Monday, November 22, 2010

A Bridge is being Built for Christian Unity

Photograph by Loci B. Lenar

Anglican Ordinariate: 'We Don't Have to Swim the Tiber; A Bridge is being Built' - Living Faith - Home and Family - Catholic Online

The following excerpt is from Catholic Online:

By Deacon Keith Fournier

LONDON, UK (Catholic Online) - I received a response to an article we published on the "Becoming One" gathering of those coming into full communion through the Anglican Ordinariate in the United States. It was from an Anglican priest who identified himself as "Father Luke". He wrote, "I am still in san Antonio. I wait for the plane back to Reno. My EMC (Episcopal Missionary Church) parish has voted to enter the Ordinariate, and I am pleased to have gotten together with my fellow travelers here in San Antonio. We do not have to swim the Tiber; a bridge is being built."

The imagery is apropos. This historic overture toward Anglican Christians is prophetic. A bridge is indeed being built and Pilgrims are crossing over and coming home. The implications have only begun to be realized; not only within the Anglican and Episcopal world, but within the Catholic Church. I am convinced this a part of an unfolding movement of the Holy Spirit which is fostering restored communion between the Orthodox and Catholic Churches as well as the healing of the divisions occasioned by the Protestant reformation in the West. Pope Benedict XVI is the Pope of Christian Unity. We should not underestimate the significance of what is occurring in this pregnant moment in Church history.

I have followed the movement of Anglican Clergy and lay faithful toward the safe harbor that is found in the Bark of Peter and written extensively about it. I have grieved along with many Anglicans as their own Christian community was torn asunder by the rejection of both orthodoxy and orthopraxy. It is my conviction that the influx of these Anglican Christians into the full communion of the Catholic Church through the Anglican Ordinariate is a work of the Holy Spirit, a gift to the Catholic Church and marks the beginning of the coming full communion of the whole Church.

This is the beginning of a new chapter in Church history. Pope Benedict XVI is the "Pope of Christian Unity" and the new chapter has only just begun to be written as the Third Millennium begins.

Read More: Christian Unity

Bookmark and Share

Saturday, November 20, 2010

A Miracle at St. Mary's Church and Parish

Donna Ott - St. Mary's Parish, Denville, NJ
Photograph by Loci B. Lenar

Faith Leads to Miracles at St. Mary's Parish - Christian-Miracles.com

By Loci B. Lenar

God is remarkable, especially when He surprises us with miracles. “It was unexpected,” says Donna Ott, sharing her testimony about being healed of a painful arthritic condition.

Donna related her amazing story during my visit to see Father Richard Tartaglia on November 17th.

I came to see Fr. Richard to drop off a large number of prayer requests from Christian-Miracles.com. With Fr. Richard’s help and support, he has arranged for requests to be prayed for on Monday morning during Holy Hour adoration, including every third Thursday of each month at the evening prayer service held at St. Mary’s Parish.

While in the office, Donna showed me her hand – one can visually see that several fingers are affected by arthritis. Two fingers on her right hand have given her a great deal of difficulty, especially when she tries to write. “I’ve had daily arthritic pain in my fingers for nearly five years,” says Donna, a parishioner and administrative assistant at St. Mary’s Catholic Church.

St. Mary's Catholic Church - Photo by Loci B. Lenar

The church is on the corner of Myers Avenue and Route 46, Denville, New Jersey. Father Martin Glynn is the head pastor at St. Mary’s.

However, Donna relates that on September 27, 2010, “the pain unexpectedly disappeared.” She was in the church office at her desk, listening to Radio Maria while doing paperwork; answering the telephones; and greeting visitors. The computer was connected to the website of Radio Maria and through internet streaming, she tuned into the Catholic radio program, Sacred Treasures. The show is broadcasted live every Monday at 3:00 PM (EST).

What makes Donna’s story even more interesting is that she was listening to my testimony on the radio regarding God’s spiritual blessings!

Radio host Kathie Duggan and I were discussing God’s signs that are related to our Catholic and Christian faith, including Archangel Michael and a cross which has appeared annually on my property in Mine Hill, NJ, since 2005. We also discussed Christian-Miracles.com, a website I launched in 2008. Documentation regarding my testimony is posted on the site.

While on the radio, I shared news of my healing from several medical conditions which resulted from receiving the Sacrament of the Anointing of the Sick. Both a heart ailment and years of suffering painful headaches were healed after being anointed with the sacrament by my spiritual director, Fr. Richard Tartaglia.

Christian-Miracles.com

Donna continued and explained to me that at the end of the radio broadcast, she felt inspired to visit Christian-Miracles.com. While on the website, she was examining photographs of a cross which appeared on my property including other pictures of interest. She says that a sensation of peace came over her while looking at the web pages. “The whole website touched me in its beauty,” says Donna.

While surfing the site Donna recalled and said, “I was holding my fingers and thinking about wanting them to feel better.” She didn’t notice until maybe ten or fifteen minutes later that all the pain in her arthritic fingers disappeared. She described having a feeling of inner peace that came over her.

Truly touched by God’s healing grace, she shared her story immediately with Fr. Richard. Donna said that Fr. Richard responded by saying “That’s faith!"

Without question, faith leads us to God’s gift of answered prayer. Fr. Richard agreed with me that Donna was blessed with a small miracle.

After leaving work at St. Mary's, Donna went home and shared the events with her husband Bob, and son Brian, including her other children. She said they were in awe of her story.

Donna has received a spiritual gift of God's divine love which she can treasure and share with others.

Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ has blessed St. Mary’s Church and Parish as a place Where Miracles Happen!

Copyright 2010 Loci B. Lenar
Christian-Miracles.com

Bookmark and Share