This is so spot on it is frightening!!! http://www.markmallett.com/blog/2012/03/warnings-in-the-wind/#more-8145 Sound the Trumpets!! Get as many as possible to read this message.
Mark's prophetic instincts are so accute. Years ago ,during the war here, they used to take Catholics away to torture and kill them. My Spiritual Director used to advise me to carry Holy Water with me in the car. He said that those who wished to kill would have the devil in them and that the devil would be off put by the Holy Water. In actual fact I don't know how many times I escaped death, I lost count. Our Lady has said at the apparitions at Medugorje that we should wear and use Sacramentals for protection from evil. As soon as I read this post I uncovered a large St Benedicts cross form my drawer and bought a new chain (the one had broken) and put it on. I can feel its power. May 25, 1988 "Dear children! I am inviting you to a complete surrender to God. Pray, little children, that Satan may not carry you about like the branches in the wind. Be strong in God. I desire that through you the whole world may get to know the God of joy. By your life bear witness for God's joy. Do not be anxious nor worried. God himself will help you and show you the way. I desire that you love all men with my love. Only in that way can love reign over the world. Little children, you are mine. I love you and want you to surrender to me so that I can lead you to God. Never cease praying so that Satan cannot take advantage of you. Pray for the knowledge that you are mine. I bless you with blessings of joy. Thank you for having responded to my call." While out I also bought a beautiful silver Miraculous Medal and chain which I plan to give along with a book explaining the history and power of the medal to an old Protestant lady who had been considering becomming a Catholic at one time. I must admit I have been feeling guity lately about not doing more to evangelise and work for others. Family people naturally work for others as part of their vocation, but single people like myself maybe should try a little harder. I must pray about this.... :roll: I read lately a message from MAry in which she said she is actually present with people who say the rosary. This touched my heart very much. Of course I should have guessed that Our Lady would of course be present as if she were not then we would be talking to thin air, would we not? Matthew 18:20 For where two or three come together in my name, there am I with them." But sometimes the Holy Spirit causes a seed like this message or a word form scripture to catch fire and this one really caught my attention as at once I believed MAry's words and was full of joy at them. Incredible that the Mother of God should come down from heaven to join us everytime we pray for her intercession. How wonderful. My old aunt Teresa died last week. She was 82 years old and a mother grandmother and great grandmother to so many (I hear she had 15 great grandchildren. She was buried way out in the country on the most beautiful Spring day in Clones a little country town in COunty Monaghan. I recognised the young priest officiating whom we mentioned lately on the ofrum, Fr Gorman who writes for 'Alive' newsparper and contributes to EWTN. A surprise and a nice one. Anyway the grave yard was on a fairly steep slope and I stood above and somewhat apart from the rest looking down at the quite large crown round the grave. At the end of the service Fr Gorman said a decade of the rosary and I remembered Mery's promise to be present wherever the roasry is said...As Id di so I looked up and elevated about 20 to thrity feet off the gorund looking down smiling, interested in all that was going on I prayerfully saw MAry standing ,dressed in a deep blue robe ornamented with what looked like large embroidered roses. I was touched because I saw at once the deep and motherly interest she had for all there, that she knew to the bottom of their hearts each and everyone there. There were no secrets from this perfect mother, loving, compassionate , interested, smiling so tenderly. ..and so I saw it really was true, she does draw close to those who pray the rosary. Why the embroidered roses? The word rosary comes from Latin and means a garland of roses, the rose being one of the flowers used to symbolize the Virgin Mary
It is refreshing for you to point out the protection of sacramentals, Padraig, and also the loving presence of Our Lady. Interestingly, I attended a Catholic Men's Convention yesterday where 1,000 men gathered for Holy Mass, Adoration, and teachings by guest speakers. During one break I ran into a friend, John O'Brien, who gave me four blessed brown scapulars. I'm wearing one of them now. My last one had broken a long time ago, and I had yet to replace it. No more! Safe in the Hearts of Jesus and Mary!
I must admit, Terry, I have great trouble with scapulars in the past. First they keep breaking. Second they tend to stick up above my collar and look crazt. Then they get dirty... I suppose in the old days when they were commonplace folks knew how to make good strong ones... even with medals it is really hard to find a good strong chain. Still at least I have my St bendict's Cross on at minute...but I keep giving them away....
