The Flame of Love graces Hawaii!

"... I am providing you with so powerful

a grace: the burning Flame of Love from

My Heart, that has never before been

offered as it is now."

- Our Lady to Elizabeth Kindelmann

This author had the joy and blessing of attending one of two presentations given today about the Church-approved private revelations called the Flame of Love of the Immaculate Heart of Mary or simply the Flame of Love.  The speaker was none other than Mr. John Sullivan III, the International Coordinator of the devotion's worldwide apostolate.

Mr. Sullivan speaking at St. Pius X

Church in Manoa, Honolulu.

I recall first reading bits about the Flame of Love over 25 years ago from pamphlets, and it's exciting for me to see how the devotion has spread exponentially since gaining approval in 2009!  It now seems to be a frequently discussed topic in various faith-based social media platforms, and there are prayer cenacles throughout the world.  In a time when our society is becoming increasingly godless and, consequently darker, the reported messages received by the late Elizabeth Kindelmann (d. 1985) from Jesus and our Blessed Mother are also highly relevant.  It really does appear to be the hand of God at work.

From what I gathered from this afternoon's talk, the gist of the messages are:

• The Holy Virgin is lamenting the sins of the world and is offering us her own love - the Flame of Love of her Immaculate Heart - which she desires to ignite in our own hearts.

• Our Lady desires that we not only open ourselves to the gift of the Flame of Love, but to also "add our love to this Flame and pass it on to others..." in order to bring about a positive, spiritual change in the world.

• The Flame of Love is none other than Jesus, himself, who desires to fill us with Sanctifying Grace and, thus, intimately live within us and work through us.

• The actual miracle of the Flame of Love is its spreading from one heart to another, causing a blazing conflagration of Divine Love and Light that will "blind" Satan, rendering him powerless in our personal lives; within our families; and through all the world.  Thus, ushering in the era of the Triumph of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, as prophesied at Fatima.

It was a great presentation and I found the Flame of Love revelations beautiful and inspiring ... and John's delivery was excellent.  I actually picked him up from the airport this morning so had a one-on-one conversation with John while driving to the church-venue where we attended Mass together - my impression of the man is that he doesn't only tirelessly preach the message, but he is totally committed to living it!  Hence, the sincerity and the passion that was evident during his talk.

Me, with Mr. John Sullivan in St. Pius X

Church prior to the first presentation.

I anticipate our local Church will reap an abundant harvest of good spiritual fruit from these presentations.  In fact, there were clear indications that God was providentially behind John's coming to Hawaii with the Flame of Love message.  First off, he was only initially scheduled to make a 6-hour layover in Honolulu during which he planned to meet with a friend of mine named Margaret ... but when John's scheduled visit to Papua New Guinea fell through, time opened up and Margaret seized the opportunity to connect him with the Coordinator of our Diocesan Evangelization Task Force (another close friend named Dominic).  Amazingly, within an unusually short span of time, Dominic received the necessary approval for John to speak in our diocese and the venues were secured! 

Then, yesterday morning (a day before John's talks), after attending morning Mass at St. John Vianney Church in Kailua, I stopped to pray at the parish's outdoor shrine to the Immaculate Heart of Mary.  I asked the Blessed Mother for the favor of a solid response to a question I had and snapped a photo of the sky - below is the remarkable pic that resulted:

"I place a beam of light in your hands;

it is the Flame of Love of my heart.  Add

your love to this Flame and pass it

on to others ..."

- Our Lady to Elizabeth Kindelmann,

April 13, 1962

For me and several friends, we discerned the brilliant figure of the Holy Virgin amongst the clouds ... and note the "beams of light" streaming down from her!  The photo not only answered my question but was it also a prophetic, visible sign of special graces to descend upon Hawaii through the Flame of Love?  Based on the serendipitous circumstances, I believe so.  We are indeed being graced in an extraordinary manner, and I thank our Lord and dear Blessed Mother profusely for their kindness towards us.  Praises be to God!

The shrine to the Immaculate Heart of

Mary at St. John Vianney Church (note the

golden flames of love above her heart).

