Friday, November 30, 2012

Father Leo Patalinghug: Spicing Up Married Life



CBN TV - News Video

Author Father Leo discusses marriage and how healthy marriages strengthen family bonds.

Author, Spicing Up Your Married Life (2012)

Priest of the Archdiocese of Baltimore, MD

Chairman of the Pastoral Theology Dept. at the seminary of Mount St. Mary's Univ. (the nation's 2nd oldest Catholic Univ.)

Founded grassroots movement Grace Before Meals, which strengthens family relationships around the dinner table.

3rd Degree Black Belt Instructor in Tae Kwon Do (Korean Martial Art) and Arnis, the National Philippine Martial Art of full contact stick and weapon fighting. World Champion 1992, and other titles from 1978 – 1992.

Forensics, Public Speech and Debate Distinctions, 1984-1988 (Teacher and Coach for Catholic HS 1989-1992)

Univ. of Maryland Baltimore County – B.A.; Pontifical Gregorian Univ. and Pontifical Instit. Marianum - Rome

Thursday, November 29, 2012

This is No Time to Retreat from the Culture, We Must Work for its Conversion

Pray for Our Nation and World - Photo by Loci B. Lenar

The following editorial excerpt is from Catholic Online

By Deacon Keith Fournier

"We are now standing in the face of the greatest historical confrontation humanity has gone through. I do not think that wide circles of the American society or wide circles of the Christian community realize this fully. We are now facing the final confrontation between the Church and the anti-Church, of the Gospel and the anti-Gospel. This confrontation lies within the plans of divine providence. It is a trial which the whole Church must take up."  (Blessed John Paul II)

And take it up we have. However, there is much, much more to do. The ground has shifted and the struggle is intensifying. Our cultural mission lies at the heart of what it means for us as Christians to be leaven, light, salt and the soul of the world. This is no time to retreat from culture, we must work for its conversion. What is needed are men and women of Christian courage. 

Read More: This is no time to retreat

Monday, November 26, 2012

Saint Rocco: Patron Against all Contagious Diseases

St. Rocco - Photo by Loci B. Lenar

The following excerpt about the life of St. Rocco (1340-1378) is published by St. Bonaventure Church in the booklet, Franciscan Saints Surround Us.

By Fr. Daniel Grigassy, O.F.M.

St. Rocco is venerated by people from Southern Itlay and Sicily. Still their descendents who came to America hold Rocco in high esteem. During his life and after his death, he protected the people from the ravages of a cholera epidemic that swept across Southern Italy. People still turn to St. Rocco for protection against plagues, illnesses, and other dilemmas in life.

Rocco was born of nobility in France. His parents died when he was twenty years old and left him an orphan under the care of an uncle. Soon he decided to distribute his wealth among the poor and join the Secular Franciscan Order. Rocco had a birthmark on the left side of his chest in the form of a red cross. This blemish served to identify him throughout his life. Exchanging the clothes of a nobleman for those of a pilgrim, he departed for Rome to visit the tombs of the Apostles. Along the way Rocco stopped in plague-stricken towns and attended the needs of victims. Legend has it that everywhere he visited, the dreaded scourge of the plague disappeared with his prayer and the sign of a cross. The stained glass window displays such a scene.


St. Rocco Stained Glass Window
Photo by Loci B. Lenar


During his travels Rocco himself contracted the plague. In most images, though not in this stained glass window, he is shown with an open sore on his leg. He did not want to become a burden to anyone, so he left the city and found refuge in a cave, slept on leaves, and drank water from a stream. Legend has it that a dog refused to eat and brought Rocco his own bread to sustain him. One day a nobleman who owned the dog followed him into the woods and discovered Rocco. He brought Rocco to his castle where he was cared for and cured.

St. Rocco is patron against all contagious diseases.

Prayer for St. Rocco's Intercession

The stained glass window can be seen inside of St. Bonaventure Church, 174 Ramsey Street, Paterson, NJ.

Photographs Copyright 2012 Loci B. Lenar
www.Christian-Miracles.com

Sunday, November 25, 2012

Our Lady's Message of November 25, 2012

Kingdom of Heaven
Photo by Loci B. Lenar

Medjugorje WebSite - Our Lady of Medjugorje Messages and Apparitions

Message from Our Lady of Medjugorje to Marija Pavlovic - November 25, 2012

 "Dear children! In this time of grace, I call all of you to renew prayer. Open yourselves to Holy Confession so that each of you may accept my call with the whole heart. I am with you and I protect you from the ruin of sin, but you must open yourselves to the way of conversion and holiness, that your heart may burn out of love for God. Give Him time and He will give Himself to you and thus, in the will of God you will discover the love and the joy of living. Thank you for having responded to my call."

Friday, November 23, 2012

Katie Souza: God's Love Found in Lockdown



CBN TV - Video

The following excerpt is from CBN.com:

This salvation story proves that God can find a lost soul anywhere... even in solitary confinement.

Katie Souza says,“I remember slumping back against that cold cement wall, thinking, ‘I can’t do this anymore.’ I had been fighting everybody out on the streets, and now I’m fighting everybody inside. I didn’t even realize I was fighting God Himself. Right then, the Lord spoke to me. ‘I want you to surrender to your captivity, because this is My plan and it’s perfect.’”

Katie prayed to become a Christian. She read the Bible and shared what she was learning with her fellow inmates.

“The only book in the whole place was the Bible. I remember picking it up, reading through it and I just thought that this is the coolest thing I’ve ever read in my life. This is amazing. I would go from the front to the back over and over again. As I did that, the Holy Spirit began to point out these Scriptures about these people called the ancient Israelites who went to prison. I was going, ‘Wow, this is my story. It’s the story of every con I’d ever known. I started getting excited about it, and I started teaching it to everyone that I could teach it to.”

Her tough girl attitude and reputation began to change.

