"You never so touch the ocean of God's love as when you forgive and love your enemies."
- http://tommyswindow.com/english/loce.pps#312,4,slide4
Thursday, February 7, 2008
Saturday, January 26, 2008
repent
Gospel imperative: Repent!
by Fr. Jerome Magat, newsletter@catholicexchange.com 2008 jan 26
"Forms of the word 'repent' appear in the Bible 37 times. It is the most common theme found in the exhortations of the prophets, and its imperative is found in the book of Revelation six times. Scripture consistently reveals an intrinsic relationship between repentance and salvation. It should surprise no one that it is the central message of the preaching of Jesus Christ...."
by Fr. Jerome Magat, newsletter@catholicexchange.com 2008 jan 26
"Forms of the word 'repent' appear in the Bible 37 times. It is the most common theme found in the exhortations of the prophets, and its imperative is found in the book of Revelation six times. Scripture consistently reveals an intrinsic relationship between repentance and salvation. It should surprise no one that it is the central message of the preaching of Jesus Christ...."
Sunday, January 20, 2008
divine mercy testimony: stanley villavicencio
Re: Divine Mercy, Testimony
Fr: fwd by andromeda_flp@hotmail.com 2008 Jan 20
Subject: PLEASE READ: The Filipino who saw, spoke, touched and embraced Jesus!!!
This is quite long but IT IS A MUST TO READ.
Bro. Stanley Villavicencio Note: The miracle that happened to him was recognized by Vatican. In Washington DC, he spoke using his dialect, Visayan language, but what came out from his mouth was English. In China, Chinese understood his testimony although he spoke in English while Chinese understand only their language. In Rome, when he spoke before the Cardinals and bishops from all over the world, he spoke in English but what came out from his mouth was an Italian language!!!
Throughout the history of the Catholic Church, many believers are being called by Jesus and Mary to deliver messages to the whole world, and Bro. Stanley is one of them. All messages will accompany a proof that they come from GOD himself. Bro. Stanley's case is no different. There will always be a specific time, date, and location accompanying the message. God gives us every proof that the messages delivered are truly from them. Even the Vatican, which seldom accepts supernatural events, has approved the messages. It is really God's grace that has brought these messages to our ears.
In 1993, there was a miracle that is not well known. The events surrounding it are undeniable, and because of its nature it is surprising that it never made International front page news headlines. It should have done! It never left the tight knit Christian circle, when in truth, it is God and so every human being has a right to be told.
Stanley Villavicencio was born in Bais, Negros Oriental in the Philippines. He was raised a Roman Catholic and had a great devotion to the Sacred Heart (Divine
Love) of Jesus Christ. It is a devotion that started when he was in grade school at the Sacred Heart Academy in Bais, Negro Oriental. He married a nurse, Melissa Gantuangco Villar and moved to Cebu in Mambaling. Close to his house was a chapel dedicated to the Sacred Heart of Jesus. This had a great bearing on his decision to buy the house. Unfortunately, after moving, it was discovered that the chapel was portable, erected only during the fiesta celebration and dismantled afterwards. In 1983, Stanley became Chapel President. A neighbor donated some land close by in order for a permanent chapel to be built for the Christian Community. Stanley was basically an ordinary man. In 1993, he was an employee of AVSECOM (The Aviation Security Command). He also became a member of the Perpetual Dawn Rosary Association in Cebu.
In the Cebu Roman Catholic Community, there is a tradition that whenever a special family occasion occurs in a house hold, the head of the family receives into the home a large statue of the Virgin Mary. March 2, 1993 is a birthday of one of Stanley's children, therefore, that morning, he was to receive the statue. However, when the statue arrived just before eight o'clock in the morning, Stanley was not up and so his mother-in-law received it.
Being concerned, she entered Stanley's bedroom. Stanley, the night before he retired, was perfectly healthy. But this particular morning his mother-in-law found him convulsing. Blood was spurting from his mouth with incredible force. She felt his pulse which was too weak to detect. When she forced open his eyes, they were white. An ambulance was called and Stanley was taken to Chong Hua Hospital in Cebu. He was rushed to the Emergency Room. There, still bleeding profusely from his mouth, and convulsing, he was injected with the maximum dose of Valium to try to stop the convulsions and slow down the huge quantity of blood pouring from his mouth. The doctors ran all sorts of tests. They could not locate the source of the bleeding, nor any kind of illness. They took a blood test with view of giving him a blood transfusion, but his blood count was normal which medically was impossible, it meant that his body was not short of blood, despite the fact he had lost so much blood. Stanley slipped into a coma. His heart beat became slower, his skin color turned gray and then he stopped breathing.
He was rushed to the Intensive Care Unit, where a specialist inserted an Ambue Bag, the end - tracheal tube being placed through his nose, going down to his stomach. This was the only form of life support that the Hospital had available. An I.V. drip was placed into a vein in his hand, running dextrose fluid into his system. However, very quickly, Stanley's organs shut down. He was declared "brain dead". His family at first did not believe this. Mainly because Stanley had shown no previous signs of being ill and the doctors were unable to determine what was wrong.
However, by the second day, the family prepared for Stanley's funeral. His coffin was arranged, a burial plot, and a burial gown. By the third day Stanley's blood had congealed in the bottom of his legs and feet and rigor mortis begun to set in.
Early in the morning on the third day, Stanley's wife brought the burial gown to the Hospital to prepare her husband. Neighbors gathered outside of the chapel to receive Stanley's coffin. Flowers were laid out for the wake. A death certificate was already signed.
But Stanley came back from the dead, perfectly healthy, as if nothing had happened. While his heart was flat line, his brain dead, Stanley had in spirit met for the first time "Jesus Christ of the Divine Mercy". Now, the fact is, that all of Stanley's medical records show this happened. He was first in a coma and then dead. Every sequence of his medical attention was, as is the custom, documented. On investigation these records were examined and all medical staff involved, questioned. Stanley came to England in the year 2001. Here, he very kindly gave an interview, in which he described the events and his experience during death, and how after he was sent back with a mission. This is his testimony. No attempt has been made to edit Stanley's account or accent: the way he speaks the English language.
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Stanley's words:
"Before I will give my testimony, I just want to inform you that after what happened to me, I was just going round giving my testimony in my own dialect. You see, the Philippines is composed of more than seven hundred islands and almost every island has different dialect. The Philippines is divided into three major parts; Luzon, Mindano and Visayas. I belong to Visayas because I am living in Cebu . So I was giving my testimony in Visayas only, until one time Father Seraphim Mekalanco, the Spiritual Director of the Divine Mercy nationwide invited me to give a talk in Manila. At first, I am happy because I can go to Manila, but then a day before I was so worried because I do not know how to speak the dialect, because in Manila the dialect is Tagalog and I do not know how to speak Tagalog. I was worried and so I asked the Lord 'What shall I do?'
Then the following day, early in the morning Jesus appeared to me, to my dream and said: "Do not worry. Just do your best and I shall do the rest". So I went to Manila and when I am holding the microphone to give my testimony, I am thinking my testimony in my own local dialect, and it came out in Tagalog. So they understand me. "And now comes Father Seraphim, the Head of the Divine Mercy International based in Stockbridge, Massachusetts, U.S.A. He invited me to give a series of talks in the United States, Canada and Mexico and the problem is, I do not know how to speak the English. So again I was worried and because in Cebu, the owner of the University is a Divine Mercy devotee, so he instructed the English Department to translate my testimony from our local dialect to English and after several months they finished the translation. "They give it to me and it is as thick as this! And they said to me, ' Stanley you memorize that'. And, I said 'No. I cannot memorize it anymore'. Then they said 'Ok you just read it' and I said, 'I cannot read it also because it is my testimony, if I will read it, it will be lifeless.'
So I went to America leaving behind the translation and upon reaching the States I confided to Father Seraphim everything, so Father Seraphim was so worried because my first testimony will be at the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington , D.C. And I will be speaking together with Mother Angelica, the audience is almost seven thousand. Father Seraphim was so worried, so I told him, 'Father don't worry. Anyway, I did not come to America to proclaim my mercy, I am here to proclaim God's Mercy'. So when I was holding the microphone, I am thinking of my own local dialect, but then it came out English and after that I already know how to speak English.
"What I am going to tell you is what happened to me. About my own personal encounter with Jesus Christ of the Divine Mercy. When you hear my testimony, I hope it will increase your faith, and that you know that there really is a God and that God is a living God. What happened to me, happened on March 2, 1993. That was a Tuesday and a birthday of one of my children. By the way, I had ten children, but now I have thirteen. And by the way, I am a member of the Perpetual Dawn Rosary.
