Litany of the Sacred Heart of Jesus

The Sacred Heart of Jesus

Photo by Loci B. Lenar

Litany of the Sacred Heart of Jesus

V. Lord, have mercy on us.

R. Christ, have mercy on us.

V. Lord, have mercy on us. Christ, hear us.

R. Christ, graciously hear us.

V. God the Father of Heaven, have mercy on us.

God the Son, Redeemer of the world, have mercy on us.

God the Holy Ghost, have mercy on us.

Holy Trinity, one God, have mercy on us.

Heart of Jesus, Son of the Eternal Father, have mercy on us.

Heart of Jesus, formed in the womb of the Virgin Mother by the Holy Ghost, have mercy on us.

Heart of Jesus, united substantially to the Word of God.

Heart of Jesus, of infinite majesty.

Heart of Jesus, holy temple of God.

Heart of Jesus, tabernacle of the Most High.

Heart of Jesus, house of God and gate of heaven.

Heart of Jesus, glowing furnace of charity.

Heart of Jesus, vessel of justice and love.

Heart of Jesus, full of goodness and love.

Heart of Jesus, abyss of all virtues.

Heart of Jesus, most worthy of all praise.

Heart of Jesus, King and center of all hearts.

Heart of Jesus, in whom art all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.

Heart of Jesus, in whom dwelleth all the fullness of the Godhead.

Heart of Jesus, in whom the Father was well pleased.

Heart of Jesus, of whose fullness we have all received.

Heart of Jesus, desire of the everlasting hills.

Heart of Jesus, patient and rich in mercy.

Heart of Jesus, rich to all who call upon Thee.

Heart of Jesus, fount of life and holiness.

Heart of Jesus, propitiation for our offenses.

Heart of Jesus, overwhelmed with reproaches.

Heart of Jesus, bruised for our iniquities.

Heart of Jesus, obedient even unto death.

Heart of Jesus, pierced with a lance.

Heart of Jesus, source of all consolation.

Heart of Jesus, our life and resurrection.

Heart of Jesus, our peace and reconciliation.

Heart of Jesus, victim for our sins.

Heart of Jesus, salvation of those who hope in Thee.

Heart of Jesus, hope of those who die in Thee.

Heart of Jesus, delight of all saints.

V. Lamb of God, who takest away the sins of the world,

R. spare us, O Lord.

V. Lamb of God, who takest away the sins of the world,

R. graciously hear us, O Lord.

V. Lamb of God, who takest away the sins of the world,

R. have mercy on us.

V. Jesus, meek and humble of Heart,

R. Make our hearts like unto Thine.

Let us pray.

Almighty and everlasting God, look upon the Heart of Thy well-beloved Son and upon the acts of praise and satisfaction which He renders unto Thee in the name of sinners; and do Thou, in Thy great goodness, grant pardon to them who seek Thy mercy, in the name of the same Thy Son, Jesus Christ, who liveth and reigneth with Thee, world without end.

The above prayer can be found on Catholic websites.  For a selection of other prayers, please visit the following link: Devotional Prayers 

The photograph of the stained glass window detail can be seen inside of Our Lady of the Lake Church. The Catholic church is located in Sparta, NJ, USA.

Photograph Copyright 2010 Loci B. Lenar
Christian-Miracles.com

Miraculous Stories of Archangel Michael's Intervention

The Church of St. Michael, Netcong, New Jersey

Photograph by Loci B. Lenar

Archangel Michael is recognized for being the defender of the church and protector of God's people.  From the website of the Saint Michael Parish, located in Bedford, MA, you will find numerous stories regarding the intervention of Archangel Michael.

SAINT MICHAEL PARISH, BEDFORD, MASSACHUSETTS

Constantinople, 337 A.D.

At Constantinople Michael was considered both a heavenly physician and a military protector. The Emperor Constantine the Great attributed his brilliant victory over the pagan Emperor Maxentius to the assistance of Saint Michael, and in gratitude built a magnificent church in Sosthenion, some 50 miles south of Constantinople. He dedicated it to the archangel and called it the Michaelion. In 337 Michael appeared to Constantine at this sanctuary, saying: "I am Michael, the chief of the angelic legions of the Lord of hosts, the protector of the Christian religion, who whilst thou wast battling against godless tyrants, placed the weapons in thy hands." The Michaelion became the scene of many miracles and a place of pilgrimage. Many sick and infirm were cured in it. The sick often slept in this church at night waiting for a manifestation of the archangel.

