Catholics
Comments
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Paula - glad your day was uneventful - rads & your son! Healing going OK. Patience is not one of my virtues so it seems really slow. Just little things - I will reach for something and can't or I get 'phantom breast' sensations. I am not big chested by any means, but I found myself walking with feet slightly wider apart and remembered reading even a slight change in weight on one side causes you to readjust balance! Somewhat like being on a boat
But has only been two weeks - I figure this will all go away eventually. Good news is I can put on a real bra again. Yay! Stuffed one side with kleenex, put on a T shirt, & went to grocery store. Could have fooled me:):)! Haven't had time to get any of the forms yet. Gotta keep a sense of humor!Finished my prayers for today Michelle - I find it very moving. Thank you so much. Do you happen to have a link to a picture of the statue?
Nonijones - 24 years? you are my hero and a testament to faith.
Theresa, Apple, Sheila, Traci, Pat, Barb, Ellie, Laura, Betty, Jan et al - love to all.
Dear God, hear our special prayers for the Chilean miners that each comes out of the mine safely tonight and into the arms of their families. Amen.
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Oh Pat - my deepest sympathies. We must have been posting at the same time. May God hold you and your entire family close and give you comfort. Wish I could give you a real hug. You will be in my prayers and especially on Friday. God bless.
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Hi Ladies
So good to hear from you today? How is everyone doing with the novena? Paula loved your story and I certainly don' t care that you have been to a psychic and I am sure God does not either. Sometimes the Catholic church can be a bit judgmental, but remember God is not. I think a little fortune telling is a little fun and I enjoyed your story. PatMom I am so sorry about your Brother I am adding he and your family to our intentions>
Tomorrow is Day # and will Post the prayer tonight after this so you can have it for first thing in the am.
above is a link that explains the visitations and the image
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Invocation Day 3:
Mary, Mother of Compassion, hear the prayer of those most in need of God's mercy. Hear the little child whose belly hungers, the old man with no one to love, the mother tempted to abandon her child. Pray for them to the author of life, that the fruit of your womb may save and protect them.
Refrain: O Lady of Guadalupe, pray for the Church in America and walk with us in the new millennium of faith.
Our Father, 3 Hail Mary's and a Glory be
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Ladies Here is an updated list of the intentions to be prayed for, have had an overwhelming response. So happy this is happening. Please print this updated list for the prayers each day. The Intentions are below and we can add to them today if I have forgotten any or you just have new to add:The Ladies of this Catholic Thread and their specific intentionsPat, her Grandson's well being and CouragePrayersareanswered, success of surgery, health upon surgery, and positive prognosis of PathologyTheresa, Peace of mind and Health, for her 4 children to return to the FaithLMFSM, Health and Safety of her familyPaula, Return to health, relief from fatigue. For her Mother Terry's return to health, and for her Husband and children as well.Rose, Return to Health, recover from Coma.Marylee and MJ, Peace and financial help, health of familyMichelle, return to health, intentions for Husband Rick, and family. Support for personal spiritual project. AMG!Laura, for her son Taylor and her friend on BCO here that needs support.Kindone (Betty) for her Husband's return to health, successful outcome of her upcoming surgery, and friend Debbie that is dealing with brain cancer. Patty and Steven, healing from Cancer For Sheila's dear Husband Greg, that he has found heaven and is at Peace.Traci, a return to health and her pain addressed, for her disabled Father, and for her Sister to find the true spirit. Torigirl, for complete response to surgery and therapy and complete eradication of bc.,for her brothers and sisters and all here on bc.org needing healing and support, end of bc for good. PatMom, for her brother's eternal peace and the healing of her family BCMOMOF3, for miracles in treatment and for her family For all of the ladies here: Laura, Jeannine, Apple, Carol, Barb, Judy, Sheila, Jan, Janet, Traci, Nita, Betty, Nancy, Pat, PatMom,Camul,NoniJones, YATCOMW,Pure.Paula..........and prayers for an end to breast cancer!!!!!!!!!!!!