"It is our practice that whenever there is an occasion at our house, we invite the statue of the Blessed Virgin Mary and it is also our practice that whenever the Virgin comes into our house it is I who has to receive the Virgin. But on that day, when the Virgin is already in our house, whatever they do to wake me up, I cannot be awaken, so it is my mother-in-law who received the Virgin.
"At eight o'clock that morning, my mother-in-law said, she heard me moaning and moaning. So she tried to look at me in my room and she found me lying in bed. Trembling vigorously. Blood coming out of my mouth forcefully. And it was the sister of my father-in-law, who is a nurse, was present, so attended to me immediately. And as she touches my pulse, she cannot find any pulse anymore - and as she touches my chest, my heart beat is already very slow. And when they open my eyes, both eyes are already in white, so they asked help from our neighbors and they brought me to Chong Hua Hospital . At Chong Hua Hospital, we have four specialist doctors and the doctor said that my chance of survival is one in a million, because my heart beat is already slow.
"As I enter the Emergency Room I cannot breathe anymore, even with the help of oxygen, so they transferred me to I.C.U. or the Intensive Care Unit, so my breathing can be aided, or forcing oxygen inside. At the I.C.U. my trembling did not stop and the blood was still coming out from my mouth, so the doctor injected me with Valium to control everything.
"Because Negros Island and Cebu are just very near, so that day my relatives arrive. Among them is my father who is a doctor and my sister who is also a doctor and the cousin of my wife were already present. By the way, my wife is also a nurse.
"The following day, the doctors called up my wife and asked her permission to take me off of all the life support apparatus. So my wife called up our house and asked that my long sleeve shirt, for my burial be prepared. And my mother-in- law says she has a memorial plan and that her memorial plan is transferable. So she had it transferred to my name. Meaning! I will be the one using her coffin. And it also happened we had a reservation at the Queen City Garden Cemetery in Cebu, because when my father-in-law died in 1987, we bought three lots, so they process all the papers so they can bring me to the Queen City Garden. Meaning, everything is already ready. I have the long shirt to wear for my burial, I have already a coffin to sleep in, I have already a cemetery to live in.
"But God had a different plan, because my wife did not agree to remove the life support apparatus attached to my body. In fact my relatives, they take in turns to watch over me. But it is only my body present at Chong Hua Hospital, because I saw a light, a very big bright light, but not glaring. You can stare at it. It is like a fountain. It is like a fog as it slowly evaporates, until I notice someone is standing in front of me. And when I look at His face, I recognize Him as Jesus.
"As we are looking at each other, He raised His left hand and when He raised His left hand, the clouds above were sucked downwards and when they reach just above us, the clouds keep on turning and changes in color and when it stops it becomes like a video screen. And He showed me the film of my life, from my childhood up to my present. And I notice that every time I do good, it just goes on normally and I also notice that every time I commit a sin, suddenly it would go into slow motion as if He wants to show us that what we have done is wrong, as if He wants to show us that what we have done is a sin. And because I have also committed bigger sins, sins like what we call the mortal sin.
"Every time it shows up, suddenly it would stop, came closer and enlarged it. Then I said to myself, 'Why should this be included? There must be no word of sin saw in Heaven, because it is just too bad to look at, but even if I closed my eyes I could still see it.
"Also I notice that every time I commit a sin, I could feel the heaviness. I could feel the weight. The more I commit a sin, the more the heaviness, the more the weight. And I also notice that every time I do good, for example, if I give something to the poor, I could feel as if I were floating. So it is really true what is written in the Bible, 'That what so every you do to the less of your brethren, that you do unto Me."
"And I also notice that the sins I did not confess to a Priest it is too heavy, and also I notice that the sins that I confessed to a Priest, it is lighter. And we cannot deny anything because the screen is so big and very clear and also the pictures are also big and below the pictures are written the day, the month, the date and the year. And below that it is also written the hour, the minutes and the seconds. So, we cannot deny anything, even the seconds are recorded. In fact, He reviewed my film three times and after our long conversation, He tapped my shoulder and as He was tapping my shoulder, He said to me, 'You go back now, because you still have so many things to do. You still have so many things to finish. If I have something for you or if I have a message for you, I will just appear to you in your dream.'
"After He say that, I was at the I.C.U. of the Chong Hua Hospital . Suddenly I got up. I could feel my body so light and my head suppressed. That when I got up, I removed the oxygen from my nose. After removing oxygen, there is a tube going down into my intestine, so I slowly remove the tube because it tickles me. And after removing the tube, I slowly remove the I.V. from my hand and because there is a nurse who saw everything, and that she was so afraid that she ran away. In fact, she said, one of the heels of her shoes was broken.
"When the nurse returns she has other nurses, doctors and the technicians, they are all running and when they reach me, they put me to bed again. And one of t the doctors put on his telescope and examined me and after a short examination, the doctor put off his telescope, put it beside him and he asked for another. Meaning! He did not believe his telescope. He was given another telescope and he put it on and re-examined me again and after a long examination, the doctor looked at my E.C.G. because every bed in the I.C.U. has its own E.C.G. And he said, since I was admitted at the I.C.U. my E.C.G. was just a straight line, but now they were so surprised because my E.C.G. was working normally and because the technicians were already present, so they subjected me to X-rays, laboratory tests and brain scan. And now, all the results are in negative, meaning, I am not sick.
"The doctors were all surprised and they asked permission to have another set of examinations, because they said there might be something wrong with the apparatus. We consented, and they subjected me again to another ultra sound, laboratory tests and brain scan, all except the X-ray. And again, all the results were in negative: meaning, I am not really sick. So the doctors said 'There is nothing now that we can really do, it is already a miracle.'
"When I woke up, I woke up at eight o'clock in the morning of Friday. If you will count from eight 'clock in the morning of Tuesday, to eight o'clock in the morning to Friday, that is exactly three days. And because of that, the media was alerted. The television, the radio and newspaper. And because our Church, the Roman Catholic Church do not easily believe in miracles, so it has to be investigated and the investigation was led by Cardinal Vidal of Cebu.
"Cardinal Vidal leads the investigation in March. At the middle of September,
Cardinal Vidal released a letter confirming what happened to me. And he gives me an endorsement letter, so that I could give testimony around the world. "One of the doctors who was assigned to me at the I.C.U. , he is not just an ordinary doctor because when he took his medical examinations, he got the highest score all over the country and when he entered the Chong Hua Hospital, he was awarded as the most outstanding P.G.I. doctor. He was assigned to me at the I.C.U. from the very beginning, until I woke up. And because he cannot sleep anymore, so he entered the Seminary to become a Priest, and now he is already a Priest.
"From March 1993 up to now, Jesus keeps appearing to me to my dream. That is
also accepted by our local Church. Because my Spiritual Director is Msgr Chris Garcia. He is one of the most holiest Priests in Cebu and he is also gifted. He has the gift of inner locution (inner telepathic voice), meaning he can also talk to Jesus. But he cannot see Jesus. But Jesus appears to me, to my dream, where I can see Him, where I can talk to Him, where I can touch Him, where I can even embrace Him. And what is best for us! Every time Jesus appears to me, He also tells my Spiritual Director, so there is a confirmation. That is why, where ever I go, it is embraced by the Church.
"Also during my investigation, the doctors asked the Priest, 'Where does all that blood come from? ' The blood coming out from my mouth is with force and continuously for several hours and why there was no blood transfusion. (Blood count showed no reduced level of blood). So the Priest prayed and after praying the answer that this blood coming out from my mouth is for cleansing. I have to be cleansed because I have to face the Lord - and they also said that is it also said in the Bible, that whoever sees the Lord will have to die, so I have to die. But because I have a mission, so I have to live again.
"Also they ask me: 'Why you? Why did Jesus choose you?' So I answered them. 'May be because I am nothing. May because I have nothing to be proud of except for my sins.' So, when I have a chance to talk with Jesus, I ask the Lord, 'My Lord, my God, why me? I am a sinner. I am a sinful man.' And Jesus answered, "You cannot appreciate the beauty of My mercy unless you experience the misery of sin.' And so I accepted my mission.
"Also so many are coming to me, so I ask the Lord: 'My Lord, my God! So many
are coming to me and entrust their problems to me, what shall I do?' And Jesus answered: Just let them pray the chaplet unceasingly and they will be guided.'
