www.byzcath.org Forums General Discussions Town Hall very important spiritual testimony about love

Sisters and brothers in Christ,

By the mercy of God another day was for my soul. The day of 18th August 2005. I will never forget this day.

Please, read with patience. If something is unclear, ask me and I will rephrase. Thank you.

Today I decided together with a soul Christian friend, a kind girl, to go to Church, then to stroll along the Danube, talking about the monastic life, the marriage life, about the true love, about God, and so.

We went to the Cathedral of Saint Nicholas and bowed our hearts before the icon of the Dormition of the Yperagia Theotokos.
Also we lit candles for many people and prayed.

Then we went and ate a good Italian pizza with tuna and mozarella.

Then, I and Gina, my good Christian friend, went to sit down on a bench to talk a little. About the life in Christ.

We were talking and at a moment, without observing her, an old woman with blue eyes came to us, begging for some money for bread.

Gina had no money, and I had in my pocket two banknotes: one of 10 000 lei, and one of 100 000 lei. I gave her 10 000 lei. I told her some words.

She began to go, but returned her head to us and said: May you love each other.

I replied: let us have love for all for God.

I and Gina continued our dialogue, and I said: "What bad I am, I gave her the banknote of 10 000 lei (with this money someone can buy two breads), but not that of 100 000 lei."

In exact this moment, my brethren, another old woman, without the right hand and diform legs came to us, also without observing her, begging for money for bread.

I told her that I have not, and she said that it is fine...She continued to go slowly on alley.
Gina told me that it would be good to exchange this banknote of 100 000 lei. I ran to that pizzeria and exchanged in banknotes of 10 000 lei.

Then I ran and, my brethren, the old woman was returning, but not to me, but to go from park. I went directly to her and I gave her 30 000 lei. I touched her ill arm. She crossed herself sighing: "God!".

I went to the bench near Gina. And this old woman regarded us strongly and told us: with face to God

I said some words, then I and Gina continued our dialogue about the true love and God and the continous presence near God.

Suddenly in this mind a light thought appeared. I told Gina: "Please, unite the words of the first woman with those of the second woman." Gina thought and then she began to cry gently.

May you love each other with face to God.

We remained mute, we agreed after, during our stroll along the Danube, that God blessed us. We agreed to memorize and write down this phrase. I will go to monastery, Gina, with God's help and mercy, will find a fine man and will marry.

Dear sisters and brothers in our Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, do you understand?

Without Gina's advice, I would not exchange that banknote. The two old women were indeed ill people .

They said no more words, everyone was the messenger of a part of a phrase.

May you love each other with face to God.

My beloved friends, do you feel the strength and the importance of this?

Therefore, humbly I ask you, please, pray for those two messengers.

Also, especially, for Gina , a kind girl of 26 years old. Please, pray for her, with love. She is Orthodox Christian and a soul friend to my soul. Please. The life in Romania is really rough, and she needs good changes in her life. Thank you.

Please, my joys in Christ, let us love each other with face to God. ALWAYS towards the Most Holy Trinity.

Do you see how God speaks to us, through humble people? Offf...dear Lord, have mercy upon us, and fill our souls with eternal life. Amin.

Unworthy, Marian +

P.S. I said all this like a testimony about true love. I am just a soul, a sinner, a shadow bearer.

Brother Marian,

Thatnk you so very much for sharing those beautiful events with us. It is when we can see God in everyone, and His Truth in everyone we meet, that we grow closest to Him.

Gaudior, profoundly touched

Dear Marion,

Thank you for sharing your experiences with us. May our Lord always be with you.

Zenovia

Dear sister Zenovia, in Christ,

By the mercy of the Most Holy Trinity my baptismal name is Marian.

May God anoint entirely your heart with His mercy, and bless you unto the ages of the ages. Amen.

Marian

Yes, glory to God who does use people to speak to us.

I will send a p.m. or email soon and respond more.

Your sister in Christ,

Mary Jo

Marian,

There are riches in God's Holy mercies. May we have light to see. Thank you, blessed sister, that you have shared your light with us poor sinners.

Tammy

Dear sister Tammy, in Christ,

My baptismal name is Marian. This given name is a common masculine name in Romania, and not only.
Therefore I am your brother in Christ. Brother Marian from Romania, Orthodox Christian.

Brotherly, in the Risen Lord Jesus Christ, Marian +

Dear Marian,

Thank you for sharing this beautiful experience.

May God help His servant Gina to overcome her hardships and to find a good Christian spouse soon--one that He Himself will choose for her-- to watch over her and to take care of her...that they may have each other through the good times and the bad times.

May God have mercy on those poor humble souls that you encountered today.

In Christ our Lord,
Alice

Marian you were truly blessed with visits from angels

I have to run will write when I get back and tell you of peoples responce to your sharing

Pani Rose

Marian, our brother,

In reading a book assigned to my by my Spiritual Father (God in His wisdom only knows why) I came upon a passage that reminded me of your testimony here. I will transcribe it because I hope and pray it may have some spiritual value for you, a confirmation perhaps of your experience with the two messengers and Gina.

It is from an old out-of-print book on the life of Saint Lutgarde of Aywieres, written by Thomas Merton in his less radical days. It is a very beautiful, prose-like translation of Latin work by Thomas of Cantimpre. The title is What Are These Wounds?, the title taken from the prophet Zechariah: "What are these wounds in the midst of thy hands? And he shall say, with these was I wounded in the house of them that loved me." (Zech 13:6)

The passage which made me think of you, Marian, is as follows (page 91-92):

"There are few more charming stories in the life of the saint than that of her alms to a beggar woman. Lutgarde saw a poor old woman, and was moved with pity and an earnest desire to give her something: but, of course she had nothing to give. Then Christ spoke to her in her heart, saying: "In the psalms that you sing, you say to Me: "Portio mea, Domine, O Lord, my portion, I have said, I will keep Thy law" and that means that I am your portion, I am all that you have, and you have nothing else. So go and tell the poor woman that silver and gold you have none, but what you have, you will give her: for you have kept My law!"

If, along with her gift, St. Lutgarde was able to impart to the poor woman one hundredth part of her own understanding of how much it meant, she much have made her very happy that day! For the soul of the saint herself was flooded with a splended light, the realization that she not only possessed Christ by love, but could give Him, the beginning and end of everything, to other people! She could give to souls not a mere earthly alms, not an earthly treasure, but the treasure of the infinite glory and wisdom and love of the eternal God!"

In my understanding of your testimony, you not only gave what you had in alms, but what you had of Christ. May the Father continue to bless you for this.

Talitha

Dear sister Talitha, in our Risen Lord Jesus Christ,

I bow before you, thanking you for sharing about Saint Lutgarde of Aywieres. I never heard before about this Saint, and I will look on this web to find out more.

Your baptismal name is named here, so you should know, please, till end. You and all of you.

May the Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on us. Amin.
And then the Eighth Day...

Marian

Marian...

as always, your words are like prose to me.

-ray