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Paula,
You have shared your gifts... which can be overwhelming for a small child, but can also lend itself to a very rich spiritual life. Who knows how many Angels walk amongst us on any given day? Or when our loved ones pop in to see us, as Apple's mom did the other day. ("Mary, are you in there?") I am just smiling thinking about how Apple (Mary) must have been so comforted. The important part of this kind of sensitivity is to keep your spiritual life strong as you do.
Michelle and NoniJones,
I saw Michelle's post about NoniJones, and realized tonight we had posted at the same time. I too saw that run of posts, and saw you were holding fine in the fray. You are strong.
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God pulls us in many ways... ans He is not allowing me hear right now... EEKK
I do want to say.. I PRAY PRAY PRAY all day and at 3pm.. Please someone PM me the day before the togther 9th day of our Novena ( thank MMM) I DO NOT want this to pass by me...
Paula.... AQUAPHOR...... it WORKS... three times a day... right after rads..... then in the middles of the day... then after bath or at night. TRUST ME SISTER
Pat.... SO SORRY.... I hate death... I hug you from me home here.. tightly.
Ladies.... My dear friend Diana is Burying her grandmother Thursday. She was a Catholic.. think of her in your rosary's... TY
My heart is here and I am SO happy you all have found SUPPORT HERE... Love to you all....
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Patmom~
My deepest condolences. I have a prayer for you...
For Those Who Survive
Lord our God, the death of [Pat's brother] recalls our human condition and the brevity of our lives on earth. But for those who believe in your love, death is not the end, nor does it destroy the bonds that you forge in our lives. We share the faith of your Son's disciples and the hope of the children of God. Bring the light of Christ's resurrection to this time of testing and pain as we pray for [Pat's brother] and for those who love him, through Christ our Lord. ~ Amen.
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Thank you Paula.
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Dear Patmom -So sorry for your loss. I know we will all add you to our prayers. Pm mmm5 with your special intention as there is a novena going on right now to Mary of Quadalupe(sic?).She has the statue in her home if I'm correct. I sincerely hope his passing was peaceful. I also had a recent loss of my Dh of 38 yrs. Each day is getting better and coming here is brought greater peace and feelings of love. There are so many here that are deeply spiritual. It is so soothing to read their stories. Your loss is so acute now, and the next few days will be a blur. I hope that his funeral will bring you closer to God, and bring closure to what your brother had to go through. His worldly trial is now done.
To all who mentioned their dreams, I firmly believe inall of what you are saying. The one message "look again" caused me to find a large insurance policy on myself that had I not gone back through papers, stephen would not know it existed. It is now in it's proper place, but the random way I found it could not be repeated. It was very disconnected from all the other regular insurance papers. I picked up one paper that caused a question that lead to another ring binder that I went through twice which lead to another peice of paper that caused me to go back through the ring binder a third time. Finding the document which lead to a call to the insurance company and my previous company. Very surreal. But I knew I had to be missing something. There may be something else ,but I felt a sense of peace /relaxation/ calm , so, I think that is what I was to find.
The distress call was as real as if he was next to me. That is why I searched the house, to make sure there was no danger about. The healing funeral Mass that Fr Tony did, may have taken Gregs fear away. The message about "Look again" was very calm , but firm. very different in tone. But that is again why my intention that if he has stopped by purgatory, the collective novena is timely. Greg was typically a 50's 60's raised child in the parochial school system, we were made to feel guilty for everything. If you had the THOUGHT you were guilty. It's part of why we left the church proper, was an attempt to get away from guilt about everything.The church is different now Or some of the teachers are. WEll could go on for hours, but won't
Squid , paula, Janvirg, Theresa all of us here have our wanderings outside of what were once considered --Wrong. Well here we accept each others wanderings, otherwise we'd leave or we wouldn't post. There are alot of people lurking if you look at the numbers on the main board. Well I like our acceptance of each other and if we want to express our wanderings into what would be considered not mainstream Catholism. Well I don't think we have to apoligize for it. I tried to look back to see who mentioned about the different religions and added the Celts. One of the books I read on Celtic Christianity described that the Irish Celts were so accepting of Christianity because it blended into their belief of the "Thiness between this world and the next". So, the belief in life after death and Christ and Saints and intervention from beyond was easy for them to accept. I, also, believe in the thiness.
