The Power of Prayer

I feel I am in a good place now. These past weeks have done wonders for Jhon and I. There is a sense of wellness that surrounds us. I know we have our son to thank for our gradual recovery. We have a little angel. He rolls alongside God.

Last Thursday we took a short pilgrimage to the shrine of Our Lady of Manaoag. Together with Mama Myrna and Ate Belle, Jhon, Lola, and I braved 12 hours of non-stop road trip (from Manila to Manaoag and back) to pray to our miraculous Mother. With only 2 hours of sleep from watching a World Cup all-nighter, we soldiered on to offer a humble sacrifice and prayed. I believe Jhon and I prayed for the same intentions -- we prayed for our baby Marcus, for healing, for strength, for family, for assistance, for guidance, for enlightenment, for peace. Jhon said he felt a tremendous sense of relief after praying. The power of sacrifice. The power of prayer.

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Wednesday, I received an email from Fr. Santhosh. He was sending us his greetings from the U.S. with the hope and prayer that we are doing fine. It was indeed encouraging to hear from him. It feels like our prayers connect us to one another, for that same day I was thinking of sending him an email as well. Positive signs point us to the path we are hoping to lead. It seems Jhon and I see signs everywhere, it is crystal clear. The power of prayer.

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Claire, my high school classmate offered her personal prayer for us when I thanked her for her kind gesture this whole time. I thought of sharing her words in the hope that others benefit from it too. In times of deep grief, when you feel you are alone -- your faith, a prayer and Mama Mary's love will help see you through.

She showed me a comforting photo of Mama Mary and offered her warm words, "... it show's Mama Mary's nature of loving each & every child, no matter the color or background. It's a very reassuring visual, don't you think?

Here's my prayer for you: that you & Jhon always feel Mama Mary's loving embrace. That warm, trusting feeling of her putting you under her mantle of maternal protection. That everything will be okay even when you are really down. That you will find comfort and healing."

I can't help but feel the power of prayer around us. It has helped me and Jhon get through our trying moments and it continues to strengthen us each day. The power of prayer.