This photo is doing the rounds at the moment. Here is the accompanying text:
This was taken at the baptism of Valentino Mora, son of Erica, a single mom of 21 who asked the photographer to take a picture of her son for free. The photo of the baptism of Valentino Mora is sweeping the Internet, because at the time the priest pours the Holy water over his head, the water flows in the shape of a rosary. This story began at the Parish of the Assumption of Our Lady in Cordova, Spain, where the baptism of a one month baby took place. At the time that Valentino came to the baptismal font for the sacrament of baptism, Erica asked the photographer Maria Silvana Salles, who was hired by other parents baptizing their babies, to take a photo of her son as a favor, since the young mother had no way of paying for it. The photographer, moved by Erica's request, agreed to take a photo of Valentino. Maria Silvana works with a traditional camera and had to send the film to be developed to a shop in Cordova. When she received the photos, she noticed with surprise that the water poured from the head of Valentino was a perfect rosary. The photo of the baptism of Valentino has awakened faith in the people of Cordova who come to the humble home of Erica and Valentino Mora to touch him. The truth is that this sign of faith has mobilized this town in Cordova, whose neighbors go to Maria Silvana's store to buy the picture as if it were a prayer card.Hmmm. It's not a matter of faith. it could be a coincidence. It could be a sign. I'm saying nothing.
Except that I don't agree with those who criticised the story because it was about a "single mom". Single moms who have a baby in Western Europe have very often resisted pressure to have an abortion so we should thank God for that.
14 comments:
One priest of my acquaintance always says 'There's no such thing as coincidence' !
God moves in mysterious ways . . . that is all we know, and all we need to know.
I got this photo sent to me in one of those unsolicited 'holy' emails doing the rounds. A quick 'google' got me to a site that suggested that the photographer just caught a phenomenon of water that is frequent but not seen by the unaided human eye. The suggestion was made that such images are 'caught' by quick shutter speeds. Interestingly enough about a week later I watched (last week) the first of those new Richard Hammond BBC "Invisible World" programmes. In it he showed many natural phenomena not usually seen by the way our brains interpret visual data but shown through slowing down video captures. One aspect shown was of how water forms many shapes we don't usually see. (Apologies if my technical terms are misplaced - I don't have time to do more research at the moment but I think you should get the gist of what I am saying from the above.)I missed the second episode but the first left me awestruck at the glory of God's creation.
Amen, Father F!
That is just so awesome; God always is of life, our Lady is always the Mother of all.
How beautiful, how absolutely appropriate.
In these days of wanton disregard for all human life, what a beautiful and powerful sign of God's blessing, His presence. Thank you.
I think we should remember that things have both a 'how' and a 'why' - reminding us of the Mystery of the Incarnation when the divine and human were united in the one person of Christ on this day of the Annunciation to Our Lady.
The 'how' of this - the human, scientific angle - may well be in the order of the monkey, the typewrite and Hamlet.
The 'why' of it - the meaning of such a thing in this particular time and place - only God knows. Maybe someone needed to have this sign just now. We can never separate 'things' from their meaning and effect.
Thanks for posting this - it's a beautiful picture.
It's a miracle, the fruits are proving this. All real conversions are worked by Grace,no other power, so God is moving people's hearts with this photograph.
Single moms have need of a saviour. I should know. I am one. The righteous don't, so they needn't point the finger. Let them just basque in their own righteousness.....preferably quietly though.
Well, I wouldn't be rushing to go touch the baby or put up the picture with our holy cards, but it is pretty amazing. I love how God has these beautiful "secrets" which only He (and the angels?) sees, and a shot like this captures it for us to see too.
Hippolytus -- in view of your comment regarding the aqua phenomena not usually seen by man's naked eye it would suggest that all of the cosmos, the whole created universe, recognizes the salvation of the cross. Blessed are those men and women who believe though they have not seen...
It really shouldn't read "a single mom of 21".
I spent a long time trying to figure out how a single woman manages to have 21 children!
(And I agree that it's ridiculous that people would complain that she's single... would they rather she didn't have the baby baptized? Would they rather she hadn't had the child? Grr...)
How appropiate this should happen in Spain, when the current Communist government is trying to destroy all vestige of Catholicism from Spain's glorious past.
It amazes me that so many people can be so gullible as to believe this is anything other than an coincidental natural phenomenum. If there was a God, why would he play such childish games? And would he even be aware of the necklace-based souvenir of one particular group?
And for those of you not content to be gullible but keen to add "ignorant" and "discriminatory" about single parents, feel free to join the rest of us in this millenium anytime you fancy.
Although it is a nice photo, I believe it is photoshopped based on the fact that the water is not falling down but sideways. The water droplets that would have been photoshopped to the sides are also on a solid green background, an easy photoshop rather than on the baby's head with the hair background being harder to photoshop. Most telling of all is that the photographer is making money off the sale of the photo through her shop. Money & publicity, the best reasons for her to do it.
People want to believe in miracles. There are many things wrong with this photo being promoted as something supernatural--a sign from God--etc.
The fact that this is not baptism as taught in the Scriptures certainly does not bother anyone. An infant having water poured on his head certainly is not Scriptural either. The fact that the religious body in view --the Catholic Church-- cannot be found described in the New Testament Scriptures is something else to consider.
On the bright side **a child was not aborted just because the mother is single** This is probably the most important piece of information to come out of this. Plus the fact that the single mother is trying to reach out to God despite the deceptive practices of the denominational world both Catholic and Protestant Isn't time we all returned to the Scriptures for the authority for everything we do and say in religion!!
Jesus said : "All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth."
Paul tells us : "Whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through Him to God the Father."
(Colossians 3:17 NASB)
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YOU MEAN CENSORED!!
Well St Paul also said that the Church is the pillar and ground of truth and told his followers to accept everything they had been taught by word or by letter. There is nowhere in scripture that says that scripture is the only source of authority. There are well over 5,000 different sects all claiming to follow the plain words of scripture but teaching different doctrines. A living authority is needed, such as the one Christ set up in His holy Catholic Church. As he said to the apostles "He who hears you hears me."
Oh, and yes, comments are indeed censored. Which means that they don't go up immediately.
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