Monte Gargano, Italy, 493 A.D.

Another apparition of the archangel occurred at Monte Gargano (since renamed Monte Sant'Angelo) in the kingdom of Naples. It is said he showed himself there to the Bishop of Siponto in the year 493 and produced another spring of curative waters. In this apparition, "St. Michael intimated to the bishop that the place was under his protection and that it was his will that God should be worshipped there, in honor of himself and the angels." It is also said that the archangel left his red cloak there when he departed.

A sanctuary, the Santurio di San Michele, was built over the caverns where Michael had appeared. In this sanctuary the Lombards of Sipontum (now called Manfredonia) proclaimed that their May 8, 663 victory over the Greek Neapolitans was due to Michael's intercession.

Today in Gargano, the Santurio (also known as the Basilica of St. Michele Arcangelo) remains a place of devotion and a pilgrimage site. The small fountain in the grotto (actually a small opening in the rocks) is said to still retain its miraculous powers.

Marazion, England, 495 A.D.

St. Michael's Mount, a rocky island called Ictis by the ancient Romans, dominates the bay between Lands End and Lizard Point in West Cornwall. Legend says that in 495 Saint Michael, standing on a ledge on the western side of the island, appeared to Cornish fishermen and hermits to ask that a church be built on the summit. Edward the Confessor founded a Benedictine abbey on the Mount in 1044. A 14th Century castle stands there today.

Rome, 600 A.D.

During a plague which greatly depopulated the city of Rome, Pope Gregory I (Gregory the Great) ordered a penitential procession in which he himself carried a statue of the Blessed Virgin. As the procession reached the bridge across the Tiber, the singing of angels was heard. Suddenly Gregory saw an apparition of a gigantic archangel, Michael, descending upon the mausoleum of Emperor Hadrian. In his right hand, Michael held a sword, which he thrust into its scabard. Gregory took the vision as an omen that the plague would stop, which it did, and so he renamed the mausoleum the Castel Sant' Angelo (Castle of the Holy Angel) in Michael's honor.

Avranches, France, 708 A.D.

In France, Saint Michael is the patron of mariners. His statue atop Mont Saint-Michel on the Normandy coast is visible far out to sea. In the year 708 the archangel is said to have appeared to St. Aubert, bishop of Avranches, three times in the bishop's dreams. Each time he commanded Aubert to erect a monastery on a rocky outcrop that rose from the sea a mile off the beach. Aubert obeyed: the site was named Mont-Saint-Michel and the famous sanctuary was built there. Inspired by this famous sight twelve centuries later, Henry Adams wrote in his best-selling book "Mont Saint-Michel and Chartres," that "the Archangel loved heights. Standing on the summit of the tower that crowned his church, wings upspread, sword uplifted, the devil crawling beneath, and the cock, symbol of eternal vigilance, perched on his mailed foot, Saint Michael held a place of his own in heaven and on earth. . . . His place was where the danger was greatest."

Monte Pirchiriano, Italy, 987 A.D.

Just east of Turin, high above an Alpine pass connecting Italy and France, sits a Benedictine abbey known as “La Sacra di San Michele, una abbazia costruita dagli angeli” (“Consecrated by Saint Michael, an abbey made by angels”). The abbey is built around a church which was built around three ancient chapels atop Monte Pirchiriano. The church was built in 987 A.D. by Saint Giovanni Vincenzo after a dream in which Michael and other angels appeared, asking him to build a church and marking its location with a vision of flames on the summit of the mountain (hence the mountain's name, Pirchiriano, meaning “the Lord’s fire”). According to local legend, the first chapel on the site was built into the rock by Michael and his angels around 400 A.D. and the other two chapels were added soon thereafter.

