Share Your Special Photographs and Faith stories
By Tracey
This photograph was taken a few years ago just prior to my daughter walking in for her Confirmation. She had been looking forward to this day for a long time, having watched her four brothers Confirmed before her. On the day she was disappointed to find the sun shining. “I want it to be raining on my special day…” she lamented.
“Why? I asked quickly straightening up her hair and moving her towards the door. Everyone else had already gone to the church ahead of us, except myself, my daughter and my eldest son. We were going to be late.
“It’s supposed to rain on my special day,” she said; as though I should know what she was talking about. “It’s a sign from God if it rains on your special days. You said so!”
I was taken aback for a moment. I realised that it had rained on our wedding day and I too had thought that God’s blessing for some reason. I smiled at my daughter – full of love that she was more worried about God’s blessing on her day than what she was wearing. At that point, our eldest son came in. “Mum…you’re not going to believe this…it’s raining from a blue sky!”
I just looked at my daughter with wide eyes. “I knew it would rain!” she exclaimed happily. Her and her brother had visitations when they were tiny and I began to wonder what it meant. (those stories I will share another day because they deserve their own).
We hurried outside to the car and true to word; it was raining from a brilliant blue sky! ‘Thank you, God!’ I thought gratefully. We hurried off to Mass in the car and God sprinkled his blessing the whole way until we arrived, then as suddenly as it had started, it stopped. I quickly took a photograph of her in the doorway – she was so excited and full of anticipation. The service was beautiful. When we printed our photographs of the day, I was surprised to see the light hovering above my daughter’s head, yet the recess where the photo was taken was quite dark.
I feel strongly that these were indeed God’s blessings for my daughter on her special day. Once we realised that God’s blessings manifest in different ways, and opened ourselves to Jesus immaculate heart we noticed them often – as signs of His continual Grace and blessings.
The Irish Experience
By Allan
I had recently come out of an annulled relationship. The smoke of battle still hung over my life as I went to Ireland to seek peace. I left my Uncles farm and drove to the beautiful Fore Abbey near Castlepollard, Westmeath. I arrived there on a still Sunday afternoon. The sense of timelessness and beauty of these wonderful Celtic places always have the effect of putting my life into perspective. There was some light rain that afternoon and as I leaned on the old wall I suddenly scrambled for my camera as I noticed a beautiful rainbow appear to drop in front of the Abbey. Awed and renewed after witnessing such beauty I set off in my car for the farm. I took a winding road back and being in no hurry I stopped off at a church on the way. It had a lovely grotto so I stopped to say a few prayers and took a quick snap of it.
[image below]
On return to my home in Wales I loaded the photos on to the computer only to see a fascinating image of light that appeared on the photo of the grotto. This strange play of light prompted my friend to darken the image to see the light more clearly as the light has refracted in a very peculiar way. This was what we came up with, and yet we each saw something different in the image. I saw the Holy Family refelected in all glory, yet my friend saw Our Lady herself with hands clapsed in prayer before the grotto as though pleased to see it there.
Sometimes we are given small ‘signs’ perhaps as pleasant signposts that we are following the right path, and that we are trusting Him with like a childlike faith. The photos mean a lot to me. I believe that God does go out of his way to let prodigals know that he loves them. Sometimes we are given small ‘signs’ perhaps as pleasant signposts that we are following the right path, and that we are trusting Him with like a childlike faith.
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Catholic Living 
He does go out of his way to give us little signs. This I know to be true.
peace