Read More: Katie Souza

Wednesday, November 21, 2012

Give Thanks and Praise to Our Lord for His Blessings!

Photo by Loci B. Lenar
 
 
Thanksgiving Table Prayer
 
O Gracious God, we give you thanks for your overflowing generosity to us. Thank you for the blessings of the food we eat and especially for this feast today. Thank you for our home and family and friends, especially for the presence of those gathered here. Thank you for our health, our work and our play. Please send help to those who are hungry, alone, sick and suffering war and violence. Open our hearts to your love. We ask your blessing through Christ your son. Amen.
 
 
 
For Appreciation of Each Other

We thank you, Father, for the gift of Jesus your Son who came to our earth and lived in a simple home. We have a greater appreciation of the value and dignity of the human family because he loved and was loved within its shelter. Bless us this day; may we grow in love for each other in our family and so give thanks to you who are the maker of all human families and our abiding peace.

From The Catholic Prayer Book, compiled by Msgr. Michael Buckley
 
 
In Gratitude
 
Thank you, Father, for having created us and given us to each other in the human family. Thank you for being with us in all our joys and sorrows, for your comfort in our sadness, your companionship in our loneliness. Thank you for yesterday, today, tomorrow and for the whole of our lives. Thank you for friends, for health and for grace. May we live this and every day conscious of all that has been given to us.
 
From The Catholic Prayer Book, compiled by Msgr. Michael Buckley.
 
 
Prayer at Harvest and Thanksgiving
 
O God, source and giver of all things,
You manifest your infinite majesty, power and goodness
In the earth about us:
We give you honor and glory.
For the sun and the rain,
For the manifold fruits of our fields:
For the increase of our herds and flocks,
We thank you.
For the enrichment of our souls with divine grace,
We are grateful.

Supreme Lord of the harvest,
Graciously accept us and the fruits of our toil,
In union with Jesus, your Son,
As atonement for our sins,
For the growth of your Church,
For peace and love in our homes,
And for salvation for all.
We pray through Christ our Lord. Amen.
 
From Living God’s Justice: Reflections and Prayers, compiled by The Roundtable Association of Diocesan Social Action Directors
 
 
Prayer of Thanksgiving
 
Walter Rauschenbusch
O God, we thank you for this earth, our home;
For the wide sky and the blessed sun,
For the salt sea and the running water,
For the everlasting hills
And the never-resting winds,
For trees and the common grass underfoot.
We thank you for our senses
By which we hear the songs of birds,
And see the splendor of the summer fields,
And taste of the autumn fruits,
And rejoice in the feel of the snow,
And smell the breath of the spring.
Grant us a heart wide open to all this beauty;
And save our souls from being so blind
That we pass unseeing
When even the common thornbush
Is aflame with your glory,
O God our creator,
Who lives and reigns for ever and ever.
 
From Living God’s Justice: Reflections and Prayers, compiled by The Roundtable Association of Diocesan Social Action Directors
 

Thanksgiving Prayer
 
This Thanksgiving let those of us who have much and those who have little gather at the welcoming table of the Lord. At this blessed feast, may rich and poor alike remember that we are called to serve on another and to walk together in God's gracious world. With thankful hearts we praise our God who like a loving parent denies us no good thing.
 
From Songs of Our Hearts, Meditations of Our Souls: Prayers for Black Catholics, edited by Cecilia A. Moor, Ph.D., C. Vanessa White, D.Min., and Paul M. Marshall, S.M.

Sunday, November 18, 2012

Madonna Statue Survives the Storm in Breezy Point

Mark Lennihan/Associated Press

The following excerpt is from NY Times.com:

By

Where the McNulty home once stood on the corner of Oceanside and Gotham, a few blocks from the Atlantic Ocean on the spit of land in Queens called Breezy Point, there now remains a charred, twisted ruin. Flooding and fire have left behind nothing but the foundation. Within it are strewed a dislodged bathtub, an air-conditioner casing battered into a helix shape, a mailbox coated with ashes.

As if all that loss were not loss enough, the storm spared a few tormenting reminders of life before its arrival. In the scorched shell of a cedar closet, screen windows stand neatly stacked. Three rolls of paper towels sit on a pantry shelf, toasted as delicately brown as cookout marshmallows.
      
So, yes, at the corner of Oceanside Avenue and Gotham Walk, the house inherited by the elderly McNultys’ niece Regina after the couple died, is a place of tragedy. It is also, astonishingly, a place of faith. For the one part of the home to survive intact was a statue of the Virgin Mary that Mary McNulty placed in her garden years ago.
      
The statue is one of the only recognizable remnants of the swath of Breezy Point where more than 100 homes burned to the ground while a flood kept firefighters from reaching it. Since the waters withdrew early on Oct. 30, the image of the Breezy Point Madonna has reached the nation, indeed the world, through vivid news photos. Pilgrims have come to leave offerings: a bouquet of yellow roses, four quarters, a votive candle, a memorial card for the victims of Sept. 11, a written admonition that healing begins with acceptance.
       
Ellen Mathis Kail knelt at the shrine five days after the catastrophe. She had spent 30 summers on Breezy Point and watched her parents save for decades to buy a bungalow on Gotham Walk. She had been married in the parish church, St. Thomas More, a few blocks away.
 
Read More: Breezy Point, NY

Image of Virgin Mary Appears on Window at Sime Darby Medical Centre




'Virgin Mary window' to be moved from Malaysian hospital - CathNews

The following excerpt is from CathNews.com:

The window pane at a Malaysian hospital that throngs of Catholics believe has an image resembling the Virgin Mary will be moved to a church, reports AFP on PerthNow.

Hundreds of Catholics have gathered in prayer and worship at the Sime Darby Medical Centre (SDMC) just outside the capital Kuala Lumpur since last week after seeing the image on one of the windows.

Reverend Simon Labrooy, the priest of nearby St. Thomas More Parish, said in a statement that the hospital's management in a meeting with him had agreed to give the glass panel to the Catholic Church.

