Prayer for the Beatification of the Servant of God Sister Lucia
“Most Holy Trinity, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, I adore you profoundly and I thank you for the Apparitions of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Fatima, that revealed to the world the riches of her Immaculate Heart. By the infinite merits of the Sacred Heart of Jesus and through the intercession of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, I implore You, if it should be for Your greater glory and the good of our souls, to glorify Sr. Lucy, one of the Shepherds of Fatima, by granting us the grace which we implore through her intercession, the miraculous healing of Yvonne Cheryl Ann. Amen. Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory Be.”
With Ecclesiastical approval
For those who don’t know, Yvonne Cheryl Ann is AKA “Aussie Mum”, who is much loved in these pages for being such a faithful Catholic. Her insightful, faithful, clear comments are always appreciated and so helpful in the times in which we live.
She is somewhat elderly now, and on her deathbed with an inoperable hemorrhage, with just months to live, perhaps. She has things to do for Jesus and Mary, including finishing her book on Fatima.
We’re asking Sister Lúcia de Jesus Rosa dos Santos, OCD, (28 March 1907 – 13 February 2005) aka Lúcia of Fátima, her religious name being Maria Lúcia of Jesus and of the Immaculate Heart. Her cousins were Francisco and Jacinta Marto. The three of them were the visionaries of the apparitions of Our Lady of Fátima in 1917.
I don’t think it is presumption or unfounded hope to pray for a miracle expecting that heaven will grant such a petition. After all…
- Matthew 7:7-11 — Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened. Which of you, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? So if you who are evil know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good things to those who ask Him!
- Luke 11:8 — Because of your shameless audacity he will surely get up and give you as much as you need.
- Luke 18:1-8 — Then Jesus told his disciples a parable to show them that they should always pray and not give up. He said: “In a certain town there was a judge who neither feared God nor cared what people thought. And there was a widow in that town who kept coming to him with the plea, ‘Grant me justice against my adversary.’ “For some time he refused. But finally he said to himself, ‘Even though I don’t fear God or care what people think, yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will see that she gets justice, so that she won’t eventually come and attack me!’” And the Lord said, “Listen to what the unjust judge says. 7 And will not God bring about justice for his chosen ones, who cry out to him day and night? Will he keep putting them off? I tell you, he will see that they get justice, and quickly. However, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on the earth?
- Mark 11:24 — Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.
Lucia was “Servant of God” on 13 February 2017. Some five years later, October 2022, her life of heroic virtue was declared. Then she was declared venerable by Pope Francis, June 22, 2023.
The next steps, each of which need ratifying miracles, as it were, are beatification and canonization.
I know all y’all have favorite go-to saints. I’m not going to tell you to put them on hold. Go ahead and bother them, but, please, in this manner: ask your favorite go-to saints, your guardian angel and others, to go and request of Sister Lucia to request of our Lady to request of our Lord to provide a miracle of healing attributable to Sister Lucia for Yvonne Cheryl Ann, AKA “Aussie Mum”.
ARISE! LET US BE GOING! 
Prayers said (of course!) Also added Yvonne Cheryl Ann to my rosary intentions…
Yes! Praying this 🙏🙏🙏
In my prayers, in Jesus’ name, thank you Father in heaven!
ORA!
Yes, Every day!
Will keep praying this
I am more grateful than I can express. Thank you Father, Meshugunah, Angela, MaryMarie, Nancy, 007, Jeannie and all those praying for a miracle for me.
Father mentioned that my 2nd name “Cheryl” means “cherished”. I did not know that. A dictionary definition is “protect and care for (someone) lovingly” and for the first time in my life other than when a child, I feel cherished (protected and cared for). I don’t deserve such a blessing but am so thankful.
Prayers to for Sister Lúcia de Jesus Rosa dos Santos, OCD for Yvonne Cheryl Ann aka Aussie Mum.
Thank you Father for giving us this powerful prayer to recite.
Aussie Mum, I will also thank Jesus for your friendship.
Thank you Joisy Goil. I treasure your friendship too.
Prayers for a miracle of healing for Aussie Mum.
Thank you Julie
Joining you in praying for a miracle to Our merciful God. Privileged to have met you at last!❣ Tanya
Thank you Tanya for joining my very dear brothers and sisters in Christ gathered here on Father’s website praying for a miracle, and thank you for visiting me last Friday.
Obviously we’re all praying here too. Thankyou all so much.
Dear Father and readers here, I had just finished writing an update for you when I somehow lost the whole thing. I will try writing that update again tomorrow but before I close tonight I want you to know how very much your prayers are helping me. I will explain later.
Praying for a miracle for Yvonne Cheryl Ann in union with you dearest Father and everyone through Sister Lucia!
Thank you Josefina
Wow! I said that prayer for many years for the beatification of Francisco and Jacinta Marto, who are now Saints. Thanks for reminding me and I will recite it for Yvonne.
Deacon John
Thank you Deacon John
Hi all. It’s James here again. Mum wanted to write an update but she’s not had the energy after a difficult day so I’m here to do it for her. She’s still doing okay but very tired. The Doctors are keeping her in hospital for a day or so longer until they have a plan set up for her and double check some last things health wise that came up but all things going well she’s going to be able to at least come home by the end of the week.Thankyou again for the ongoing prayers.
I’m praying for you, Cheryl! Every day. I thank Father George for pinning this post. I had thought to print out the prayer to carry with me – I spontaneously pray for you, my cherished friend and sister.
But there is an unseen value in returning to this post in order to see the prayer, to read the words, and to leave a new comment for you to read; to witness the love others have for you engendered by your exercise of God’s gifts to you.
It may be that Father notes the traffic report on the activity of this particular post. A tangible proof of your place in, what Father Gordon calls, “the tapestry” of God’s plan. What Father shares with you is for you alone, but be assured that it is only the tip of the iceberg.
Rest up! For me, no news is good news.
Thank you 007 my cherished friend and brother. I cannot find the words to express what your words mean to me. I am so blessed. When I am one day in Heaven, I promise to intercede for you and Father and all my brothers and sisters in Christ who have so kindly prayed for me.
And thank you 007 for returning to this post and leaving comments that lift my spirits when pain, weariness and negative medical professionals cause discouragement.
I hope for a miraculous cure and to finish my book on Fatima, but whatever comes, all will be well. It couldn’t be otherwise with so many generous, loving souls praying for me.
Thank you again, dear friend and brother.
Hello everyone. I am out of hospital at least for a short while. Some very good things have happened which are out of the ordinary and I believe it must be due to all your prayers on my behalf: (1) I have been treated with an extraordinary degree of kindness by most of the hospital doctors, nurses etc this time around, such that I have never experienced before; (2) a solicitor contacted by the social worker came into the hospital to draw up my will even though I may never be able to pay him; and (3) today when my son and I were struggling with a drainage tube and were told no nurses were available to help, one from Palliative Care phoned us out of the blue and said she was on her way.
There were funny moments too, not that they were funny at the time, only in retrospect. I was transferred to another hospital for an MRI and an Echocardiogram. The latter went off without a hitch but the former did not. It was finally cancelled because Osteoarthritis and Spinal Degeneration has turned me into a rocker (like the curved part of a rocking chair). I cannot lay flat – get my arthritic back down as close to flat as possible and my arthritic knees go up, get those knees down as far as possible and my back goes up – both back and knees being permanently bent and trying to straighten one exaggerates the curve of the other. Long story short, they couldn’t get me flat enough to fit me into the MRI tube/machine, not that they didn’t try. At one stage I thought they would break my bones as they tried to force them flat, at last though, a frustrated MRI team released a relieved me to the paramedics to drive me back to my hospital bed over the border.
During the ten days I was in hospitalI I was treated first by Urology and Gynaecology doctors, and then by the Medical doctors when it was ascertained that I would not survive anaesthetic (kidney function at only 16% plus weak lungs etc). Yesterday, before being released from hospital, during the medical team’s rounds, I was told I would not long retain the 5 bags of blood transfused and therefore would soon be back. The Palliative Care nurse I saw today said much the same and suggested 2 weeks before I would need to be readmitted to a hospital, and that for the last time. I hope and pray that does not happen and am relying on your prayers for which I thank you all so very, very much.
Thank you for the update, Aussie Mum. I’ve seen much from people getting close to death.
(1) For those with no faith, and therefore no hope, there is only darkness and nihilism, a heart and soul void of love. So terrible. But these really belong to group number (2).
(2) For those with faith but no hope for themselves, because they’ve been sinners and away for so very long, they are so bitter and cynical, well, until brought through to an Absolution, and Last Rites, and Viaticum, and then they are all tears of joy and gratitude, now filled with faith alive with hope and love.
(3) Then there’s the Aussie Mum crowd, who brightly go forward eagerly looking for the moment when the Lord will call them by name, when “life is changed, not ended”. There are even “funny moments”, possible only for one who has all of eternity in heaven before them, putting things in perspective. A healing? That would be great if it is the Lord’s will. He knows what will be absolutely best for ourselves and our loved ones near and far. A call from heaven? That would be… ineffable…
That’s my favorite meditation… going into the gates of heaven, regardless of straightaway or purgatory until the end of the world… for we MUST have hope… I can only imagine tears of thanksgiving… simultaneous to, as 007 says, squeals of joy as from the tiniest toddler who runs headlong to Jesus and Mary…
Dear Father, I wanted to reply to your post last night but mental fatigue set in earlier than anticipated, so here I am trying again.
Since last night, my mind has kept going to your post that I had not yet responded to, and realising – not for the first time but for the first time taking up so much mental space – how futile life in this world would be if not for Our Lord and his priesthood carried forward in time, bringing His Light and the Love of His Sacred Heart to mankind in every generation. How very blessed we are that men, often when still very young, give up a future with a biological family of their own and many other good things in order to get the rest of us to Heaven.
It is Australia Day here and therefore a public holiday, triggering a long weekend because it is falling on a Friday this year. Nonetheless, my parish priest, Father M, has not taken a holiday and has continued his Communion calls as usual, bringing Our Lord to those of us among his parishioners who are housebound. Additionally, in the last fortnight, my parish priest has administered the Last Rites to me and the Apostolic Pardon as well. Also, a young and recently ordained priest in another diocese (over the border in Vic), who I had never met before, was also kind enough to visit me in hospital and anoint me. All of this had been going through my mind before Father M arrived this morning. Then, after receiving Our Lord in Holy Communion I experienced God’s love more deeply than ever before resulting in a joyous upsurge of gratefulness. Snippets of my 73 years of life came to mind one after another wherein I found insignificant me immersed in an ocean of love who would otherwise be lost.
All the good things in my life here on earth and my hope of Heaven when this life is over, I owe to God’s Love and Mercy and the goodness and kindness of others reflecting that Love and Mercy. I am more thankful than I can express.
Before I close, may I please ask for more help? James, who has no medical or nursing experience, and with only an instructional guide that has been emailed to us, has to unattach one and reattach two bags to my catheter’s drainage system because no nurses are available. We had one visit from a palliative care nurse yesterday and no others will come until after the long weekend. We have also been informed that community nurses may contact us next week but unlikely to be available for a home visit until the week after that. Consequently, James is on his own doing for me what a nurse would generally do and doing so after being told that a mistake could introduce an infection that I cannot afford to get. Hence I ask for your prayers to help James who is approaching the task with trepidation.
Dearest Aussie Mum…
I know you so much want to write about Fatima, and, please God, you will be with us for a long time and you will be able to do that. Wonderful!
But, we may not know so very exactly what God has in mind for us.
I recall Saint Bernardette asking our Lady of Lourdes a question: “Would you be kind enough to write your name?” The lady smiles and responds to her in a soft and delicate voice: “It’s not necessary.” The reason is that it is already in Sacred Scripture in the necessary context of Genesis 3:15 and in the necessary context and proper translation of Luke 1:28. And, besides that, Pope Pius IX declared Mary Immaculately conceived in 1854. Of course, there is so much humility in which we can rejoice with Mary’s “I am the Immaculate Conception.” I always worry about getting a chance to write a popular version of my thesis about Genesis 3:15 (and add Luke 1:28 and some references to the Council of Trent.
As for Fatima, a popular version that everyone could take in would be very good to have, encouraging people to pray the Rosary and do Eucharistic Reparation. I’m wondering, though, if right now we will see the Third Secret being explicated. Perhaps you will watch from on high. But, whatever our Lord wills.
As for James, yes, prayers for James! Doing his daily duty, as Fatima encourages us, he becomes a hero for all of us. Thank you, James.
Aussie Mum, you are a blessing for all of us. Not only with your faith, and positive outlook – believing that God’s will is best whichever way it goes, but sharing humor – gives all of us a very lovely example to emulate. God bless you.
I am still praying for a miracle. Love and prayers.
Dear Joisy Goil, thank you for continuing to pray for a miracle for me. I know that miracle might not come but I hope it will; even if it does not, because of your prayers God may still grant me more time than the health professionals think likely, and then I can get done some of what is important to me to get done before I die; and even if not, your prayers are already helping in so many other ways as well.
There are so many of you here praying for me with Father Byers on his blog, and prayers by those on your prayer chains too … so many prayers in all, that “storming Heaven” comes to mind. How generous you all are and on top of all that Father has offered Mass for me and now his sufferings. I don’t understand why I am being so blessed and cannot find the words to adequately express how deeply touched, grateful and comforted I am by the goodness and kindness you are all showering upon me. Whatever comes, James and I know we are not alone, that God is hearing your prayers, and only great good – whatever form it takes – can come from all you are doing for us.
Please pass on to those on your prayer chains who do not read here, how grateful my elder son and I are for their prayers, and that all the prayers together are helping very much.
