Holy Relic Visitation: Our Lady of Fatima Prayer Group, 9/19/2015

After a break of a few months, our prayer group at the Gruber-Lee Residence finally started up again last month. Our host and prayer leader, Dre, had a baby this past May - a boy; her first one - so the monthly meetings were on hiatus as she adjusted to the demanding schedule of having a newborn.  Now that she's used to the routine and baby is sleeping through the night, the prayer meetings are back on schedule and it feels great to be able to come together with our spiritual family for prayer and fellowship.

Our prayer meeting in the garage

of the Gruber-Lee Home.

So this month our meeting was well-attended.  Along with our core-group of regulars, we welcomed new guests - a cousin of mine and her little boy; a friend who returned after attending last month's meeting; and a long-time member, who we hadn't seen in months, also made a comeback with her two children, which was a joy for our core-group... and especially my cousin's son, who had new playmates to keep him company while the adults prayed.

Me and my future god-son,
our host's newborn son.

Tonight we offered the Sorrowful Mysteries of the Holy Rosary and our Saint of the Month, who I shared about at the start of the meeting, helped to set the mood for the prayers; she was Bl. Maria Pierina de Micheli (d. 1945), the "Apostle of the Holy Face".  Her life and private revelations from Jesus and the Blessed Mother encourage all of us to look upon the imagery of the wounded face of Christ as a visible sign of God's immeasurable love for all mankind, as well as a need to make reparation for our sin and those of the entire world.  Most of my listeners must have found Bl. Maria Pierina's message inspirational because several asked for Holy Face Medals after. Fortunately, I had a small supply with me in my car.  I refer to them as my "spiritual seeds".  You can read more about the Holy Face devotion here and here.  

The rest of the meeting focused on praying with special emphasis for the conversion of sinners... for the healing and restoration of families... for the safety and protection of Pope Francis... and for all our personal needs.  As usual, the presence of the Holy Spirit was powerfully felt in our midst; easing the burdens in our hearts and filling us with that special peace that only God can give.  Afterwards, the food that we enjoyed during our potluck dinner was delicious - Pork Guisantes, Pancit Noodles, Fried Chicken, and Banana Cream Pie!!!  We all left the Gruber-Lee Home content; nourished in both soul and body.