He said the panel would be moved to another church outside Kuala Lumpur, Marian Church of Our Lady of Lourdes Klang, "which will be more conducive for prayer and reflection".

Read More: Virgin Mary Image

Thursday, November 15, 2012

Dominican Publications Releases Nov/Dec 2012 Issue of Spirituality Journal

Spirituality Journal - Vol.18, No. 105
 
Spirituality Journal

Dominican Publications has released the November/December 2012 issue of their Spirituality Journal with a photograph by Loci B. Lenar. The image reproduced is a stained glass window of St. John of the Cross, photographed in Summit, New Jersey. The Catholic journal is published in Dublin, Ireland.


St. John of the Cross - Stained Glass Window
Photograph by Loci B. Lenar


The following excerpt is from the Dominican Publications website:

Dominican Publications was founded in April 1897. They publish many books and also bring out four journals - Doctrine and Life (ten times a year), Religious Life Review (six times a year), Scripture in Church, with Guide for Readers (both four times a year), and Spirituality (six times a year).

Their Book publishing is in line with the interests of the Journals, the main focus being on Homiletics, the Bible and Liturgical aids, current theological problems, comment on political and social issues from a Catholic viewpoint, Spirituality, biography, Church documents and Religious Life.


November/December 2012 Spiritulity Journal 

Order Journals or Books: Dominican Publications

Sunday, November 11, 2012

A Tribute to Saint Kateri Tekakwitha

St. Kateri by Stephn B. Whatley

Artist Stephen B. Whatley - Flickr Photo Sharing!

Mr. Whatley is a talented artist who paints with brillant and colorful strokes of the brush which captivates the viewer. The artist resides in the UK and is recognized internationally for his Christian tributes. The following story about St. Kateri and the new painting is published on his website.

Kateri Tekakwitha (USA, 1656-1680) was canonised in Rome on October 21, 2012 as the first Native American Saint - and on that special day, expressionist artist Stephen B Whatley painted this new tribute; inspired by an array of historic images - including the earliest painting of 1690.

Nancy Wiechec of the Catholic News Service in Washington DC kindly introduced Stephen to St. Kateri's story, in August 2012, through an eloquent feature she had written - and the artist was immediately inspired, enchanted and moved; especially through his great affection for the USA and its people.

Painting iconic tributes to his Catholic faith often on special anniversaries has become a powerful feature of Stephen's work; and he was determined to honour this most humble of Saints - who was rejected by her tribe, through her devotion to her Catholic faith and fled from her native Fonda, NY home to Montreal, Canada.

Miracles of healing through the intercession of St Kateri have been experienced as recently as 2006 which finally convinced the Vatican to recognise her as a Saint; despite the fact that Native Americans have been appealing for this recognition since the 1800s.

A memorial Shrine to Kateri was established in 1938 in Fonda, NY; 200 acres of beautiful woodlands on the north bank of the Mohawk River.

In 1980, Kateri was beatified as the Blessed Kateri Tekakwitha; the first stage toward Sainthood; which has finally come about - bringing joy peace and hope to Americans, Canadians and Catholics worldwide.

Saint Kateri Tekakwitha is known as the patron Saint of American Indians, ecology and the environment.

News of the Canonisation of Kateri Tekakwitha, via BBC News:
www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-19996957

Saint Kateri Tekakwitha
October 21, 2012 by Stephen B Whatley
Oil on canvas, 27 x 19.5in/68.6 x 50cm
www.stephenbwhatley.com

Saturday, November 10, 2012

Loci Lenar to Share Personal Testimony at St. Mary's Prayer Service Regarding God’s Healing Grace

Prwire - Catholic Online

DENVILLE, NJ (November 10, 2012) - Loci B. Lenar will speak at St. Mary’s Catholic Church during its thanksgiving prayer service scheduled for 7:30 PM on Thursday, November 15, 2012.

Mr. Lenar will share his personal testimony about being healed of several medical conditions after receiving the Anointing of the Sick, a healing Sacrament of the Catholic Church.

St. Mary’s prayer service is held every third Thursday of each month with Fr. Richard Tartaglia. St. Mary’s head pastor is Fr. Martin Glynn. The Catholic Church is located on 15 Myers Avenue, Denville, New Jersey.

Reflecting on his spiritual journey of faith, Mr. Lenar, a resident of Mine Hill Township, says that through daily prayer and recitation of a 54 day rosary novena, his prayers were answered for healing and for other requests which remain private.

Mr. Lenar says that nearly twenty years has passed since being healed of a medical condition known as Atrial Fibrillation and from severe bouts of headaches."I was sitting outside in the backyard on a patio chair and praying the rosary. It was a warm summer evening, sometime between 9:00 and 10:00 P.M. near the end of June. Then suddenly, on the twenty-seventh day of the novena, the Blessed Mother appeared as a sign in the sky for about 30 seconds," says Mr. Lenar.

"She was standing over a full moon, appearing white as snow, and her arms spread out, similar to the image on the miraculous medal. It reminded me of Revelation 12:1, which states, A great sign appeared in heaven: a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet and a crown of twelve stars on her head," says Mr. Lenar.

At the completion of the life-changing 54 day rosary novena, Our Lady guided Mr. Lenar to receive the Anointing of the Sick from the Catholic church.

Scripture says the following about receiving God's healing grace: Is anyone among you sick? Let them call the elders of the church to pray over them and anoint them with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise them up. If they have sinned, they will be forgiven. (James 5:14-15)

God's spiritual remedy for treating Mr. Lenar's medical ailments was to visit St. Mary’s (Denville, NJ) and be anointed with oil by Fr. Richard Tartaglia with the healing Sacrament. He received the Anointing of the Sick on several occasions from Fr. Tartaglia before being completely healed.

