Soufaniyeh is pretty unique. Shows God's mercy with the Orthodox as well as the Catholics, but seems to be almost calling the Orthodox Home. That's how another poster put it.
Yes it is very interesting; especially in the light of what happened in Syria a few years later. But also in light of the fact, for me that she was a young married woman with children, I Find this fascinating. usually with stigmatics I expect the woman to be very much single and virginal. Another interesting thing, the Orthodox have no tradtion of the sitgmata. We catholics tend to focus on the Passion, the Easterns on the Resurrection/ Transfiguration. There is no record of an Eastern Stigmatic. So this is the first, the very first of the Eastern orthodox to bear the wounds of Christ. Also to have a mystic like this having endorements from right across the board, all the Churches. Well I never heard anything like this before. So unsusal in so very many ways. But I 'm quite open to it all...just so many firsts in the one place... .. these things in and of themselves raise thir own questinons.. But I always try to remain open..
Yes, I know. I do believe, though, that while her husband is Orthodox and while she attended his Orthodox parish with him, that she herself is Greek Catholic.
Yeah, but that's Easrtern Rite, so my point stands, regarding the stigmata. But I don;t mean to appear hostile, I'm very open to it. But being a Catholic of any stamp means being essentially Conservative, we look to traditon and as far as Mystical Theology goes, empiraclly that is, she was breaking a few moulds. But I am open to it.
Yeah, true, and that is something the Orthodox sometimes use to single out or belittle Catholicism, and yet you have, in mixed places, both Catholics and Orthodox intermarrying, worshipping together, praying at one another's Saints' shrines, and Orthodox Christians praying the Rosary with Catholics. On-line it can seem like everyone hates each other, but in real life places like Syria, Lebanon, Iraq, Albania, perhaps things are less tense and walled off. I do sense some pride from the Orthodox sometimes. Devotion, but spiritual pride, too. Maybe Soufaniyeh is a call to break some of that down. If Soufaniyeh is authentic, God is using a Greek Catholic married to an Eastern Orthodox who would have been likely attending an Orthodox parish with her husband to call the Orthodox back to Rome. Not to be less Eastern, but to be in union. Just thoughts. Kind of gives me hope!
Yes, gracia, Myrna's family is Melkite, which is a Church united with Rome. One of my instructors in the Diaconate Program, Fr. Saba, is a married Melkite priest- a very holy man with a deep profound prayer life. He is also a painter of icons. His church is in Utica, NY. Myrna's husband, Nicholas, however, is Greek Orthodox- so the obvious call to unity is a central theme of Our Lady of Soufanieh. Both churches in Damascus have approved these apparitions and messages. Safe Under Mary's Mantle!
By the way, the next year that the East and West share a common date for Easter 1s 4/20/2025. I pray that this may be the decisive day when the calendars will be realigned! It is also interesting that Muslims come to pray the Rosary in Myrna's home. Safe Under Mary's Mantle!
Last night when I was praying in the early hours as I struggled to sleep during the darkest part of the morning here in Ireland - I was praying for the members of the forum and for their intentions -- I got a powerful sense of the presence of the Lord -- and a little message came to my mind as I was praying for you all -- a message of hope perhaps for all of us on the forum -- (again we need to discern -- I do not hear God speaking to me at all but sometimes when praying images and words come to my mind). 'dawn is about to break' The world is in great darkness but this darkness will not last forever but waiting for the dawn seems to take forever -- Encourage one another to persevere in faith, hope and love --
Your prayers are appreciated, garabandal. I'll run the next leg of the race for y'all today! Safe in the Refuge of the Immaculate Heart!
Muslims praying the Rosary-that is astonishing. As far as I know, Muslims venerate Our Lady as the virgin mother of Jesus, but in praying the Rosary, they would be implicitly acknowledging Our Lady as Mother of God and, in the process, that Jesus is God. Please God, Garabandal is right, and 'dawn is about to break'-appropriately from the East. [The East, where the Sun/Son rises].
I think it might have been St Theresa of Avila who said “let nothing affright thee, all things are passing” May they pass quickly, Lord
It does sound amazing, DeGaulle. I would think they might manage the Hail Mary, but Muslims have a great aversion to viewing God as Father. In addition, I don't see them praying the Creed. But Myrna and the videos clearly point out they come to the home to pray and for the supernatural oil. Safe in the Hearts of Jesus and Mary!
Thank you, Garabandal! It seems like when our strength, patience, and capacity to hope are just about spent, dawn does come.
That kind of stunned me, too. Maybe there are Muslims there feeling the pull. I've also seen videos of Egyptian Muslims coming to Coptic priests for exorcism, and others in Lebanon who pray to and venerate Saint Charbel.
Our Lady has been given special efficacy in these times -- I think the she is the dawn that will lift the curtain of night that has enveloped the world -- I expect to see many, many miracles as a result of the special role our Lord has given to her -- including mass conversion of Muslims and unbelievers -- But we may have to endure serious purification before the triumph of her Heart -- but during the purification many will learn that they have a powerful mother in heaven -- Jesus will get His way -- his mother will be honoured and venerated in the world the way that He honours and venerates her And her Immaculate Heart will triumph along with His Sacred Heart and the most chaste heart of St Joseph -- the Holy Family will indeed triumph over an ungrateful world -- St Joseph pray for us.
Another article about Myrna: http://www.themichigancatholic.org/2016/05/syrian-mystic-speak-two-area-melkite-churches/ It would be good to see more union between East and West! How far did John Paul II get in reaching out and making reunification a reality? And aren't there Catholic prophecies relating to One Church yet again? How awesome would that be? I feel like many devout Protestants would appreciate deeply what the Church truly is, if they could see it. In some ways, they are already there. Not physically but spiritually, though they may not realize it. The Orthodox, too, are very, very close to us, and have many awesome Saints. But there are differences, too.
The Orthodox would more than likely be unwilling to unite, at least at this time I say this as someone who was baptized Orthodox and the majority of my older family members were either Greek or Romanian Orthodox I converted to Catholicism when I was 15
