Could This Have Been An Angel?

My Angel of Mercy
(This story happened in September of 2007. I wanted to bring it back for the anniversary of Father Baker's death this July 29th.)

I had the opportunity to experience God's good grace.

As my day unfolded, I knew I wanted to stop and pray at the crypt of Father Nelson Baker, a saintly priest who founded Our Lady of Victory Homes of Charity. He also built the Basilica of Our Lady of Victory which was consecrated in 1926. Father Baker died on July 29, 1936. His cause is up for sainthood and he is confirmed with the title of Servant of God.

As I walked into to the Basilica, I noticed several people praying at different areas of the church. I slowly and reverently approached Father Baker's crypt, which was located in the grotto within the Basilica.

I knelt down to pray. I closed my eyes and began to ask God for a healing of my grandson Jude. Suddenly, a calmness and stillness came over me. I truly felt God's presence.

With a slight awareness I could feel someone nearby. I began to hear soft taps on the kneeler next to me and sensed this person needed my help.

So I opened my eyes and slowly glanced over my shoulder.

A man, seated in a wheelchair, was trying to read the intercessory prayer that was printed and taped to the top of the kneeler. As he strained his eyes, I noticed his wheelchair kept him from getting a clear view of the prayer.

I asked him, "Would you like a copy of that prayer? It's on a prayer card and I can get one for you?" He shook his head in approval.

I quickly got off my knees, picked up a prayer card off the table to the left of me and gave it to him. He looked straight into my eyes and said, "Please, place this prayer card on Father Baker's tomb."

I followed his orders.

As he closed his eyes in prayer for a moment, I too bowed my head and offered my prayers for his private intentions. Then he opened his eyes and nodded to me; he was giving me consent to lift the card and hand it over to him. I willingly reached for the card and delivered it into the hands of this pious man.

I then proceeded to tell him I was here praying for my grandson who was very ill.

He said to me, "What is his name?"

"Baby Jude", I replied. "Can you please pray for him?"

With a wink of an eye and a smile on his face he responded, "I will pray for him."

"What is your name so I can also pray for you?", I requested.

"My name is John", he acknowledged.

I prayed for John that day and asked God to grant him the desires of his heart. My act of mercy may have been to lend a helping hand to John, but John may not have realized what an act of mercy he presented back to me. His willingness to pray for Baby Jude, amongst his own trials and tribulations, made a lasting impression on me. I will never forget the smile on his face and the twinkle in his eye.

Could this have been an angel sent from God?

I saw something very special in the eyes of this humble man. Reverent, believing, angelic, pure in heart are all words that I could use to describe him.

This man came to the Basilica to possibly pray for a healing for himself or maybe a loved one, but in return he also prayed for the intentions of someone whose heart was searching for a healing. He said a prayer for a complete stranger.

As I walked away from the crypt I turned to look back at him. His head was bowed in prayer and I knew he was asking God to heal Baby Jude.

Was God sending me an angel not only to intercede for me, but to teach me something?

When nighttime fast approached, I placed my head upon my pillow and reflected on what happened to me that day at the Basilica. I thought about how wonderful it is that we can offer intercessory prayers of healing for each other. Even total strangers can pray for each other if we can only reach out and manifest God's mercy.

What lesson did God want me to learn from this?

Could this man have been an angel sent from God to teach me to pray as I ought?

Was God trying to show me His Mercy? Was He teaching me how to be merciful?

I like to think He was.

As Jesus told St. Faustina, "I unite Myself with you, take away your misery and give you My mercy. I perform works of mercy in every soul." (723)


May our God of mercy be with you today and always,







(Kathleen M. Wabick is author of a book titled Open My Eyes ~ you may purchase this book at http://www.treasuresofgracellc.com )

Our Lady of the Angels

Our Lady of the Angels

The ancient church of the Portiuncula in Assisi, Italy is dedicated to Mary under the title of Our Lady of the Angels of which Feast Day we celebrate on August 2nd.

From the Franciscan Book of Prayer:

(The following is an excerpt from the Major Life of St. Francis by St. Bonaventure.)

" The Portiuncula was an old church dedicated to the Virgin Mother of God which was abandoned . Francis had great devotion to the Queen of the world and when he saw that the church was deserted, he began to live there constantly in order to repair it. He heard that the Angels often visited it, so that it was called Saint Mary of the Angels, and he decided to stay there permanently out of reverence for the angels and love for the Mother of Christ.

He loved this spot more than any other in the world. It was here he began his religious life in a very small way; it is here he came to a happy end. When he was dying, he commended this spot above all others to the friars, because it was most dear to the Blessed Virgin.

This was the place where Saint Francis founded his Order by divine inspiration and it was divine providence which led him to repair three churches before he founded the Order and began to preach the Gospel.

This meant that he progressed from material things to more spiritual achievements, from lesser to greater, in due order, and it gave a prophetic indication of what he would accomplish later.

As he was living there by the church of Our Lady, Francis prayed to her who had conceived the Word, full of grace and truth, begging her insistently and with tears to become his advocate. Then he was granted the true spirit of the Gospel by the intercession of the Mother of mercy and he brought it to fruition.

