A New Book for Families: "Jake the Parish Pup"

Please pray for the success of this special labor of love: one of my fellow Kailua parishioners at St. Anthony of Padua Church - Julie Strivens - wrote and recently published a children's book called "Jake the Parish Pup", which this blogger had the honor of providing the illustrations for.  The book is now available in Amazon.com - click/tap here or scan the QR code below to view the book.

May it be a blessing to entire families, especially children growing up in our Catholic Faith!

FOR DISCERNMENT: PRAY FOR AMERICA

Happy 4th of July!

I feel a special need to share another extraordinary photo.  After today's First Saturday Rosary for Peace and evening Vigil Mass at my parish, I witnessed a figure in the sky - it looked like our Blessed Mother holding the infant Jesus.  I asked her what was going on, then had an interior impression that it was a silent message for our country since it's the 4th of July ... and the 250th Anniversary of the USA.  I snapped a few pics.

     

One of the clearer photos ... the figure enlarged on the right

with the Holy Virgin outlined by this author.

Now looking at the photos, it seems to me that the Baby Jesus is transformed into a cross in Our Lady's hands (some still perceive a baby).  A First Saturday ... on a historic and significant date for America ... the Rosary for Peace ... this appearance ... and a cross in her hands.  It doesn't seem to be random.  Rather, as a whole, it's all a coherent and urgent message - a silent request to pray and sacrifice for our country - and I'm not surprised.  Our culture has more and more, with the passing of each decade, sunken into deeper lows.  Our beloved country indeed needs prayer - pray, pray, pray for America!

A Prayer for America's 250th Anniversary

(By Cardinal Raymond Leo Burke)

O Sacred Heart of Jesus, King of Heaven and Earth,

I place today my nation, the United States of America,

into Your Heart pierced for love of us.  On the 250th

Anniversary of the Declaration of Independence,

I acknowledge that true liberty is Your gift, and that

our lasting homeland is the eternal Kingdom of God.

Under the mantle of Our Lady of Guadalupe,

Patroness of the Americas, and through the

intercession of her Immaculate Heart, bless my

homeland anew, purify her from sin, and guide her

leaders in truth, justice, and peace, so that she may

safeguard all human life, respect the integrity of

marriage and the family, and honor the practice of

religion.  Reign in my home and in my nation.

Draw every heart into communion with You, that

Your truth, love, justice, mercy, and peace may

triumph in America and throughout the world.

Amen.

God bless the United States of America!

In the light of the Eucharist ...

It's 1:14 AM and I can't sleep. Just got home from my parish of St. Anthony of Padua Church in Kailua, where there's an overnight Eucharistic Adoration currently ongoing; my parish does this on the Thursday evenings preceding the First Fridays and they're wonderful!

The true presence of Jesus in the Eucharist is always very palpable to me during these nocturnal events ... but tonight was extra-special - Jesus may have given us visible affirmations of his True Presence in the Blessed Sacrament and I was fortunate enough to capture them with my camera.

     

ABOVE: A photo taken during the first hour.  I didn't

notice anything unusual while snapping the pic ... but note

how the light formation on the monstrance looks like

a glowing silhouette of a baby in swaddling cloths

reaching out.  Was it the Holy Infant?

BELOW:  A photo snapped during the second hour.

An image resembling the head and shoulders of a young

boy was seen near the base of our unique crucifix.

Was it the Christ Child?

     

The four of us who were present in the church could clearly see the ghostly image of a boy next to the crucifix.  We all agreed as to what we saw and discerned that it represented the Christ Child lovingly watching over us; another affirmation of Jesus's presence.  It goes without saying that my time in Adoration and prayer was made more fervent by the sighting, and I believe it was the same for my fellow parishioners.

This blogger doesn't believe in coincidences ... but regardless whether the figures are signs, or not, how blessed we are as Catholics to have Jesus present and so close to us in the Eucharist.  HE literally dwells in our Tabernacles - Thanks and Praises be to GOD!