Angels, Wonders, and Miracles of Faith

Monday, December 24, 2012

Christmas Music: ''O Holy Night''

Celtic Woman / Chloe Agnew - ''O Holy Night''

Celtic Woman, starring Chloe Agnew, performs ''O Holy Night,'' from the Celtic Woman concert at Slane Castle, in Ireland.

Sunday, December 23, 2012

Virgin Mary of Breezy Point, New York

Virgin Mary of Breezy Point by Stephen B. Whatley

Stephen B Whatley | Flickr - Photo Sharing!

Commentary by Loci B. Lenar

For anyone unfamiliar with the artwork of Stephen B. Whatley, his paintings are recognized internationally. A feature story about this talented artist and his Christian tributes appears in the September 2011 issue of Catholic Life magazine, published in the UK. The article, Stephen B. Whatley the Praying Artist is reprinted on the website of www.Christian-Miracles.com.

More recently, Stephen's painting of Saint Kateri Tekakwitha - the first Native American canonized by Rome on October 21, 2012, is featured in The Vatican Past and Present (Issue 11: November 2012 - January 2013; published by The Universe Media Group Ltd).

The painting of the Virgin Mary of Breezy Point and following article is reprinted by permission from the artist.

From the website of Stephen B. Whatley:

A new tribute to the Blessed Virgin Mary, inspired by the statue 'miraculously' left standing as the only remains of The Catholic Church of St. Genevieve in Breezy Point, NY, destroyed by Hurricane Sandy in October 2012. She stands as a memorial to all those who tragically lost their lives and homes during that storm that assaulted New Jersey and the East Coast of America.

The beautiful statue, standing amongst the ruins of the church was first highlighted by journalist Natalie Keyssar in the Wall Street Journal; and quickly became known as the Virgin Mary, Our Lady or The Madonna of Breezy Point.

This pastel drawing was partly inspired by the beautiful photograph, taken by Bobby Plasencia, showing here on Flickr: www.flickr.com/photos/op204/8156903668/in/photostream

Created through December 13 and 14, 2012, expressionist artist Stephen B. Whatley shows this new tribute in memory of both all those felled by the storm; and most recently in sympathy for all those lives devastated on December 14 at the school in Newtown, Connecticut. May faith go some way to consoling those in the most devastating state of grief. Peace.

Pastel on paper
23.4 x 16.5in/59 x 42cm

To view more of Stephen's work or to order prints, please visit www.stephenbwhatley.com.

Wishing all Visitors a Blessed and Merry Christmas

Photograph by Loci B. Lenar

Christmas Prayer

Lord, in this holy season of prayer and song and laughter, we praise you for the great wonders you have sent us: for shining star and angel's song, for infant's cry in lowly manger. We praise you for the Word made flesh in a little Child. We behold his glory, and are bathed in its radiance.

Be with us as we sing the ironies of Christmas, the incomprehensible comprehended, the poetry made hard fact, the helpless Babe who cracks the world asunder. We kneel before you shepherds, innkeepers, wisemen. Help us to rise bigger than we are. Amen.

Christmas Prayer

God of love, Father of all, the darkness that covered the earth has given way to the bright dawn of your Word made flesh. Make us a people of this light. Make us faithful to your Word, that we may bring your life to the waiting world. Grant this through Christ our Lord. Amen.

Christmas Prayer

DEAR INFANT JESUS
IN A SHORT TIME
YOU WILL COME
TO VISIT US
AND YOUR HOLY, DIVINE COMING
IS FULL OF PEACE, JOY AND LOVE
FOR ME AND EVERYONE.
OUR HEARTS ARE FULL OF YOUR LOVE
IN OUR DAILY LIFE.
DEAR JESUS PLEASE HELP
ALL YOUR DEVOTEES
AROUND THE WORLD.
THANKS MY DEAR LORD.

Ezio and Aurora Ippoliti
Via Stella, 1
84060 ORRIA (SA) ITALY

More Prayers: Catholic Online

Saturday, December 22, 2012

Rome is home to one of the most picturesque, Christmas markets in the world

The video and following excerpt is from RomeReports.com:

December 22, 2012. (Romereports.com) Bundled in the heart of Rome, in Piazza Navona, you will find one of the most visited Christmas markets in all of Europe. The smell of roasted chestnuts fills the air, and you are sure to find chocolate nuggets and Italian pastries.

