God speaks to us in many ways, and it was through a dream that He instructed me to continue with a trip to the Holy Land.

I have traveled to the Holy Land for more than 17 years; honestly I do not keep track. The purpose of my travels is to minister as we carry the Cross down the Via Dolorosa on Good Friday. This is also part of my calling in my walk with God.

In 2013 our ministry invited Father Leonard Mary from EWTN, to accompany us as our chaplain. Before Father Leonard became a priest, he was part of our lay group. He had been to the Holy Land many times with our team, but this would be the first time as a priest. This trip included an extension to Turkey, and to Patmos, Greece.

I volunteered to organize a fundraiser to raise money for the trip. The primarily purpose was to be certain that we had the expenses for Father Leonard covered. Father mentioned that Brother Leo, from the same community of the Franciscan Missionaries of the Eternal Word, was also going to join us.

I formed a committee with my daughter Sonja, Deane, Leslie, and Lauren. These woman were all seasoned in fundraising. The first thing on the agenda was to give the event a name. Since it was a pilgrimage, we all reached the consensus that we should named the event “Bread, Wine and a Good Time.”

We made gift baskets, and auctioned off a dinner for eight, with Mike preparing a gourmet meal. Our son Mikos donated tickets to the Laker game, and we raffled off a Coach handbag with matching wallet. Our menu included appetizers, Sonja made pulled pork for sliders, and we had an assortment of fruit and cheese, which complemented the wine tasting.

At the end of the night the money was counted, and we had enough funds to cover Father Leonard’s trip, but there was little left for me. I went to bed grateful for all the support, but was I sad and worried that I was not going to make the trip because of the lack money. I remember speaking to God before I went to bed, saying, “Dear Lord, unless I hear from You, I will be pulling out of the trip tomorrow.”

The following morning I received a dream from the Lord. I got up to journal the details of the dream. If you receive dreams, you should always be prepared with a journal and pen. You may think you will remember the dream, but if you do not journal, more than likely you will forget important details or the entire dream.

The Dream

I was in my back yard, at a party, I could see tables with white linen cloths. The tables looked as if they went on for miles. Father Leonard was with me, and as we greeted people, they handed us money, cash, so much that I could no longer hold it in my hands. I started to place the money around my waist under a belt.

The dream switches: Now I’m walking and a lady from our ministry was in a taxi. She stops, and rolls down her window and tells me, “Get in!” But I answer (pointing to where I was going), “Oh no, I can walk.” I had almost reached the Church of the Holy Sepulcher in the Old City of Jerusalem. This was the end of the dream.

I knew that this was a confirmation from God that He would supply funds for the trip.

This is my interpretation:

Back yard – Safe, private place

Party – A happy gathering, to celebrate

Tables – Symbol of communion, priesthood, fellowship, divine food (Ps 23:5)

White – Symbol of purity, righteousness, holiness ( Ecc 9:8)

Taxi – A means of transportation

Walking – I know my way

Church of the Holy Sepulcher – is located in the Old City of Jerusalem

Father Leonard was with me; Father Leonard represents Father God, and that He is with me. The Lord was pleased with the fundraiser; the tables represent a banquet, a party. The white linens represent purity; the money from the people is what God had put on their hearts to give. The taxi is there if I needed to get there sooner. I already knew the way by walking, which means that in my (spiritual) walk, I always go to prayer for answers.

Through the generosity of my family and a few close friends, I did get all my money for the trip.

It was during this trip that I got into the habit of attending daily Mass. Istanbul’s population is mostly Muslim, Father Leonard held Mass in the basement of the hotels where we were staying. It was one of the most holy trips and most spiritually rewarding. We had a lot of fun too, as part of the trip included dinner on a boat cruise on the Bosporus in Istanbul. Unfortunately, I had lost my favorite raincoat, and had to improvise by cutting a big enough hole for my head into a thin small blanket. I then wore it as a poncho to the dinner cruise, as it was a bit chilly that night. We danced with other members of the team, while Father Leonard took pictures and kiddingly treated to blackmail us.

Father Leonard lives in Alabama, but made a special trip to thank all the volunteers, and held private Bible study for us. Then when we were done, Father Leonard heard confessions. He is a Holy Man of God, and I pray for him daily.

Currently Father Leonard is working toward another degree, pursuing a Masters of Communication Management from USC. Father also has a Masters of Divinity from Mount St. Mary’s.

