Tag: faith

The Mysterious Power of Lourdes

Recently, while watching a Netflix series on ecology, featuring different areas of the world, I viewed a segment on water, and water energy possibilities. At the end of the segment, they featured the healing power associated with Lourdes in Southern France.

If you have never heard of this, (and I had only heard, but didn’t know much about it), here’s the down-low. Lourdes is a small town at the foothills of the Pyrenees mountain range in France. It became famous after a 14 year-old girl named Bernadette Soubirous had some pretty tripped-out visions there of Mary, the Mother of Christ.

Back in 1858, Bernadette went with two other children to a grotto, or small cave, looking for firewood and bones. She came from a very poor family and was helping out in any way possible to make ends meet. The other two went across a small river, while she stayed by herself and went looking around. Low and behold, she saw in front of her a vision of the most beautiful lady she had ever seen.

The woman was dressed in long white robes, a blue belt sash, and had yellow roses on each foot. She did not tell Bernadette her name, only that she was “Immaculate conception”. Having a rudimentary knowledge of Catholicism, Bernadette asked her priest who this could be. He, after hearing of the vision, deemed her to be Mary, the mother of Christ.

After the initial vision, Bernadette went on to experience this meeting with Mary an additional 17 times. Not only did she see her, she also had discourse with her. Mary instructed Bernadette to dig in the mud nearby. When she did this, water started coming out of the ground. That water is today a spring, that produces thousands of gallons of water a year.

As if this isn’t enough, it turns out that this water has healing properties. Lourdes has become a pilgrimage for thousands of Catholics, and most likely others, since that time. A lot of people go there for healing for any number of conditions, ranging from physical to emotional. Since 1858, there are 70 verified cases of miracle cures. A physician dedicated to record keeping on the matter has very detailed information. All of these cases have been declared miracles, in that there is before and after physical proof the condition has left the individual.

The most recent event took place in 2018 when a nun named Sister Moriau permanently ditched her wheelchair she had been in since 1980. She was permanently disabled from spinal complications that also left her dependent on morphine for pain. She states she suddenly felt, “a [surge of] well-being throughout my body, a relaxation, warmth…I returned to my room and there, a voice told me to ‘take off your braces,”.

I don’t know about you, but this pretty much leaves me speechless. Not being Catholic, I know very little about things like this, but felt compelled to do a little research. The possibility that miracles can happen is fantastic. I truly do believe that things like this are happening, we just don’t hear about them.

Leave me a thought, and don’t forget to follow for more interesting “stuff”.

Cheers, Deb

Are You Eating Jesus?

This title needs a little explanation. The other day at work, we got into a conversation about a study showing that different blood types may respond differently to the Coronavirus. In brief: if you have blood type “O”, you are less likely to suffer severe respiratory symptoms, but if you are type “A”, you are something like 35% more likely to suffer severe respiratory symptoms. Once again, I have to cringe, in that I am a type “A”…better watch out!

During this verbal exchange, the surgeon I was working with, stated that Jesus was a type “A”. “Huh”? I had to ask how he knew this. As a very devoted Catholic, he went on to explain that a recent study confirmed that transubstantiation is real, and that a test found DNA within the communion wafer corresponding to this blood type. They belief this is the actual blood of Christ, and therefore, he is an A. I have been thinking about this, so decided to Google this little gem.

I did not find any recent study on transubstantiation (the Catholic belief that the communion wafer and wine actually transform into the body and blood of Christ). The only thing I found is a study from 2014 completely refuting this belief. Entitled, “DNA analysis of consecrated sacramental bread refutes Catholic transubstantiation claim”, and produced by Scientific Raelian, the study found no change in the wafer during the ritual at a DNA level. So, I really don’t know where he is getting his information, but I can say that he believes this 100%.