They sell everything from sweets, to warm beverages, cotton candy, and of course, Nativity sets, Advent wreaths and Christmas tree ornaments. But the lifeline of these markets are the artisans. They spend half a year toiling in their shops and the other half, in the market selling their work. They fear that one day, they will be out of job.

Read More: Christmas Markets

Friday, December 21, 2012

A Muslim's Search for Meaning Leads to Christ

CBN TV - Video

The following excerpt is from CBN.com:

Antonio Santana found meaning in Islam, but he didn't find salvation until he met Jesus.

He started having dreams. “I dreamt that I was swimming in a big ocean all by myself and there was a figure in the background sitting on a rock. He was fishing for me. I didn’t know who that figure was because I couldn’t categorize Him at that moment as Jesus Christ, but I had an impression that was Jesus. I was trying to make sense of it. At the same time I couldn’t explain it.”

Read More: Antonio Santana

Monday, December 17, 2012

Pope 'deeply saddened' by Connecticut school shooting, asks for prayers and consolation

The video and following news story is from RomeReports.com:

December 17, 2012. (Romereports.com) Benedict XVI expressed his sorrow for the victims and survivors of Friday's mass shooting at a Connecticut elementary school that left 27 dead, including 20 children and the alleged gunman.

The Pope addressed the tragedy publicly for the first time, during the Angelus on Sunday.

BENEDICT XVI
“I was deeply saddened by Friday’s senseless violence in Newtown, Connecticut. I assure the families of the victims, especially those who lost a child, of my closeness in prayer. May the God of consolation touch their hearts and ease their pain.”

The Pope first offered his condolences on Friday, soon after shooting took place at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut.

On Saturday, the Vatican Secretary of State issued a press release on behalf of Benedict XVI saying he was praying for God to console all those affected by the shooting.

That message was reinforced during Sunday's Angelus.

BENEDICT XVI
“During this Advent Season, let us dedicate ourselves more fervently to prayer and to acts of peace. Upon those affected by this tragedy, and upon each of you, I invoke God’s abundant blessings!”.

The community of Newtown has a population of about 2500, and is part of the Diocese of Bridgeport.

Its Catholic Church, St. Rose of Lima, has become a gathering point in the aftermath of the shooting, for mourners to honor the victims and survivors of the shooting.

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Are You in Need of Prayer?

Mr. Lenar, founder of www.Christian-Miracles.com has arranged with the support of Fr. Richard Tartaglia, including Barbara Jones of the National Conference of Catholic Women (NCCW), for prayer requests from this blog and our website (Christian-Miracles.com) to be prayed for every Monday morning after Mass, during Holy Hour Adoration held 8:30 to 9:30 am at Saint Mary's Church. In addition, requests will be prayed for every third Thursday of each month during the 7:30 pm evening prayer service held at St. Mary's Catholic Church for peace. If you live in the area or plan on visiting New Jersey, please consider attending and joining in the prayer services. St. Mary's Parish is located on 15 Myers Avenue, Denville, NJ, USA.

Submit your requests to the following link: Prayer Request

Interviews Recorded Live on Radio Maria

Thank you very much for tuning into Radio Maria on January 24, 2011 and listening to Loci B. Lenar, Donna Ott, and Father Richard Tartaglia discuss God's spiritual blessings on the radio program, Sacred Treasures. The show is hosted by Kathie Duggan.

(A recording of the broadcast can be listened to by clicking above.)

Loci Lenar began the show by sharing his testimony on witnessing the Miracle of the Sun. He gave his perspective on God's plan for Christian unity, including the spiritual locutions he receives from Jesus. He also discussed being healed of several medical conditions after receiving the Sacrament of the Anointing of the Sick.

Donna Ott is the administrative assistant at St. Mary's Church and shared her faith about being healed of arthritis in her fingers.

Fr. Richard Tartaglia is Loci Lenar's spiritual advisor for over fifteen years. Fr. Tartaglia spoke about Mr. Lenar and church history. Mr. Lenar shares with Fr. Tartaglia the spiritual presence of Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ through spiritual locutions which began over twenty years ago. Lenar is a parishioner of St. Mary's Church, Denville, NJ. Documentation is posted on Lenar's website at the following link: http://www.christian-miracles.com/.

For interested parties, a recording of the radio broadcast is also posted on the home page of Christian-Miracles.com.

Sacred Treasures can be heard live with new guests every Monday between the hours of 3:00 and 4:00 PM (EST) through internet streaming by visiting the following link: Radio Maria

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 throughout the world.

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

I wrote the prayer in 2010 as a result of the earthquake in Haiti.

