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Posted by Butch on June 14, 2003 at 08:01:46:
In Reply to: Knock posted by Bob on June 13, 2003 at 11:34:28:
Or Lourdes, Or Fatima, Or Medijorca, for that matter Bob. Everyone seeks physical evidence of 'The Allmighty' and rush to remote villages in Mexico And Cork to see the rolling tears from the statues of Mary,and a representative from the Vatican is despatched to validate or no the alleged phenomenon. The "Shroud of Turin" was carbon dated way past the time of "The Crucifiction" much to the disapointment of myself and the other 'Faithful' Yes Me Too!, O' Lord We Cry! show me a sign. St. Padre Pio suffered extreme pain ,as the "Stigmata" manifested; during his celebration of "Holy Mass" Outside the chapel he was a 'regular Joe', loved to chat with his friends ,liked a glass of wine , and made people Laugh!. He proclaims the reward of attending Mass every single day, and Says "Why don't we all become Saints and we will all be- together in Heaven" Don't you love it? As the bartender Josh approaches me for the 'Nth.' Time "Butch you have run us completely out of "Sam Adams"(again) "Don't worry about it ' I say "Just go back and check the cooler again" as he re-emerges with the Ice sweat down dripping brown bottle of delicious Ale. At the 'Cana' reception J. C. saves the day by refilling the barrel of wine again , "Don't'worry Ababout it', he assures the nervous Father of The Bride who has run out of money, 'It's on The House'- The House of God' So Bob I pose a question back at you as Irish people are wont to do, "Do You BELIEVE in Miracles?" Or are you Cynical, Sceptical, Suspicious, Doubtfull? Bob I
BELIEVE you are a wondering or curious Bob, Not 'Thomas'. During the "Penal Days" when the Irish People were stripped of their civil rights. They resorted to practising their Faith in secret places and held school under cover of a hedge or a tree. Hence The Mantra "Keep The Faith". Christians of Ancient times practiced their 'Faith' in the labryinth that are the 'Catacombs' of Rome and were fed like fodder to the lions in the colliseum, tortured, beheaded, set on fire for their belief and for the entertainment of the masses , similar to a Gallows celebration in the 'Old West'. Nothing has changed. As centuries later the desplicable Taliban regime in Afghanistan would often interupt local soccer games ,to stage an execution,and then play would resume as normal. One night Three days before April 20th 1999. I attended a concert at Columbine High School with my daughters Helen and Nancy. It was an annual regional concert with bands from all over playing out their hearts .The last to play that night were the Columbine band and the last song they performed was 'An African Love Song'. At one point during the concert I had to go to the bathroom and got lost in the labrynth of hallways, there was an erie silence in the cavernous School. Hundreds of Polished stainless steel lockers did nothing to allay the sterile athmosphere I felt. Students numbering closer to two thousand attended on a daily basis. From heaven to hell in three days as the killers stalked the hallways, catching Cassie Bernal all alone, they asked her if she believed in Jesus and then shot her in cold blood. A night of bloodletting in the city of Lagos last year groups groups of men (for want of a bettorword) stalked the streets stopping citizens and demanding their affliations if you answered Christian you were beaten and hacked to death. In the 70's in Ulster an I.R.A. man might sidle up to your bar stool and ask you in that Northern Accent "Do You BELIEVE?" "Do You BELIEVE in the Cause!", " Oh Aye sureley" you were quick to reply as you downed your beer in one gulp, and the wife would kill me If I did't get home right quick!!!!. I noticed when the Hutsi's .massacred the Tutsi's visits to the bar precluded horrors, the radio monotoned the orders to kill your enemy so they came to BELIEVE. Now they are in jail in such numbers tha make it impossible to sit down. My friend and Mother of my two beautifull daughters ran away with me to California, She had a job on the 23rd. floor of the "South Tower" New York City!. I have listened to countless depositions by people, whom in their hour of near despair and extreme spiritual pain got down on their knees and asked "Their God" to remove their obsessions and give them rest from suffering. The moment is engrained in their souls for ever as they describe how a great weight was lifted from their shoulders,and waves of peace and serenity flowed thro' them. The transformation of down-trodden human beings( suicidal candidates), hopeless cases (by the pundits) to normal healthy souls with radiant self -esteem is physical evidence of a maxim: " Miracles do happen" and you don't even have to believe Bob. I have a very dear friend whom I met many moons ago in Ohio, while she was shopping for an answering machine at the Radio Shack outlet I was working in.
