Category Archives: Visionary

Carmelite Saints, Faith, Our Lady, Saint of the Day, Visionary

Prayers, Quips and Quotes: St. Simon Stock, Feast Day May 16

May 15, 2016 Vicki Scheenstra Leave a comment

St. Simon Stock Public Domain Image — St. Simon Stock

The feast day of St. Simon Stock is celebrated on May 16.

Little is known about the early life of St. Simon Stock. Legend has told us that from the age of twelve he lived as a hermit in a hollow tree trunk. As a young man he went on a pilgrimage to the Holy Land. There, he joined a group of Carmelites. They returned together to Europe.

St. Simon was elected Superior General of his Order in London in 1254. St. Simon founded many Carmelite Communities in Cambridge, Oxford, Paris and Bologna. He was instrumental in the transition from a hermit Order to an Order of mendicant friars.

In 1251 he experienced an apparition during a time when the order was being oppressed. The Virgin Mary appeared to him holding the brown scapular in one hand. She told him,

“Receive, my beloved son, this scapular of thy Order; it is a special sign of my favor which I have obtained for thee and thy children of Mt. Carmel. He who dies clothed with this habit shall be preserved from eternal fire. It is the badge of salvation, a shield in time of danger and a pledge of special peace and protection.”

The scapular is made of two squares of cloth connected by strings. It is worn over the shoulders, one on the chest, one on the back.

The promise from the Virgin Mary is believed to mean that Carmelites who live their vocation well, with love and sincerity will be saved. It is a reminder that Mary is their role model in love. The Carmelite Order is a contemplative Order which focuses on contemplative prayer. Mary leads those in the Carmelite Order to a deeper love of Jesus Christ, the Eucharist and the Beatitudes. The role models for the Carmelite Order are the Virgin Mary and the prophet Elijah. It was Elijah who heard the voice of God in the whisper of the gentle breeze.

St. Simon Stock was known to have a special gift of miracles and prophecy. St. Simon Stock. died on July 16, 1265 in Bordeaux, France.

God whispers to us in our pleasures, speaks in our conscience,

but shouts in our pain.

It is His megaphone to rouse a deaf world.

Quote of C.S. Lewis

May is the Month of Mary

Faith, Incorruptible, Our Lady, Saint of the Day, Visionary

Prayers, Quips and Quotes: St. Bernadette of Lourdes, Feast Day April 16

April 15, 2016 Vicki Scheenstra 4 Comments

The feast day of St. Bernadette of Lourdes is celebrated on April 16.

St. Bernadette was born in 1844 in France. Our lady first appeared to St. Bernadette in Lourdes, France on Feb. 11, 1858. Bernadette was a poor shepherdess who was only 14 years old. Our Lady actually appeared to her eighteen times.

During the first vision Bernadette saw a bright light and a beautiful lady dressed in a brilliant white dress adorned with a blue ribbon. A long veil covered her body from her head to her feet. Her hands were clasped as if praying and she carried a white and gold rosary with a gold cross in her hands. Bernadette took her rosary out of her pocket and guided by Our Lady they prayed the rosary. After praying, the vision ended.

Bernadette asked the girls with her if they had seen anything and they said no. She told them not to say anything but her sister told their mother who did not believe the story.

On Feb. 14, Bernadette returned to the Grotto where the vision had happened. She asked those with her to pray the rosary. When Our Lady appeared again, Bernadette’s face was transfigured. She sprinkled the holy water which had been given her and said, “If you come from God, come near us.” The holy water touched Our Lady and she smiled and came closer. They began to pray the rosary together.

On Feb.18, after Mass she was accompanied by a lady and a religious. When she began praying, Our Lady appeared again and they all prayed the rosary. Our Lady asked Bernadette to return for 15 consecutive days. Bernadette promised she would do so. Our Lady said;

“I also promise to make you happy, not in this world, but in the next.”

Bernadette went to the Grotto with a lit candle for the next 15 days. Hundreds of people began coming with her. On Feb. 21. Bernadette observed that Our Lady seemed sad. She asked her “What is wrong? What can I do?” Our Lady said’

“Pray for sinners.”