The talk of Lourdes, brings up only one problem, how to get there. For those of us that have had lymph node dissection, flying puts us at risk for lymphedema. It's controversial, but I feel there is enough evidence based research that I don't want to risk it. But I would love to go to a retreat someplace in the USA or Canada, that would allow us to meet collectively. Cellibrate our spiritual beliefs, enjoin each other in friendship, and let our hair down if we have it. So, considering some may want to fly, some drive, some train. Is there a place in the middle of the USA that has a Shrine? There is ST ANNE's in Quebec, but that would be very far for the western folks. I suggest we all do a google search to see what we could find. The Canadian railway has a line that crosses all of Canada. Do we have such a thing? Could we do a train trip that went from east to west and back and pick up people along the way with layovers in certain towns, like they do on cruise ships. Anyways Lots of questions? A traveling retreat? Or a central place that could be accessed by whatever means was acceptable to each individual? I have a particular fear of aquiring lymphaedema because my twin has a severe case that not only involves her arm ,but the whole uppertorso. I don't want to go there. She has to work with it everyday with the sleeves and pumps, infection prevention and on and on.
Nameste! Sheila ---WE are blessed
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Paula-- beautiful prayer Thank you Sheila
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Sheila ~ Thanks for bringing up the travel retreat. I looked up the National Shrines in the US and found St. Peregrine Center at the Grotto in Portland Oregon.
Link:
http://www.thegrotto.org/index.php/liturgies/st-peregrine-devotions-the-cancer-saint/
I know it could be far for some of you ladies, but the place looks beautiful!
Namaste
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WELL Thats very interesting isn't it. Considering who we stop by each day to pray too. Namaste Sheila
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Good morning Sheila,
I'm up too...long story, but I am going to share a story about the thinness, be back soon...
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Okey dokey i'm still up and plan to be for awhile---Did you see paulas post about the St pergrines shrine in portland? Namaste sheila TTYL our special abbreviation
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Here is a true story that refers to the thinness between our worlds, which we have talked about today through different personal experiences and beliefs.
I am not going to copy this directly, but summarize and share the authors quotes. It was originally printed in Guidepost magazine, then reprinted in Where Angels Walk by Joan Wester Anderson.
Dr. S. Ralph Harlow shares his account of the spiritual encounter he had while out on a walk with his wife Marion. Dr. Harlow, who has a Ph.D from Hartford Theological Seminary gave his educational background, which includes an MA from Columbia, as well as having testified as an expert witness and served on juries. By his own account he "shuns guesswork and admires scientific investigation." He gave this information as a way of showing his "good sense and honesty" yet he doubts that "any amount of credentials can influence the belief or disbelief of another."
That being said, he decides to "simply tell my story." and so we begin...
Dr. Harlow and his wife Marion were out walking and holding hands in the country one spring day in New England. Their love of nature is clear, and on this day "we were especially happy and peaceful, we chatted sporadically, with great gaps of satisfying silence between our sentences."
He tells of them hearing a murmur of muted voices in the distance, that were coming nearer and seemed to be ready to overtake them. They then felt that the sounds were not only behind them, but above them causing them to look up.
He describes a feeling of "complete exaltation, as about ten feet up and slightly to the left was a floating group of glorious beautiful creatures that glowed with spiritual beauty." He saw "six beautiful women engaged in earnest conversation, seemingly unaware of his and his wife's presence." He talks about how their faces were perfectly clear, with one woman with dark hair pulled back being especially beautiful, and by appearances, slightly older than the rest. The woman were "dressed in flowing white garments, and the elder of the group was talking intently to a younger spirit who had her back towards us, and was looking up into the face of the woman talking."