"That is why now, in the Philippines, the chaplet is very popular, not only among the Catholics but also the other Church dominions because there are so many miracles that have been attributed to the chaplet. For example: Several months ago, my Spiritual Director, Msgr Chris Garcia, he had a slight stroke. So he was admitted at the Hospital, and the doctor said that he had a brain tumor and that there is a virus in his brain and that he cannot open his eyes because it is too
painful. We went to the Hospital and we prayed the chaplet of Divine Mercy, together with Msgr Chris, and after we prayed the chaplet, several minutes later, he asked for his lap top computer. So you see the power of the chaplet. The miracle of the chaplet.
"The following day, we prayed again the chaplet. The doctors re-examined him and found him negative of everything. So on the third day he checked out of the Hospital as if nothing had happened. Do you see the power of the chaplet?
"Also, one of our Divine Mercy leaders in the Philippines, his wife was ill early in the morning. So they brought his wife to Hospital. The doctors gave him a prescription to buy the medicine and because he has no money, so he has to sell his pig. And the buyer paid him for the pig, but the buyer said that he would get the pig the following day.
"But that afternoon of that very day, the pig refused to stand up and refused to eat. So, he was so worried, because if something happens to the pig, they will be in trouble because, they buy the medicine. So he called all his children and explained to them everything; that they have to pray the chaplet for the pig. So they prayed the chaplet for the pig. But at the middle of praying the chaplet the children were laughing. They were all laughing because they said it was better to pray the chaplet for a human being, but not for a pig.
"He explained it again to them. He explained it again and again. And on the third time that they prayed the chaplet, the children prayed intensely and they finished praying the chaplet. After they finished praying the chaplet, the pig suddenly stood up and one of the children ran and got some food for the pig and the pig consumed everything. And the lesson is, if Jesus answered our prayers for a pig, how much more if we pray the chaplet for a human being.
"We have another leader of the Divine Mercy in the Philippines. He has several acres of rice fields and because he is poor he cannot afford to buy fertilizer, he cannot afford to buy insecticide. So, what he did every morning, he would roam around his rice field and pray the chaplet of Divine Mercy, everyday! Every morning! And also every afternoon. During the harvest time, his neighbors were all surprised, because during harvest time his harvest is much more than those using fertilizer and insecticide. So you see the miracle of the chaplet!
"Where ever I go, so many would ask me how soon is Jesus coming back? Or is the three days of darkness really true? Is the chastisement really true? So I answered them. Jesus said to me 'Don't be afraid'. Jesus said to me, 'Don't be afraid because I will take care of your future. Blessed are those taking advantage of My mercy while it is still the day of mercy but beware, because the day of Judgment is nearer than everyone thinks.' "I asked the Lord, 'What are the sins that You cannot forgive?' Jesus said, 'All sins can be forgiven except if you refuse to believe that your sin can be forgiven.' That is the sin He cannot forgive, because Jesus said by refusing His mercy you are also refusing to believe that He is a God. (That is a sin against the Holy Spirit). That is why Jesus said, Before I come as Just Judge I will open wide the doors of My mercy'. But Jesus continued that it is also written in the Diary of St. Faustina, that 'he that refuses to pass through the doors of My mercy will have to pass through the doors of My Justice.'
"Now, after a long while that Jesus is opening this door of mercy and after a long while He will close that door of mercy. Then He will open that door of Justice. And if He will open the door of His Justice who can enter Heaven? When Heaven is only for the pure, when Heaven is only for the clean. And who are the clean? And who are the pure? All of us are sinners. All of us are unclean. We can only enter Heaven through His mercy, through His love. Without God's mercy, without His love, it is too difficult to enter Heaven. That is why Jesus now is begging us to go out now and proclaim His mercy. Jesus also said, 'Proclaiming My mercy is not enough, you have to put mercy into action, by living as an example of My mercy.' He said, "He who will save a soul will save his own.'
"I am not allowed by the Church to pray or to do healing or lay hands on anybody because Cardinal Vidal said I would just do my evangelization, (tell people what happened to me), because he said, 'there are some who are given the gift of healing, they will also continue their healing.' But then it cannot be avoided that during my talk so many sick people are attending, so Cardinal Vidal arranged a veneration to the image of Divine Mercy, so the sick people will ask directly to Jesus their healing, not through me because I am only a human being. After that, this image becomes a miraculous image, because there are so many instant healings and also sometimes when I give my testimony, people see lights. Lights coming out from His body. That is why there are some ripples in His body (of the image). The light has a heat and the heat destroyed the plastic. Because so many people will say Jesus is emanating lights and sometimes they say that Jesus gets out from the frame, and He will transfer right behind me and they say He is taller than me. And they said each time Jesus gets out from the frame, the frame is empty. And it not only happens in the Philippines. It also happened in Hong Kong, China, in Rome, in New York, New Jersey, all over the States and in Canada and Mexico. So it also happened in Ireland and so during veneration, (showing respect and appreciation) , you have to ask Jesus what favor you want. Because, if what you are asking for is not against His will, He will give it to you. Especially, if what you are asking for comes from the depth of our heart." End of Stanley's words.
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It is an amazing testimony. But did it happen? If so, was it a miracle? There is no doubt that medically what happened to Stanley took place. This part of his story is true. He was convulsing, pouring blood, went into a coma and then died. No doctor wants to take a very ill person off of life support equipment. The thing is, medical treatment is not free in the Philippines and law determines that no doctor can remove medical equipment without permission from the next of kin.
Stanley's medical records were examined, all hospital reports regarding him, and all staff involved in his care, questioned over and over again. The investigation first began when peoples talk was picked up by the media. It was given more credence, when a well known doctor resigned to become a Priest, because of what he saw medically, which he deemed as "Impossible, a miracle, an act of God".
A person from the Philippines sent a telegram to Father Seraphim Mekalanco - who is the Director of the John Paul Institute for the study of Divine Mercy, appointed by Pope John II. Father Seraphim received the telegram in Rome. He launched an investigation. Medical records were studied by Cardinal Vidal, Cardinal Sin, and twelve Bishops. Another person who independently examined the medical records was Paul Regan from Malden, who is the founder of the Chaplet of Divine Mercy For the Sick and Dying Institute, in America. The fact that Stanley had died, and woke in full health, with no brain damage is against all the science of nature.
So, yes, this part can be termed a miracle. Certainly one that had the main doctor leave his profession and become a Priest. Certainly enough to have a whole nation's television studios and radio stations, halt every day at three o'clock in the afternoon, to pray the chaplet publicly. To have people of all faiths stop in the street at this time to pray the chaplet. Now, what we have to look at is whether Stanley is being honest about his spiritual encounter. What is convincing is that Stanley described both rays coming from Jesus as white, and not one red and one white as is in the image. The white ray is described as a washing of sin, as in baptism. But Stanley's account would have been obviously more convincing if he described the rays as they are shown in the image and as seen by St. Faustina; but, I think the fact he described seeing the rays differently makes his account more authentic; who would deliberately want to complicate a con?
The other thing than makes Stanley's account believable is that he describes some of the sins he committed and saw. He was President of the Chapel to t he Sacred Heart of Jesus. He saw himself pass the chapel seeing people inside gambling. He saw another time his neighbors in the chapel drinking and gambling and did not stop them. Another time, he saw himself inside the chapel drinking with them. This is not someone trying to show a "holier than thou" image. Quite the opposite.
Stanley himself received a request sent on behalf of Pope John Paul 11 to go to Rome. When asked what language he spoke to the Archbishops, Cardinals and Bishops, given that they were from all over the world, but each would speak Italian, Stanley was very firm that he spoke in English, not a mystical Italian that rose from the Spirit of God. The profound effect that Stanley's experience has had on a whole country is the largest mark of authenticity. In the conversation he said he had with Jesus, he was told that the chapel was not to be used for any other purpose other than that for which it was built. Jesus requested, that the chapel be extended, and a new door was to be placed on it, in the shape of a large heart, representing His Sacred Heart. All the people of Cebu and surrounding areas, contributed material and labor to comply with this request. People of many religious dominions joined together to fulfill this task.
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INTERVIEW
While in England, Stanley offered to answer any questions asked of him.
(Q) "When Our Lord appeared to you, did He appear to you just as in the Divine
Mercy Image. How did He look?"
(A) "When you are in front of Jesus, you cannot just totally describe Him, because He is everything. When you are looking at Him, you cannot describe your happiness, your satisfaction, the peace and everything. In fact, you forget your family when you are in front of Him. All of the pictures of Jesus, there is likeness, but not totally, not exactly, but there is likeness, but you cannot just totally describe Him when you are in front of Him."
(Q) "How would Jesus like our future? What would He like us to be, a part from the Commandments? How would He like our future to progress as years go on? What does He want us to do with our lives?"