There are more talks scheduled for tomorrow, which I strongly encourage Oahu Residents to attend, if possible.  Otherwise, to learn more about the Flame of Love Devotion, visit its official website by clicking/tapping here.

Prayers revealed to Elizabeth Kindelmann.

"We shall fight fire with fire: the fire

of hate with the Fire of Love!  I obtained

this grace from the Eternal Father on

your behalf by virtue of the five Blessed

Wounds of My Divine Son.”

- Our Lady to Elizabeth Kindelmann

The Power of a Single Prayer!

A friend shared this video with me and, it's such an inspirational testimonial about the awesome power of prayer, I had to share it too.  It's only 2-minutes long so why not press the <Play> button on the video right now and just watch it...

... then, afterwards, take a few moments to imagine what tremendous good is accomplished whenever we pray an entire Rosary!

To the Holy Trinity ...

(For private use only)

Psalm 91: A Prayer of Protection (Updated 11/18/2023)

With today's growing concern over the spread of war and pestilence (i.e. the Coronavirus), I felt inspired - strongly compelled, in fact - to post this Psalm for readers to recite.  It has been particularly valued for centuries by Jews and Christians, alike, as a prayer of deliverance and protection; I was surprised by how it fit the pandemic situation perfectly... so ARM AND SHIELD YOURSELVES SPIRITUALLY BY PRAYING IT DAILY.

PSALM 91

He who dwells in the secret

place of the Most High will rest in

the shadow of the Almighty. I will

say of Yahweh, “He is my refuge and

my fortress; my God, in whom

I trust.”

For he will deliver you from

the snare of the fowler and from

the deadly pestilence. He will

cover you with his feathers. Under

his wings you will take refuge.

His faithfulness is your

shield and rampart.

You shall not be afraid of

the terror by night, nor of the

arrow that flies by day, nor of

the pestilence that walks in

darkness, nor of the destruction

that wastes at noonday. A thousand

may fall at your side and ten

thousand at your right hand; but

it will not come near you. You

will only look with your eyes

and see the recompense of

the wicked.

Because you have made Yahweh

your refuge, and the Most High

your dwelling place, no evil shall

happen to you, neither shall any

plague come near your dwelling. For

he will put his angels in charge

of you to guard you in all your

ways.  They will bear you up in

their hands so that you won’t dash

your foot against a stone. You will

tread on the lion and cobra. You

will trample the young lion

and the serpent underfoot.

“Because he has set his love

on me, therefore I will deliver

him. I will set him on high because

he has known my name. He will call

on me and I will answer him. I will

be with him in trouble. I will

deliver him and honor him. I will

satisfy him with long life and

show him my salvation.”

To view additional spiritual weapons against pandemics and other dangers, click/tap here.

Saint of the Month - April 2019: Saint Pedro Calungsod

St. Pedro Calungsod

Youthful Catechist & Martyr

Feast: October 21st

Today the Church is celebrating the heroic life of a young lay-martyr - St. Pedro Calungsod - who hails from my homeland of the Philippines.  Usually, I blog about Saints and Blesseds whose relics are in my ministry's custody - to promote devotion to them - but there are no relics of this particular Saint.  However, being Filipino, myself, I have to admit I'm being a bit partial in selecting St. Pedro for my featured Saint of the Month.  This is his story of faith... and unfailing loyalty to God and friendship.

Our protagonist was born in one of the Visayas region of the Philippines on July 21, 1654.  According to biographies, Pedro was educated by Spanish Jesuit missionaries who taught the boy to read and write, not just in his native Visayan dialect, but also in their language.  He also learned to speak Chamorro and, because he was so intelligent and proficient in the other languages, the Jesuits further trained him as a lay-catechist and brought him with them to evangelize the Chamorros of Guam (then called the Mariana Islands) in 1668.  Pedro was just 14-years-old at the time he left the Philippines never to return.

Despite the danger and uncertainty that was involved in missionary fieldwork among the native populations, Pedro proved himself to be enthusiastic and loyal to his friends and spiritual mentors, in particular to the zealous Fr. Diego Luis de San Vitores.

