Reverse Parastalsis

I was laying in bed after dinner when suddenly I felt like throwing up. I went to the bathroom and as I knelt in front of the toilet, I started praying the Hail Mary, one after the other slowly and prayerfully. Suddenly, the feeling started to back up slowly as I was reciting the Hail Mary. And After about the 4th or 5th Hail Mary, the feeling stopped and I was fine again. Hmmmm.

Work 1

I was tired of being in the same room with all the chatty people and tired of battling with my supervisor. So I asked the Lord if He could get me out of that room and give me a new supervisor. A few days after that, my supervisor got us all together in a stand-up meeting in his office and told us our unit was moving to another Room where P&M is. They will have to restructure that room to fit us in there. Furthermore, they are creating a new supervisory position that will supervise our section. I was dumbfounded. Plus who and why a new supervisor. Let's hope and pray it's somebody who will understand the work and is open to new suggestions and ideas.

June 13th Feast of St Anthony

Today is the feast of St Anthony one of my favorite saints of all times. (Michael's middle name). I really wanted to go to mass today but I could not make it to the 7:05 am mass at St Joe's. (O.T.) So I thought I'd go at noon. So I said to "you know who" that since Monday I'm on phone duty, I would prefer if I don't have any phone calls before 11:55am otherwise I can't go to mass. But I told him that whatever he does is fine with me. The phone went silent at about 11:45. I took off at 11:55 to go to mass down the street.
I made it in time before the priest even showed up. Then the priest shows up. (a young one I've never seen before) Another Hispanic priest, from Latin America someplace since he had a Spanish accent but his English was ok. Well, at the greeting he used the word "communion" instead of "fellowship" just like Fr Tim. Hmmmm. The Spanish version of Fr Tim. He was really good. So I told the Lord that I wanted him to distribute Communion from my side (opposite from where they usually stand). So now here comes the priest to my side to give out communion. What can I say? It was a gift from God.
These things happen and they always overwhelm me. It made my day!!

Fr David's new assignment

In 2009, Fr David Jaspers was ordained a priest. I had prayed that he would get assigned to St Joseph Church in downtown Salem where I live. And so he was. So last year Fr Tim told me that Fr David will be assigned to a parish of his own after his assignment of two years is over. I then prayed to the Lord: "Lord, please do not send David to a far away church. I don't want him to be more than an hour away. So here we are in May of 2011, and Fr David tells me that he is being assigned to St Alice Parish in Springfield, Oregon, about an hour away from Salem, and 4 miles away from David's parents. What a God we have!!

When I was 13

When I was thirteen I was so in love with the Lord that I wanted to die and be with him in heaven. So I prayed every waking moment that the Lord would take me. I prayed for a series of deceases but nothing. So one night I had this dream, that the Blessed Virgin Mary appeared to me and said that "You can't come right now!" I asked her "Why not?" She answered: "There is something you have to do!" I then asked her "Well, am I going to heaven?" She did not give an answer for what seemed forever. Then she answered: "Yes". The dream ended. For years I wondered what that pause meant. I wondered if maybe that was going to be my time in Purgatory? Years later, I finally figured it out. The Blessed Virgin Mary can't foretell the future only God can. So she must have been waiting for an answer from Him and when she did, she passed it on to me. That made sense.
At almost 68, I have to guess I have not done what I'm supposed to do yet. So we'll see.

St Catherine of Siena Comments

In the middle ages, Catherine of Sienna, a stygmatist, a mystic and compassionate sister, had conversations with Jesus Christ. The priesthood is to be revered. This Doctor of the Church revered this priestly consecration even when she encountered it in the person of sinful priests.
Jesus tells her: "It is my will that the sins of the clergy should not lessen your reverence to them.....because the reverence you pay to them is not actually paid to them but to me in virtue of the blood I have entrusted to their ministry. The sacramental mystery cannot be lessened or divided by their sinfulness."
So the next day after I read this, I attend mass at my parish. The priest who is the celebrant is not my pastor but a visiting priest from England whom I have experienced attending mass he has celebrated before not to my liking. Now here he is. UGH!! The man is going along ok, until he reads the gospel then goes into his homily. In his homily he insults Mary Magdalene by calling her "stupid" then proceeds to call us all stupid. Again I'm furious with this priest. Then thought about what St Catherine of Sienna said about priests. Was this a test? or was the Lord trying to emphasize his point here? Who know? But his point is well taken.