When his schedule permits, Father Leonard says the Mass for EWTN, a global Catholic television network based in Irondale, Alabama. DirecTV carries this broadcast on channel 370. This is one of the only stations that I frequent because they operate in the true Word of God, no fake news. I also listen to EWTN via podcast on my phone.

Joel 2:28 New King James Version (NKJV)

God’s Spirit Poured Out

²⁸ “And it shall come to pass afterward
That I will pour out My Spirit on all flesh;
Your sons and your daughters shall prophesy,
Your old men shall dream dreams,
Your young men shall see visions.

If you have a dream that needs interpreting, email me, and I will be happy to help you with the meaning. [email protected]

The day after Christmas, as I drove past a busy street I noticed a beautiful flocked Christmas tree tossed to the curb. I wanted to shout, “Don’t throw out your Christmas tree yet, we’re still celebrating!” We need more time to take in the beauty of the glorious birth of Baby Jesus. The Catholic Church keeps the spirit alive by adding eight additional days; these days are referred to as the octaves.

All the readings from the Mass, from December 26th through January 1st, are not just celebrating the Nativity, or the birth of Christ, but the impact, and the crux of the birth.

The reading from December 26th is about St. Stephen, who was stoned to death for speaking the truth of Christ. On the 27th, St. John the Evangelist, who was the only apostle of Christ at Calvary, through his powerful, mystical writings, served as the example of how to live in the manner of Christ. On December 28th we celebrate the Holy Innocents, when all children in Bethlehem and surrounding regions under the age of two were murdered by King Herod. December 29th, we celebrate St. Thomas Becket, who was murdered for defending the Church against the oppression of King Henry II. Then on December 30th, we celebrate the Holy Family, the family that we are to emulate, and the perfect example of what a Christian unity is all about. On December 31st, we celebrate Pope St. Sylvester; this saint supported the Council of Nicaea in 335. This is where the Apostles’ Creed originated. This prayer proclaims that God is fully man, and fully divine, the triune God. We recite this creed every Sunday at Mass.

We end the Octave with the Solemnity of Mary. This is a holy day of obligation, in which we honor the role of Mary in the salvation history of mankind, and the love she had for her son. Mary said yes, as we should too. Luke 2:16-21 announces that the Child, carried by Mary, was circumcised and given the name of Jesus on the eighth day of His life.

The three kings, better known as the Magi, still needed to present Jesus with gifts. The gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh are symbolic of His kingship, divinity, and His sacrificial death. These gifts were definitely fit for a king. Both the frankincense and myrrh were from Southern Arabia and could only be harvested once a year, and we all know the value of gold.

Next year the Epiphany falls on Sunday, January 6th; now you can take a deep breath and put all of Christmas away. It takes me days to display all my decorations, so I pace myself, one day at a time, packing one room at a time. I’m a ornament hoarder, and even the broken ornaments are spared. I saved a lot of my kid’s decorations that they made in grammar school as well. I take special care of all my ornaments, and a year does not pass without me purchasing more. I guess that’s why I put up four Christmas trees. My poor husband is so sweet, telling me, “Please get rid some of this stuff, I’m sick of putting it away.” From there I’m led into the garage, with Mike warning me that some of these boxes have got to go. Our garage has been transformed into a free mini storage unit. On paper it’s meant for two cars, but I can barely fit my Prius because of all our Christmas stuff.

I purchased my Rosca de Reyes cake (King’s Cake) early this year. We started a tradition with our grandkids and they look forward to finding the Baby Jesus in the cake. The Mexican tradition is celebrated 12 days after Christmas. Mexicans usually celebrate on or before January 6th, on the Epiphany, the day of the appearance of the Wise Men: Balthazar, Melchior and Caspar. We served our cake with Mexican hot chocolate, Maddie found the Baby Jesus again this year.

My Prayer:

Dear Heavenly Father, I pray that we can embrace these holy celebrations, not only at Christmas but throughout the year. Help us to draw closer to You, to be more committed in our walk with You. Dear Lord for those who do not know You, please touch them through the love of others, through dreams, or through Your beautiful voice. Bring all lost souls to Your Kingdom, and let us worship and bow down in Your most holy presence. Lord let this be a year of great accomplishments in our government; allow us to witness peace in our country. Teach us to be example of goodwill to all men. Let Your glory shine in all those who love You. Amen