Why repetitious prayer?

"Triumph in the Name of Jesus" by Giovanni Battista Gaulli

In my previous posting, My Most Important Blog Posting to Date , I have stressed the importance of small, repetitious prayer, as continuous as it possibly can be.

With children, we can teach them “Oh Mary, Conceived without Sin, pray for us who have recourse to thee.” Or the memorare and encourage them to recite it as often as they can throughout the day...

We can given the children practical helps, (which also become our reminders too!) maybe an image of the miraculous medal pinned around the home, in their bedrooms? I have put the image of McCain standing in front of the image of Our Lady of Guadalupe on my Miraculous Medal Prayer Petition Mobile which hangs in our living room. If you are in the car often, an image can be stuck on the dashboard of the car, or hung from the visor.

The family can also have structured time for praying these small prayers as well. In the car yesterday morning on the way to Mass we, as a family, recited nine “Oh Mary, conceived without sin...” and nine memorares, like a little ‘flying’ novena. This can be done at the main prayer times of the day.

When you are reciting it continually you can be tempted to think that you are being TOO repetitious...I know that thought has struck me already...when I think about the point, I wonder if I am being tempted this way to put the prayers aside or to diminish them greatly...But I remember that 1 Thessalonians 5:17 exhorts me to 'pray without ceasing'.

And THEN I also remind myself of a wonderful story my mother told me many, many years ago, an example of 1 Thessalonians 5:17, in a very vocal manner. It is the story of a retired protestant missionary who had in his working years, ministered to Papua New Guineans, and whom my mother once cared for in a nursing home.

This elderly man had suffered a stroke which required him to be cared for in a nursing home but his wife was still well enough to live in their family home. She came faithfully every day to be with her husband to spend time with him. They were a loving and devoted couple. This man, lets call him Jim – Jim was often seen with his well worn bible in his hands and was a joy to all those who cared for him.

One day Jim’s wife suffered an acute health crisis, one that she was not expected to survive, she was in intensive care in a hospital and Jim had no way of being by her side. But something beautiful happened. Jim began to recite the holy name of “Jesus” it was continuous, without break, said slowly and revently. Day or night (if awake) a nurse could walk into his room and he would be reciting the name of Jesus. This went on for many days.

My mother would check in each day for her shift and would have to read the notes on each patient, it would be noted that Jim was still chanting the name of Jesus. I asked my mum, “Did they mean that in a disresptful way?” “No”, my mother replied, all the nurses, no matter what their beliefs had a deep respect for Jim and maybe they too, like myself today can use this story for greater good in their own lives or others.

Finally the news arrived that Jim’s wife had made a full recovery from intensive care, it had not been expected, but she did. In time his wife returned to her faithful, daily visits and she outlived Jim, as he passed away three years later.

When I question the constancy of simple, repetitive prayer that goes on day and night, I remember Jim, and ask God to give me his devotion, perseverance and strength of character.

My most important blog posting to date

This is probably my most important blog posting to date, it is long but I ask that you read it all. To the end of this, there is a not well known, but startling revelation about the elections in 2000 and how Bush's election, in my opinion was won through the intercession of Our Lady of Guadalupe and how Our Lady under her title of the Immaculate Conception is now showing her motherly hand to American's again during this election campaign.

An important message needs to travel the country of America and even my country of Australia, because we will never overturn abortion here in Australia until the United States does.

This is all important, because the up and coming US elections have never been more important than these two defining facts:

If Obama wins he will introduce the “Freedom of Choice Act” he stated to Planned Parenthood, “Senator Obama says clearly, "The first thing I'd do as president is sign the Freedom Of Choice Act." So what will FOCA (Freedom of Choice Act) do? This is what Cardinal Rigali said,

“Despite its deceptive title,” he wrote, “FOCA would deprive the American people in all 50 states of the freedom they now have to enact modest restraints and regulations on the abortion industry. FOCA would coerce all Americans into subsidizing and promoting abortion with their tax dollars. And FOCA would counteract any and all sincere efforts by government to reduce abortions in our country.”

Obama is the most pro-abortion candidate to ever run for national office on a major party ticket.