“Through God’s divine gift, I was healed of the heart arrhythmia and from years of suffering daily headaches. As a result of the healing, I was able to stop taking medication for the ailments," says Mr. Lenar

Mr. Lenar was initially treated for the Atrial Fibrillation with the medication Lanoxin by his family physician located in the Denville Associates of Internal Medicine, Denville, NJ.

Loci Lenar has shared his spiritual journey of faith several times as a guest on the Catholic program, Sacred Treasures, hosted by Kathie Duggan on Radio Maria.

On May 7, 2012, Fr. Richard Tartaglia and Mr. Lenar were both interviewed on Radio Maria regarding a Cross of Light that appeared on Mr. Lenar’s residence during Lent and Good Friday of this year.

Fr. Tartaglia validated the sign by photographing the cross of light that was visible on Mr. Lenar’s fence. A video with documentation of the Cross of Light can be viewed on Gloria.tv at the following link: http://www.gloria.tv/?media=282039

Please join Fr. Richard Tartaglia and Mr. Lenar at St. Mary’s Catholic Church during its prayer service scheduled for Thursday, November 15, 2012 at 7:30 PM.

For directions to St. Mary’s Church, please visit the following link:
http://www.stmarys-denville.org/directions.htm

Saint Mary's Weekly Mass Schedule

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

Saturday: 5:00 PM

Weekdays: 8:00 AM and 12:05 PM - (Except June ~ Labor Day - No 12:05 PM)

First Fridays: 8:00 AM, 12:05 PM, 8:00 PM - (Except June ~ Labor Day - No 12:05 PM)

Holy Days: 7:00 AM, 8:00 AM, 12:00 noon, 7:00 PM

Eve of Holy Days: 5:00 PM

***

Contact Information:

St. Mary's Catholic Church: http://www.stmarys-denville.org/directory.htm

Loci B. Lenar: www.Christian-Miracles.com

Sunday, November 04, 2012

Medugorje Visionary Ivan Dragicevic to speak at St. Anthony of Padua Church

Reprinted with permission from The Standard-Times and www.SouthCoastToday.com

By


Monday, October 29, 2012

The Triumph of Christianity and what it means roughly 2,000 years later



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

October 28th marks a special anniversary. It was on that day, 1,700 years ago that Emperor Constantine won the Battle of the Milvian Bridge. That victory, opened a new chapter for Christianity, since the night before, it's said that Constantine had a vision.

EDMUND MAZZA
Professor of Azusa Pacific University, Los Angeles (USA)

“He won that victory because he used the sign of Jesus. The letters of Jesus' name and he put that on the shields of all his soldiers. Before that, he had a vision that night, that said in this sign you will conquer. He put that symbol on all his soldiers. They went into battle and even though he was outnumbered, he was victorious.”

Roughly 300 years before this battle, Christians were openly persecuted by the Roman Empire.

After this battle though, Constantine legalized Christianity and the construction of churches quickly followed. This radical shift is commonly referred to as the Triumph of the Church.

But what exactly can the modern world learn from that victory? This and other topics were discussed during a forum titled 'Mary, Sign of Faith.' Edmund Mazza, who co-chaired the forum says, secularism and politics are once again marginalizing Christians.

Saturday, October 27, 2012

Prayers for Hurricane Season

Photograph by Loci B. Lenar

Prayers from the Archdiocese of New Orleans

Prayers for protection from storms, to prevent storms and to avert storms.

Prayer for Hurricane Season 
    
O God, Master of this passing world, hear the humble voices of your children. The Sea of Galilee obeyed your order and returned to its former quietude; you are still the Master of land and sea. We live in the shadow of a danger over which we have no control. The Gulf, like a provoked and angry giant, can awake from its seeming lethargy, overstep its conventional boundaries, invade our land and spread chaos and disaster. During this hurricane season, we turn to You, O loving Father. Spare us from past tragedies whose memories are still so vivid and whose wounds seem to refuse to heal with the passing of time. O Virgin, Star of the Sea, Our Beloved Mother, we ask you to plead with your Son in our behalf, so that spared from the calamities common to this area and animated with a true spirit of gratitude, we will walk in the footsteps of your Divine Son to reach the heavenly Jerusalem where a storm-less eternity awaits us. Amen.

Originally dedicated to the victims of Hurricane Audrey in 1957. - Fr. Al Volpe, Cameron Parish, LA 
 
Prayer for Protection against Storms and Hurricanes

Our Father in Heaven through the intercession of Our Lady of Prompt Succor, spare us during this Hurricane season from all harm. Protect us and our homes from all disasters of nature. Our Lady of Prompt Succor, hasten to help us. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen. 
 
Prayer to Avert Storms and Hurricanes
 
Father, all the elements of nature obey your command. Calm the storms and hurricanes that threaten us and turn our fear of your power into praise of your goodness. Grant this through our Lord Jesus Christ, Your Son, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, forever and ever. Amen.

Faith on Display at the 2012 World Series



CBN TV - Video

The 2012 World Series is in full swing and CBN Sports goes behind the scenes to highlight stories of faith from both the Detroit and San Francisco club houses.

Heidi Baker: Modern-Day Miracles



CBN TV - Video

'Iris Ministries' founder Heidi Baker shares news about Mozambique miracles.

Saturday, October 20, 2012

Pope to canonize seven new Saints in St. Peter's Square



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

On Sunday, October 21st, the Pope will canonize seven new saints. Four of them are women and three are men. They're all from different countries and lived in different time periods, but they all have one thing in common: they dedicated their lives to communicating the faith in their own unique way.

Among the new saints, are two martyrs: Jacques Berthieu (1838-1896), who was killed in Madagascar and Peter Calungsod, who was killed in the Philippines in 1672.

Two others dedicated their life to teaching education: Carmen Sallés (1848-1911) was a pioneer in women's education and Giovanni Piamarta Battista (1841-1913) taught marginalized youths a marketable trade.