Fr Tim's Easter message

Since I was not home during the Easter weekend 2011, I missed Fr Tim's homily which is always good. So I get home, then I tried to look at Fr Tim's blog and discovered that his homily was taped and on line. So I go into that homily. I hear Fr Tim read the Gospel, then go into his homily. Since I could not see him, it bothered me a bit. So I turned it off. Turned off the internet and all programs open in my computer. A few hours later, I go back to my computer, turn on the Firefox browser internet and all of a sudden Fr Tim comes on reading the gospel, then into his homily while the screen was totally blank. I sat there in disbelief and listened to the whole thing. It was as if Fr Tim was saying: "YOU can't turn me off! You will listen to me whether you want to or not!"
WOW!!!

Santa Fe

While in Santa Fe, staying with friends, we got to the pilgrimage site. Franz was supposed to meet us at the restaurant at the bottom of the hill from Chimayo site. We could not use the cell phone to call him because the range was out of range. Tried using other people's cell phone but no dice either. Linda was getting overly worried. Finally I told her that she needed to trust the Lord. He will take care of us. I turned around, walked one step forward and there was Franz walking toward me.

Chimayo: The Pilgrimage

I decided to travel to New Mexico to do the Pilgrimage to Chimayo on Good Friday, April 22, 2011. Stayed with friends in Santa Fe. On Good Friday, Linda and I met the Archbishop Sheehan at the beginning of the pilgrimage. It was a 8.5 mile walk on a dusty road, no sidewalks, lots of traffic and heavy foot traffic, up and down hills. Hundreds of pilgrims. We walked along the roadway for what seemed hours. Stopped to go to the bathroom along the way. They had portable toilets for the pilgrims to use. About three quarter of the way on the pilgrimage, I was feeling pretty weary. The Archdiocese had a van we could use in case we could not make it. I thought about St Bridget of Sweden when Jesus appeared to her and asked her to go to Rome on a special assignment. She responded: "I'm 68 years old (same age I am now), I'm tired, can hardly walk. I can't do it." Jesus responds: "Who do you think you are talking to? I am strength! If I send you on an assignment to Rome, I will provide the strength for you to do it. So get up and go." She went. I said to Jesus: "OK, you are strength, I don't have much in me right now but if you give me your strength, I can make it to the end." Suddenly, I got a second wind, and I made it to the end. Whew!! Thank you Jesus!!

The Biscotti

I had made some biscotti to take to the Christian in the World Program at the Mt Angel Library lecture series. We usually have a break in the middle and have refreshments, cookies, fruit etc.
So on my way to the Abbey I am thinking who will let me in to the Library which is usually closed at 7am when I get there. I asked the Lord: "Please send me someone to let me in the Library." So I get there shortly before 7am and I go into the church and see Fr Odo. I ask him if he has a key to the Library and he does but he has a group of perspective seminarian-monks he had to lead to breakfast. So there was Br Cyril who also has a key to the library and he led me to the library so he could let me in. After we get out of the Library, Br Cyril checks all the doors to make sure they are all locked. The last one on the left was open. The Lord had opened it for me. If I had gone straight to the Library I would have gotten in without bothering anybody. I did not want to test the Lord. But he surprised me anyway in his generosity.

The noon mass 04-08-11

I decided to attend the noon mass today while on my lunch hour. So I'm walking down the street and the the light turned green I proceeded to cross the street. A woman driver to my left who was making a right turn, proceeded to negotiate her right turn as I was walking. Even though I walk at a pretty rapid pace, she beeped her horn at me in an effort to get me to walk faster I guess. The nerve!
I stuck my tongue out at her but she was not looking at me so it got missed.
I kept on walking and I thought to myself, gosh how I wish that Fr David Jaspers would be celebrating mass today. Much to my surprise, as I'm sitting in the pew my friend La Vern and her husband Don from Hermiston, OR show up and sit next to me. Now the priest comes out to start mass and who should appear but Fr David. What a deal!!!
Then at church this evening before the Stations of the Cross, at the Soup dinner, I wished that Fr Tim would sit with me at my table. Well, pretty much later, here he comes with his soup and sits at my table and sits near me. What a day. I feel like God was sitting next to me having dinner with me in the form of Fr Tim. WOW!!

