Nov
20
2020
By Anonymous (not verified)
Brother M. Paschal O'Brien of the Divine Mercy, of Emmitsburg, Maryland, wrote in to report how the Blessed Mother and the Divine Mercy have intervened in his life.
On May 4, 1999, just 10 days before my identical twin brother, George, and I celebrated our 52nd birthday, George was tragically killed when he was struck by a pick-up truck in Lake Wales, Florida.
The Blessed Mother intervenes
After George's death, I was concerned about the well-being of his soul, since he had been a lapsed Catholic. I prayed to the Blessed Mother for a sign to show me that George's soul was taken care of. Less than a year before the first anniversary of my brother's death, I received a sign from Our Lady. At a prayer group I had attended, a religious sister unexpectedly came up to me and requested some information, including my name and address. She informed me that I was being sent a 30-inch, hand-carved, wooden statue from Italy of the Rosa Mystica (Mystical Rose). "The Mystical Rose" is a title of the Blessed Mother, which appears in the Litany of Loreto. It also refers to an alleged apparition of the Blessed Mother in the province of Brescia, Italy.
My reply was, "Well, I couldn't afford a statue like that." She responded, "Don't worry about it. The statue is being donated to you in memory of your twin brother."
This sign for which I had prayed put me at ease that George was at peace with the Lord! When I researched the Rosa Mystica, I discovered that these alleged apparitions had reportedly begun to occur in 1947, the same year that my twin brother and I were born.
Divine Mercy to the rescue
In the fall of 2007, I began to experience flu-like symptoms. I started collapsing in my apartment at random and losing my appetite. One time, I collapsed and couldn't get myself off of the floor. I called for help, and some neighbors heard me and came to my aid.
At the hospital, doctors discovered I was bleeding internally and that I also had pneumonia. Apparently, my blood thinner had caused an ulcer on my intestines, which had caused hemorrhaging. In the hospital, I prayed the Chaplet of Divine Mercy as much as I could. As a result, I felt tremendous peace, a sign I was going to survive this ordeal. I knew I was in the best place I could be.
In the most profound way, I felt this same peace during my profession of final vows as a semi-contemplative consecrated hermit for the Archdiocese of Baltimore. I professed final vows on Oct. 1, 2017, the Feast of St. Thérèse of the Child Jesus, and I took the name "Br. M. Paschal O'Brien of the Divine Mercy" in thanksgiving for my recovery.
On three occasions, during my sickest days, I had received Last Rites because I wasn't supposed to live. In fact, one blood clot I had on my lung had been diagnosed as a saddle embolism. Most people die from this kind of blood clot. But miraculously, I lived! I haven't had to return to the hospital for about eight years now.
Unfortunately, the blood clots destroyed blood vessels in both of my legs, so I have to use a cane. But I am alive and very grateful for the role that the Divine Mercy and the Blessed Mother have played in my life.
On May 4, 1999, just 10 days before my identical twin brother, George, and I celebrated our 52nd birthday, George was tragically killed when he was struck by a pick-up truck in Lake Wales, Florida.
The Blessed Mother intervenes
After George's death, I was concerned about the well-being of his soul, since he had been a lapsed Catholic. I prayed to the Blessed Mother for a sign to show me that George's soul was taken care of. Less than a year before the first anniversary of my brother's death, I received a sign from Our Lady. At a prayer group I had attended, a religious sister unexpectedly came up to me and requested some information, including my name and address. She informed me that I was being sent a 30-inch, hand-carved, wooden statue from Italy of the Rosa Mystica (Mystical Rose). "The Mystical Rose" is a title of the Blessed Mother, which appears in the Litany of Loreto. It also refers to an alleged apparition of the Blessed Mother in the province of Brescia, Italy.
My reply was, "Well, I couldn't afford a statue like that." She responded, "Don't worry about it. The statue is being donated to you in memory of your twin brother."
This sign for which I had prayed put me at ease that George was at peace with the Lord! When I researched the Rosa Mystica, I discovered that these alleged apparitions had reportedly begun to occur in 1947, the same year that my twin brother and I were born.
Divine Mercy to the rescue
In the fall of 2007, I began to experience flu-like symptoms. I started collapsing in my apartment at random and losing my appetite. One time, I collapsed and couldn't get myself off of the floor. I called for help, and some neighbors heard me and came to my aid.
At the hospital, doctors discovered I was bleeding internally and that I also had pneumonia. Apparently, my blood thinner had caused an ulcer on my intestines, which had caused hemorrhaging. In the hospital, I prayed the Chaplet of Divine Mercy as much as I could. As a result, I felt tremendous peace, a sign I was going to survive this ordeal. I knew I was in the best place I could be.
In the most profound way, I felt this same peace during my profession of final vows as a semi-contemplative consecrated hermit for the Archdiocese of Baltimore. I professed final vows on Oct. 1, 2017, the Feast of St. Thérèse of the Child Jesus, and I took the name "Br. M. Paschal O'Brien of the Divine Mercy" in thanksgiving for my recovery.
On three occasions, during my sickest days, I had received Last Rites because I wasn't supposed to live. In fact, one blood clot I had on my lung had been diagnosed as a saddle embolism. Most people die from this kind of blood clot. But miraculously, I lived! I haven't had to return to the hospital for about eight years now.
Unfortunately, the blood clots destroyed blood vessels in both of my legs, so I have to use a cane. But I am alive and very grateful for the role that the Divine Mercy and the Blessed Mother have played in my life.
LAMDVD
