November 3, 2011
(Mat 5:10-12) Blessed are they that suffer persecution for justice' sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are ye when they shall revile you, and persecute you, and speak all that is evil against you, untruly, for my sake: Be glad and rejoice for your reward is very great in heaven. For so they persecuted the prophets that were before you.
ACN: Egypt: Coptic Bishop: “Christians are currently experiencing their worst time in recent centuries"
OPINION: Are Christians facing extinction on the Arab street?
AINA: Coptic Christian Student Murdered By Classmates for Wearing a Cross
HEADLINE: Virgin Mary appears in Alexandria?
FROM THE MAILBAG
VIA Christian Witness: News from Jill in Egypt: Apparitions of the Blessed Mother 10/22/11
Today was the first real day I could go out and walk in the fresh (or at least as fresh as Cairo air can be). I walked up the street to what we call the gathering. This is a HUGE roundabout where cars, the metro train, humans, donkey carts, and even a few camels all go to try and get to their specific areas. It is a traffic thruway. It can be daunting to try and cross if you are a person on foot.
Today one of the soldiers came and approached me. I thought maybe I was doing or sitting in an area I should not have been, but he addressed me as "Doctora" so I knew he had seen me their before. He asked me if I knew of the events the night before. I was a little concerned because I had gone out without my security team. I thought maybe he wanted me to return to my flat. When I asked him what the issue was or what had happened he told me about the Apparitions.
I was STUNNED for I had not heard anything (but I usually hear things through Tarek and he was gone). Anyway, this MUSLIM soldier told me about how the Blessed Mother had been seen last night in 3 separate areas. He told me people were seeing her at Zeitun (which is a church many of you) have visited. She was seen simultaneously at the church in Alexandria AND Mosque where people had been attacked last December time frame. Then, on top of that, she had been seen at a church in Aswan.
He told me her message was that she LOVED Egypt and wanted her people to come together and pray. Many times people do not realize that the Muslims consider the Virgin Mary special. Anyway, he pulled out his cell phone and began to show me the video feed and pictures. It was an odd sight to have this Muslim military soldier with his rather large gun strapped to his back talking and showing me pictures on his phone.
Just as I thought the conversation was over and he needed to get back to his post a younger man (about 25 or 30 or so) approached us with a cup of hot lemon juice for me. It was nice and hot and sweet with the honey he had put into it. He told the soldier and me that he knew I had been ill (how he knew I have no idea). So, I had a wonderful afternoon (about 2 hours) sitting in the garden (park), in the shade of the open air mosque and chatting with a military soldier and young man about the Apparitions of the Blessed Mother. As I was about to leave the park the 74 year old woman who runs the local stationary shop walked through. The soldier called her over to speak with me. He told her how he had heard about the apparitions. The older woman's facial features COMPLETELY changed. She became excited with a sense of peace that was surreal to watch. She began to speak quickly to him in Arabic. She spoke way too fast for me to understand. The young man began to smile and then BEAMED!!!! He told her to tell me in English. The older woman looked at me and said she thought she HAD been speaking in English.
It turns out she had witnessed the apparition. News came to her through her cell phone and she went to see if it were true. She got close enough to the apparition to actually try and touch it. The electricity had been turned off to the area so she knew she was witnessing a miracle. She told me how she had been worried for her family and the country. She told me how she asked the Blessed Mother to help everyone understand and to pray for her family to keep them safe and bless them. She said the apparition floated down and was close to the people. The Priest (Father Bishoy) was there as well. I knew at some point I would receive a call from Abuna Bishoy. He likes to spread good news like this.
So, I had a wonderful afternoon (about 2 hours) sitting in the garden (park), in the shade of the open air mosque and chatting with a military soldier, young man, and older woman about the Apparitions of the Blessed Mother. As I opened the gate to leave, the soldier looked directly at me and reminded me that we are all connected. They truly feel that the Blessed Mother is helping them and keeping them safe just as they kept her and the Holy family safe over 2000 years ago.
It is 8:00 p.m. Saturday evening here now. And, just as I had thought, Father Bishoy called to tell me of the miracle that had happened last night. He also told me that the Blessed Mother was seen at the Church and Mosque in Alexandria that had been attacked last year. She was also seen in Aswan. The scholar and researcher in me wants to go crazy, go down to the area and start conducting interviews for I can be a skeptic sometimes. The romantic in me wants to heave a heavy sigh knowing that the Egyptians (and myself) are in the gentle and loving hands of the Blessed Mother, and the spiritual part of me wishes I could actually witness another miracle here in the land that I love second to my own. Maybe all three sides will come together at some point.
For those of you who are coming in February, you are coming at a magical time. Egypt is being protected by the Blessed Mother herself. Her presence and apparition served to remind Egyptians (and all of us really) that we are ALL connected.
Thoughts and Sayings of Saint Margaret Mary: The Holy Eucharist
8. God is so good that He allows us to appropriate this treasure of the really poor- the Sacred Heart of Jesus- the heavenly plenitude of Which can most fully supply for what is lacking to us.Prayer request? Send an email to: PrayerRequest3@aol.com
This month's archive can be found at: http://www.catholicprophecy.info/news2.html.
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