Tales From My Mom - Believe it or Not!

Ever since I can remember, I have had an affinity for Rosaries and Saintly Figures -- maybe it can be attributed to the fact that growing up Catholic, we are always obligated to attend masses at least 2 or three times a week... Sundays without fail, no matter where we may happen to be at the time... so over the years I have gotten to visit, attend masses , at various churches around the world... some are ornately beautiful, while some are plain and simple... bare minimum even - with just a giant wooden CROSS at the altar... But no matter how richly decorated or simple they might be - I always find them a beautiful, peaceful place to be in... to contemplate, meditate and of course, ask for guidance... Through all these visits to churches -- I have come to love and even collect, Rosaries and Figures (Angels and Saints)... I find looking at them and collecting them very comforting and even relaxing....

There are three saints that have always attracted me more - St Christopher as he is the Guardian Saint for Travelers; the Angel Gabriel - nuff said; and St Francis of Asissi - him, because of his love for all creatures - great and small.... he is often depicted with a dove and a deer, sometimes others... this last visit with my MOM, I learned that I have more back story connecting me to this saintly figure.

It seems that when I was born, I had a big bump on my head... my Mom did not knew how I got it... nor could the doctors explain.... then a woman came in and talked with my Mom for a bit... gave her a little prayer book with a little icon in it, and instructed my Mom to pray to him, and rub this on the bump on my head a few times a day, while praying... not sure now, how many times each day.... for a couple of days the woman visited my Mom, and baby Rudi, in the hospital room... checking up on my bump.... and they were both happy that the bump on my head was disappearing... my Mom asked her for her name so that she could find her and return this item to her before leaving... she told my Mom not to worry as she comes by every morning to deliver bread to the hospital... and went on to tell my MOM to keep the prayer book with the icon in it... she told her that she must keep it and pray to it whenever I am sick - and eventually pass it on to me and I can pray to it for what might be ailing me....

The morning I was being released from the hospital, my Mom searched for the woman to thank her and say her goodbye... but she was nowhere to be found... my Mom asked the nurses and her doctor for help locating the woman - and she was told by everyone that there is no such woman in the hospital.... this caused a sudden commotion in the hospital as well , and everyone wanted to be able to see, touch and even have a piece of the prayer book... my Mom did not even question it all... she just took the woman's appearance as heaven sent.... and had kept the prayer book and icon all these years...

Fast forward to the present, my Mom is getting older and getting sick a lot... so this last visit she decided to pass on to me this prayer book... it is now quite tattered and even torn in the middle... the icon inside is a bit broken up now..... but one look and you will see that the figure holds a dove and it is in fact, St. Francis of Asissi. (See photo above of my newly acquired St Francis... below him is the actual prayer book that my Mom passed on to me.)