Holy Relic Visitation: Our Lady of Fatima Prayer Group, 6/25/2016

What a wonderful night it was - many of us needed this meeting, especially after last month's Fatima Prayer Group meeting was cancelled due to unexpected scheduling conflicts for our host/prayer leader, Andrea... so it felt good to get together again with our members after our long break; to pray and spiritually unload; to rejuvenate our spirits... and then break bread and catch up after.

Our team of Rosary "Prayer Warriors"

gathering in the Gruber Family's garage

for our monthly meeting.

I could keenly sense for a couple of our members and also tell by their facial expressions that life's been more than just a little challenging for them since we last met to pray the Holy Rosary.  I was glad to see them there; that they knew very well that they could come to God and to our prayer group family for support in making life's heavy burdens somewhat lighter.

And tonight, we were also specially reminded about another sure source of consolation that we can rely on in life - the Eucharist.  The little saint whose life and precious relic we venerated this evening was Bl. Imelda Lambertini (d. 1333).  For those not familiar with her, she was essentially an 11-year-old youngster who reportedly died of sheer joy after receiving her First Holy Communion in a miraculous manner (see the illustration below).

The miraculous Communion of Bl. Imelda
Lambertini.  A luminous Host appeared above her,
which was then administered  to her as her
First Holy Communion.  The Blessed died out of
pure happiness soon after.

From her earliest years, Bl. Imelda had an unusually mature understanding of the true presence of Christ in the Eucharist and was often quoted in her brief life, as questioning, "How can one receive Jesus into his heart and not die of happiness?"  Through this holy child's faith-example, our group was not only reminded of the divine truth concerning the Blessed Sacrament, but also about how we should strive to appreciate every occasion that we receive the Host, for the loving, personal encounter with Christ that it truly is; occasions that should elicit JOY within us.  After all, if a mere youngster could experience such overwhelming delight during her one and only Holy Communion, why can't we find a measure of joy in it, as well?

It was food for thought for all of us and I saw smiles light up around the table we were sitting around as I relayed Bl. Imelda's words.  

At the end of the evening, people again left our prayer meeting noticeably changed - 'refreshed' - and ready to face life again with renewed vigor... and as for me, I drove home eager for the coming morning; strangely excited about going to Mass.  Not that I don't enjoy Mass, but tonight I felt a craving for it and a joy bubbling up in me as I anticipated my next communion with Jesus (I'm still smiling as I write this blog).  I think a little of Bl. Imelda's spirit rubbed off on me tonight... and on the others, too - her sense of joy, reverence, and her "attitude of gratitude".  It's how the Saints share their blessings... and it's simply awesome.  Thank you, Bl. Imelda!