Another Holy Mass coming up this Tuesday, please God. But as far as any sufferings on my part, know this, I’m over the meds thing, and, I gotta say, any prayers for me about my twirly spine have done their job. I’m not going to say anything is cured at all, and I see my doctor Monday, but I’ll tell you this, it’s like the hand of God is over me, taking care of me and getting done what needs to be done in His perspective, which is the only important one. Thanks everyone for your prayers, but direct those at Aussie Mum and James and the raising to the altars Sister Lucia of Fatima!
Our very dear Father, I am so glad you are over the bad meds and thrilled that your “twirly spine” may have been cured.
There is a beautiful picture I found a few minutes ago. https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=10155979235973706&set=%EF%B8%8F-prayer-to-the-sorrowful-and-immaculate-heart-of-maryo-lord-jesus-who-on-calvar The Infant Jesus nestled safely in His Immaculate Mother’s arms, His whole little self totally reliant on her, her maternal love for Him and his total trust in her so obvious. What a clear message it sends of abortion as being against nature. But more than this, it shows the Infant Jesus’ entrustment of himself to the Immaculate Heart of Mary.
Then I thought of you Father, 60+ years ago, nestled in your earthly mother’s arms, a foretaste of the future wherein you are nestled safely in the Immaculate Heart of Mary, full of filial love for and trust in her. And how appropriate this is as you are a priest and act in Persona Christi for us sinners, putting us on the path to Heaven.
You love the Mother of God so very much, and teach others to know and love her too. This is what Our Lord ardently desires, commanding through Berthe Petit (1870-1943): “Teach souls to love the Heart of My Mother pierced by the very sorrows which pierced Mine….Cause My Mother’s Heart, transfixed by sorrows that rent Mine, to be loved” … “It is hearts that must be changed. This will be accomplished only by the Devotion (to the Sorrowful and Immaculate Heart of Mary) proclaimed, explained, preached and recommended everywhere.” You do this Father.
Our Lord also told Berthe Petit: “The Church has defined in the case of My Mother what I Myself had ordained—her Immaculate Conception. This right which My Mother has to a title of justice is now, according to My express wish, to be known and universally accepted [The importance of your thesis, Father, comes to mind]. She has earned it by her identification with My sorrows, by her sufferings, by her sacrifices and by her immolation on Calvary, endured in perfect correspondence with My grace for the salvation of mankind. In her co-redemption lies the nobility of My Mother and for this reason I ask for the invocation (Sorrowful and Immaculate Heart of Mary, pray for us who have recourse to Thee) which I have demanded be approved and spread throughout the whole Church. It has already obtained many graces; it will obtain yet more when the Church will be exalted and the world renewed through its consecration to the Sorrowful and Immaculate Heart of My Mother.” (Emphasis mine)
I would not be at all surprised if the apparent cure of your “twirly spine” is a fact – Oh dear God may it please be so! You have suffered all your life from a rare condition and yet you continue on so bravely doing all in your power to spread devotion to the Sorrowful and Immaculate Heart of Mary, which completes devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus as Our Lord explained to Berthe Petit: “By confident consecration to My Mother, the devotion to My Heart will be strengthened and, as it were, completed”.
As far as I can ascertain the Cause for Beatification of Berthe Petit has been opened, so says articles on the internet but I have not as yet been able to find the official statement and prayer for a miracle. The messages she received have definitely been approved by the Church and were promoted by Cardinal Mercier of Belgium and Cardinal Bourne of England last century. I wonder if you have asked her intercession to be healed? I know I have on your behalf and perhaps others reading here have as well. If I remember correctly, I mentioned in a comment a while back that Berthe Petit might be someone to appeal to for a miraculous cure for you.
I have stopped giving links to quotes concerning the messages of Our Lord and Our Lady to Berthe Petit as some are reproduced on sites also promoting false mystics. I do not want to give their false messages credence and confuse anyone.
And dear Father, thank you so very much for offering Mass for me again this coming Tuesday. That is also the day I will be seeing my GP since he sent me to hospital 2 weeks ago.
Re Berthe Petit and a miraculous cure for you, Father.
In the early hours of this morning (Australian time) I wrote: “I wonder if you have asked her (Berthe Petit’s) intercession to be healed? I know I have on your behalf and perhaps others reading here have as well. If I remember correctly, I mentioned in a comment a while back that Berthe Petit might be someone to appeal to for a miraculous cure for you.”
Since writing that and after a short sleep I began looking for the relevant post and have found it. See “My experience: HAE Hereditary Angioedema” 15th October 2023.
007 joined me in praying to Berthe Petit on your behalf, Father, and possibly others here did so as well – if others have please come forward because Father may have a miraculous cure due to the intercession of Berthe Petite whose Cause for Beatification is awaiting such a miracle.
Let’s take this slowly…. I see my own doctor on Wednesday and he’s likely going to order an MRI… Just now at Mass I was able to genuflect and bow. But that may be because of meds! Slow slow slow….
Yes, alright Father, slowly slowly
Here is a story for James, about my younger brother – the youngest of my siblings. I will leave out the delicate parts, while adding no embellishment.
My mother, in her eighties, was bathing and called out “Estevan!”
Estevan was in the living room when he heard her call from the bathroom and responded, “What, mom?”
MOM: I’ve fallen in the tub. You need to come in here and get me up!
Steve: Are you wearing anything?
Mom: Of course not! Get in here!
Steve: I’ll call the fire dept.
Mom: No you won’t! That costs money. You get in here now!
My mother described to me, how Steve walked into the bathroom with his head wrapped inside a beach-towel and with rubber gloves on his hands, in fear of what he might glimpse or touch. She said she burst out laughing and forgot about her predicament for a moment.
She had to treat him as though he were blind by guiding him with many words as to what to do. After much fumbling, he managed to get her onto her bathing chair, then suddenly vanished to another part of the house.
Take heart, James!
I suppose it just comes down to the simple fact of we do what we must doesn’t it? We don’t get to choose the circumstances we face, our only options are to get it done or to throw our hands up. I think it was Churchill who said it best as well, when you’re going through hell, keep going. It got Britain through World War 2 and our problems here obviously pale in comparison to world war. Might not always feel like it but perspective is important right?
Your story made me laugh. Of course, it was not a laughing matter but even your poor mother could see the funny side. Poor Steve! You have “painted” the scene so well that it is easy to visualise. You have a talent there, 007. Your poor mother would have been embarrassed as well but circumstances dictated immediate action. James and I are also finding bathroom matters awkward. He has never had to do the things for me that he has to now. We preserve my modesty as best we can and he looks at the ceiling a lot.
You are a great blessing to us, Cheryl! You exercise the meaning of Father’s suffering. You provoke meaning and purpose in our prayer life, also important, you show us how we are to make an account of ourselves by your good example.
Thanks be to God.
You are a great blessing to me, 007! You taking me to Church with you for 1st Saturdays last year because I could not take myself, afterward telling me all about it and how you left me outside while you went in to confession, is a fond memory that brightens my day each time it comes to mind.
As a Catholic I understand and value the reality that we are brother and sister in Christ, but in your kindness to me and in the kindness of everyone here, that teaching has become less abstract and more concrete. Nancy V recently referred to all of us readers here as “the Arise Let us be going family”, and so we are with Father at the head.
Another teaching that has become less abstract and more concrete is that the Church is universal. Apart from Vera who is a very old friend and Tanya who I met in person for the 1st time when in hospital, I have never met you or the others here face to face. For the most part we live on opposite sides of the world, and yet no matter how unworthy, I am loved and cared for by all of you praying here for me. Such is at the same time both humbling and wonderful!
Families love and care for each member, even the weakest and most troublesome, and at the moment and in this context the weakest and most troublesome is me. You all have lives and families of your own and yet you care that I am ill and take time to pray for and spend time with me online in the comments. The world operates on the principle of survival of the fittest but this is not how the Church operates, thank God.
Thank you for sticking with me 007.
Dearest Aussie Mum, thank you so much for your updates. Prayers continuing and please let James know that we have every confidence that he will do what has to be done for your comfort beautifully and efficiently😊🙏🏻
Thank you Carmel for sticking with me. I will give James your message.
Rest up. Cheryl! Listen to James and don’t forget to laugh out loud at his troubles – the sound of your laughter will be a balm to him now, and a sublime memory when he needs it most. He will know, in his heart, “I was a good son.”
I will do as you say. Thank you for your guidance, 007. James and I have never faced anything like this before and I don’t know how to relieve his suffering. He is doing everything for me that he can and yet he feels nothing he does is good enough, and goes to bed each night fearing he will wake to find me dead and it will be his fault because he was asleep when I needed him. Nothing I say to the contrary helps. It would help him to have his brother and my daughters here with us if they cared but they do not. They are busy getting on with their own lives, convinced that I am a fool and the way they choose to live their lives is best for them. I worry who will pray for them when I am gone.
Parents have the privilege to bless their children. You may already have the resources to find the appropriate formula, but any spontaneous words of blessing over your son will do.
Father, please jump in here and help out a poor sinner!
My own Mother would lay her hands on my head and give me her blessing in Spanish every time I spent time with her. So lay your hands on James and bless him every day! Your Guardian Angels will assist you with inspiration.
Bless James in the morning, and again at night when he retires, or just before you retire for the evening. My mother’s blessings still console and strengthen me today, and so it will be for him.
I wouldn’t want to step on the toes of guardian angels! Aussie Mum will say exactly what’s right.
Giving James a mother’s blessing is a wonderful idea. I never thought of it as no-one in living memory in my family has done this, but yes, a parent being able to do this makes sense. I am very glad for you that your mother’s blessings still console and strengthen you today and very thankful that you have shared this with me to help James. Thank you 007, so very, very much, and thank you Father as well. I will begin this practice today.
Dear 007, thank you for all your good advice. I have been doing as you say and it seems to be lightening James’ load because the light hearted banter that we used to enjoy before the diagnosis is slowly returning.
Dear 007, thank you for all your good advice. I have been doing as you say and it seems to be lightening James’ load because the light hearted banter that we used to enjoy before the diagnosis is slowly returning.
That my message was sent twice was an accident. My apologies. I was having trouble with my WordPress account and did not think my message sent but evidently it had. When James woke (It is very early morning here) I asked if he would fix the WordPress problem I had encountered and send my message for me. He did, unintentionally creating a double.
No worries! Fervently praying for your intentions.
Cheryl! Give us the names of those for whom you would have us pray. We’ll take over for you when the time comes.
Oh 007, thank you so much! The 1st names of my four children from oldest to youngest: Donna Cherie, Mary Kathleen, James Cameron and Jason Luke. I am so grateful that you will take over praying for my children when I am gone, more grateful than I can express. You would not want to see my face right now as tears are streaming down because of your tremendous generosity and kindness and the relief of knowing that prayers will continue for my children when I am gone.
May I tell you a bit about us? l imagine you would say “yes” and so I will continue and hope you do not mind.
Donna Cherie is my first and only biological child. I married my first boyfriend at 19 (we had met when I was 17) and our 1st child was born the day after my 21st birthday. I was so thrilled. To me, she was the best 21st birthday present ever but my husband was not happy. We parted when she was about 18 months old and I lived with my parents. I sought a legal separation but my husband preempted that by having divorce papers served and I found myself divorced at 25 under the “no-fault” divorce act.
Mary Kathleen is my cousin and foster daughter. She was born when my biological daughter was 3 years old. Her parents were unable to raise her and with the agreement of my parents (I was living with them as I would not be remarrying) I raised both girls together as sisters. You should have seen her 007, she was so very tiny when she came out of hospital and into my care, smaller than is usual because of being born with fetal alcohol syndrome – so small that in the beginning I used face washers for nappies (diapers?) as the latter were too big for her tiny self. She was so helpless and dependant upon me that it was easy to give her the extra care she needed and love her as if she were my very own child.
My father, who was a firm, loving and protective father figure for my girls, died in his mid-fifties as my eldest daughter was approaching her teen years. She no longer had a man taking the role of father in her life and when she was about 15 the world took her over, and she would not listen to me who she considered embarrassingly behind the times. History repeated a little over 20 years later when Jason adopted the same attitude.
James Cameron was born two months before I turned 40 and Jason Luke 13 months later. They are my biological grandsons who I cared for most of the time from their infancy until about 2 and 3 years old when they came permanently into my full-time care. James began to call me Mum soon after he began preschool. One day all the children were saying goodbye to their mothers when James burst out with a flourish, “Goodby. Mummy!” The preschool teacher said not to correct him as all children needed a mother. Jason was soon following James’ lead and to me they are my sons.
As the boys grew I became concerned that they needed a father and I approached a priest about the possibility of an annulment. After a period of investigation, interviewing of witnesses etc the marriage tribunal in Sydney determined that my husband never intended his marriage vows and was indeed unable to do so. Our marriage was annulled but since I was solely engaged in supporting and caring for my children and our home, I had virtually no social life and never met anyone to marry. I knew it was unlikely that I would but if God intended that I should He would arrange it. He did not and so it was not meant to be.
Jason got into bad company online when he was about 18 and when he went away to university he gravitated to the university’s LGBT social group. He became convinced he was homosexual and a few years later decided he was non-binary as well. He is now under a psychiatrist or psychologist (I don’t know about the mental health profession) treating him for anxiety and depression which he blames on me for raising him Catholic. He was a devout little boy, 007, as was James. I remember Jason’s First Confession and Holy Communion. He leaned against me and whispered his happiness to me during Mass the day he received Our Lord for the first time. Now he hates the Church and hates me. Thankfully James did not go the same way.
James has a very good heart and has been my full-time carer since he was 20 years old since no other of my children would help. He is now 33 and has sacrificed completing higher education and having a career to take care of me. When I tell him how much this troubles me he simply says that I took care of him and now he takes care of me. He used to joke it was payback because he was a difficult child but he has been unable to laugh at much the last two weeks or so.
