Saint John in the Wilderness

Here are some pictures that I took of the Church of Saint John in the Wilderness in Ein Karem. It was a blazing summer day, yet a great church visiting day for us here in Israel.

Saint Stephen's Modern Church, Israel

While we have yet to visit a shrine of Saint Rita of Cascia, we were able to visit another church. This is St. Stephen's Modern Church, which is located at Beit Jamal monastery in Jerusalem.

What was very nice about the Church was that it provides free Bibles and Christian pamphlets in different languages. We were able to get one written in Tagalog.

Do you know that St. Stephen is the first Christian martyr? Such a noble fact to remember him with.

Beit Jamal monastery, aside from the church also contains the first meteorological station, which unfortunately we were not able to see the time when we visited the place. It is still running, and has been in existence since 1919 under the Salesian Monks.

Above are some pictures of the Church of Saint Stephen. Hopefully, I can finally find a Saint Rita of Cascia shrine, if not here in Israel, then maybe the one in the US or if lucky enough, the Italian shrine even.

St Peter's Church in Gallicantu - Few More Pictures

Here are some pictures of the great colorful interior of the Church of St Peter at Gallicantu.

Earlier Article: Saint Peter’s Church in Gallicantu

Many must have noticed that I have somewhat made discussion on this blog about the many Churches here in Israel, and not just posts about Saint Rita of Cascia.

Admittedly, I am running out of topics about my beloved Saint Rita, and Infant Jesus of Pragues so I would have to make this blog one which discusses general topics that are mainly religious, Christian or Catholic in nature.

Trappist Monastery

Still, I have no information on where a church or shrine of Saint Rita of Cascia or Infant Jesus of Prague can be found here in Israel. Any information you might have?

However last week, we were about to visit the Trappist Monastery located at Latroun. The monastery is modern in design and structure, with a nice garden and fruit orchards on the area surrounding the building.

The Trappist Monastery actually being run by the austere Cistercian monks, who are popular for maintaining a frugal living and have a vow of silence.

The monastery is known for producing excellent olive oil, which people can have at their shop in the monastery.

Church of St Peter in Gallicantu

The Church of St Peter in Jerusalem should not be mistaken for the St. Peter's Church, which is located on the Jaffa Hill in Tel Aviv. The location of Church of St. Peter is said to be where Jesus was denied three times by Peter. Hence the name Gallicantu, or "cockcrow", for the place. We all know that when Peter was denying Jesus, there coincided the crows of the cock, which Jesus said would be the sign of Peter's denial. So now we have pictures here of the two shrines for St. Peter, while I have yet to locate a church here in Israel dedicated to Saint Rita of Cascia and the Infant Jesus of Prague.

The Milk Grotto

The Milk Grotto

Me in front of the entrance of the Milk Grotto

Likeness of Infant Jesus

So sorry it took me more that a month to write a post here at my Saint Rita of Cascia (and Infant Jesus of Prague) site. Quite busy with work, that's all. Hope many still visit here from time to time. Hopefully I would be a more frequent poster here. Anyway, here is another picture of a church in Bethlehem. The Milk Grotto - the site where the Holy Family rested and the Virgin Mary nursed the Infant Jesus.

Church of the Nativity

Outside the Church of the Nativity

Interior of the Church

The Holy Manger

I promised to feature churches and chapels here at my Saint Rita of Cascia site, so here is one very special for everyone. I was able to visit the Nativity Church in Bethlehem for the second time, and just like the first, the feeling of being there at the site where the Infant Jesus is said to be born was simply overwhelming. Hopefully, the next time around, I would be able to feature a shrine of Saint Rita of Cascia and Infant Jesus of Prague. A happy and peaceful New Year to everyone!

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Few Days More and It's Christmas

A few days more and it is Christmas once again. I seem to be already in the holiday mode; it's been more than a week seen I last posted here at my Saint Rita of Cascia and Miraculous Infant of Prague site.

I will be celebrating Christmas here in Tel Aviv Israel for the second time. Unfortunately we will stay put in Jaffa Tel Aviv and not anymore go to Bethlehem for the Midnight Christmas Mass.

Most Filipinos that I know will go abroad for the holidays - some to the United States, most for a vacation in Manila.

It is going to be a quiet Christmas once again. It's quite sad but that's how it is. It is just impossible for me to go to Manila and be there for the holidays.

To keep myself from dwelling on it, I just remind myself of the blessings that come my way. A good job, this great experience of being in a wonderful country.

Here is where I also learn how to makes sites. All the site that I have, including this site of Saint Rita of Cascia and the Miraculous Infant Jesus of Prague, I did here.

Perhaps a few more years and I will be back home. In the meantime, I realize that I am really blessed to be here. And I intend to make the most of the stay here in Israel.

