Time is sacred☀️🙏🏻

Hospital staff are so nice!! All of them without exception. At least that is my experience every time. Six years ago, around now, I got to spend one whole week in hospital. Last week I got to spend one whole night in that same place.

This time, scarily high blood pressure. Receptionist, nurses, Docter, everyone doing all in their power to ease my anxiety and care for my every need. Come morning, blood tests yielding positive results, kind generous folk elated, witnessing favourable resolution. Homeward bound thank God.

Eight powerful prayers shared throughout the night. Eight wonderful encounters that would not have come to pass had my blood pressure not erupted. Jesus visiting His people.

Soon to be 70 years of glorious age and so being prescribed blood pressure meds is not at all shocking. In fact there are those who might suggest that perhaps I have gotten off light, not needing them until now.

Today, Good Friday Sacred ceremonies, I got to sing. ‘Were you there when they crucified my Lord’ as congregation queued to kiss the Holy Cross. Hauntingly beautiful melody, heard-rending lyrics.

Tonight my grand children sleep soundly in their beds. Parents relaxing for Easter in this compact, delightfully humble cottage, far away from the madding crowd. 

‘I have never known real sorrow since the day I decided to serve with all my power, my Lord and Divine Consoler’. (St. Teresa of Avila)

‘Sainthood’ is simply another word for self-forgetfulness and generosity’, uttered somebody somewhere onetime!!

Reminding me of Diarmuid’s appraisal re folk who continually whine but do nothing; ‘Someone somewhere should do something about that’!!

Claude 🐈‍⬛ keeping an eye on me!!

My powerful prayer!

Beautiful day☀️🙏🏻

‘Be sure of this: God does not want our wretchedness but He is aware of it, and indeed He makes use of our weakness to make saints of us’. (Saint Josemaria Escriva)

Three bus journeys to get here and three to return home again. Amazing encounters. Myriad prayers shared. Countless stories told. I am tired and happy this night.

How was it that I touched down in this quaint little town……How to put it in words!!

Dear lady called my phone last Saturday evening. Shocked seeing her name. She had been ill for some time, dementia too. Did not expect a call from her for sure. Up to now, no one seemed to know anything of her whereabouts. I enquired many times but always a brick wall.

‘I miss you terribly’, I blurt out to which she replies: ‘I probably miss you too but I have no idea who you are’. 

Thing is, unaided she made that call, beyond remarkable!! Lady could have called anyone at all but God chose me. I am overjoyed.

So today I took the arduous ‘many bus journeys’ to be with her in her new Care Home. What a meeting!! No, she could not quite place me but my face rings a bell. No wonder!! We have shared many moments of joy and hilarity. Sadness too but always joy saved the day, even on the darkest of days.

Divine intervention phonecall!! No doubt about that. Truly amazing. Gladly I will take that arduous journey again and again, God willing. 

Moments like these truly remind my heart that God is real! God is near!! Yes He is!!

“Keep the joy of loving God in your heart and share this joy with all you meet, especially your family. Be holy”. (St. Mother Teresa of Calcutta)

So many beautiful funny sad interesting encounters like;

Young guy, one whole year clean of drugs, alcohol and gambling. “You look really well”, I told him truthfully. ‘You did not hurt yourself much thank God’. ‘Mentally’, he uttered sadly. As we parted company, he gifted me a key ring with the words: ‘We don’t meet people by accident, they are meant to cross our path for a reason’. Wow!! I will gladly wear it on my backsack.

Older guy who at the moment is reading Alan Carr’s bestseller ‘How to control your drinking’. Thing is we had that same conversation over one year ago. He did not remember, “I may be still a little tipsy from last night’, he said and then laughingly added ‘“But of course you can not control your drinking, you must Stop. That’s the whole point of the book”. He is trying, he really is.