France, 1429

In Fifteenth Century France, Joan of Arc was inspired and urged on to otherwise impossible feats by "voices" coming out of a blaze of light which she identified as those of St. Michael and other angels and saints. It was in vain that she resisted them, saying: "I am a poor girl; I do not know how to ride or fight." The voices only reiterated: "It is God who commands it." She went into battle and was supposedly guided by Michael in her brilliant campaign against the English during the Hundred Years' War.

Mexico, 1631

In April, 1631, Saint Michael visited Tlaxcala, Mexico. On three separate occasions he appeared there to a local Indian, Diego Lazaro by name, and commanded him to "Make my message known." The message was an announcement of a new spring of water, infused and aglow with the "virtue of God." The story handed down to us tells that Diego overcame his initial reticence with difficulty and finally carried out the angel's request. The water soon became famous for its miraculous curative powers. Pilgrims still visit this holy water well, and the statue of Saint Michael, both of which are located at the basilica in the Nativitas district of San Miguel del Milagro (Saint Michael's Miracle), about 40 miles east of Mexico City.

The Vatican, 1884

One day, after celebrating Mass, the aged Pope Leo XIII was in conference with the Cardinals when suddenly he sank to the floor in a deep swoon. Physicians who hastened to his side could find no trace of his pulse and feared that he had expired. However, after a short interval the Holy Father regained consciousness and exclaimed with great emotion: "Oh, what a horrible picture I have been permitted to see!" He had been shown a vision of the activities of evil spirits and their efforts against the Church. But in the midst of the horror the archangel Michael appeared and cast Satan and his legions into the abyss of hell. Soon afterwards the pope composed the following prayer to Saint Michael:

Latin: Sancte Michael Archangele, defende nos in proelio, contra nequitiam et insidias diaboli esto praesidium. Imperet illi Deus, supplices deprecamur: tuque, Princeps militiae coelestis, Satanam aliosque spiritus malignos, qui ad perditionem animarum pervagantur in mundo, divina virtute, in infernum detrude.

English: St. Michael the Archangel, defend us in battle; be our defense against the wickedness 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 the evil spirits who prowl about the world for the ruin of souls. Amen.

Photograph of Archangel Michael Copyright 2010 Loci B. Lenar

The Transfiguration of Jesus

Photograph by Loci B. Lenar

The Transfiguration

Matthew 17:1-9 

After six days Jesus took with him Peter, James and John the brother of James, and led them up a high mountain by themselves. There he was transfigured before them. His face shone like the sun, and his clothes became as white as the light. Just then there appeared before them Moses and Elijah, talking with Jesus.

Peter said to Jesus, "Lord, it is good for us to be here. If you wish, I will put up three shelters—one for you, one for Moses and one for Elijah."

While he was still speaking, a bright cloud enveloped them, and a voice from the cloud said, "This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased. Listen to him!"

When the disciples heard this, they fell facedown to the ground, terrified.  But Jesus came and touched them. "Get up," he said. "Don't be afraid." 8When they looked up, they saw no one except Jesus.

As they were coming down the mountain, Jesus instructed them, "Don't tell anyone what you have seen, until the Son of Man has been raised from the dead."

The Coming of Elijah 

Matthew 17:10-13

The disciples asked him, "Why then do the teachers of the law say that Elijah must come first?"

Jesus replied, "To be sure, Elijah comes and will restore all things. But I tell you, Elijah has already come, and they did not recognize him, but have done to him everything they wished. In the same way the Son of Man is going to suffer at their hands." Then the disciples understood that he was talking to them about John the Baptist.

***

The stained glass window can be seen inside of St. Peter the Apostle Church, Parsippany, NJ, USA.  

