Miracles, Miracles, and More...Books!

Did I surprise you? Did you think our title should be "Miracles, Miracles, and More Miracles?" Well, it surely could have been, but since a lot of those miracles have to do with books, I figured I'd go with Miracles, Miracles, and More Books, just to indicate what we're rejoicing over today at Miss Marcel's Musings.

Yesterday, the last day of our Holy Face novena, was also a number of other "things" - namely, the 61st anniversary of Celine's entry into Heaven; the Feast of the Holy Face; Shrove Tuesday, Fat Tuesday, or Mardi Gras, depending on your cultural custom, and . . . the 4th anniversary of the day Fr. Michael Gaitley, M.I.C. visited Thomas Aquinas College (in 2016) to talk to the students about his new (then) book, 33 Days to Merciful Love. He is such a merciful guy himself that he gave out copies, and so I read his wonderful pages on St. Therese - every one of them - that very night.

I know, 33 days is supposed to be more than a month, but hey, you hand me a book on St. Therese that's really good, and how could I risk losing focus over a month plus when I could instead gobble the book up at a sitting (or lying down)?!

So four years ago yesterday (February 25), I read at length about St. Therese and her Act of Oblation to Merciful Love. And it changed me. A lot. It even gave me an attention span, at least in one regard, because I kept thinking about her Act of Oblation, not just for 33 days, but for the next 4 years! That's a lot of thinking, even for a bear of very little brain, and so we had to celebrate last night by publishing a book - or at least almost.

Don't worry, the "almost" is merely temporary, because we have to proof the book one last time to make sure it's as lovely as Therese would have it. And I'm excited nearly beyond belief! Good thing I have a mild cold, or who knows what might happen. As it is, my fuzzy head is keeping me from clear delusions of grandeur, but even then I'm sure Great Things are about to happen. You'll be glad to know that even if this book doesn't change the world, it has a high probability of changing your life if you read it!

Those folks up top of our blog post today can vouch for this life-changing potential in the soon-to-be-released Something New With St. Therese: Her Eucharistic Miracle. I know they think it's worth reading, because they were the ones who got it published!

First are Therese and two of her novices: her sister Celine and the Parisian imp, Marie of the Trinity. Those two made the consecration to the Holy Face with Therese's encouragement and help, hence the home-made holy card. But they also were two she inducted into her Offering to Merciful Love and the Eucharistic miracle attached to it, so you can bet they've been hanging around for the last 4 years making sure I got every word right. Or nearly every word anyhow!

Next comes Charlene Richard, our new BFF here at MMM, and with good reason - she's a wonder worker beyond any I've met - at least as far as working my personally desired miracles goes! (And don't worry, I desire miracles in your life too, very much so, and I'm telling Charlene to hop to it please, now that she's taken care of the book.)

Just a tad more than a week ago, having newly made her acquaintance, I asked Charlene, "Hey, if you're so great, why don't you get this book published - you know, the one no one else has been able to get published for 3 and 1/2 years? And since God is the real Power behind your operation, and everything is easy for Him, how about let's go from 0 to 60 in a week and get it published for Celine's feast?" By golly, if Charlene didn't take me up on my challenge and do just that!!

And finally there's an 11th hour saint who showed up last night in our time of need - that would be Carlo Acutis, and he sure is named well because he's such a cutie! (Sorry, Carlo, I couldn't resist!) He has a great personality and a great story to go along with it. Like Charlene, he didn't live too long - for Charlene it was 12 years, and for Carlo just 15. They were both normal kids, devout sure, but normal too. And then he, like she, got cancer and whoosh, died of it real quick-like. But the amazing part is that when he did die, well it was only 15 years ago! And yet he's going to be beatified this year! The announcement was made just last week, and the response has been one of universal joy!

Here at Miss Marcel's Musings we are thrilled, delighted, and simply over the moon! So when I needed help at the last minute last night (to get the book set for publication at the publisher, but suddenly one of our team's computers froze up - aaaauuuugh!), I thought of Carlo, called upon him while a friend called upon Our Lady of Prompt Succour, and between them, Mother and son got us rolling in no time. Whew! Good work, Carlo! Thanks, Mother Mary!