Being isolated as we are due to me being housebound, most of James’ friends are online, the majority in the US and his very best friend in Texas. And here am I with so many very kind friends online and most also situated in the US. How amazing is that when I have never been outside of Australia! God works in mysterious ways.
Thank you again, 007, so very very much.
God bless you, James, as you become another Simon of Cyrene by carrying your mother’s cross for her. Honor your Mother heroically, today.
Dearest Aussie Mum, thank you so much for sharing your beautiful story with the “Arise..” family. Your matter-of-fact words reveal your heart for the littlest and most vulnerable ones but brush over the heartache involved. I will join you and 007 in praying for your children. And when I pray the 4th sorrowful mystery I will think especially of James.
God bless you, Carmel! Cheryl, I’ve started praying for your children today – why wait? I’m sure there will be others who will join us – although they may remain unknown. God is good.
Thanks be to God for Father George who has helped to prepare us to be better intercessors – unprofitable servant as he is. We’d better pray for him, too.
Wow! James is already another Simon of Cyrene, and could teach me about heroic virtue. What perseverance.
Thank you 007 for praying for my children already. You and Father Byers and all the other members of the “Arise …” family are so very good to be doing all that you are doing for me and I pray for you too and thank God for bringing us together on Father’s blog.
Thank you Carmel for joining 007 praying for my children. Saying “thank you” is not enough to express how very, very grateful I am. I cannot do much these days but I can and do offer up each morning “the prayers, works, joys and sufferings” of the day for Father Byers and all my brothers and sisters in Christ so generously praying for me and mine, asking that God bless you all abundantly for your loving kindness to us. Tomorrow I have to be on the road for an hour sitting in my wheelchair in a wheelchair taxi. Sitting upright is now quite painful but is another thing I can offer in my day for everyone in thanks for all you do for me and mine.
My thoughts have been going over past times when I was a child and teen. Carmel, I wonder that since you live in Sydney if you know the Sutherland Shire. Most of my family, now dead, lived there in those now far off days (1950s and 60s). Both sets of grandparents resided in Cronulla; aunts, uncles and cousins in Caringbah, Gymea and Jannali. After my parents and I returned to the Sutherland Shire when I was about 7 we lived across the Port Hacking River at Maianbar for some years, and I attended Our Lady of Fatima School in Caringbah and later Our Lady of Mercy College, Burraneer Bay. The Sisters of Mercy taught at both the school and the college and I have very fond memories of that time. Unfortunately, going by pictures on the internet, Our Lady of Fatima Church in Caringbah has been “wreckovated” and is now an ugly building, nothing like the simple but beautiful church it used to be. All will be renewed though and perhaps that time is not far off.
Dearest Aussie Mum, so sorry for not replying sooner – I am most remiss. I have been thinking of you and trying to recall my memories of the Shire (as the southern region of Sydney is known these days). I grew up in the inner west (Marrickville) and my memories of the Shire are of trips to the beach (usually Cronulla) and also to Woronora where my baby sister was buried in the mid-60s. These days I still visit the cemetery – more graves to visit now; I also have had occasion to return to Cronulla where my nephew and his family have taken up residence. You would not recognise the Cronulla of yesteryear in the high rise residential towers on that beautiful beach front. Did you ever visit the beautiful Catholic Church (St Brigid’s) in Marrickville? It’s beautiful, in addition to being one of the biggest churches in the archdiocese, second only to St Mary’s Cathedral. It’s a dedicated shrine to the Passion and has been in the care of the Passionists since its founding. Time to sleep……thinking of you and James 🙏🏻🙏🏻
Dear Carmel, I am very glad to hear from you. Marrickville where you grew up is also where my mother spent her early childhood before her father moved the family out to Cronulla. I don’t know the Marrickville area myself but remember my mother speaking of it fondly. I think the name of the street where she lived was Chapel Street and she and her brothers played in a park nearby (Enmore Park?). Although her brothers attended the public school she attended the Catholic school, which I suppose must have been St Brigid’s. Until you told me about it I had no idea how beautiful St Brigid’s Church in Marrickville is and I am very glad it was not “wreckovated” like so many others.
Like you, I also have family buried in Woronora including a sister (Mary Terese, born and died June 1949). My mother used to go with her mother to clear away the weeds and place flowers on the graves of all the members of our family buried there. When Grandma died I went with Mum. To this day the scent of chrysanthemums reminds me of Mothers Day when we would catch the train to Sutherland, buy chrysanthemums at the little florist near Woronora’s gates, and replace old flowers with fresh at each grave we visited.
High rise buildings overlooking Cronulla Beach! Their residents would have a lovely view but block the view for everyone else. Yes, it was very different when we lived in the area. Have you been inside St Aloysius Church in Cronulla? I hope it has not been “modernised” but it likely has. My parents were married there (1947). I was also baptised and received my 1st Holy Communion there.
There was not a reply button under your post – perhaps there was initially and I was too late getting to it – and therefore I am responding at an earlier post you wrote where the reply button remains. I hope this reply does not land far from your most recent message.
Dear Aussie Mum, thank you for your reply. I just responded at length and then did something that caused the entire response to disappear! I will rewrite tomorrow hopefully.
Father, if I remember rightly, you are seeing your doctor today. I hope and pray that all goes well.
Thanks, Aussie Mum.
I had hoped to leave an update tonight but I cannot manage it; perhaps tomorrow. I apologise for my tardiness. In addition to the update, I have been planning to write those things about Sister Lucia’s family and childhood that are not well known and which I thought readers might be interested in. I have been searching through my old notes and rereading parts of Sister’s memoirs but to date have not been able to pull it all together. I’m afraid I tire too easily especially when trying to deal with the young man in charge of “aged care” in my area and the bureaucracy involved. The choices placed before me by palliative care have also unsettled me. I’m feeling uncomfortably vulnerable. I also meant to respond to 007’s latest comment here but I took too long and the reply button disappeared. Please know 007 if you are reading this, how very much your messages lift my spirits.
Total solidarity with you, Aussie Mum. Prayers!
Thank you Father. That helps more than you know.
Yes! I’m here every day, several times a day, to read “your” prayer and spy to see if there are any new messages. I am not disappointed by your silence because you need your rest!
I shy from leaving many messages lest you feel obligated to read them at a cost to your recovery. Just know that I am constantly praying for your intentions, and that I’m carrying you in my heart where I have made room for the Trinity to visit us.
“How does that work?” I don’t know, but those details I leave to the GAs to sort out or to laugh in delight at my childishness.
Dear 007, your messages never tire me; they lift and comfort me as does knowing that you are spiritually near in prayer. Reading “I’m carrying you in my heart where I have made room for the Trinity to visit us” is more comforting than I can express and I recall once more you spiritually taking me to Mass with you last year for the five 1st Saturdays, my very very dear friend and brother in Christ.
“Childishness” is perhaps the wrong word, but I could not think of “child-likeness.”
Yes, child-likeness but I knew what you meant. God said that our hearts should be like that of little children – loving, pure and good. I believe that describes you well, 007.
I just got out of bed – Minutes before my alarm clock was set to ring. I disengaged the alarm to spare other sleepers – I imagine this happens to everyone after a lifetime of rising.
So, Good morning Mother Yvonne of Australia. My last thoughts were for you and Father George in prayer. This morning you were my second thought after thanking God for my life. Father George, thanks be to God for your blog.
This is the day the Lord has made, let us rejoice and be glad.
Good morning 007. You are in my prayers too. It is presently around 4 am where I am. Another day will soon be dawning, a gift from God for which to rejoice and be glad. Praying that God will bless you and keep you safe through all the days and years ahead.
Dear Father Byers, knowing that my parish priest, Father M, used to teach at our diocesan seminary, I recently asked if he knew you and he said he did. Then today, after Father heard my confession, I received Holy Communion and he anointed me, I showed him your website and what you are doing for me (pinned post). I mentioned your thesis on the Immaculate Conception and he knew of it. I hope you will manage to get it published and also a popular version but even though that has not yet come to be, your thesis is known and highly regarded by other faithful priests, even as far away as Australia.
I chuckle to think which, of Father M’s idioms, might be due to Father George’s influence. Have they furiously discussed and solved all the problems of the Church over a meal? Has Father M heard Father George say “Methinks?”
You must ask Him, Mother Yvonne. You and I must know.
I would like to ask Father M about those things 007 but unlike Father Byers, Father M talks very little with me. Early on during his Communion calls, I tried to converse but he was always in a hurry to be on his way. Father H, our parish’s assistant priest, explained that Father M does not socialise when he is carrying Our Lord on Communion calls. Therefore I asked Father M to afternoon tea when two Catholic ladies would be joining me for my birthday, both practising Catholics and one also a parishioner of his, but he declined. At that point I realised either that he did not want to socialise or did not have the time. He is a sound spiritual father, taking good care of my soul with the sacraments, and I am very grateful for that and no longer try to converse beyond the minimum as I do not wish to make him uncomfortable. I did, though, ask after his most recent visit with Our Lord, if I might show him Father Byers’ blog and what he is doing for me (pinned post), and he did stop and let me do so and we spoke briefly of Father’s Byers thesis.
Our Guardian Angels are so very good. I don’t know what we would do without them but I remember when they caused a busy priest much exasperation. Actually, a group of homeschooling mothers, of which I was one, was responsible. You see, our diocese is largely rural with many miles between towns. On a particular day almost 20 years ago, we mothers were driving in from different directions to a central location where our children would receive instruction from a priest who had a sacred vessel with an interesting history to show them. A number of us were running late, each of us worrying Father R would arrive before us and our children would miss his instruction. With time going by and still many miles before us, we turned to our GAs asking to not let Father get to the meeting place before we got our children there. We were therefore very pleased when our children were all gathered and waiting for Father when he arrived later than he had intended. Father was not pleased! Although no-one had told him (we had not even mentioned to each other that we had asked our GA’s to delay Father for our children’s sakes) he knew! He told us how he had been held up by one unexpected thing after another that morning, that this had happened to him before, and he wished well intentioned mothers would stop applying to their GAs to make him late! Oh dear, I had not thought or his busy schedule and felt duly chastened. Fortunately he did not hold a grudge and gave our children a wonderful lesson that held their attention, and all gained much from his instruction.
How did I miss this comment?
What a wonderful story! Yes, we sometimes know not for what we ask, but sometimes we ask for the right things. If our GAs arrange such things, then it really is for the glory of God.
I have no doubt that this story is told with joy (if not happiness) by Father R to those who scoff at the idea of GAs doing anything.
Fervently praying for you and James.
“Fervently praying for you and James.” Thank you dearest 007, my brother in Christ and precious friend.
“If our GAs arrange such things, then it really is for the glory of God.” Yes, indeed. Father R gave the children an important lesson I think all would remember to this day. James remembers and he was only 13 or 14 at the time (he will be 34 in July). Time flies but truth, when instilled, is too good and beautiful to forget. The children present were of various ages as is natural in a family – and the Church is a family – and the setting simple and natural. Father was sitting on a chair with the children gathered around him on the floor in a semicircle giving him their full attention. We mothers were standing behind our children on the edges of that semicircle, and all were listening to Father who spoke with an air of authority on matters dear to his heart, and he brought out from a box specially made to house what it contained, what that was having already elicited much curiosity. All the children were agog as Father carefully drew the precious vessel – a Chalice – from its box which provided several teaching points and therefore much to consider: * that vessel held Our Lord’s Precious Blood after the Consecration at Mass (teaching point: Transubstantiation); * the Chalice was made of precious metal for only the best man could provide should come in contact with Our Lord (related teaching points: God’s Mother, His tabernacle for 9 months, had to be Immaculate, also we must be in a state of grace to receive Our Lord in Holy Communion, and even the tabernacle housing him in the sanctuary is traditionally constructed with the finest materials; * the Chalice was also ornate for its craftsman wanted to make something beautiful for God; * and that Chalice had been used upon the Altar by one of the Popes named Pius (James and I forget which Pius) bringing home that all priests, from Father R in his rural parish to the Pope in Rome offer the Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity of Our Lord from altars throughout the world every day. Father ended with a memorable spot of humour, saying of that Chalice that had somehow come into his keeping, “And when the Bishop (of our diocese) is good I let him use it.” Even the youngest among those gathered understood the importance of being good.
It sounds like he is as busy as Father George, and prolly has to cover as many miles in his own “Sassy” vehicle! Well, I guess we’ll just let that go, then. My GA helped me make a good Confession today after morning Mass. You went, so I went, too.
Oh, drat! I forgot what I wanted to tell you, Mother Yvonne! Father led us in singing the Latin (Sanctus, Angus Dei) responses during Mass which once, again reminded me that our Bishop allows the recitation of Latin during the Novus Ordo Masses. He also allows the TLM at the Cathedral, though he is very low-key about it.
That must have been beautiful, 007. I don’t know the present bishop of the diocese I am living in nor his stance on Latin but Father M is still providing a Traditional Latin Mass every week. I would like to see a greater use of Latin in the Novus Ordo.
Holy Mass offered for you just now, Aussie Mum!
Thank you Father, so very very much.
It is early morning, Tuesday 13th February, the 19th anniversary of the day Sister Lucia died and went to Heaven. Does that mean 13th February will be her Feast Day when she is canonised? I don’t know. Exactly one week later is the Feast Day of Francisco and Jacinta on the 20th February, the anniversary of Jacinta’s death in 1920 but not Francisco’s. He died on 4th April 1919. I suppose 13th February might be considered Sister’s unofficial Feast Day until the Church makes a declaration on the matter.