If McCain wins he will have with him a passionately pro-life vice president, both supporting the building of a culture of life. George W Bush has made a decisive changes already in the ability to overturn Roe vs Wade. When he came to power the Supreme court judges were 7 – 2 in favour of Roe vs Wade, to date now, thanks to Bush, it is 5 – 4 in favour.

One more pro-life nomination needed when the next judge retires...one – they are nearly there.

Some startling facts have just come to light, and I will print the full article (with my added highlights) from Life Site:

Interview with Film Star Eduardo Verastegui about His McCain Endorsement

By Anita Crane

October 22, 2008 (LifeSiteNews.com) - Eduardo Verastegui, producer and lead actor of the 2007 American film Bella, met with Senator John McCain on October 17 in Miami, where they discussed the human rights at stake in this presidential election. Now Verastegui is using his star power – and more – to help McCain and Governor Sarah Palin win the votes of Latinos.

Verastegui said, “I am endorsing Sen. McCain for president because of his commitments to end abortion, protect traditional marriage and fix immigration law."

On Gov. Palin’s leadership, he said, “I love her. She’s a great role model for women.”

Verastegui has spoken at several McCain-Palin rallies. In Miami, the capital of Latin America and the first U.S. city where Verastegui lived, he campaigned for John McCain with McCain’s Senate allies Joe Lieberman and Mel Martinez, as well as Florida’s former governor, Jeb Bush and Governor Charlie Crist.

Verastegui said, “There I was, just an actor from Hollywood, not even a politician.

“I said more than 45 million babies have been killed by abortion in America and more than 200,000 Latino babies are killed by abortion each year. I told everyone that we need to put an end to this and, when I finished, I went to John McCain and I said, ‘Senator, thank you for your commitment to life. I’d like to give you something.’ I gave him a Miraculous Medal blessed by Pope Benedict XVI and he was amazing. He said, ‘Thank you so much! Look what I have here in my pocket.’

Then Sen. McCain took a medal out of his pocket that he carries everywhere and it was a Blessed Mother Teresa medal. He said, ‘Eduardo, now I am going to keep both.’

Verastegui also gave McCain’s wife, Cindy, a Miraculous Medal. He said, “I was touched when I found out that the McCains adopted one of their daughters from Mother Teresa’s orphanage in India. There is nothing more beautiful than to give children homes with families who will love them. I hope that one day that I can do the same.”

Verastegui gives out Miraculous Medals because, as a practicing Catholic, he believes the Blessed Mother promised Saint Catherine Labouré that “all who wear it will receive great graces.”

As Americans prepare to vote, many think their country is in crisis and Verastegui agrees. Therefore, he said, “It would be a disaster if Senator Barack Obama is elected president.”

Verastegui believes that unless Americans elect a president who will defend fundamental human rights, no one can expect a sound economy, health care or national security, including immigration reform.

“Obama speaks about ‘change,’ but what change are we talking about?” he asked. “Fidel Castro spoke about change in Cuba. Hugo Chavez talks about change in Venezuela. A lot of other charismatic dictators promised change, but look what happened to their countries.”

Verastegui explained, “Obama’s change agenda is very, very dangerous. This is a historic moment. Whoever wins the presidential election will affect this country and the world for decades. Obama doesn’t represent the values of our Latino community. He has never done anything for us. He doesn’t know who we are.”

Referring to his filmmaking partners Alejandro Monteverde and Leo Severino, Verastegui said, “Alejandro, Leo and I can make hundreds movies like Bella and they will save many babies, but it’s never going to be as powerful as a president nominating judges who observe constitutional law.”

McCain is committed to nominating constructionist judges, and Verastegui emphasized that “we are just one Supreme Court justice away from overturning Roe v. Wade.”

However, Verastegui warned that Obama threatens to codify the Roe v. Wade decision by signing the proposed Freedom of Choice Act, which would strip Americans of their right to protect innocent human lives, even from the savagery of partial-birth abortion. In a partial birth abortion the abortionist pulls a baby from his mother’s womb, stabs his skull and vacuums out his brains.

Verastegui is also pleased that McCain supports the protection of traditional marriage through state amendments legally defining marriage as the union of one man and one woman.