Let me go on to say that I was raised as a Christian in the Protestant branch. We are the people that took up with Martin Luther back in the 1500’s and started questioning the authority of the Catholic church. There are many types of Protestants: Methodists, Lutherans, Baptists, Congregationalists, Episcopalians, and so on. We ALL take communion, and we all believe the words from the Bible that tell us Jesus proclaimed his body and blood are present in the communion ritual. Catholics just happen to take this literally.

There are Christians who believe in transubstantiation, and also Christians who believe in consubstantiation. This is the belief that somehow the substance we are ingesting is somehow “in union with” Christ. This belief is a heresy in the Catholic church.

The other thing I found is that up to 70% of today’s Catholics do not still hold the belief in transubstantiation. You can find that article here: catholicworldreport.com/2019/08/08/shocked-shocked-on-catholics-and-belief-in-the-real-presence/ This is stated as a problem from lack of religious education and other factors. Let’s face it, DNA and science weren’t exactly fully known at the time the original Christian church was formed..

The question is: do we now have less faith?, or is transubstantiation real only when you believe it, like the double-slit experiment shows that matter observed, will change its behavior? It is hard to know. Testing faith in a scientific way is probably very difficult.

I am not trying to start a war with Catholics. As a matter of fact, I think it is entirely possible that we are actually eating Christ. This is a religion with miracles, and mystery……so anything is possible in Christ, right? The next time you go to communion, have a thought about this. What is your personal belief? I would love to hear it.

Cheers, and have a great weekend, Deb

Why I gave up Anxiety

Anxiety seems to be a pervasive emotion nowadays. People are going to the emergency room in my state of Colorado at an ever increasing rate. Most of these mental conditions consist of depression and anxiety. I can’t say I have given up feeling depressed once in a while. After all, negative stuff happens to everyone, and I have had my fair share. I do manage to blow it off pretty well though.

Anxiety, by definition is: “a feeling of worry, nervousness, or unease, typically about an imminent event or something with an uncertain outcome” (Oxford dictionary)

Number one: I am getting into my mid-50s and have discovered that I thoroughly enjoy the feeling of ease and peace that comes with a certain age. Maybe I just don’t worry about stuff because it’s a little late to start now.

Number two: There are simple techniques to handle minor nervousness. Stop drinking caffeine, learn deep breathing exercises, talk to a friend for perspective, meditate…

Number three: “an uncertain outcome”… hmmm. Isn’t every event in life uncertain? Can we have utmost certainty that ANYTHING is positively going to happen? I have to argue NO on that one. If I spent time worrying about uncertain outcomes, I could worry all day, because every event is, by nature, uncertain.

Number four: This is the weird one. I have discovered that I have a type of apathy (but not exactly) about things in general. I want to explain this one. I don’t have the attitude that I just don’t care, because I do care. As a matter of fact, I care about things more now than ever. I care about my family, my health, my relationship, and my job. I care about the planet, and it’s future. I do care.

The difference now is that I have acknowledged the limits of my effectiveness in changing much of those things. I may love as much as I can, and still have a poor relationship event. I can recycle and spread knowledge about the environment, but have a very low impact on stopping it. I can work extra hours to make more money, but until I find a position I like better, I will remain there.

I guess you have to say that I have developed more faith that things will work out. We are living on this earth a very short time, and what will be, will be. I am here to experience things and learn from them. I am not here to drive myself crazy about the limitations I have.

Tragic stuff happens at unexpected times. I am not going to think about those things, because I truly believe that when you dwell on certain things, you attract those things. That is why I wake up and say, “I’m tired, but going to work. I really don’t have to do anything else today that is life-threatening if I don’t do it, so, might as well make some money.”

I wake up with gratitude that I can still physically and mentally function. I thank the Universe, God, the all-encompassing consciousness, or whatever you want to call it, that I have the things I do. Dwelling on what you DO have attracts good stuff. Dwelling on things you DON’T have attracts bad stuff. That’s it. No anxiety.