Merry Christmas to you all!!

On Devotion to Saints

It is a reality that to be educated and instilled early in life on religious concerns greatly affects one’s learnings and leanings. My primary and secondary education saw me reading and studying books and absorbing lessons on the Catholic faith. I imbibed the Thomasian teachings on God, the Holy Trinity, the Blessed Virgin Mary, the Holy Rosary, Heaven and Hell, the existence of purgatory, the Final Judgment, the Seven Sacraments and the Communion of Saints. I accept and acknowledge such Catholic teachings as true, and I admit to be an opinionated person however anyone might try proving to me such teachings as false.

Like in the topic of the saints and my devotion to Saint Rita of Cascia and the Miraculous Infant Jesus of Prague. Others have questioned it, arguing that only God deserves worship and adoration, to which I agree a hundred percent. I worship only the Lord God. And to the saints, particularly Saint Rita of Cascia and the Miraculous Infant Jesus of Prague, I believe, honor and acknowledge them as intercessors to God. I even believe that owning their likeness such as statues and patron saint medals is just a way of honoring them. However, I believe that they are not even the way to the Lord, because only Jesus Christ is. For me, saints are more like messengers and bringers of our prayers and intentions. And indeed in my case they have proven to be such reliable ones, to which I am totally grateful.

Saints: Ideal and Perfect Models

Saints, especially the patron saints such as Saint Rita of Cascia and the Miraculous Infant Jesus of Prague in my case, act as our intercessors to the Lord. They are powerful mediators who act as a powerful messenger and bringers of our requests to the Lord.

And they are only happy to be of help to those who pray to them and ask for their assistance and intercession.

Saints, aside from being an able intercessor can also serve as a perfect model especially for young men and women. Saints have lived their lives with the practice of great virtues such as charity, love and poverty. Perfect examples are the lives and sufferings of Saint Rita of Cascia and the Miraculous Infant Jesus of Prague.

Saint Rita, for example as lived her life in pain and suffering because of the loss of her family, yet she wholeheartedly and willingly accepted her fate as something that came from the Lord. She also lived a life of humility and poverty and she offered them up to the Lord. Saint Rita lived the life that we must all emulate.

Rosary Sisters Convent

I have yet to acquire a picture of of the Church or Shrine of either Saint Rita of Cascia or Miraculous Infant Jesus of Prague. Of course, there are numerous pics in the net but I would like to post Saint Rita and Infant Jesus' photos with permission.

Nonetheless, I am posting here the photo of the Convent of the Sisters of the Rosary in Jerusalem, which I got to visit recently. Many Filipinas assist in the Convent - they are our Filipino caregivers who are willing to offer up their spare time in the service of the Lord.

Saint Peter's Church

Before I have posted a photo of Saint Anthony's Church in Jaffa of Israel. Here is a photo of Saint Peter's Church also in the same place.

Like the Church of St Anthony, St Peter's Church is one of the more popular Catholic Churches in the area. The church is frequently visited by Filipino and other foreign workers in the White City. I believe the prayer meetings and bible studies of the Couples For Christ and other Catholic and Christian groups are held there.

Hopefully, I would be able to post a church or Shrine of Saint Rita of Cascia and the Miraculous Infant Jesus of Prague. I wish I could find some free pictures or photographs online which I could be able to post here in my site.

Anybody who has a picture of the Church or Shrine of Saint Rita of Cascia and the Infant Jesus of Prague and willing to lend them to me for posting, please do send a message.

Saying Prayers Fervently

Do you somehow think that praying the Holy Rosary or saying the novena to Saint Rita of Cascia or the Miraculous Infant Jesus of Prague can be monotonous and repetitious?

Of course, the Holy Rosary is composed of 3 Mysteries, which is 15 decades of 1 Our Father, 10 Hail Mary’s, and 1 Glory Be. Even with just one mystery, we somehow would have the tendency to pray in a repetitious manner. I myself would admit to it. Somehow, along my saying the Holy Rosary, my mind in a few instances would wander off and think of other things that would make me lose my concentration on my prayer. This is the same when I pray the novenas of Saint Rita of Cascia and the Infant Jesus of Prague.

What I do to really concentrate on my prayer is to visualize the mysteries while I am praying. For example, if the Mystery is Agony in the Garden, while praying I think of how Jesus himself was praying and contemplating at the Garden of Gethsemane. I feel that by praying this way, the prayers become more meaningful and important to the Lord.

When it comes to the novenas, I look at the image of Saint Rita of Cascia or Infant Jesus of Prague while praying to them. Sometimes I say the words of the prayer aloud. This way, I more feel the significance and meaning of such prayers.

In my opinion, the best way to say prayers is to feel it, and say it like it is coming from your heart. You feel your prayers, and say it fervently – it will be certain that they will be heard.

