New Years Resolutions

As new years approached this last December, I started seeing the floods of facebook posts about what people's new years resolutions were for the year. Me, in my sarcastic nature, put up my own "resolution" which was: To have less sciatic pain and to travel more.  Well the sciatica is still there, although not as bad as it was. I'll elaborate on that, but the traveling thing I thought, WHY NOT!?!?! So the I decided to take it one  step further.  My job limits my traveling of far off distant lands, so why not vow to visit a new church or shrine at least once a month. My car isn't as young as it used to be at 11 years old this March and it likes to eat oil, which isn't good, but I can still go to places that are close.  January was quickly approaching it's end and I had realized that I hadn't gone to a new church or shrine.
To back up a bit, right before Christmas my uncle, who is my God Father was diagnosed with Prostate Cancer and relevant radio had been promoting a mass the last Saturday in January where a healing Priest, Fr. Ubald, from Rwanda was coming back to the shrine.  From the little I know of Fr. Ubald, he officiates these healing masses (well ALL masses are healing masses) and then he processes around with the Monstrance and he can hear all of the prayers. When he is done processing, then Jesus tells him who was healed.  Unfortunately my uncle was unable to go, but I really wanted to. And I ended up going with two aunts, a cousin and a different uncle.

Fr. Ubald

I have been to the shrine of Our Lady of Good Help two previous times, so it wasn't new, but I hadn't been there in a few years so it was different from my norm.  So I had to get up early (7am) after getting home from work at 2am the previous night and rode with my family members the 2ish hour drive to Champion, WI to see our Lady and ask for God's healing.
I had to say that the Mass was very dull. There was no music, the sound system was horrible that I could barely hear Fr. Ubald. We sang the word "Jesus" to the tune of Amazing Grace some 45ish times in a row and I was squished in my seat by two kids who decided to stand literally on top of my feet because there were so many people squished into the small church.
I asked Jesus for healing for my uncle. Healing for my dad's eyes. For a patient I had at work the previous day. For healing of my relationship with my dad and others who I have had falling outs with. I prayed for my co-catechist's back and lungs. I prayed for my mom's lungs.  I prayed for healing and unity at my parish. I prayed for my sciatica pain to go away. I prayed for my ACNE to go away (haha, yea right!), I prayed for my feet. I prayed for healing for anything I could think of! I figured that the day was pretty rough and uncomfortable and in my experience, the more you suffer in a pilgrimage (even a day one) the better the outcomes.
It's been 2 weeks (or maybe 3) and I'll tell you this much: I feel like my back is a bit better! My acne is still there :( my uncle's PSA levels have gone down a bit!!! And who knows what other healings have come though us asking our heavenly father to help us feel better.
My February adventure will be in Washington DC and I can't wait to see where my other travels will take me the rest of this year!