The three other saints offered their pain and suffering to God. Kateri Tekakwitha (1656-1680) was a Native American woman who helped the sick, even as she dealt with her own illness.  Mother Marianne Cope (1838-1918) worked with lepers in Hawaii. Anna Schäffer (1884-1925) was sick most of her adult life. Despite being  bedridden, through her words and letters she inspired people far beyond her native Germany. 


People need to believe in miracles, says woman cured of infection

The following excerpt is from the Catholic News Service:

By Carol Glatz

VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- Though she had always believed in miracles, Sharon Smith never dreamed she would be the recipient of one.

Her unexplained recovery from a near fatal infection in 2005 was the second miracle that cleared the way for the Oct. 21 canonization of Blessed Marianne Cope.

Smith will present Pope Benedict XVI a relic of Blessed Marianne -- a bone fragment housed in a wooden tau cross, or T-shaped cross that is the symbol of St. Francis, the inspiration of Mother Marianne's congregation.

A native of Syracuse, N.Y., Smith fainted in her home one day in 2005 and woke up two months later in St. Joseph's Hospital, her body perforated by tubes as doctors fought to keep her hydrated and alive. She had been diagnosed with pancreatitis, but the inflammation soon caused an infection so severe, it ate away part of her gastrointestinal tract.

Her doctor told her that July, "Sharon, you're not going to make it," she told
Catholic News Service in Rome Oct.19. She and about 90 others from the Diocese of Syracuse, including Bishop Robert J. Cunningham, came to Rome for the canonization.

Smith recalled that a friend visiting her at the hospital was given a prayer card of Mother Marianne and told to pray for her intercession. Mother Marianne had been beatified by Pope Benedict in May 2005.

"My friends told me they prayed for me the night before they were going to just disconnect me" from the respirator, "and they prayed to Mother Marianne for me," she said.

The next day, "I woke up in the morning and started talking," she said.

Though she could breathe on her own, the infection was still severe.

St. Francis Sister Michaeleen Cabral and other members of the community soon started praying for Blessed Marianne's intercession.


Read More: People Need to Believe in Miracles

Wednesday, October 17, 2012

Religious painting expected to draw thousands to Worcester church




The video and excerpt is from NECN.com:

(NECN: Mike Cronin, Worcester, Mass.) - A religious painting is expected to draw thousands to a special church service in Worcester, Mass. Tuesday evening.

It's a painting of the Virgin Mary, and some say it can perform miracles.

It’s on display and bringing people together to see what some say is a miracle.

“I prayed from the bottom of my heart. I felt that Jesus and St. Mary are listening to me,” says Clara Elnerm.

The Elnemr family is one of many flocking to the St. George Orthodox Cathedral in Worcester Tuesday. It's all to see a religious painting, called the Hawaiian Iveron Icon of the Virgin Mary. Five years ago, a Hawaiian clergy member discovered his painting suddenly smelt of roses and was gushing myrrh, a type of oil.

“It's a miraculous icon that's performed many miracles,” says Walter Haddad.

The icon is touring the east coast this month, much to the delight of Haddad, the president of the east orthodox churches of central Massachusetts.

“The oil is supposed to be miraculous oil. That's why everybody's coming to be anointed with her tears.”

Clergy members say they don't worship the icon, rather they pray through it.

“Some people don't realize that miracles like this do happen. They do happen around us all the time,” says Milad Selim.

Father Selim is the dean of the cathedral. He's been anointing those who have come by to pay their respects.

Read More: Religious Painting

Sunday, October 14, 2012

Religious Street Art? Local artist says why not?




The video and following excerpt is from RomeReports.com:

When it comes to 'street art' most people think about graffiti. But this local Italian, is changing that perception...His art, is all about Christianity.

His projects include posters of Madonnas, Jesus and Saints. All of them placed in random Roman street walls. 

The 34 year old goes by the name of 'Mr. Klevra.' He works full time as an engineer and on his free time he designs religious posters.  His favorite style is Byzantine iconography.

Over the years he has posted roughly 300 posters throughout Rome and Florence. But he acknowledges that once posted, they are no longer his. They belong to the entire city.

As a Catholic, he says his inspiration comes from a combination of the Gospel, his family and every day life.

With so many churches in Rome, many of them often go unnoticed.  But he thinks it's this type of modern religious art, that leaves an impression and makes people stop, think and reflect.

His current project is not out on the street, but inside an architectural gallery in Rome. The theme is the Apocalypse.

What does interest him is exposing the message of Christianity, out in the open, in places other than churches, so that all people can be inspired as they go about their daily lives.

Read More: Religious Street Art

Friday, October 12, 2012

Italian priest recognises Lourdes' '68th miracle'

Our Lady of Lourdes - Photo by Loci B. Lenar

French news | Expatica France

The following excerpt is from Expatica.com:

The case of a nun who started walking after being paralysed for years has become the 68th miracle to be recognised at the fabled French shrine of Lourdes, Catholic officials said Thursday.

The priest at Traverso's diocese of Casale Monferrato officially recognised it as a miracle at a mass Thursday, the Sanctuary administering the shrine said.

The incident happened in July 1965, when the nun, Luigina Traverso, started walking during a visit to the holy site. Born in 1934, the nun had been wheelchair-bound despite several operations for lumbar sciatica.

She "was overwhelmed by a sensation of warmth and well-being and warm sensation and felt the sudden impulse to get up," said the Catholic Silesian Sisters order, the Filles de Marie-Auxiliatrice.

"She started moving her paralyzed limbs," the order said.

More than 5,000 miraculous cures have been documented but the Catholic church has so far validated a mere 67. Traverso's case was yet to be officially recognised by the church.

The shrine at Lourdes is a destination for sick pilgrims many of whom are reported to be miraculously cured of their ailments after drinking the water there.

