Our Lady of Guadalupe’s Feast Day

Posted on December 12, 2021 by M. E. Murray

Our Lady of Guadalupe/memurray.com/wordpress.com — **Our Lady of Guadalupe**

Dear Readers: Today I will talk about the Blessed Virgin Mary and the places where she graced us with her presence: Rue de Bac in Paris in 1830 (the Miraculous Medal), La Salette in 1846 and Lourdes in 1858; Pontmain, France (1871), Knock, Ireland (1879), Fatima, Portugal (1917), Beauraing, Belgium (1932), Banneux, Belgium (1933), and in 1531 Our Lady of Guadalupe appeared four times to a humble Native Indian, Juan Diego, on Tepeyac Hill.

Most of you know that I was raised a Roman Catholic. So, today is a very special day. Christ’s mother is looking at me from Heaven as I beg her to perform some special miracles: cure my sister who has Alzheimer’s, protect my dear husband from any illness (He has been taking care of my sister, me, Marty, our cat, and Twister, our foxhound). It is a yearly custom to greet the Virgin at St. Patrick’s Cathedral early in the morning with the mariachi, the Virgin’s fans, and parishioners singing “Las Mañanitas.” This morning was too chilly for me. My fibromyalgia pain intensified. I asked the Blessed Virgin to heal me and other folks who have this dreadful disease. I also asked her to cure my spinal column pain. I need to be well to take care of my family.

Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe

There are several facts that I didn’t know about the Virgin of Guadalupe, so I am including them in this blog.

“The lady from Heaven”

Did you know?

Our Lady of Guadalupe appeared to Saint Juan Diego on December 9, 10 and 12, 1531.
The image left on Saint Juan Diego’s tilma is the only true picture of Our Lady of Guadalupe in existence.
The image has remained intact with all its original vibrancy for 475 years. The natural life span of a cloak made with fiber from the gave or maguey plant is only about 30 years.
The image is a pictograph which could be read and understood by the Aztec Indians.
Our Lady appears as a beautiful young Indian maiden and Queen.
Her eyes are looking down with humility and compassion. She is human, not God.
She is wearing a blue-green mantle (the color worn by royalty) covered with stars.
The stars signify she comes from heaven – the Queen of Heaven. The constellations are in the exact position as appeared before dawn on the morning of December 12, 1531.
Her robe is colored rose or pale red and covered with Aztec flowers, symbolic of an Aztec princess.
In the center of her robe, overlying her womb, is a four petal quincunx flower in the shape of a cross which is the sign of the Divine and the center of the cosmic order to the Aztec. The Virgin’s Baby, Jesus, is Divine and the new center of the universe.
Her hands are joined in prayer and, therefore, she is not God but clearly there is one greater than she and she points her finger to the cross on her brooch.
Her fur cuffs symbolize royalty.
She wears a black maternity band signifying she is with Child.
A black cross is on the brooch around her neck. This signifies she is a follower of the God of the Spanish Missionaries, Jesus Christ who died on the cross for all.
She stands in front of the sun. The sun symbolizes the greatest Aztec god – Huitzilopochtli. She announces the God who is greater than their sun god.
She stands on the moon. The crescent moon symbolized the Aztec god Quetzalcoatl, the feathered serpent moon god. She has clearly crushed and defeated him.
An angel with eagle’s wings supports the Mother of God. The eagle was the “bird of the sun.” Here the eagle is the servant of the Virgin. She holds her mantle in one hand and robe with the other, signifying the Son she bears is from both heaven and earth.
To date the image cannot be explained by science.
The image on the tilma was able to do what up to that time the missionaries were not able to do significantly. Namely, clearly explain Christianity to the Indian people. The proof is in the fact that after the apparitions, eight million natives of Mexico converted to Catholicism from 1531 to 1538.

Guadalupan Expert: Msgr. Eduardo Chávez Sánchez

Msgr. Eduardo Chávez Sánchez is co-founder and rector of the Institute for Guadalupan Studies, and is a canon of the Basilica of Guadalupe. Born in Mexico City, he studied philosophy and theology in the Institute for Ecclesiastical Studies at Mexico’s Conciliar Seminary. He was ordained on Aug. 15, 1981, in the Archdiocese of Mexico. He holds a diploma in philosophy from the Universidad del Valle de Atemajac in Guadalajara and, a doctorate in Church history from the Pontifical Gregorian University.https://videos.sproutvideo.com/embed/d39dd9bb131ae5c65a/16dcbacb7a14eb41https://videos.sproutvideo.com/embed/449dd9bb131bedc4cd/00a9862158a9924b

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Dear Readers: Have a wonderful day! Don’t forget to thank Our Lady of Guadalupe for all the things she has done for you, even though you may not know it.

Today is National Pet Day

Posted on February 20, 2020 by M. E. Murray

I have two adorable pets, a cat, Marty, and a foxhound, Twister. We love them!