He says, "neither Marion or I could understand their words, although their voices were clearly heard. The sound was somewhat like hearing, but being unable to understand a group of people talking outside a house with all the windows shut. They seemed to float past us, and their graceful motion seemed natural--as gentle and peaceful as the morning itself." Their conversation grew fainter as they passed, until fading out entirely.
Dr. Harlow and Marion stood watching with their hands still clasped, and then sat down. He asked Marion to tell him exactly in her own words what she had just seen. Her reply was identical to his experience.
Dr. Harlow goes on to say "I have reported this story with the same set of faithfulness and respect for truth and accuracy as I would tell it on a witness stand. But even as I record it I know how incredible it sounds."
He shares that this experience "had a deep effect on their spiritual lives. Since Marion and I became aware of the host of heaven all around us, our lives have been filled with wonderful hope."
Dr. Harlow then ends with the quote from Phillip Brooks, "the great Episcopal Bishop," because he felt Bishop Brooks was better able to capture their case of new hope and faith after their spiritual encounter.
"This is what you are to hold fast to yourself--the sympathy and companionship of unseen worlds. No doubt it is best for us now that they should be unseen. It cultivates the higher perception that we call faith. But who can say that the time will not come when, even those who live here upon earth, the unseen worlds will no longer be unseen?" -- Bishop Phillip Brooks.
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Sheila and all,
I hope my story made sense, it's 5 AM, and I haven't done a book report in awhile. But it is a true story
TTYL!
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May God bring you and your family comfort and peace PatMom.. how awful.
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What state does everyone live in? I know we have Kansas, Nevada, Florida, 2 in Virginia, DC.
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I live in AZ but actually hail from Portland Oregon and it is very beautiful there!!!!
I would love meeting this group!!
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I just want to reiterate the Novena one more time so everyone can still jump on board.
Currently the "real" missionary image of Our Lady of Guadalupe is being toured through the states from Mexico. This month our Bishop in AZ is allowing it to stop at several spots and our church is one of them. Our priest has allowed me to sign up for one hour (OCT 18th 7am PST) to sit with the image and protect it and pray. In preparation for the visitation it is suggested that we pray the novena for 9 days. I have been listing the prayers here on the site and you need only to print out the intention list and say the invocation each day the refrain, One Our Father, 3 Hail Mary's and a Glory be. Today is day 3 and I have listed the prayer earlier on this page. Please repeat the prayers and then offer them for the specific intentions listed above and call them out by name.
If you have any questions PM me anytime, or ask right here.
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Pat: I'm so sorry. I know what it is to lose a brother. You have my prayers for you and your family's healing and your brother's soul.
Paula: thank you for sharing your story. My family (actually my sisters and my Mom and my female cousins) have all been to "fortune tellers". In fact, I went with my DD in 2009. She was Catholic. DD and I sat together while she read our cards. DD took notes for me and I took notes for her. The woman said something about my health, that I was sick but would recover... she asked if I was sick. I said no, but DD had been sick. The cancer diagnosis came a few months later. So feeling guilty, I went to confessions. My priest told me that going to a fortune teller, etc wasn't a sin in itself. The sin is taking what they predict as "gospel" over God's will and God's hand in our lives... people who lead their lives by the horoscopes instead of saying to God, thy will be done. I totally surrender my life to God and God's will. When I do go to those places, it's more for fun -- what can they "see" as a possibility. I felt better going to a woman who was Catholic. It still feels strange, though. But like I said, my great grandmother read tea leaves and I don't consider her an evil person for doing so. God gave all of us different talents. If he gave someone the gift of that extra sense and they use it for good, then who am I to judge?
Paula: I have a stress test on Friday - can you share the prayer you have with me?
Janet: yes to the miners! God be praised! I'm happy to read that you're getting out and about. You have good healing going on!
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Sheila - there is a little Lourdes in Maryland at the Shrine of St. Elizabeth Ann Seton and they have healing waters. I've been there several times. Emmittsburg, MD.
