THE LIFE AND VOWS OF A MERCY APOSTLE | MARY, THE MIGHTY WARRIOR OF GOD'S MERCY | THE SCRIPTURAL ROSARY
MERCY APOSTLES OF THE HOLY SPIRIT AND THE HOLY FACE OF JESUS

THE SUFFERING FACE OF THE LORD JESUS CHRIST
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THIS PICTURE IS TAKEN FROM THE LEGENDARY CLOTH THAT TOUCHED CHRIST'S FACE

DEVOTION TO THE HOLY FACE OF JESUS CHRIST

The Lord Jesus Christ is God the Son from all Eternity and the Son of Mary through the power of the Holy Spirit. When He came to earth, it was to suffer the two penalties of sin which are spiritual death and seperation from God and physical death, which is the seperation of body, soul and spirit on earth.

Jesus did this out of His Love for us and His Love for the Father and the Holy Spirit. Now, some two thousand years later, we have:

1)  The Holy Gospels as a record of His Words of Covenant with us

2) The Sacraments of Holy Communion and Baptism, as well as the other five Sacraments of Marriage, Holy Orders in Ministry, Healing, Confirmation in the Holy Spirit and Reconciliation in Christ that convey the presence of the Covenant of the Lord.

3) The Holy Spirit, the Third Person of the Godhead is the Seal of the Promises of the Lord by living in us as the first, last and greatest Gift of God.

But, this wasn't enough for the Lord! As recorded in the Gospel of Saint John the Beloved Apostle, Jesus left a visible sign of His Resurrection from the dead on the burial cloths that His followers found in His tomb on the third day, after His holy death on the Cross.

The cloths were venerated for many years by the Christian church. But, it took the wonders of modern photography to capture the true beauty of the Face of Jesus from His burial cloths. Back almost a hundred years ago, an Italian photographer did the negative of the cloth that you see on this webpage.  Many scientists feel that some strange energy burned the image of the face and body of the Man of Sorrows into the very burial fabric when Jesus rose from the dead.

It was this event that caused the earthquake recorded in Scriptures at the time of the Resurrection. Since then many people through out the Christian world, both in the Eastern and Western church, have loved the Holy Face of Jesus.

Our Order is named for the power of the Holy Spirit and the Holy Face.   Both are signs of the Mercy of God. It is this message of Mercy that animates our lives in the Order-the Everlasting Mercies of the Lord our God.

That might sound strange coming from an Order that promotes martial arts.  But the truth is that the core of all true Warrior Arts is Compassion and it is this compassion that both enpowers and guides the hands of those who are called to fight for justice in an often unjust world.

Are you interested in a lifestyle that promotes Christ and His plan and purposes of mercy and justice in your life and the lives of those around you?Then, please read on and think about joining us for Christ!

THE ACTUAL NEGATIVE OF CHRIST'S FACE
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TAKEN FROM THE BURIAL SHROUD OF THE LORD

MERCY APOSTLES OF THE HOLY SPIRIT AND THE HOLY FACE OF JESUS CHRIST

Back in the days of feudalism, a time that occured on both the East and West sides of the world at the same time, people developed systems of fighting arts that were directly linked to people's religious traditions.

In the East, there were Japanese ninja clans linked to Tibetan faiths, samurai families cast in the mold of Bushido, and of course, the famous Shaolin monks. But, the West also pursued physical and spiritual perfection in the Code of Chivalry practiced by the knights of England, France, Spain and Germany.

The knights of combat, both East and West, stood for the best that humanity had to offer in terms of strength of character and spiritual commitment. People knew that they could turn to these warriors to defend them against crime, to teach their children the values of martial discipline, and to perserve the peace.

Our modern day police forces have greatly replaced the role of the martial arts warrior monks and nuns. But, in this day and age, maybe it's time for the old ways to return, 21st century style!

The Order of the Mercy Apostles of the Holy Spirit  and the Holy Face of Jesus, (MAHS), was founded on December 8th, 1996 in Idaho Falls, ID by Trimelda C. McDaniels, a pastor of a Christian Restoration Church. But, the roots of the Order go back to an earlier time.

Twenty-four years before, at Marquette University in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Ms. McDaniels was teaching self-defense for women to the girls on campus. What she taught was a mixture of traditional Tae Kwon Do, Judo and Chicago styled street fighting.

As the years went on, after her graduation, Trimelda went on to study various arts such as Japanese Iga Ninjitsu, Indonesian Penjak Silat, Phillipine Escrima and American Kick Punch Karate. After achieving two instructor certification and a first degree black belt in three arts, Trimelda began to develop her own art which she called "Uzzijah Do" which means "The Way of God is My Strength".

This art was a direct outgrowth of her own spiritual quest and commitment as a member of the Catholic Third Order of Our Lady of Mount Carmel. After making private vows of celibacy in 1976, McDaniels renewed her commitment on May 13, 1981 at Saint Thomas Aquinas Church in Chicago, in front of witnesses.

"From then on, I felt that I was a nun of the people," she said. She began teaching under her name, Trimelda, "Warrior and Flower of the Trinity," a name given to her both by her mother and best friend in religious life, Sister Mary Lins FSPA. During that time, she taught religion, physical education and self-defense at inner city schools on the West Side of Chicago. The teachings of Uzzijah Do were shared with the homeless, prostitutes, teachers, nuns, street kids. She taught whoever needed to protect themselves in a neighborhood where crime was a physical reality.

Also during that time, Sister T, as she came to be called, had to use her art to defend herself and other people four times. People in the "hood" began to recognize her as the "Ninja Nun" and ask her to settle domestic disputes, protect property and act as a liasion between gang members. She added a acupuncturist certification from the MidWest School for the Practice of Oriental Medicine, plus training as an armed security guard to her arsenal of martial arts skills during that time also. Students could learn both healing and fighting techniques in the art. "I find that a good martial artist is a healer as well as a conventional warrior," Trimelda said.

The Mercy Apostles of the Holy Spirit

After moving to the West Coast and then to Idaho Falls, ID, Trimelda met Lee Duplessis O'Culley, a young mother who had an interest in learning more than just regular self-defense. "I wanted to know not only how to defend myself, but how to live better," she said. "Training in Uzzijah Do taught me both these things." Once she had achieved both a Green Sash and then a Red Belt, Lee asked about whether there would ever be a training school for women, not only in the physical techniques, but in the deeper spiritual values of the art. By that time, Trimelda was now "Pastor" T, the foundress of Christ Charismatic Liturgical Church, Inc., working with the women and children in the area. That question led to the development not only of a training school or dojo, but also the Mercy Apostles of the Holy Spirit.

HOT LINKS

Christ Charismatic Liturgical Church
Exorcism Page
PAUX-People and Animals United in Christ
Feminism and Non-Violence
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