The missionary party was at first welcomed on Guam where they made many converts among the Chamorros, including the ruling class.  In early 1669, Fr. Diego Luis was able to build the first Catholic church in Guam, on land in the village of Hagatna, donated by a local chief; four other churches in other hamlets were soon constructed within a few years.  Without a doubt, Pedro was an instrumental participant in the establishment of the Catholic Faith on the small island, where his ability to speak the native tongue was put to good use, along with his skills in carpentry and artwork.

Bl. Diego Luis de San Vitores,

missionary to Guam.

The success of the missionaries was soon followed by strife instigated by a group of jealous and resentful non-Christians, among whom were the proud warrior class and village shamans.  Their influence and meddling caused a growing strain between the foreigners and the locals, due mainly to conflicts between Christian teachings and the long-standing pagan practices and traditions of the Chamorro natives. Furthermore, an exiled criminal from the Philippines named Choco had spread a damaging rumor that the missionaries were killing children using poisoned baptismal water.

Things came to a head on April 2, 1672.  On that fateful day, Pedro accompanied Fr. Diego Luis to the village of Tumon where the priest baptised the newborn daughter of the local chieftain, Mata'pang. The chief was a lapsed believer who objected to the baptism, but his consort was a faithful convert who wanted the sacrament administered to her child.  Upon learning the baptism was performed while he was briefly away, Chief Mata'pang flew into a rage and attacked the two missionaries.

The chief first hurled a spear at Pedro but the agile youth dodged the weapon; he could have easily fled, at that point, but instead chose to remain with his priest in an effort to defend him.  A second spear hit the valiant teen in the chest and he fell mortally wounded at the side of Fr. Diego Luis, who hurriedly absolved him before falling to a spear, himself.  Pedro was only 17-years-old at the time of his death.

The bodies of the murdered missionaries were weighted with stones then cast into the shark-filled ocean where they were never recovered; hence, no relics.  Both men were eventually raised to the glory of the altar, as Martyrs - Fr. Diego Luis de San Vitores reached Beatification in October 1985, while Pedro successfully reached Canonization on October 21, 2012.

Filipinos have a special pride and love for

their young Saint... and rightfully so.

The miracle recognized for the Canonization of St. Pedro was reported to have been the 2003 healing of a dying comatose woman who was oxygen-deprived for an extended period of time.  It was actually the patient's doctor who said a short prayer to Pedro before the unconscious woman unexpectedly revived within a few hours with no brain damage whatsoever - astounding!  May St. Pedro Calungsod pray for our individual needs, as well as, the needs of the entire Church.

A Prayer to Obtain

St. Pedro Calungsod's Help

   

   Saint Pedro Calungsod, young migrant, student, catechist, missionary, faithful friend, and martyr, you inspire us by your fidelity in time of trial and adversity; by your courage in teaching the Faith in the midst of hostility; by your love in shedding your blood for the sake of the Gospel of Jesus.

   We beg you, make our cares and troubles your own [here mention the special intention you are asking him to bring to the Lord] and intercede for us before the throne of Mercy and Grace, so that as we experience the help of Heaven, we may be encouraged and strengthened to proclaim and live the Gospel here on earth.  Amen.

* * * UPDATE: MAY 14th, 2019 * * *

Praise the Lord!  Through the help of a friend in Guam - Josephine - I was blessed to acquire a few stones gathered from the site of the martyrdom of both St. Pedro Calungsod and Bl. Diego Luis de San Vitores.  A gated, fence-enclosed chapel now stands at the exact location where the two holy individuals met their deaths near the Tumon beach... but my friend was able to gain entry into the locked complex after providentially running into a cooperative security guard who let her in.

The chapel constructed at the site of St.

Pedro's death... and the decorated frame

(r) I created in which I mounted a stone

souvenir taken from the site.

Josephine took several photos to share with me before hand-picking the souvenir stones from within the shrine grounds.  In anticipation of their arrival I purchased a wooden shadow box with a stand, and decorated it with red velvet and a drawing I made of St. Pedro. I mounted one of the stones in the frame upon receiving the package from Guam.  It's not a relic... but it's the closest I'm gonna get to one of this Saint since his corpse was disposed of in the ocean.  Still, it's amazing how one small stone can make me feel so closely connected to the Saint.

