Sunday, January 31, 2010

Saints & Relics


I have a dear friend who writes these wonderful blogs. She lives in Albuquerque, NM and has many family stories she shares with us. The latest one was about her aunt who was visited by St. Theresa, however, I'm not sure which one, St. Theresa of Avila or St. Therese, the Little Flower.

Personally, my fav is The Little Flower. She was a ballsy broad who lived into the late 19th c. She was a cloistered Carmalite nun who never performed miracles, a must do if your on the saint list, and died very young at 24 years. However, as a children growing up in Catholic schools, we read many biographies of the saints, Therese being the "rock star" of little girls, we all wanted to be like her, or at least try. I never came close...remember the spitting into my sister's milk incidents and having to go to confession every time I did that or other little "mishaps" my mother found out about...my siblings ratted me out many times!! LOL Well, the closest I came was choosing her for my confirmation name.

So the story goes that she never performed miracles, but she did, right in our cathedrals' shrine to her. My Dad would drop us off in the morning at our school, St. Patrick's, and we would play outside till the Boss nun would ring her brass bell for us to stand still and perform the Pledge of Allegiance in the play ground, then into our classrooms for prayers then work.

One particular morning, my friends and I were playing a game before school was called to order, and these kids came up to us and told us the St. Therese statue in the church was crying. Being the skeptic, I just told them they were crazy and how could a chunk of plaster be crying (I was really bad about that stuff). Ok, so I caved and went inside the small shrine already filled with other students. I used to visit that shrine plenty of times because I liked her story...like I said, she was ballsy. There was also a small glass enclosed "relic" on the stand. That just fascinated me; I imagined people taking chunks of her liver or spleen after her death to distribute to all the churches who wanted a piece of her. Morbid, yes, but I would just let my imagination get the best of me!! LOL

Back to the miracle: so there we stood, watching her and waiting for her to do something. As I was ready to turn away, heard the Boss Bell, there were sounds coming from the crowd...she was crying and she moved her cross laden with roses. She smiled at us and I she spoke to us, telepathically. She told us to continue praying for the world and peace...that we were going to be the generation of many changes and there would be much evil from these changes. Wow, after we all calmed down, we compared what we heard in our brains, and the messages were all the same...spooky huh??? We were told to get our little butts into school by the nazi nuns and pretty much of the day, was buzzing about the little miracle many of us witnessed. Of course, the fish stories began...she handed one of the students her cross, she threw her roses at us, her lips moved, she did cartwheels, you know how that goes??

We were told by the faculty and staff not to speak of it ever again...yea right! And that it was a case of mass hysteria...whatever!!! Later on in the morning, we all lined up for daily mass and as we passed the little shrine on our way into church, there was the principal nun, a Franciscan monk and a Jesuit priest standing there just staring at the statue. So mass hysteria, right??? Me thinks there was more to the story, but again, we were told during the short sermon that we were to discard everything we "imagined" that morning.

So do I believe that saints talk to the humble masses, yeppers...been there, saw that!!! My mother has a 1-800 # to St. Jude...he's done all kinds of wonderful things for her and us. When I was going through my divorce, one night I was crying out of sorrow, fear, you name it, I was crashing. All of a sudden, I felt this peacefulness coming from within me...almost like a warm light. I smelled roses, this lovely fragrance coming from no where. I continued crying, but out of joy and love...that's how I felt. Funny, I had experienced this before when I was desperate to get help for my autistic son, but I didn't realize it then.

I went to the shrine the next day. By then, St. Therese was moved out of her little room and into the main church where she's stuck in a corner in the back...oh and no relic...that's gone too. So I laid a single rose on her little alter and thanked her for being there for me.

So if I'm asked that I believe in all this stuff, I'll vote a beg YES!! So you're saying, "Poor Georgina, she's finally lost all her gray cells to menopause," and yes, I've lost a few here and there...my cells are spread all over as a matter of fact, but I'm not hysterical, a religious zealot (on the contrary, I'm not religious at all), or smoking the the little glass pipe, I'm just one of those lucky people who was visited by a great lady who I needed at the time. She's still around, watching, intervening for me and messing with my scent of smell, but thank God she is!! Peace out.

17 comments:

OmaLindasOldeBaggsandStuftShirts said...

Georgina, what a fabulous happening in your life. I got goose bumps reading it. See there just one more thing we have in common. I will share my "vision" soon but girl how wonderful that St. Teresa is there for those who need her.
And sense when does it matter if folks think we're nutz when we have certificates to prove it? LOL
B & G, (((((hugs))))
Thanks for your kind words about my stories, you are too good to me. I guess the under the table bribes are a good thing huh?
vert word tanesse...we used to have a greyesse but we traded it for a tanesse....sorry best I could do.