(A) "That is why He said that now is the time for mercy".
(Q) "Yes, but with all the problems we have had in Society, with contraception and abortion?"
(A) "Contraception and abortion! All that is a sin. That is why Mary is crying with blood all ready. That's a sin. That's why for example, last night, four ladies approached me and they said after my testimony, they said they are planning for an abortion, but after hearing my testimony, they changed their mind, because they said they do not want to see their films, that the other one killing their own child."
(Q) "Could I ask you, did you actually see Jesus as the gates of Heaven or did you actually see Heaven?"
(A) Cardinal Vidal said that it is the Garden of Eden, because, it's a garden and in it all beautiful flowers. That is why Cardinal Vidal described it as the Garden of Eden."
(Q) "Did you actually see that yourself, or just the clouds and the light?"
(A) "I see it yes. It is the Garden of Eden. By the way, Jesus said to me that we have to pray for His beloved Priests, because He said: "They are My precious jewels and some of them cause My Heart to bleed. But I will bless them abundantly, in time, and in eternity; much more if they will stay longer in the Confessional, because it is in the Confessional that My mercy flows greater than all the sins committed by any living creature".
(Q) "How do we ask our Priest to promote the Divine Mercy? Should we do it very quietly or should we implore him to promote Divine Mercy?"
(A) "Give the Priest some real stuff he can learn, because some of the Priests do not promote Divine Mercy because they do not understand Divine Mercy. You have to inform them, and give them some literature that will guide them. And, you have to pray and ask Our Lord's assistance because we cannot change a person, only God can change a person, so we have to pray".
(Q) " Stanley, because of this Divine Mercy, especially in the Islands of the Philippines, is there a great change in the Philippines? Do they now keep the
Sabbath holy?"
(A) "In the Philippines, at three o'clock in the afternoon, all the television
stations, pray the three o'clock prayer, and also all the radio stations. And, not only the Catholics are ringing their bells, but also the other Church dominions, because I have also given my testimony to other Church dominions, so at three o'clock every body is ringing their bells and also I find it surprising that the Malls especially in Cebu and Manila, at three o'clock, they would stop and pray that three o'clock prayer. The Feast of Mercy will be celebrated throughout the universal Church. Jesus promised that the souls who are in a state of grace (been to Confession) who receive Holy Communion on that day, at the Feast of His Mercy, will be granted complete forgiveness of sins including their punishment, meaning after the Feast of Mercy, whatever happens to you, you will go straight to Heaven. Because even the punishment is forgiven. Because, when we go to Confession, when we go to a Priest, our sins are forgiven, but the punishment remains. That is why when we die we cannot go straight to Heaven, we have to pass through Purgatory to pay for the punishments of our sins. But during the Feast of Mercy, all the sins and the punishments are forgiven, so that's a very wonderful grace."
(Q) " Stanley, what does Jesus think about other religions and other non Christian religions? Hindu's and all different religions?"
(A) "Well, God's mercy is for everybody, not only for Catholics - because if Jesus is given the choice, He wants all mankind to enter Heaven. But only man loves so much the world, that he does not want to accept God's mercy. He does not want to return to the Lord. In fact, they are just denying their sins."
(Q) "Does Jesus want us to approach people in our work places; strangers, non Christians, to tell them about Divine Mercy? If so, how does He want us to do it? Because it is very difficult to go up to a stranger who does not believe in God or does not know Jesus and try to tell him about Divine Mercy."
(A) "We can do it. We can do it by being an example. We have to show them, that's why Jesus said: Put mercy into action. For example, you visit the prisoners and you explain to them God's mercy. And also at hospital, tell them and you give them the chaplet and you teach them how to pray the chaplet of Divine Mercy. You can do it, because the chaplet is welcomed by other religions, because God's mercy is for everybody, not only for Catholics. That's why Jesus said that we have to multiply our prayer for the sinners because Jesus said that the sinners do not pray for themselves anymore. So we have to increase our prayer for the sinners because their salvation depends on us."
(Q) "If those of us who have celebrated the Divine Mercy Sunday, in a state of grace, if our video is shown to us when we die, would it go back earlier or would
it begin at the last Divine Mercy Sunday?"
(A) "Others would also ask me, if your sins are forgiven, it is also forgotten with the Lord, that is true! But during the shooting of the film, you will see everything, because Jesus wants us to see how sinful we are. But then He will forgive us and that is a sign of mercy and it is mercy itself, shooting our film, showing us how sinful we are, then forgiving us. That it mercy itself!"
(Q) "Does Jesus speak to you about His Mother?"
(A) "Yes! He always do. That's why He said we have to pray the chaplet and the rosary unceasingly, as our last weapon against the enemies".
(Q) "One of the problems is the difference between the devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, and having the image over our fire places, and Our Lord asking for the image of Divine Mercy. Sometimes, the two seem to be in conflict and some prefer the Sacred Heart and some prefer the Divine Mercy?"
(A) "For me it is not conflict. Before what happened to me, since I was a kid I am already a devotee to the Sacred Heart, until I grew up, until I got married. In fact I built Sacred Heart Chapel, just in front of our house. That's why Jesus said, because I ask Him the difference: Love: Love is the Sacred Heart. Love is the flower. Mercy is the fruit. Because you do not have mercy if you do not have love. So love and mercy go together."
(Q) "You talked about the time of mercy and there is obviously a time table,
because seventy-years ago on February 22, this image was seen for the first time by Saint Faustina. The Holy Father himself is special because his mission
on life is to bring in the time of mercy. Is there a time table that Jesus has for mankind? Because I have heard from radio shows in America, that's not to say prediction, because the time and the place is known only to God, but we are obviously in these final times. What is expected of society when the Holy Father decreed Divine Mercy Sunday in the year 2000, and the Bishops are indifferent to it, because the decree has gone out to the Bishops and therefore they are the ones to instruct the Priests and they wont. We people are basically having to listen to the Bishops and the Priests, but if they don't speak of Divine Mercy or follow the Feast for us to celebrate, how do we raise that up?"
(A) "We raise it up by giving more information to the Priests. Because some of the Priests do not understand Divine Mercy because they have not read about Divine Mercy, so we have to inform them. We can give them some leaflets, but before giving them information, we have to pray for them, that they will accept it, because, as I said, we cannot change a person. That's why we have to pray harder. And also, you see, Divine Mercy devotion is for salvation, saving life, saving souls. That is why the other side is also working the wolf. The other side, will also work double time because what you are doing is saving souls."
(Q) "Does Jesus say anything about the Scriptures?"
(A) "He did not mention it to me."
(Q) " Stanley, how long were you dead?"
(A) "I was clinically dead for three days. "By the way, because I am often asked about that three o'clock prayer in the morning and the three o'clock prayer in the afternoon. Because last year, when I give my testimony at the Vatican in front of all the Cardinals and Bishops, there were twenty-six Cardinals and fifty odd Bishops. One of the Cardinals asked me, 'What is the significance of the three o'clock prayer in the morning. Because there are so many answered prayers at three o'clock in the morning.' And I answered, 'That is the time of His Resurrection. ' And the Cardinal stood up and said that this was true, that in the Book, Jesus and Mary met at four o'clock in the morning. So they said, He must have resurrected at three o'clock."
(Q) "Can you tell me, what was your illness? What did it consist of?"
(A) "Before what happened to me, I am just going good. I have no illness. I am very strong. This is why, after what happened to me, when I woke up, my wife was so stunned. She cannot believe it. So I went down to the billing section and paid the bill. Then I drive the car in going home. That's why one of the Bishops in the Philippines commented that what happened to me was just an emergency meeting with the Lord."
(Q) " Stanley, when you were at the Vatican talking to the Bishops and Cardinals, was the Holy Father there as well?"
(A) "No! He was scheduled to attend, but he was so tired and ill at the time."
(Q) "With the Cardinals and Bishops from all over the world, what language
did you speak in? Italian?
(A) "English".
(Q) "Italian?"
(A) "No! I said English".
(Q) "When Jesus was preparing you for this trip to England, did He say anything to you about the people of England ?"
