Tuesday, June 21, 2011

Saint Augustine on Pride and Humility

"It was pride that changed angels into devils; it is humility that makes men as angels."
      - Saint Augustine

Friday, June 17, 2011

Now, and at the Hour of our Death


Excerpt from the Book "Divine Providence"
A Different Vision of Death
The Testimony of Catalina on the Sacraments of Reconciliation
And the Anointing of the Sick


Ten days had passed since my dear mom’s death, when one morning in my room upon finishing my first prayers for the day, the Lord asked me to remain there for a few moments. Suddenly, as if in a movie, the scene of my mom’s death appeared before my eyes.
   Therefore, it will be necessary that I to go back in my account and to repeat some of the things I have already related.  It will enable you to better understand every thing that had happened on that day, and which the Lord allowed me to see in full, only afterwards, in the vision that I am about to tell you.
And so I return to the day in which my mom was dying, just as I could see it in this vision.
   She was in her bed.  We had just laid her down on her right side and as I was wiping the blood that she was losing from her nose, she stared above me toward the window.  She squeezed my hand and said, “I want to be with you."
   "Are you afraid, my dear mamma?", I asked her somewhat worried.
   "No, I am not afraid, but I want to be with you."
   At that moment, I saw some people come close behind me and my mom, to her right side.
   I recognised St. Joseph, St. Anthony of Padua, St. Rose of Lima, St. Dominic of Guzman and St. Silvester. They were behind mom’s head, next to “Leopoldo’, that  was the name of mom’s Guardian Angel, a very handsome youth, who appeared to be praying on his knees while caressing her head with his hands.
   There were other men and women, young and old, about 40 people, all praying.  A young man dressed in a white alb, carried a little golden bowl in his hands. Every now and then, he would insert his hand in it and take out smoke, sending it upward like incense.
   With that, he appeared to prevent some dark shadows from coming near, which we could see at a distance from the bedroom, frightened to advance any closer.  The young man would move his lips as if saying some prayer. Then he would change the little bowl to the other hand and do the same with the other, throwing smoke from the little bowl into the air. He would go around and around all the people who were encircling my mom’s bed behind us. I was amazed to see so many people.  Then, Jesus spoke to me and said:
   "They are her patron saints and those souls whom she helped save with her prayers and sufferings, and even though she did not know them, they have come to be with her on her journey."


Source: http://loveandmercy.org/Eng-DP-Lg.pdf or go to http://loveandmercy.org

Wednesday, June 8, 2011

St. Michael on the Holy Rosary


St. Michael the Archangel, our defender in spiritual battles, concisely summarizes the “how” and the “why” of praying the Rosary:

“Pray the Holy Rosary with more love; you do not know how powerful a weapon it is.”


Source: From the Book entitled "Praying the Rosary" (The Messages of Jesus
and the Virgin Mary to Catalina)