Marty is probably 14 years old. He used to be a feral cat, but we turned him and his brother, Klyban, and their mother into indoor cats. Klyban and Marty were very fond of each other, almost inseparable. They played, and when they rested, slept together.

Mamma Kitty

Klyban playing inside a cardboard box

One morning, about 3 years ago, Mamma Kitty suddenly vomited blood. My husband rushed her to our vet, but he called me to give me the sad news: ” Mamma didn’t make it.” We miss her a lot. She was an amazing cat, who loved to play with her toys. Many times we heard her meowing to them as if they were her children.

Unfortunately, last year we lost Klyban to lymphoma on June 26, 2019. Losing him hit me and my husband very hard. I’m sure that his death affected Marty, also. Marty was not himself for several months, and I realized that this behavior was probably due to missing Klyban. I can understand how Marty must have felt. I cried rivers when Klyban passed away and found it very hard to not see him sleeping on my bed, on the recliner, and sofa; walking around the house; and playing with Marty. For several months, every time I thought about him, tears flowed from my eyes because I no longer had him. ( I experienced the same feelings when Mamma died, but at least she didn’t suffer from undergoing cancer treatments.)

My husband and I spend as much time as possible with Marty after Klyban’s passing because we understood that there was a possibility that he was still grieving. It wasn’t until recently, perhaps this past month, that Marty started to act like himself. He sleeps and has become very affectionate. This behavior probably means he has accepted the loss of his sibling. (I’m not done with losing Klyban or Mamma; however, Marty and my husband keep me happy, and so does our foxhound, Twister.

Twister

Twister is a rescue dog. When we found him in our backyard, he was very sick. We took him to our vet and learned he had steroid responsive meningitis. Twister underwent treatments and survived, and now he’s been part of the family for approximately 11 years.

My final comment or recommendation on National Pet Day is to love and take good care of your pets. They love you unconditionally and make your life merrier when it hits a rough spot.

Happy Thanksgiving Day

Posted on November 25, 2019 by M. E. Murray

Thursday is Thanksgiving Day, a time to give thanks for everything that God has given us: life, food, lodging, a job, friends, a family, and living in the USA!

Every morning when I wake up, I thank God that, even though, I have a chronic illness I’m alive to see my husband, Twister, my dog, and Marty, my cat. Moreover, I thank God for giving me the strength to make everyday a wonderful day!

St. Francis of Assisi Feast Day

Posted on October 4, 2019 by M. E. Murray

I love this statue of St. Francis, and enjoy seeing it every day. I hope you like it, too. I pray to him every day, and ask Him to take care of my pets.

Today, October 4, 2019, is St Francis of Assisi’s feast day. I am so fortunate to be alive to celebrate his feast day. St. Francis is the patron saint of animals and the environment. Many churches and religious communities celebrate his life, and priests also bless people’s pets. (If you can’t take your pet to be blessed, it is okay to take a photograph of your beloved pet or pets to the priest. He will bless the photo and pray for your pets. My husband and I don’t take our foxhound, Twister, for the “blessing of the animals” ceremony because he would get too excited and might scare people and their pets. Twister’s a very nice dog, though. We’re just being cautious. Our rescue kitty, Mr. Martin, would be traumatized by the crowds. So we don’t take him, either)

I’ve had the following prayer for a long time, and say it every day. It helps me during difficult times.

Prayer of St. Francis of Assisi

Lord, make me an instrument of your peace; where there is hatred, let me sow love; where there is injury, pardon; where there is doubt, faith; where there is despair, hope; where there is darkness, light; where there is sadness, joy.

O Divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek to be consoled as to console; to be understood as to understand; to be loved as to love. For it is in giving that we receive. It is in pardoning that we are pardoned. It is in dying that we are born to eternal life.

Our Kids: Kliban, Marty, and Twister

Posted on January 30, 2019 by M. E. Murray

Kliban resting

Martyresting/www.memurray.com/wordpress.com

Marty Resting on Kitchen Counter

Twister relaxing in sunroom

Raw Skin on Twister’s Neck

Posted on September 20, 2018 by M. E. Murray

irritated skin www,memurray.com.wordpress.com — Twister’s Irritated skin

June 2, 2018 . We noticed a skin rash on Twister’s neck. We suspected that the cone rubbing on his neck was responsible. My husband took him to Dr. Doolittle who recommended the following: Neosporin and another medication. For the time being, in order for his skin to heal, he is wearing no collar and no harness. Bob takes him out for a walk in our backyard regularly and only puts the harness on during that time. During this time we did not let Twister wear his collar. Besides, he’s always inside with us, so there is no chance that he would get lost. Plus, he’s also microchipped.