To view my photographs, please visit the following link: Stained Glass Window Gallery - a photoset by Loci Lenar on Flickriver

Photograph Copyright 2010 Loci B. Lenar

Christian-Miracles.com

The promises of Our Lord Jesus to those who are devoted to his Sacred Heart

Photograph by Loci B. Lenar

THE PROMISES OF OUR LORD TO SAINT MARGARET MARY IN FAVOR OF THOSE WHO ARE DEVOTED TO HIS SACRED HEART - Prayers - Catholic Online

I will give them all the graces necessary in their state of life.
I will establish peace in their houses.
I will comfort them in all their afflictions.
I will be their secure refuge during life and, above all, in death.
I will bestow a large blessing upon all their undertakings.
Sinners shall find in my Heart the source and the infinite ocean of mercy.
Tepid souls shall grow fervent.
Fervent souls shall quickly mount to high perfection.
I will bless every place where a picture of My Sacred Heart shall be set up and honored.
I will give to Priest the gift of touching the most hardened hearts.

Those who shall promote this devotion shall have their names written in My Heart, never to be blotted out.

I promise You in the excessive mercy of My Heart that My all-powerful love will grant to all those who shall receive communion on the First Friday of nine consecutive months the grace of final penitence; they shall not die in my displeasure nor without receiving the Sacraments; My Divine Heart shall be their safe refuge in this last moment.

***

The statue of the Sacred Heart of Jesus can been see inside St. Mary's Catholic Church, Denville, NJ, USA.

Visit the following link for prayers to the Sacred Heart of Jesus: Devotional Prayers

Photograph Copyright 2010 Loci B. Lenar
Christian-Miracles.com

The Shrine of Saint Jude

Ascension of Jesus Christ

News Story by Loci B. Lenar

The Shrine of Saint Jude has a beautiful array of statues on display with lovely stained glass window art. The shrine is located on the premises of Our Lady of Victories Catholic Church.  The church is also a short distance from Route 80 and can be found on 100 Fair Street in Paterson, New Jersey.  The church pastor is Msgr. Thomas Coletta.

The Virgin Mary

My visit to the shrine on Thursday, February 11, began inside with photographing some eye-catching works of art including a sculpture of the Virgin Mary and a large window which shows the Ascension of Jesus Christ. The same window has a depiction of St Jude on the lower half.  In order to appreciate the artwork, I photographed the top and bottom of the window separately. 

  

Saint Jude

The stained glass shown below combines the Ascension of Jesus Christ and Saint Jude into an exquisite window of art.  Anyone visiting the church will be delighted with the lovely interior.

St. Jude Heals King Abgar of Edessa

After taking some photographs, I knelt down in the church pew and prayed to Our Lord Jesus Christ for the needs of all who were visiting the church. Mass began at 12:00 noon and was followed by novena prayers.

Everyone in attendance joined together in prayer for the nine week Winter Solemn Novena in Honor of Saint Jude and Our Lady of Fatima.  The novena is prayed every week on Thursday.  The novena began on January 21st and will conclude on March 18th.

I mailed my petitions to the shrine in advance of the nine week novena and also requested a devotional candle to be lit for the nine week period. My novena included a request for an era of peace and for violence to be mitigated and extinguished throughout the world. 

   

Our Lady

After the church service, I walked outside and photographed an interesting statue of Our Lady.  On the prior day, New Jersey was covered with snow from a storm that had passed through the tri-state era.  A small amount of snow from Wednesday's inclement weather covers part of the statue. 

However, what I found to be remarkable is the beautiful blue eyes of Our Lady, which I payed no attention to while photographing the icon.  It wasn't until I arrived at home and examined the photos that I truly recognized the beauty of the artwork.  The statue is also showing some signs of aging with paint beginning to peel off in areas. 

Our Lady of Victories Church - Side Entranceway

In any event, the shrine's website indicates that Our Lady of Victories Church had been completed in 1892.  With that in mind, perhaps the church is now in need of some exterior restoration, specifically with the statues of Our Lady, and Saint Jude.

If you do decide to visit the shrine, please check the church schedule by calling the rectory at 973-279-0487, since doors are closed immediately on completion of Mass and right after the recitation of novena prayers.

Copyright 2010 Loci B. Lenar

Christian-Miracles.com

Lenar@Christian-Miracles.com

Prayer to Mitigate Natural Disasters

 Prayer to Mitigate Natural Disasters

God the Father,

we join together in prayer and

petition heaven for divine intervention

to mitigate earthquakes and natural disasters.

We invoke the powerful name of Jesus

to calm the storms of time

and to bring forth a millennium

of peace and tranquility.