Pictures of St Rita and Infant Jesus

I am posting here the images of Saint Rita of Cascia and Infant Jesus of Prague.

The picture of Saint Rita, I actually got from a magazine while in Israel. It tells about the story of St Rita, her miracles and her novena. This pictures is what's in front of me as I pray her novena. Notice the angel behind her and about to place a crown of thorns upon her head as she pray.

While the second posted picture is that of Infant Jesus in the cover of His novena booklet. You can tell that the booklet is already worn out, from my regular praying of His novena.

Saint Thomas Aquinas

My friend was wondering why Saint Thomas Aquinas is not one of my favorite saints along with Saint Rita of Cascia and the Miraculous Infant Jesus of Prague.

Come to think of it, why not really? The fact is, I do believe I owe a lot from Saint Thomas.

Like Saint Rita of Cascia and the Infant Jesus of Prague, Saint Thomas Aquinas is truly one of the special saints in my life if only because I spend my elementary and high school education at the University of Santo Tomas in Manila, which is the oldest university in Asia and has the official title of “The Royal Catholic University of the Philippines.”

We students were called Thomasians, and were taught the Catholic way with the guided inspiration of the teachings of Saint Thomas, considered the Patron Saint of the Catholic School.

The fact that St. Thomas is a Catholic educator makes it fitting for many Catholic Schools and educational institution to be named after him.

I do owe it to my alma mater and St. Thomas if only for the solid building and molding of a strong character within me, as a Catholic and a person in general.

On Praying the Novena

How do you say your novena to your patron saint? I mean, do you say it over and over again, 9 day cycle after 9 day cycle?

In my case, there are times when I both say the novenas to Saint Rita of Cascia and the Miraculous Infant Jesus of Prague. And I even used to say both novenas endlessly, one novena period immediately after another.

I guess I tend to do this whenever I feel I need to ask for much help and intercession regarding one particular important intention or request.

In my opinion, incessant praying is one way of making your message across, that you really need the powerful intercession of whomever patron saint you are praying to.

Albeit I decided that for impossible and really difficult cases, I would say the novena to Saint Rita of Cascia. And for daily protection and requests, I say my prayers to the Infant Jesus of Prague.

Honestly, I do fee that it does not matter how frequent you say the novena of your personal saint. What matters is the sincerity and wholeheartedness of your act of prayer. Even a short prayer, if said with love and faith, will surely be heard.

Reasons For Praying

There are many reasons why a person pray to God or say the novena of his personal saint. I myself pray to the Lord, and say the novena to Saint Rita of Cascia or the Miraculous Infant Jesus of Prague for many various reasons.

It can be a prayer of joy and gratitude, a prayer of intent or a pleading for a favor. A prayer can also be intended to say you are sorry and ask for forgiveness from the Lord. It can also be a prayer requesting for wisdom and discernment.

I pray and recite fervently the novena of Saint Rita of Cascia and the Miraculous Infant Jesus of Prague because I would like to ask for their intercession regarding a request or favor from the Lord.

Whatever the reasons for saying our prayers may be - they may be very important reasons or just trite ones – such prayers must be said in a proper way. Our prayers must possess the qualities of sincerity, clarity and simplicity. When we pray, it must be done fervently and straight from our hearts.

We must also remember that prayers and novenas are a way of effectively talking and conversing to the Lord and the saints. So, even if it is like we are just talking to them, we would have to convey our message with the respect and adoration that they deserve.

On Religious Statues and Items

Does anyone of my good readers have a small sized image of Saint Rita of Cascia and the Miraculous Infant Jesus of Prague?

I am hoping that any one might be generous enough to give me as a present any of the images of Saint Rita and Infant Jesus.

I am really serious - this may be a bit straightforward or even inappropriate, but I am just following a saying that it is much better to receive images or statues of saints or any other religious items such as saint medals and guardian angel pins for that matter that to buy them. This makes the item more precious and important.

I am currently in Israel, and although I have not really looked around in churches like in St. Anthony's Church, I am sure that it is difficult for me to find such items. Unless of course, if I would go to Jerusalem or Bethlehem where Christian and Catholic items abound. I am sure it would be easier to find the statues of Saint Rita of Cascia and Infant Jesus of Prague there.

Does anyone know where to find Christian items such as angel pins and patron saint medals in Tel Aviv?

September 8 - Birthday of the Blessed Virgin Mary

While this is a site for Saint Rita of Cascia and the Infant Jesus of Prague - I am sure it is just okay (and fitting) that I greet here Mama Mary today, September 8 as I am also sure that the whole Catholic World is celebrating the Birthday of the Blessed Virgin Mary.

In honor of her birthday, I intend to say the Holy Rosary tonight being a normal custom of many Catholics.

Happy Birthday, Mama Mary!