The Power of the Word

‘Death and life are in the power of the tongue’ (Proverbs 18:21)

 

I thought of someone the other day who, by my calculations, is probably deceased by now, prompting me to think up an impromptu eulogy which was “at least she can’t do anyone any more harm now”.  It was more gracious than it looks for I had never heard a word from her lips that was not vicious, critical, malicious or deceitful or all of the above. Perhaps one ‘kindred spirit’ attended the funeral but even for him it would have been more relief than sorrow.

 

Words do have immense power to create or destroy, to give life or to kill. I am sure it is easy to put names and faces to those we have encountered through life, who have been kind, encouraging, compassionate, caring, patient, loving - those who have given life by their presence, example and guidance, and similarly those we have encountered who caused great pain and wounded the heart and soul by their presence and words.

 

One Japanese chap, Dr. Masuro Emoto, conducted a series of experiments to determine the effects of both positive and negative words spoken (and written) on the response of water. (It is worth noting that we are 60%+ water) Whilst this would come under the category of Pseudo-Science as would many of his conclusions, what is interesting is the observations he made and their consistency.

 

Firstly he exposed water samples to positive spoken words, like Love, Gratitude, Peace, Joy. Then he froze the water samples and observed the structure of the resultant ice:- they formed beautiful, orderly crystalline structures. He conducted the same experiment using negative spoken words like Hate, Anger, Rage. The samples were again frozen and the structures were also examined. This time they were distorted, chaotic structures. The same observations were made by wrapping the water samples in paper with the words written on them, (in different languages) both positive and negative words giving the same resultant crystalline forms observed with spoken words. Exposure of water to prayer also produced the beautiful Crystals in the frozen water. Interestingly; he also tried different types of music played to water samples and this too yielded consistent results of orderly crystals in the water exposed to classical music and distorted shapes in the water exposed to loud heavy metal music.

 

Of course we can see too the power of words in the Gospels, at Jesus’s word (and later the apostles) demons are expelled, sickness removed from the body, the dead raised to life, sins forgiven, and when He found no fruit on the fig tree and cursed it, it died.

TRUE SCIENCE DOES NOT FEAR TRUTH

Nobel Prize and Atheist Converted To Catholic Faith After Witnessing Miracle At Lourdes A Nobel Prize–winning doctor, once an atheist and outspoken skeptic, converted to Christianity after witnessing miracles at Lourdes. Dr. Alexis Carrel, Nobel laureate in Medicine, went to Lourdes in 1902 not as a pilgrim, but to expose it as a fraud. While there, he examined Marie Bailly, a woman dying of advanced tuberculous peritonitis. Other physicians agreed she would soon die. After water from the Grotto was poured over her abdomen, Carrel watched in disbelief as the swelling vanished within minutes, her pulse normalized, and her strength returned. He carefully documented the case and had her monitored for months. She remained healed, later joining the Sisters of Charity. Carrel later witnessed another instantaneous cure, this time of a blind child. Unable to deny what he saw, he embraced the faith he once rejected—at the cost of his standing among atheist peers. Lourdes taught him that true science does not fear truth, and that God is not limited by human reason.

Tattoo's and the devil

Father Gabriele Amorth declared that during exorcisms, the devil repeatedly confesses, through the mouths of the possessed, that anyone who gets a tattoo is his consecrated person and that regardless of what one decides to tattoo, his influence on the life of the tattooed person is real and continuous.

The tattoo is a true indirect consecration to Satan. Those who get tattoos risk experiencing unspeakable pain, dark and depressive moments, as well as spells and enchantments.

The tattooed person, therefore, allows the devil to have influence over them. Many problems with depression, alcoholism, drugs, and more often appear right after getting a tattoo.

This discourse may be taken lightly by many, unfortunately even by many priests, but the true contradiction is that Anton La Vey, founder of the Church of Satan in America, publicly confesses (in the book Modern Primitives) what has been said, admitting that behind every tattoo (whether it be a flower or a dragon) there is indeed Satanism.

A priest of Satan is obliged to consecrate himself with a tattoo. However, when you tattoo angels, faces of saints, images of Jesus or Mary, God is offended twice; this is not a matter to laugh about.

In many exorcisms, the possessed, conscious during the rite, said they felt a tremendous fire burning right on the skin where they were tattooed. A single tattoo is enough to risk possession disorders, as numerous cases studied by exorcists demonstrate.

Among other things, tribal tattoos contain the number 666, the number of the Antichrist. So, if you decide to get a tattoo, remember that while man looks at the outward appearance, God looks at the heart.

My advice is not to get any tattoos and if you already have one, not to remove it but to go to an exorcist priest available in the diocese to which you belong and have your tattooed skin blessed.

Now no one can say: "I didn't know." Faith in God is not a game and Satan takes advantage of our ignorance to act upon us. Through the Bible, God is also very clear on this point: "My people perish for lack of knowledge." (Hosea 4:6)

Medjugorje message from Our Lady, the Queen of Peace

"Dear children, Today, I am calling you to prayer and a blessing for all those who have not come to know God's love. Little children, be different from others and be positive people of prayer and love towards God, that with your lives, you may be a sign of God's love to others. I bless you with my motherly blessing and intercede for each of you before my Son Jesus. Thank you for having responded to my call." (With ecclesiastical approval)

Life's Storms

I listened to a podcast interview of a wonderful Christian lady who had been through a great many hardships in life. From childhood traumas to difficult pregnancies and debilitating illnesses for much of her life, her faith was surely tested to its limit but not without purpose. 

Once she cried out to God for help in prayer and received in her heart an insight that “the storms reveal the lies we believe and the truths we need”. From here she asked what lies did she believe and it was revealed to her that although she was a solid, long standing believer, she believed that God would not or had not come through for her; that the devil could attack her anytime without hindrance. And Perhaps God did not love her much. How many of us have felt as she did? 

As the Holy Spirit ministered to her broken heart she received that ‘she had no idea just how many times He had come through for her, how many disasters, attacks or hardships He had prevented in her life or how much He had provided for her and how much He loved her’. Against a backdrop of so much suffering a further consolation was that “I will not let you lose, but I must let you fight.” 

Our lives are a process, a journey, and to fulfil our mission we must be trained, like soldiers training for battle: to suffer and endure, to be transformed into His likeness and to be a light to others. Her witness now as a bestselling author, public speaker and radio show host is a powerful testimony of the grace of God and her trust in Him reflects His faithfulness and the intimacy between them. 

“The storms that rise against us do not come to destroy, but to shape our course; let us not fear the winds, for they obey the voice of the Lord.” — St. Brendan the Navigator

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.

Our Lady’s Message from Medjugorje (December 25, 2025)

 December 25, 2025 – Our Lady’s Message from Medjugorje

Dear children! 

Also today – when God permits me to carry to you in my arms little Jesus, the King of Peace, that He may fill you with the ardor of love and peace, so that every heart may be similar to His Heart in this time of grace – be resolute and courageous defenders of the love of your God, that in this time of grace He may give you His peace. 

Thank you for having responded to my call.