May 22, 2012
Dear Jesus:
A lot has happened in this past month. I'll start with my Chabeli who graduated summa cum laude on May 11th. We are so proud of her. It was a beautiful ceremony and then we went to lunch. Unfortunately Rafi couldn't come because he is in the middle of finals. But Alex took the day off and came with us. My parents also joined us in such a special occasion.
Alex has been very busy. He got involved with the production of "The Sound of Music" at Belen helping out with the lights. This required a lot of nights at Belen but he was committed and responsible to his assignment. He also got his driver's license and is driving on his own already. This past Saturday, he went to the Lourdes Junior prom. He looked very handsome. His junior year is almost over. In the fall, he will start the application process to the universities. Please Jesus, help him to get accepted into one of the universities that he wants, as long as it will be the right one for him.
Rafi will be graduating two weeks from today. I'm sad that neither Chabeli nor Alex will be able to attend. Alex will be in the middle of finals and we thought it was more important for him to concentrate on studying since this is such an important year for him. And Chabeli starts her internship that week so she can't be absent. But my parents will be traveling with us. They are so proud to see two of their grandchildren graduating from college within a month of each other. This is the crowning glory to all the sacrifices they made when they left country and family behind to give us a better future.
I finished the Bible classes. Thank You for choosing St. Paul to be your apostle. He was truly amazing and his letters are still bearing fruit 2,000 years later. Now I'm hosting a book study, "Roses and Thorns." Your Mother was one extraordinary woman. Thank You for giving her to us as our Mother. Thank You for all the miracles that we have witnessed in the past century through her apparitions.
I love You, Jesus!!!
May 13, 2017
Dear Jesus:
Today we are celebrating the feast day of Our Lady of Fatima. Your Mother, our Queen, keeps showing up in the most unexpected places and to the most unexpected people. One hundred years ago today, she showed up in a tiny village in Portugal. The village of Fatima was not known then but is well known today. She appeared to three little shepherd children between the ages of six and nine: Lucia, Francisco and Jacinta. Hundreds of pilgrims will make their way to Portugal this year to commemorate her centennial. And She will be honored all over the world.
Your Mother appeared to them with this message: "I come from Heaven." She asked them to "say the Rosary every day for the peace of the world and an end to the war." She would appear to them a total of six times, on the 13th of each month. On her last apparition on October 13th, she revealed her name: "I am the Lady of the Rosary." By that time, the news had spread and 70,000 people showed up to witness her apparition. Witnesses said that they saw the sun make three circles and move around the sky in an incredible zigzag which left no doubt in anyone's minds that the children were speaking the truth. Children don't lie, so why would anyone not believe them is beyond me.
Jesus, I'm not sure why I'm sharing this with You since You know what happened better than me. In one hundred years, your Mother has appeared many more times, in many more places. In the past thirty years, since I became a mother myself, my devotion to her has grown by leaps and bounds. The rosary has become my most powerful weapon in my times of trouble and pain. She has become my ally, my friend, my confidante, my Mother in Heaven. I hold the warnings and promises that she shared with the children at Fatima, deep within my heart. And I believe in her declaration that "Her Immaculate Heart will triumph."
Five years ago, we did a book study where we learned about the "roses and thorns" in her heart. This week, we start a book study: "Meet Mary: Getting to Know the Mother of God." And in September, the theme for our Bible study this year will be all about Mary. This is the year of your Mother, Jesus. I am so looking forward to getting to know her more clearly, love her more dearly and follow her more nearly. Thank You for sharing her with us.
As I was writing this letter to You from the beach, I looked up to the sky and there's this beautiful rainbow around the sun. Yes, scientists will have a good explanation for it: it's the ozone layer. But I have never seen this before. And since I believe in miracles, I know this is not a coincidence. Thank You for letting me witness this miracle, today of all days, on the centennial of your Mother's apparition. Thank You for allowing me to take this beautiful pictures:
I would like to pray for my three children. May they have an open heart like the three shepherd children that met your Mama at Fatima. May they be open to witnessing the miracles that You provide for us each and every day. May they live their lives with a heart full of faith. And may they make choices that will lead them to spending eternity with You.
Our Lady of Fatima, pray for us and guide all of us to your Son.
I love You, Jesus!!!
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