Obama, on the other hand, told LGBT activists, “But my job, as president, is going to be to make sure that the legal rights that have consequences, on a day-to-day basis, for loving same-sex couples all across the country, that those rights are recognized and enforced by my White House and by my Justice Department.” Obama wants to repeal the federal Defense of Marriage Act and this implies that he intends to override the traditional marriage laws passed by numerous states.

On immigration, Verastegui tells voters that McCain took a big risk in Congress for Latinos while Obama abandoned them. Due to popular demand, McCain revised his reform policy. His presidential proposal includes security for U.S. citizens and innovations that would allow migrant workers to legally enter America according to market demands for their skills.

Knowing the concerns of Latinos, Verastegui said, “McCain told me that he will reform the law so that it upholds human dignity of all immigrants and protects their families.”

Verastegui concluded, “The right to life is the most important thing to me, so I want to do whatever I can to support the best candidates. That’s why I support McCain-Palin.”

Isn't this an incredible revelation? What an amazing fact!!! I'm floored by it and greatly encouraged!

I hope all those reading this will join with me to pray as often as they can during the day and in the night (when they wake to fussy babies etc) and will enourage their children to take this extremely important issue to their hearts and pray for the best outcome for this election.

I would suggest one of the two following prayers that are connected to the miraculous medal:

"Oh Mary, conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to thee!"

or

"Remember, O most gracious Virgin Mary, that never was it known that anyone who fled to thy protection, implored thy help, or sought thine intercession was left unaided. Inspired by this confidence, I fly unto thee, O Virgin of virgins, my mother; to thee do I come, before thee I stand, sinful and sorrowful. O Mother of the Word Incarnate, despise not my petitions, but in thy mercy hear and answer me. Amen."

I know many are offering rosaries which is wonderful, please continue to do it but these simple, beautiful prayers can be offered in between these other prayer committments, they can be said anywhere and everywhere.

I have put an image on my Miraculous Medal Prayer Petition Mobile to remind myself and the children all day long, pray for these elections!!!

Lastly, I would encourage all to get this special news out to as many people you know who will also join in prayer, these prayers are the blessed, small ones that can fill up the gaps in our day and night, while we are working, playing and even waking in our sleep.

Wouldn't it be wonderful if this news could get out to thousands or millions in these final days leading up to the elections?

I sincerely believe that Mother Teresa has had her hand in this.

She was an outsider who had alwasy been concerned for this great country of America, (remember that Breakfast Speech to the Clintons?) I am also from another country, but we both recognise that this is great nation can influence the world like no other, we are so reliant on you!!

Please read here, Mother Teresa’s connection to the Miraculous Medal, this is no accidental chance or situation that Eduardo has given a miraculous medal to John McCain. I believe Mother has interceeded for this grace... BUT...BUT it is up to US ALL now!!!

What will we do with this grace? It is how WE respond to this knowledge, whether a change for the good can take place, because with sacramentals (blessed medal) we must pray, otherwise it is a medal in a pocket only!

Please pass this information on to all those you know and may God bless you for it.

The nation of America has always been intimately connected to Our Lady under two titles:

Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception

and

Our Lady of Guadalupe.

When Gore and Bush were running against each other in the year 2000, people prayed like never before for a pro-life outcome. The anti-life forces knew what was at stake too, Barbara Streisand made her feelings clear at the time at a speech she made on August 17, 2000. Streisand said there were three reasons to vote for Gore: "1. The Supreme Court. 2. The Supreme Court. 3. The Supreme Court!"

"Indeed", she said, hysterically, that "our whole way of life is at stake when you consider the next President could make three or four appointments to the high court."

Streisand says she "shudders" when she thinks how "a more conservative court" could "put at risk all the things we hold dear": civil rights, women's rights, disability rights, privacy rights, consumer rights, worker's rights, the right to abortion.

But prayer prevailed and something extraordinary happened.

The election was not a clear cut win, it went to the courts and it because a protracted court battle until two decisive court wins went in George W Bush’s favour.

The first took place of the 8th of December – the Feast of the Immaculate Conception – the second, which gave Bush the presidency, took place on the 12th of December, the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe, patroness of America and patroness of the unborn.

Why did this happen? Why couldn’t have Bush won outright?

