9/20 - 9/25/2025: The Jubilee Pilgrim Cross Visitation at St. Anthony of Padua Church, Kailua

The Diocese of Honolulu's Jubilee Year Pilgrim Cross will be making a stop in our home parish later this month.  The "Pilgrim Cross" is part of our local Church's initiative to assist the Faithful in gaining the special Jubilee Year of Hope Plenary Indulgence.  Normally, to gain the indulgence, one must walk through one of the Holy Doors in Rome in conjunction with performing other pious acts, but for the majority who cannot make a pilgrimage to the Eternal City, praying in the presence of a Pilgrim Cross substitutes for the pilgrimage ... and affords people the opportunity to gain the Indulgence in their own dioceses.

More information about the Jubilee Year of Hope along with the necessary requirements to gain the Plenary Indulgence can be found here.

Below is the schedule of events at St. Anthony of Padua Church in Kailua - this is a great grace from the Church that shouldn't be missed!

All are welcome to participate!

The Sojourn in the Desert

"Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, left the Jordan

and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness,

where for forty days he was tempted by the

devil. He ate nothing during those days, and

at the end of them he was hungry."

‐ Matthew 4:1-2

The Lenten Season is always an intense and meaningful time for me and I think it's the reason why I had another vivid dream, which haunted me for several days. It happened last week but I only recently decided to put it down on paper because of how impressed I was by it. The drawing below, which I call "Sojourn in the Desert", is the end result.

So, in my dream I found myself immersed in a desert.  It was night but the light of the moon was unusually bright and I could clearly see the rocky landscape (it reminded of the Grand Canyon). Wandering around for a bit I came upon a wide ravine and an amazing sight...

There, ahead of me, was a large cat.  It was definitely a lion but with a mane, which to me, looked weird because it seemed too short. Behind the animal was a man leaning against a few boulders and I sensed almost immediately it was our Lord... and he looked haggard.

Poor Jesus - he was fast asleep and looking so lean; I heard him lightly snoring, too!  I was saddened because I could see that he was obviously weak and exhausted; worn out.  On his head, covering his brow, was a cloak that flowed down and wrapped tightly around his body so it must've been chilly although I couldn't feel the cold.  At that very moment, seeing Christ this way gave me a solid visual of how human he truly was; how, despite being Divine, he didn't exempt himself from any of the physical weaknesses and discomforts the rest of us mortals are subjected to: hunger, fatigue, cold, snoring, etc.  It was also somehow endearing.

For we do not have a High Priest who

cannot sympathize with our weaknesses,

but was in all points tempted as we

are, yet without sin.

‐ Hebrews 4:15

... but what made this dream especially intriguing for me was not just the imagery of the Lord fasting in the desert, which I'm already familiar with... rather, it was the lion.  I know Jesus is referred to as the "Lion of Judah" because of Revelation 5:5, and Mark 1:12-13 mentions him as being "among wild beasts" in the wilderness... but I've never read or heard anything specific - anywhere - about an actual lion keeping him close company in the desert.  Where in the maze of my brain did that come from?  What was it supposed to symbolize, if anything?

Furthermore, although the lion looked quite formidable, it showed no signs of aggression.  Instead, it just lay quietly beside Jesus - like an oversized pet kitty - in direct physical contact with his legs.  Based on my observations, I speculate that the lion was really keeping Christ warm, as well as, watching over him as he slept.  After thinking about it over and over, it kinda made sense, considering all the potential dangers lurking in the wilderness: venomous scorpions and snakes; bandits; and even other lions.  A lion would make for an ideal guard animal in Jesus' situation.

I lay down and slept, yet I woke up in

safety, for the Lord was watching over me.

– Psalm 3:5

Incidentally, I did online research, afterwards, about lions in the Middle East and discovered there was a species of big cat - the Asiatic Lion - that is still found there... and guess what?  Male Asiatic Lions have a physical trait that distinguishes them from their African counterparts - shorter manes... like Jesus' furry bodyguard that I witnessed!  Now that's what I call uncanny.

