, 2008, he didn’t need anyone to tell him that Andersen’s situation was grave. His blood stream was teeming with the bacteria from two flesh-eating diseases: myositis, which attacks the muscles, and necrotizing fasciitis, which invades the flesh beneath the skin.

Andersen, on life support, was bloated beyond recognition from septic shock. Whole muscle groups of dead tissue had been stripped away by surgeons from his right leg. His blood pressure was so low it was in the range that indicates imminent death, and his kidneys and other organs had failed.

He appeared to be within hours of dying.

But what happened next is going to lead to a formal investigation by the Catholic Church to determine if the spiritual intervention of an Irish monk who died in 1923 was responsible for a medical miracle.

Because Andersen didn’t die. He made a recovery that at first sight seems to defy medicine and logic.

The canonical investigation of Andersen’s healing will be the first such inquiry ever held in the history of the Vancouver archdiocese — founded in 1863 — and could lead to the canonization of the monk as a saint.

“In fact it will be the first time such an inquiry has been held in Western Canada,” said Horgan, pastor of St. Peter and Paul’s parish in Vancouver.

“It’s extremely rare for this to happen,” he said.

On June 30 last year, Andersen suddenly developed a high fever and complained of a pain in his leg. The next day he asked his wife, Charlene, to call an ambulance when the pain became unbearable.

“I remember them putting me in the ambulance, but after that I lost consciousness for two weeks,” Andersen said.

Except for a brief moment when he remembered receiving communion from Horgan, the rest is just an awful darkness, he said.

For Charlene, it was the beginning of a nightmare. The couple, without children of their own, had a few months earlier adopted two children from the Ukraine.

Until he developed what appeared to be the flu, Peter was a healthy, strapping individual with no health problems, she said.

A day after being admitted to Peace Arch Hospital he was rushed to VGH on life support after multiple organ failure with his body full of flesh-eating-disease bacteria. The overall diagnosis was that he was suffering from streptococcal myonecrosis, and on the charts his doctors had described the extent of the disease as “advanced ... severe ... extensive,” she said.

“The surgeons removed bagfuls of dead tissue and muscle and he’d had two skin grafts. Then he contracted severe septic shock syndrome, which caused his body to bloat like a balloon. I asked them, ‘Can you save him?’ and one surgeon said, ‘We are trying, but no, he’s not going to make it.’ I pleaded with them to take his leg off but they said it was too late for that.”

Charlene sent for Horgan, the couple’s parish priest, who some years before had introduced them to books written by the Irish-French monk Columba Marmion.

Horgan arrived carrying with him a relic of Marmion — a fragment of his monk’s habit. The nurse who met him said there was no hope, but she was glad to see him because he could comfort Charlene.

The priest was gowned and masked and led into intensive care unit.While praying that God would spare his friend’s life for the sake of his wife and their two adopted children, he took the relic and placed it on Andersen’s head, heart and on the dressing covering his diseased leg.

“I asked Blessed Marmion to intercede with the Lord and bring healing,” said Horgan.

At mass the next day he asked the congregation to pray for a miracle for Andersen, “as this was his only hope.”

Charlene didn’t believe her husband would survive: “I was beside myself looking at him. We were new parents, the kids had only arrived in April, and I didn’t know what I would do. I knew he was going to die and I didn’t believe a miracle was going to happen, my faith wasn’t strong enough. The charge nurse told me he was at the point of death.”

But Peter didn’t die that Thursday, or the Friday.

On Saturday, July 5, five days after he fell ill, a male nurse rushed up to Charlene.

“He was really excited. He said, ‘The blood culture’s come back and it’s negative. I’m taking him off life support.’ He pulled the tube out of his mouth and Peter said to me, ‘Can you give me a hug?’”

One his surgeons told Charlene her husband’s recovery was a miracle, another said he was very lucky.

If Andersen’s recovery is declared a miracle through the intercession of Marmion, then the monk will be canonized as a saint. For the Andersens, that would be the icing on the cake. “We’re hoping, too, that he is declared a doctor of the church,” said Charlene.

To read complete story, please visit the following link: Miraculous Recovery

My Peace I Give to You

My Peace I Give to You

Jesus said, "Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid." -John 14:27

"I am the vine, you are the branches. Whoever remains in me and I in him will bear much fruit, because without me you can do nothing. By this is my Father glorified, that you bear much fruit, and become my disciples." -John 15:5 and 8

"As the Father loves me, so I love you. Remain in my love. If you keep my commandments, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father's commandments and remain in his love." -John 15:9 and 10

"I have told you this so that my joy might be in you and your joy might be complete. This is my commandment: love one another as I love you. You are my friends if you do what I command you. It was not you who chose me, but I who chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit that will remain, so that whatever you ask the father in my name (Jesus) he may give you. This I command you, love one another." -John:11, 12, 14, 16, and 17

The collage of images are photographs taken of stained glass window art inside of Saint Peter the Apostle Church, and Saint Christopher Church, both located in Parsippany, NJ, USA.