The stone will be shared with the Filipino group at my parish who I hope will begin yearly novenas to St. Pedro Calungsod as they currently do for St. Lorenzo Ruiz during his September Feast Day.

Thank you, St. Therese...

This post is intended to fulfill a promise I made to the ever-popular St. Therese Martin of Lisieux, affectionately nicknamed the "Little Flower" by Catholics all across the globe (to read more about her, click/tap here).  

Within the past two months, I asked the Little Flower for two different favors, via separate novenas I prayed in her honor.  Each time, before I was even done with the customary nine days of a novena prayer, this Saint delivered... and also left me with her signature calling card - roses!

"I will let fall a shower of roses!"

~ Words of St. Therese of Lisieux

The first novena was started on Sunday, October 1st, 2017, which was actually St. Therese's Feast Day. I recall kneeling in the pews at St. Anthony of Padua Church in Kailua, while saying the prayer shown below. I asked the Little Flower for a specific spiritual grace and added jokingly, " ... and I better get a rose this time." Well, I received that rose on the very next day from an unforeseen source - it came through the mail all the way from Dallas, Texas, to Hawaii ... and survived, intact, and still fragrant! As it turned out, it was a thoughtful gift from Carmelite nuns whom I had become acquainted with!  I was in awe to say the least but, needless to say, I completed the novena to St. Therese with deeper fervor and appreciation ... and a tinge of amusement, as well.

Rose #1:  A dark-pink rose, which I placed

over my small notebook of prayer intentions

& home-shrine petition box.  A rose of this

color supposedly represents Gratitude.

+ + + + +

Rose #2:  A yellow rose, which according

to online sources, is supposed to represent

Friendship & Optimism.

The second novena was prayed starting in the last week of November and I asked St. Therese for help in peacefully resolving a delicate issue I was having with a certain individual.  It was during this novena that I made a promise to St. Therese that, if she helped me with my dilemma, I would post the prayer I was using on my blog, as well as, testify to the effectiveness of her intercession ... and what do you know - within a few days, my prayer was answered! And, although I didn't specifically ask her for another one, I received a second rose anyway - an unexpected gift from a fellow parishioner on the First Saturday of this month; just a day after it fully dawned on me that my prayer request had been granted.  Again, awe and gratitude towards this wonder-working, "big-sister" of a Saint ...

So here we are today - I'm keeping the promise I made to her.  Below is the prayer I offered on both occasions, as a novena to St. Therese.  It's a short, popular prayer to the Little Flower that devotees of the Saint are familiar with.  I prayed it daily during the course of my novenas, sometimes more than once a day.

The "Rose Prayer" to St. Therese

O St. Therese,

the Little Flower, please pick

me a rose from the Heavenly

Garden and send it to me as

a message of Love.

[mention your prayer intention]

Ask God to grant me the

favor which I, thee, implore...

and tell Him I will love Him

each day, more and more.

Amen.

[After the Rose Prayer, add an

Our Father, a Hail Mary, and a Glory Be

in honor of St. Therese]

With the above being shared, I encourage readers to pray with confidence to the Little Flower whenever in need; to allow her the opportunity to pleasantly surprise you, as she did me.  May the gentle power of her intercession and the inspiration of her "little way" be a great blessing to all who have recourse to her ... ultimately leading to a deeper faith and love for Jesus Christ, our Lord, who our dear St. Therese loved and served above all else.

If you've ever received your own "rose(s)" from St. Therese, I invite you to share your personal story in the Comments Section below.  I would greatly enjoy reading other testimonies of favors received from this Saint, and I'm sure other visitors to this blog will too.  Much Mahalo.

St. Therese, the Little Flower of Jesus, pray for us!

* * * *  U P D A T E  * * * *

I have a postscript to all of this that was just too amusing not to share:

Soon after posting this particular blog, I went to visit with a friend at his house.  We were talking and catching up, while he cleaned out an old fanny pack that he had.  As he was sorting through his stuff, he suddenly asked me if I needed postage stamps to which I replied, "Why don't you just keep 'em?"

