LEAVES Website for March-April 2006 Issue
Excerpted from "Leaflets" column
This time of year is a signal to many to begin spring-cleaning. Don't just have a garage sale of your unwanted items and then box up whatever you don't sell and stack them in a corner of the garage again. Donate the leftovers from your sale to a charity or agency that could use them. In fact, consider giving 10% of what you earn to your church and to a favorite charity.
When you look through your closets, be sure to look at unused items, not just the unwanted ones. If you haven't used something for over a year, think about giving it to someone else who could use it. Did you buy something on sale, thinking that you would need it at a later date, and that time never came? Don't hold onto it till it goes out of style or gets moth-eaten, rusty or moldy.
Do you have so many "things" that you spend all your time taking care of them and not devoting your time to people? Take a look at your collections. Do you really need all those knickknacks? Put them in your garage sale and use the money to set up a little prayer corner in your home with a crucifix, candle, Bible and statues. And don't let your Bible sit idle. Think of it – if you use it regularly, you won't have to dust it.
As you clean out the unnecessary things in your home and your life, you will have more room for the things that matter. Replace one of your shelves filled with dolls, or teddy bears, or whatever your latest collection is, with a religious picture or a statue.
When people enter your home, can they tell a Faith-filled person lives there, or is it only obvious that an NFL fan is in residence? What kinds of books and magazines are on the coffee table? Are they dealing with diets and fashion or do they provide food for the soul?
When you clean this spring, do more than just wash windows and clean the blinds. Take a moment to review the priorities in your life. Is Faith and family at the center of your life or are "things?" Use spring-cleaning as a time to make appropriate adjustments. Let it be an opportunity to cleanse your life of what is fleeting and make room for those that impact your eternal goal.
… God grant you abundant blessings always - Father Thomas Heier, C.M.M.
Excerpted from "Our Family Album"
First Communion
Prayer Book Found
In Sept. 2001, while we were away, our home was broken into. Taken was our safe, among other items. The safe contained many legal documents, in addition to sentimental items, among them a German prayer book brought from Germany by my grandparents in the 1880s, my mom's First Communion book dated 1912, and my own First Communion Prayer Book dated 1947.
I have fervently prayed for the return of the stolen items. Of the sentimental items, I considered the loss of my mom's First Communion prayer book the most painful.
There were no leads, and with each passing day the possibility of ever seeing our possessions again seemed remote. Even though I had not given up hope, I knew the return of anything would have to be nothing less than a miracle.
Three years, four months and one day after the break in, I suddenly had a very strong, over-powering feeling that I must open an old trunk. I had absolutely no idea why or what I was doing as I went through the contents.
When I opened one box, there was my mother's First Communion prayer book! Words cannot describe my astonishment. I have no doubt that St. Anthony and St. Jude, along with Jesus, Mary and Joseph, Padre Pio, Fr. Solanus Casey, Mother Teresa, St. Therese and St. Rita, answered my prayers. It is beyond my human comprehension and without explanation, except miracles do happen.
I continue to pray for the return of other items. I haven't given up hope. In the meantime I am so grateful to have mom's precious book back, since she passed away in 1993 - S.B.
God Does Answer Prayers
My brother had pneumonia in early April and again the 1st of May, and for a person 89 years old, this is very dangerous. He is a diabetic and in April his blood sugar dropped to 42 and in May to 58. On this last episode he had been "non-responsive" for over 24 hours and the medical staff gave him absolutely no hope.
He had to sign some very important papers and we were so afraid that he would not wake up. From what we were told, he was not going to make it, but we prayed to all our saints, Our Blessed Mother and Jesus to bring him back at least long enough to sign the papers and avoid years of legal fees and court cases.
God answered our prayers. My brother has responded and is eating and sleeping fine. The nurses and doctors keep saying that "he came back from being non-responsive," like they cannot believe it. We know that it is a miracle because, according to the knowledge the medical staff had about his condition, he was not going to make it.
We want to thank Jesus and the following saints: Philomena, Anthony, Rita, Joseph, Therese, Ann and Jude, Padre Pio and Fr. Engelmar and the Sacred Heart of Jesus, Infant Jesus of Prague and Our Blessed Mother under her various titles: Lourdes, Miraculous Medal, Guadalupe, Fatima, Mount Carmel and Charity - L.S.
Excerpted from Father Engelmar Testimonies
There is now available a novena to Fr. Engelmar Unzeitig, C.M.M. You may receive a free copy of it by sending a stamped (postage for one ounce, currently 39 cents), self-addressed envelope to us at:
LEAVES
P.O. Box 87
Dearborn, MI 48121-0087
My niece's husband was out of work for three years. We made a novena to Fr. Engelmar and he got a good job. We made several novenas to Fr. Engelmar and he answered us - M.V.H.
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My donation to Fr. Engelmar is for a big favor received - C.R.
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I prayed to Fr. Engelmar for a favor that I thought would be impossible and it happened. It took a year, but it happened and I know it had to be a miracle - Mrs. M.M.
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I have made novenas to Fr. Engelmar for years with great results. In my first novena I received repairs to my home. The second novena my handicapped daughter received a sum of money. The third novena my handicapped daughter had a breast cancer operation and the results were negative. My present novena is for a cure for my lung cancer. I am an 83-year-old widower and pray for a way to make sure my daughter is well cared for when I join my wife in heaven - E.E.
Prayer to St. Joseph
St. Joseph, husband of Mary and foster father of Jesus,
You have been charged with the protection of the universal Church so that you might care for all the children of the Kingdom in the same way you lovingly cared for the members of the Holy Family.
From heaven, where you now live with Jesus and Mary,
Guide and protect the people of God walking toward fullness of life. Bring together from the four corners of the world all your children so that they may live in one Spirit. Lead all Christians to unity in the same faith.
Obtain for the Holy Father, for all our bishops and for all the faithful, who with them form the Church community, the graces of enlightenment and strength so that all may live in the teaching of Jesus Christ. Amen.
O Joseph, Mighty Patron
O Joseph, mighty patron,
Your love and strength bestow
Upon a pilgrim people
Who are the Church below.
You were the Father's image,
Great Prince of David's line;
Obtain for us God's blessing
That we may be his sign.
Great saint, you cherished Mary,
Who loved and cared for you;
You taught and nurtured Jesus.
Oh, teach us to be true,
True to the Church He founded,
Until we form above
A family united
In bonds of lasting love.
By Sister Marie Michael