Where is Fr Tim

I went to mass at Queen of Peace Tuesday Evening but Fr Tim was not there. It was a communion service. I was disappointed. I asked the Lord where could Fr Tim be? Is he out of town, in Bend visiting relatives, or what? Here is the answer I got: "Doing official business here in town?" I then find out he was officiating at a ceremony here in town. Wow!

Stigmata

Today I was in the Eucharistic Adoration chapel downtown Salem, when I thought about Fr Tim and his hands that has several warts all of a sudden within the last month. I prayed that the Lord would not give him the Stigmata. It would mean so much suffering for him but I asked the Lord that His will be done.
I came home right after that. When I went to get my email, I knew there was something from him. And sure enough there was an email from him saying that his "stigmata" is going away due to a topical he applying right on them. Praise the Lord!!! When I asked my doctor about it, she said they come from a virus. Fr had thought so too.
Lord you are so good!!

When I fell asleep at the Wheel

One Sunday morning around 7:15 am, I was driving to the Trappist Monastery for mass in Lafayette, Oregon about 45 mins. from my house. I was driving up Hwy 99E when I fell asleep at the wheel. My car veered to the left to the other side of the dividing line. I suddenly felt a hand push me toward the door of the car. As I hit the door, I woke up and noticed I had fallen asleep and was driving on the wrong side of the road. I looked to my right side to see who was there and the seat was empty. Nobody was there. I was in the car all alone. I immediately drove back to my side of the road. Up ahead of me was a hill. When I got to the top of the hill, I looked to see what was coming and there was a car driving up the hill going about 60 mph. We were obviously in a collision course had I not been woken up. When I got home I called a cousin of mine and told her what happened. I asked her if she thought it was the Blessed Virgin Mary who had pushed me awake. She said: "No, it was not the Blessed Virgin Mary, it was your guardian Angel who did that!". I was speechless.

The Dinner

One day I invited my friend Sue and my pastor Fr Tim for dinner for 6:30 in the evening. Sue called me around 5 pm that evening to let me know she was wrapping things up at work and would be at my house soon. That would be a 30 min drive give or take. Now Fr Tim is usually pretty prompt. But as I was in the kitchen working, I said to the Lord: "Lord, I want Fr Tim to be here first and be early." At 6:15 pm the door bell rings. I went to the door expecting Sue to be there but instead here was Fr Tim. Now he says to me: "I know I'm early but I don't know why!" I said in reply: "Come on in, I'll explain!" So I told him what I did. He said: "Ada you are scaring me!"
And so it goes.

Buggy ride

Today I was thinking that I wanted to be at church early for the mission which starts at 7pm. A visiting priest from Chicago is doing it. The bus lets me out at 6:10 at my house, and I get home by 6:15. But I did not have time to create a dinner and then make it to church on time. So I asked the Lord if I could get a ride from Fr David. Maybe he could be going to visit somebody in my neighborhood. He could drop me off and it would give me time to eat dinner in plenty of time to go to church. As I am walking toward the bus stop, a car stops in the middle of the street and yells at me and offers me a ride home. I ask who he is, because I did not recognize him. He said David! DAVID? He did not look like the David I know from work. So he motions me to come to his car. I do so and it's Fr David Jaspers!! Oh, my God!! I can't believe this!! I get in the car, tell him what just happened, we both laugh and he can hardly believe it. So he goes: "Is this true?" "Yes, it's true." We both could not stop laughing and believe the Lord could be so accommodating. Is He good or what?

