EUCHARISTIC MIRACLE OF CHIRATTAKONAM

Eucharistic Miracle of Chirattakonam
This Eucharistic Miracle took place recently, on May 5, 2001 at Trivandrum, India. In the consecrated Host, the face of a man resembling Christ crowned with thorns appeared. Father Johnson Karoor, pastor of the church where the Miracle occurred, recounts in his report: “On April 28, 2001, in the parish church of St. Mary at Chirattakonam, we began, as we do each year, our Novena to St. Jude Thaddeus. At 8:49 in the
morning, I exposed the Blessed Sacrament in the monstrance and began
a time for public adoration.

After a few minutes, I saw three marks on the Holy Eucharist. At that point, I stopped praying and began to look at the monstrance, inviting the faithful also to wonder at the three marks. I then asked the faithful to remain praying and then put the monstrance back inside the tabernacle. On April 30, I celebrated Holy Mass and the day after I departed for Trivandrum. After returning, on May 5, 2001, I opened the church for the regular Masses, I prepared myself and I went to open the tabernacle to see what had happened to the Eucharistic host of the monstrance, and I at once noticed in it a figure resembling a human face. I was very moved and asked the faithful to kneel down and begin to pray. I thought that it was only I who had seen the face, and
then I asked the altar boy what he observed in the monstrance. He
answered, ‘I see the figure of a man.’ I noticed that the rest of the faithful also gazed intently at the monstrance.
We began the Adoration and as the minutes passed by, the figure of the manbecame more clearly defined. I did not have the courage to say anything, and I began to cry.
During the time of adoration, we had the custom of reading a passage from Sacred Scripture.The passage which fell upon me that day was the one from Chapter 20 of St. John’s Gospel,which recounts the episode when the Risen Jesus appeared to St. Thomasand asked him to look upon His wounds. I managed to say only a few words in my homily, and as I had to celebrate

Holy Mass at the neighboring parish of Kokkodu, I arranged for a photographer to come at once to take a picture of the Holy Eucharist with the human face inside it. The photographs were developed in two hours, and in every photo, the face appeared ever more clear.”
His Blessedness Cyril Mar Baselice, Archbishop of Trivandrum, wrote regarding this Miracle:
“[…] For us believers, what we saw is something we have always believed […] If Our Lord is speaking to us by giving us this sign, this most surely requires a response on our part.” The monstrance containing the Miraculous Host is still preserved in the church.

THE POWER OF BROWN SCAPULAR

The Brown Scapular special sign of salvation

The Brown Scapular shall be a special sign of salvation, a protection in danger, and a pledge of peace. Whosoever dies wearing this Scapular shall not suffer eternal fire.”

The apparition of Our Lady Of Mount Carmel

Our Lady appeared to St. Simon Stock, a Carmelite and handed him a brown woolen scapular, in the year 1251, in the town of Aylesford in England.

Simple devotion

By simply wearing the Scapular, we can tell to Our Lady, every moment of the day that we venerate her, love her and trust in her protection.

The Scapular Is a Silent Prayer

When we use the scapular as a prayer, Our Lady draws us to the Sacred Heart of Her Divine Son. It is good, therefore, to hold the scapular in the hand. A prayer offered while holding the Scapular is as perfect as a prayer can be. It is especially in time of temptation that we need the powerful intercession of God’s Mother. The evil spirit is utterly powerless when the wearer of a scapular faces temptation, calling upon the Holy Virgin in this silent Devotion. 

The Rosary and the Scapular Are Inseparable

In order to obtain the graces and promises recieved from wearing the Scapular, one should wear it devoutly. In other words, under the usual conditions, i.e. state of grace (Go to Confession regularly!!), be properly invested/enrolled by a Catholic priest, pray either the Little Office of the Blessed Virgin Mary or 5 decades of the Most Holy Rosary daily. Novenas to Our Lady of Mt. Carmel are optional but highly recommended to show the Mater Dei that we Her most lowly and undeserving servants have faith in Her most powerful protection and intercession.

Three amazing miracles

Amongst the myriad of miracles attributed to the Brown Scapular, there are a few more famous occurrences:

1- In May 1957, in Westenboden, Germany, an entire row of houses had caught fire. The inhabitants of one of the houses fixed a scapular to the front door of their home. Five hours later, 22 homes on the block had burnt to the ground. Yet amidst the destruction, the home with the scapular attached to it stood unharmed. This miracle was witnessed by hundreds of people.