We pray to the Virgin Mary

to intercede on behalf of humanity

for God's hand of mercy to bless us

with divine protection.

We ask this and thank thee
 in the name of Jesus.

Amen

Devotional Prayers

I wrote the prayer as a result of the recent earthquake in Haiti. While praying for the victims and their families, the Lord inspired my heart to write a prayer to mitigate earthquakes and disasters.

The stained glass window detail was photographed inside the Sacred
Heart Church. The Catholic church is located in Dover, NJ, USA.

Prayer and Photograph Copyright 2010 Loci B. Lenar
Christian-Miracles.com

Prayers of Mother Teresa of Calcutta

Mother Teresa's Nazareth Prayer for the Family

Heavenly Father,
you have given us the model of life
in the Holy Family of Nazareth.
Help us, O Loving Father,
to make our family another Nazareth
where love, peace and joy reign.
May it be deeply contemplative,
intensely eucharistic,
revived with joy.

Help us to stay together in joy
and sorrow in family prayer.
Teach us to see Jesus in the members of our families,
especially in their distressing disguise.
May the eucharistic heart of Jesus
make our hearts humble like his
and help us to carry out our family duties
in a holy way.
May we love one another
as God loves each one of us,
more and more each day,
and forgive each other's faults
as you forgive our sins.
Help us, O Loving Father,
to take whatever you give
and give whatever you take with a big smile.

Immaculate Heart of Mary,
cause of our joy, pray for us.

St. Joseph, pray for us.

Holy Guardian Angels,
be always with us,
guide and protect us.

Amen.


Prayer of Mother Teresa

Dear Jesus, help us to spread your fragrance
everywhere we go.
Flood our souls with your spirit and life.
Penetrate and possess our whole being so utterly
that our lives may only be a radiance of yours.
Shine through us and be so in us
that every soul we come in contact with
may feel your presence in our soul.
Let them look up and see no longer us, but only Jesus.
Stay with us and then we shall begin to shine as you shine,
so to shine as to be light to others.
The light, O Jesus, will be all from you.
None of it will be ours.
It will be you shining on others through us.
Let us thus praise you in the way you love best
by shining on those around us.
Let us preach you without preaching,
not by words, but by our example;
by the catching force -
the sympathetic influence of what we do,
the evident fullness of the love our hearts bear to you.

Amen.

Prayers composed by Mother Teresa of Calcutta

Quotes by Mother Teresa - EWTN

"There is a terrible hunger for love. We all experience that in our lives - the pain, the loneliness. We must have the courage to recognize it. The poor you may have right in your own family.
Find them.
Love them."

"Before you speak, it is necessary for you to listen, for God speaks in the silence of the heart."

"Give yourself fully to God. He will use you to accomplish great things on the condition that you believe much more in His love than in your own weakness."

The Holy Family statue was photographed inside the Church of St. Joseph, Mendham, NJ, USA.

Photograph Copyright 2010 Loci B. Lenar
Lenar@christian-miracles.com
Christian-Miracles.com

Novena to the Sacred Heart of Jesus

Efficacious Novena to the Sacred Heart of Jesus

Prayer of St. Margaret Mary Alacoque

(Pray for nine days)

O my Jesus, you have said:

"Truly I say to you,

ask and you will receive,

seek and you will find,

knock and it will be opened to you."

Behold I knock, I seek and ask for the grace of...

(State your intention here.)

Recite the following prayers...

Our Father...

Hail Mary...

Glory Be to the Father...

Sacred Heart of Jesus,

I place all my trust in you.

--

O my Jesus, you have said:

"Truly I say to you,

if you ask anything of the Father in my name,

he will give it to you."

Behold, in your name,

I ask the Father for the grace of...

(State your intention here.)

Recite the following prayers...

Our Father...

Hail Mary...

Glory Be to the Father...

Sacred Heart of Jesus,

I place all my trust in you.

--

O my Jesus, you have said:

"Truly I say to you,

heaven and earth will pass away

but my words will not pass away."

Encouraged by your infallible words

I now ask for the grace of...

(State your intention here.)

Recite the following prayers...