A doctor examined Bernadette and concluded there was nothing wrong with her. Bernadette was ridiculed nonetheless.

On Feb. 23, Our Lady requested that a Sanctuary be built on the site. She told Bernadette to talk to the priest. When the priest asked her the name of the lady Bernadette did not know. The priest told her he needed a miracle and she should ask the lady for the rose bush to blossom.

On Feb. 25, Our Lady told Bernadette to drink from the fountain. Puzzled, Bernadette looked around for water. She discovered water coming up from the ground which soon became a pool of water.

On Feb. 26 Our Lady revealed to Bernadette her name saying;

“I am the Immaculate Conception”.

During one apparition people witnessed Bernadette praying for fifteen minutes with the candle flame burning through her fingers. She remained unharmed. The last apparition occurred on the Feast of Our Lady of Mt. Carmel. Many miracles of healing have been attributed to he healing waters of Lourdes.

St. Bernadette joined the Sisters of Charity seeking God in the silence of the convent. She died on April 16, 1879.

The message of Our Lady of Lourdes is timeless…Pray for sinners.

The incorrupt body of St. Bernadette of Lourdes may be viewed at St. Gildard Convent where it is kept under glass. This is the convent St. Bernadette spent the last nine years of her life in prayer with God.

Always stay very close to our Lord, present in the tabernacle. Be completely absorbed by devotion to Him there and never let go.

Quote of St. Bernadette

April is the Month of the Eucharist.

St. Bernadette of Lourdes in Art

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Faith, patron saints, Saint of the Day, Visionary

Prayers, Quips and Quotes: St. Lydwina, Feast Day April 14

April 13, 2016 Vicki Scheenstra Leave a comment

The feast day of St. Lydwina is celebrated on April 14. St. Lydwina is the patron saint of ice skaters and the chronically ill.

St. Lydwina was born in Schiedam, Holland into a family of nine children in 1380. While still young she developed a devotion to Our Lady of Schiedam. While ice skating one day she injured herself, breaking several ribs. Gangrene set into the wounds she had received and spread throughout her body. She was bedridden for the rest of her life suffering from various illnesses.

St. Lydwina offered all of her suffering to Jesus on the cross. She experience mystical gifts including vision of heaven, hell and purgatory. She received apparitions of Christ and bore the stigmata. Many miracles occurred at her bedside.

In one vision she saw a rosebush with the words

“When this shall be in bloom your suffering will be at an end.”

In the spring of 1433 she exclaimed,

“I see the rose bush in full bloom!”

Easter morning, 1433, she had a vision of Christ giving her the Last Rites.

St. Lydwina died on April 14, 1433. Her grave became a site for pilgrims to visit and a chapel was built there. She was canonized by Pope Leo XIII in 1890.

I commend myself to the prayers of yourself and your friends, so that Christ, the source of all pity, may design to wash me clean in the water of His mercy.

Quote of St. Bernard; Feast day August 20

April is the Month of the Eucharist

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Faith, Prayer, Visionary

Do Heaven and Hell Really Exist?

March 6, 2016 Vicki Scheenstra Leave a comment

Last Judgement
by Michelangelo

If we turn to the teachings of Jesus, it is clear heaven and hell do exist. The following parables in Matthew given to us by Jesus describe heaven.

1. In Mat 13 1. The kingdom of heaven is like a treasure buried in a field, which a person finds and hides again and out of joy goes and sells all the he has and buys that field.

2. “The kingdom of heaven is like a merchant searching for fine pearls. When he finds a pearl of great price, he goes and sells all that he has and buys it.

3. “The kingdom of heaven is like a net thrown into the sea, which collects fish of every kind. When it is full they haul it ashore and sit down to put what is good into buckets. What is bad they throw away.

4. “The kingdom of heaven may be likened to a man who sowed good seed in his field. While everyone was asleep his enemy came and sowed weeds all through the wheat and then went off. When the crop grew the weeds appeared as well. “First collect the weeds and tie them in bundles for burning; but gather the wheat into my barn”.

5. The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed. It is the smallest of seeds yet when full grown it is the largest of plants. It becomes a large bush and the birds of the sky come and dwell in its branches.