The Asiatic Lion - note its short,

sparse-looking mane compared to the

African Lion (inset), which is a more

familiar image of the big cat.

Who is like God! (UPDATED 7-24-2026)

Last week I had another vivid dream - a striking one - which both terrified and inspired me. I felt there was an urgent, underlying message in it for everyone and, after mulling over it for several days, I decided to post about it, at least part of it; this Scripture Passage was also a motivating factor...

"And it shall come to pass in the last
days, saith God, I will pour out of my Spirit
upon all flesh: and your sons and your
daughters shall prophesy, and your young
men shall see visions, and your old men
shall dream dreams ..."

- Acts 2:17

In my dream, I saw a group of "beings" - more like a massive army - who seemed to be completely made of light; standing together in an endless space also comprised of light.  One, in particular, caught my attention - despite his brilliant "aura", I was somehow able to make out most of his features: he looked to be about 18 to 20 years old; handsome with thick, long light blond hair; a golden diadem with a blue triangular centerpiece rested on his forehead ... and he was dressed in a dazzling white robe - see the AI-generated rendering below.

Despite his youthful appearance, I felt an immense POWER emanating from this person; his force was further manifested, via light that seemed to illuminate him from the inside out.  It was so intense, it shown from his eyes and mouth like a glow whenever he blinked and opened his mouth.  Because of this internal light, I could not discern the color of his eyes.

I wondered to myself who this being could be but it was only after he spoke that I was firmly convinced of his identity - focusing his piercing gaze at something at a distance beyond me, he shouted with a deep booming voice, tinged with indignation:

"WHO IS LIKE GOD?!"

I knew then it was St. Michael, the Archangel... and I was like "WOW!"; impressed and in complete awe over his persona... and his splendor seemed to increase even more immediately after he spoke!

By appearance I would never have guessed it was the archangel because the being I saw did not resemble anything like the traditional images of St. Michael we're used to seeing with armor, a sword, wings (curiously, I didn't see any), and dark wavy hair, etc.  It made me even more intrigued.

I'll end the dream narrative here... but, personally, I have a sense of what all the imagery was intended to convey - it was a challenge - a battlecry - directed at the enemies of God, as well as, a foreshadowing of a dramatic escalation of the ongoing spiritual war between Good and Evil, which I'll leave to the reader to discern, or to dismiss.  Either way, it doesn't matter to me what others think.  I've already decided on my response to all of this - whatever happens, I stand with St. Michael.

... so fast forward to today.  I'm still quite taken by this entire experience and had to put something down on paper because I don't want to forget it.  The drawing below is the result of a 7 hour effort to record, as close as possible, what I recall... although, honestly, it doesn't do any justice to the real deal.  But how can one ever put on paper a creature made of light?  Anyway, for obvious reasons, I chose to title this latest artwork of mine, "Who Is Like God".

Dream, vision, or mere imagination, something in me has changed concerning St. Michael.  I feel as though I caught a small glimpse of the magnitude of his role as leader of the Heavenly Army.  As I stated earlier - this archangel has power - undescribable POWER - and, we, the People of God, should feel assured and happy that we have him and all the other Holy Angels fighting on OUR side against diabolic forces seen and unseen.  They/We will win one day.

Lastly, here's a passage from Scripture that came to my attention, and it's surprisingly accurate.  Are we living in this "time"?

"At that time there shall arise Michael,

the great prince, guardian of your people;

it shall be a time unsurpassed in distress

since the nation began until that time.  At

that time your people shall escape, everyone

who is found written in the book.  Many of

those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall

awake; some to everlasting life, others to

reproach and everlasting disgrace.  But

those with insight shall shine brightly like

the splendor of the firmament, and those

who lead the many to justice shall be

like the stars forever."

- Daniel 12:1-3

So now, when I pray the St. Michael Prayer each day, I do so with a newfound devotion and respect for St. Michael; deeply personal.  He rightfully deserves the veneration and respect the Church has shown him for centuries.  St. Michael, pray for us!

St. Michael, the Archangel, defend us in

the day of battle.  Be our safeguard against the

wickedness and snares of the devil and, do

thou, O Prince of the Heavenly Host, by the

power of God, cast into hell Satan and all the

evil spirits who prowl through the world

seeking the ruin of souls.  Amen.