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Traci: Beautiful Story!!! I love the angels.
Sheila: I agree about our diverse group being accepting of each other. The Catholic church is really diverse if you think about it. Everyone here has had a different experience. When I grew up, I had nothing but positive reinforcement from priests and nuns, but I understand others have not. We are all sinners, including the priests and nuns, and all need forgiveness.
Speaking of dreams, I had a strange one a few years back and I think it was about this very subject. I used to think of heaven as being a place where everyone was holy and of one mind and it may well be. But in my dream, I was being lead up these dark, stony stairs, like in an old castle. It seemed I'd never make it to where this "person" was leading me. Words weren't spoken between us, just thoughts. Then we made it to the top and in this dark stony room was a big picture window. I looked out and there were lots of people and there was peace, but it wasn't like all the people were the same in spirit. They were all different with their different quirks but were all so peaceful and happy. But the glass separated us and I wanted to be there but couldn't go there. Was I looking at heaven? Was I experiencing a type of purgatory, where I could see heaven but couldn't get there just yet? Was I looking at earth at what could be if everyone had peace in their hearts? I don't know, but I know it had a profound affect on me and I have been more tolerant of others since then. As Namaste suggests, there is God in all of us - it's just hard to see sometimes.
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good Morning Sisters!
I too would love to meet, can you imagine? Theresa, what a dream...it sounds so deeply spiritual and loving. To be around women with such accepting spirits is beyond uplifting. thank you all for restoring my faith.
Michelle,
Wow, today's prayer is very beautiful. I will say it again this evening, with added Our Father, Hail Mary and there is one more, but the page is one back. Thanks for the web link as well. You summed up my intentions beautifully, and truly heard my needs. Bless you.
PatMom,
May you be held by the Lord today and always. I am sorry for your grief, may you find some Peace within it.
Prayers for Dann, and for Janet's Stress test on Friday. For the miners, that they continue to be brought to safety and free from harm. May the adjust physically and psychologically from their ordeal.
Have a Blessed Day all!
Oh, and Laura....love your new pic! My fav yet........
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Good morning sisters,
Wow, love the stories shared. I just want to post this prayer for Theresa and for all of you here.
Prayer Before Chemotherapy, Radiation, or Other Painful Procedure
O my Savior, who underwent such suffering for me on the Cross with consciousness and firmness, help me as I face this terrible trial and the physical pain associated with it. Enable me to bear this procedure with some measure of your calmness. May the radiation that enters my body be as your light so that it is you, O Lord, who heals me. May the chemicals that flow into my bloodstream be as your saving grace so that it is you, O Lord, who cures my illness. May the instruments associated with this medical procedure be as your saving hands so that it is you, O Lord, who grants me lasting health. If I suffer, let me suffer along with you, so that these sufferings may be a sign of repentance for my sins, Amen.
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Such a joy to read the posts! My sisters! I would love to find a place for us to meet.
xo
PS Good mamo! Whew!!
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Here's a link to the Grotto of Lourdes in Emmitsburg MD.
http://www.grottooflourdesemmitsburg.com/about/virtual-tour.html
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Traci ~ thank you for sharing Dr. Harlow's account (true story), he and his wife were blessed to have had such a spiritual encounter so that he may spread his story to the believers and non-believers alike.
My anesthesiologist came to my bedside the day after my near death experience and he told me that he had been gathering notes about what happened to his patients during their near death encounter. He told me that he intends to publish a book after he retires. He proceeded to ask me exactly what I saw, and I didn't hesitate to tell him everything. His name was Dr. Paulker in California.
Theresa ~ thank you for sharing your story. Were you in any distress (while asleep?) or were you not happy with life (or your surrounding) in general at that time? I wonder why you were looking out the window at the world. You said, ultimately it had a positive effect on you, which was truly positive
I'd love to do a vacation retreat with this lovely group of sisters. Let's pray that our wish will come true.
God Bless us All, Amen!
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think Kansas City.. right in the middle.
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