Medical Update: I am seeing my doctor today for the 2nd time since coming out of hospital (on Wed 24th January) because he now has my records from the hospital and will be better able to direct my treatment. The cancer cannot be treated given the condition of my kidneys (swollen and having only 16% function) and other organs but he can help me be as healthy as possible under the circumstances, which will include doing what is possible to rebuild my blood. The massive haemorrhage that took me to hospital (Mon 15th January) was stemmed before I bled out but it was a very close thing. That blood loss was replaced by blood transfusions while in hospital but I am still bleeding, although to a much lesser extent, and taking medication to keep that loss as minimal as possible. Doctor spoke of an iron infusion last visit but he needed another blood test first. I will be having that today as well.
The Cushion Saga: It sounds silly I know but the blood test my doctor ordered last visit was delayed for the lack of an appropriate cushion for my wheelchair. When I sit upright in any sort of chair I have pain that increases the longer I am in that position until it becomes excruciating and I cannot function. Hence, except when I absolutely must attend an appointment or use the bathroom I have been living day and night in a lift recliner in our small living room, in reclining position, since coming home from hospital in order to keep pressure off of a sensitive area. The palliative care nurses who visit me at home seem to think the balloon at the top of the catheter draining my bladder is being pressed into the malignant mass on the bladder wall or reacting with it negatively in some way, causing acute pain when sitting upright. Aged Care was able to provide the appropriate cushion to ease the pressure on that sensitive area but not until I was seen by an occupational therapist (OT) for her assessment. However, getting an OT appointment where I live generally takes a substantial period and Aged Care reported last Tuesday that such was still a month away. Then, out of the blue the following day, the OT found herself with a cancellation and was able to slot me in. I attribute that unexpected blessing to the Masses and prayers being offered up for me and thank you all so much. The necessary cushion (a ROHO with the middle completely cut out) was delivered yesterday just in time for my medical appointment today.
I cannot type anymore for now but thank you Father for offering Mass for me and everyone praying for me. You are helping me so much.
Thanks, Aussie Mum, for the update. I know it costs you a lot to communicate with us. We’re all in solidarity with you and James.
Thank you Father and everyone.
Yes, thank you for the update. Thanks be to God for every little thing.
So very glad to hear about the unexpected relief via the OT. Thanks for the update 🙏🏻
Wow, thank you for the information, Aussie Mum. You and your son have been in my thoughts and prayers for some time. My sweet mama who I’ve been caring for the past year passed away early this morning. I didn’t see a Feast day for a saint on the calander for today, I hope it is Sr. Lucia. I’m so sad and grateful today. It was such a great honor to care for her and to be at her side when she took her last breath. Please offer a prayer for her, and pray for me for the times I lacked gratitude and grew tired and impatient. God bless you!
Dear Catherine, I will certainly pray for the repose of your mother’s soul and also for you in your loss. It is no small task taking care of an ill person and I am very glad you were with your mother until the end. Your caring presence would have been a source of great comfort for her. And thank you for your prayers for James and me. I pray that God will bless you for the selfless care you gave to your mother and that the Holy Family will comfort you in your loss. Father Byers could advise you so much better than I can but it seems to me that you should not berate yourself for those times you were not at your best (impatient etc). It is natural that the strain of caring for an ill person would wear on you. Why not take your concerns to confession but then put them aside. Remember instead how with God’s grace you soldiered on through all the weariness and difficulties for your mother’s sake. Hold all the good things in your heart and treasure those memories.
Thank you, Aussie Mum, for your message of comfort and wisdom. God bless you!
Hello Aussie Mum! I was able to offer Holy Mass for you on Ash Wednesday. Prayers for James as well!
There is no greater gift than the Mass offered on one’s behalf, thank you Father so very very much. You keep me afloat, wiping away my fears when they come.
Mother Yvonne, your latest comment about Father R and the chalice is most wonderful. Yes, I can tell when a subject matter is dear to the speaker, because of that air of authority and reverence in their voice. It is something we all hear in Father’s recorded homilies. I wish I could see him preach with his eyes closed. I wouldn’t even test him by making funny faces.
To 007 who said, “I wouldn’t even test him by making funny faces.” That made me smile. Thank you for brightening my day 🙂
You are welcome Mum. I’ve just hugged my GA and asked him to pass it on to you! You should be getting it right about…NOW!
Received! 🙂 🙂
Dearest dear Aussie Mum. I have an idea. Could you come up with list of chapter titles and subtitles you would like to write about Fatima? Maybe just one at a time as you’re inspired and have the energy? I should do the same for what I would like to write on the Immaculate Conception. Perhaps ask your guardian angel?
I will try that, Father, thank you.
Holy Mass offered for you today, Aussie Mum. In solidarity.
Thank you, Father, so much.
I lost a significant amount of blood the night before this (much more than usual) giving James a fright when he came to empty and remove the night drainage bag but the situation has since improved; that is since you offered the Mass for me again. I have also managed to produce something on Fatima using your idea of headings and subheadings to organise my thoughts and will post that after this.
Heading: From Zaragoza to Fatima via Santiago de Compostela
Our lady’s appearance at Fatima in 1917 is part of a larger narrative, one with worldwide ramifications that began almost 2,000 years ago on the Iberian Peninsula. That peninsula, where today the nations of Portugal and Spain sit side by side, their histories intertwined, was then part of the Roman Empire and the missionary field of the Apostle James, son of Zebedee. [Note: There were two Apostles named James: James the Less and James the Greater. The latter was likely taller or more robustly built and noting this was a useful way of distinguishing between the two. James the Less stayed to shepherd the Church in Jerusalem while James the Greater carried the Gospel to the Iberian Peninsula]
Subheading: Our Lady of the Pillar, Zaragoza c. AD 40
James the Greater and a few helpers were camped on the banks of the Ebro River at Caesar-Augusta (today’s Zaragoza) in the Roman Province of Tarraconensis (today part of Spain) when Our Lady appeared and asked him to build her a shrine. The small chapel he built has been rebuilt and enlarged over the many centuries since and today is a magnificent cathedral-basilica named for Our Lady of the Pillar, and still houses the miraculous image of that apparition.
The appearance of Our Lady of the Pillar, the first Marian apparition anywhere in the world, showed Mary, the Infant Jesus in her arms, standing upon a pillar planted in the soil of the Iberian Peninsula. The message it conveyed was clear: St James’ missionary efforts would not be in vain. The infant Church was there to stay, its growth and development under Mary’s maternal care. And so began, about seven years after Pentecost, the conversion of the peoples on the Iberian Peninsula from paganism.
St James the Greater did not have much time to establish the Catholic religion in his missionary field for he was back in Jerusalem in AD 44 where he was seized by order of Herod Agrippa and beheaded. [Note: Herod Agrippa, who ruled Judea on Rome’s behalf from AD 41 to 44, was a grandson of King Herod who decades earlier had ordered the “slaughter of the innocents” in the hope of killing the Infant Jesus, and the nephew of Herod Antipas who had St John the Baptist beheaded] That St James had successfully established the Catholic religion on the Iberian Peninsula in just a few years after Our Lady’s visit is testimony to the assistance she provided.
Subheading: Santiago de Compostela
St James the Greater, known as Santiago on the Iberian Peninsula, was the first Apostle to be martyred and after his execution his body was taken back to his missionary field on the Iberian Peninsula. Thus he became the treasured “property” (not the best word but correct in a sense) of the peoples he converted. A majestic cathedral was built over his tomb in Medieval Times and that cathedral and the city that grew up around it – Santiago de Compostela – were named in his honour.
Santiago de Compostela is today the capital of Galicia, an autonomous region of Spain that sits just above Portugal on the Iberian Peninsula but neither Galicia nor Spain existed as such in St James’ time. What is now Galicia was then part of a larger area called Gallaecia in the Roman province of Tarraconensis. Gallaecia would later emerge from Tarraconensis to be the Iberian Peninsula’s 4th Roman province yet was no more than a Roman backwater when St James (Santiago) was laid to rest there. As is so often the case, God sees value where the world does not and lifts up the lowly.
The Catholic faith, handed down to the people of Galicia and Portugal from their ancestors in Gallaecia who received it from St James, is summarised in Galicia’s coat of arms and proclaimed on its flag. Unfortunately I can’t display pictures here or if I can I do not know how, therefore I ask that you view the following link to see Galicia’s coat of arms and state flag (appears toward the end of the page). http://www.galicianflag.com/galicia.htm#stateflaghttps://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Coats_of_Arms_of_Galicia#/media/File:Escudo_de_Galicia.svg Note the motto associated with Galicia’s coat of arms: “Here is the mystery of faith that we strongly profess.” Compare this motto with Our Lady’s words at Fatima: “In Portugal, the dogma of the Faith will always be preserved” (13th July 1917).
In summary, Portugal and Spain are the spiritual heirs of the work begun by St James the Greater with Our Lady’s ongoing assistance since she first appeared on the Iberian Peninsula c.AD 40. Her appearance at Fatima almost 2,000 years later is a continuation of that assistance. The events at Fatima in 1917 and the Catholic history of Portugal, and to a lesser extent that of Spain, act as a beacon to the world providing both warning and guidance in what it means to be Catholic. I hope to expand on this later.
Before closing today I should mention that it is common for those describing Our Lady’s first apparition in the world to depict it as occurring while she was still living on earth – that would not be an apparition in the usual sense of the word but something akin to bilocation. However, as Father Byers has explained, Our Lady’s Immaculate Heart was broken by her Son’s suffering and death on the Cross and therefore, although she made it to Pentecost she most likely did not live much longer. Therefore, it seems to me Our Lady’s appearance on the Iberian Peninsula as Our Lady of the Pillar was an apparition in the usual Catholic sense of the word; that is, that she visited this world from Heaven.
********************************
I hope what I have written above makes sense. It is an attempted condensation of a small part of my research placing Fatima in a wider historical context, instead of only as a 20th century event as is often done. Fatima is so much more.
Apart from being a very abbreviated account of a very large topic, I was unable to add clarifying maps and pictures that I have in my notes and drafts; also footnotes were replaced with notes in square brackets. All going well, I hope next to draw attention to how the Catholic history of the Iberian Peninsula relates to the rest of the world and thereafter to look into why the Archangel Michael appeared at Fatima.
Thanks Aussie Mum. What you have written places us with thanksgiving with the Holy Family throughout the ages. Our Immaculate Mother is always bringing souls to Jesus. Your presentation is a great gift.
Thank you, for this comment, Mother Yvonne! I learned a great deal. My ancestors are from Portugal, Sephardic Jews before conversion.
You come from a very rich spiritual background, 007, and having got to know you that makes sense. Do you know what part of Portugal your forebears come from?
I have a cousin who has been researching that over this past Summer, so we’re all waiting to see what she finds. I once needled my father who had said “You’re descended from the Aztecs..” But before he could say anything, my mother corrected me by saying “that’s my side of the family!”
It is just a little after midnight here. My energy levels have deteriorated further in the last 20 hours causing shortness of breath. James is staying up with me and I am on supplemental oxygen. I can only use it part time as my supply is limited to what is in a single canister. I am managing at the moment and hoping to be able to breathe easy at rest again soon. Would those reading here please pray for this for me?
Prayers!!!
Thank you, Father.
I missed this! But always praying for you, all day long.
Thank you 007. Your prayers and Father’s got me through the night. I fell to sleep and when I awoke my breathing had returned to normal. I haven’t tried moving yet today but so far so good. The test will come shortly (9:30 AM) when a community nurse will come. James will get me onto my feet and and we will see if sufficient energy has returned for me to stand with help or if I will lose my breath and begin to suffocate again like yesterday despite using supplemental oxygen which I will be using again today. It was frightening. I haven’t been gasping for air like that since large blood clots hit both lungs, Ash Wednesday, 2011. Thank you again for everything.
It’s 4:30am my time., and I’m thinking and praying for your every need, and for the conversion of Donna, Mary and Jason, to return to the Lord. May they surprise you with a visit and reconciliation. How pained the Lord must feel when we leave Him.
Yes, it must pain Him very much. We creatures feel the pain of betrayal and desertion; how much more painful must it be for Him whose love is infinite and has suffered so much for us only to be mocked and left alone.
Thank you my dear brother and friend for all your help: prayers, encouragement and good wishes. I am recovering for now and one of the palliative care nurses is contacting my doctor with what she considers a temporary solution for my breathing problems. I will explain tomorrow afternoon or evening. Tomorrow morning I will be at the hospital I was in last January but only for a day procedure this time. It will soon be 11 pm here and I must try to sleep. Good night and God bless.
You must be exhausted after a long day Aussie Mum. We’re with you. Just offered Holy Mass for you.
I was exhausted and have slept since coming home from the hospital some hours ago. I am still not wide awake but wanted to pray the prayer for Sister Lucia’s beatification and my cure God willing. On my way to the hospital this morning I offered whatever today’s procedure would bring for you and all who are praying for me. And now I read that you have offered Mass for me again. Thank you Father so very much. James has just brought me a cool drink to help me wake-up fully. I will write more when I am feeling more awake. Thank you again, our very dear Father.
Dearest Aussie Mum, prayers continuing every day at Mass. I have been absent here but you’re never far from my thoughts and prayers. I hope your recent trip to hospital has brought relief from the breathing problems.
