Our Lady of Perpetual Help: A Mother Who Never Fails Us

“Never was it known that anyone who fled to thy protection... was left unaided.”

These words from the traditional prayer to Our Lady reflect the deep love and trust Catholics have placed in her over the centuries—especially under the beloved title of Our Lady of Perpetual Help.

The Story Behind the Icon

The image of Our Lady of Perpetual Help is one of the most well-known Marian icons in the Catholic world, especially in the Philippines. This icon, which originated in Crete and now resides in the Church of St. Alphonsus Liguori in Rome, depicts the Virgin Mary holding the child Jesus while two angels present the instruments of His Passion.

But what makes this image so powerful is not only its artistic beauty—but its spiritual message.

Mary is shown looking not at Jesus, but at us—her eyes filled with compassion, concern, and deep maternal love. She holds Jesus firmly, reminding us that just as she cared for Him, she also watches over us in all our fears, trials, and sufferings.

A Beloved Devotion in the Philippines

Filipino Catholics are particularly devoted to Our Lady of Perpetual Help. Every Wednesday, churches across the country are filled with people praying the Perpetual Novena—a practice that began at Baclaran Church in Parañaque and has since spread nationwide.

Thousands flock to her shrine each week not only to ask for help but to thank her for answered prayers, healings, restored relationships, and countless blessings.

Why Wednesdays? Because Wednesday has traditionally been dedicated to St. Joseph and Our Lady in various local devotions. But in the Philippines, it has become "Baclaran Day"—a day uniquely hers.

Why She is Called “Perpetual Help”

The title "Perpetual Help" reminds us that Mary’s intercession doesn’t run out. She is not just our help sometimes, or when it’s convenient. She is our help always—in sickness and in health, in trials and joys, in fear and in peace.

She is the mother who is never too busy, never distracted, never forgets her children.

When we cannot find the strength to pray, she prays for us.

When we don’t know what to do, she guides us.

When we fall, she gently lifts us up again.

A Mother Close to Our Wounds

Many of us turn to her when we are hurting—whether from illness, heartbreak, anxiety, or loss. She knows our pain because she suffered with her Son. The icon reminds us: she does not run from suffering—she meets us in it.

She is perpetual help because she draws us closer to Jesus, the source of all healing, all peace, all grace.

🙏 A Short Prayer to Our Lady of Perpetual Help

O Mother of Perpetual Help,

we come to you with hearts full of trust and love.

You know our needs, our sorrows, our joys.

Pray for us to your Son, Jesus, that we may have strength in trials,

peace in our homes, healing in our bodies,

and hope in every difficulty we face.

Never let us be parted from your motherly care. Amen.

Let us never forget: we are never alone. We have a mother—our Lady of Perpetual Help—always near, always ready to lift us up to her Son.

Saint Teresa of Avila: The Incorruptible Mystic and Her Miraculous Fragrant Oil

 

Saint Teresa of Avila, also known as Saint Teresa of Jesus, remains one of the most revered Catholic saints, known for her deep spirituality, mysticism, and reformative work in the Carmelite Order. Born in 1515 in Spain, she devoted her life to prayer, contemplation, and writing, leaving behind an extraordinary legacy of faith. However, one of the most astounding aspects of her story is the miraculous incorruptibility of her body and the sweet, unearthly fragrance it exudes.

A Life of Mystical Experiences and Devotion

Saint Teresa was a woman of great mystical visions and divine encounters. She described profound experiences of union with God, including the famous vision of an angel piercing her heart with a golden spear—a moment known as the Transverberation. Her deep commitment to God and her efforts to reform the Carmelite Order through stricter adherence to poverty, prayer, and discipline earned her both admiration and resistance during her time.

The Miracle of Her Incorrupt Body

After her death on October 4, 1582, in Alba de Tormes, Spain, Saint Teresa’s body was exhumed several times for examination. Each time, it was found to be miraculously incorrupt—meaning it had not undergone the natural decay expected after death. Despite the passing years, her body remained supple and whole, a sign that many believers took as divine confirmation of her sanctity.

Even more astonishing, her body emitted a heavenly fragrance, often described as the scent of fresh flowers or sweet perfume. This inexplicable phenomenon baffled doctors and clergy alike, reinforcing her status as a saint and divine intercessor. Many who visited her tomb or relics reported experiencing this supernatural fragrance, which was said to bring peace, healing, and spiritual consolation.