6. The kingdom of heaven is like yeast that a woman took and mixed with three measures of flower until the whole batch was leavened.

Jesus has many references to the existence of hell. In Matthew 25:41 He says “Depart from me unto the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels.” In Mark 9:47-48 He refers to hell as the fire which is never quenched.

The Catholic Church firmly believes in the existence of heaven and hell. It is the jurisdiction of God to determine who enters heaven and who ends up in eternal fire. We believe hell is actually the absence of God. We are given the gift of free will. We actually choose our future. Do we want to be with God, who is love and mercy, or do we choose selfishness and evil? If we choose love and mercy, we must be sincere and actually walk the talk. We must take the time to love both God and our neighbor. In Matt: 7:13 Jesus tells us…

“Enter through the narrow gate, for the gate is wide and the road is easy that leads to destruction, and there are many who take it. For the gate is narrow and the road is hard that leads to life, and there are few who find it.

It is hard to imagine choosing evil. However, sin and evil are actually glamorous and tempting. Selfishness and anger can easily dominate our will and life.

In the past it was believed that the number of people entering heaven were few. The culture reflected the belief that most people deserved eternal punishment. The result was that most people had great fear of literally “going to hell”. Today’s culture believes the opposite. Many people find it hard to believe anyone is in hell…that God forgives all sins and eventually we will all go to heaven.

Jesus teaches us that Hell is a place to fear. To be forgiven, we must first repent. Let’s take the time to get to know and love Jesus. When we actually love God, we will want to spend time with him and come to know his will for us. Jesus himself tells us in Matt: 22 37 Jesus said:

“The greatest commandments are “You shall Love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the greatest and first commandment. And a second is like it. You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.”

If we do this we have no need to fear hell, but can look forward to eternity in heaven…a treasure beyond understanding.

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Carmelite Saints, Faith, Featured, Our Lady, Saint of the Day, Visionary

Prayers, Quips and Quotes: Children of Fatima, Feast Day Feb. 20

February 18, 2016 Vicki Scheenstra Leave a comment

The feast day of the Children of Fatima is celebrated on Feb. 20.

In 1917, an angel and Our Lady appeared six times to three shepherd children in Fatima, Portugal. Jacinta (7 years old) and Francisco (9 years old) were brother and sister. Lucy Dos Santos (14 years old) was their cousin. Jacinta and Francisco both died several years after the apparitions.

Francisco was born on June 11, 1908. During the apparitions Francisco could see but not hear what was being said. He had a great love of praying before the Blessed Sacrament. He also had a great devotion to praying the Rosary. He received his first communion on the day of his death, April 4, 1919.

Jacinta was born on March 11, 1910. Jacinta could both hear and see what was said during the apparitions. She was profoundly affected when Our Lady told her that Jesus was very offended by sin. After seeing a vision of hell, she decided to offer herself completely to the salvation of souls. She offered her suffering to free souls from the fires of hell. A year after the apparitions she came down with bronchial pneumonia, an abscessed lung and then was diagnosed with tuberculosis. She offered all of her suffering to Jesus. She was rushed to a hospital in Lisbon. The Blessed Virgin visited her there three times. She died without the presence of her parents or Lucy on Feb.20, 1920.

Lucy was born on March 22, 1907. After the apparitions Our Lady told her that her cousins would soon be in heaven and that Lucy should spread the devotion to the Immaculate Heart of Mary. Our Lady said

“My Immaculate Heart will be your refuge and the way which will lead you to God.”

It was Lucy who requested a miracle so people would believe in the apparitions. During the investigations surrounding the apparitions, Lucy was harassed. She entered the Sisters of St. Dorothy as Sister Mary of the Sorrowful Mother. Later she became a Carmelite Sister taking the name Sister Maria Lucia. She had several more visions of Our Lady. Lucy died on Feb. 3, 2005 at the age of 97.

During the apparitions in Fatima three secrets were revealed to the children.