(A) "Yes. People of England are very dear to Him, but then much of them cause His Heart to bleed, because England is losing faith. That is why I am here, to increase faith. And now you heard from me. Do not keep to yourself, you have to multiply. Jesus said that if you save a soul, you save your own." Stanley continues to travel around the world, telling of the amazing event that happened to him and fulfilling the mission that Jesus sent him back to earth to complete, That is, to teach the message of Divine Mercy. To His apostle, Saint Marie Faustina, Jesus made a promise in regard to both the image and the praying of the Divine Mercy chaplet. He gave conditions. What is prayed for, is prayed with a contrite heart. That it is not against His Will, in other words, it is doubtful this promise could be used to gain power and riches, which would be an abuse of His gift. He tells us that when the chaplet is prayed for a dying soul, that soul will receive His mercy and not His Justice. In away, when a promise is given to us from Heaven, then God because He is Just, is obliged to keep it. "Blessings always look small if we hold them in our hands. ut if we learn to share them, we realize how great & precious they are!"
Fr: fwd by andromeda_flp@hotmail.com 2008 Jan 20
Subject: PLEASE READ: The Filipino who saw, spoke, touched and embraced Jesus!!!
This is quite long but IT IS A MUST TO READ.
Bro. Stanley Villavicencio Note: The miracle that happened to him was recognized by Vatican. In Washington DC, he spoke using his dialect, Visayan language, but what came out from his mouth was English. In China, Chinese understood his testimony although he spoke in English while Chinese understand only their language. In Rome, when he spoke before the Cardinals and bishops from all over the world, he spoke in English but what came out from his mouth was an Italian language!!!
Throughout the history of the Catholic Church, many believers are being called by Jesus and Mary to deliver messages to the whole world, and Bro. Stanley is one of them. All messages will accompany a proof that they come from GOD himself. Bro. Stanley's case is no different. There will always be a specific time, date, and location accompanying the message. God gives us every proof that the messages delivered are truly from them. Even the Vatican, which seldom accepts supernatural events, has approved the messages. It is really God's grace that has brought these messages to our ears.
In 1993, there was a miracle that is not well known. The events surrounding it are undeniable, and because of its nature it is surprising that it never made International front page news headlines. It should have done! It never left the tight knit Christian circle, when in truth, it is God and so every human being has a right to be told.
Stanley Villavicencio was born in Bais, Negros Oriental in the Philippines. He was raised a Roman Catholic and had a great devotion to the Sacred Heart (Divine
Love) of Jesus Christ. It is a devotion that started when he was in grade school at the Sacred Heart Academy in Bais, Negro Oriental. He married a nurse, Melissa Gantuangco Villar and moved to Cebu in Mambaling. Close to his house was a chapel dedicated to the Sacred Heart of Jesus. This had a great bearing on his decision to buy the house. Unfortunately, after moving, it was discovered that the chapel was portable, erected only during the fiesta celebration and dismantled afterwards. In 1983, Stanley became Chapel President. A neighbor donated some land close by in order for a permanent chapel to be built for the Christian Community. Stanley was basically an ordinary man. In 1993, he was an employee of AVSECOM (The Aviation Security Command). He also became a member of the Perpetual Dawn Rosary Association in Cebu.
In the Cebu Roman Catholic Community, there is a tradition that whenever a special family occasion occurs in a house hold, the head of the family receives into the home a large statue of the Virgin Mary. March 2, 1993 is a birthday of one of Stanley's children, therefore, that morning, he was to receive the statue. However, when the statue arrived just before eight o'clock in the morning, Stanley was not up and so his mother-in-law received it.
Being concerned, she entered Stanley's bedroom. Stanley, the night before he retired, was perfectly healthy. But this particular morning his mother-in-law found him convulsing. Blood was spurting from his mouth with incredible force. She felt his pulse which was too weak to detect. When she forced open his eyes, they were white. An ambulance was called and Stanley was taken to Chong Hua Hospital in Cebu. He was rushed to the Emergency Room. There, still bleeding profusely from his mouth, and convulsing, he was injected with the maximum dose of Valium to try to stop the convulsions and slow down the huge quantity of blood pouring from his mouth. The doctors ran all sorts of tests. They could not locate the source of the bleeding, nor any kind of illness. They took a blood test with view of giving him a blood transfusion, but his blood count was normal which medically was impossible, it meant that his body was not short of blood, despite the fact he had lost so much blood. Stanley slipped into a coma. His heart beat became slower, his skin color turned gray and then he stopped breathing.
He was rushed to the Intensive Care Unit, where a specialist inserted an Ambue Bag, the end - tracheal tube being placed through his nose, going down to his stomach. This was the only form of life support that the Hospital had available. An I.V. drip was placed into a vein in his hand, running dextrose fluid into his system. However, very quickly, Stanley's organs shut down. He was declared "brain dead". His family at first did not believe this. Mainly because Stanley had shown no previous signs of being ill and the doctors were unable to determine what was wrong.
However, by the second day, the family prepared for Stanley's funeral. His coffin was arranged, a burial plot, and a burial gown. By the third day Stanley's blood had congealed in the bottom of his legs and feet and rigor mortis begun to set in.
Early in the morning on the third day, Stanley's wife brought the burial gown to the Hospital to prepare her husband. Neighbors gathered outside of the chapel to receive Stanley's coffin. Flowers were laid out for the wake. A death certificate was already signed.
But Stanley came back from the dead, perfectly healthy, as if nothing had happened. While his heart was flat line, his brain dead, Stanley had in spirit met for the first time "Jesus Christ of the Divine Mercy". Now, the fact is, that all of Stanley's medical records show this happened. He was first in a coma and then dead. Every sequence of his medical attention was, as is the custom, documented. On investigation these records were examined and all medical staff involved, questioned. Stanley came to England in the year 2001. Here, he very kindly gave an interview, in which he described the events and his experience during death, and how after he was sent back with a mission. This is his testimony. No attempt has been made to edit Stanley's account or accent: the way he speaks the English language.
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Stanley's words:
"Before I will give my testimony, I just want to inform you that after what happened to me, I was just going round giving my testimony in my own dialect. You see, the Philippines is composed of more than seven hundred islands and almost every island has different dialect. The Philippines is divided into three major parts; Luzon, Mindano and Visayas. I belong to Visayas because I am living in Cebu . So I was giving my testimony in Visayas only, until one time Father Seraphim Mekalanco, the Spiritual Director of the Divine Mercy nationwide invited me to give a talk in Manila. At first, I am happy because I can go to Manila, but then a day before I was so worried because I do not know how to speak the dialect, because in Manila the dialect is Tagalog and I do not know how to speak Tagalog. I was worried and so I asked the Lord 'What shall I do?'
Then the following day, early in the morning Jesus appeared to me, to my dream and said: "Do not worry. Just do your best and I shall do the rest". So I went to Manila and when I am holding the microphone to give my testimony, I am thinking my testimony in my own local dialect, and it came out in Tagalog. So they understand me. "And now comes Father Seraphim, the Head of the Divine Mercy International based in Stockbridge, Massachusetts, U.S.A. He invited me to give a series of talks in the United States, Canada and Mexico and the problem is, I do not know how to speak the English. So again I was worried and because in Cebu, the owner of the University is a Divine Mercy devotee, so he instructed the English Department to translate my testimony from our local dialect to English and after several months they finished the translation. "They give it to me and it is as thick as this! And they said to me, ' Stanley you memorize that'. And, I said 'No. I cannot memorize it anymore'. Then they said 'Ok you just read it' and I said, 'I cannot read it also because it is my testimony, if I will read it, it will be lifeless.'
So I went to America leaving behind the translation and upon reaching the States I confided to Father Seraphim everything, so Father Seraphim was so worried because my first testimony will be at the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington , D.C. And I will be speaking together with Mother Angelica, the audience is almost seven thousand. Father Seraphim was so worried, so I told him, 'Father don't worry. Anyway, I did not come to America to proclaim my mercy, I am here to proclaim God's Mercy'. So when I was holding the microphone, I am thinking of my own local dialect, but then it came out English and after that I already know how to speak English.
"What I am going to tell you is what happened to me. About my own personal encounter with Jesus Christ of the Divine Mercy. When you hear my testimony, I hope it will increase your faith, and that you know that there really is a God and that God is a living God. What happened to me, happened on March 2, 1993. That was a Tuesday and a birthday of one of my children. By the way, I had ten children, but now I have thirteen. And by the way, I am a member of the Perpetual Dawn Rosary.
"It is our practice that whenever there is an occasion at our house, we invite the statue of the Blessed Virgin Mary and it is also our practice that whenever the Virgin comes into our house it is I who has to receive the Virgin. But on that day, when the Virgin is already in our house, whatever they do to wake me up, I cannot be awaken, so it is my mother-in-law who received the Virgin.
