Something Providential that happened that you will always remember?

[Shin]

What was a Providential moment in your life when you feel God intervened and you will never forget?

That you feel free to talk about?

 

[Shin]

Here is one from my life.

I had taken up the chaplet of St. Michael prayers, for those who are not familiar with them they are the ones with this description:

Appearing to the Servant of God, Antonia d' Astonac, St. Michael revealed that he wished to be honored by nine salutations corresponding to the nine choirs of Angels and that an Our Father and three Hail Marys should be said in honor of each of these nine choirs. The Archangel promised that whoever would practice this devotion in his honor would have, when approaching the Holy Table, an escort of nine Angels from each of the nine choirs. In addition, for the daily recital of these nine salutations, he promised his continual assistance and that of all the holy Angels during life, and after death, for those who have been holy enough to warrant a short Purgatory, deliverance for themselves and their relations.

I prayed the prayers, but did not have any beads for them. It was my habit to simply pray them without.

One day I felt quite unworthy of the promises of the chaplet, I said to myself, "What if all these angels are helping me, and wasting their time, better spent elsewhere, since I am praying it and gaining this promise?" I do not want them to be wasting their time with me.

After mass that day I went up to the Communion rail, and knelt down before the sanctuary and offered up the promises back to God, saying, if God wished it, let the angels take care of other folks who have a better need for them, do not let them be obligated to be with me because of the promises. I give them back to Him.

I prayed for a time and stood up to leave, and a person had came down the aisle and said someone wished to speak to me. The person directed me to the back of the church, taking me to meet a woman there in a wheelchair. They said some things that confused me a little, trying to reassure me somehow, and giving me to understand she was someone who was sometimes told things by Our Lord. Then she said, she was told, she wanted me to understand she was told to give me this, and she gave me a string of beads --

It was a chaplet of St. Michael.

I will add I had not mentioned to anyone else I practiced this devotion, no one on earth knew of it. And too, the church I went to at the time, is called St. Michael's. Has a statue of him out front.

So St. Michael and the angels will still specially help even truly worthless folks like this one.

I was truly surprised by it and will never forget it. I still have those beads. And so I truly recommend to folks praying the chaplet of St. Michael. Hopefully this story will help folks to realize it's good to take up, and the promises are not going away. They're still fulfilled today, and if you wish to honor the angels and make your life on earth happier by making Heaven happier, there is the chaplet of St. Michael.

It's one of those special devotions, like the 15 Prayers of St. Bridget, which I was given once during Eucharistic Adoration and which had its own Providential story.

 

[odhiambo]

I have been sitting here staring at your post, my eyes tearing!
A truly indisputable miracle! It gives me strength to pray even more.
 Did you feel even closer to God at that point in time?
Blessed be Our God, now and forever!

[Shin]

Ho ho, don't make my eyes gleam too!

It's a secret to happiness, that chaplet. Whenever you pray it I think you might feel happier because Heaven's happiness rains down. I recommend it to all. 

It was a very unusual time in my life then. I felt very close to God all the time, I was going to daily mass twice a day at times.. Despite that I had so much to overcome, some habits that I was quite unaware of the trouble of, sadly.. I didn't understand so much.. It makes me think how dangerous ignorance is.. and how much being humbled by very hard events helps the soul..

I wonder how that lady is doing now, it's been many years. I still have the little letter I asked her to write of the event though, I asked her to write it down, it is in a box, I have not read it in awhile. I should I think.

It makes me think of another story in my life. I'll share the one about the St. Bridget prayers I think, though I hope to hear from some other folks too..?

[odhiambo]

If it had been me in your place, I would probably made a nuisance of myself, never wanting to loose contact with her.
A really holy person that woman is!

[Shin]

Ho ho you would be like her friend who talked to me a bit and too. Nancy, who knew everything about every sort of miraculous or at least believed to be so event. I talked with her awhile too, I remember a very nice woman..

At that time in my life I was very wrapped up in a lot of personal troubles.. despite all the graces.. Or where troubles about, grace abounds more?

I heard a story recently from a lady who met a priest who read her conscience once. I must remember that one. What a gift.