I believe if the court situation had not followed we would not have seen heaven’s hand in it so strongly, so clearly, that prayers HAD been answered. ("Ask, and you shall receive...")

Now we call out to Our Lady under the title of Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception,

"Oh Mary, conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to thee!”

Postscript: Is repetitious prayer powerful? Read this beautiful, true story that my mother witnessed..

St Anne d'Auray

Continuing on from St Anne: Grandmother of Our Saviour...

Strangely enough – or is it really strange? Is it perhaps one of those parts of a sublime pattern which seem to fit so perfectly into place? – the devotion at the shrine of St Anne d’Auray, the most famous in Europe, began at almost the same time that it began at St Anne de Beaupre.

It was in 1623, only 35 years before the small group of stranded Breton sailors landed safely on the beautiful medow in Quebec, after averting shipwreck through the intervention of St Anne, that Yves Nicolazic, a Breton peasant who lived near Auray in Brittany itself, announced that St Anne had appeared to him in a vision; that she had instructed him to build a chapel in her honour on a nearby field; and that she had told him a similar chapel had existed there nearly a thousand years earlier.

At first his story, which he kept reiterating, was treated with scorn, and he himself was the object of widespread ridicule; but a sudden change in this attitude took place, when a primitive statue of the saint, in a damaged condition, was unearthed in the very field that Nicolazic had designated! Offerings immediately poured in and a chapel was promptly built, where the rescued image was placed and entrusted to the care of the Carmelites; but they could not safeguard it against the fury that prevailed during the French Revolution. It suffered further damage, and the more important and spacious buildings and the beautiful cloister which, by then, supplemented the original chapel were also partially destroyed.

In the middle of the nineteenth century, however, reconstruction began on a grandiose scale and in a grandiose manner. A great basilica now stands on the site of Nicolazic’s discovery; the humble peasant has been given a glorious tomb there; and the broken remains of the statue so miraculously found have been enshrined beside an altar of modern workmanship.

Our Lady of the Pillar

Today is the feast of Our Lady of the Pillar. This is a very special feast day as it is Our Lady's first known apparition. What makes this apparition so special is that Our Lady was still living on earth when it took place.

She bilocated to Spain where St James the Greater had gone to bring the faith of Christ. St James had not been succesful and was very dejected at this point, camped by the bank of the Ebro River in Saragossa and preparing to return to Jerusalem.

St James was deep in prayer when Our Lady appeared to him and gave him a wooden statue of herself holding the Child Jesus upon a jasper pillar saying, "It will stand from this moment until the end of time in order that God may work miracles and wonders through my intercession for all those who place themselves under my patronage."

She instructed St James to build a church that would stand till the end of time. Tradition tells us that Our Lady had promised St James that when he needed it most in his difficult mission of converting the pagans in Spain, she would come to encourage him. Please drop by and visit Kathryn's posting on Our Lady of the Pillar.

So Our Lady's visit is the beginning of Spain's history of it's christian faith, she ushers in the reign of Christ reminiscent of her words in Scripture, "Do whatever He tells you."

Spain would go on many, many centuries later to bring Christ to the New World (Americas) but where frail man fails, Our Lady comes and once again draws the New World natives and the Spanish to herself and claims them as her own (Our Lady of Guadalupe) with 11 million converted within a decade, something that is not possible or unheard of, in completely human terms. It is her unique mission in life to be that 'Star of the Sea' that lights the way for us all in our turbulent journey through the sea of life, to the Divine harbour - Christ.

Below is an 8 page article on one of the most incredible, well documented miracles of the Church, it took place in Spain in the 17th century. It is a wonderful read-aloud to children on this feast day, and it is a beautiful story involving a crippled, young man, Our Lady of the Pillar and the shrine's holy oil.... (I am hoping that you can click each page open and be able to print on the sheet for easy reading)


Page One

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Part Two to this incredible story is here.

Part Two Synopsis: This historical event is further supported by a modern day doctor who specializes in limb attachment. He states that the testimonies shared by those who witnessed the miracle in the 1600's spoke of things they saw, that describe accurately the science of limb attachment. Descriptions that could not have been fabricated since re-attaching limbs is only been made possible in the last 50 years or so. So a must read!