‘Heaven is full of converted sinners of all kinds and there is room for more’. (St. Joseph Cafasso)

Wear the world lightly!☀️🙏🏻

‘Free people make the world nervous’. (Fr. Dave Pivonka)

Relaxing on a street bench, resplendent with the holiness of God, sunshine beaming, as I stroll from St.Annes’s beautiful Holy Rosary. Already my heart full, having spent valuable time with my precious folk from God. Of course I pause: ‘Hello lady’. Gazing upon me so kindly, she replies: ‘ I know you. You are Bridget’.

Wow!! Will Father God say those same words to me one fine day: ‘I know you.You are Bridget’. I believe He will!! Oh happy day!!

I ask if she needs a Holy Bible. Her gentle reply: ‘Thankyou. I have one.’

‘Can you share your favourite Scripture verse’, I ask.  Smiling all the while, lady replies slowly, with the gravity her words deserve: ‘Psalm 51:10’. 

‘Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me’. 

‘It is all we ever need’, we both agree, in this unutterably beautiful moment in time.

‘If I live constantly in the company of Jesus, I will look like Him and do as He did’. (St. Mother Teresa)

 

One precious moment at a time☀️🙏🏻

Thank you wonderful Holy Spirit! Perfect timing as always!

Oftentimes, (last night) I awaken in deepest night full of concern for what might come to pass. Ridiculous I know but extremely real and utterly upsetting. Then I read the above!!

Living in the present moment is not a new concept to me but somehow in some sweet way I receive this glorious gem more fully and deeply into my deepest spirit, this rainy morning in deepest Kerry.

My dear Mom would say; ‘No news is good news’. Truly, only this morning do I fully get what she meant! Actually ‘no news’ is beyond good!! ‘No news’ is truly great!!

‘Everything is a work of love done for Christ’s sake and all I have to be concerned about is doing the duty of the moment. This is where my anxiety turns to joy’. (Catherine Doherty/Madonna House)

On my way to Holy Mass, going by a Builders yard, Tom is searching frantically for something, darting here and there at the speed of light. ‘What are you looking for Tom’, I holler. Stopping in his tracks, Tom replies laughing; ‘I don’t know!’.

‘When they found Jesus they said to Him; “Everyone is looking for You’. (Mark 1-37)

Wait and see☀️🙏🏻

‘Tell me that there are moments when you are sure of Me. This will comfort Me. This will comfort Me for all the other moments’. (Jesus to Gabrielle Bossis/He and I)

Yes! Absolutely Lord of my life. I am sure!! Myriad moments every minute of every day without question or doubt.

My little grandson deep in play while I sat deep in worrisome thought. Next moment he jumps up giving me the warmest hug. No word spoken!

Guy seated next to me on bus. Rain pouring down and dear man turns to me smiling; ‘I call rain “Holy water” falling down from Heaven above’. Wow!! Blast from the past! Pushing my baby in his buggy, rain pouring down way back then too, all the while singing; ‘My God reigns/rains’!!

Three young girls somewhat taken aback, but oh so joyfully, loved my prayer. ‘I cannot promise you nothing will be wrong but you will be strong’, I told them. They will write those words down!! Prayer-sharing grandmothers vital in this our day and time.

Elderly lady asks; ‘What do I tell a young man who says Mass is boring’. ‘Introduce him to Jesus, He will do the rest’, I replied. Clutching my prayer, she walked happily away.

Elderly lady who told me that nowadays there is so much talk about love and no mention of consequences. I knew what she meant. Jesus did not condemn the lady at the well but their beautiful encounter prompted her wholeheartedly to change her ways for a better life. He loved her! Lady’s words were brilliant; ‘ Nowadays folk forget that Jesus said; “Don’t do it anymore”.

Lady overjoyed to hear my name is Bridget. She will say my prayer every day. She loves St. Brigid. In fact she is part of a St. Brigid circle. Definitely the real St. Brigid interceded for this dear lady. So many myths around St. Brigid.

Young guy who’s family member died tragically recently. ‘This is no mistake’, he told me, accepting my prayer. 