Our Father...

Hail Mary...

Glory Be to the Father...

Sacred Heart of Jesus,

I place all my trust in you.

--

O Sacred Heart of Jesus,

for whom it is impossible not to have compassion on the afflicted,

have pity on us miserable sinners

and grant us the grace which we ask of you,

through the Sorrowful and Immaculate Heart of Mary,

your tender Mother and ours.

Recite the following prayers...

Hail, Holy Queen...

St. Joseph,

foster father of Jesus,

pray for us.

--

Visit the following link for other Devotional Prayers

The statue of the Sacred Heart of Jesus was photographed inside St. Cecilia's Church. The Catholic church is located in Rockaway, NJ, USA.

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

Litany of Saint Anthony

Litany of Saint Anthony

(For Private Use)

Lord, have mercy on us.
Christ, have mercy on us.
Lord, have mercy on us.
Christ, hear us.
Christ, graciously hear us.
God, the Father of Heaven, have mercy on us.
God, the Son, Redeemer of the world, have mercy on us.
God, the Holy Spirit, have mercy on us.
Holy Trinity, one God, have mercy on us.
Holy Mary,
St. Anthony of Padua,
St. Anthony, glory of the Friars Minor,
St. Anthony, ark of the testament,
St. Anthony, sanctuary of heavenly wisdom,
St. Anthony, destroyer of worldly vanity,
St. Anthony, conqueror of impurity,
St. Anthony, example of humility,
St. Anthony, lover of the Cross,
St. Anthony, martyr of desire,
St. Anthony, generator of charity,
St. Anthony, zealous for justice,
St. Anthony, terror of infidels,
St. Anthony, model of perfection,
St. Anthony, consoler of the afflicted,
St. Anthony, restorer of lost things,
St. Anthony, defender of innocence,
St. Anthony, liberator of prisoners,
St. Anthony, guide of pilgrims,
St. Anthony, restorer of health.
St. Anthony, performer of miracles,
St. Anthony, restorer of speech to the mute,
St. Anthony, restorer of hearing to the deaf,
St. Anthony, restorer of sight to the blind,
St. Anthony, disperser of devils,
St. Anthony, reviver of the dead.
St. Anthony, tamer of tyrants,
From the snares of the devil, St. Anthony deliver us.
From thunder, lightning and storms, St. Anthony deliver us.
From all evil of body and soul, St. Anthony deliver us.
Through your intercession, St. Anthony protect us.
Throughout the course of life, St. Anthony protect us.

Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world, spare us, O Lord.
Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world, graciously hear us, O Lord.
Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world, have mercy on us.

V. St. Anthony, pray for us. R. That we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.

Let Us Pray

O my God, may the pious commemoration of St. Anthony, your Confessor and Proctor, give joy to your Church, that she may ever be strengthened with your spiritual assistance and merit to attain everlasting joy. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.

(The prayer can be found on Catholic websites.)

The statue of St. Anthony holding the infant Jesus was photographed inside the Sacred Heart Catholic Church, located in Dover, NJ, USA.

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

Our Lady of Guadalupe - Feast Day Celebrated December 12

Our Lady of Guadalupe - Images of Faith

The following excerpt on Our Lady of Guadalupe is from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia:

Our Lady of Guadalupe (Spanish: Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe) is a celebrated 16th-century icon of the Virgin Mary, mother of Jesus Christ. The image, also known as the Virgin of Guadalupe (Spanish: Virgen de Guadalupe) represents a famous Marian apparition. According to the traditional account, the image appeared miraculously on the front of a simple peasant's cloak. The image still exists; it is on display in the Basilica of Guadalupe in Mexico City. It is perhaps Mexico's most popular religious and cultural image, and the focus of an extensive pilgrimage. The feast day of Our Lady of Guadalupe is December 12. She is said to have appeared to Saint Juan Diego on the hill of Tepeyac near Mexico City between December 9 and December 12, 1531.

The Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Dover, NJ, has a beautiful replica painting on display of Our Lady of Guadalupe. I photographed the picture during my visit to the church.