Puerto Rico

I had traveled to Puerto Rico in 1998 to attend an International Conference of an Organization I belong through work. My friends who were also attending the same conference left Saturday morning on a flight that would get them there in the late afternoon. I could not get on the same flight because all the seats were booked. So I tried getting a flight that would leave the night before. It's called a Red-eye flight probably due to lack of sleep. I get there in the morning, get to my hotel, register, then leave for Old Town San Juan. I only knew one person there, my friend Nick but he had been there three days by the time I got there and had no idea where he would be. As I was strolling the streets I became rather frightened because it reminded me of Spanish Harlem in NY. The Holy Spirit tried to tell me that there was no reason to be frightened. Everybody here is Puerto Rican and poverty is a common occurance.
As I was walking down this one street I happened to stumble into a Franciscan chapel. I walked in, and I noticed a life-size crucifix by the railing. I knelt in front of the crucifix and asked the Lord if I could bump into Nick unless He had other plans. I walked out the door, took two steps to the right, and suddenly I heard somebody yelling my name. I turned around and saw my friend Nick with three other friends. I looked up to the Lord and said to him: "BOY, you are good!" I then ran over to my friend Nick. He asked me if I would spend the day with them and I said yes. I had a great time that day. Thanks to the good Lord.

My Encounters with God

Today I went to the Brigittine Monastery for mass on the feast of Ash Wednesday. Fr Arsenius presided at the mass as the celebrant. Beautiful mass that he does partially in Latin.
We had a nice chat after mass and I discovered his father died Feb. 18th 2011 this year. Just a few short weeks ago. I burst into tears. I loved that man. I did his taxes for over twenty years. We became good friends.
I hope the good Lord will have mercy on his soul and give him peace.

The Virgen Mary's Help

My young son went out walking with some friends. They ended up at a local university study hall. My son went over to the Piano and started playing it. The other friends went on a stealing spree. When they got caught my son was arrested along with them since they came together. My son ended up in Juvenile detention. The judge sent my son to reform school and the other kids who had a record got off Scott free. My son was appointed a lawyer and I got one too. The whole time he was in that reform school I prayed the Rosary every waking moment that I had free for 10 days.
Eventually, my son was released after 10 days. When I talked to my lawyer he told me that it was rare that anybody get out that soon. The minimum stay is 30 days. Then I found out that one of the kids in our neighborhood was also in that reform school and acted as my son's body guard. He was not let anybody near him to bother him. My lawyer never sent me a bill after all this.
I attribute this unusual circumstances of unusual happening to the protection of the Blessed Mother.

The Shower

I had made a quilt for Nicole's new baby. I told the Lord that I wanted her family to give her and baby shower and that I wanted to be invited. Next day in the mail, here is the invitation to Nicole's baby shower. Oh, my!!

The Holy Spirit

I believe in the Holy Spirit and its works.

Oberammergau, Germany

I was sitting in the huge dining room the last night of our pilgrimage, when I noticed a priest across the room wearing his Roman Collar. I noticed that our pilgrimage leader priest not wearing his was sitting at the other end of my table not withing earshot. So I told the Lord: "Lord, Fr T. needs to go over that that priest and talk to him." Right after I said that, Fr T. got up and went over to that priest to talk to him then brought him over to greet us. His name was also Fr T. from Topeka KS.

One morning as I was sitting in the front pew of the church during morning mass, I was really in a hurry to get to work. So, after the readings, Fr David was walking up to the podium to read the gospel and deliver a homily I thought to myself: I want Fr David to read the gospel, speak three sentences, close the book and then sit down. So Fr David reads the gospel, says three sentences closes the book and then sits down.

Yesterday I lost a gas card I got as a gift. I wanted to give it to my pastor but I could not find it anywhere. I loved everywhere I could have put it. But nothing. I went to bed and I thought about Jesus hanging on the cross and I said: "My God, My God, why has thou forsaken me?" I got up out of bed and the voice inside me said: "Look in that tote bag hanging by the doorknob." I looked inside it and there was the gas card.

The Passion Play

I went to the Passion Play at Oberammergau, Germany Sept. 2010 with a pilgrimage group. The Play was so moving that when Jesus was being arrested I thought, why are they doing that, he has not done anything. Then the voice inside me said: "That's the whole point!" When they were nailing him to the cross, I lost it all and I place my raincoat over my head and started sobbing and could not stop. Very emotional.