Young guy whose phone stopped working as he tried to pay his bus fare to College. I got to do it!! He was so grateful but for sure my heart got a greater gift.

I leave home every time carrying countless prayers. I return with hardly any. Back to my laminator!!

So that’s it! No more plans, I await direction from You, Holy Trinity one God.

“For I know the plans I have for you”, declares the Lord. “Plans to prosper you and not to harm you. Plans to give you hope and a future’. (Jeremiah 29:11)

‘Now there is a growing desire to just let God’s plan unfold whatever it may be and however mysterious’. (Restoration magazine). My dear Mom would say; ‘We’ll wait and see’. I would angrily reply; ‘ We can’t wait Mom, we must know now’. I can wait now, dearest Mom! All glory to God.

God beckons our heart☀️🙏🏻

‘Where Love is in charge, all is well’. (St. Faustina)

I love visiting Nursing Homes. I love chatting with the residents. Otherworldly! Peace, serenity, contentment and joy in abundance.

Sharing my prayer of course. Laughter. Priceless wisdom flowing freely and joyfully absorbed.

One dear lady happily accepting my prayer, tells me that she hardly ever prays. She left home at an early age, she and her Mom clashed a lot. She adored her Dad. ‘I will pray this prayer’, she told me but I hope it doesn’t make me feel guilty’. ‘Of course not’, I reply. ‘Guilt is useless. Throw it over your shoulder’.

She did just that!!

Prayer changes everything. Innately we know!! Without prayer our souls dehydrate and die.

Dear lady’s worried words still linger. FEAR - Face Everything And Recover. Love G’s version; Face Everything and Run!! (She knows!!)

‘Prayer gives us an interior knowing. That knowing is a touching of the Divine, where Gods is communicating’. (Frances Hogan)

Out of my bed earlier than usual this morning. Allowing Ruairi sleep on (well deserved!) while I spend valuable time with my glorious little grandson. Having slept poorly last night I had fully intended catching a nap at some point. Then, I read the following in Magnificat. I love Carlyle Houselander;

“Let your prayer be simply your offering of yourself to do God’s will, to rest and relax in Him, and to offer everything you do as a prayer; for example, if you have a little sleep, offer that”. 

Tiredness gone!! Wonderful Holy Spirit!!

Just now I meet with Cass who has suffered much of late. ‘I awoke this morning at 4AM’, she told me. ‘From now on I will stress no more about lack of sleep. Instead I spend my time in prayer’. More wisdom from one who knows!!

‘But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, Whom the Father will send in My Name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you’. (John 14:26)

Speak Lord for Thy servant hears☀️🙏🏻

Two guys in a van, workmen, young. One got out and began walking some yards ahead of me. Thinking to myself; ‘perhaps I will share my prayer with them’ when, at that exact moment, the guy walking ahead of me, in the rain, turns around asking; ‘Did you call me?’

Wow!! ‘I did not’, I told him, ‘but here’s a beautiful morning prayer if you would like one’. Happily he accepted, one for guy in van too.

Walking on, I could plainly hear him tell other guy how sure and certain he was that I had called him. Then, loudly he declares; ‘It is our lucky day’.

How many prayers were in my pocket within easy reach? Yes exactly two!!

Amazingly beautiful!! Articulating what just occurred akin to building clouds from blocks!! Too precious to be lost though!!

‘Then Eli perceived that the Lord was calling the boy. Therefore Eli said to Samuel, “Go lie down; and if He calls you, you shall say, “Speak Lord, for Thy servant hears’. (1Samuel;3:9)

Today, 3rd February, another young guy in a van accepted my prayer, somewhat shocked with the words; “Oh, thanks very much. I am actually trying to get back into it. (Prayer). This is no mistake”.

Every day I witness young folk desiring something more in their lives. Meaning! Purpose! Joy!

Know God, Know peace. No God, No peace.