A Special Day

Posted on April 8, 2021 by M. E. Murray

Dear Readers,

I would like to introduce you to Saint Charbel. Pope Paul VI declared him a saint on October 9, 1977. Saint Charbel has performed many miracles. The people he has helped have placed ribbons (relics from the saint) with messages expressing gratitude for his help on his statue located at the Immaculate Conception Cathedral of Brownsville, Texas.

In general, his followers celebrate him on the 3^rd Sunday of July, May 8, and October 9 (the anniversary of his canonization). Also, on the 8^th day of each month, at noon, a special mass and procession with his relic are held at the parish of Nuestra Señora De Libano in Mexico City for parishioners, dead or alive, for the spiritual and physical health of the sick, and for all of Saint Charbel’s friends and followers.

Today is April 8. I will be present in Mexico City in spirit at the celebratory mass and procession to ask my dear friend, Saint Charbel, to take care of my husband and my sister, and to help me cope with fibromyalgia and a new painful medical diagnosis. Today, I ask him for help, and I ask my readers and followers to pray for me and anybody who needs help. I hope to be one of the folks that Saint Charbel helps, so I can express my gratitude in writing on ribbons that I will place on his statue at the Immaculate Conception Cathedral. Dear Jesus and Saint Charbel, thank you for being by my side for so many years.

Dear Mom, Enjoy Your Day!

Posted on May 9, 2020 by M. E. Murray

It is not very often that I get to celebrate Mother’s Day on the same day! In Mexico, the official day to honor one’s mother is May 10.

I have fond memories of my mother. She was a beautiful woman, both outside and inside, who kept on going in spite of being an epileptic. She taught me how to sew, embroider, cook, and knit at a very young age (I must have been 7-8 years old when I made a dress for a doll.I made a pattern and used it to make the dress. I suppose this is where I get the ability to sketch items.).

My older sister and I went to church with Mom every day to the Immaculate Conception Cathedral in Brownsville, Texas. We walked down the atrium to the courtyard, passed the narthex and followed the nave all the way to the Altar; there was an ornate balustrade that kept people from going into the area where the priest said mass. Mom would go into a pew and kneel down to pray. Afterwards, she would quietly go to Our Lady of Mount Caramel’s statue and light a candle. When we finished praying, we would either buy some pastries at the bakery or go to a theater that showed Mexican movies. (We were able to see movies on weekends because my dad, who was self-employed, often repaired items for the theater’s ticket handler and never charged him. That was a great treat because we didn’t have to spend money to see a movie.

My mother loved flowers. I recall the occasion when she fell on the front porch of our old house. At the time, I lived in Fort Worth,too far away to help immediately. Fortunately, my sister took her to the hospital where Mom stayed overnight for observation.Since I couldn’t visit her, I immediately sent her a bouquet of flowers and called her. She kept telling me over the phone, “My goodness! That bouquet of flowers is huge! And it is so beautiful!” When she was released, my mother told my sister, “Don’t forget the flowers!”

So, it is no big surprise that on Mother’s Day, and every day, I pray to Mom. I ask her for help and strength because she was a strong woman. To live in poverty and have an incurable illness required a lot of stamina.

Happy Mother’s Day, Mom! Enjoy the day with your mom, Dad, and Victor, your oldest child.

Easter Sunday

Posted on April 21, 2019 by M. E. Murray

On Easter Sunday, the crucifix in my favorite church was no longer covered with a purple shroud. I don’t have a picture to celebrate that Christ has risen, so I decided to put a picture of the Immaculate Conception Cathedral in Brownsville, Texas, because it brings pleasant childhood memories about Easter, such as hunting for eggs in our overgrown backyard grass.

Immaculate Conception Cathedral

Egg hunting was a serious undertaking. I recall we saved egg shells to color and later fill with confetti that we cut from school paper we no longer needed. Once filled with confetti, the colored egg shell openings were covered with soft tissue. We called these eggs “cascarones” and hit each other’s heads with them. I must admit that some of my cousins hit pretty hard and the pain lingered on my skull. I never found enough cascarones to get even, but I had a lot of fun.