Statue of the Holy Mother, which was crowned on 29th April at Our Lady of Katunayake’s Miraculous Shrine
I am a Buddhist. However, since long time I know about our lady of Katunayake’s church and His holiness the apostle Rohan Lalith Aponso. I got to know about them a year ago thru the FB page. However I came to the Katunayake Shrine for the first time on last 29th April, to attend to the Holy Mother’s crowning festival. Since it was informed on that particular day we will get a special opportunity to tell our pleadings to the Holy Mother and it was told to come up with only one written request, so I also thought of visiting the Katunayake Shrine by myself for the first time.
Actually, I was in touch with His Holiness the Apostle’s FB page since about a year ago. To my knowledge, once in awhile I had made comments in the page as well. Hence I had a little knowledge about Holy Mother Mary.
I too had a big request to ask from the Holy Mother. That is to make a request in finding my only precious treasure, the two golden bangles which had been lost. I am the only Child in my family. I have only my father. About a year and half ago my mother passed away. One month before her death, she gave two of her bangles which she wore for her entire life, and said, “Daughter, I don’t have many things to give you, Keep these two bangles to keep me in your memory”. I loved those bangles not because they are made of gold, only because what my mother had told me. How much so careful I am in protecting those two bangles are that, before I go to sleep, I even removed them and kept them aside. That is thinking if my hand accidentally goes under me during sleep, the two bangles might get crushed and get disfigured. I had only that as my only precious treasure.
Last January, I went to Kandy. That is to my aunt’s house. Aunt means my mother’s younger sister. I was thinking of staying there for about a week. During that time, one day I had a little nap after lunch. There was a small table beside the bed. Before I went to sleep I had kept the two bangles on that table and had taken the nap. After about one and half hours when I woke up to see, the two bangles were not there. I did look everywhere. Even under the bed, thinking if it had maybe rolled off from the small table and gone underneath the bed. I did put the broom and even searched using the Torch. Poor me, I did not get it. Even Aunty felt strange. That day even the aunty felt sad.
From that day onwards, my entire life collapsed. Since that day, all the days were like the day where my mother had died.
When I was living like that, thru the FB, I got to know about the Holy Mother’s crowning holy mass is due on 29th April in Our Lady of Katunayake’s Shrine. I got to know that we get an opportunity in asking one request from Holy Mother and that I should write it and bring it on that day. I thought of writing down my request and to bring it to Our Lady of Katunayake’s Shrine. The place had been known to me for some time over the FB.
I came and participated in the Holy Mother’s Crowning Mass on 29th April. A large gathering was present on that day. During the Holy mass, His holiness the apostle started reading the special miracle prayer. His holiness also told us to read it along with him. He told us to raise the piece of paper which we had written our request. During the Prayer, his holiness told us, now it’s the time to ask for what we have written in the paper from Holy Mother silently. Giving us an opportunity in doing so, His holiness was silent for some time by looking at us. I did read out the request I wrote in that paper, in my mind. I had written “Dear Holy Mother, Please find me my two lost bangles which had been given to me by my mother”. After the Holy Mass, inserting that piece of paper to the box in front of the Statue of crowned Holy Mother and I returned home. I had a Strong belief that the Holy Mother would find me my lost two bangles.
After I came home on 29th April, on that day night I told my father about the Holy Mass which was held that day. Since 30th April, I kept on thinking that anytime soon I should get these two bangles back. On Tuesday the 02nd May, I thought of going in front of the Holy Mother to plead again in telling this. On 2nd May, Tuesday I went to Our Lady of Katunayake’s Shrine again. Sitting down in front of the Holy Mother’s statue in the Shrine, I told Holy Mother of my sorrow which was in my heart. On Wednesday the 03rd May, On Thursday the 04th of May and On Friday 05th of May on a daily basis I did go to the Our Lady of Katunayake’s Shrine and prayed in front of the Statue of the Holy Mother which was in the Shrine premises.
On Saturday the 06th of May, when I went to our lady of Katunayake’s Shrine, few other devotees together were praying to the Holy mother. Even though I did not know that prayer, since I had got used to it a little, I too joined with them and told my request to the Holy Mother in my heart. Since the Shrine liturgical shop was opened that day, I bought a Rosary from there. That day Saturday the 06th of May, about five minutes after I returned home, I received a call to my telephone from the Aunty in Kandy. Do you know what she told me…….?. ‘Daughter, when I was sweeping under the bed today, I found your two bangles under the bed’…………. Hearing that can you imagine the state of my mind?
Think for a while, these two bangles were lost on 15th January. That day the most number of times I checked with broom was under the same bed. From that day till 06th May, when she is sweeping the room didn’t Aunty sweep under this bed?
On 07th May, Sunday I went to Aunt’s home in Kandy. Aunty gave me the two bangles. Aunty told me that these were there under the same bed which i had slept. Without telling anything I came back home with the two bangles. Yet I did not wear those two bangles in my hand.
On Monday the 08th, I went to our lady of Katunayake’s Shrine. Keeping both the bangles in my hand, in front of the Holy Mother’s Statue in the Shrine, to the best of my ability I thanked the Holy Mother who found these two bangles for me. Then in front of the Holy mother’s statue itself I put the bangles in both my hands with more joy & happiness. Tears came to my eyes.
More than my only wealth, the two bangles my mother gave me in remembrances of her was lost. I did suffer for four months. I told my Sorrow to the Holy Mother of Jesus, in Our Lady of Katunayake’s Shrine. The Holy Mother of Jesus found me my lost two bangles.
Our Lady of Katunayake’s shrine is a place where the Holy Mother of Jesus listens to us. Actually, the Holy Mother of Jesus is alive in this shrine invisible to us. Holy Mother is really strange. Holy Mother helps us also in a very strange way.
Gayesha Imalka
Kadawatha (Sri Lanka)