My friend then said something to this effect, "I found them at my job.  They're kinda old, though, but you can probably still use them."  So I told him, "Sure.  I'll take 'em if you don't want 'em.  I'm always mailing stuff.  Plus they're always gonna be good."  He then tossed to me a small paper packet, which included these ...

Coincidence?  LOL ... I don't think so - I don't believe in coincidences.  I know me getting them unexpectedly had something to do with St. Therese ... and, in this instance, Jesus, too.  Just look at the printed value on these old stamps - 33 cents!  Too funny, I tell you - you can't make this stuff up!

Novena Prayer in Honor of St. Joseph, the Chaste Spouse of the Blessed Virgin Mary

"Would that I could persuade

all men to be devoted to this glorious

Saint [St. Joseph], for I know by long

experience what blessings he can

obtain for us from God."

~ Words of St. Teresa of Avila

St. Joseph, pray for us!

This ministry pays special honor to St. Joseph, the foster-father of our Lord... and readers are encouraged to honor him, as well.  Believe me - St. Joseph's intercession is AWESOME before the heavenly throne of his Divine Son.  Recite the prayer below consistently for 9 consecutive days, with trust in his power to intercede... just see what happens. **

** TIP:  For this novena - any prayer - to be successful, there must be a measure of faith; a belief that God, in his infinite goodness, can answer our prayer.  Without faith, prayer has no power.

The Memorare to St. Joseph

Remember, O St. Joseph, loving and

powerful protector, that according to the

testimony of your faithful servant, St.

Teresa of Avila, no one who is truly devoted

to you has seen his petition rejected.  Filled

with confidence and hope I come to you,

O worthy Spouse of Mary Immaculate. 

[mention your personal intention here]

Do not close your ears to my prayers,

you who have the glorious title of Father

of Jesus, but hear it and present it for

me to Him who has vouchsafed to be

called your son.  Amen.

[pray an Our Father, a Hail Mary,

and a Glory Be]

St. Joseph, Patron of the Universal

Church, pray for us!

"The children of the world are ignorant

regarding the privileges and rights, which

the Most High has conferred on my holy

spouse, and the power of his intercession

with the Divine Majesty and with me...

In all trials seek his intercession, because

the Heavenly Father will grant whatever

my spouse asks."

~ Words of Our Lady to

Ven. Mary of Agreda

Saint of the Month - August 2016: Saint Philomena

St. Philomena, Virgin & Martyr
Powerful with God ~ Feast: August 11th

Although there is little we know about the historical life of St. Philomena, the facts that we do have concerning the circumstances of her death, are sufficient to inspire admiration for her. On May 24, 1802, a tomb containing the skeletal remains of a teenaged girl was accidentally found in the Catacombs of St. Priscilla beneath Rome, Italy.  A cracked phial of blood was also in the tomb along with three terracotta tiles that were inscribed with Latin texts and painted with symbols associated with Christian martyrdom: a palm leaf, an anchor, and two arrows… and when the Latin inscriptions were combined, together they read, 'Pax Tecum Filumena' (Peace be with you, Philomena).  Considering the early Christian practice of carefully identifying the tombs of Martyrs, and preserving hallowed relics of the blood they shed for Jesus, the circumstances strongly indicated the remains belonged to a person who had been highly revered by primitive Christians – a Martyr named Philomena (Daughter of Light).

The Church immediately took custody of the remains and they were almost forgotten in storage until a priest named Fr. Francesco de Lucia from Mugnano del Cardinale (or simply, 'Mugnano') traveled to Rome in 1805 to acquire relics for his rural parish church. Providentially, he was given Philomena’s bones, which he enclosed in an ornate case, within a life-sized paper mache statue representing her… and when the relics were solemnly enshrined in Mugnano, abundant miracles were reported, prompting a spontaneous devotion to the Child-Martyr although she hadn’t been formally Canonized yet. It wasn’t until January 13, 1837, that Pope Gregory XVI officially approved her cultus, or public devotions, after he was personally involved in recognizing the miraculous healing of the Bl. Pauline-Marie Jaricot (d. 1862) - the saintly founder of the Living Rosary Association - from a terminal heart illness, after she invoked St. Philomena's assistance at her shrine in Mugnano.