Copyright 2009 Loci B. Lenar
Christian-Miracles.com

An Active Year for Miracles

The following story is by Christie Hadley of the Cincinnati Catholic Examiner:

This year is the 40th anniversary of the Congregation for the Cause of Saints, and it has been an active one for miracles. Three of the possible miracles that are currently being investigated have been in the news recently, one right here in Cincinnati.

According to an Enquirer Article published on May 10, 2009, the Archdiocese of Cincinnati has begun its first-ever investigation into a possible miracle attributed to someone who is up for sainthood.

The miracle, which occurred in 1989, was the healing of Tim Siemers, the chairman of Franklin Savings. Siemers had a massive hemorrhage in his brain, caused by a ruptured aneurysm. Every medical therapy the doctors attempted failed. And yet, he made a full recovery and is alive today to talk about it. The person Siemers and his family credit with his healing is the founder of the Franciscan Sisters of the Poor, Sister Frances Schervier. She has a special connection to Cincinnati as it was the order’s first site in the United States.

But Cincinnati is not the only archdiocese investigating miracles. Just last week, a Vatican representative landed in Wichita, Kansas to investigate the healing of Chase Kear. A young man of 20, Kear fell while pole vaulting in October 2008 suffering a traumatic brain injury. Within an hour of his arrival at the hospital his family, parish and hundreds of others were praying to Fr. Emil Kapaun for his intersession. He has sense made a near complete recovery from a broken skull. Kapaun has a special connection with Wichita, growing up in Pilsen, Kansas and becoming ordained by the archdiocese of Wichita in 1940. He became an Army Chaplain and died as a prisoner of the Korean War in 1951.

The Archdiocese of Baltimore is investigating the healing of 71-year-old Mary Ellen Heibel’s terminal cancer. In May of 2004, Heibel was told by Walter Reed Medical Center to “go home and die.” She was given six months to live with malignant tumors in her lungs, liver, stomach and chest. Not accepting a death sentence her friends and family began to pray to Fr. Francis Seelos for his help. Seelos was a pastor in Baltimore and Cumberland, Maryland in the mid-1800s and spent time at Heibel’s home parish, St. Mary's Roman Catholic Church in Annapolis. A month after starting the novena, a CT scan showed that she was tumor free. She has remained that way since 2005.

Being from a Protestant background, it was difficult for me to understand intercessions at first. This just wasn’t apart of my background, but I must say it has always fascinated me. So I looked into it a little bit more. Now I understand it to be a bit like networking. Especially in this economy, it is incredibly helpful if your resume is given to a potential employer by someone that employer already knows and respects. Intercession, to me, seems to work the same way. Your request is placed in front of God by someone He already knows and respects.

Through my research I discovered many Biblical passages that support the idea of intercession, including a powerful one from 1 Tim. 2:1–3 which states, “I urge then, first of all that petitions, prayers, intercessions and thanksgiving should be offered for everyone, for kings and others in authority, so that we may be able to live peaceful and quiet lives with all devotion and propriety. To do this is right, and acceptable to God our Savior.”

What a wonderful idea. When we’re in need we can ask not only our friends, family and parish to pray for us but we can also network a bit with the Saints. This can get our need seen by God with all the more oomph behind it.

God blesses us in so many ways. I’m just so grateful that we have miracles here in Cincinnati and elsewhere in the United States. It shows without question that God is with us and our prayers are answerd. Thanks be to God!

For more information: Sister Frances Schervier, Fr. Emil Kapaun, Fr. Francis Seelos, praying to Saints, sainthood process

What Does Scripture Say about Angelic Protection?

What does the bible say about angels?

Hebrews 13:2 states, "Do not neglect hospitality, for through it some have unknowingly entertained angels."

Throughout scripture we read about God sending his angelic servants to rescue people in time of need.

One of the most interesting stories of God's angelic protection is found in Acts 12:6-11, which says, On the very night before Herod was to bring him to trial, Peter, secured by double chains, was sleeping between two soldiers, while outside the door guards kept watch on the prison. Suddenly the angel of the Lord stood by him and a light shone in the cell. He tapped Peter on the side and awakened him saying, "Get up quickly." The chains fell from his wrists. The angel said to him, "Put on your belt and your sandels" He did so. Then he said to him, "Put on your cloak and follow me." So he followed him out, not realizing that what was happening through the angel was real; he thought he was seeing a vision. They passed the first guard, then the second, and came to the iron gate leading out to the city, which opened for them by itself. They emerged and made their way down an alley, and suddenly the angel left him. Then Peter recovered his senses and said, "Now I know for certain that the Lord sent his angel and rescued me from the hand of Herod and from all that the Jewish people had been expecting."