"At eight o'clock that morning, my mother-in-law said, she heard me moaning and moaning. So she tried to look at me in my room and she found me lying in bed. Trembling vigorously. Blood coming out of my mouth forcefully. And it was the sister of my father-in-law, who is a nurse, was present, so attended to me immediately. And as she touches my pulse, she cannot find any pulse anymore - and as she touches my chest, my heart beat is already very slow. And when they open my eyes, both eyes are already in white, so they asked help from our neighbors and they brought me to Chong Hua Hospital . At Chong Hua Hospital, we have four specialist doctors and the doctor said that my chance of survival is one in a million, because my heart beat is already slow.
"As I enter the Emergency Room I cannot breathe anymore, even with the help of oxygen, so they transferred me to I.C.U. or the Intensive Care Unit, so my breathing can be aided, or forcing oxygen inside. At the I.C.U. my trembling did not stop and the blood was still coming out from my mouth, so the doctor injected me with Valium to control everything.
"Because Negros Island and Cebu are just very near, so that day my relatives arrive. Among them is my father who is a doctor and my sister who is also a doctor and the cousin of my wife were already present. By the way, my wife is also a nurse.
"The following day, the doctors called up my wife and asked her permission to take me off of all the life support apparatus. So my wife called up our house and asked that my long sleeve shirt, for my burial be prepared. And my mother-in- law says she has a memorial plan and that her memorial plan is transferable. So she had it transferred to my name. Meaning! I will be the one using her coffin. And it also happened we had a reservation at the Queen City Garden Cemetery in Cebu, because when my father-in-law died in 1987, we bought three lots, so they process all the papers so they can bring me to the Queen City Garden. Meaning, everything is already ready. I have the long shirt to wear for my burial, I have already a coffin to sleep in, I have already a cemetery to live in.
"But God had a different plan, because my wife did not agree to remove the life support apparatus attached to my body. In fact my relatives, they take in turns to watch over me. But it is only my body present at Chong Hua Hospital, because I saw a light, a very big bright light, but not glaring. You can stare at it. It is like a fountain. It is like a fog as it slowly evaporates, until I notice someone is standing in front of me. And when I look at His face, I recognize Him as Jesus.
"As we are looking at each other, He raised His left hand and when He raised His left hand, the clouds above were sucked downwards and when they reach just above us, the clouds keep on turning and changes in color and when it stops it becomes like a video screen. And He showed me the film of my life, from my childhood up to my present. And I notice that every time I do good, it just goes on normally and I also notice that every time I commit a sin, suddenly it would go into slow motion as if He wants to show us that what we have done is wrong, as if He wants to show us that what we have done is a sin. And because I have also committed bigger sins, sins like what we call the mortal sin.
"Every time it shows up, suddenly it would stop, came closer and enlarged it. Then I said to myself, 'Why should this be included? There must be no word of sin saw in Heaven, because it is just too bad to look at, but even if I closed my eyes I could still see it.
"Also I notice that every time I commit a sin, I could feel the heaviness. I could feel the weight. The more I commit a sin, the more the heaviness, the more the weight. And I also notice that every time I do good, for example, if I give something to the poor, I could feel as if I were floating. So it is really true what is written in the Bible, 'That what so every you do to the less of your brethren, that you do unto Me."
"And I also notice that the sins I did not confess to a Priest it is too heavy, and also I notice that the sins that I confessed to a Priest, it is lighter. And we cannot deny anything because the screen is so big and very clear and also the pictures are also big and below the pictures are written the day, the month, the date and the year. And below that it is also written the hour, the minutes and the seconds. So, we cannot deny anything, even the seconds are recorded. In fact, He reviewed my film three times and after our long conversation, He tapped my shoulder and as He was tapping my shoulder, He said to me, 'You go back now, because you still have so many things to do. You still have so many things to finish. If I have something for you or if I have a message for you, I will just appear to you in your dream.'
"After He say that, I was at the I.C.U. of the Chong Hua Hospital . Suddenly I got up. I could feel my body so light and my head suppressed. That when I got up, I removed the oxygen from my nose. After removing oxygen, there is a tube going down into my intestine, so I slowly remove the tube because it tickles me. And after removing the tube, I slowly remove the I.V. from my hand and because there is a nurse who saw everything, and that she was so afraid that she ran away. In fact, she said, one of the heels of her shoes was broken.
"When the nurse returns she has other nurses, doctors and the technicians, they are all running and when they reach me, they put me to bed again. And one of t the doctors put on his telescope and examined me and after a short examination, the doctor put off his telescope, put it beside him and he asked for another. Meaning! He did not believe his telescope. He was given another telescope and he put it on and re-examined me again and after a long examination, the doctor looked at my E.C.G. because every bed in the I.C.U. has its own E.C.G. And he said, since I was admitted at the I.C.U. my E.C.G. was just a straight line, but now they were so surprised because my E.C.G. was working normally and because the technicians were already present, so they subjected me to X-rays, laboratory tests and brain scan. And now, all the results are in negative, meaning, I am not sick.
"The doctors were all surprised and they asked permission to have another set of examinations, because they said there might be something wrong with the apparatus. We consented, and they subjected me again to another ultra sound, laboratory tests and brain scan, all except the X-ray. And again, all the results were in negative: meaning, I am not really sick. So the doctors said 'There is nothing now that we can really do, it is already a miracle.'
"When I woke up, I woke up at eight o'clock in the morning of Friday. If you will count from eight 'clock in the morning of Tuesday, to eight o'clock in the morning to Friday, that is exactly three days. And because of that, the media was alerted. The television, the radio and newspaper. And because our Church, the Roman Catholic Church do not easily believe in miracles, so it has to be investigated and the investigation was led by Cardinal Vidal of Cebu.
"Cardinal Vidal leads the investigation in March. At the middle of September,
Cardinal Vidal released a letter confirming what happened to me. And he gives me an endorsement letter, so that I could give testimony around the world. "One of the doctors who was assigned to me at the I.C.U. , he is not just an ordinary doctor because when he took his medical examinations, he got the highest score all over the country and when he entered the Chong Hua Hospital, he was awarded as the most outstanding P.G.I. doctor. He was assigned to me at the I.C.U. from the very beginning, until I woke up. And because he cannot sleep anymore, so he entered the Seminary to become a Priest, and now he is already a Priest.
"From March 1993 up to now, Jesus keeps appearing to me to my dream. That is
also accepted by our local Church. Because my Spiritual Director is Msgr Chris Garcia. He is one of the most holiest Priests in Cebu and he is also gifted. He has the gift of inner locution (inner telepathic voice), meaning he can also talk to Jesus. But he cannot see Jesus. But Jesus appears to me, to my dream, where I can see Him, where I can talk to Him, where I can touch Him, where I can even embrace Him. And what is best for us! Every time Jesus appears to me, He also tells my Spiritual Director, so there is a confirmation. That is why, where ever I go, it is embraced by the Church.
"Also during my investigation, the doctors asked the Priest, 'Where does all that blood come from? ' The blood coming out from my mouth is with force and continuously for several hours and why there was no blood transfusion. (Blood count showed no reduced level of blood). So the Priest prayed and after praying the answer that this blood coming out from my mouth is for cleansing. I have to be cleansed because I have to face the Lord - and they also said that is it also said in the Bible, that whoever sees the Lord will have to die, so I have to die. But because I have a mission, so I have to live again.
"Also they ask me: 'Why you? Why did Jesus choose you?' So I answered them. 'May be because I am nothing. May because I have nothing to be proud of except for my sins.' So, when I have a chance to talk with Jesus, I ask the Lord, 'My Lord, my God, why me? I am a sinner. I am a sinful man.' And Jesus answered, "You cannot appreciate the beauty of My mercy unless you experience the misery of sin.' And so I accepted my mission.
"Also so many are coming to me, so I ask the Lord: 'My Lord, my God! So many
are coming to me and entrust their problems to me, what shall I do?' And Jesus answered: Just let them pray the chaplet unceasingly and they will be guided.'
"That is why now, in the Philippines, the chaplet is very popular, not only among the Catholics but also the other Church dominions because there are so many miracles that have been attributed to the chaplet. For example: Several months ago, my Spiritual Director, Msgr Chris Garcia, he had a slight stroke. So he was admitted at the Hospital, and the doctor said that he had a brain tumor and that there is a virus in his brain and that he cannot open his eyes because it is too
painful. We went to the Hospital and we prayed the chaplet of Divine Mercy, together with Msgr Chris, and after we prayed the chaplet, several minutes later, he asked for his lap top computer. So you see the power of the chaplet. The miracle of the chaplet.
"The following day, we prayed again the chaplet. The doctors re-examined him and found him negative of everything. So on the third day he checked out of the Hospital as if nothing had happened. Do you see the power of the chaplet?