2- Three holy men devoted to the scapular, Pope Bl. Gregory X, St. Alphonsus Liguori,and St. John Bosco, all died wearing the scapular. When their graves were opened years later, the bodies and vestments had decayed but their scapulars remained perfectly intact.

3- In November of 1955, a plane carrying 27 passengers crashed in Guatemala. All the passengers died except for one young girl. She related that when the plane was going down, she clutched her scapular and cried out to Our Lady for help. She was burnt and her clothes were tattered and burnt as well, but the girl was overall unharmed and her scapular free from any burns.

 Prayer for Protection 

O my God, in union with the Immaculate Heart of Mary, I offer Thee the Precious Blood of Jesus from all the altars throughout the world, joining with It the offering of my every thought, word and action of this day.

With loving provident care, O Mother Most Admirable, you covered us with your Scapular
as a shield of defence against the Evil One.
Through your assistance, may we bravely struggle against the powers of evil, always open to your Son Jesus Christ.
(pause and mention petitions)

Precious Blood of Jesus, save us! Immaculate Heart of Mary, pray for us! Sacred Heart of Jesus, have mercy on us!

Amen

URGENT NOVENA TO OUR BLESSED VIRGIN MARY

       POWERFUL EMERGENCY NOVENA TO OUR LADY VIRGIN MARY
                When needing an answer to prayers quickly and without delay

When needing an answer to our prayers quickly and without delay, Mother Teresa of Calcutta famously prayed a "Flying" novena. This is a simple and quick way to pray a 'novena' when you don't have a full nine days!
How do you pray this novena? Well, Mother Teresa would pray the 'Memorare Prayer' nine times in a row rather than praying it once a day for nine days. Her religious sisters, The Missionaries Of Charity, continue this practice today.
Of course, you can pray it either way.

In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen

Mention your personal intentions now...

MEMORARE NOVENA
Remember, O most gracious Virgin Mary that never was it known that anyone who fled to your protection, implored your help was left unaided.
 Inspired with this confidence, I fly unto you O Virgin of virgins, my mother.
To you I come, before You I stand, sinful and sorrowful.
O Mother of the Word incarnate, despise not my petitions, but in Your clemency, hear and answer me. Amen

Repeat the prayer  9 times.
Then pray the Hail Mary 3 times

SAINT RITA, THE SAINT OF THE IMPOSSIBLE

Are you faced with a difficult problem? Does it seem insurmountable? The prayer to St. Rita of Cascia (1381-1457) shown below might help. After all, St. Rita, is known as the “Saint of the Impossible.”

 Early in life, she had a strong desire to be a nun, but got married instead, following her parents’ wishes. By all accounts, her husband was Mr. Wrong, an abusive man with whom she bore two sons of similar temperament. Apparently she had the patience of a saint because she prayed for them all and tried to be a dutiful wife and mother! After 18 years of marriage, her husband was murdered and her sons died of natural causes the following year. After that, St. Rita finally got her wish and was admitted to the convent of Augustinian nuns at Cascia.

Tradition has it that the nuns there initially refused to let St. Rita join because she was a widow. One night Saint John the Baptist, St. Augustine and St. Nicholas of Tolentino opened gates that had been bolted shut and left her in the chapel of the convent. When the nuns found St. Rita there the next morning they understood God’s designs for her and accepted her unanimously.

Talk about prayer opening doors! Many other miracles were attributed to St. Rita, both during her life and after her death. As an example, her devotion to Jesus in His Passion was such that a thorn from the crucifix in her room pierced her forehead one day while she was praying!

The prayer to St. Rita also touches on that miracle: Holy Patroness of those in need, Saint Rita, so humble, pure and patient, whose pleadings with thy Divine Spouse are irresistible, obtain for me from thy Crucified Christ my request (mention it here). Be kind to me, for the greater glory of God, and I promise to honor thee and to sing thy praises forever. Oh glorious St. Rita, who didst miraculously participate in the sorrowful Passion of our Lord Jesus Christ, obtain for me the grace to suffer with resignation the troubles of this life, and protect me in all my needs. Amen 

Weeping with love, St. Rita had asked to share in Our Lord’s suffering and her request was granted in this literally striking way! She bore the painful wound with typical dignity and grace, imitating our crucified Lord. The prayer to St. Rita, like her miracles, helps remind us indeed that “all things are possible with God,” as Jesus said in Mark’s gospel (10:27).