God is awesome and will provide assistance in time of difficulty through his angels. Prayer is of course essential in order to receive God's divine help.

Please read my own personal testimony (Loci B. Lenar) about the matter in which my family has received aid from Michael the Archangel by visiting the Signs, Wonders, and Miracles website at the following link:
http://www.christian-miracles.com/signsofangels.htm

(Photograph taken at the National Blue Army Shrine, located on the grounds of the World Apostolate of Fatima, USA. The Catholic Shrine is in beautiful Warren County, NJ.)

Copyright 2009 Loci B. Lenar
Christian-Miracles.com

Sneak Preview of New Fatima Movie

The World of Apostolate of Fatima will hold a Mini Conference on Sunday, June 28, 2009 between 1:00 and 5:30 PM at the National Blue Army Shrine.

Father Paul Ruge will discuss the story of Fatima, while Michael La Corte will talk on miracles. Other events include a sneak preview of the new movie Fatima.

Register at the door or in advance by calling 908-689-1700, extension 10.

The Catholic shrine is located in Warren County at 674 Mountain View Road, Washington, NJ.

For information on the new upcoming Fatima movie, The 13th Day, please visit the following link: http://www.the13thday.com/index.htm

Christian-Miracles.com

Miracle Approved for Newman Beatification

Excerpt of article by Peter Jennings from Independent Catholic News (ICN):

The miracle necessary for the beatification of the Venerable John Henry Cardinal Newman the best-known English churchman in Victorian England, has been approved by the Cardinals of the Vatican Congregation for the Causes of Saints, writes Peter Jennings

Jack Sullivan, aged 70, who lives with his wife Carol in Marshfield, near Boston, Massachusetts, was cured of an extremely serious spinal disorder on 15 August 2001, the Solemnity of the Assumption, after his intense intercession to Cardinal Newman.

The Congregation is now working on the document including a résumé of the life of Cardinal Newman and the miraculous cure attributed to him of Jack Sullivan, a Permanent Deacon from the Archdiocese of Boston.

When completed, this will be taken by the Perfect of the Congregation for the Causes of Saints, Archbishop Angelo Amato, to Pope Benedict XVI who alone has the authority to promulgate the decree.

The Pope, who is taking a personal interest in the Cause, was first introduced to the theology of Cardinal Newman as a young seminary student in Germany in January 1946.

Beatification come from beatus, a Latin word meaning happy, blessed, holy. Beatification is an act by which the Catholic Church, through an official decree by the Pope, permits public veneration under the title Blessed of a dead person whose life is marked by holiness and the heroic practice of the virtues.

This correspondent was able to give the joyful news of the miracle by telephone to Deacon Jack Sullivan at his home on 13 June. Asked for this initial impressions upon receiving the news of the favorable recommendation of the cardinals, he responded by email 24 hours later: "When I first learned of the favorable recommendation of the Cardinals and bishops comprising the congregation for the Causes of Saints, I felt a sense of awe and immense gratitude to God and Cardinal Newman.”

Deacon Sullivan emphasised: "If it wasn't for Cardinal Newman's intercession when experiencing extremely severe spinal problems, it would have been virtually impossible to complete my diaconate formation and be ordained for the Archdiocese of Boston. Nor would I have been able to continue in my chosen profession as a magistrate in our court system to support my family."

He continued: "My fervent desire to give all that I have in my parish ministry at both St Thecla's parish in Pembroke, Massachusetts, and my prison ministry at the House of Correction in Plymouth, Massachusetts, best expresses the intense appreciation I have for God's gift and Cardinal Newman, who directs my efforts."

"I have developed a very real relationship with Cardinal Newman in frequent prayer and I try to pass on what marvelous gifts I have received to those I meet."

"Secondly, when receiving the news, I felt a very deep sense of the reality of God's love for each one of us especially during times of immense difficulties and suffering."

Deacon Sullivan added: "I realise that indeed there is such a thing as the Communion of Saints and a place of perfect peace which God has prepared for each one of us. As the kindly light of truth guided the life of Newman amidst unspeakable challenges in his world, so too I feel the same sense of direction when reflecting on these awesome gifts by realising that God dispenses His favour especially on the lowly and those who are ordinary as beautifully described in our Lady’s praises in her Magnificat."

To read complete article, please visit the following link: Newman Beatification