Fighting Breast Cancer

My mother-in-law stood over me with various packages in hand.  Inside, she had lovingly chosen a beautiful necklace with a pink crystal that had a silver stamp of “HOPE” across it.  There were candles and lotions as well. 

Then, she pulled out a cross, a prayer card from St. Anne de Beaupre in Quebec, Canada, a metal from St. Anne’s with a piece of St. Anne’s bone in it, and some Holy Water.

She proceeded to tell this story:

[Incidentally, it is important to know that Michael and his Mother come from a very ethnic Sicilan background.]

My mother-in-law’s words to me, verbatim:

“Jodi (her cousin) was having a ‘Cousins and Nieces Party’ at her house a few days ago.  She had a beautiful spread, tons of food and everyone was there.  When I arrived, I was visibally upset because of the news about your cancer.  Immediately, Jodi went to a cupboard and revealed a stash of holy water, crosses and metals.  She gave me this crucifix for you to wear, this silver metal with a piece of St. Anne’s bone in it, a prayer card, and this vile of holy water. 

Everyone was gathered around me expectantly and wanting to know about you and I was confused about what I should do with the Holy Water.  So I asked: ‘What does she do with the Holy Water?’   All of a sudden, very loud and in perfect unison all of my cousins yelled at the the top of their lungs, ‘SHE DRINKS IT!!!’”  Irritated, as if my mother-in-law should have known this by Catholic-instinct.  What was wrong with her?

 ”So, you have to drink this Karen,” explained my mother-in-law, very sincerely.

Who am I to argue with a strong family of Sicilian women?  I placed the cross and metal on my chain with my Grandmother’s Cross.  I held the prayer card and recited the prayer out loud, and then I drank the Holy Water.  It tasted like water.

I find the concept of Holy Water very interesting, though.  I read somewhere that a Japanese scientist photographed “water crystals” before and after it was prayed over and blessed.  After the blessings, the shapes of the water crystals actually changed and the scientist concluded that the positive energy of the prayers and blessings transferred actual physiological changes to the water.  So, now I have the prayers and blessings of St. Anne healing my cancer.  Thank you Mom and Aunt Jodi and the rest of the family for thinking of me.  I didn’t find the concept silly at all.  If this water was blessed in the name of God, I’ll happily drink a gallon and ask for more afterwards.

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