"Also, one of our Divine Mercy leaders in the Philippines, his wife was ill early in the morning. So they brought his wife to Hospital. The doctors gave him a prescription to buy the medicine and because he has no money, so he has to sell his pig. And the buyer paid him for the pig, but the buyer said that he would get the pig the following day.
"But that afternoon of that very day, the pig refused to stand up and refused to eat. So, he was so worried, because if something happens to the pig, they will be in trouble because, they buy the medicine. So he called all his children and explained to them everything; that they have to pray the chaplet for the pig. So they prayed the chaplet for the pig. But at the middle of praying the chaplet the children were laughing. They were all laughing because they said it was better to pray the chaplet for a human being, but not for a pig.
"He explained it again to them. He explained it again and again. And on the third time that they prayed the chaplet, the children prayed intensely and they finished praying the chaplet. After they finished praying the chaplet, the pig suddenly stood up and one of the children ran and got some food for the pig and the pig consumed everything. And the lesson is, if Jesus answered our prayers for a pig, how much more if we pray the chaplet for a human being.
"We have another leader of the Divine Mercy in the Philippines. He has several acres of rice fields and because he is poor he cannot afford to buy fertilizer, he cannot afford to buy insecticide. So, what he did every morning, he would roam around his rice field and pray the chaplet of Divine Mercy, everyday! Every morning! And also every afternoon. During the harvest time, his neighbors were all surprised, because during harvest time his harvest is much more than those using fertilizer and insecticide. So you see the miracle of the chaplet!
"Where ever I go, so many would ask me how soon is Jesus coming back? Or is the three days of darkness really true? Is the chastisement really true? So I answered them. Jesus said to me 'Don't be afraid'. Jesus said to me, 'Don't be afraid because I will take care of your future. Blessed are those taking advantage of My mercy while it is still the day of mercy but beware, because the day of Judgment is nearer than everyone thinks.' "I asked the Lord, 'What are the sins that You cannot forgive?' Jesus said, 'All sins can be forgiven except if you refuse to believe that your sin can be forgiven.' That is the sin He cannot forgive, because Jesus said by refusing His mercy you are also refusing to believe that He is a God. (That is a sin against the Holy Spirit). That is why Jesus said, Before I come as Just Judge I will open wide the doors of My mercy'. But Jesus continued that it is also written in the Diary of St. Faustina, that 'he that refuses to pass through the doors of My mercy will have to pass through the doors of My Justice.'
"Now, after a long while that Jesus is opening this door of mercy and after a long while He will close that door of mercy. Then He will open that door of Justice. And if He will open the door of His Justice who can enter Heaven? When Heaven is only for the pure, when Heaven is only for the clean. And who are the clean? And who are the pure? All of us are sinners. All of us are unclean. We can only enter Heaven through His mercy, through His love. Without God's mercy, without His love, it is too difficult to enter Heaven. That is why Jesus now is begging us to go out now and proclaim His mercy. Jesus also said, 'Proclaiming My mercy is not enough, you have to put mercy into action, by living as an example of My mercy.' He said, "He who will save a soul will save his own.'
"I am not allowed by the Church to pray or to do healing or lay hands on anybody because Cardinal Vidal said I would just do my evangelization, (tell people what happened to me), because he said, 'there are some who are given the gift of healing, they will also continue their healing.' But then it cannot be avoided that during my talk so many sick people are attending, so Cardinal Vidal arranged a veneration to the image of Divine Mercy, so the sick people will ask directly to Jesus their healing, not through me because I am only a human being. After that, this image becomes a miraculous image, because there are so many instant healings and also sometimes when I give my testimony, people see lights. Lights coming out from His body. That is why there are some ripples in His body (of the image). The light has a heat and the heat destroyed the plastic. Because so many people will say Jesus is emanating lights and sometimes they say that Jesus gets out from the frame, and He will transfer right behind me and they say He is taller than me. And they said each time Jesus gets out from the frame, the frame is empty. And it not only happens in the Philippines. It also happened in Hong Kong, China, in Rome, in New York, New Jersey, all over the States and in Canada and Mexico. So it also happened in Ireland and so during veneration, (showing respect and appreciation) , you have to ask Jesus what favor you want. Because, if what you are asking for is not against His will, He will give it to you. Especially, if what you are asking for comes from the depth of our heart." End of Stanley's words.
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It is an amazing testimony. But did it happen? If so, was it a miracle? There is no doubt that medically what happened to Stanley took place. This part of his story is true. He was convulsing, pouring blood, went into a coma and then died. No doctor wants to take a very ill person off of life support equipment. The thing is, medical treatment is not free in the Philippines and law determines that no doctor can remove medical equipment without permission from the next of kin.
Stanley's medical records were examined, all hospital reports regarding him, and all staff involved in his care, questioned over and over again. The investigation first began when peoples talk was picked up by the media. It was given more credence, when a well known doctor resigned to become a Priest, because of what he saw medically, which he deemed as "Impossible, a miracle, an act of God".
A person from the Philippines sent a telegram to Father Seraphim Mekalanco - who is the Director of the John Paul Institute for the study of Divine Mercy, appointed by Pope John II. Father Seraphim received the telegram in Rome. He launched an investigation. Medical records were studied by Cardinal Vidal, Cardinal Sin, and twelve Bishops. Another person who independently examined the medical records was Paul Regan from Malden, who is the founder of the Chaplet of Divine Mercy For the Sick and Dying Institute, in America. The fact that Stanley had died, and woke in full health, with no brain damage is against all the science of nature.
So, yes, this part can be termed a miracle. Certainly one that had the main doctor leave his profession and become a Priest. Certainly enough to have a whole nation's television studios and radio stations, halt every day at three o'clock in the afternoon, to pray the chaplet publicly. To have people of all faiths stop in the street at this time to pray the chaplet. Now, what we have to look at is whether Stanley is being honest about his spiritual encounter. What is convincing is that Stanley described both rays coming from Jesus as white, and not one red and one white as is in the image. The white ray is described as a washing of sin, as in baptism. But Stanley's account would have been obviously more convincing if he described the rays as they are shown in the image and as seen by St. Faustina; but, I think the fact he described seeing the rays differently makes his account more authentic; who would deliberately want to complicate a con?
The other thing than makes Stanley's account believable is that he describes some of the sins he committed and saw. He was President of the Chapel to t he Sacred Heart of Jesus. He saw himself pass the chapel seeing people inside gambling. He saw another time his neighbors in the chapel drinking and gambling and did not stop them. Another time, he saw himself inside the chapel drinking with them. This is not someone trying to show a "holier than thou" image. Quite the opposite.
Stanley himself received a request sent on behalf of Pope John Paul 11 to go to Rome. When asked what language he spoke to the Archbishops, Cardinals and Bishops, given that they were from all over the world, but each would speak Italian, Stanley was very firm that he spoke in English, not a mystical Italian that rose from the Spirit of God. The profound effect that Stanley's experience has had on a whole country is the largest mark of authenticity. In the conversation he said he had with Jesus, he was told that the chapel was not to be used for any other purpose other than that for which it was built. Jesus requested, that the chapel be extended, and a new door was to be placed on it, in the shape of a large heart, representing His Sacred Heart. All the people of Cebu and surrounding areas, contributed material and labor to comply with this request. People of many religious dominions joined together to fulfill this task.
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INTERVIEW
While in England, Stanley offered to answer any questions asked of him.
(Q) "When Our Lord appeared to you, did He appear to you just as in the Divine
Mercy Image. How did He look?"
(A) "When you are in front of Jesus, you cannot just totally describe Him, because He is everything. When you are looking at Him, you cannot describe your happiness, your satisfaction, the peace and everything. In fact, you forget your family when you are in front of Him. All of the pictures of Jesus, there is likeness, but not totally, not exactly, but there is likeness, but you cannot just totally describe Him when you are in front of Him."
(Q) "How would Jesus like our future? What would He like us to be, a part from the Commandments? How would He like our future to progress as years go on? What does He want us to do with our lives?"
(A) "That is why He said that now is the time for mercy".
(Q) "Yes, but with all the problems we have had in Society, with contraception and abortion?"
(A) "Contraception and abortion! All that is a sin. That is why Mary is crying with blood all ready. That's a sin. That's why for example, last night, four ladies approached me and they said after my testimony, they said they are planning for an abortion, but after hearing my testimony, they changed their mind, because they said they do not want to see their films, that the other one killing their own child."
(Q) "Could I ask you, did you actually see Jesus as the gates of Heaven or did you actually see Heaven?"