The Fragrant Oil and Healing Miracles

One of the most remarkable aspects of Saint Teresa’s incorrupt body is the fragrant oil that reportedly exudes from her remains. Many religious artifacts associated with her, such as her heart and hand, have been known to emit a miraculous scent. Pilgrims who visited her relics attested to experiencing cures from various ailments, including chronic illnesses, blindness, and spiritual afflictions.

Throughout history, numerous accounts document the miracles attributed to her intercession. Devotees who sought her help in times of distress often found solace, protection, and healing. Even today, her relics, particularly her heart—preserved in a convent in Alba de Tormes—continue to draw countless faithful seeking divine intervention.

A Saint for All Generations

Saint Teresa of Avila was canonized in 1614, and in 1970, she was declared a Doctor of the Church—one of the few women to receive this honor. Her writings, such as The Interior Castle and The Way of Perfection, continue to inspire millions, guiding them toward a deeper relationship with God.

The incorruptibility of her body and the heavenly fragrance it emits remain an enduring mystery that science cannot explain. For the faithful, however, these miracles serve as tangible signs of God’s power and the sanctity of Saint Teresa. To this day, she is revered as a patroness of Spain, contemplative life, and those seeking a deeper spiritual path.

Conclusion

Saint Teresa of Avila’s incorrupt body, the fragrant oil it emits, and the miracles associated with her are testaments to her holiness. These wonders continue to inspire and strengthen the faith of believers worldwide. Whether through her writings, her intercessions, or the inexplicable miracles surrounding her, Saint Teresa remains a guiding light for all who seek a closer relationship with God. Her life and legacy remind us that true devotion and divine grace transcend even death itself.

Eucharistic Miracles- The Real Presence Science Confirms

 

The Grave Danger of Receiving the Eucharist Unworthily
“Whoever eats the bread and drinks the cup of the Lord unworthily will have to answer for the body and blood of the Lord. A person should examine himself, and so eat the bread and drink the cup. For anyone who eats and drinks without discerning the body, eats and drinks judgment on himself. That is why many among you are ill and infirm, and a considerable number are dying.” (I Cor. 11:27-30)

Dear Lord may the veil of unbelief be removed from all unbelievers in The Real Presence & especially those receiving The Blessed Sacrament when they are not in a state of grace. Amen ♱♱♱

 THE REAL PRESENCE OF JESUS THAT SCIENCE CONFIRMS

CTTO  
Dr. Ricardo Castañon Gomez is not well-known to many Catholics. But he should be.
Atheist Richard Dawkins has apparently never heard of Dr. Ricardo Castañon Gomez either. Dawkins tweeted recently that Catholic belief in the Eucharist is madness. Had Dawkins heard of Gomez and the results of Gomez’s scientific investigations into the Eucharistic Miracles of Argentina and Tixtla, Mexico, he might not have tweeted his tweet!
Dr. Gomez is a scientist. He’s also a former atheist. He became a Catholic after leading his first scientific investigation to examine what appeared to be a bleeding consecrated host. Recently he led a second investigation. Both investigations, as far as I’m concerned, provide proof of the Real Presence in the Eucharist.

Eucharistic Miracles

Dr. Gomez led the scientific investigation into the 1996 Eucharistic Miracle in Buenos Aires, Argentina. He also led the investigation into the 2006 Eucharistic Miracle in Tixtla, Mexico.
In both instances, consecrated hosts appeared to be bleeding. In both instances samples taken from the hosts proved to be blood and living human tissue. And in both instances the tissue was living muscle tissue from an inflamed human heart. Also in both instances, the blood was type AB.
These findings match the findings of a 1971 scientific investigation into the 8th Century Eucharistic Miracle of Lanciano. What’s more, the AB blood type in all three cases matches the AB blood type found on the Shroud of Turin.

And even more recently, in 2013, in Legnica, Poland, samples taken from a consecrated host that appeared to be bleeding were also scientifically examined. The tests once again showed that the samples were of inflamed heart muscle.
So in four separate scientific investigations, in four different countries, samples of consecrated hosts that appeared to be bleeding have been scientifically examined. And in all four instances scientists said the samples were living human heart muscle tissue. If this does not prove the Real Presence in the Eucharist, I don’t know what would.

