Our Lady of Fatima Prayer Group Meeting, 8/27/2016: Did Our Lady's statue move?

This month's Rosary Prayer Meeting at the Gruber Residence was extra-special for me for a couple of grand reasons. First off, we had two of my cousins - mother and daughter - participate in our meeting for the very first time.  They drove quite a long distance from Waimanalo Town to Mililani to pray and fellowship with me and the rest of our group ... and I was touched and happy that I got to spend rare, quality prayer time with them.  Furthermore, they were clearly moved by the entire experience, for which I was very grateful to God.

The truth is ... I pray daily for all of my family members, especially those who don't practice their Catholic Faith, to either find their way back to God and His Church, or to deepen faith already present within their hearts.  I have a sense that my cousins being with us tonight was a positive indication that my prayer was starting to bear fruit and I was encouraged for my relatives.  Now I'm hoping my cousins will return regularly for future prayer meetings, but even if they don't, I'm certain that the Lord planted faith-seeds in their hearts, which in due time, will grow and bear positive fruits in their lives.

Our prayer group participants enjoying a

potluck dinner after our prayers ended.

Secondly, I had a special personal experience in regards to the Marian statue that serves as a visible focal point during our monthly gatherings ... and I'm still trying to wrap my head around it, even as I write this blog.

Just some background about this particular statue - it's a beautiful, 27" tall Rosa Mystica (a.k.a. Mystical Rose) statue that I bought over 20 years ago, which I then donated to our host/prayer-leader, Dre, in June 2012, after she started monthly Rosary Meetings in her family home.  Since then, the image has become a much-loved channel of signal graces with many of us group members occasionally experiencing signs in connection with it.  These signs include visible and dramatic changes to the statue's complexion and facial expressions (its face becomes life-like with soft, dewy skin); strong, but pleasing floral fragrances; and manifestations of escarchas ... but this time around, a new manifestation occurred, which I have never experienced before.

Our prayer group's much-loved pilgrim
statue of Mary, Mystical Rose

Sometime during the course of this evening's Rosary, I happened to raise my eyes to look at the statue, when I saw its facial complexion suddenly lighten and take on the life-like appearance that I described above.  As already mentioned, many of us have witnessed this phenomenon several times before so I made no attempt to draw the others' attention to the statue's transfigured appearance.  Besides, many were engrossed in the Rosary and I didn't feel right about disrupting peoples' deep contemplation ... so I continued to focus on our prayers, while occasionally looking up to view the statue's face.  It was during one of these glances that I saw something strange - the statue's mouth appeared to move!

I couldn't believe it - it looked like the statue had moved its lips, as though Our Lady was saying prayers with us.  I looked away then looked back, but the mouth was motionless, so I thought my eyes had played tricks on me.  However, a bit later, I glanced up again and, for a second time, the statue's lips seemed to open and close repeatedly for a few moments.  Again, it looked like Our Lady was silently praying.  I was dumbfounded, to say the least, and discretely picked up my cellphone, activated the camera app, and started quietly filming the statue. I zoomed in on the face and filmed for several moments while looking at my cellphone screen.  There was no further movement from the statue and it had returned to its normal appearance.

Anyhow, when I later checked the video on my cellphone, I was pleasantly surprised to discover that I had actually captured what I believe to be the statue's movements on film.  The video, itself, is a little grainy due to the dim atmosphere in the garage where we pray, and the effects of my camera's zooming ... but it sufficiently shows the mouth movements that I saw in person.

I showed the clip to our leader, Dre, and other prayer group members, and everyone agreed that it looks as though the statue's lips are opening and closing.  In particular, the motion of the mouth is most obvious in the video when our group was praying the Glory Be; the statue's lip movements appear to be in sync with the words of the prayer (one can see the dark, oval gap between the lips when Our Lady mouths the words, "Holy Spirit").  How significant that Our Lady was praising and glorifying the Holy Trinity along with us - it's simply AMAZING!

ABOVE:  A short video clip, which I

believe captures the movements I saw from

the Rosa Mystica statue.  In particular, the

movements corresponded with the Glory Be prayers during the Rosary.

BELOW:  A sequence of stills from the

above video.  Note how the statue's closed

mouth opens and takes on a roundish

shape in the 2nd and 3rd photos when

"Holy Spirit" is said, before closing again

in the 4th photo.

I am still overwhelmed with the wonderful events that transpired at this night's prayer meeting.  God is good and so is our Blessed Mother, the Mystical Rose of the Trinity!  It all just goes to affirm that Mary really does pray WITH us ... and FOR us when we turn to her intercession with sincerity and confidence.  It's a truth that applies not just to our Mililani group but also for all Our Lady's children who are especially devoted to her through the praying of the Holy Rosary.  Thank you, Blessed Mother!