Dear Carmel, prayers are helping so much and peppering my days with a trail of little and not so little miracles. For example, my recent trip to hospital did not turn out badly as it seemed it would, and although I approached it with trepidation it could not have turned out better. That hospital visit was not to do with my breathing problems (the bureaucratic wheels involved in that are turning very slowly as such are wont to do), but rather with the replacement of the indwelling catheter that became necessary when I was in hospital in January. It is meant to be changed every 4-6 weeks to prevent infection but I had been unable to get an outpatients appointment until 7 weeks had passed. Happily no infection resulted. I waited nervously on the narrow hospital table for the medical team to arrive to change the catheter. I had been refused a urologist or gynaecologist as initially promised after the simple procedure had turned into a painful nightmare almost an hour long last time. The minutes ticked by. The dreaded medical team was unexpectedly held up on their hospital rounds and did not arrive. Eventually those in charge decided they had no choice but to call someone else. A gynaecologist between theatre calls arrived who turned out to be the very one I had been promised in January if her colleague was unavailable. The catheter was replaced in just minutes and without the difficulties and pain of last time when a medical team did it. I was so relieved and grateful for all the prayers going up to Heaven for me. Our journey home in a wheelchair taxi was broken when we reached our side of the border again and James wheeled me into St Patricks so I could thank Our Lord in the tabernacle and spend some time at Our Lady’s side altar thanking her for her help. Thank you Carmel and everyone for all your prayers on my behalf. Your kind help is very much appreciated.
I’m offering my reception of the Eucharist for you, Yvonne – that those extra graces may flow to you. Thanks be to God for this site and this happy little family that Father George has been shepherding to the Lord.
I am very grateful 007, thank you.
thank you so much, dear Aussie Mum, for that wonderful feedback. I’m so glad it all went well; this spurs me on to even more prayers for you especially in front of the Blessed Sacrament each day. Thanks be to God and His Blessed Mother 🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻
Thank you, Carmel. I am very grateful for your prayers. Saying “thank you” doesn’t seem enough to convey how grateful I am. God bless you dear lady.
I’ve just rediscovered this site, but I’m sure prayers are never too late. So I’m praying to Sister Lucy for the healing of Yvonne Cheryl. May Our Blessed Mother keep you, Yvonne, forever in her Immaculate Heart. Praying the Father’s recommended prayer for you. You’re a great example of Christian courage.
Thank you for your prayers, Marie. Your kindness is much appreciated.
Hello Father and all my dear brothers and sisters in Christ reading here. I am back in hospital (Acute Ward) on the Victorian side of the border wishing I was home with James on the New South Wales side. Home is only about half an hour away by car but it is an insurmountable distance for me at the moment, writing here in the early hours of Holy Thursday morning. A nurse inadvertently woke me a little while ago checking my temperature, heart rate, breathing and oxygen level, and blood pressure. Since I have woken right up I thought it a good opportunity to give you an update, now that James has sorted out connection to the hospital’s wifi for me. He brought his laptop that I use at home to the hospital, as he did last time, so I can read your posts, Father, everyone’s comments, and keep in touch with you all.
The old man in the bed opposite mine has just gone for another wander and the nurse has gently collected him and brought him back to bed. The poor man, 87 years old, is very sad thinking his family has deserted him and no-one cares about him anymore. Would you please pray for him? His name is John and his mind goes back and forth between the real world and one of his imagination, calling out to other visitors to the ward by names that are not theirs. They ignore him and hurry past leaving him feeling rejected and unloved. James, the other patients in the ward and the nurses will engage with him, and he pours out his heartache to us while at the same time thinking no-one cares about him. Therefore there is nothing we can do to help him except listen and pray.
I don’t know if any other patient in our 4 bed room believes in God. I said “goodnight and God bless” to the lady in the bed next to mine (she is 88 and keeps saying she wishes she could die because she no longer enjoys being alive) and she only replied “goodnight”. We get on quite well, though. She was crying last night because her son she was longing to see did not come. I said I would pray that he will come tomorrow and she didn’t object.
A new patient was moved into the bed in the opposite corner to mine yesterday as the woman who had occupied it was discharged. Joy, the former occupant was a lovely little old lady, tiny and deaf, and very caring. The first night I was here (Tuesday 26th) John was asleep and unaware he had gotten himself uncovered whereupon Joy got herself out of bed, padded over to his which is next to hers, and covered him. She used to be a nurse.
I do not yet know the woman in the bed Joy vacated. She is also an older lady and was sad when her adult sons had to leave tonight. Visiting hours are 11 am-1pm and 5pm-8pm each day, but it is the night parting that is the hardest.
Father A arrived. He is a young priest and this hospital is situated in his parish. I was so glad to see him. He came last time I was in hospital too once James had phoned him and James did the same this time. It seemed seeing a priest dressed as a priest was quite an odd thing to the visitors to our room last night. They kept staring as Father proceeded to give me the Last Rites and Apostolic Pardon.
James has also contacted my parish priest, Father M, who has subsequently asked James keep him updated. He will come, as he did last time, if my condition worsens. At the moment we do not know if the treatment I am receiving (trying to kick-start my waterlogged kidneys with diuretics – tablets and intravenously applications as well) will work or not (fluid building in my lungs and elsewhere as my kidneys struggle); time will tell.
I came into the day procedure unit here at the hospital as an outpatient last Tuesday for an iron infusion to boost my blood. Haemoglobin is dropping again too but not quite enough to warrant another blood transfusion quite yet. The nurses taking my stats (blood pressure, oxygen levels etc became worried and called in a doctor who called in another doctor. I was subsequently sent me for a chest x-ray and was admitted to the hospital once those results came back. So here I am again.
Goodnight and God bless you for all you do for me. The Holy Mass and prayers offered for me is keeping me going. Thank you.
So good to hear from you, Aussie Mum. Chrism Mass yesterday offered for you.
I did get a test comment from James.
Thank you Father, so very very much.
James sent a message from his computer at home to let you know I was in hospital but it didn’t go through. He brought his laptop that I use at home to the hospital for me as he did last time. He had a bit of trouble getting me connected to the hospital’s wifi and when that was sorted I sent a message but it failed and the message was lost. James did what he could and then sent a test to see if the problem was resolved and whatever was wrong had righted. I know very little about how the internet works and James is my “tech support”.
James is the best!
What a blessing to hear form you, Yvonne! What I know about those who pour out their hearts to strangers and still seem lonely, is that, there are those who need to be held, to be touched by another human being, Like an infant that cries until it is picked up and cradled in loving arms.
You are right to Speak of The Lord to your roommates. You bring Him to them in your person, you remind them that He is faithful and there for them. Only The Lord knows the comfort you bring to those whose faith has almost flickered out, needing only “the breath of faith” to rekindle it.
You bring the Lord with you, to such as these, Yvonne – it is a unique blessing and opportunity for evangelization by simple love. The sight of a Priest may not be for others, what it is for us. What they might need, is to witness the great joy that has been hidden from them. Now is the time for you to let the light of Christ that is in you, shine for the others in your room.
Before the term “Christian” was coined, it was observed “see how they love one another.”
Fervently praying for your perseverance, and blessings from the Lord that may overflow to the others in your room.
I am right beside you, your brother in Christ, Felipe.
Thank you, Felipe, for your prayers, advice and friendship, my very dear brother in Christ.
wonderful to hear from you dearest Aussie Mum – thank you so very much for the update. You sound so well that I don’t know whether to rejoice or to be worried! I will double my prayers for you over the Triduum (also remembering John as requested🙏🏻)
Thank you Carmel for remembering John in your prayers. He is being discharged from hospital this afternoon. He phoned his daughter and once more asked if he could stay with her and her husband as he does not want to return to the aged care home. She refused, reminding him that the matter had already been settled some time ago. He apologised for disturbing her and is now sitting despondent in the chair beside his bed, his bag packed, sad but resigned to going back to where he doesn’t want to be. I have heard from someone who used to work at the facility John is returning to that the old men housed there are poorly treated. I wonder if some old people accept being euthanised because they feel unloved and unwanted, seeing themselves as a burden – hopeless, helpless and useless. If only they knew how much God loves them.
I began writing this post yesterday (Holy Thursday). It is now the early morning of Good Friday. I woke again to a nurse taking my blood pressure, temperature etc. The nursing staff here take good care of us.
You said that I sound so well that you don’t know whether to rejoice or to be worried. Don’t worry, Carmel, rejoice! Vera, a dear friend of many years, made a similar comment when we saw each other last Monday (the day before I had to be readmitted to hospital). I don’t feel like I am dying except when extremely short of breath and oxygen is not helping much. Vera suggested the grace of managing better than expected in my condition is due to all the spiritual help I am getting. I have long thought that to be the case, in fact that is the only possible explanation. Father Byers offering Holy Mass for me and so many praying for me lifts and carries me through each day. Thank you, Carmel, for your friendship and all the help you give me through your prayers and caring. God is so good and you reflect that love to me. You and Father and everyone praying for me are a blessing that I will never be able to thank God for enough. I do try though, thanking Him over and over, and praying that He will bless you all abundantly for your goodness and kindness to me.
Dearest Aussie Mum,
Last night, Holy Thursday, the Mass of the Lord’s Supper, was offered for you here at Holy Redeemer in Andrews. Today, Good Friday, that Last Supper of our Lord continues with the Sacrifice of the Sacrament. The consecrations, in Greek, in the Gospels, employ a present participle — right now being handed over for you… right now being poured out for you — our Lord tying the Sacrifice and Sacrament together in this way.
We’re with you Aussie Mum, and James. We thank you for your certain joy in the midst of suffering, the shining forth of hope when all seems lost. The Lord is most appreciative of your presence on Calvary, as this is such a consolation to Mary’s Immaculate Heart.
When weakness is most distressing, know that your very existence in the state of grace in this dark and aggressive world is an act of intercession reaching out for the salvation of souls in the whole world and the entire Church.
Blessings upon you, Aussie Mum. – Father George
Dearest Father,
Thank you, you may well have saved my life. I cannot see any other explanation for a nurse revealing what she has to a patient. I should be asleep but am sitting in my hospital bed, in the dark, anxious to thank you and leave a record should something happen to me.
Tonight a nurse has risked her employment to ask if I was aware my hospital paperwork states that I am not to be resuscitated. I was not aware! In fact, I stated when admitted to hospital both times (mid January and again last Tuesday) that I most definitely did want to be resuscitated. Both times the doctor (the same man in both cases) tried to have me change my mind but I would not and this time (Tuesday 26th March Australian time) I had James as my witness. Regardless, the doctor who introduced himself as Farh(kw)ad? (I don’t know how to spell his name, he had an accent and seemed to me likely to be from India, Pakistan or somewhere nearby) stated on my hospital paperwork that I did not want to be resuscitated. The nurse showed me the actual hospital paperwork that Dr F filled out in his own hand and initialled. Not only was I not to be resuscitated but I was not even to be allowed transfer to the ICU if need be nor was a red alert alarm to be activated for assistance if required.
I am having breathing difficulties as you know and this can be expected to worsen if pneumonia worsens. I am receiving both a diuretic and an antibiotic intravenously and in tablet form but my lungs, heart and kidneys are struggling. It is rather frightening knowing what my admission records (lyingly) state. The nurse who spoke with me (Tracey) and her companion (Lauren) assured me that the former would add a note to the hospital paperwork stating that I do want to be resuscitated and she would likewise tell the staff of my true wishes, and therefore all would be well. Nonetheless, for the moment the doctor’s instruction stands with but a nurse’s note to protect me against a doctor’s word.
Thanks from all the world for being brave in Jesus’ grace, Aussie Mum. We’re all in solidarity with you and James. In any event, Jesus is the Prince of the Most Profound Peace. We’re still praying for a miracle, with confidence, at the intercession of Lucia.
Happy Easter to you Aussie Mum. Just finished the Easter Vigil, offered for you.
Happy Easter!
Thank you, Father, so very very much for everything you are doing for me. I will write more when I can.
Alleluia, He is risen! And I offered my reception of the Eucharist for you today, Yvonne! Always praying for your children.
Thank you, Felipe, and Happy Easter! Even though you and Father are thousands of miles away it is as if you are both here, lifting my worries away and allowing me rest and healing.
Hello Aussie Mum: This is from an elderly reader here in the USA:
“Australian Law regarding Advanced directives and Living Wills
https://www.health.gov.au/topics/palliative-care/planning-your-palliative-care/advance-care-directive
“Not sure if this is of any help, but many years ago, my attorney incorporated the Right to Life forms for the “Will to Live” advanced directive into my last will an testament, and gave me many copies to distribute to family and health care providers.”
Thank you Father and the elderly gentleman in the USA who sent in the above information. I will have a 2nd and more thorough read later when more alert and able to focus better.
It is now 1:40 AM here, 3rd April, and I was discharged from hospital this afternoon and have been dozing in and out of sleep.
I am in the process of taking the advice sent to you, Father, by the elderly reader in the USA regarding an Advance Care Directive. I have read the link you provided and have since spoken to my doctor (my GP, Dr B) about this. He advised I get the necessary forms from palliative care, fill them in, and then take them to him and he will sign them. I obtained the forms, Advance Care Directive for New South Wales (NSW), from our local palliative care provider. However, because we live on the border and have two hospitals, one on both sides of the border which nonetheless function as one health service with patients sent to one or the other regardless of what side of the border they live, James searched online and found the Advance Care Directive forms for Victoria (Vic). Then yesterday, when James was bringing me home from the day procedure unit at the hospital (Vic side of the border) for the indwelling catheter draining my bladder to be replaced (necessary every 4-6 weeks), we stopped at the local library on the way home so he could print out the Advanced Care Directive forms for Vic. My GP will sign the Advance Care Directive forms I have filled out for both states when I see him next Tuesday. That information will then be added to “My Health Record” (a digital health record available throughout Australia) and James has been directed to send the hard copies of the Advance Care Directive with me in the ambulance when next I am being taken into hospital, and when he follows me to the hospital to check that it has been read and acted upon appropriately. I will then be covered by the appropriate legal documentation and Dr Hashimi’s “not to be resuscitated” order will be over-ridden. My sincere thanks to you, Father, and the reader who provided the link that set all this in motion.
Aussie Mum! Holy Mass was offered for you (and a possible miraculous healing!) on Easter Sunday. Perhaps again today. God is good.