He embraced the Mother of Our Lord Jesus with indescribable love because, as he said, it was she who made the Lord of majesty our brother, and through her we found mercy. After Christ, he put all his trust in her and took her as his patroness for himself and his friars."

Prayer to Our Lady of the Angels:

You are fair, O Mary,
And the stain of original sin is not in you.You are the glory of Jerusalem;
You are the joy of Israel;
You are the honor of our people;
You are the advocate of sinners, O Mary Our Lady of the Angels,Virgin most prudent,Mother Most loving,
Pray for us,Intercede for us with Jesus Christ our Lord.(mention your request)

AMEN.

Prayer for Faith, Grace and the Intercession of Our Lady of the Angels:

Heavenly Father, you filled the heart of St. Francis with a special love for the Mother of Your Son, Jesus,and for the Portiuncula.

In this hallowed place you nourished his spiritual life and inspired him to found the Franciscan Order.

Through the intercession of Our Lady of the Angels may we be steadfast in our faith and remain true to You.

Grant us the faith and grace always to do Your will. Grant this through Your Son, Jesus Christ.

AMEN

Through the Mercy of God, may we all be embraced by Our Lady and the Blessed Angels!

A Prayer for the Sick and Dying

The Chaplet of Divine Mercy

What a truly powerful prayer!

When I prayed the Chaplet of Divine Mercy for my mother, never did I realize the graces she would soon receive.

Never did I realize the graces I would receive!

How blessed we are to have an awesome God Who loves us unconditionally.

His mercy is unfathomable!

Pray for those who may die today, especially those who have no one to pray for them; that God will show them His mercy and His peace.

Jesus, I Trust in You!

Now is the Time for God's Mercy

God's Mercy and The Chaplet

God wants to see fruits in our lives. He wants us to make it known to all those we love that His mercy is endless!

At the time of my mother's death, I was not totally aware of the mercy of God and the Chaplet of Divine Mercy.

A friend introduced the chaplet to me and I prayed it at my dying mother's bedside. She opened her eyes and shared with us her amazing visions of Heaven.

My mother's death opened my eyes to the reality that Our Heavenly Father is waiting for us.

Heaven is real and God wants all of us to live with Him for all eternity!

But God needs our help.

We can be great apostles of His mercy by:

A) Performing acts of mercy everyday through deeds of kindness to others
B) Spreading the Mercy of God to our family and friends through word
C) Praying for God's Mercy for ourselves and the whole world

By doing this, God can and will work miracles!

Now is the time.

God needs us to help Him embrace our world with His mercy.

May we all delight ourselves in the healing rays of God's mercy!

God's blessings,

At Time of Death, God's Mercy is Greater!

The Gift of God's Mercy

A friend of mine's husband passed away very suddenly a few days ago and she said to me...

"Kathy, I am worried. I don't know where his soul is? Is he in Purgatory? Is he suffering terribly?"

My answer to her was this, "God's mercy is greater!"

We do not know for sure, where our loved one's soul is upon their death, but we should be rest assured of one thing...God's mercy is unfathomable!

God's mercy is beyond our comprehension!

If we completely trust in God's love for us, then when we die His mercy will be endless!

God knows all things. He see's all of our prayers for all of time!

Pray for those who have gone before you.

Pray for your parents.

Pray for your spouses or children.

Pray for your friends or relatives who may have gone before you.

When you are united to them again, they will thank you!

Ask God to have mercy on their souls.

God wants all of us with Him in Heaven.

Pray a Chaplet of Divine Mercy for those souls who may die suddenly today...that God may be their Merciful Savior.

Then trust in His mercy, for it is great!

God bless you always,

A Reflection on My Mother's Death

"I am not afraid to die..."

The greatest gifts my mother gave to me were her visions of Heaven at the time of her death as well as her deep faith in God. Through all her trials and tribulations, this omnipotent and merciful God was her strength.

As Mother's Day quickly approaches, I cannot help but remember some of her last words to me before she died.

"Kathy, remember I told you I was afraid to die?", she said.

"Yes Mom, I do.", was my reply.

"Well, I'm not afraid to die!", she expressed after revealing her visions of Heaven.

I was so happy for my mother... her greatest fear was no longer a reality!

Through His mercy, God had granted my mother the grace of a peaceful death.

My prayer is that God in His mercy will bring a peaceful death to all of those you love.

If you seek His will and ask for this amazing grace, God will shower His Divine Mercy upon you.

You need only ask... and you will receive.

God bless you always,

God and His Mercy!

Mercy is a Grace...

God, in His unfathomable mercy, has allowed us to be witnesses to His mercy.

My mother, at the time of her death, was able to verbally tell us of her visions of Heaven. It was an amazing story that had to be told.

This great gift from God is now spread to all areas of the world. Whoever is willing to be open to hear of God's goodness, will experience His mercy.

May you be enriched with God's love and may you be blessed with many treasures of His grace!

God be with you,