Entertaining Angels

 

Shakespeare said that the ‘whole world is a stage’; if he had been from the Philippines he would have said that the ‘whole world is a washing line’! Our obsession here with good hygiene and a constant supply of clean clothes means that even someone sleeping on the sidewalk will have an improvised washing line near-by. So when someone shows up in a neighbourhood who does not fit this mould, dirty and dishevelled, (and a bit scary) they are given a wide berth. 

When we first moved here from the UK, some 17 years ago now, I saw a chap resting by the side of the road who was in that category. As the day wore on and I went about my business I saw that he remained there the whole day. We decided to put part of our dinner aside for him and packaged it up and I took it over to him. He had fallen asleep so I left it by his side. The next morning he was gone and I thought no more about it. 

When we left the UK; I left my car behind having been unable to sell it by the time we were due to leave and I left it with a local garage to sell it and give me part of the proceeds later; it was winter and a recession so it had not sold in the couple of months we had been waiting and praying for it. The next day I received an e-mail to say it as sold. We rejoiced as the money was needed to help us get established here and I felt that our rather small and insignificant almsgiving the evening before had taken our prayer over the line somehow. 

A few days ago, just before Christmas, I was on my way out of the house on another errand and felt that I ought to bring a few things with me; some fresh Pan de Sal I had picked up from the bakery, a cool drink and some biscuits. I followed the inspiration and on my way came across another ‘vagabond’; a chap I had seen in the neighbourhood for a few days, who was also stood by the roadside I offered him the food items I had brought and carried on. 

We were also praying for something at this time. My wife had a strange skin problem on her eyelids which neither a ophthalmologist or dermatologist had been able to identify or treat successfully. This had been going on for months and we had spent some time in prayer for this too. When I got home I saw her and she had visited the doctor’s office at her university and he had immediately identified the cause and given her medicine for it. The next day it was already noticeably better and now all but fully healed ! 

Now of course I cannot give a definitive proof here, but my experience suggests that sometimes prayer is not enough on its own and we need to add almsgiving. And don’t be afraid of the unwashed; they may be angels in disguise after all.

The power of intercessory prayer.. a story from Poland (from St. Faustinas diary)

In the evening, when I was in my cell, I saw an Angel, the executor of divine wrath. He was clothed in a dazzling robe, his face gloriously bright, a cloud beneath his feet. From the cloud, bolts of thunder and flashes of lightning were springing into his hands; and from his hand they were going forth, and only then were they striking the earth. When I saw this sign of divine wrath which was about to strike the earth, and in particular a certain place, which for good reasons I cannot name, I began to implore the Angel to hold off for a few moments, and the world would do penance.

But my plea was a mere nothing in the face of the divine anger. Just then I saw the Most Holy Trinity. The greatness of Its majesty pierced me deeply, and I did not dare to repeat my entreaties. At that very moment I felt in my soul the power of Jesus' grace, which dwells in my soul. When I became conscious of this grace, I was instantly snatched up before the Throne of God. Oh, how great is our Lord and God and how incomprehensible His holiness! I will make no attempt to describe this greatness, because before long we shall all see Him as He is. I found myself pleading with God for the world with words heard interiorly

As I was praying in this manner, I saw the Angel's helplessness: he could not carry out the just punishment that was rightly due for sins. Never before had I prayed with such inner power as I did then.

Also..."Through fasting and prayer one can stop wars, one can suspend the laws of nature." Our Lady of Medjugorje (7/21/82)

The Angels Prayer .. a story from Portugal

One day in the autumn of 1916, the shepherds of Fatima took their herd out to graze. After their meal, they went to pray precisely where the Angel appeared to them the first time.

While they recited the prayer that the Angel had taught them

(My God, I believe, I adore, and I love You! I beg pardon of You for those who do not believe, do not adore, do not hope and do not love You!),

their faces to the ground, a light appeared above their heads. The children saw the Angel again who this time held a chalice in his left hand; the Host rested above it with drops of Blood dripping down into the chalice. Leaving the chalice and the Host suspended in the air, the Angel prostrated himself on the ground next to the children and repeated this prayer three times:

 "Most Holy Trinity, Father, Son, Holy Spirit, I adore You profoundly and offer You the most Precious Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity of Jesus Christ, present in all the tabernacles of the earth, in reparation for the outrages, sacrileges, and indifference with which He Himself is offended. And through the infinite merits of His Most Sacred Heart and of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, I beg of You the conversion of poor sinners."

Then standing up, the Angel took the chalice and the Host into his hands and gave Holy Communion to Lucy, and the Blood of the chalice to Jacinta and Francisco, saying: "Take and drink the Body and the Blood of Jesus Christ, horribly outraged by ungrateful men. Make up for all their crimes and console your God." He then prostrated himself one last time with the children and repeated the prayer to the Holy Trinity (above) three times.