 Roses are her symbol. Her feast day is May 22nd.

PRAYER FOR PROTECTION

Dear Lord Jesus, please surround me (my family/friends/home) with a perimeter of Your Love and Protection throughout the day today and every day a hundred yards in all directions.

Lord Jesus, render any demons that are here or should try to come, deaf, dumb, and blind. Strop them of all weapons, illusions, armor, power, and authority.

Disable them from communicating or interacting in any way. Bind, sever, and separate them, sending them directly to the foot of Your Cross, without manifestation or harm, to us or to anyone, to be dealt with by you Jesus as you see fit.

May Your Precious Blood cover us, the Holy Spirit fill us, Mary’s mantle of love and protection surround us, St. Joseph guide us, the Holy Angels and Saints guard and protect us from all unfortunate events. Protect us from fire, theft, vandalism, flood, storms, ailments and accidents of every sort, distress, hardship, curse, and all untoward things. I ask this all in your Name Jesus, through Mary’s intercession, now. Amen!

St. Michael, St. Joseph, St. Padre Pio, St. John Paul II, and Mother Mary, pray for us!

Amen!!!

ACT OF CONSECRATION TO YOUR GUARDIAN ANGEL

Holy Guardian Angel, you were given to me at the beginning of my life as a protector and companion. Poor sinner that I am, I, (name) want to consecrate myself to you today in the presence of my Lord and God, Mary, my Celestial Mother, and all the angels and saints.
I want to unite myself to you today and never more be separated from you.

United intimately with you, I promise to be faithful and obedient to my Lord and God and the holy Church.
I promise to always proclaim Mary as my Queen and Mother and to make her life be a model for mine.

I promise to proclaim my faith in you, my holy protector, and zealously promote the devotion to the holy angels as being, in a special way, protection and help during this time of spiritual struggle for the Kingdom of God.

I ask you, holy Angel of the Lord, all the strength of divine love so that I may be inflamed by it; I ask that my union with you may be for me a protecting shield against the enemy’s assaults.

Finally, I ask you, my holy Guardian Angel, for the most holy Virgin’s grace of humility to preserve me from all dangers so that guided by you I may reach the Heavenly Homeland.
Amen.

OUR CONNECTION TO OUR DECEASED LOVED ONES - THE EUCHARIST

While death can seem like a wide separation, those who died in grace are closer to us than they were on earth.

The death of a close relative or friend can hit us hard. We cherished their presence when they were alive and their death leaves an unfortunate void in our lives.

However, while death separates us in a physical way, it’s not the end. There is hope found in the Eucharist.

The Catechism of the Catholic Church explains why we call the Eucharistic celebration “holy communion.”

Holy Communion, because by this sacrament we unite ourselves to Christ, who makes us sharers in his Body and Blood to form a single body. (CCC 1331)

Furthermore, the Catechism goes on to expand on this reality, stating that the “Eucharist is celebrated in communion with the whole Church in heaven and on earth, the living and the dead.”

The worthy reception of Holy Communion at Mass unites us to Jesus Christ, and by doing so, unites us to everyone who is in union with him. This includes all the saints in heaven, not simply the “canonized” ones recognized by the Church, but all the deceased individuals who have been purified by Christ’s love.

Jan Wakelin at Catholic Answers explains this dimension of the Eucharist.

The Eucharist also unites heaven and earth. Many who have lost a loved one may experience closeness to that person after receiving Communion or while in adoration of the Blessed Sacrament. These feelings may be a result of a deep theological awareness that those who died in grace are alive in Christ; thus our nearness to Christ in the Eucharist brings us nearer to them as well.

On this side of the veil, we do not know for certain if a beloved relative or friend is united with Christ in Heaven. They may have had to experience a period of purgation in the afterlife, before being able to walk through the gates of Heaven. Others we know may have led a virtuous life and died a beautiful death, united to the cross of Jesus Christ.

Regardless of who is in Heaven, in the Eucharist we are united in a spiritual way to countless people who have died. In this way, we are closer to them then we would have been when they were alive. It is a mysterious theological truth, but one that can give us comfort in this “vale of tears.”

The Eucharist is a foretaste of that heavenly banquet, when we will be united to Jesus and those in Heaven in a way that we cannot fathom here on earth. It gives us hope that one day, we will be reunited with our beloved friend, parent, spouse or child.

