A miracle at Mulivai

By Tu’uu Mata’afa Mulipola Peato Mikaele 03 December 2017, 12:00AM

Blood stain on Jesus Christ’s right foot – divine mercy image  


So it happens again in Samoa with only a handful of Catholic faithful being blessed to see and able to touch it. This time not on a person’s body with the marks of Christ’s agonized crucifixion and death in stigmata; but on a sacred Divine Mercy Image. 

A fortnight ago on Monday 13th November, one Catholic woman in her early 50s and as her prayerful habitual life tells it all, was praying on a pew a few feet apart from the Image of the Divine Mercy in the Mulivai Cathedral western side. This was after midday Mass. 

The woman in question is a member of St Anthony’s parish. She saw and touched blood and water spilt from Jesus Christ’s wound on His right foot. To her amazement and curiosity, she gradually stood up to reach out to the Image taking a very careful look at the exact spot where she saw blood movement a few seconds ago, to confirm what she saw was real; not just a dream. 

She finally found out that it was moist that she felt on her finger tips and with a closer look ‘’Yes its real blood and water’’ from the wound. She immediately told the other women behind her and then informed a priest at the nearby priest’s residence a little later. Having confirmed it was blood and water the priest led the group in a short prayer of thanks; followed by a brief statement on the Catholic Church experience and perspective in such phenomenon. 

‘’God chooses people from age to age to see and receive miracles in His own choosing and timing and it’s a blessing for anyone to have witnessed,  saw or received such things; the priest said.  News of the alleged miracle slowly spread to a few faithful which resulted in some people making unexpected visits and praying the Rosary for long hours before the Image of the Divine Mercy either by oneself or in small groups. 

Later in the week and in reverberating what the priest earlier said to the small gathering of faithful, some were so blessed to touch the wound and get blood stain on white cloths prepared for that purpose but some are not so lucky. The Image returns to its usual dryness at ransom and blood and water stains are only there at regular intervals of God’s choosing. 

I personally went there to see it myself and it was unfortunate that I was unable to get my hands on it and there was no blood stain on my piece of cloth - four times I visited and prayed at the place. 

While I was praying on Thursday morning after Mass on November 23rd, one prayerful woman who was also praying alongside me walked up with a piece of cloth to test the presence of blood. She showed me the brilliant white cloth, walked to the Image and then put the cloth on the wounded mark. Witnessed by four other faithful present she was surprised to see blood stain on her piece of cloth as in the photo 2. 

I followed it up the following day Friday November 24th and again a different woman also did the same thing. This woman knelt before the Image with a well-prepared small clean linen cloth and prayed. 

This time at 3.00pm the ‘’exact hour’’ our Lord had ordered Saint Faustina to devotedly pray the Divine Mercy Chaplet. This was witnessed by two other faithful present.  

The same thing happened on Tuesday November 28th also at 3.00pm to this same woman and now with her husband who both converted to Catholicism some months ago. The couple walked up to pray at 2.50 pm but at the top of the hour as they prayed, they saw the wound fleshy tissue began to open and blood slowly pouring out of it. 

The thin blood remains wedged around the nailed mark on the foot. In such a simple way, the couple deepened their prayers in a few moments thanking God for the blessing as in photo 4. 

They believe. But what significance does it represent with the 3.00pm hour? From a Catholic mind; I believe this sacred sign is to fulfill one of the promises of Our Lord when He told the humble Poland nun named St Faustina some seven decades ago that ‘’At 3.00 o’clock, implore My mercy especially for sinners; and if only a brief moment, immerse yourself in My Passion particularly in My abandonment at the moment of agony. This is the hour of great mercy….. And in this hour I will refuse nothing to the soul that makes a request of me in virtue of My Passion. Pray unceasingly this chaplet that I have taught you….’’ 

To this columnist’s surprise at my last visit on Friday 1st December; I found out that after several days of blood and water stain on this same spot, the paper does not seem to be damaged or rather torn apart; as is always the case when any paper becomes wet? We believe that only God can perform miracles beyond our understanding - our human minds also cannot decide or determine. 

These supernatural signs cannot be condoned or mocked as well. It is part of fulfilling Jesus Christ’s promises. In simple terms, it’s a reminder of His being alive and presence with His people. They are  grace-filled powerful symbols and gifts of God to the entire Body of Christ but are also living evidence and proof of His being present with His Church as He promised His Apostles 2,000 years ago. 

This is not the first time supernatural things happened inside the Cathedral at Mulivai. A decade ago at the old Cathedral; Our Lady the Virgin Mother Mary appeared to a young non-Catholic Marist Brother School boy from Vaimoso as he knelt and prayed before the Sacrament of the Holy Eucharist after school. 

Our Lady asked the youngster among her many other requests to tell the parish priest at the time, why the blown light bulb at her grotto was not replaced leaving her in the dark for many nights? The youngster then relayed the message to the priest and the old bulb was replaced. 

 

By Tu’uu Mata’afa Mulipola Peato Mikaele 03 December 2017, 12:00AM
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