My ears had picked up as I heard her accent , I noticed the casual dress of the contemporary nun, so I butted right over(as is my way) and asked her; 'What part of Mayo are you From?" "Tournagee" she replied and where are you from ?' "Castlebar" I said. We became buddies from that moment on. The fact that we were both Catholics was a coincidence as I might have converted to Jewish , like Sammy Davis!. Our bond was our Country, Our Love of our country, We were two souls a long way from home and more to the point A Mayo home. The County where loyalty and kept promises are a byword. She never asked me if I went to Mass or pushed her BELIEFS upon me. We went up and down Main ST Cbar, and up and down Bridge St. Westport looking for people we knew . Her name is Sister Monica Marie a golden jubilee(50yrs.) member of the order; "Sisters of the Incarnate Word" ( patron Saint, ST. Therese. 'The Little Flower'). And now Bob the answer to your question has finally arrived. Sister Monica Marie is a charismatic catholic i.e. She has the power to heal by prayer and 'The Laying on, of Hands'. She repudiates any limelight firmly. She told me once that any gifts she has come from god above. How true. Every wedensday @ 7.30pm in her private 100 year old chapel, she has a healing service , preceeded by the chaplet of divine mercy. A prayer designed by Sister Faustina a nun who lived in the fifthenth century, followed by the rosary ,Mass ,and the healing service. She built a beautifull shrine for the people. It faces the main road . Small pathways will lead you around thro' flowers and soft green grass. Many trees form a peacefull canopy and shield you from the noise of the outside world , benches to sit and reflect ,and stools amidst the gardens to pray on. She is bestowed by gifts from the world over, for her chapel and her shrine . Marble from Italy . Relics of Martyrs, candles of beeswax. Precious icons for her own private praying room to which you may be invited , to listen. Don't get nervous, she will advise you as there will be words you won't understand. I was and I did'nt. I was enriched, Iwas relaxed, and calmed. I am honoured Sister M.M. (her handle!) We had had our tea, "And did you know Bridget Brady The tailor's daughter who was married to Jimmy Flynn's son's brother and had a small shop on Main ST and so on. I never left without her bestowing on me a care bag ,fullo everything she could stuff into as people who were unable to put money in the poor box or buy a candle for to light.Brought goodies from their home. Like the boot of my Fathers car that I was asked to get out of ,turnipes cabbages spuds that the country Mothers would gift him with, maybe there was no money to buy 'The Far East" that month or shillings to buy copy books- Cookies,tea bags, cans of V-8, sweets, oranges, prayer leaflets and phamplets of every kind plastic rosary beads, for to give away myself her silent way of telling me to give it away. As St. Francis does not explain the paradox of life 'To Give is To Receive" you just have to make a "Leap Of Faith". And a white envelope would be slid across the table full of Do Re Me or otherwise known as 'The Green Bag' and thank you's were not kosher. Sister M. M. I sincerely hope I have not betrayed your confidentiality. Remember one day I asked you when you might be going back to Ireland again?, she replied; "I will never go back to Ireland again Seamas. Only to go to " Knock!." {Adendum} Sister Monica Marie has a 24 hour prayer line, she will change her message usually every other day. She will not return your call as you will be told!. You will then have 60 seconds to make your prayer request . The request will then be put in a basket at the healing service and read out. I shall place my e-ad on this particular posting for those who would like to have her phone number(u-pay!) please forward me and I will supply the number. Cordially Yours, Seamas O' Dalaigh.
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