+ UPDATE: AUGUST 2021 +

In response to this dream and a prior manifestation from St. Michael, this ministry has established a prayer group under his patronage - the Cohort of St. Michael the Archangel - with the specific purpose of combating evil in this world.  For more information concerning the new group, click/tap here.

+ UPDATE: OCTOBER 2024 +

On October 16, 2024, this author had the joy of personally visiting the Shrine of St. Michael's Sacred Grotto on Monte Gargano during a group pilgrimage.  It was an unforgettable and meaningful experience to be in this hallowed place and to thank St. Michael for his many personal favors obtained.  If one is ever in that part of Italy, Monte Gargano is a must-see!

Stand with St. Michael!

WE ARE NOT ALONE...

After having prayer time this morning, I experienced a strong urge to translate into imagery a "message" that was floating around in my head. So I picked up my Sharpie and started doodling. The end result, I feel, is worth sharing... so here it is - I hope people find the message uplifting, especially in these anxious times.

Can you spot the 5 hidden images

in this drawing? (click on the drawing

to view a larger image)

To view more unique artwork from this author/ministry, and for a clue as to what other images are in this drawing, visit the Guadalupe House Art Gallery by clicking/tapping here.

Isaiah 53 - The Man of Sorrows

A pencil drawing I did, which I call...

"Isaiah 53 ~ The Man of Sorrows"

"... For he bore the sin of

many, and made intercession

for the transgressors."

Last night, Holy Saturday, I had an interesting and vivid dream.  Not sure why I dreamt it, but perhaps it was because of the True Cross relic we venerated last night at a friend's prayer meeting.  Anyhow, the experience impressed me so deeply, that on the following afternoon, Easter Sunday, I reached for a #2 pencil on my desk and drew what I could remember about the dream.  I just felt compelled to do it and couldn't stop until the illustration was completed about six hours later.  The above image is the end result of my poor efforts.

In my dream I saw our Lord, Jesus Christ, walking down a dark path, shouldering a very large wooden cross. His face was bruised and his dark hair was matted as his head bled from wounds caused by a crown of thorns.  He was also bent forward and seemed to be in terrible pain and anguish, as the cross weighed heavily on him...

The whole thing seemed like a surreal scene from a traditional Passion Play... except when I was drawn closer to the Holy Cross, I noticed something very odd about it - I was surprised to see many, many small human faces embedded in the grain of the wood. They were countless and each face was different - male, female, young, old, etc.

As I scanned through the unfamiliar faces I saw my own face among the others and it both startled and humbled me.  I was reminded that I, too, had added to the weight of the cross through my personal sins... and I felt ashamed and sorry.  I think I would've been frightened, too, if not for the look in the Lord's eyes.  You see... as I was being slowly pulled away, Jesus lifted his head and fixed his gaze at me and the look I saw in his eyes transfixed me.  I saw Love, Mercy, and Sorrow combined into one remarkable expression, which was a stark contrast to the graphic nature of the scenario... and there was no trace of anger or resentment on His face, which would've been justified.

The above drawing is a representation of what I recall seeing in my dream, except the faces on the cross were much smaller and filled the entire cross; I couldn't depict them all on paper. I added special effects to the above copy of my drawing to simulate the faces appearing.  It's close to what I witnessed.

Some people may find the drawing eerie (one of my friend's did), but whenever I meditate on it, I get it and I thank Jesus for its rich symbolism and its meaningful message.  It's definitely a keeper drawing for me.

After researching Bible verses on the Internet, I decided to call the drawing, "Isaiah 53 ~ The Man of Sorrows", because that particular passage includes a prophetic description of the Lord's Passion, which I found highly appropriate (click here to read the Scripture Passage).  I sometimes also find myself silently repeating the short prayer below from the Stations of the Cross whenever I look at the face in the drawing.  Again, very fitting words:

We adore you, O Christ, and we bless

you... because by your Holy Cross you

have redeemed the world.  Amen.