Death does not have the final say. Jesus has conquered death and has provided a place for us and our loved ones to live in love and peace for all eternity.

A PRAYER AND REFLECTION ON MISCARRIAGE

Miscarriage Prayer

My Lord, the baby is dead!

Why, my Lord—dare I ask why? It will not hear the whisper of the wind or see the beauty of its parents’ face—it will not see the beauty of Your creation or the flame of a sunrise. Why, my Lord?

“Why, My child—do you ask ‘why’? Well, I will tell you why.

 You see, the child lives. Instead of the wind he hears the sound of angels singing before My throne. Instead of the beauty that passes he sees everlasting Beauty—he sees My face. He was created and lived a short time so the image of his parents imprinted on his face may stand before Me as their personal intercessor. He knows secrets of heaven unknown to men on earth. He laughs with a special joy that only the innocent possess. My ways are not the ways of man. I create for My Kingdom and each creature fills a place in that Kingdom that could not be filled by another. He was created for My joy and his parents’ merits. He has never seen pain or sin. He has never felt hunger or pain. I breathed a soul into a seed, made it grow and called it forth.”

 I am humbled before you, my Lord, for questioning Your wisdom, goodness, and love. I speak as a fool—forgive me. I acknowledge Your sovereign rights over life and death. I thank You for the life that began for so short a time to enjoy so long an Eternity.

by Mother M. Angelica

Dear Mother of a Miscarried Child,

All Souls and All Saints day feel different for you, since losing your little one. You may feel as if you are straddling these two feasts. On the one hand, you greatly desired baptism for your child (or may have been able to conditionally baptize your baby), and so you have great hope that your little one may already be a saint. But on the other hand, it was impossible to baptize your child in the usual way. And so, still, you pray that your little one may rest in peace.

So, which day are you supposed to remember your child? Is your child a saint? Or a poor soul in purgatory? The Church doesn’t have a definitive answer but encourages us to hope in God’s love and mercy for all his children.

You may have worried about whether you did enough for your child. If the baby was older, you would have known what to do. A funeral may have been automatically offered as a possibility, and everyone would assume that you would purchase a gravesite.

But what about that tiny little baby, the one that you only knew existed for a few days or weeks? What about that baby that may have been too little to even find when you miscarried and so was never buried? What about the baby whose deceased body was surgically removed and disposed of without you being consulted? What about the tiny baby that was kindly buried by your Catholic hospital in a common grave? What if you don’t even know the exact place where your baby was buried? Are you a bad mother if you didn’t have a funeral Mass said? Do you love your child less if your little one didn’t have a formal burial service? What if he or she did, but you weren’t able to be there?What if you were able to have the baby buried in a marked grave, had a funeral Mass said, but still ache whenever you think of that tiny body, buried in the hard, cold ground? What if you just wish you could hold that little one, just once? What if you wish you could kiss his or her tiny cheek, instead of their grave marker?

Grieving in November

In the month of All Souls, most people know how to deal with their grief. Most people feel comfort in having their loved ones acknowledged, written in Books of Remembrance, or mentioned by name at Mass. Although you can do those things for your child, you may feel uncomfortable doing so. What about you, whose child was never held by anyone other than you? What about you, as you grieve a child that others never saw? Is this month for you, too?

This terrible feeling you’re feeling? The tears you still shed, no matter how many years it’s been since losing your baby? You feel this way because you are a good mother. But how do you mother a child that you never really knew? How do you mother a child who you can’t take care of?

The most powerful thing we can ever do as mothers is to pray for our children. There are saints who were canonized because of the prayers they offered for their children (i.e. St. Monica). It feels like nothing. Maybe you forget to even pray for that child, because it feels as if you never were really a mother to him or her.

But you are a mother. You held that child his or her whole life long. You fed that child, kept him or her warm and clean. You did for that child what you would do for any of your children. In fact, you did it more perfectly than could have done it for a child who lived, because there was never a moment when that child wasn’t held or fed or warm. You literally cared for that child every moment that he or she existed.

And even now, even when it seems that you have nothing to give that child, you still have your love. You have your prayers. This month is a reminder of how powerful your prayers are. Whether it is has been days or decades since you lost your baby – even if you have never prayed for your little one – you can pray for him or her. You can name your child. That little one counts, because of your love.