Read More: Lourdes 68th Miracle

A DECADE OF GRACE, CENTURIES OF MIRACLES

Reprinted with permission from The Standard-Times and www.SouthCoastToday.com

A DECADE OF GRACE, CENTURIES OF MIRACLES

By LINDA ANDRADE RODRIGUES

NEW BEDFORD,  Massachusetts — Catholics believe that Jesus Christ dwells in their midst and is present in the Eucharist because He said this is so.

"While they were eating, Jesus took a loaf of bread, and after blessing it, he broke it, gave it to the disciples, and said, 'Take and eat; this is my body.'" (Matthew 26:26)

Catholics believe this through an act of faith, yet there are prodigies of Eucharistic miracles recorded throughout the world.

The most preserved and scientifically studied Eucharistic miracle occurred during the 8th century in Lanciano, Italy.

According to an ancient document, a monk spoke the words of consecration, and the host changed into flesh and the wine into blood.

They are still intact and on display in the Church of St. Francis, built on the site of the original church.

In 1971, the latest team of medical and scientific experts examined the flesh and confirmed that it is striated muscular tissue of the human heart wall and the human blood is type "AB" — with both having no trace of agents used for preservation.

The extract summarizing the scientific work of the Medical Commission of the WHO and the UN, published in December 1976 in New York and Geneva, declared that "science, aware of its limits, has come to a halt, face to face with the impossibility of giving an explanation."

In honor of the 10th anniversary of Perpetual Eucharistic Adoration, Our Lady's Chapel will celebrate "A Decade of Grace," a six-day observance that will feature the Vatican International Exhibit "Eucharistic Miracles of the World," which will be on display from 5:30-8:30 p.m. Oct. 8-12 in Blessed John Duns Scotus Hall.

"When I go to the church (in Italy) and see the host, I see a miracle that is continual, our Lord is still really present. He has worked these miracles to help people who struggle with their faith to believe in Him," said the Rev. Louis Maximillian, FI, Father Guardian of the Chapel. "But I don't have to go to Lanciano. I can go to Our Lady's Chapel or one of the Catholic churches here in New Bedford, where the Lord is really present."

During the past 25 years, there has been an explosion of Eucharistic Adoration taking place, according to the friar.

"Maybe this is our Lord's way of helping people, particularly Catholics, rediscover their faith at a very critical moment in our history," he said.

The Franciscan Friars of the Immaculate instituted Perpetual Eucharistic Adoration a decade ago with the blessing of the bishop.

"It's really a gift from our Lord, something our Lord wanted all along," said Father Louis. "We are simply trying to respond to our Lord's desires that He become better known and loved. We truly want Perpetual Eucharistic Adoration instituted in every Catholic parish."

Fifteen years ago, Father Louis was a young man attending The Cathedral of Christ the King in Atlanta, Ga., one of the few churches for miles around that offered Perpetual Eucharistic Adoration.

"Words cannot describe the impact this had on my own faith life," he said. "I had the privilege of being able to adore our Lord on a regular basis. There's no question that Perpetual Eucharistic Adoration and devotion to Our Lady — the two pillars — were instrumental in my eventually being a priest."

Perpetual Eucharistic Adoration is the adoration of Jesus Christ in the Holy Eucharist 24 hours a day, every day of the year.

For the past 10 years, the Holy Eucharist has never been unattended at Our Lady's Chapel. The friars are responsible for covering adoration several hours each day, but most of the hours are covered by adorers, who pray the rosary, read Scripture or just sit quietly in the presence of the consecrated host in the monstrance.

"Whoever decides to participate commits to a fixed hour per week with the resolve to remain faithful to that commitment," said Father Louis. "It is a great act of faith that they make."

The celebration of the10th anniversary of Perpetual Eucharistic Adoration at Our Lady's Chapel will include talks on "Our Lady and the Eucharist" at 6:30 p.m. Oct. 8-12, featuring the Rev. George Roth, FI, of the Marian Friary of Our Lady of Guadalupe in Griswold, Conn., on Oct. 8; the Rev. Edward Murphy, pastor of St. Anthony of Padua Parish in New Bedford, on Tuesday, Oct. 9; the Rev. Ron Floyd, parochial vicar at St. Patrick Parish in Wareham, on Wednesday, Oct. 10; the Rev. David Mullen, pastor of St. Brendan Parish in Bellingham, on Thursday, Oct. 11; and the Rev. Monsignor Gerard O'Connor, pastor of St. Francis Xavier Parish in Acushnet, on Friday, Oct. 12.

All talks will be preceded by recitation of the Holy Rosary and followed by Benediction.

A Solemn Holy Mass will be held at 6:30 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 13, with principal celebrant Bishop George Coleman. The Mass will be preceded by the recitation of the Holy Rosary and followed by a reception.

For more information, call Our Lady's Chapel at (508) 996-8274. If you are interested in becoming an adorer, drop by the chapel anytime at 600 Pleasant St. in New Bedford, Massachusetts and talk to any of the friars.

Wednesday, October 10, 2012

Prayer for Vocations by Bishop Arthur Serratelli

Bishop Arthur Serratelli - Photo by Loci B. Lenar



 Prayer for Vocations

Father, in the fullness of time,
 you sent your Son,

born of the Virgin Mary to be our Savior.
He preached the good news of our salvation, 

healed the sick and cast out evil.
Now as crucified and risen Lord,

he pours out on us the Holy Spirit of adoption,

making us your sons and daughters.
Through the Church, he calls us to accept the gospel 

and to share in your own divine life.