1. After being promised they would go to heaven the children saw a vision of hell which was filled with fire and demons.

2. Mary instructed the children how to save souls from Hell and convert the world to Christianity. She asked them to spread the devotion to the Immaculate Heart and to pray the Rosary. She asked them to pray for Russia.
3. The children had a vision of the assassination of the Holy Father.

Many believe the third secret was a prophecy of the attempted assassination of Pope John Paul II. Pope John Paul II canonized Francisco and Jacinta Marto on May 13, 2000.

If men knew the meaning of eternity,
they would do anything to mend their lives.

Quote of St. Jacinta of Fatima

February is the Month of the Passion of the Lord.

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Faith, Our Lady, Prayer, Visionary

Prayers, Quips and Quotes: Our Lady of Lourdes, Feast Day Feb. 11

Image February 11, 2016 Vicki Scheenstra 1 Comment

The feast day of Our Lady of Lourdes is celebrated on Feb. 11.

Our Lady of Lourdes is the patron saint of bodily ills. Our lady first appeared to St. Bernadette in Lourdes, France on Feb. 11, 1858. Bernadette was a poor shepherdess who was only 14 years old. Our Lady actually appeared to her eighteen times.

During the first vision Bernadette saw a bright light and a beautiful lady dressed in a brilliant white dress adorned with a blue ribbon. A long veil covered her body from her head to her feet. Her hands were clasped as if praying and she carried a white and gold rosary with a gold cross in her hands. Bernadette took her rosary out of her pocket and guided by Our Lady they prayed the rosary. After praying, the vision ended. Bernadette asked the girls with her if they had seen anything and they said no. She told them not to say anything however her sister told their mother who did not believe the story.

On Feb. 14, Bernadette returned to the Grotto where the vision had happened. She asked those with her to pray the rosary. When Our Lady appeared again, Bernadette’s face was transfigured. She sprinkled the holy water which had been given her and said, “If you come from God, come near us.” The holy water touched Our Lady and she smiled and came closer. They began to pray the rosary together.

On Feb.18, St. Bernadette was accompanied after Mass by a lady and a religious. When she began praying, Our Lady appeared again and they all prayed the rosary. Our Lady asked Bernadette to return for 15 consecutive days. Bernadette promised she would do so. Our Lady said, “I also promise to make you happy, not in this world, but in the next.”

“Pray for sinners.”

A doctor examined Bernadette and concluded there was nothing wrong with her. Bernadette was ridiculed nonetheless. On Feb. 23, Our Lady requested that a Sanctuary be built on the site. She told Bernadette to talk to the priest. When the priest asked her the name of the lady Bernadette did not know. The priest told her he needed a miracle and she should ask the lady for the rose bush to blossom.

On Feb. 25, Our Lady told Bernadette to drink from the fountain. Puzzled, Bernadette looked around for water. She discovered water coming up from the ground which soon became a pool of water. On Feb. 26 Our Lady revealed to Bernadette her name saying, “I am the Immaculate Conception”. During one apparition people witnessed Bernadette praying for fifteen minutes with the candle flame burning through her fingers. She remained unharmed.

The last apparition occurred on the Feast of Our Lady of Mt. Carmel. Many miracles of healing have been attributed to he healing waters of Lourdes.
St. Bernadette joined the Sisters of Charity seeking God in the silence of the convent. She died on April 16, 1879. The message of Our Lady of Lourdes is timeless…….Pray for sinners!

Death came through Eve, Life through Mary.

Quote of St. Jerome; Feast day September 30

February is the Month of the Passion of the Lord

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The Mystery of Faith

Category Archives: Visionary

Prayers, Quips and Quotes: St. Simon Stock, Feast Day May 16

God whispers to us in our pleasures, speaks in our conscience,

but shouts in our pain.

It is His megaphone to rouse a deaf world.

May is the Month of Mary

Prayers, Quips and Quotes: St. Bernadette of Lourdes, Feast Day April 16

Prayers, Quips and Quotes: St. Lydwina, Feast Day April 14

Do Heaven and Hell Really Exist?

Prayers, Quips and Quotes: Children of Fatima, Feast Day Feb. 20

Prayers, Quips and Quotes: Our Lady of Lourdes, Feast Day Feb. 11

Discovering the Spirituality of Catholicism