It's in his eyes....

Meeting Pope at Ground Zero Brings Tears to Sept. 11 Survivor

WASHINGTON (CNS) -- Looking into Pope Benedict XVI's eyes as she genuflected in front of him during his visit to the former World Trade Center site, Julie Malik knew the pope understood what she had experienced on a disastrous September morning more than six years ago. "I remember thinking, 'You're here. You're here to help us. You took your time to understand,'" Malik said of the April 20 meeting. Malik, 57, was one of four survivors of the Sept. 11, 2001, attack in lower Manhattan who met the pontiff during his visit to ground zero. Four rescue workers and 16 people who lost family members in the disaster also met the pope at the site. "There's one word I can think of to describe (the meeting) and that is 'amazing,'" Malik told Catholic News Service. "His eyes are so penetrating. He just stares in your eyes." END

I have a vivid memory of witnessing this during Our Holy Father's visit while I watched on TV. At every opportunity he had, he took time to stop and look directly into every single person's eyes and listen to them with patience and love. We are so blessed to have this Pope.

A Symphony of Hope

Our Holy Father has set the tone. Our good Shepherd has refocused our eyes through the current darkness to the true beacon of light, Christ our Hope. This all began for me last summer as the theme of hope, the gift of hope, filled me with an understanding of the great gift of Mary's House. To me Mary's House is THE symbol of hope for peace for our times. Hope for peace, conversion, unity, and hope for the possibility to give back to God His people in a way so pleasing to him...through the Daughter, Mother, and Spouse of the Holy Trinity, Mary.

Long ago, God chose Sr. Marie to find and preserve this House of Hope. It seems clear to me that His symphony of hope begun all those years ago with Sr. Marie is about to come to it's beautiful and hope-filled crescendo and we are His instruments. Sr. Marie is leading the musical prayer for us from heaven. She is waiting for us all to join the orchestra and play our part without which the music will not be complete. It's a beautiful piece; it's name is Peace. It is the song which Our Lord, the Prince of Peace, yearns to hear. Our Holy Father has pointed the way! Please come and follow Sr. Marie as she leads us spiritually to Mary's House to participate in this Symphony of Hope.


Consider revisiting just a few of my posts from last summer and fall that focus on this recurrent theme of hope.

The Assumption of Mary, Hope, and Sr. Marie
Be Like Mary; Children of Holy Hope
Our Lady of Hope
Spiritual Solidarity
Our Lady's Tears
Psalm and Scripture of Hope

Current Pastel Image of Sr. Marie by artist Candace Elizabeth Eaton

Candace will soon begin the oil painting that will include a few changes to what you see here. Please pray for Candace that Sr. Marie will abundantly bless her and give her the inspired image that will bring many souls to Christ through the intercession of Sr. Marie and all glory to God!

Mount Carmel Catholic Bloggers

Our blog is highlighted today at Mount Carmel Catholic Bloggers! May Sr. Marie find many new friends with this little flurry of exposure. Pray for signatures. Thank you Patrick Gordon; may Sister Marie bless you in a very special way.

Association of the Miraculous Medal

Please visit the AMM May Newsletter devoted to Sr. Marie!

Power of the Pen

Our letters are having an effect! It's time to redouble our efforts. Please, please, please write letters and have your friends write letters. On the left tool bar of this page is a link to a "how to" letter writing helper that includes the addresses of the Archbishops of Izmir and Dijon as well as the General Superior of the Vincentians and the Mother Superioress of the Daughters of Charity. With this tool you can work for the cause of peace and help Sister Marie in her important mission by showing the power of the pen!

This is the year of St. Paul, a prolific writer for Christ, who spent the remainder of his life after his conversion travelling, writing, and spreading the Good News of our Dear Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. It's a perfect year to dedicate to writing our own letters telling the good news of Sister Marie's intercession in our lives and expressing our solidarity with her mission to intercede for us to bring hope for peace between Muslims and Christians. This will help support what Our Holy Father spoke of recently when he was expressing some of his hopes for his upcoming trip to America including Ground Zero. He said, "I earnestly hope that my presence among you will be seen as a fraternal gesture towards every ecclesial community and a sign of friendship for members of other religious traditions and all men and women of good will." Pope Benedict XVI is trying to “open the door to Christian-Muslim dialogue."