I wear a dual medal. One that has the miraculous medal and scapular medal on it. The scapular medal cannot be worn to great effect unless there is an outstanding reason for it, as per the Pope. Scapular medals were regularly given to soldiers in war for instance. My reason is that I spend a lot of time year round in the ocean, getting wet. A wool fob on a string wont hold up. On Ebay these dual medals are available but somewhat scarce. Some are authentic WWII Catholic medals used by U.S. soldiers -- red,white,blue enamel on an american shield symbol with the two medals, some are more civilian in design. Running an Ebay 'Saved Search' on 'miraculous scapular' will get you emails sent to you when the search gets a result. Prices can vary $15-30-40 But of course, you can always wear a singular scapular medal and I think there are a plethora of base metal cheapies for this. My setup is this: I attach a miraculous/scapular WWII medal to a black Benedict cross via a 9mm split ring(the split rings wont split!). I use 3mm leather cord to string these together and wear.. The leather cord is tied off and ends seared with a match and sized so it barely/tightly fits over my head. Wont come off when getting tumbled about in the waves. The leather cord has a lifespan of 3-4-5 years before it will get thin in one spot from the split ring. Once you notice, you have 6+ months before it breaks and then its time to cut off another snippet of leather cord and start again. Leather cord, 9mm split rings all bought from China through Ebay--very cheaply. The Benedictine Cross lasts up to about 5 years with numerous times gluing(special waterproof glue) the Jesus figure back on the cross due to corrosion before I break down and get another. I am a first order discalced surfmonk.
There are all qualities of scapulars. The one I wear is embroidered w/a strong, thick cord. It has a cross and St. Benedict's medal. It gets dirty, but doesn't break like the cheap ones. I also wear a rosary around my neck. My son makes rosaries w/beads strung on light steel cable. I have a miraculous medal on it and a pardon crucifix (I think is what he called it). Every once in a while I need a repair (usually when I catch the cross on something.) but it is very strong. I'm not very good at evangelizing, so the rosary tells others who I am, and often people ask me about it. Besides that, I always have a rosary about me!
I have had good luck with my scapulars. My whole life I have owned......TWO! I still have the FIRST one I received at my First Communion and it is still intact! I wore it sporadically, but quite a bit through my young years, and it has now achieved a permanent place on my wall, draped over a small childhood crucifix that I have had as long as I can remember. I realize it would completely wear out if I continued to wear it and I wish to keep it since it was my first. It has the plastic protectors/covers over the wool, which is common for scapulars given to children. I picked up my second brown scapular for free at our adoration chapel 4 years ago. It has strong but ordinary flat white ribbon/cord. The squares are wool and the images are embroidered on white cloth and sewn onto the wool squares. It is of a small style, not tiny, but not big like some I've seen. I wash it by hand periodically though not too frequently (so as not to wear it out) and have even washed it in the machine inside of a lingerie bag. I lay it flat on my tub ledge to dry, flatten out the ribbon and set something heavy like a shampoo bottle on each wool square for a day or so. It always looks like new when I am done! When we went to Medjugorje in 2010 I looked for a replacement for it, assuming it would not last much longer, but I never found one exactly like it so didn't buy any. Now and then when I am in a gift shop I look for a replacement but still have never seen one that is identical and so have not bought one yet. It is still fine! I am amazed. Now I do not wear it every day all the time. I seem to go in spurts with it. I wore it non-stop for about a year, and have worn it through several Lents. and for a couple months here and there. I wear it say, when making a pilgrimage or when feeling in need of more spritual discipline. Pardon my bluntness men, but I have found a really good way to wear it with woman's clothes, so I would like to share my secret with you other gals out there. This is also why I prefer a white ribbon over brown. I use two safety pins to "attach" the ribbon to each bra strap. Not actually pinning it but using the pins as "slip-guides" for the ribbon and strap. I leave the pins with the scapular ribbon and simply close them around the straps each day. Doing this, any top or dress that conceals my straps also conceals the scapular ribbon in front. Keeps it discreet and humble, between God and me. Besides the Scapular, I always wear a small silver (or gold) Miraculous Medal, and a very small sterling silver crucifix hanging with it that a woman merchant in a shop in Medjugorje at the foot of Cross Mountain gave to me for free. I wear a wooden Franciscan Tau on a knotted cord as often as possible too (I cannot wear these when I substitute teach unless it is at the Catholic High school). My medal is small so it doesn't attract too much attention, but sometimes it does. The Tau sparks conversations sometimes, which I do enjoy. I keep a small wooden St. Benedict Rosary in my pocket always (that I also got for free from "Charlies" in Medjugorje), along with a coin with St. Joseph on it and a prayer for employment on the back that I purchased at Our Lady of Good Help shrine in Green Bay. Sometimes it seems a little odd, I have other pretty necklaces that I used to wear and love, but now they just hang on my little necklace hook most of the time. Mary has replaced them, and I rarely look back. She is more beautiful than all of those others combined. On those days I may not have my medals or crosses on, I have a Miraculous Medal and a Crucifix hanging from my car mirror attached to a rosary bracelet, so she still travels with me every day.
My brown scapular's string is so short it falls off, so I tie it to my undergarments to keep it on when I wear it. Connie- that's amazing! Only two? I also wear a Medalion of Mary and it is kind of old and the chain is not so shiny but I pretty much keep it on and layer any other jewelry over it. Once in awhile I'll take it off but I try to keep it in my pocket then and put it right back on. - guilty of vanity in those cases so they are pretty rare these days my mother pins hers to the inside of her clothes.
I have heard of lots of people who pin medals under their clothes. I haven't done that other than the scapular, but for a very long time I carried one of the inexpensive miraculous medals that was old and worn in my pocket. It disappeared one day, so I am hoping Mary found a better home for it.