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

Solemnity of All Saints

Signs, Wonders, and Miracles - Images of Faith

The Solemnity of All Saints is celebrated by the Roman Catholic Church on November 1st in honor of all saints. It's a day of reflection on those who have been a witness to the faith and lived a life of Christian Holiness. 

Regarding saints and their intercessory help, Revelation 8:3-4 says, Another angel, who had a golden censer, came and stood at the altar. He was given much incense to offer, with the prayers of all the saints, on the golden altar before the throne. The smoke of the incense, together with the prayers of the saints, went up before God from the angel's hand.

For additional information, please visit All About The Solemnity of All Saints.

Please visit Christian-Miracles.com for a selection of daily Devotional Prayers.

The stained glass window detail was photographed inside St. Virgil Church, Morris Plains, NJ, USA.

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

Devotional Prayers

The following prayers are posted on Christian-Miracles.com and can be used in daily devotions. Please click on the links listed below in order to read the prayer. Periodically new prayers will be added to the list.

Devotional Prayers

The Miracle Prayer

Prayer of Confidence to the Sacred Heart of Jesus

Novena to the Infant Jesus of Prague

Prayerful Healing for Children

Prayer to St. Michael the Archangel

The Memorare: Intercessory Prayer to the Blessed Mother

Unfailing Prayer to St. Anthony

Prayer to St. Jude

Prayers of St. Pio of Pietrelcina

Millennium Prayer to World Peace

Prayer to Christ the King

Prayer before a Crucifix

The Chaplet of Divine Mercy

The Holy Rosary

The stained glass window detail was photographed inside St. Virgil Church, Morris Plains, New Jersey, 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.”

Prayer Before a Crucifix

Prayer Before a Crucifix

Look down upon me, good and gentle Jesus,

while before Your face I humbly kneel and,

with burning soul,

pray and beseech You

to fix deep in my heart lively sentiments

of faith, hope and charity;

true contrition for my sins,

and a firm purpose of amendment.

While I contemplate,

with great love and tender pity,

Your five most precious wounds,

pondering over them within me

and calling to mind the words which David,

Your prophet, said of You, my Jesus:

"They have pierced My hands and My feet,

they have numbered all My bones."

Amen.

Photographed inside the prayer room of Sacred Heart Church,

Dover, NJ, USA.

Photo Copyright 2009 Loci B. Lenar

Christian-Miracles.com

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

Hall of Candles and Saints

Regarding saints and their intercessory help from heaven, Sirach 46:13 and 20 states, Beloved of his people, dear to his maker, dedicated from his mother's womb, Consecrated to the Lord as a prophet, was Samuel, the judge and priest. At God's word he established the Kingdom and anointed princes to rule the people. Even when he lay buried, his guidance was sought; he made known the King his fate, And from the grave he raised his voice as a prophet, to put an end to wickedness.

Wisdom 3: 7 and 9 states, In time of their visitation, they shall shine, and shall dart about as sparks through stubble. Those who trust in him shall understand truth, and the faithful shall abide with him in love; Because grace and mercy are with his holy ones, and his care is with the elect.

How do you pray for intercessory help through a saint?

One method is to pray a novena for 9 successive days as a private devotion. A novena can also be prayed once a week for 9 consecutive weeks. A novena is a prayer used to petition God for a specific need.

In the Catholic Church, it’s a common practice to pray for intercessory help through a particular saint. The saint intercedes on an individuals behalf before the throne of God. Through faith we believe that God answers our requests through the saint's intercession.

For additional information on praying a novena, please visit the following link: http://www.mycatholictradition.com/

For information on praying to a saint, please visit the following link:

http://www.catholic.com/library/Praying_to_the_Saints.asp

Displayed from the right are Saint Jude, Saint Therese, and Saint Anthony.

During a recent visit to the Shrine of Saint Joseph, I made an offering for a candle to be lit for seven days on behalf of world peace and Christian Unity. Please join in prayer for the Lord to intervene in our world and change the course of history into an era of peace with unity. Thank you very much for the prayer support.

The Catholic shrine is located on 1050 Long Hill Road, Stirling, NJ, USA.

Copyright 2009 Loci B. Lenar

Christian-Miracles.com