June 9, 2018. Bob took Twister to the veterinarian because he was scratching at his neck and irritating the wounds. Our veterinarian told us to wipe the area with a warm, damp clean cloth then apply Neosporin to the area where the skin was raw. The medication that was Apoquel (Oclacitinib)16mg. Give one half tablet by mouth every 12 hours for seven days. Then give one half tablet by mouth every 24 hours until gone.

The vet also noticed a pink area in Twister’s tummy. The vet suspected the pink area was due to an allergy. Twister no longer has the pink area.The medication helped to get rid of this. He scratches a little which is normal. His neck is better.

June 11, 2018. Because we were worried about fleas bothering Twister, we started scattering diatomaceous earth in our backyard, especially in the areas where Bob takes Twister for a stroll. Twister is still taking his meds. But he only wears his harness when he goes for a walk. He looks so much better and the wounds on his neck that were caused by the scraping of that stiff cone are healing.

We are also trying to patch up the holes that Twister made in our backyard tool shed. Apparently, he must’ve seen something go in there and was trying to capture it. (Maybe that’s how he injured his foot.)

To keep Twister away from the tool shed, my husband set a have a heart trap inside the shed. He captured a possum and released it in a habitat near a creek where he would be happier. He repeated the procedure on another day and captured a field mouse that he also released in the same area.

Why is Twister limping?

Posted on May 6, 2018 by M. E. Murray

Sometime on March 2018. My husband told me that Twister had jumped on top of the patio table last night and released a loud yelp. After carefully checking twister’s foot my husband determined that twister had broken a nail; however, it was not bleeding. So, he assumed that Twister was all right. Twister was fine for about a month. Then, around April 6, he started limping.

We carefully inspected his right foot and leg again. Twister did not indicate that he hurt when we touched him. But we still suspected something was wrong because he would occasionally limp and sometimes would not put any weight on the right leg. We Suspected That Twister had hurt himself when he sneakily tore a large hole on the back end of our tool shed. I suspect he was trying to get to an animal that had snuck into the shed.

The next day when we examined his leg, I noticed that an area on Twister’s right wrist was slightly swollen, and he was still limping. His injury concerned me because a few years ago one of our cats developed a limp. We hadn’t noticed that a very small lump had appeared on one of its hind legs. We took our cat to a vet who told us that she had a tumor and that it was malignant. There was not much we could do except to keep her comfortable. The days went by and the tumor kept growing. One day our little girl let us know the tumor was hurting. We had to euthanize her. This was a heartbreaking experience.

May 1, 2018, we took Twister to the vet to check his right foot. (Because of my fibromyalgia pain, I had not gone with Bob when he took Twister for his regular checkups. This time, even though my pain level was a six, I tagged along.) Our veterinarian, Dr. Jason Doolittle, checked Twister thoroughly, but I kept telling my husband and our vet that I noticed there was a small difference in size between his front legs. The right leg appeared to be swollen.

Neither my husband nor our doctor noticed the swelling. Besides, Twister didn’t indicate that he hurt when the doctor touched his foot and leg. Since I was very concerned about the swollen area, Dr. Doolittle decided to take some x-rays. When the x-rays were ready, he asked us if we wanted to look at them. “Of course!” I answered.

We went to another room where he showed us the x-rays on a computer monitor screen. As we saw the pictures roll by, Dr. Doolittle noticed the swollen area that I had been talking about. However, my heart sank to my stomach because I was right. There was a small mass in an inoperable area that could be a tumor. I hoped it was benign. Twister could lose his leg if the tumor was malignant. As these thoughts rolled through my mind, I heard Dr. Doolittle say that we wouldn’t know anything about the swollen area until we got the results from the radiologist, and that he would get in touch with us as soon as he received the results.

Dr. Doolittle was more than willing to answer any of our questions, especially mine. I apologized for taking so much of his time, but I told him that I was worried about Twister. He understood because he has a dog. Incidentally, all the members of the staff at the VCA clinic love Twister. He gets along with everybody.

The detailed examination of Twister was over. As we took him to our SUV, I was discouraged, frightened, and worried. Could the small mass be cancer? That was my concern. I didn’t want Twister to lose his leg. Thoughts about surgery, radiation, cancer pills, and chemotherapy ran through my mind.

That afternoon, I pretended to be okay, but I wasn’t. I played with Twister and the cats, tried to write, ate supper, and eventually went to bed. I had a lot of trouble falling asleep and staying asleep. Waiting for the radiology reports wreaked havoc on my body that evening. I’m sure my husband was also worried about Twister, but he didn’t say anything. He’s the quiet type.

May 2, 2018. The following morning, Dr. Doolittle called us early because the radiologist needed more information. So, Bob took Twister to the clinic. I couldn’t go with him. My fibromyalgia pain was close to a 7. With tears in my eyes, I watched Bob take Twister to the clinic for more x-rays. This time they also did a needle biopsy. Now we are waiting for the results which will come in 1 to 3 days. In the meantime, my husband is giving Twister his pain medication and we are watching him carefully.