SACRED HEART-SHAPED STONELast June 18, 2008, I was fortunate to have been invited by Fr. Joseph Poesch to attend his 12:00 noon concelebrated Mass with Fr. Mariusz, Fr. Jan and Fr. Walerian in the Divine Mercy Chapel in Misamis Oriental. Fr. Joseph Roesch and his three Polish priests arrived at the Divine Mercy Chapel to celebrate the high noon Mass.
They came with Atty. Guerrero Adaza and his wife Kits. They are the major donors of this Herculean project of building the 50-foot Divine Mercy Statue, the tallest in the world. I met Fr. Joseph in Rome at the First World Apostolic Congress on Mercy (WACOM) last April 2-6, 2008. He is the familiar face that appears on Channel EWTN at 3 o'clock to lead the prayers of the Divine Mercy.
My friend, Dr. Anita Lim, was kind enough to take me from Ozamiz to El Salavador City, Cagayan de Oro in her private vehicle. Upon reaching the foot of the Holy Mountain at 11:30 AM, we walked farther up and finally reached the Healing Water Stations. We prayed before drinking the healing water, and offered prayers also for the distance healing of friends and relatives in Manila.
Something unexpected dawned on me. I stooped to scratch the loose soil a few inches away from my right foot. I really did not know what I was doing except to obey an inner voice. My companions watched me, puzzled at what I was doing.
Then I saw a stone underneath the soil. When I scooped it out and held it in my hand, I got goose pimples. It was a heart-shaped stone! I held "the heart" with both hands in awe and reverence beneath the flowing healing water and prayed, "Lord, Thank You for this tangible token of Your Love. I know You are here with me. Please, Lord, let this stone be a healing instrument for those who are sick and those who need to feel Your great love and mercy!"
Tears flowed from my eyes as I continued to talk to God. "Lord, I am here, use me as Your instrument to heal the sick. There are so many of them. They need to feel Your love and compassion. Thank You, Lord, for this precious gift."
At first, I was oblivious of Dr. Lim looking at "the heart" in my hand. She was so excited exclaiming "Doctora, the heart is a gift of the Divine Mercy for you. He is giving you His Sacred Heart." All her companions came near to look at the heart, and they marvelled at this phenomenon.
On September 8, the birthday of Mama Mary, a triple grand celebration on Divine Mercy Hills, Misamis Oriental, includes the blessing of the Divine Mercy Statue, the formal turnover of this statue from the donors to the Archdiocese of Cagayan De Oro, and the celebration of the Blessed Mother's birthday.
Within a short time of the finding of "the heart", marvelous testimonies in Guimaras, Iloilo and Cebu and Ozazmiz were given by those who touched the heart in their hands. They all had the mystical experience of feeling God's strong presence and His great love for them. They felt uplifted and encouraged to respond to God's love by transforming their ways.
As as result of these remarkable experiences and testimonies of many known to be close to Msgr. Ramirez, I have been called to join him in his missions to visit Divine Mercy groups in the Visayas and Mindanao. We work in tandem promoting Gods love, mercy and compassion especially to the sick, the broken-hearted, the mentally confused, and the emotionally disturbed.
Somehow, through my simple ways, God works wonders with His mighty hand uplifting those who approach Him in Confession with sincerity, humility and contrition. Each therapeutic session consists of Msgr. Ramirez's Healing Mass, my talk about God's love and mercy and praying over with "the heart" held in the palm of the Divine Mercy devotees.
Those burdened with troubled minds, tormented hearts and stressed-out bodies are able to find encouragement, well-being and inner peace; as faithful are the promises of the Sacred Heart of Jesus. They end up praising and thanking God for His goodness and mercy with a firm decision to mend their ways.
Praise the Lord for His Most Sacred Heart is our infinite Source of Eternal Love and Divine Mercy!
Flora O. Go
The Messenger of Divine Love
Volume III Number 1
July-September 2008
Flora O. Go is the President of the Divine Mercy Apostolate in the Ermita Shrine. She describes herself as "Communicator of Mercy in Asia".