This wonderful article has come from the Love One Another publication, a Catholic family magazine produced by the Society of Christ. (Polish, missionary order) It is magazine subscription I highly recommend as it is full of articles such as this one. You can also order back copies. On this page you can download some of the back copies.

Come and visit the Shrine of Our Lady of the Pillar....

Beautiful quilt, beautiful material

.....and VERY beautiful gift!

Nikki from Banana, Bear and Bophie, shared that she had received a wonderful gift from a friend, a handmade quilt using the "My Jesus and I" fabric (as I like to call it) you must look and be inspired!

Thankgiving for the relics of St Anne!

Quoting from "St Anne: Grandmother of Our Saviour." by Frances Parkinson Keyes

Charlemagne ordered that the relics should be reverently gathered together and a careful inventory immediately made of them. Then a Service of Thanksgiving was held; and the following day the discovery was officially celebrated at a Mass sung by Archbishop Turpin, who had accompanied the emperor throughout his journeyings and his search.

We are told that there was great rejoicing among the populace of Apt, as well there might have been; also that “according to his habit,” Charlemagne distributed portions of the relics among his friends and reserved for himself that part which he wished to take with him to Aix-la-Chapelle.

Then he prepared a process verbal of the inventory and stamped it with his seal; made a report to the Pope in the form of a letter; confided the care of the ossuary to the Bishop of Apt and his successors; and himself continued on his way to his capital, accompanied by his suite and bearing his treasure with him.

From that day to this, Apt has been regarded as the final resting place of Our Lord’s grandmother. True, the claim of many other localities to the possession of authentic relics must be regarded as valid, but “the sanctuaries of St Anne, the benign grandmother of the human race.”

It is also true that the relics at Apt itself have several times been moved and differently disposed; they are now enclosed in a reliquary formed like a bust which surmounts the altar in the Chapel Royal of the cathedral at Apt. But this very reliquary has a lovely and lasting link with the stone slab engraved with a fruitful vine; every year, on St Anne’s Feast Day, it is decorated with fresh grapes which are afterward taken out and distributed among the sick as “the grapes of St Anne.”

Without mental reservation, but with heartfelt conviction and firm faith, we may say amen to the words of the devout French writer who declared, “If nature and history have done a great deal for Provence, religion has done even more. A place was reserved for it in the distribution of Divine graces on earth, a unique place, as if it bore the last imprint of the life of Jesus Christ among us.”

The simplicity of quilting

It has been a quiet weekend due to being unwell but it has been productive, despite sitting quietly. I have been moving on with my quilting, it has been very enjoyable and relaxing. The children have been watching David Copperfield, a beautiful adaptation of Dicken's novel. I'm loving Maggie Smith as Betsie Trotwood, she is simply masterful in her role!

I've discovered something else. Quilting is very conducive to quiet, meaningful time. While I sit in the lounge to quilt, the Miraculous Medal Mobile is a gentle, slowly turning reminder to me...and I find myself saying as I sew, "Oh Mary, conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to thee."

So in a way, there are prayers threaded through the stitching, for all the intentions on my mobile. This is a lovely discovery for me.

My Jesus and I quilting fabric

I was recently shown how to hand sew a patchwork quilt and so I went down to our local fabric shop to look at the their quilting section, this is a shop that has unusual fabric and this day was no exception - look what I found: Some beautiful Catholic children's quilting fabric...like scenes out of the My Jesus and I child's book. It is not thin and flimsy fabric, it has good texture and quality.

My Jesus and I book

Just take a look at some of these individual scenes....

They're touching, sweet scenes.

Just think of the things you could do with this material...make a Mass bag for the younger child.

Wouldn't this material make a beautiful pattern for a baby's bassinet or cot quilt?

Or a patchwork quilt for the young child...which is what I have just started on.

I bought 3 other patterns to compliment the My Jesus and I fabric.

Look what I did last night! Started cutting out my hexagon patterns, prepared the My Jesus and I patches and at this moment trying to work out how I am going to position all the patches.

I think I am going to really enjoy myself with this!

Editing to add: This is called "Story Time" by Robert Kaufman D#5829

Here is the link to the hexagon I used for my patterns, I just saved it to my computer and put it in paint shop to alter it to the size I wanted - a perfect shaped hexagon is important.