Jesus is the Way, the Truth and the Life for all people.
In your mercy, you do not abandon us.
In every age, 
you raise up men and women
 to offer their lives
for the sake of the gospel
 and the work of the Church.
We beg you, therefore,
 grant to this local Church of Paterson 

an increase of vocations 
to the priesthood and religious life.
Give us courageous and faithful men
 to serve
as worthy priests and deacons.
Bless us with generous and zealous 
men and women
 willing to seek holiness 
in consecrated life.
May we rejoice in an abundance
 of vocations from our families

so that we may yield a rich harvest of good works 

for your honor and glory.
We ask this in the name of Jesus,
who lives and reigns
 with you and the Holy Spirit,
 One God, forever and ever.
Amen

+Most Rev. Arthur J. Serratelli, Bishop of Paterson

The photograph of Bishop Serratelli was taken inside of Blessed Kateri Tekakwitha Catholic Church, 427 Stanhope Road, Sparta, NJ.  To the left of Bishop Serratelli is a statue of Blessed Kateri who will be canonized by Pope Benedict XVI on October 21, 2012.
 

‘Heaven Changes Everything’: How belief impacted a family


Visit NBCNews.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Colton Burpo's New Book about Heaven - TODAY.com

The following excerpt is from Today.com:

Two years after the release of the best-selling book, “Heaven Is for Real,” telling the story of Colton Burpo’s near-death experience at age 4, Colton, his dad, Todd, and his mom, Sonja, speak about their second book, a devotional called “Heaven Changes Everything."

The story of Todd and Sonja Burpo's son Colton making a trip to heaven and back had an enormous impact on their lives. Their son's story came at a time when things were tough and the parents discovered that beliving in heaven can make all the difference.

Read More: Heaven Changes Everything

Tuesday, October 09, 2012

St. Bonaventure and St. Thomas Aquinas

Stained Glass Window - Photo by Loci B. Lenar

The following excerpt is from Catholic Online:

St. Bonaventure, Bishop and Doctor of the Church (Feast day-July 15)
 
St. Bonaventure (Giovanni di Fidanza), known as "the seraphic doctor," was born at Bagnorea in Tuscany, in 1221. He received the name of Bonaventure in consequence of an exclamation of St. Francis of Assisi, when, in response to the pleading of the child's mother, the saint prayed for John's recovery from a dangerous illness, and, foreseeing the future greatness of the little John, cried out "O Buona ventura"-O good fortune!
 
At the age of twenty-two St. Bonaventure entered the Franciscan Order. Having made his vows, he was sent to Paris to complete his studies under the celebrated doctor Alexander of Hales, an Englishman and a Franciscan. After the latter's death he continued his course under his successor, John of Rochelle. In Paris he became the intimate friend of the great St. Thomas Aquinas. He received the degree of Doctor, together with St. Thomas Aquinas, ceding to his friend against the latter's inclination, the honor of having it first conferred upon him. Like St. Thomas Aquinas, he enjoyed the friendship of the holy King, St. Louis.
 
At the age of thirty-five he was chosen General of his Order and restored a perfect calm where peace had been disturbed by internal dissensions. He did much for his Order and composed The Life of St. Francis . He also assisted at the translation of the relics of St. Anthony of Padua. He was nominated Archbishop of York by Pope Clement IV, but he begged not to be forced to accept that dignity. Gregory X obliged him to take upon himself a greater one, that of Cardinal and Bishop of Albano, one of the six suffragan Sees of Rome. Before his death he abdicated his office of General of the Franciscan Order. He died while he was assisting at the Second Council of Lyons, on July 15, 1274.
 
*** 
 
The stained glass window of St. Bonaventure and St. Thomas Aquinas can be seen inside St. Bonaventure Church, 174 Ramsey Street, Paterson, NJ.

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Photograph Copyright 2012 Loci B. Lenar

Friday, October 05, 2012

What can St. Hildegard of Bingen teach us? A look at the life of this future Doctor of the Church



The following excerpt is from RomeReports.com:

October 7th marks the day, St. Hildegard of Bingen will be declared a Doctor of the Catholic Church. The German nun was a  music composer, writer and theologian, who made a mark by talking about her religious visions.

Back in the 12th century, her visions were not always taken seriously.  Eventually she decided to make them public only after getting approval from Pope Eugene III.

They dealt with Redemption, God, humanity, the Church and also with Creation. In fact, one of the drawings that reflects this, shows the relationship between the universe and humans. It's an image that's quite similar to that of Leonardo da Vinci.

Read More: St. Hildegard of Bingen

Review of Motion Picture Regarding this Visionary: Vision: From the Life of Hildegard von Bingen

St. Angela Merici

Photograph by Loci B. Lenar

The following excerpt regarding the life of St. Angela Merici is from the Catholic Encyclopedia:

Foundress of the Ursulines, born 21 March, 1474, at Desenzano, a small town on the southwestern shore of Lake Garda in Lombardy; died 27 January, 1540, at Brescia.

She was left an orphan at the age of ten and together with her elder sister came to the home of her uncle at the neighbouring town of Salo where they led an angelic life. When her sister met with a sudden death, without being able to receive the last sacraments, young Angela was much distressed. She became a tertiary of St. Francis and greatly increased her prayers and for the repose of her sister's soul. In her anguish and pious simplicity she prayed God to reveal to her the condition of her deceased sister. It is said that by a vision she was satisfied her sister was in the company of the saints in heaven.

In 1524, while making a pilgrimage to the Holy Land, she became suddenly blind when she was on the island of Crete, but continued her journey to the Holy Places and was cured on her return while praying before a crucifix at the same place where she was struck with blindness a few weeks before. When, in the jubilee year 1525, she had come to Rome to gain the indulgences, Pope Clement VII, who had heard of her great holiness and her extraordinary success as a religious teacher of young girls, invited her to remain in Rome; but Angela, who shunned publicity, returned to Brescia. Finally, on the 25th of November, 1535, Angela chose twelve virgins and laid the foundation of the order of the Ursulines in a small house near the Church of St. Afra in Brescia. Having been five years superior of the newly-founded order, she died.

Her body lies buried in the Church of St. Afra at Brescia. She was beatified in 1768, by Clement XIII, and canonized in 1807, by Pius VII.