Thank you so very much Father, thank you for not giving up after all these many weeks but instead continuing to hope and pray and offer the Holy Mass for me and a possible miraculous healing. God is good and all will be well one way or another. I had wondered if He might cure me on Easter Sunday. I will explain later when my mind is clearer.
Yes, about Easter, this was coming to mind and heart strongly. Holy Mass again on Easter Tuesday for you. Jesus is very good and kind.
Yes, as you say Father, Jesus is very good and kind. His Sacred Heart overflows with love and empathy. I once thought I saw Him like this in person but it was explained to me that I was delirious with fever and imagined it. I accept that this was the case but I have never forgotten Him looking at me kindly with love and empathy as it seems to me. Although the product of hallucination and not an apparition, it was still a heavenly visitation in as much as God allowed me to be comforted by an image of Him formed in my mind, and that is a gift I am very grateful for.
It was 1955 and my parents and I, along with the families of other railway workers, were living in tents by the side of the railway line at Narrabri in north-west New South Wales while waiting for houses to be built. I was 5 years old and went down with pneumonia for the 2nd time, worse than the year before, burning up with fever yet shivering violently as if terribly cold. When Dad arrived home from work he was shocked to see my condition. Hearing “rattles” emanating from my throat and chest he came to the conclusion that it was death rattles, and he took off at a run for the nearest telephone about a mile away. He phoned the doctor who said to get a taxi (Narrabri had no ambulance available at the time for some reason) to hospital and he would meet us there. No-one thought I would survive the night. As for me, I was unaware of the drama going on about me. All I remember is Jesus. Either before the taxi arrived to take us to hospital or during the night that followed I saw or imagined I saw Him, His Head and upper Body as in the holy picture above my parents’ bed, but this time He was at the foot of my bed. Somehow the tent flap (tent door) was incorporated with His image. He opened the flap and showed me His Sacred Heart. When the fever passed and I awoke I told my parents that Our Lord had visited me. They explained it was just a dream caused by fever. Even so, that image of Him looking so kindly upon me is firmly imprinted upon my mind and I still recall it clearly. It brought me comfort then and the memory still does.
You are very good and kind too, Father, offering Holy Mass for me again on Easter Tuesday. There are no words to express how grateful I am. Thank you so much.
I vote for real visits from Jesus. Just because you’re sick doesn’t mean they’re not real. “I can’t visit her because she’s sick!” The discernment regards the humility and reverence for Jesus that remains with you over against vacuous self referential pride. The way I see it, Jesus was there for you both times!
Dearest Aussie Mum, happy Easter blessings! You have been on my mind very much the last 3 days. I thought maybe the prayed-for miracle, but now I think it was your situation of vulnerability at the hospital – your guardian angel was prompting intercessions near and far! Thank God for those nurses🙏🏻 Have no fear: with Fr George and his team of reading intercessors on the your side you are safe. Maybe our good God is exposing the corruption in our hospital system so that many more vulnerable people can take steps to ensure conformity with their wishes. Please pass on my Easter greetings to James and assure him of my prayers for him too. So glad you’re home again🥰
Happy Easter, Carmel. Wishing you and Father Byers and everyone reading here all the blessings of the Easter season.
Yes, dear friend, as you surmised, Easter Sunday and Monday were especially difficult days until, with enormous relief, I was able to leave hospital on the afternoon of Easter Tuesday. As you know I have been admitted to hospital on the Victorian side of the border twice this year and the admitting doctor (the same both times) marked my medical file “Not To Be Resuscitated” as well as another two categories of care I am not to receive: I am not to receive an emergency response for a MET (medical emergency team), nor am I to be referred to the ICU where high flow oxygen would be available that is not available in the wards.
It was high flow oxygen (40 L a minute?) received in the ICU on the NSW side of the border which allowed me to survive until medication curbed the infection last time I had pneumonia (2013), and which I would have required again this time if the pneumonia had not responded so quickly to treatment (antibiotics and diuretics given intravenously and by mouth) and/or if my struggling kidneys had been too slow throwing off the fluid that was accumulating in my lungs. Given that my lungs and kidneys are weak and significantly damaged, and that I have recovered in just 8 days with such little intervention when the inflammatory markers were extremely high, can only be because of the Mass and prayers offered for me. I cannot thank you all enough. My struggling kidneys have even improved somewhat (from 16% to 20% function) and holding steady at the new normal. These are all little miracles. Thank you Carmel and everyone for your efforts on my behalf. Those efforts are bearing fruit even if I have not yet been cured. That may still be ahead. Only God knows. Please don’t give up praying for Sister Lucia’s beatification and for me, that my healing will be the miracle that brings her beatification about if it be God’s will.
For the record, the doctor who said I was not to be resuscitated is Dr F Hashimi. Initially I only knew his 1st name (Farhad? or Farkwhad?) because that is how he introduced himself when I was being admitted. A Dr Yee also became involved as she was on duty over the 4 day long weekend here, Good Friday to Easter Monday. After my complaint that I wanted the “Not To Be Resuscitated” order rescinded and the other two categories of care Dr Hashimi stated was to be denied me reinstated, Dr Yee reinstated the emergency response / MET but nothing else, claiming such is a medical decision and not mine to make. I intend to fight this. God will decide when my life on this earth is over, not Dr Hashimi.
Easter Sunday and Monday nights here were particularly difficult as you sensed and Father, too, I think. I spent the night bolt upright in order to catch my breath more easily as I was from then on denied oxygen (1-2 L/min) as needed when at rest. I was still allowed oxygen (2-4 L/min) when up and moving. I do not usually need oxygen of a night when at rest but do sometimes. Not being able to access that oxygen when needed was frightening and I lay awake both nights trying to steady my breathing, praying and longing to be well again, and no longer at the mercy of doctors like Dr F Hashimi – longing to be able to breathe easily; to be cured and therefore able to get up out of the hospital bed under my own steam and walk away from those who had the power to decide whether I would live or die when illness reaches a certain stage; and even if not miraculously cured but still an invalid with untreatable cancer, able to go home where I am safe because James will protect and care for me.
How fortunate I am – blessed – that James is willing to take care of me at home. When I felt so vulnerable and helpless in hospital he came and did his best to protect and console me. Then, on Easter Tuesday, he came and brought me home when the hospital discharged me and does for me what I cannot do for myself – and I cannot do much for myself. He does get a little help here and there when nurses and such come but most of what is done for me here at home is done by James. I don’t know what I would do without him.
How fortunate I am – blessed – that Father Byers is offering Holy Mass for me, and that you, Carmel, and our other dear brothers and sisters in Christ who read here are praying for me too. When I felt so vulnerable and helpless in hospital you were helping me cope and not fall apart. Thank you so much.
Holy Mass for you on this First Saturday morning, Aussie Mum.
I can very much identify with trying to get a position to breathe but in my case because of my hereditary malady.
And yes, there are doctors who don’t want help as, it seems, they don’t want to bother. Yikes!
But our Lord is the Lord of history.
And He’s good and kind to His Little Flock.
Jesus, I trust in you!
Thank you for the update, Yvonne! Thanks be to God for all the prayers offered for your recovery. I’ve been praying, especially, for a conversion of your estranged children’s hearts – that you may be granted that particular consolation of God’s mercy.
Don’t forget Jesus’ message to St. Faustina:
“The graces of My mercy are drawn by means of one vessel only, and that is — trust. The more a soul trusts, the more it will receive (1578).“
Offering my reception of the Eucharist today, and every one of them for you, Yvonne.
Jesus, I trust in you!
As you say, Father, there are some doctors who don’t want to bother with us. I think it is because we bother them very much and therefore they would like us gone. When man becomes a god to himself, fellow human beings exhibiting obvious imperfections (the aged, diseased, handicapped etc) remind him of his folly. He is not a god but a man whose body will also return to dust and he does not want to be reminded of that.
Additionally, as man moves further away from God in this age of apostasy (treason against God / atheistic revolt against all that is good, true and beautiful) he loses awareness of the dignity of man having been formed in God’s image and likeness. An aged and slowly dying human body not seen in relation to its Creator, Saviour and Sanctifier appears as nothing more than matter beginning to decay and therefore rubbish to be disposed of … in a “kind” and tidy fashion of course. Hence, the growing acceptance of euthanasia in a world that has lost its sense of sin and replaced God with self.
Thank you, Father, for not going along with the world. Sanity remains and goodness and kindness flourishes as long as the Catholic priesthood continues loyal to Our Lord. I thank God every day for His good priests. The world does not understand that mankind would be bereft of love and mercy without the Holy Sacrifice of the Cross continued throughout time, Holy Mass offered on altars around the world every day. I pray every day, Father, that your health and mobility problems will be cured and you will be able to complete the work you have begun: a popular version of your thesis and spreading devotion to the Hearts of Jesus and Mary.
I thank you most sincerely for offering Holy Mass for me on 1st Saturday. I have enjoyed great peace this Saturday and Sunday. Without realising and until James mentioned it I have apparently commented at different times over the weekend how glad I am to be home and how good it is to be alive …because I am and it is. The weather is mild at the moment (it’s autumn here) and James has had the front door open each day so I can see the outdoors from the lift recliner which is my chair by day and bed at night. I have never been a bird watcher but find myself enjoying seeing the sparrows and magpies that visit our small front yard.
Yes, God is good and kind to His Little Flock.
There is not a reply button at the end of your comment Felipe so I am continuing in the last chain started and hope you will find my message in response to yours.
Thank you so very much for offering your reception of Our Lord in Holy Communion for me and for all your prayers for me and mine. I so want my prodigal children to come back to God, and if I am still alive to come back to me too. Thank you for your understanding and help and for reminding me of Jesus’ message to St Faustina 1578. Divine Mercy Sunday always lends me new hope and that Sunday is almost here. Thank you again for everything Felipe. Be assured that I pray for you each day too and look forward to meeting in heaven one day.
I am assured, Yvonne. Thank you, and Thanks be to God. I’ve also noticed the lack of reply buttons on many comments – I don’t know why. But such things will never stop us, will they? Of course not.
I quick story for you. Today I felt what I thought was an insect on my arm. It turned out to be a part of my scapular poking out from my short-sleeved shirt! I reached underneath my collar to pull it back into place, but found nothing there.
I then decided to just tug at the part that had found its way down my sleeve and a long strand with the two fabric squares at each end of a segment slowly emerged like some sort of religious-themed magic trick.
The scapular had broken in one place, and I guess my physical movements encouraged it to follow gravity in a journey down one of my arms. Well, of course I took it as a sign that it is time, once again, to confess my sins. I have many failings that can be remedied by an apology to an innocent bystander and an Act of Contrition , but I know “it’s time.” I admit I can’t shake the feeling that The blessed Mother is chastising me gently to go see her Son.
Your response to a broken Scapula cord is the best, Felipe. Our Blessed Mother would have been very pleased with your response.
I have a Brown Scapula story too but my response was not edifying like yours. I was despondent when once again my Scapula cord broke. It was old and a repair would not last long, and I was wondering how to buy another from the Catholic bookshop in our regional city. It was only about 10 to 15 minutes away by car but we did not have a vehicle and my mobility had declined too much to make travel by bus possible. Then we received a rare visit from the assistant priest in our parish who suffers with poor health. Our parish is large and cares for another parish as well, and both our parish priest and one assistant priest are kept very busy. During that visit, when Father H heard that my scapula had broken, he took his off and gave it to me. It had a small Miraculous Medal attached to one brown square and a small Crucifix attached to the other. I thanked him very much and mentioned that the Miraculous Medal was very dear to me and along with my crucifix had inadvertently been left behind when we moved, as had other precious things (family bible etc). During our subsequent conversation I also mentioned the other medal I had long hoped to have one day, a St Benedict’s Medal, but I had read it had to be blessed by a Benedictine. I then learned that any priest can now bless the St Benedict Medal as long as the right words are used and Father gave me the happy news that one was embedded in the small Crucifix attached to the Scapula he had given me. I was thrilled and have worn all four together – the Scapula of Mount Carmel, the Crucifix and the St Benedict and Miraculous Medals – ever since.
What a wonderful blessing, Yvonne! My Dear departed Father was a Deacon. He had a devotion to St. Benedict and his Rosary had a St. Benedict crucifix.
Years ago, I found a St. Benedict crucifix at my Catholic book store, then had it blessed by the Bishop’s Exorcist*, who recognized it immediately. It hangs in my bedroom to this day.
* Of course, I mean that this Priest had our Bishop’s explicit permission to be an Exorcist – not that he had exorcised the Bishop! Also, I did not seek him out, he just happened to be “at hand.” There may never be a “cop” around when you need one, but there has always been a Priest nearby!
God is so merciful.
Aussie Mom,
It is soooo good to hear you are home and doing better. The experience you suffered at the hands of your ‘doctor’ is dreadful. I believe he is one of the ‘enemies’ that Jesus taught us to pray for.
(sorry for getting off the subject)
Again I am really delighted that you are doing better and I keep you and your family in my prayers.
Dear Felipe and Joisy Goil, I so enjoy hearing from you. Thank you for not forgetting me.
I did not realise your father was deceased Felipe, although I should have because I imagine we are somewhere around the same age. I will now add “Felipe’s father” when praying for the Holy Souls in Purgatory although, given his devotion to the Holy Rosary and St Benedict, and how well he passed on his love of the Church to you, I would not be at all surprised if he is already in Heaven.
How are Ryan’s studies in the seminary going Joisy Goil? I continue to pray for him.
Thank you both, so very much, for your continued prayers for me and mine.
It is good to hear from you, too. I pray for you and your children several times a day. Our GAs must acting in cahoots to keep you and me focused on prayer.
Well, I went to Confession last Saturday, and for the first time ever, I wanted to atone for all the sins committed by those whom I had angered and led astray as a younger, wilder man. Oh, not a vague, “I should find them and apologize..”. No! A heartbroken realization that my personal actions caused them to sin – “Oh Lord, let me take the punishment for their actions, I drove them to it!”