(A) Cardinal Vidal said that it is the Garden of Eden, because, it's a garden and in it all beautiful flowers. That is why Cardinal Vidal described it as the Garden of Eden."
(Q) "Did you actually see that yourself, or just the clouds and the light?"
(A) "I see it yes. It is the Garden of Eden. By the way, Jesus said to me that we have to pray for His beloved Priests, because He said: "They are My precious jewels and some of them cause My Heart to bleed. But I will bless them abundantly, in time, and in eternity; much more if they will stay longer in the Confessional, because it is in the Confessional that My mercy flows greater than all the sins committed by any living creature".
(Q) "How do we ask our Priest to promote the Divine Mercy? Should we do it very quietly or should we implore him to promote Divine Mercy?"
(A) "Give the Priest some real stuff he can learn, because some of the Priests do not promote Divine Mercy because they do not understand Divine Mercy. You have to inform them, and give them some literature that will guide them. And, you have to pray and ask Our Lord's assistance because we cannot change a person, only God can change a person, so we have to pray".
(Q) " Stanley, because of this Divine Mercy, especially in the Islands of the Philippines, is there a great change in the Philippines? Do they now keep the
Sabbath holy?"
(A) "In the Philippines, at three o'clock in the afternoon, all the television
stations, pray the three o'clock prayer, and also all the radio stations. And, not only the Catholics are ringing their bells, but also the other Church dominions, because I have also given my testimony to other Church dominions, so at three o'clock every body is ringing their bells and also I find it surprising that the Malls especially in Cebu and Manila, at three o'clock, they would stop and pray that three o'clock prayer. The Feast of Mercy will be celebrated throughout the universal Church. Jesus promised that the souls who are in a state of grace (been to Confession) who receive Holy Communion on that day, at the Feast of His Mercy, will be granted complete forgiveness of sins including their punishment, meaning after the Feast of Mercy, whatever happens to you, you will go straight to Heaven. Because even the punishment is forgiven. Because, when we go to Confession, when we go to a Priest, our sins are forgiven, but the punishment remains. That is why when we die we cannot go straight to Heaven, we have to pass through Purgatory to pay for the punishments of our sins. But during the Feast of Mercy, all the sins and the punishments are forgiven, so that's a very wonderful grace."
(Q) " Stanley, what does Jesus think about other religions and other non Christian religions? Hindu's and all different religions?"
(A) "Well, God's mercy is for everybody, not only for Catholics - because if Jesus is given the choice, He wants all mankind to enter Heaven. But only man loves so much the world, that he does not want to accept God's mercy. He does not want to return to the Lord. In fact, they are just denying their sins."
(Q) "Does Jesus want us to approach people in our work places; strangers, non Christians, to tell them about Divine Mercy? If so, how does He want us to do it? Because it is very difficult to go up to a stranger who does not believe in God or does not know Jesus and try to tell him about Divine Mercy."
(A) "We can do it. We can do it by being an example. We have to show them, that's why Jesus said: Put mercy into action. For example, you visit the prisoners and you explain to them God's mercy. And also at hospital, tell them and you give them the chaplet and you teach them how to pray the chaplet of Divine Mercy. You can do it, because the chaplet is welcomed by other religions, because God's mercy is for everybody, not only for Catholics. That's why Jesus said that we have to multiply our prayer for the sinners because Jesus said that the sinners do not pray for themselves anymore. So we have to increase our prayer for the sinners because their salvation depends on us."
(Q) "If those of us who have celebrated the Divine Mercy Sunday, in a state of grace, if our video is shown to us when we die, would it go back earlier or would
it begin at the last Divine Mercy Sunday?"
(A) "Others would also ask me, if your sins are forgiven, it is also forgotten with the Lord, that is true! But during the shooting of the film, you will see everything, because Jesus wants us to see how sinful we are. But then He will forgive us and that is a sign of mercy and it is mercy itself, shooting our film, showing us how sinful we are, then forgiving us. That it mercy itself!"
(Q) "Does Jesus speak to you about His Mother?"
(A) "Yes! He always do. That's why He said we have to pray the chaplet and the rosary unceasingly, as our last weapon against the enemies".
(Q) "One of the problems is the difference between the devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, and having the image over our fire places, and Our Lord asking for the image of Divine Mercy. Sometimes, the two seem to be in conflict and some prefer the Sacred Heart and some prefer the Divine Mercy?"
(A) "For me it is not conflict. Before what happened to me, since I was a kid I am already a devotee to the Sacred Heart, until I grew up, until I got married. In fact I built Sacred Heart Chapel, just in front of our house. That's why Jesus said, because I ask Him the difference: Love: Love is the Sacred Heart. Love is the flower. Mercy is the fruit. Because you do not have mercy if you do not have love. So love and mercy go together."
(Q) "You talked about the time of mercy and there is obviously a time table,
because seventy-years ago on February 22, this image was seen for the first time by Saint Faustina. The Holy Father himself is special because his mission
on life is to bring in the time of mercy. Is there a time table that Jesus has for mankind? Because I have heard from radio shows in America, that's not to say prediction, because the time and the place is known only to God, but we are obviously in these final times. What is expected of society when the Holy Father decreed Divine Mercy Sunday in the year 2000, and the Bishops are indifferent to it, because the decree has gone out to the Bishops and therefore they are the ones to instruct the Priests and they wont. We people are basically having to listen to the Bishops and the Priests, but if they don't speak of Divine Mercy or follow the Feast for us to celebrate, how do we raise that up?"
(A) "We raise it up by giving more information to the Priests. Because some of the Priests do not understand Divine Mercy because they have not read about Divine Mercy, so we have to inform them. We can give them some leaflets, but before giving them information, we have to pray for them, that they will accept it, because, as I said, we cannot change a person. That's why we have to pray harder. And also, you see, Divine Mercy devotion is for salvation, saving life, saving souls. That is why the other side is also working the wolf. The other side, will also work double time because what you are doing is saving souls."
(Q) "Does Jesus say anything about the Scriptures?"
(A) "He did not mention it to me."
(Q) " Stanley, how long were you dead?"
(A) "I was clinically dead for three days. "By the way, because I am often asked about that three o'clock prayer in the morning and the three o'clock prayer in the afternoon. Because last year, when I give my testimony at the Vatican in front of all the Cardinals and Bishops, there were twenty-six Cardinals and fifty odd Bishops. One of the Cardinals asked me, 'What is the significance of the three o'clock prayer in the morning. Because there are so many answered prayers at three o'clock in the morning.' And I answered, 'That is the time of His Resurrection. ' And the Cardinal stood up and said that this was true, that in the Book, Jesus and Mary met at four o'clock in the morning. So they said, He must have resurrected at three o'clock."
(Q) "Can you tell me, what was your illness? What did it consist of?"
(A) "Before what happened to me, I am just going good. I have no illness. I am very strong. This is why, after what happened to me, when I woke up, my wife was so stunned. She cannot believe it. So I went down to the billing section and paid the bill. Then I drive the car in going home. That's why one of the Bishops in the Philippines commented that what happened to me was just an emergency meeting with the Lord."
(Q) " Stanley, when you were at the Vatican talking to the Bishops and Cardinals, was the Holy Father there as well?"
(A) "No! He was scheduled to attend, but he was so tired and ill at the time."
(Q) "With the Cardinals and Bishops from all over the world, what language
did you speak in? Italian?
(A) "English".
(Q) "Italian?"
(A) "No! I said English".
(Q) "When Jesus was preparing you for this trip to England, did He say anything to you about the people of England ?"
(A) "Yes. People of England are very dear to Him, but then much of them cause His Heart to bleed, because England is losing faith. That is why I am here, to increase faith. And now you heard from me. Do not keep to yourself, you have to multiply. Jesus said that if you save a soul, you save your own." Stanley continues to travel around the world, telling of the amazing event that happened to him and fulfilling the mission that Jesus sent him back to earth to complete, That is, to teach the message of Divine Mercy. To His apostle, Saint Marie Faustina, Jesus made a promise in regard to both the image and the praying of the Divine Mercy chaplet. He gave conditions. What is prayed for, is prayed with a contrite heart. That it is not against His Will, in other words, it is doubtful this promise could be used to gain power and riches, which would be an abuse of His gift. He tells us that when the chaplet is prayed for a dying soul, that soul will receive His mercy and not His Justice. In away, when a promise is given to us from Heaven, then God because He is Just, is obliged to keep it. "Blessings always look small if we hold them in our hands. ut if we learn to share them, we realize how great & precious they are!"
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