Blessed Imelda Lambertini – Patroness of First Communicants

In the days of Shalmaneser I performed many acts of charity to my kindred, those of my tribe.  I would give my food to the hungry and my clothing to the naked; and if I saw the dead body of any of my people thrown out behind the wall of Nineveh, I would bury it. I also buried any whom King Sennacherib put to death when he came fleeing from Judea in those days of judgment that the king of heaven executed upon him because of his blasphemies. For in his anger he put to death many Israelites; but I would secretly remove the bodies and bury them. So when Sennacherib looked for them he could not find them.  Tobit 1:16-18

I read the story of Tobit a few weeks back.  Tobit did righteous things even when no one else did.  The book of Tobit is where we see the angel Raphael appear in Scripture.  Raphael shows Tobiah how to heal his father’s blindness and later applauds Tobit for burying the dead when no one else would.  Saint Raphael the Archangel’s name means, God heals.

I bring this story up because of something that happened to me the other day in prayer. I was praying for the 2,411 aborted babies found in the abortionists home that were buried in South Bend, IN.

In the middle of my prayer I was overcome with tears as God spoke and showed me something.  He simply said, “bury the dead.”  And then he showed me my own miscarriage from an ectopic pregnancy in 2003.  I almost lost my own life and did lose the life of my child.  My child was disposed of by the hospital as medical waste.  I didn’t ask for my child.  They didn’t offer.  My child, Mary Josephine, who died on October 10, 2003 was never given a funeral.  (I believed my child to be a girl, though I did not know for sure.  I named the baby after Mary and Joseph.)

I was taught both the Spiritual and Corporal works of mercy, yet at that point in my life, I had not embraced them.  The Lord showed me this sin;  but it wasn’t in condemnation.  It was a sorrow of His heart, and he was overflowing with love for me and my suffering.  That He can show me both my fault, and His loving mercy all at once, I do not have words to speak what that is.

And I reflected on burying the dead, and what it was that Tobit did.  He was saying, “You have dignity.  I will not let you rot as waste to be devoured by animals or left alone.  I see you.”  

When human beings forget the dignity of others and forget who they are completely, God still says, “I see you.”  And because Tobit knew God and prayed, he too saw what others did not, and was not afraid even in the face of persecution.

Because I was mindful of God with all my heart… Tobit 1:12

A miscarriage is often hidden and people just expect that we carry on.  But there is a life lost and a grief to process and our society can often ignore this.  In fact, we are currently living in a society that denies the dignity of a segment of people.  We don’t see them, and we vote in ways that treat people as trash.

When I realized my own sin in this regard it prompted me to act.  I went to confession to confess the sin;  the corporal work of mercy I had neglected to do, and the unforgiveness I held onto towards the doctors and hospital for not making this an option for grieving mothers.  I confessed not burying the dead.

If we acknowledge our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive our sins and cleanse us from every wrongdoing. 1 John 1:9

I then asked our Priest if we could have a memorial Mass for the unborn; a mass for mothers (and fathers) who have miscarried their child and to bring healing that may be needed.  But I also asked if we could include extending it to women (and men) who have had abortions or partaken in them – that they be invited to Confess their sin and reconcile with the church and to have the Mass said for their children as well. He said yes, so we are planning for this to happen.  I do believe there are many who need this healing.

But I will restore you to health and heal your wounds,’ declares the LORD.  Jeremiah 30:17

I remembered too how Our Lady had spoken to me about the soul of the miscarried and aborted child.  The catechism tells us we must rely on the mercy of God since they have not been baptized, but I repost today what I felt Our Lady tell me about this on April 18, 2019;

Beloved Child,

You have asked what happens to the unborn child who dies or is aborted before birth.  They are with me.  Womb means Mercy. I was Immaculately conceived and my womb carried Mercy.  I am the Mother of Mercy.  When human beings turn towards wickedness or a child is lost to miscarriage because death was brought into the world, I am the mediatrix of graces for these personally innocent babies.  I intercede with my own consecrated womb, as the Mother of Mercy, the blood and water in my womb, the same DNA as the blood and water from the side of my Son, baptizes them in my Immaculate Conception, freeing them from Original Sin.  In God’s Divine Providence, my Assumption allows this.  My physical and spiritual womb of mercy extended to them because Baptism is necessary for Salvation. 

Pray for an end to the evil of abortion.

The Immaculate Conception

We live in very tumultuous times.  We have been asleep.  It is time for us to wake up and do the things God has asked us to do.  We must bury our dead and give Glory to God so we can show the world the dignity of each human person.