As for details concerning the Saint’s life… the popular account often cited today was actually compiled from identical private revelations, reportedly revealed by St. Philomena, herself, to three individuals living in different parts of Italy.  According to these church-approved revelations, the Saint was a Greek princess who had traveled to Rome with her royal parents. Her youthful beauty attracted the lewd advances of the pagan emperor Diocletian, but being a devout Christian who had solemnly consecrated her virginity to Christ, Philomena firmly rebuffed him while professing her faith in the one true God.  Despite the pleas of her parents to accept the emperor's proposal, the Saint remained firm in her refusal.

The tomb and miraculous statue of St.

Philomena within her shrine at Mugnano.

The Saint’s bones are enclosed within

the representative image. 

The enraged emperor promptly sentenced the princess to brutal torture and execution, which was carried out, via a round of scourging; an attempt at drowning in the Tiber with an anchor tied to Philomena's body; and by a firing squad of archers. With each attempt to kill her, the Lord sent angels to miraculously rescue and/or heal her, which resulted in scores of Romans converting to Christianity.  The exasperated Diocletian finally had her beheaded, thus, finally earning her the Martyr’s Palm of Glory, circa 304.  She was said to have been only 13-years-old at the time of her death.

Throughout the decades, the young Saint has commonly been represented as a lovely girl carrying one of the arrows that was aimed at her and the anchor that was used to try and drown her.  Her reputation as an effective intercessor has earned her many loyal devotees, worldwide, and the title 'Powerful with God' or 'Thaumaturga (Healer)'.  Among St. Philomena’s many clients can be counted other great Saints who had confidently invoked her name: Bl. Anna Maria Taigi, Bl. Bartolo Longo, St. Damien of Molokai, St. John Neumann, St. John-Marie Vianney, Pope St. Pius X, St. Frances Xavier Cabrini, and the Ven. Maria Luisa of Jesus (one of the three mystic souls who received a private revelation of the Saint’s life), just to name a few.

This author, too, has become a grateful and enthusiastic devotee of this Saint after two important personal prayer intentions were speedily granted through her assistance (one request was answered within an hour!).  In addition, on another occasion, her 2nd Class Relic in my ministry's custody manifested the mysterious sounds of "knocking" (a phenomenon often reported at St. Philomena's shrine at Mugnano) in direct response to a question I posed to the Saint!  These personal experiences of the Virgin-Martyr’s powerful intercession have prompted me to designate her as one of two special patrons for my Guadalupe House relic ministry.

Visit www.philomena.us for additional information concerning St. Philomena or to support her Mugnano Shrine, via purchases of devotional articles of the Saint (blessed oil, medals, statues, and even clothing-relics from an actual tunic worn by the miraculous statue enclosing her mortal remains).

A statue of St. Philomena and a relic obtained

from the Saint’s shrine in Mugnano.

Novena Prayer to St. Philomena

(to be prayed for 9 days)

  We beseech Thee, O Lord, to grant us the pardon of our sins by the intercession of St. Philomena, Virgin & Martyr, who was pleasing in Thy sight by her eminent chastity and by the profession of every virtue.  Amen. 

  Illustrious Virgin & Martyr, St. Philomena, behold me prostrate before the throne whereupon it has pleased the Most Holy Trinity to place thee.  Full of confidence in thy protection, I entreat thee to intercede for me with God; from the heights of Heaven deign to cast a glance upon thy humble client!  Spouse of Christ, sustain me in suffering, fortify me in temptation, protect me in the dangers surrounding me, obtain for me the graces necessary to me, and in particular [specify your petition here].

  Above all, assist me at the hour of my death.  St. Philomena, powerful with God, pray for me.  Amen.

(Conclude with an Our Father, a Hail Mary, and a Glory Be in honor of St. Philomena)

U P D A T E :  O C T O B E R  2 0 2 4

On October 18, 2024, this author had the joy of personally visiting the Shrine of St. Philomena in Mugnano del Cardinale during a group pilgrimage.  It was an unforgettable experience to be in her presence; to thank her for her many personal favors obtained ... and to have the privilege of serving the Mass our group celebrated at her Sanctuary.  St. Philomena, Powerful with God, pray for us!