My hope for anyone that reads this, is that you can identify with a feeling of ease; that you can wake up with gratitude and stop the negative inner voice. Be your own coach and best friend. Tell yourself that everything will be okay – because it will.

Have a wonderful, peaceful weekend. Cheers, Deb

Miracle healing hands

Do you believe you can be healed of illness or chronic disease by a miracle? Do faith healers turn you off? I can imagine most of you are nodding your head “yes” to this right now. In the West, faith healing began in the Christian faith as a belief that through the holy spirit of Christ, some people can heal other people with the “laying on of hands”, or simply by prayer. People often pray for each other in an attempt to rid them of current conditions that are affecting them negatively. But, is faith healing just a Christian concept, or do other people and cultures around the world also believe in healing faith?

Last night I ran across a YouTube video about a guy who’s dad was so sick he could barely walk. He heard about an Indian man who practiced Ayurvedic medicine, and could apparently feel your pulse, diagnose you, and heal you. Anything was worth a try, so he dragged his father to this guy, and you guessed it….he diagnosed him, told him how to cure himself, and he is a healthy, happy camper today. You can watch the Ted Talk here:

Seeing this video about a master healer made me think about faith healers, and how the faith/skill ratio really works. In this case, the healer made recommendations, and the patient had to actively choose to be “healed”. In other words, no sudden event, just effort applied to the situation determined the outcome.

In religious application, there have been “miracles”, or sudden improvements in condition in all major religions. Jesus gets the most publicity, because believing in the powerful healing magic of Jesus is one of the tenants of Christianity. But why don’t we recognize other miraculous healers in other traditions? Probably because they don’t get the publicity. Take for example Paramahamsa Yogananda, who was an exceptional Yogi of modern India. You can read his story in “Autobiography of a Yogi”, which I am currently reading. Even if you don’t practice yoga, you will appreciate the unique experiences (some of which are miraculous) in this book. Recorded here are miraculous events from his teacher,  Sri Yukteswarji, who did a lot of cool stuff, like being in two places at once, dematerializing, and healing Paramahamsa Yogananda himself. Pretty awesome stuff.

I particularly love how the book merges yogic consciousness with Christ consciousness. In answer to why Jesus turned water into wine, P. Y. said, ” Jesus was able to command the vibrations of life energy to assume different forms”. He stated that once a person can surpass delusionary realms, he will enter the state of Unity and become Omnipotent. He had the idea that Saints suffer physically, because the fate of the body is unimportant to an enlightened individual who is “absorbed in the Lord”.

I guess what I am trying to convey is that I am convinced all people hold within themselves the power to overcome this “delusionary realm” and be healed to some extent. I’m not saying we all have Christ’s power over nature, but I feel that the root of his message was to emphasize that you have to embrace the Universal Consciousness, God, or Oneness that we are all a part of. His short time here on Earth should encourage us to meditate, or pray….to unite with the ultimate in order to place our inner selves a little bit before our outer selves. The message was about love, the power of love, and universal divinity of love. Love the Lord with all your heart and soul and mind. Be love and kindness, and embrace it above all the other trivial rules and regulations you might come up with. Love rules us all.

In the end, I do believe some people have conquered the minor physical restraints we experience as humans, and have become proficient in healing other people, if not with deeds, then also with words. When you hear about a faith healer, don’t immediately poo-poo the notion something miraculous might be going on. Miracles, or alterations in our understood physical realm, are possible. The thing you have to watch out for are people who use that as their only talent. In the words of P. Y, “Arouse in men the love of God. Don’t draw them to you by displays of unusual powers’. If I walked on fire and water, and filled every auditorium in the land with curiosity seekers, what good would come of it? See the stars, the clouds, and the ocean; see the mist on the grass. Can any miracle of man compare with these essentially inexplicable phenomena? Even so, few men are led through Nature to love God—the Miracle of all Miracles”.

Here’s to healing! Have a great weekend. Follow for more stuff! Cheers, Deb