Showing results by author "Bob Lord" in All Categories

"In the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit." We say it, but do we know what we're saying; are we really aware of the awesome truth we're proclaiming? Many of our newer, more traditional priests, before they begin to pray the Mass, preface it with, "As we should begin all things, let us begin in the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit."

We have often said that in times of crisis, God sends us miracles of the eucharist, apparitions of our lady, angelic intercessions and saints and other powerful men and women in our church. This account is about one of those powerful men, a true hero in our Church, Charles Cardinal Borromeo, defender of the faith of the 16th century. He was one of God's soldiers along with Ignatius of Loyola, founder of the Society of Jesus, Philip Neri and Pope St. Pius V, who went to battle against Luther, Calvin and all the betrayers of the Church; and became heroes of the Counter-Reformation.

Bob and Penny Lord trace the life of Saint Gerard Majella and discover this miracle worker. Considered one of the greatest patrons and intercessors for healthy births. Discover a monumental shrine for this Saint in Mater-Domini, in Italy. Throngs of pilgrims come here, discover a special room of ex-votos representing thousands of healthy babies.

One of the most powerful Sacramentals is the Brown Scapular. On July 16, 1251, Our Lady appeared to St. Simon Stock, accompanied by her Heavenly Army of Angels and made the following promise: "Whoever dies wearing this Scapular shall not suffer eternal fire." Now, it was not our Lady's intention that the Scapular should replace the living out of a holy and virtuous Christian life. Instead, she meant it to remind us of the life she led, one of obedience to the Will of the Father, of humility, of fidelity, a willing vessel bringing the Savior to us.

Saint Ignatius of Loyola discovered a dark cave, virtually unknown because it was so overgrown with brush. There, he would spend hours, sometimes all through the night, praying without interruption, except for the occasional sounds of God's four-legged and winged creatures calling out to one another. The cave at Manresa was a battlefield, a lonely battlefield, with Ignatius battling one temptation, winning that battle only to be put to the test with another temptation and another battle.

Bob and Penny Lord write about the apparitions of Mary, contending that each of them has significance for larger numbers than the fortunate few to whom she has appeared.

Martyr of communism. One of the truly great modern heroes of Poland of the Communist era - a prophet, a man who gave up his life for his brothers, and whose execution brought about the downfall of Communism in Poland. Fr. Jerzy was born on the Feast of the Triumph of the Cross. He would prove to be a super-strong catalyst in bringing about the Triumph of the Cross in Poland, six years after his martyrdom.

Bob and Penny Lord track the life of Saint Joseph of Cupertino, the Flying Saint, and Patron of Students. They travel to Osimo, Italy, where the saint spent his last seven years, where he is buried, and where his shrine is located. They visited Assisi, where he spent much of his apostolate; Rome, where he had a special Audience with the Pope; and Loreto, where he flew to venerate Our Lady in the Holy House of Nazareth. See his chapel, his vestments, and learn about the wisdom and spirituality of Saint Joseph

According to tradition, Our Lady of Perpetual Help is considered the oldest icon in the Church. It is believed that the first icon of the Virgin of the Passion (or Our Lady of Perpetual Help) was in fact painted by St. Luke. And who better than he to paint this sorrowful image of Mother and Son? For, St. Luke, of all the Gospel writers, wrote most personally of the Lord in his infancy up to his death on the Cross.

The account of the translation of the Holy House from Nazaeth to Yugoslavia and finally to Loreto Italy in 1290 - 1294. It is in Loreto to this day.

In 1945, the Nazi war machine was finally crushed and cities and countries all over Europe were being liberated by the Allied Forces. Great shouts of joy could be heard. Young girls in Rome, Paris, Amsterdam, and other cities across Europe kissed young GIs and other liberating forces. Churches were filled with masses of Thanksgiving.

The day Bernard was born, his mother raised him up to Heaven and consecrated him to God. Although she was gentle and loving, she was also firm and resolute. She was attentive to all her children, giving of herself completely, but with her third born son, she knew in her heart she had been given a special gift from God and she wanted to nurture him and prepare him for his role on Earth. The results: Bernard grew up obedient, brave, hardworking, and surprisingly unspoiled, not unlike his other siblings.

The Life of Saint Veronica Giulianni. Discover the monastery where she spent her life as a religious. The cell where she lived; the bed she slept on, the pillow-case which still shows the blood-stains from her Stigmata, the tree to which she levitated, the cross upon which she hung, and the cross she carried. The Devil attacked and tormented her.

When we talk of saints who have been maligned, misunderstood, and mistreated, no one deserves more a place in this book than venerable Pope Pius XII. We have learned late in life that the history passed down depends on the authors, not necessarily on the facts. We can remember in our lifetime, the escalator of our emotions and intellect, as a country ascended from enemy to friend and then descended, back again, from friend to enemy.

The reason we call Saint Louis Marie de Montfort a prophet of the last days, even though he lived between the last half of the 17th century and the first part of the 18th century, is because of what we read in his prophecies. It deal with the last days.

Saint Catherine of Siena - mystic, stigmatist, incorrupt. Travel with us to Siena and to St. Dominic's Church where she went into ecstasy. Walk through her home where she was mystically married to Jesus. Know more about the cross where she received the stigmata. Go to Avignon, France, where she convinced the pope to return to Rome. St. Catherine was an illiterate who was taught to read by Jesus.

A baby is born. There is a hush in the town and on the mountain top in anticipation of the new little lord, as if time is standing still waiting for the signal to rejoice! Lady Emilia went into labor. The candle bearers were ready to brighten the castle, symbolizing the light that had come into their lives. The serfs stood ready to ring the bells!

How does a just king, a loyal defender of the faith, turn on all that he vowed to protect, betraying church and country? Was it the limitless power he had, the power to decide between life and death, that gave birth to him placing himself above his pope and church? Was it the example of other Henrys before him? This chapter is about one man's infamy and the powerful men and martyrs God raised up to defend his church. But before we speak of King Henry VIII and the martyrs who died rather than deny the Church, we want to touch briefly on some of his predecessors.

The Lord has given the church many heroes down through the centuries, and each person he gives us is for a specific reason for a specific time, but not only for that time. The 19th century is a perfect example of that. The church suffered greatly during that century, but the Lord knew we needed him to be at our sides to assure us that he would keep his promise that the gates of hell would not prevail against his church.

Come with Bob and Penny to Sicily to share in the lives of two powerful saints of Sicily, Santa Rosalia, patron saint of Palermo, and the famed Santa Lucia, patron saint of eyes and breasts, and patron saint of Siracusa, Sicily. Go with Bob and Penny to the top of Monte Pellegrino, where St. Rosalia lived her final days and where she appeared to a hunter and saved the city of Palermo from the Plague. Come to Venice and Siracusa, where the story of the life of St. Lucy unfolds.