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Saturday, September 19, 2015

ON THIS MEMORIAL OF SAINT JANUARIUS, BISHOP AND MARTYR, I WANT TO RECALL FOR YOU WHAT MY GOOD FRIEND, SAINT JANUARIUS DID FOR ME ALMOST TWO YEARS AGO WHEN I WAS IN MY HOMETOWN OF NAPLES, ITALY!

Sunday Mass at the Chapel of Saint Januarius the day after  he gave me a miracle. It was a Sunday Mass in the Cathedral of Naples and the other miracle was that the Sunday Mass was in his chapel and ad orientem!!!!! I took this photo with my iPhone:

I posted this on September 29th, 2013 not more than a week after the grand celebration in Naples concerning Saint Januaries blood liquidfication but also the miracle I received from my good buddy. This is to reprise it for you today on his most important feast for the Church!

 

MIRACLE? I REPORT, YOU DECIDE!

Several years ago I had orthoscopic surgery on my right knee for a torn miniscus. Ever since I still have problems with stiffness and inflammation. This has increased in the last year.

Prior to leaving for Rome, I tripped over a vacuum hose and twisted my knee, causing more inflammation. Once I got to Rome I slipped in on the bathroom floor exacerbating the inflammation and made the knee go out of alignment. In Assisi I further twisted it going up an escalator from the parking lot as I turned to speak to a priest and didn't realize we were at the top landing.

My knee was absolutely killing me in Assisi, especially walking downhill. By this point the joint was not working properly and clicked with every motion. I was seeing stars and living off of Motrin.

I have been walking a lot but with less pain, but the clicking knee was driving me nuts. I've walked about 20 miles here in Naples. On Friday I prayed at the cathedral's Saint Januarius chapel that my knee get better, because in Italy you have to walk!

On Saturday after walking miles, I was on Naples' waterfront and hit with my right foot, head on, a protrusion on the side walk I did not see. It sent what felt like an electric shock up my leg to the knee as I almost completely tripped and fell before stopping myself from doing so. I was embarrassed because people saw me trip and almost fall.

I thought to myself that now the knee would be even worse, but NO! From that point on the knee went back into proper alignment and no longer clicks and I don't see stars going downhill or down steps! I always have pain in the knee even while in bed, but not last night!

Thank you Saint Januarius for sending me directly into that sidewalk protrusion! I prayed for a healing to test your powers and you showed me!

Above is the chapel of Saint Januarius where I prayed on Friday for my knee and below is the sidewalk where I tripped and was healed!


22 comments:

Anonymous said...

"Thank you, St. Januarius, for sending me directly into that sidewalk protrusion" said no one who tripped, fell, and broke his wrist.

Anonymous said...

I assume you celebrated the 8 a.m. Mass this morning and you wore red vestments for St. Januarius? Am I correct?

Fr. Allan J. McDonald said...

Unfortunately I did not have the morning Mass as I had a 1:30 Funeral Mass and the 4:30 Sunday Vigil on Saturday. Only did Morning Prayer in my good buddy's honor! :)

Anonymous said...

Did you have Fr. Vernon (I assume) celebrate the Mass for Saint Januarius? By the way..black, violet or white vestments for the Funeral Mass today?

Fr. Allan J. McDonald said...

Yes, Fr. Vernon and yes my funeral vestment was white with black and violet accents.

Anonymous said...

What a beautiful vestment, just in description!

hippo of potamus said...

I bet you'll correct me if I'm wrong, but didn't you have actual surgery on your knee by an actual doctor to do a more permanent fix on your temporary "miracle"?

Fr. Allan J. McDonald said...

Yes I did but he got me through two more months of Italy with a week in the Holy Land. Otherwise I think I would have had to come home early!

pippo hotamus said...

Bless his heart.....

Anonymous said...

Father, I am shocked that you did not schedule yourself or switch with Father Vernon to celebrate the Mass honoring Saint Januarius! You are the Pastor, you know :-)

George said...

hippo of potamus said...

I bet you'll correct me if I'm wrong, but didn't you have actual surgery on your knee by an actual doctor to do a more permanent fix on your temporary "miracle"?

OK hippo

Padre Pio was God's instrument for many miracles, but he believed in and supported those engaged in medical care. God does work through the efforts of medical personnel also.

The Casa Sollievo della Sofferenza (Home for Relief of the Suffering) is a religious hospital It is known as the “Hospital of Padre Pio”, since it was due to his desire, inspiration and eforts that it came to be.

By the way...
Through a formal Collaboration Agreement with Padre Pio’s hospital in Italy,Catholic Healthcare International will duplicate his hospital in the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains of Eastern Kentucky.

Jdj said...

Yes, George, when I read hippo/pippo's snarky replies, I had the same thought. I didn't know about the Kentucky hospital--great news!
What I can't figure out is why Fr. doesn't vet these obvious snark attacks as "...disrespectful...of priests in particular..." (himself)! These personal attacks are off the wall and don't further dialogue.

Anonymous said...

Suggesting that Fr. Mac's "miracle" story isn't a miracle story at all but a description of events for which there are natural explanations isn't an attack.

"I tripped, therefore St. Januarius is responsible for my healing" just doesn't stand up to any theological or medical scrutiny.

Fr. Allan J. McDonald said...

You must have been trained in my 1970's which using a hermeneutic to desconstruct miracles of the Bible as well as miracles that occur daily in people's lives and did so primarily for the purpose of secularizing the faith and creating a scenario of a loss of faith. Silly, silly, silly!

Anonymous said...

The miracles of the Bible are miracles. Your "Miracle of the Uneven Pavement" is a sad hoax.

Fr. Allan J. McDonald said...

Oh ye of little faith or maybe greet jealousy?

Anonymous said...

No faith is required to say, "I tripped." Greet credulity is needed to say, "St. Januarius led me to a place where I tripped." And greet poor judgment is needed to tell people "I had a miraculous intervention when I tripped."

Fr. Allan J. McDonald said...

Stop the silliness, of course it was a miracle, it happened to me, not you which says a lot!

Willie B. Credulous said...

I ran out of gas in Emmitsburg and went and prayed at the shrine of St. Elizabeth Seton, since I also was out of money.

I walked outside and found a one hundred dollar bill in the parking lot!

Of course it was a miracle!

Thank you, St. Seton, for leading me to find that money!

It happened to me, not you, which says a lot!

I agree - Stop this silliness.

Calvin of Hippo said...

Miracles and visions don't just happen to anyone...I believe they happen to people who are open to them and whose lives are in step with the will of God. I don't think that describes the majority of even Christian people. Certainly, those of us who have never experienced such things are in no position to doubt those who have, especially in those instances where there are witnesses. Are there hoaxes, sure...but, that does not negate the reality of true miracles and epiphanies.

Fr. Allan J. McDonald said...

I have reported and you have decided unfortunately with a lack of Faith and what little you have must be very academic and sterile which accounts for the reason Pope Francis judges Catholic academics that look down their noses from their ivory towers in disdain.

Paul said...

Over the years, I've seen and read numerous "theories" to "explain" the miracles of The Father and The Son: Multiplying loaves and fishes -- the miracle of sharing, manna -- some sort of beetle excrement, parting of the Red Sea -- a of combination of tidal effects, etc.

I think these theories attempt to undermine God and Christ in two ways: 1) Deny the existence of the Holy Trinity altogether or 2) pridefully boast: "see, we figured out how God did it".

Miracles happen and happen all around us.

Thanks be to God.