Our Lord inspired my heart to compose a prayer in order to petition God to mitigate earthquakes and disasters while I was praying for the victims of Haiti.

Please join in by reciting the prayer daily. Pray for the victims and families affected by the devastating earthquake in Turkey.
Thank you very much for your thoughtful prayer support.

-Loci B. Lenar

Click above to Hear Recording

By Loci B. Lenar

I wish to convey my thanks to everyone for tuning into Sacred Treasures on Monday (September 27, 2010) and listening to my testimony regarding God's spiritual gifts. I also wish to thank radio host, Kathie Duggan, for inviting me on her program.

Some of the topics discussed on the radio show are the events leading to my conversion. Our conversation focused on the spiritual presence of Archangel Michael including a cross which continues to appear on my property since 2005. I also discussed my healing of several medical conditions by receiving the sacrament of the anointing of the sick.

As a witness to God's signs, my hope is that everyone that hears my account will open their heart to receive the Lord's blessings and grace. By doing so, may Jesus guide you on the pathway to salvation, healing, and peace.

I believe God's timing has arrived to move forward with a great outpouring of the Holy Spirit for an upsurge of church wide evangelization.

With that in mind, radio host, Kathie Duggan has invited me back to her show to continue my testimony. An update will be posted when the schedule becomes available.

In the meantime, if anyone was unable to tune into Radio Maria, a recording of the radio program is available here on my blog for interested parties.

Sacred Treasures is a Catholic radio show, which is broadcasted on radio stations located in Pennsylvania and south into Texas. However, listeners can also visit the website of Radio Maria at http://radiomaria.us/ to hear the broadcast live between 3:00 PM -4:00 PM (Eastern Standard Time).

While visiting the website of Radio Maria, please do consider listening to some of their other wonderful programs.

"Cross Appears in 2011 during Lent and Holy Week as a Sign of God's Love," -- Loci B. Lenar

My wife had her cousin Diane Kayal visit our home with her family on Saturday, March 26, 2011. Her cousin's daughter, Brooke stayed overnight. The miracle cross appeared Sunday morning and while standing next to the image, Brooke said in awe, "It looks like Jesus." I believe that God has opened the windows of heaven and is pouring out the Holy Spirit on our world. Joel 2:28 says, "...I will pour out my Spirit on all people..." In Psalm 84:11, it reads, “For the Lord God is a sun and shield; the Lord bestows favor and honor; no good thing does He withhold from those whose walk is blameless.”

"Cross Appears Annually Since 2005," Loci B. Lenar

The above cross appeared on my propetry several times in 2005. Incidentally, on March 25, 2008 by coincidence or perhaps I should say by providence, the Gloucester County Times of Woodbury, NJ, reported a front page story of a similar cross which was photographed by 9 year old Gwynna Crawford on Easter Sunday.

The cross appeared on a neighbor's house in Pitman, NJ (above photo). The article indicated that Gwyanna's mother and the neighbor were unable to find the source of the sun reflection.

Since 2005 and each year following, God the Father has blest me through His divine son, Jesus Christ, with a miraculous sign of a cross which appears annually on my residence in Mine Hill, NJ. Once again, on Saturday morning, March 27, 2010, a cross surrounded by a shield appeared on my backyard fence (above photo). The spiritual presence of God and His angels coincided with the start of Holy Week. The cross started appearing at the top of the fence as a result of sunlight and then slowly moved downward until it came in contact with the ground. At that point it turned into a round circle of light and then afterward it disappeared. The most recent cross was seen by my wife, Teresa, including my son, Ryan and his friend Nicole. With that in mind, God is calling for everyone to join in prayer for His blessings and graces to mitigate and extinguish violence throughout the world in order to usher in an era of peace. Our Lord is also calling for us to return to the sacraments of the church and to celebration of the Holy Mass. Additional information pertaining to the spiritual locution with more photos can be seen by clicking on the following link: Signs from Heaven

Fr. Richard Tartaglia: Spiritual Director

By Loci B. Lenar

Almost twenty years have passed since I began my initial search for a spiritual advisor. I expected the process to be straightforward and simple; however, it became rather challenging. The most important element in my mind at the time was to find someone that could understand and relate to my spiritual circumstances. As a result, Fr. Richard Tartaglia (above photo) became my spiritual advisor. However, before making my decision, it was a hit and miss process with a few other priests. In hindsight, it was the appropriate choice. Fr. Richard is not only a skillful spiritual counselor, but I also consider him a friend. To read the complete story and for other photographs, please click on the above image.