Our Lady of Charity-Partron saint of CUBA

In our community, The Knights of Columbus will hold a Marian hour May 28th to pay final homage to a painting of Our Lady of Charity, patron saint of Cuba.

Devotion to Our Lady of Charity dates to the early 1600s, when a statue of the Blessed Mother holding the Christ Child was found by three young men. On their way back to Santiago del Prado (modern El Cobre) and halfway across the Bay of Nipe, they encountered a fierce storm that threatened to destroy their frail boat. Suddenly, the waters calmed. In the distance the boys saw a white bundle floating on a piece of wood that they mistook for a sea bird. In reality, it was a small statue of Mother Mary holding the infant Jesus in her left arm and a gold cross in her right. Inscribed on the wooden board were the words, Yo soy la Virgen de la Caridad (I am the Virgin of Charity). According to recorded testimony, despite the motion of the ocean waves and the storm, neither the image of Mary nor her white robes were wet.

It brings me great joy to see this in my community. My parents have been away from their Beloved Country over 48 years. Now more than ever, we need prayers and devotion to Our Lady of Charity to help Cuba return to the state it was once, maybe not physically but spiritual and even so, to become even more spiritually than ever before.. But how does one do that without the daily basic needs such as milk, meat, eggs, water, lights... How does one feed their souls if they can't even feed their bodies? All with the Grace of Our Lady and Her Beloved Son!



We can't imagine what it is to live that Internet is not a common thing. That the thing I am doing right now, as writing on my blog to post about Cuba and how the Government is, a Cuban themselves can't do so. How would life be without the freedom of not just Internet use, or cell use or but without having the human right to learn and to be the person GOD calls one to be. One of the most basic Human given right is taken from you and it is control by a government that doesn't even believe in a God! We just can't imagine because we live in this great country of ours. Yes, it has many faults , it has done its share of evil but you can't deny its beautiful freedom we live day in and day out... the freedom to become that person God has called YOU to be! The freedom to walk to Our Beloved Church and bow our heads in prayer and Be grateful for what we have. The freedom to walk into a library and even check out a book by Scott Hahn? About Catholic faith, Jewish Faith and everything under the sun!

PRAYER TO OUR LADY OF CHARITY

Most Holy Mother of Charity,
who came to us as a messenger of peace across
the sea, you are the Mother of all.
To you we come, Most Holy Mother of God,
to honor you with love as your children.
To your motherly heart we entrust our desires
and hopes, our work and our prayers.
We pray for our countries, that we may be able to build
nations based on peace and unity.
We pray for our families, that they may live
in fidelity and love.
We pray for our children, that they may grow strong
in spirit and in body.
We pray for our young people, that their faith may
increase, as well as their attachment to the truth.
We pray for the sick, the homeless, the lonely,
the exiled, and for all suffering souls.
We pray for the Catholic Church, for its mission,
for its clergy, religious and laity, and especially
for our Holy Father Pope Benedict XVI.
Mother of Charity!
We place ourselves under your mantle of protection!
Blessed are you among women and blessed is
the fruit of your womb, Jesus!
To Him be the glory and the power, now and forever.
Amen.