She said something very soothing. That the Holy Ghost brings to mind past sins little by little, and as He does to confess them as part of your regular confession. The gradualness is God's mercy, for some folks, if you remember everything at once it would perhaps provoke despair!

[odhiambo]

The chaplet of St. Michael prayers, is present in the little booklet known as PIETA. It is a wonderful prayer book, with treasures like the Fifteen Prayers of Saint Bridget and many other. I have had the book for years but used it only when I first bought it and then put it aside. Today I bought a revised edition. The rosary was not available but there is a woman who makes them and she promised to make more and bring to the bookshop in the next few days.
Thanks for sharing Shin. I am really keen on this one.

[Shin]

Yes, the Pieta prayer book, I know that one. There are some very wonderful prayers in there!   

 

[Shin]

Let me know how it goes! ! 

[Shin]

I guess I'll share another story and hope some folks find one to share too.

This one is short.

It's about some other prayers. The 15 Prayers of St. Bridget.

Years ago I went to an church that held regular Eucharistic Adoration. I went there and prayed, and saw a lady there with a veil. She was in the pews, and she held a booklet. It was a very thin booklet, I saw the cover and recognized the prayers, it was 'The Fifteen Prayers of St. Bridget'. Tan Books published those prayers in a booklet, with images from the Crucifixion to help. The older cover was very simple, it is not the same cover now. . . I had prayed the 15 Prayers of St. Bridget before, but not regularly pursing the devotion, and I was happy to see another person who appreciated the prayers..

So I mentioned to her that I loved the prayers, I do not remember the words anymore, it was a number of years ago. I told her I was happy to see the prayer book. Then she offered the prayer book to me.

I was quite surprised, I thought I might be depriving her of the prayer book, but she urged it upon me, she told me to take it. And so I did and thanked her.

It was after that I took of the yearly devotion of the 15 Prayers of St. Bridget. This is praying the prayers each day for an entire year.

( I hope folks will read about the 15 Prayers of St. Bridget. )

I do not understand quite how I did that devotion, or decided to take it up, because you see, to do it every day without miss for a year. . .

How do I explain? It is impossible. Impossible -- for me. At that time in my life, it is impossible, I cannot do it. I did not have the virtue, or the habits.

Yet strangely..

After she gave it to me, that booklet in Eucharistic Adoration, I did it.

Strangely, I prayed the prayers every day for a year. Sometimes midnight close at hand, but finishing just before, just before.. each time..

Somehow.. what I could not normally ever do.. it happened. I completed the devotion for a year, and to my recollection, I did not miss out a day.

There is nothing I could do then, or did do, so regularly, I did not possess that virtue, to every day without fail do something like that, or anything practically.

And my irregular life around it still persisted. Yet so did the prayers.

I do not know how to communicate it. How.. impossible for me to be so regular was. You will think too much of my capabilities, perhaps?

But I lived a very irregular life back then. So irregular, humanly speaking.. no, simply no it could not happen.

But it did. I wish now, that I had not broken off, after the year.

So I see Providence there, so thankfully, in that church, and in the lady who I think prayed for me. . . and gave me the gift of the 15 Prayers of St. Bridget.

Those very special prayers.

[odhiambo]

Let me know how it goes! ! 

For sure!

[odhiambo]

You did it with God's grace. He wants us to be willing at least to take the first steps. He does the rest so that a seemingly impossible thing turns out to be doable after all.
Pray more for those kinds of encounters because you seem destined for them and they do strengthen our faith.

[Shin]

Thank you for the advice, odhiambo.

[odhiambo]

Have you ever read the book: " The Poem of the Man God" by the Italian mystic Maria Valtorta?

[Shin]

I remember reading a short bit of it, then putting it aside. It is controversial, there are articles about it some saying there has been approval and some disapproval by various authorities and I have never sorted it out.

I set it aside due to that. I did not want to read something of such a sacred subject I did not have confidence in.

[odhiambo]

Ok. I was brought all the four or five volumes by my niece who is in Italy. I read the lot. Was not aware of any controversy.
If that still exists then it is best to leave it be.