The Church doesn’t have guidelines and directives for how to deal with a miscarried child. It would be impossible to make them, because sometimes it is impossible to find a body while miscarrying. Even when it might be possible, sometimes the trauma is too great, and the medical support is lacking. If you didn’t have a funeral, a burial, etc. you didn’t fail your child. You are a good mother simply because you love him or her.

The most powerful thing your can do, dear mother, is just to pray for your child, that he or she may rest in peace. We don’t know what plans God has for your little one. But we know that the prayers of a mother for her child are powerful. We know that love is stronger than death. We know that a mother’s love goes with her child always. That love, your decision to love that child and carry him or her in your womb – that love is what matters. And who knows? You may already be the mother of a saint. And if you are, it may be that God is continuing to do great things through your child. It may be that the prayers of that child may end up helping you get to heaven.

So, keep loving, dear Mama. Keep praying. More than anything else you did or could do, your love and your prayers for your child matter. In this month of All Souls, take heart — for Christ has conquered death. God willing, you will be reunited with your child in heaven.

WHY CATHOLICS PRAY FOR THE SOULS IN PURGATORY

The  Bible speaks about heaven. It speaks about Hell (gehena).  Does the Bible speak about Purgatory?  The place or rather the state where souls of the dead are being purified, cleansed before  entering heaven.  The Christians always prayed for the dead. They strongly believe that souls of the dead people remain in Hades (in Latin language  it is called Purgatory). The strong tradition of praying for the dead have been kept  by the Jews. It can be read in the Second Book of Maccabees (2Macabi 12:42-43). The Jews believe  the souls of the dead  are  in the place called ‘Sheol’.  Bible speaks clearly that the souls of the dead are alive: King Saul have talked with the soul of the dead prophet  Samuel (1Sm 28:7-20). On Mountain Tabor the Apostles witnessed  resurrected Jesus  speaking with Moses and the prophet Isaiah the ones who have died long ago (Mt 17:2-3). God is not the God of the dead but of the living (Lu 20:38).
Christ preached that everyone will be salted with fire (Mk 9:49). In order to understand Christ’s words better  we have to look at the passage speaking about  the judgment: For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may be recompensed for his deeds in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad (2Cor 5:10).                                                                 There is a common conviction among some Christian denominations that every sin is equal, that the gravity of every sin is the same. John disproves such a claim. He points at two  different kinds of sin; The mortal (deadly) sin and the venial one. In his First Letter he explains:“Every kind of evil is sin, but not all sins id deadly” (1Jn 5:17). There are souls of the dead however which are not crystal clean yet? There are souls which didn’t pay their debts to the full yet?  Saint John warns the believers: nothing unclean will enter heaven (Rev 21:27). They have to undergo a cleansing process first. They have to be cleansed by a fire. The soul of a rich man suffering in fire bagged  Abraham for a help (Lu 16:24). St Paul speaks about the purifying fire as well: each man's work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it is revealed in fire; and the fire itself shall prove each man's work of what sort it is. If any man's work shall abide which he built thereon, he shall receive a reward. If any man's work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as through fire (1Cor 3:13-15).                                                                           Those who didn’t straighten their lives  before their death will be put into a prison to pay their debts to the last penny. Here are Christ’s words: : “while you are going with your opponent to appear before the magistrate, on your way there make an effort to settle with him, so that he may not drag you before the judge, and the judge turn you over to the officer, and the officer throw you into prison”. I say to you, you will not get out of there until you have paid the very last cent” (Lu 12:58-59).
Can the souls suffering in the Purgatory be helped? Can we speed up their entry into heaven?  Of course we can, as a matter of fact we are obliged to do so. There is a strong Tradition in the Catholic Church of praying for the dead. The most effective  help is the Holy  Eucharist said by a priest for the soul of the deceased. To pray the rosary is very powerful means  also. Any kind of prayer can be said in order the help those in Purgatory.

THE ANGELUS

The Angelus

The Angel of the Lord declared to Mary:
And she conceived of the Holy Spirit.
Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee; blessed art thou among women and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of
our death. Amen.
Behold the handmaid of the Lord: Be it done unto me according to Thy word.
Hail Mary . . .
And the Word was made Flesh: And dwelt among us.
Hail Mary . . .
Pray for us, O Holy Mother of God, that we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.
Let us pray:
Pour forth, we beseech Thee, O Lord, Thy grace into our hearts; that we, to whom the incarnation of Christ, Thy Son, was made known by the message of an angel, may by His Passion and Cross be brought to the glory of His Resurrection, through the same Christ Our Lord.
Amen