The stained glass window can be seen inside St. Bonaventure Church, 174 Ramsey Street, Paterson, NJ.

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Photograph Copyright 2012 Loci B. Lenar

Thursday, October 04, 2012

Tuesday, October 02, 2012

Music Visions: Producing videos that promote values




Music Visions: Brand New Day

The following excerpt is from RomeReports.com:

This song is titled 'Brand New Day.' It tells the story of a young woman who just ended a relationship with her boyfriend. Despite the pain of the break up, she's able to see beyond the suffering, thanks to the support of her family.

The video of the singer Roseanna was made in London and produced by MUSIC VISIONS, a nonprofit organization that produces music videos that promote a culture of life.

BRAND NEW DAY - Written and composed by Steve Foster
Performed by Roseanna
Featuring Roseanna, Sam Burn
Produced by Mark von Riedemann
Directed by Manuel de Teffé
Music Video sponsored by Kirche in Not - Aid to the Church in Need
in cooperation with Catholic Radio and Television Network

Our Lady's Monthly Message to Mirjana Dragicevic-Soldo

Cross of Light - Photograph by Loci B. Lenar


The Medjugorje Web - Apparitions of the Virgin Mary in Medjugorje

Our Lady of Medjugorje's Message of October 2, 2012 to Mirjana:

"Dear children; I am calling you and am coming among you because I need you. I need apostles with a pure heart. I am praying, and you should also pray, that the Holy Spirit may enable and lead you, that He may illuminate you and fill you with love and humility. Pray that He may fill you with grace and mercy. Only then will you understand me, my children. Only then will you understand my pain because of those who have not come to know the love of God. Then you will be able to help me. You will be my light-bearers of God’s love. You will illuminate the way for those who have been given eyes but do not want to see. I desire for all of my children to see my Son. I desire for all of my children to experience His Kingdom. Again I call you and implore you to pray for those whom my Son has called. Thank you."

Friday, September 28, 2012

Feast of the Archangels, Michael, Gabriel, and Raphael

Photo by Loci B. Lenar


The following Archangel Prayers are posted on the website of the Saint Michael Center

The Feast of the Archangels is celebrated on September 29


Saint Michael the Archangel, defend us in the hour of battle, be our safeguard against the wickedness and snares of the devil, may God restrain him we humbly pray, and do thou oh Prince of the Heavenly Host, by the power of God, cast into hell satan and all the evil spirits that roam through the world , seeking the ruin of souls. Amen.

Saint Michael the Archangel, please protect us from the evil one and help us to obtain the grace to do the Will of God.

Saint Gabriel the Archangel

Please announce the Holy Word of God to us, write it in our hearts, help us to remember it and to put it into practice.

Saint Raphael the Archangel

Fill me with the Love of God, with the ardent flame of Love of the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary, with the Love of all the angels and saints.

My Holy Guardian Angel

Protect me and guide me, open the way for me to do the Will of God in every action, remind me to praise God and to reject temptations

Angels and Archangels (in general)

O God, who in Thine ineffable Providence, hast sent Thy Holy Angels to watch over us: grant, we humbly pray, that we may always be defended by their protection and may rejoice in their fellowship forever. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.

God our Father, in a wonderful way You guide the work of angels and men. May those who serve You constantly in heaven keep our lives safe from all harm here on earth. Grant this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

Prayer to St. Michael the Archangel

Supported by the intercession of blessed Michael, Thine Archangel, we humbly beseech Thee, O Lord, that the service we pay with our lips, we may lay hold of with our minds. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, Thy Son, who lives and reigns with Thee in the unity of the Holy Spirit, world without end. Amen.

O God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, we call upon your Holy Name, and as supplicants we implore your clemency, that by the intercession of Blessed Mary, ever Virgin Immaculate and our Mother, and of the glorious Archangel St Michael, You would deign to help us against Satan and all other unclean spirits, who roam about the world for the injury of the human race and the ruin of souls. Amen.

St Gabriel the Archangel

O God, who from among all the Angels did choose the Archangel Gabriel to announce the Mystery of Thine Incarnation: mercifully grant that we who keep his feast on earth may feel the effect of his patronage in heaven. Who lives and reigns, with God the Father, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, world without end. Amen

O Blessed Archangel Gabriel, we beseech you, intercede for us at the throne of divine Mercy in our present necessities, that as you did announce to Mary the mystery of the Incarnation, so through your prayers and patronage in heaven we may obtain the benefits of the same, and sing the praise of God forever in the land of the living. Amen.

Prayer to St. Raphael the Archangel

O glorious Archangel, St Raphael, great Prince of the heavenly court, illustrious for your gifts of wisdom and grace, guide of those who journey by land or sea, consoler of the afflicted, and refuge of sinners: I beg you to assist me in all my needs and in all the sufferings of this life, as once you did help the young Tobias on his travels. And because you are the 'Medicine of God,' I humbly ask you to heal the many infirmities of my soul, and the ills which afflict my body, if it be for my greater good. I especially ask of you an angelic purity, which may fit me to be the temple of the Holy Spirit.

Be pleased, O Lord God, to send to our aid St Raphael the Archangel: and may he, who, we believe, stands forever before the throne of Your Majesty, offer unto You our humble petitions to be blessed by You. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.

Wednesday, September 26, 2012

Our Lady of Medjugorje's Monthly Message to Marija Pavlovic-Lunetti

Photo by Loci B. Lenar

 The Medjugorje Web - Apparitions of the Virgin Mary in Medjugorje

Our Lady's September 25, 2012 Message to Marija:

"Dear children! When in nature you look at the richness of the colors which the Most High gives to you, open your heart and pray with gratitude for all the good that you have and say: ‘I am here created for eternity’ – and yearn for heavenly things because God loves you with immeasurable love. This is why He also gave me to you to tell you: ‘Only in God is your peace and hope, dear children’. Thank you for having responded to my call."