I’ve never had that realization and sorrow before. I know, though, that what I felt was nothing compared to the “wake up call” with which the Lord will chastise the world (especially me!).
Yes, I agree, our GAs are acting in cahoots to keep you and me focused on prayer. They are wonderful and thousands of miles matter not to them. They can bridge any distance and bring people together to help each other and love and serve God better.
I think the deeper one falls in love with the Hearts of Jesus and Mary the more one’s own heart becomes attuned to theirs, becomes more aware of sin and loves others better. Its their (Jesus and Mary’s) love in you reaching out to others. And so, when reading of your heartbroken realisation, St Francis de Sales’ saying of “Heart speaks unto heart” came to mind: Our Lord’s Sacred Heart communicating with your heart and your heart responding as He conforms its action to His. I imagine that this is how it will be for everyone once the chastisement has occurred and devotion to Our Lady’s Immaculate Heart has returned mankind to her Son, the triumph of her love for Him and us, her other children.
Less than 2 months now to the Solemnity of the Sacred Heart of Jesus and your birthday, Felipe. I realise your birthday may not be the same day since the solemnity falls on different days from one year to the next, but the two events will fall quite closely this year which seems very appropriate given your devotion to His Sacred Heart.
Wishing our very dear Father Byers and everyone reading here abundant blessings on this wonderful day: Divine Mercy Sunday.
sanfelipe007, thank you for sharing your realization at confession. That is a great thought to share, I will offer prayer and sacrifices for the sins I have caused others to commit.
Thank you, Father George, for all the Masses you have been saying for our dear Aussie Mum! You are doing all the “heavy lifting” and we are reaping all the graces. We pray for you, too, such as we can.
“I imagine that this is how it will be for everyone once the chastisement has occurred and devotion to Our Lady’s Immaculate Heart has returned mankind to her Son, the triumph of her love for Him and us, her other children.” -Aussie Mum
I hope you are right, and it makes sense to me, too.
Thanks be to God, Joisy Goil!
P.S.
“St Francis de Sales’ saying of “Heart speaks unto heart” came to mind”
That sounds so familiar that I did not submit this comment until I remembered that “deep calls unto deep” is in Psalm 42. I do not pretend to understand it. Maybe Father could explain it to us using His own translation, since I expect the English translation has been “tampered with.”
Yes, “deep calls unto deep” suggests “Heart speaks unto heart” or so it seems to me as well, Felipe. I would very much appreciate Father “using his own translation” to help us understand what is being said in psalm 42 (41?). The translations I have read differ but Father speaks the original languages of the Bible and will know what to make of it.
The Knox translation online: “One depth makes answer to another amid the roar of the floods thou sendest; wave after wave, crest after crest overwhelms me.” (Psalm 42:8) https://www.newadvent.org/bible/psa041.htm This translation also has the Greek and Latin beside it for those conversant with those languages. “One depth (making) answer to another” does seem to suggest a deep or intimate communication between two hearts.
The Douay-Rheims translation online: “Deep calleth on deep, at the noise of thy flood-gates. All thy heights and thy billows have passed over me.” (Psalm 41:8) https://www.drbo.org/chapter/21041.htm
The American Standard translation online: “Deep calleth unto deep at the noise of thy waterfalls: All thy waves and thy billows are gone over me. (Psalm 42:7) https://biblehub.com/asv/psalms/42.htm
Although it is the meaning that matters, the variance in psalm number and verse is also confusing. Please help us Father.
Yvonne. Six hours from the time of this comment, I’ll be in Adoration before the Lord; representing you, James, and with special attention for Donna, Mary, and Jason. Should you find yourself awake at any time during that hour, join me for just a moment – otherwise join me spiritually at any time and your GA will take care of the rest since time and space are as nothing to them.
Father, can you tell me if I have mistaken the time 007 will be in Adoration today? It was to be 6 hours after he sent his last comment and I added 6 hours to the time the notification email arrived. However, I just realised you may have been asleep when he sent his comment and therefore the email notification could have occurred a few hours later. 007’s comment was sent 4:21 pm his time Friday but I don’t know his US time zone in order to relate it to mine which is Australian Eastern Standard Time. I wish to join him spiritually in his Adoration of and prayers to Our Lord and thought this would be 9:30-10:30 tonight but it may be earlier. It is presently 5:05 pm here. I hope you can help me discover the correct time.
10 hours ago at 3:00am EST USA. I approved it but then we had no internet bandwidth for that to go through. Almost zero signal from the cell tower for about a week
Thank you Father.
Since I am 4 hours too late I will keep the Holy Hour spiritually here at home at the time I told 007 and will ask our GAs to join my prayers here with his when he was in Adoration before Our Lord some hours earlier. As 007 says, “time and space are as nothing to them”, so it will still work out.
I will make sure I am awake and will most certainly join you, Felipe; thank you very, very much. It is Saturday 3:45 pm here but the email notification shows it being sent at 3:33 pm; therefore I assume you will be in adoration 9:30-10:30 pm my time. I will be in my lift recliner here at home but will place myself spiritually beside you in Adoration before Our Lord at your church or chapel. Thank you again, Felipe, so very much.
Apologies, I should have given my scheduled local time! I said one full Rosary (plus the Luminous Mysteries) and found that I had spent over two hours in Adoration. Time flew by.
Thank you, Father. Thank you for joining me, Yvonne. My next Holy hour for you will be Friday 26 April 11:00pm Central standard time USA.
Any other readers who would like to join in spiritually are most welcome.
All four Mysteries of the Rosary and two whole hours of Adoration! My stamina was far less and you surely carried us both, thank you Felipe.
I look forward to the end of the week and joining you in Adoration on your Friday at 11 pm / my Saturday at 2pm. Additionally, since Fridays are dedicated to the Sacred Heart of Jesus and Saturdays to the Immaculate Heart of Mary, those two devotions will be united because of our different time zones. I like that very much. And thank you, Felipe for praying for my four children and myself, and for asking others to join us spiritually.
I was just thinking of those who are housebound or in hospital or in prison and therefore cannot take themselves to church for Adoration. How wonderful it would be if they were fortunate enough to have a very dear friend as I have in you, a friend who would care about their concerns as if their own and do for them as you do for me. It may be, Felipe, that your Catholic example of love for neighbour and solidarity with a sister in Christ might encourage a Catholic movement to help others as you help me. Surely, such would be one way for Catholics to do as Our Lord asks of us in the Greatest Commandment which is really two (Matt 22: 37-40), and a way of doing as Our Lady asked at Fatima because devotion to the Eucharistic Heart of Jesus and the Immaculate Heart of Mary could be spread and strengthened by a Catholic taking another brother or sister spiritually to Adoration with him or her, further contributing to the triumph of our Immaculate Mother’s Heart.
You said that so very well, Yvonne! Thanks be to God. May the Lord prosper our work.
It is 9 am here, Saturday 27th, and I am looking forward to 2 pm my time today (Friday 11 pm CST) when 007 will be beginning a Holy Hour that I will join in spiritually from my home. I hope others will join us.
It went well last night. Thanks be to God. Even though I only spent one hour in adoration because I have developed a cough and did not want to spread any germs to my fellow adorers. So I left when I could no longer suppress it – we are in an enclosed space, capable of holding 18 seated adorers.
Because we were adoring Our Lord simultaneously on Friday and Saturday I prayed the Sorrowful and Joyful Mysteries during our Holy Hour. I hope your cough is not a sign of something serious, Felipe. Take care and keep warm.
I did the Sorrowful mysteries, too. As for my cough, it is not accompanied by a fever, so no worries. Always in prayer with you, Yvonne.
Dear Aussie Mum, the plan is to offer Holy Mass again this Tuesday for you and for the raising to the altars of Sister Lucia.
Thank you Father for offering Holy Mass this coming Tuesday for Sister Lucia’s beatification and for me. I have been a little down this past week and am very grateful for your help.
Thank you, Father! What you do for Yvonne, you do for us all.
Hello again all,It’s James again. Mum’s okay but she’s been taken into hospital just now with chest pains. The ambulance people don’t think it’s a heart attack but she’s having some tests done. With prayers, God willing, she’ll be able to come home tommorow.
She asked me to update you all, it’s just her and me here and along with a handful of close friends she sees you all as an extended family, part of God’s family. So, I am once again asking for your prayers to keep her going.
Hello everyone. I am home again having gone into hospital last night with pain in chest, throat and jaw, plus dry retching. The ambulance paramedics tested me before setting off for hospital saying I had the signs of a heart attack. However, the ECG they did didn’t indicate a heart attack but they took me to hospital for the matter to be double checked. Blood tests in hospital revealed I had had a small heart attack and it wasn’t the first. I was told there are two types of heart attacks: those that show on an ECG and those that do not; hence the reason for the blood tests which showed a greatly elevated enzyme of a particular type signifying heart damage. The hospital’s cardiac specialist explained that the treatment included a stay in hospital for monitoring purposes. I was given a patch to dilate blood vessels plus more drugs in tablet form. As I have already been diagnosed with terminal cancer and there are some tests and treatments that cannot be given (e.g. angiogram with dye would knock out my already failing kidneys, and blood thinners are not an option as I am on drugs to slow bleeding from bladder (primary cancer) and womb where the cancer has travelled. I asked if I could go home and instead of being treated and monitored in hospital, my GP do the monitoring if I saw him more frequently, and for any hospital procedures to be done on an outpatient basis. Since my life expectancy is short (first diagnosed as 2 to 3 months in January this year and then a more comforting diagnosis given by another doctor of 3 months up to a year) I explained that I would prefer to spend whatever time I have at home rather than in hospital. She acquiesced to discharging me, wished me well, and wrote up prescriptions for additional medications plus a letter to my GP and a referral for further tests. James then brought me home after spending only about 13 hours in hospital this time, and this time at the public hospital on my side of the NSW-Vic border. It’s good to be home. Thank you for your prayers.
Thanks so much for the update dearest Aussie Mum. Thanks, James, for being such a good son to your mother.
Thanks be to God that you are now home! God bless you, James.
It is not a cure, at least not at this stage, but I am wondering if the malignant mass in my bladder has shrunk as bleeding from that organ has almost stopped. James was happily surprised when he got up this morning (Wednesday 1st May) and emptied the night bag into which the indwelling catheter empties overnight. There was no discernible blood in it nor has there been all day, and there always is, especially of late, bleeding slowly but steadily increasing until now. Moreover, since the night of the heart attack (last Monday) my tissues have ceased swelling as much – not retaining water to the extent they were before. The extra medication given because of the heart attack included aspirin, statins, and something to dilate blood vessels, and I was told to discontinue the aspirin if bleeding worsened as thought quite likely and yet it has decreased. My breathing has also improved somewhat. I have no idea if that improvement will continue but there is reason to hope. Thank you Father for offering Mass for me, and Felipe and everyone here praying for me. Your efforts on my behalf are making a difference. God willing, we will have Sister Lucia beatified yet.
That’s great news Aussie Mum!!!
Thanks be to God!
Dearest Aussie Mum, I have just seen the message from James about your latest hospitalisation and then your own messages reporting I) the heart attack diagnosis, and 2) the inexplicable improvement in the bleeding due to the primary tumour. Prayers have been – and will be – continuing before the Blessed Sacrament everyday. Thank you and also James for keeping us updated 💕
Thank you Carmel so very much. I want to express how grateful I am that you pray for me before the Blessed Sacrament everyday but cannot find the words that will adequately convey how much this mean to me.
It is just on 1:30 am Saturday morning and I woke in a cold sweat a little while ago. James heated chicken soup (one of two favourites, the other is pumpkin) but I was unable to eat much due to pain and nausea. I have been quite unwell all day with a urinary tract infection which apparently began a few days ago but the signs were not typical and went undiagnosed until this afternoon. I am now on an antibiotic that only might wipe it out. A palliative care nurse I spoke with explained that infections are very common with indwelling catheters and might not be resolved as long as the current catheter remains. Time will tell. I have an appointment with my GP next Tuesday morning and if the infection has not improved by then, she expects he will refer me for a catheter change. I don’t know how long that will take to arrange; hopefully it won’t be needed.
Tiny in the parish here had catheters and infections and ongoing antibiotics. The problem is that it seems you can’t have antibiotics while scheduling an operation.
Sister Lucia!!!
Dearest Aussie Mum…
Holy Mass for you on First Saturday morning, May 4.
I have a request you might like to follow up on …
But only if you feel better, only if you want to, only in bits and pieces….
I’ve been hearing conflicting reports on what is required to fulfill the First Saturdays. Some make it sound like the only person who might have ever done them is possibly Sister Lucia herself!
This isn’t going to sound right because we shouldn’t be minimalist with this. But what are the absolute minimum requirements for the fulfillment of the Five First Saturdays?
There are questions on, for instance, the daily recitation of the Little Office of Our Lady, etc.
I like that you called “Sister Lucia!!!” to come and help me, as if a member of our family, and she is! Even though in Heaven, she is our sister in Christ still, and we can turn to her when in trouble as one can with a loving sister now in God’s presence. I find that very comforting, thank you Father. You always get me thinking on what is good to ponder and be grateful for.
I remember you writing about Tiny last year and Joisy Goil wrote in the comments, “My grandma used to tell me to live in such a way that when you die your friends and family will weep but the Angels will shout with joy.” Joisy Goil added, “I think that about describes Tiny.” I think so too; also that he is taking care of you, Father, from Heaven as you took care of him on earth. He now has the joy of seeing God face-to-face for all eternity and will never forget all you have done for him. The Communion of Saints is a wonderful thing! Only our good and kind God could have thought of it and made it so.