Just like St. Paul who spent three days in darkness after seeing our glorious and resurrected Lord, we too have lived a time in darkness and fear after the tragedy of 9/11. But when St. Paul regained his sight, his hope was restored, and he set himself to the mission of bringing the Good News of Christ to every person he could reach. We, too, now have reason to hope! We have a special intercessor for hope in these times. It is Sister Marie! Right now she needs our prayers and our letters. Like St. Paul, let us in all hope set ourselves with great determination to this mission of peace. Like him, let us write, and spread the good news of hope for peace through the intercession of Sister Marie! This is the time, the year of St. Paul. Especially now when we learn of all our Holy Father hopes to accomplish with his visit. He needs our prayers. Sister Marie, help us pray and work well by writing our letters so we may assist Our Holy Father as he courageously spreads the Good News of Christ to the world. In his recent video message he says: "Together with your bishops, I have chosen as the theme of my journey three simple but essential words: "Christ Our Hope." Following in the footsteps of my venerable predecessors, Paul VI and John Paul II, I shall come to United States of America as pope for the first time, to proclaim this great truth: Jesus Christ is hope for men and women of every language, race, culture and social condition."

The theme of hope cannot be denied. Sister Marie, Foundress of Mary's House, wants to intercede for us with Our Lady who in Mary's House is referred to as Mother of Holy Hope! God our Father ordained that Sister Marie be the one to save this treasure, Mary's House, for us... for now!...for hope! God chose Sister Marie for this purpose then and the purpose, or mission, is still unfolding. We can be a part of this by praying and writing. We needed Sister Marie then and we need her now; She gave us Mary's House then, and more than ever we need Mary's House, a common ground of hope for peace, now!

The pen is mightier than the sword. It is the time for letter writing. Be an apostle of peace and hope. Please make your letters personal and heart felt but above all before writing your letters, please say a prayer to Sister Marie and also to St. Paul asking to be blessed with their guidance and inspiration. And during the Pope's upcoming visit let's together ask Sister Marie to protect, guide, and pray for him, Our Holy Father, the Vicar of Christ Our Hope!

God bless you!

Papal Message to Catholics in the United States

A video and text of Pope Benedict XVI's message to Catholics in the United States in anticipation of his apostolic journey to America. Link is in above title.

Sorrowful Mysteries Meditation with Sr. Marie

Let us pray the Sorrowful Mysteries today on Friday and meditate on the last days of Our Lord's life here on earth. Our faith is filled with mysteries. The House at Ephesus holds many mysteries yet to be revealed.

Consider that while Our Lady lived at Ephesus, she was the first to pray the devotion of the Stations of the Cross. Contemplate the sacred tears that have fallen on that holy ground at Ephesus where Our Lady carved the first Stations of the Cross and with a heavy heart walked the grounds meditating on the Passion; her heart and mind filled with the images of her beloved Son's last earthly walk to His death; His Sacrifice.

Only Blessed Mother's human, mourning, sinless, tender Heart at Ephesus can fully understand the eternal price that was paid for the souls of all of God's children. And only this same Heart full of grace can hold the fathomless love necessary to accept all God's children as her children, despite our putting Her Precious Son to death and despite our sins and weaknesses, because this was the dying wish of Her Son.

Imagine the thanksgiving that poured forth, along with the mournful tears, from Blessed Mother's Heart to God the Father for receiving the sacrifice of His and Her Son for the eternal redemption of the world. Let us join our prayers of thanksgiving to Her Pierced Heart that does offer this perfect and everlasting thanksgiving.

Also, together let us offer thanksgiving to God with Blessed Mother Mary for Sr. Marie's "fiat" to the call of God to sacrifice the life of luxury as a Countess for a vocation to a life of poverty and charity in service to God and His children; then out of total love for and devotion to Our Lady to ultimately have as her committed life purpose to acquire and preserve this Holy House; this Holy Ground upon which Our Lady's tears did fall.

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Let us, with Sr. Marie, console Our Lady by proclaiming the truth of Her Son's Glorious Resurrection! Allelulia! Not only that, let us celebrate Her glorious Assumption that took place in the very same place that was soaked with Her tears. Thanks to Sr. Marie we have Mary's House to enkindle our faith and inspire our meditations and to unite a broken world. How good is our God! Allelulia!

This Mother's Heart alive in Her House at Ephesus beckons us; welcomes all God's children to pray in peace together. Christians, Muslims, Orthodox, all, called into the home and heart of Mary, a Mother of Jewish heritage.

Please Pray

These next few days could be a very important time for the cause of the beatification Sr. Marie. Dear Archangel Gabriel please announce God's desires and plans! Friends, please pray for the sake of the Divine Mercy of Our Dear Lord that God will very soon provide a special person to help us open the cause and that this special person will respond with his or her own "Fiat" in this week of the Annunciation. May the Holy Spirit overshadow this entire work for God so that it may be conceived in the heart of the Church and may proceed along the official path step by step to the Altar of Saints! May Our Lady continue to nurture this cause for Sr. Marie and her mission for peace in these times and one day in God's perfect time may it finally be born! Amen.