ST. CHARBEL AND THE MIRACLE OF THE BURNING LAMP
Long before thousands of healings were attributed to his intercession, St. Charbel Makhlouf experienced a quiet but decisive miracle that opened the door to his life as a hermit.
In 1875, Father Charbel felt a strong call to leave the monastery and live in solitude at the hermitage of Saints Peter and Paul near Annaya, Lebanon. His superiors hesitated. They wanted a clear sign from God before granting permission.
One night, while preparing for prayer, Charbel asked a servant to refill the oil lamp in his cell. The man, distracted and half-asleep, poured water into the lamp by mistake instead of oil.
To everyone’s astonishment, the lamp still ignited. The flame burned brightly and steadily throughout the entire night, as if it were filled with pure oil.When the superiors learned of the event the next morning, they recognized it as a divine sign. Permission was granted. On February 15, 1875, Father Charbel entered the hermitage, where he would spend the remaining 23 years of his life in prayer, silence, and manual labor.This miracle of the lamp is widely regarded as the first recorded miracle of St. Charbel’s life. It marked the beginning of a long series of signs that would continue after his death on Christmas Eve 1898 and eventually lead to tens of thousands of reported healings from every corner of the world.
St. Charbel, hermit of Annaya and powerful intercessor, pray for us.
The Offertory: What it is, and what it isn't...
A new Teaching Mass from Fr. Mike Schmitz is now available on YouTube! In this video, Fr. Mike walks you through the entire Mass from beginning to end, explaining what’s happening and why it matters.
Watch now at https://t.co/uo7JlQLx5f #catholic
O faithful Guardian Angel,
My heavenly companion appointed by God, see the burdens I carry—my financial worries, my uncertainties, my need for direction. I ask for your holy assistance now.
Gentle guide, whisper wisdom into my heart. Help me discern the steps I should take, protect me from misjudgment, and lead me toward opportunities that align with God’s will. Stand beside me as I face these trials, and shield me from despair with your radiant presence.
Angel of God, my protector and friend, pray for me before the throne of the Almighty. Ask Him to lighten my load, to bless my efforts, and to grant me the strength to persevere.
With your wings of grace, lift my spirit, and help me trust in divine providence. Stay near me always, O holy guardian, and guide me safely through this month and all my days. Amen.
Today September 8 is the Nativity of Mother Mary!
Had a chance to attend the mass at the Shrine of La Salette. Happy Birthday Mother Mary! Keep us safe in thy blessed womb. 🙏
Heaven exists.
Hell exists.
But in between them there is Purgatory, a place of purification, redemptive suffering and hope.
And the souls in there NEED our help.
What the Church teaches about Purgatory and how YOU can help free the souls who are in it - a 🧵✝️
🧊🌍 Nature’s Creepiest Waterfall – Antarctica’s “Blood Falls” 🩸❄️
In one of the most remote and inhospitable places on Earth, deep in the frozen heart of Antarctica, lies a sight so strange it looks like something straight out of a horror film: a waterfall that appears to be bleeding from the ice.
Known as Blood Falls, this bizarre natural wonder gushes out of the Taylor Glacier, staining the pristine white ice with a deep, rusty red that looks alarmingly like a giant wound in the landscape. But don’t worry – the glacier isn’t actually bleeding!
🔬 The Science Behind It
Nearly 2 million years ago, a pocket of ancient seawater became trapped beneath the glacier. Over millennia, that water turned into an incredibly salty, iron-rich brine. When it finally seeps out and meets the air, the iron oxidises, basically, it rusts, and the result is that shocking red colour that makes the glacier look like it’s haemorrhaging.
But here’s where it gets really exciting: in these extreme, seemingly unlivable conditions, scientists discovered tiny microorganisms thriving in the salty, oxygen-free water. These microbes have adapted to survive without sunlight, without oxygen, and in one of the harshest environments on the planet.
🚀 Why It Matters
Blood Falls isn’t just a creepy spectacle it’s also a window into life beyond Earth. The fact that organisms can survive here gives researchers vital clues about how life might exist on icy worlds like Europa (one of Jupiter’s moons) or Enceladus (Saturn’s moon), both of which are thought to hide salty oceans beneath their frozen surfaces.
So, the next time you think of Antarctica as just a barren wasteland of ice and penguins, remember: deep under the glaciers, there’s a world that challenges what we thought we knew about life itself. 🌌❄️
Would you dare to stand in front of a glacier that looks like it’s bleeding?
"Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit"
This is what Christ told the apostles
Aand after the Pentecost, they would go forth to the ends of the Earth
Here’s where each Apostle went - a 🧵
She wore a crown of roses and a glowing crucifix.
But she was weeping uncontrollably.
What she told two children on a mountain would warn of famine, blasphemy, and judgment.
The Church approved it. Most Catholics have never heard it.
The story of Our Lady of La Salette🧵:
The tilma of Guadalupe has a miracle that has only been revealed by modern science
In her mantle a hidden secret: the flowers and starts reveal a heavenly melody
This is the song given to us by the Blessed Virgin - a 🧵✝️
Today marks 20 years since Pope St. John Paul II entered eternity—April 2, 2005. His vision inspired @EWTN's mission to bring the New Evangelization to life. Today, we ask for his intercession upon you and the entire Church. 🙏