St. Alphonsa and Me

[Thomas48]

One day in the news paper when I was very young I had seen a picture of a nun and the words “pray for us” under her name. I had asked my mother who this was, and she told me it was Blessed Alphonsa of India. I soon became very interested in the Blessed and I started learning about her life and her spiritual journey. I found every part of her life to be so beautiful and all the things she did to be so inspiring. One thing she did which especially stuck out to me was that when her aunt was planning her marriage, Alphonsa has burned her own feet in a pier just because she knew her life’s goal was to become a nun and sacrifice her life for Christ and that after this act of self infliction men would not what to marry her.

Blessed Alphonsa had become a large influence in my life and she soon became my patron. After one night of reciting her prayer before I went to sleep I had a miraculous dream of Her singing by a river with children around her. It had just so happened (and I had not known this previously) that Blessed Alphonsa had been a nun who taught at a Syro Malabar school for young children. This event had only furthered my love for Blessed Alphonsa and every night after reciting the Lords Prayer and the Hail Mary I would be sure to recite my patrons prayer. Years later on October 12, 2008 my patron had been canonized to Sainthood by Pope Benedict, I had noticed a small detail that made me know for sure that St. Alphonsa would always be with me and that happened to be that October 12 is my birthday . She has done so much for me in the good and especially in the hard and trying times of my life. If there is anything you need help with in your life St. Alhponsamma will pray for you.

Thank You St. Alhponsa for always being with me, pray for us all.
-Thomas

View attachment 18493

**Inspiring Maxims of St. Alphonsa
**

1. I had aspired zealously to become a saint. I felt that burning desire after reading the autobiography of St. Little Teresa of Lisieux
2. Practice your austerity in strict secrecy; it will fortify your spirit.
3. I desired to be ever faithful to Jesus. I would rather die than break this promise.
4. It is my beloved Spiritual Instructors who guided me to the threshold of Knowledge and enabled me to experience it, by training me to prepare and use each of them in the apt time.
5. By nature, I am affectionate; it seems that my whole heart is full of love.
6. I have love towards everyone. It is impossible for me to hate anyone.
7. My only desire is to love my Lord to perfection.
8. My Jesus is sufficient for me. I don’t want anything else.
9. How great is the joy experienced when everything is offered in the Sacred Heart of Jesus!
10. I will rejoice in whatever comes through the hands of my Jesus.
11. It is my strong faith that nothing shall ever happen to me without the knowledge of my Jesus.
12. I have completely abandoned myself to Jesus. Let Him do with me as He wills.

Biography of St. Alphonsa
stalphonsa.com/saint.php

 

[malphono]

This event had only furthered my love for Blessed Alphonsa and every night after reciting the Lords Prayer and the Hail Mary I would be sure to recite my patrons prayer. Years later on October 12, 2008 my patron had been canonized to Sainthood by Pope Benedict, I had noticed a small detail that made me know for sure that St. Alphonsa would always be with me and that happened to be that October 12 is my birthday . She has done so much for me in the good and especially in the hard and trying times of my life.

Happy Birthday, Thomas! May Mart Alphonsa Qadisha continue to watch over you.

 

[ClearWater]

I’ve had something similar with St. Francis of Assisi.

In 1995, I went to Ecuador and saw the third world first hand for the first time and was affected. I came back, gave a lot of my stuff away, began sleeping on the floor. The day they could come by to pick up my stuff was St. Francis’ Feast Day, October 4!

I laughed.

Then, recently, I began tutoring VERY poor, many totally illiterate people who live huddled together in a house…if you could call it that. They cook over a fire, etc. I started…Oct. 4!

Once, I gave some stuff away in Mobile, Alabama, went to the Loaves & Fishes, and I parked on…think it was St. Francis Street…near St. Claire St.!

This just keeps coming up again and again. So, I think I know what you mean.

Thanks for your uplifting story!

 

[Thomas48]

Happy Birthday, Thomas! May Mart Alphonsa Qadisha continue to watch over you.

Thank You Maplhono I have faith that she will.

I’ve had something similar with St. Francis of Assisi.

In 1995, I went to Ecuador and saw the third world first hand for the first time and was affected. I came back, gave a lot of my stuff away, began sleeping on the floor. The day they could come by to pick up my stuff was St. Francis’ Feast Day, October 4!

I laughed.

Then, recently, I began tutoring VERY poor, many totally illiterate people who live huddled together in a house…if you could call it that. They cook over a fire, etc. I started…Oct. 4!

Once, I gave some stuff away in Mobile, Alabama, went to the Loaves & Fishes, and I parked on…think it was St. Francis Street…near St. Claire St.!

This just keeps coming up again and again. So, I think I know what you mean.

Thanks for your uplifting story!

That is also a wonderful story , I’m sure there are many out there who have similar stories to tell like us, it is wonderful how the Saints can do so much for us.