In 2004, eight years after the host in Argentina was first found to be bleeding, Dr. Gomez brought another sample of the host to Dr. Frederick Zugibe. Zugibe was then one of the United States’ most prominent forensics experts. Gomez asked him to examine the sample, but Gomez did not tell Zugibe anything about the sample.

Dr. Zugibe told Dr. Gomez that the sample he examined was that of living muscle tissue from a human heart. Zugibe also said the tissue came from a person whose heart had been severely traumatized.

Dr. Zugibe was amazed when Dr. Gomez informed him that the sample had been obtained eight years earlier. Zugibe told Gomez that the cells were still living when he examined them. He asked Gomez to explain how this could be so when the sample was eight years old. Gomez then told Zugibe that the sample was from a Consecrated Host. Zugibe’s amazement turned to astonishment.

Also, in the samples taken from the hosts in both Lanciano and Argentina, live white blood cells were present. Yet white blood cells ‘die’ within a few hours after being exposed to air. The Lanciano blood samples were over 1,200 years old

To me these miracles show that what the Catholic Church teaches on Transubstantiation and the Eucharist is true. And no other religion on earth can say that science has proven what it teaches is true.

But atheists like Dawkins think Catholics are mad to believe in the Real Presence. Practitioners of other religions may think Catholics are crazy as well. And even members of other Christian denominations might think Catholics are crazy to believe in Transubstantiation.

But every Catholic should know that we are receiving the Body and Blood of Jesus Christ in the Eucharist when we receive Communion. Yet as the July 2019 Pew research revealed, many Catholics also do not believe in the Real Presence.

If only more people knew what science has to say about the Eucharist!

As Catholics, we believe in the Real Presence, whereby Jesus Christ is made literally present in a consecrated Host through transubstantiation.

“Jesus said to them, ‘Amen, amen, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you do not have life within you. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him on the last day.'” – John 6:53-54

Since its earliest inception, many have been intensely skeptical of the Catholic doctrine of the Real Presence. However, over the centuries there have been many reports and accounts of the Host miraculously turning into physical flesh and blood. When studies were performed on these miraculous Hosts, along with relics of Christ, an astonishing discovery was made – the same blood type was found every time – type AB+.

The earliest recorded event of a consecrated Host miraculously turning into physical flesh and blood dates back to the 8th century in the city of Lanciano, Italy. Called the Miracle of Lanciano, a monk was skeptical about the Real Presence and transubstantiation. When he celebrated Mass and said the Words of Consecration with doubt in his soul and heart, before the monks eyes he saw the the Host changed into living flesh and the wine change into coagulated blood.

In 1971, scientists performed a study on these relics which had been perfectly preserved throughout the ages. The Host was human heart tissue with the blood typeAB+, the rarest of all. The blood was found to have no preservatives, and also was blood type AB+.

Another miraculous occurrence took place in 1996, when a women in Buenos Aires found a desecrated Host in a candle holder in her parish church. She turned the Host into her priest who went to dissolve it into water per Canon Law. When the priest went to do so, the Host turned into flesh and blood. 3 years later, the Bishop of Buenos Aires sent the host to the US for testing. The results came back the same – human heart tissue with blood type AB+. At the time, the Bishop of Buenos Aires was Jorge Bergoglio – Pope Francis.

Additional tests of trace amounts of blood on the Shroud of Turin along with traces from the Shroud of Oviedo (the cloth wrapped around Christs face shortly after his death) also were shown to be of blood type AB, lending credence to the evidence that Christs blood type was AB, and Hosts literally turn into His flesh and blood when consecrated.

Amazing coincidence or proof? Blood type AB+ is the universal recipient for blood transfusions, and all tested Hosts were found to be heart tissue. As we know, Christ will receive anyone into His heart who is willing.
Ccto

Say this Daily Prayer for graces and mercy To The Sacred Heart of Jesus

 +Daily Prayer to the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus+

We adore you, dear Jesus, we love you and we trust you. Pour on us from your Most Sacred Heart the mercy and the graces we most need. Help us to love you and to serve you better each day. We entrust to your most Sacred heart ourselves, our families, our relatives and friends, our fellowmen and our nation. Make us docile and obedient to your will. Transform us to be more apostolic and caring for the others. Shield and protect us from all evil and all illnesses, especially the Coronavirus (COVID-19) disease. And keep us away from mishaps and any harm. Most Sacred Heart of Jesus, have mercy on us. Amen. ❤