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<~><~><~><~><~><~><~><~><~><~><~><~><~><~><~> Here's a nice 14-year-old clip I helped to produce about children and their angels. I appear (much younger) during the last minute. A list member from ISRAEL sent it! Isn't that amazing? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iZ7o2sRc5ks ---And, since we've been discussing St. Raphael, the archangel who doesn?t get much publicity, here's one more story about him: "I learned about Father Joe Whalen and the Raphael healing oil about two years ago," wrote Mary Frank of Atkinson, Illinois. "I've been chronically ill for over thirty years, and was at that time going through another cycle of pain and hospitalizations." One of Mary's health problems is that she suffers from migraine headaches but is not able to take the newer pain relievers. Often she must go into the hospital emergency room for medication to relieve the pain. Mary was asleep one night when her dog, Maddy began to bark, and awakened her. "When I opened my eyes, there was a light coming from my kitchen," Mary says. Had she left the refrigerator door open? But Maddy's fur was standing up and she was definitely agitated. Mary got up and went to the kitchen doorway. There in her kitchen stood a gigantic angel with bright golden wings, surrounded in light and carrying a long rod and a fish! He grinned at her. Mary was astonished. She must be having a dream. In a moment the man drifted away. "The next day I went to a priest I knew, and told him about it. I was especially puzzled as to the fish," Mary says. "Why a fish? Father told me to write down the date on my calendar, that it would mean something. Then he told me about Raphael." Mary had never read The Book of Tobit, one of several books in the Bible that were left out of the Hebrew Scriptures. As Father told her, the story involves an angel in disguise, who accompanies a young man on a quest. During their journey, Raphael, the angel, teaches the young man how to catch a fish, and uses it to heal the young man's father. Raphael means "God has healed," and he is a patron of both healing and traveling. Mary was in awe. There was no doubt in her mind now that the angel she had seen, probably in a dream, was Raphael. And when she went to mark the date on her calendar, it was indeed a confirmation: May 15th. Her deceased father's birthday. Mary shared her dream with some of her family members. No one knew what it meant, but it had surely been interesting. Several weeks later, Mary had almost forgotten about the episode when she developed a migraine headache and once again, was transported to the emergency room. She lay on a gurney, waiting for an x-ray, and prayed as she always did. This time, however, she thought of Raphael. If he was a healing angel.. "Raphael, please help me," she whispered. "Please, please?.... She was wheeled down to X-ray and after the films were shot, the technician told her to lie still. "Don't get up by yourself," the tech directed her. "I'll be right back." And she was. "Here, let Raphael help you," the tech said. "Pardon me?" "Let Raphael help you," the tech repeated. Carefully Mary turned her head. There were two techs in the room now, the woman who had taken Mary's x-rays, and a young man who told her he had just started working at the hospital. His name was Raphael. "I was just praying to Raphael, asking him to help me," Mary told the young man. "Do you know that Raphael means, God heals?" "I sure do," Raphael told her as he helped her to sit up. "My father is a doctor, and his name is Raphael. He named me Raphael, and my new baby boy is named Raphael too. Yes, I know all about him." An earth angel, Mary thought, remembering that wink in her kitchen. Someone sent specifically to her, to let her know that God had not forgotten her. Her heart swelled with joy. "And call it coincidence. Call it anything you like," Mary says. "But today my migraines have almost ceased. If I do get a bad headache, I can take some over-the-counter pain med, and the headache will go away." The other day, at the hospital for another issue, Mary saw Raphael in the hallway, and he smiled and waved at her in recognition. This story isn't over. Not by a long shot! And finally... YOU HAVE OUR ATTENTION, LORD A prayer by Max Lucado - October 2008 Our friends lost their house, The co-worker lost her job, The couple next door lost their retirement, It seems that everyone is losing their footing. This scares us. This bailout with billions. These rumblings of depression. These headlines: ominous, thunderous - "Going Broke!" "Going Down!" "Going Under!" "What's Next?" What is next? We're listening. And we're admitting: You were right. You told us this would happen. You shot straight about loving stuff and worshipping money. Greed will break your heart, You warned. Money will love you and leave you. Don?t put your hope in riches that are so uncertain. You were right. Money is a fickle lover and we just got dumped. We were wrong to spend what we didn't have. Wrong to neglect prayer and ignore the poor. Wrong to think we ever earned a dime. We didn't. You gave it. And now, tell us Father, are You taking it? We're listening. And we're praying. Could you make something good out of this mess? Of course You can. You always have. You led slaves out of slavery, Built temples out of ruins, Turned stormy waves into a glassy pond and water into sweet wine. This disorder awaits your order. So do we. Through Christ, Amen <~><~><~><~><~><~><~><~><~><~><~><~><~><~><~> Copyright 2008 by Joan Wester Anderson. Published by Joan Wester Anderson, P.O. Box 127, Prospect Heights, IL 60070. For more stories of God's love, check the Archives at http://www.joanwanderson.com/archives.htm <*}}}>< <http://halfthekingdom.mofuse.mobi/>Half the Kingdom! on your Mobile <*}}}>< <*}}}>< <http://www.halfthekingdom.org/wordpress/>Half the Kingdom! Blog <*}}}>< <*}}}>< <http://www.halfthekingdom.org/>Half the Kingdom! Main Site <*}}}>< <*}}}>< <http://www.halfthekingdom.org/by-the-by/>Half the Kingdom! By the by <*}}}>< Lord, may everything we do begin with Your inspiration and continue with Your help, so that all our prayers and works may begin in You and by You be happily ended. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen. --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ Please note that I do not send or open attachments sent to this list. You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Catholics on Fire" group. To post to this group, send email to [email protected] To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/Catholics-on-Fire May the blessing of Jesus and our Blessed Mother be with you -~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---