Since Carlo was very computer savvy in his not-so-long-ago-day, his help made sense. Also it turns out that he and the Blessed Mother are really close - she was in on his beatification miracle, and I'll have to tell you that story soon: it's awesome! But also, since Carlo loved the Eucharist and made displays of Eucharistic miracles (displays you could show in a church hall, but also online!), it stands to reason he'd be all about getting this book to you - a book about a new Eucharistic miracle that has gone under the radar until now!

Somehow in the insanity of the moment just before those two courteous kids came to my rescue, but with me already hoping they would, I promised I'd write a book about Charlene and Carlo if they fixed the problem - and they did - so now I'm really happy I remembered that promise all the way till today so far - you see how my attention span is improving! But before I can write that book I have to finish this post and get the other book - the almost-book - published. I'll be sure and let you know the second it's available, and meanwhile, please join me in thanking St. Therese, Celine, Marie, Charlene, and Carlo!

I suppose, too, that besides acknowledging some of my team, I ought to acknowledge somewhere in this post that it is, as of today, Lent . . . I'd say the funniest thing that happened yesterday came after some dear friends included us around their table for a Fat Tuesday/Shrove Tuesday/Mardi Gras dinner, the subject came up about fasting today. Really? Today? (Well it was tomorrow last night). In the excitement of the book publishing, I'd forgotten about Ash Wednesday and Lent, yes, even though I knew it was Mardi Gras! Oops! And then I had the best idea! I stated it aloud and it sounded even better outside than in my head - especially when our friend's lovely daughter read my heart and finished my sentence for me. I bet you're a kindred spirit too and will love my idea. See what you think. For the whole world now (maybe we'll go viral - or will they quarantine us?) here it is:

Miss Marcel's Brilliant Idea (which unfortunately was not implemented and it may be too late now) -

LET'S NOT HAVE LENT, LET'S JUST HAVE ICE CREAM!!!!

But as I mentioned, unfortunately this was not implemented in time, and here we are, as usual this time of year, in Lent. Which means I must warn you:

1. Do not (I repeat DO NOT) give up Everything you love. Very Bad Idea!

2. Do think of this as a time to snuggle up to Jesus' merciful Heart - which is exactly the phrase He used to Faustina to tell her what He hoped all of us would do! Snuggle! I don't know Polish, but this is the good translation we have now, so why question it?

3. When all else fails - your resolutions, your hope, your conviction that time will continue passing and we will arrive at Easter someday - do something really wonderful that you haven't sworn off. Like what? Well how about:
      a. read Marcel's Conversations
       b. get Something New with St. Therese (which should be available long before Lent is over)
        c. get to know one of the Saints visiting us today - a powerful new friend is always heartening! 
         d. suggest a pilgrimage to Lisieux to someone you love who least suspects this will happen!

That final wonderful thing is what my husband did last Lent, and he'll have quite a time topping that this year! But don't worry, because I'm not worrying, and moreover (b) will be a lot cheaper and suffice as a soothing and cheering action, because a friend told me yesterday, when she saw a picture of the front cover of Something New, that even looking at the cover would do great good in the world and bring consolation to little souls!

Then there's (a) reading Convos, a sure-fire way to cheer the lowest heart (just hearing Marcel complain that Jesus mentions suffering at the drop of a hat makes me smile - I'm not the only one who prefers ice cream to degout!). And as to (c), getting to know new Saints - well, you can't lose there . . . how does that old ditty go? "Make new friends, and keep the old; one is silver and the other gold!"

So remember: gray skies are gonna clear up, brush off the clouds and cheer up, take off that weary mask of tragedy, it's not your style . . . and as long as you don't give up Every Good Thing for Lent (and heavens to Betsy, how could you possibly? so many, many good things surrounding us!), we should all make it out of this alive. And if not, hey, there are sure worse things than going to Heaven sooner rather than later!

I doubt we'll get so lucky, though, so while we think of it, let's pray our simple prayer together to save the world, and then go publish (or simply read) some good books!

Draw me, Jesus, we will run!!