The Saints interceding for us and the Holy Angels guiding and protecting us are close at hand. We cannot see them with our bodily eyes, only the eyes of the soul (heart) and are spiritually blind unless Heart speaks to heart, drawing one into depths one cannot see, only ponder.
It comes to mind that our Immaculate Mother’s Heart is protected within the Sacred Heart of her Son, which frustrates the devil as Apocalypse 12 makes clear. Hence the importance and eternal ramifications of devotion to her Heart. When we are devoted to her Heart we frustrate the devil too because then we are safe from his schemes, our hearts having refuge in hers enclosed in His.
The Triumph of our Immaculate Mother’s Heart: our hearts enclosed in the Immaculate Heart of Mary enclosed in the Sacred Heart of Jesus. At least, that is how it seems to me.
Dearest Father, thank you for taking such good care of me. I am feeling most unwell with seemingly no relief in sight in the near future, or so it seemed until I read you are offering Holy Mass for me this First Saturday morning. It is now 5 pm Saturday afternoon here and therefore 3 am Saturday morning where you are, and so just a few hours to go.
I will be very pleased to follow up on your request and will make a start as soon as I am able – perhaps tomorrow if the oral antibiotic, begun yesterday, begins to make a difference.
Our First Saturday Mass is at 9:00 AM.
11 pm here then, thank you Father.
I have made Friday evening 1130pm (CST USA) my weekly hour of devotion for the intentions of Yvonne Cheryl Ann. So my invitation stands for anyone who wishes to join in solidarity, anytime on Friday. I am such a sinner that I do not do this every day, because of my selfishness. I stand in awe of those who visit The Lord daily, in Adoration. You know who you are.
I join with Father George in crying, Sister Lucia!!!
Perfect: I will join you, Sanfelipe, as this will be 3.30pm the following day in my time zone (+16) and I try to always pause between 3pm and 4 to say the Divine Mercy chaplet. Aussie Mum, hang in there, rest awhile, til we find out what Jesus has in store for you.
Dear Carmel, thank you so very much. “As sanfelipe007 has said “your spiritual closeness is a great consolation” to me. It gets me through the worst days and brings little miracles along the way.
Thank you dear Felipe for calling Sister Lucia to help me, and for ALL you do for me. You are not selfish – just the opposite!
Since yesterday I have begun praying the Rosary silently while listening to It prayed on you tube. I prefer to voice those prayers otherwise my mind tends to wander off on the meditations; however, I am finding it hard to speak. Speaking seems to take more energy than I have at the moment. Not eating much isn’t helping but I can’t manage more due to nausea, retching, and because eating exhausts me and I can’t continue. I don’t want to go back to hospital unless absolutely necessary but I may not have any choice. James tested positive for Covid yesterday and we are both ill but he is still taking care of me. I don’t know how he is keeping going … yes I do, it’s all the prayers going up to Heaven for James and me. Thank you again my very dear friend.
I have been praying for you Aussie Mom and have asked my rosary club members to join me. The Knights of Columbus Auxiliary I belong to has put you on their prayer chain.
I haven’t bee commenting much lately because my computer has been acting up and I am pretty much illiterate when it comes to the internet. All the updates have left me behind. But I do want you to know that I read your updates and keep you in prayer.
I am sorry you experienced a health set back, but perhaps it is so that when the healing comes it will be even more miraculous!
I love sanfelipoo7’s suggestion to join him in adoration. I plan to join you both. It will be 10pm for me – a good time – dinner is over – dishes done – and a great peroration for bedtime.
God bless you and your children, especially James, he sounds like my son Frank. I don’t need health care, but he takes care of many of my daily duties, getting the garbage out, running to the grocery store for last minute needs and lots of day by day things - my husband and I don’t know what we would do without him. God has blessed you and me with good boys.
I hope this message come through.
Love and Miracles – Joisy Goil
Thank you, Joisy Goil! I pushed my Holy hour 30 minutes later because I noticed that there was no one to adore otherwise between 12 and 12:30.
Slight change in time for Adoration noted. 11:30 pm Friday will be 2:30 pm Saturday here.
That is fine with me sanfelipe007, I understand that there needs to be someone there with Jesus all through the adoration time.
(sadly it is for more reasons that showing devotion to Jesus – now someone needs to be there to discourage the disrespect and vandalism which is going on is so many places)
We don’t have adoration at my parish anymore. We used to have it for one hour on Sunday after the last mass, then it went to one hour a month on the First Sunday of the month – then gone!
So joining I’ll be joining you Friday night 10:30 EST and it will be a major blessing for me.
Your spiritual closeness is a great consolation to Yvonne and blessing for me, Joisy. Thanks be to God.
My previous Parish had the same problem with vandals! They had to install an acrylic wall between the Monstrance and the adorers, as well as a camera facing the adorers. Fortunately, Parishioners responded with increased attendance, and I never observed any marks on the wall.
A quick story for Yvonne and everyone else:
The Mass I attended Saturday just happened to have a number of children making their first Communion! All the girls wore white dresses and lace veils, while the boys wore navy blue suits. It reminded me of my first Communion.
There were nine alter boys and girls (known nowadays as “alter servers”) ranging in age from 8 to teens. The servers preceded Father and Deacon and an acolyte. The entire procession was lead by the eldest server who carried a Crucifix mounted on a tall pole.
The servers broke away to the right when they came to the elevated area* which surrounds the Altar and has the chairs for the Celebrant and others on the left side of the Altar. The server’s chairs were opposite.
I noticed that the servers were arranged in descending age so that the youngest brought up the rear. Each server stood in front of a chair except for the youngest who seemed not to notice where they were going and had to be intercepted by an alert woman who put her hands on the child’s shoulders and redirected him back to the others and onto the elevated area*. I looked at my pew neighbors who also smiled at the scene.
*Does anyone know what that area is called? It is not a “stage” – that much I know, which ain’t much.
“Sanctuary” might be the word you are looking for Felipe If that raised area includes the altar and tabernacle. I want to write more (I enjoyed your story of the dear little fellow and helpful motherly figure) but I have to phone my doctor’s medical clinic now. I will only be able to speak to the receptionist but she will pass on my message to doctor and hopefully I will get a different script this afternoon for the medication that definitely isn’t working.
Looking forward to Father’s Mass and our Holy Hour coming up this week. Thank you Felipe for arranging the latter. We will be 4 this time: You, Carmel, Joisy Goil and me.
Joisy Goil, thank you for your prayers and organising others to pray for me too. I am deeply touched by so much kindness; so very grateful for all you do for me; and happy that you will be joining in Sanfelipe007’s Holy Hour each week, the three of us together before the Blessed Sacrament either in person or spiritually. How good you all are to me. I don’t think I would still be alive if Father had not been offering the Mass for me, so many praying for me, and 007 taking me along spiritually with him to church and offering his Holy Communions for me.
I am pretty much illiterate too when it comes to the internet, Joisy Goil. James is my “tech support” otherwise I would be off the internet in no time. I hope that whatever is causing your computer to act up is diagnosed and fixed soon, and have asked my GA to speak with yours and sort it out.
I’m glad you and your husband have Frank. I don’t know what I would do without James either.
God bless you and your family, Joisy Goil. You are in my prayers.
Holy Mass offered for you Thursday AM EST USA….
My sincere thanks, as inadequate as that simple word is for such a great gift: Holy Mass offered for me. Thank you Father so very very much.
It has just gone 9:30 am here and James is presently taking his 3 or 4 hours (rarely 5) of sleep a day. He has been staying up all night with me of late because that is when I am worse and need his help most but he is ill too and I worry for him. We thought he had a cold and I caught it from him but at least in his case what seemed like a cold at first has turned out to be Covid. Father, would you please include James when you offer Holy Mass for me Thursday?
I am getting as much fluid into me this morning – small sips of water, little but often – while I can. If recent days are a guide, I will be vomiting later, my stomach rejecting anything in it including my evening meal (soup) and medication. I am not hungry but when I think I might be able to eat some small amount of something my stomach rebels and I bring it back, so it is just fluids for now. It has been like this but getting worse for about 5 days. The anti-nausea medication prescribed by my doctor is not working. I am feeling quite weak and exertion starts me trembling.
I continue to offer my Morning Offering (“prayers, works, joys and sufferings” for you, Father, and everyone praying for me. It is not the great prayer that Holy Mass is but it is all I can do. And I thank you Father and everyone who reads here for all you have done for me and hope that you will keep praying and Father offering Holy Mass for me a little while longer, until I am either cured or die.
Right there with you both, keeping vigil.
Thank you Father. Knowing that helps.
prayers continuing, Aussie Mum, right now (8am 8/5) before the Blessed Sacrament. I’m sure Jesus won’t mind that I’m talking to you having been talking to Him about you – and James (your Cyrenean). 🙏🏻❤️
Thank you dear Carmel, your response comforted and warmed my heart. I am so blessed to have such dear friends.
It’s on my heart to say this:
Please have whatever priest come by and provide Last Rites again!
Sister Lucia!!!
Sister Lucia!!!
Thank you Felipe and Sister Lucia for coming to my assistance along with Father Byers and others. With all the spiritual help you have given me I have made it for now but a new stage of Covid seems to be beginning. I have had what I thought was a cold the last two weeks (began around the time of the heart attack) and it seemed to have almost run its course. However, yesterday, as my stomach began easing with the new anti-nausea tablets, congestion began building in my lungs and producing more phlegm than before. My lungs are weak and I am hoping the congestion doesn’t get any worse.
Thank you for staying near spiritually in prayer. Knowing we are not alone helps a lot, as do the graces your prayers direct to us. James is coping fairly well with Covid’s heavy congestion which began before mine. He is also suffering shortness of breath and is tiring faster but is managing at present.
Thank you for today’s Holy Hour. You are a good Catholic man, Felipe, a credit to your father and forebears in Portugal (and Spain?).
I was extremely ill mid-week and felt close to death, my strength gone and sure I could not go on vomiting and retching much longer. The day was spent with phone calls to my doctor pleading for a different anti-nausea medication as the one he had prescribed was not working. He considered he had given me the best he could and it took until late afternoon to get him to experiment with another. If James could have spoken to him directly on the phone he may have understood sooner but we could only pass messages to him through his reception staff who relayed his responses back to us. The pharmacy staff understood though. We were in touch with them by phone asking that they still deliver the new medication even if deliveries had closed before doctor sent his script to them. A very kind woman I didn’t know (Angela) who was doing deliveries said she would hold back her delivery run so that she could deliver the new meds to us that night should my GP get the script to the pharmacy before that business closed. And she did! She left the new meds on the top step because of Covid and when she was off the steps James opened the front door. I thanked her from my recliner near the front door. She said I looked terrible and told James to call emergency should I not begin improving in the next few hours. I had already asked him in that event to call Father M first because I did not know if the hospital would allow him in a Covid ward to give the Last Rites. However, the new meds brought relief and I have begun a slow recovery. Although not able to eat much yet, I have managed to get and keep down a cup of soup this morning, and half a meatball with a few chips (the kind like Pringles in the US) this evening. I know I will need to do better than that in the coming days to get my strength back but I couldn’t manage more today. Thank you Father for keeping vigil with me during the worst of it.
Thanks be to God for every small miracle. Our Adoration hour is coming up very soon, for your every need.
Lord have mercy
Christ have mercy
Lord have mercy.
Thanks be to God🙏🏻 God bless you abundantly, Aussie Mum, thank you for keeping us informed😊 I am off to Mass now and will give thanks for your respite and ask that long may it last.🙏🏻
I’ve had difficulty getting comments or replies to the blog for a while now. Seeing as I’m not the greatest writerI just don’t bother. But I had to add a comment on this pinned post which I have saved. Your suffering, Aussie Mum, will be of great use spiritually, of that I have no doubt. The prayer circle surrounding you through Fr. Byers’ blog is so uplifting. We continue. Sr. Lucia! Pray for Aussie Mum and Fr. George Byers!
Thank you Angela. Father Byers and everyone, in the USA and Australia, gathered around Father’s blog praying for me are doing the heavy lifting, carrying me either to healing or Heaven and I am more grateful than I can express. I pray that you will all be blessed abundantly for your kindness to me, a sister in Christ.
Thank you Carmel. I look forward to meeting you one day. If I am miraculously cured I will travel to Sydney, if not, we will meet in Heaven.
Happy Mother’s Day!
Here is Laudate Dominum* by Mozart for you to listen, my dear Yvonne. I don’t know if you read music, but the Latin words and meaning should be easily understood on the manuscript.https://youtu.be/WL2H162wRCo
*Vesperae Solennes de Confessore (solemn vespers for a confessor) K.339: Laudate Dominum
Dear Felipe, I read music just a little. It is Mothers Day here and I have been listening to the music you have sent with my eyes closed, soaking it in. It is beautiful! Thank you for lifting my spirits, taking me away from feeling sick to the joy of praising the Lord. No matter what, all will be well because He who is Almighty loves us and “the truth of the Lord remains for all eternity”.
Happy Mothers Day to our Immaculate Mother and to all the mothers gathered here on Father’s blog.
Happy Mother’s day to you! I’m in Gibraltar (aka the Rock of…) we do the U.K. one on Laetare Sunday. Lovely to have have Mother’s day in May, mind you that’s Autumn for you, I’m thinking spring, but certainly in the month of Mary. Let’s see if this goes through as easily as yesterday…Happy Sunday to you all.
Happy Mother’s day Yvonne and all Mothers everywhere! Thank you for giving us a birthday.
Happy Mother’s day Yvonne. Our celebrant told us to say out loud the names of people we wished to pray for after the readings. I said your name and I hope you are feeling better and have a happy Mothers’ Day.
Our Knights of Columbus give little Marigold plants to all the moms at Mass. I got one and will plant it in your honor.