Encountering the power of prayer - "Have sight; your faith has saved you." Jesus to the blind man

I am in awe today of how the Lord works in such small and wonderful ways in our lives... and, Yes, in big and amazing ways too!  So much is washing over me this day that I need to just take a big breath and dive into the waves of LOVE and Mercy that are swelling up!   Why?  An encounter with a 5 year anniversary up close and personal!  Recently I had checked in our journal we kept during John's brain cancer and realized that the relic of Venerable Solanus Casey arrived on November 13th, brought by my parents from Michigan, and that John was anointed and prayed over with the relic on Nov 15... touching a packed Church with the power of prayer!

 

We had an opportunity to spend a day with my parents after celebrating a second birthday with our granddaughter, Bernadette.  We arrived to share some breakfast and then travel together in our van 40 minutes to mass in Stillwater - St Michael's parish.  After a wonderful mass shared to our surprise with my brother-in- law, Jerry and his wife, Cathy, (my sister, Mary, died 28 years ago of cancer leaving Jerry with a 20 month old daughter, Audrey.  Years later he married a young widow with 5 kids. And Cathy just informed us that they are at 13 grandchildren - ahead of us by 1!) my mother suggested that we go and look at a special window they had there for Venerable Solanus Casey!

 To have my mother wind through church after mass to the gathering space is quite out of character, and I noticed that and pondered it... My dad shared today that he suggested that she take us as he had to go and use the facilities.  Here was a special lit up window that showed our familiar fellow traveler of the road/journey called Brain cancer/healing, Venerable Solanus Casey!  It explains that he had been confirmed in this exact church at the turn of the century.  Mom and dad only happened across this about a month ago, when they came to talk to the pastor about joining this church.  "We were in the gathering space waiting to talk to Father, and came across this lit up window." my dad explained this morning.  All too wonderful to be touched by the renewed blessing and reminder of how touched we all were at that 8a mass exactly 5 years earlier!

 We say that all the special pieces of our Faith have all come together to heal John and like the blind man today in the Gospel (the blind man would not be quiet but called out to Jesus to come and heal him!)- John's half-hearted prayer for Faith has been answered in such a beautiful way by each and every Saint most especially St John Paul II and Solanus Casey, continuous prayer of the rosary and by his prayer warriors, Our Lady of Lourdes - bathing in her waters twice, Being anointed with the Sacrament of healing 3 times, and almost daily receiving of the Eucharist, daily sharing of morning and evening prayer, and his family brought together in continuous prayer and relying on our Church!  All this added up to result in his healing and reception of Faith! 

On our trip back to my parents after this encounter with our past.  John now healed 5 years later... we shared with tears in our eyes the great power of prayer we encountered through John's brain cancer journey!  Remembering all the stories of discovering the power of PRAYER!  The 9th grade girl we taught in FF that next year, who was at that mass 5 years ago on November 15th. "I have prayed for John ever since and now he is healed!"  she realized that her prayers were answered and that prayer is real and powerful!  The week of Prayer we had for John - Dec 1-Dec7 around the clock!  So many powerful stories we heard of those that encountered Jesus in their hours! 

 

As I said... so much today!  It is so powerful to know that yesterday was the 5 year anniversary of John's first whole brain radiation.  We took him to Rochester the day after he was prayed over at mass to begin his 6 weeks of radiation, and eventually CR - Complete Response and Christ Rules!

John carrying up the healing chrism oils used for anointing of the sick for the Holy Thursday mass in spring of 2011.

 

Jesus, You and your Bride, The Church, are all that matter in our lives and our journey.  We have been called forward as we sat at the roadside and called out to you in our fear and our blindness!  You had pity on us and brought John to the knowledge and love of You and Your Church, and along with him came many!  We are so powerfully touched and deeply reminded of your Mercy for us, if only we call out to you and repent of our clinging to the darkness of sin and death.  Jesus, we trust in YOU.  Amen and Hallelujah

So in love with his Faith and grateful for Venerable Solanus Casey's part in that.  Although John did not go running down the aisles miraculously healed on that Sunday 5 years ago.  We do know of someone there, who prayed for a healing of a lingering stomach illness and was healed from that day forth! 

Bless-bless, Barbara Luke

 

Seeing his face and listening to the humble wisdom of Venerable Solanus Casey

a pearl...

A saint from our lifetime.  It reminds us that we too are called to become saints!

Danielle Rose - the saint that is just me

 Some from 3 1/2 years back.. John with baby Augustine

My parents with baby Augustine...

My parents yesterday after sharing our encounter, and a meal in their light-filled home of Peace and LOVE... listening to John's girlfriend, Amy, play the piano for us.

 

I love this and will end this long and winding sharing with this JOY once again. 

So appropriate for today from my friend, Scott Hahn!
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It is a special feast day today too... St Elizabeth of Hungry