View the inspiring story of Duane Andrews and his miraculous recovery from all his medical conditions!
Whatever difficulty you may be facing, hand it over to Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Believe in the power of prayer! Trust that God will answer you!
CBN.com – Duane Andrews was relaxing at home when he suddenly began having severe stomach cramps. What started as pancreatitis became something more severe, and Duane wound up in a coma for a month and a half. In the face of grim reports, his wife Sharon decided it was time to pray.
The following information regarding the incorrupt bodies of saints can be read on CatholicApologetics.com:
The incorrupt bodies of these saints are simply a living witness or proof to the truth of the Catholic religion as the one true faith from God, who has confirmed the testimony of the Church in the great miracles he has worked through it's saints.
The Council of Trent:
"The bodies of holy martyrs and others now living with Christ, bodies which were His members and temples of the Holy Spirit, which one day are to be raised up by Him and made glorious in everlasting life, are to be venerated by the faithful; God gives men many benefits through them."
The Bodies of the saints for us are like great and holy relics, which move us to honor the saints who God has chosen to honor by preserving them incorrupt.
In scripture we read that the use of the bones of Elisha brought a dead man to life: "So Elisha died, and they buried him. Now bands of Moabites used to invade the land in the spring of the year. And as a man was being buried, lo, a marauding band was seen and the man was cast into the grave of Elisha; and as soon as the man touched the bones of Elisha, he revived, and stood on his feet." (2 Kgs. 13:20-21).
A woman was cured of a hemorrhage by touching the hem of Christ's cloak (Matt. 9:20-22). The sick were healed when Peter's shadow passed over them (Acts 5:15-16). "And God did extraordinary miracles by the hands of Paul, so that handkerchiefs or aprons were carried away from his body to the sick, and diseases left them and the evil spirits came out of them" (Acts 19:11-12).
The Power of the relics to work miracles doesn't come from the object itself but from God, who confirms the faith of the person who is healed by means of them as to testify to the holiness of His saints.
O God, You who were pleased
to gather into your Church the peoples of the East
by the preaching and miracles of St. Francis Xavier,
grant that we, who honor his glorious merits,
may also imitate the example of his virtues.
This we ask through Christ our Lord.
Almighty and everlasting God,
we thank you for your Servant Francis,
whom you called to preach the Gospel
to the peoples of Asia.
Raise up, we pray,
in this and every land
heralds and evangelists of your kingdom,
that your Church may proclaim
the unsearchable riches
of our Savior Jesus Christ;
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever.
Amen
Prayer to St. Francis Xavier
Creator God
Inspired by the example of St. Francis,
We pray to you for the courage to be missionaries,
Reaching out and leading others to Jesus.
Like St. Francis
May we help those in need,
May we live a life rooted in prayer and
May we bring Christ to all those we meet.
This we ask through your Son, our Lord, Jesus Christ.
Amen.
For additional prayers, please visit the following link: Devotional Prayers
The miniature stained glass window of St. Francis Xavier can be seen inside of Saint Jude's Catholic Church, located on 40 Maxim Drive in Hopatcong, NJ, USA.
O Mary bright dawn of the new world, Mother of the living, to you do we entrust the cause of life: Look down, O Mother, upon the vast numbers of babies not allowed to be born, of the poor whose lives are made difficult, of men and women who are victims of brutal violence, of the elderly and the sick killed by indifference or out of misguided mercy. Grant that all who believe in your Son may proclaim the Gospel of life with honesty and love to the people of our time. Obtain for them the grace to accept that Gospel as a gift ever new, the joy of celebrating it with gratitude throughout their lives and the courage to bear witness to it resolutely, in order to build, together with all people of good will, the civilization of truth and love, to the praise and glory of God, the Creator and lover of life.
The beautiful miniature stained glass window can be seen inside of Saint Jude's Catholic Church, located on 40 Maxim Drive in Hopatcong, NJ, USA.
The photographs and video, including the following excerpt is from Morgan Hill Times which reported a story about a cross that continues to appear in a window of home in Watsonville, CA.
Sylvia Torres recalls being skeptical when she traveled to a home in Watsonville a couple of weeks ago to see a cross in the house's window that was purported to be a miracle.
Then crosses of refracted light began appearing in the front window of her family's own house on Swaner Drive last week.
Now, she is a believer.
"I've been here eight years, and this has never happened," she said.
At least 200 people have stopped by the home at 1288 Swaner Drive since Friday, when a young boy first spotted the image.
Neighbor Jesus Gonzalez, 10, was the first person to see the image while hanging out with the Torres children last week.
"I was right here waiting for my friend, and I said hey, 'Doesn't that look like a cross?'" Jesus recalled.
Sylvia said she did not know what to think when she first heard about it. The Torreses have used various light sources since that time, including light bulbs, candles and flashlights. The result is always the same: a luminous cross of refracted light with a diamond-like aura behind it. The usual light bulb the Torreses use inside the house creates an image that's nearly three feet tall, while the candles create smaller crosses of light that are only several inches.
The Torreses said they are Christians, but they are not "practicing," and they do not attend church anywhere in town.
"We're gonna start," Torres said with a laugh.
Photo by Lora Schraft
People gradually have been finding out about the cross through word of mouth, she said. They come from all walks of life - different ethnicities, different faith backgrounds, even different towns, Torres said. Some people have traveled from Morgan Hill and Watsonville to see the apparition.
People generally come en masse about 5 or 6 p.m., after they finish work, said Horacio Torres, Sylvia Torres' husband. In addition, about 10 people show up per hour throughout the day.
"It's like their coming like ants," Horacio said with a laugh.
It's even gotten to the point that the family is planning to set up visiting hours from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily.
A priest from the Cathedral Basilica of Saint Jose stopped by this week to see the cross, and told the family that it was a blessing, Sylvia said.
One man, who was passing out Christian literature in front of Arteaga's Super Save market on First Street, stopped by and also told the family it was a sign from God.
"He said, 'You have a great responsibility'," Sylvia said. "'It's to tell people to repent of their sins.'"
Practicing Roman Catholics tend to believe the cross' veracity right away, but some people who are logically minded are more skeptical, Sylvia said.
Yet, even some of the skeptics said they have been convinced.
Kern Avenue resident Jackie Velazquez was among the throngs of people who were amazed at the image.
"It's incredible!" Velazquez said. "We went inside the house, and it's not a trick. I'm not even a believer, and it made me cry."
Family members say it has become a bit wearisome to contend with all the onlookers.
"It takes privacy away from my home," Sylvia said.
Still, she and Horacio said they have felt a sense of peace come over their house since crosses began appearing in the window.
Their young daughter, Lucila, said she is not sure what to think of it all.
"I'm kind of scared," she said.
The family plans to have a recital of a rosary at the house at 5 p.m. Monday.
They said they are not trying to attract attention from outsiders, but they are also not refusing those who want to take a look.
"It's a blessing," Sylvia Torres said. "God said, 'If you don't come to visit me, we're going to visit you.'"
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.