Anonymous said...

What an amazing story, I totally believe you. I don't know why the church get so odd about these. They teach us all this and disregard it, when it happens. You are so blessed and I love what she said to you. So true! You keep spreading Gods love!
Goodness in the world.
God gave me the same feeling when I was going through divorce. So right there with you!
I love that angels and saints watch over us. You have really made my night! Thank you!

HUGE HUG!

Julie

GlorV1 said...

Georgina, what a great story. I truly believe in miracles and visions. I had a vision of my Grandmother who stood at the foot of my bed one night. She was in white and a white head covering. She looked at me, but didn't speak. I thought I was asleep, so I sat up and knew I wasn't sleeping and little by little she faded away. During the time she was there I was filled with intense....like fire sort of. I don't know. It was a good feeling. I loved your story, thanks for sharing. Have a great week.

peggy gatto said...

It happens at the oddest times,not when we are thinking it might. You have your little miracle and no one can take it from you!
I do believe! Have some special stories of my own.
Thank you for this dear post!!!

yoborobo said...

Wow, Georgina! That is an amazing story. I have to admit something: I always wanted to be Catholic! Seriously, I loved all the Saints, and the rituals. I used to go to mass with my next door neighbor and her Grandpa. Anyway, got off track there (we have that in common, too!) bottom line: YOU know what you saw and heard, and no one can take that from you. I believe you saw and heard something that day. :) xox Pam

Tristan Robin said...

Awesome story, Georgina.

How lucky for you to have such an experience. I'm sure it's played a part throughout your life, even when you're not aware of it.

What the heck's a few hunks of grey matter?

It doesn't bother me - and the sixties were VERY good to me. :P

Dianie said...

Wow Georgina, This gave me goosebumps reading about your wonderful experience. I am a believer too :)

~Diane

Cindi Myers said...

You know what I love about you?
You are ballsy! I LOVE that you always are true to yourself and never afraid to tell your story. As I read your post I could see it in my mind like a little movie playing! I have had many "happenings" in my life and when I dared to share them I was usually met with skepticism. But I believe,no I know, that there are forces out there, whether its saints, spirits or "energy" or whatever different people want to call it, to help us at times when we really need them.
XOXO - Cindi

Janine said...

That ois quiet a story.
How great you told us about it.
But I don´t understand that weird reaction of the church.
Usually they are mad about having a miracle in their parish church.
maybe they knew more.
Who knows.
Have a great week
Janine

Anonymous said...

What a fantastic (in the literal sense) event, Georgina!

Tracy M. said...

That was a beautiful story! And what an amazing experience. I went to Catholic school too, but nothing like that ever happened to me. I was in Jr. High though and I think that as we get older we aren't able to see things the way we can when we are younger.
Take care,
Tracy M.

Anne Huskey-Lockard said...

This was exceptional Georgina, and with the anticipated reaction from the *church* because God forbid that CHILDREN be the one the Saint spoke to.
Well, maybe that was because the adults were so caught up in all the dogma they would never have believed or listened, and as you noted, the line of *disprovers* was there when you went to mass.
I have often thought it was jealousy on the part of nuns, priests, etc when a simple person receives a visitation, and they do not.
By the way, I have a book from the 1600's about St. Teresa of Avila, which was quite damaged in a Convent fire, so pages of it go into collage pieces. It's just something special for me to add....
Thank you for sharing this; this was what faith was to be about---what is believed internally, not pounded in externally.

XXOO!!
Anne

The Itsy Bitsy Spill said...

Hola Georgina! Me encanta todo le que as hecho bello! I was thinking about you and here I am taking time to visit my bloggy friends at last!! Tu siempre con una sonrisa bella. I love your spirit!!

muco amor Happy Valentine!!

Christopher A. Klingler said...

Popping in 2 say HELLO to one of my FAVOURITE ladies!!! '-)

Hope you are having a great & creative week!

mE (-:

XOXO

YayaOrchid said...

Hi, Georginna! Just wanted to stop by and say hello and that you too are an inspiration to your bloggie friends!

Mary Helen-Art Saves Lives said...

The little flower...St. Theresa was a favorite saints when I was growing up in Catholic school in Louisville, KY. We were told we all could use St. Theresa to watch over us as we grow up in our lives. Imagine and Live in Peace, Mary Helen Fernandez Stewart

Thanks for your loving support yesterday...your words meant so much.

GlorV1 said...

Georgina I am one those who does something else other than Super Bowl. Just stopped by to let you know that I am just making menudo because it's a weekend and the Super Bowl just happens to fall on that day. :D We are not really football fans. My husband really doesn't care to sit and watch all the running around. Have a great weekend.