The Day Chapel at St. Anthony of Padua
Church in Kailua, where a monthly Rosary
for Peace is offered for the world. My Rosa
Mystica pilgrim statue is displayed
during our prayer.
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| The P-shaped cloud at top-right seen through my car window. |
With the start of a new year I was excited about our very first Rosary for Peace in 2015. My excitement and anticipation was made all the more greater by a large cloud - clearly shaped like a letter "P" - that hovered in the sky ahead of my car, as I drove the freeway on my way to Kailua Town (right photo). I knew it was most likely a random formation, but I still viewed the cloud as a beneficial coincidence because the letter P starts the words, "Prayer" and "Peace", which are the two main themes for our ongoing monthly First Saturday Devotion at St. Anthony of Padua Church; it felt like a special encouragement from the Lord to continue praying for world peace throughout this new year.
The Rosary Prayer gathering in the Day Chapel was, itself, well-attended with several new faces in the pews. I shared about St. Charles Houben of Mt. Argus - a priest-healer from Ireland - and presented his 1st Class [bone] Relic for public veneration. What really impressed me the most about the life of St. Charles was not so much his power to heal, but simply the way he generously made himself available each day to the countless people who were searching for God. I reminded our prayer participants that we, too, could make ourselves available to those who need a kind word... a hug... or just a sympathetic ear... and by doing so, perhaps touch a person's heart for the Lord.
The veil-relic of the Blessed Virgin, which
is displayed every month, is seen at left; a
relic of St. Charles Houben is to the right.
Our group Rosary Prayer, as always, was beautiful and powerful. The presence of the Divine was tangible in the chapel and golden flakes of Escarchas were witnessed manifesting on the forehead and cheeks of at least two people who participated; one even claimed she smelled the fragrance of roses even before the Rosary began (I couldn't smell it)... so this was how our first Rosary for Peace in 2015 began and ended; a positive start to the new year and I am already looking forward to February's prayer meeting.
For anyone living on Oahu, Hawaii, who may be interested in attending our next First Saturday Rosary for Peace, it will be prayed on February 7th, beginning at 4:25 PM. The Vigil Mass follows at 5:00 PM in the main church. All are welcomed! Just look for the Welcome Sign (left) that points to our Day Chapel door and come right in.
As always your blogs are truly beautiful. If you look to the left you can see also see the Sacred Heart.
ReplyDeleteRemember, O most gracious Virgin Mary,
that never was it known that anyone who fled to your protection,
implored your help or sought your intercession,
was left unaided.
Inspired with this confidence,
I fly to you, O Virgin of virgins, my Mother;
to you do I come, before you I stand, sinful and sorrowful.
O Mother of the Word Incarnate,
despise not my petitions,
but in your mercy hear and answer me.
Amen.
Thank you for your kind words. I actually didn't notice the cloud, shaped like the Sacred Heart, to the left of the P-shaped one... but others have pointed it out to me. God bless you!
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