Help me hear You, Lord.☀️

‘If you are afraid of other people’s opinion, you should not have become a Christian’. (St. John Vianney)

This morning, as we knelt in adoration of the most Blessed Sacrament in our Church, four people stood talking and laughing loudly at the foot of Holy Alter. Assuming they did not realise Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament was taking place I silently pointed to Holy Alter, kindly making them aware. However, one of the ladies, extremely irked at being disturbed shouted irately:  ‘Oh just go away’. 

Being screamed at always unnerves me and so I began to lay it all out at Jesus feet, my discomfort  at at that moment. Smiling gently His beautiful reply touched down softly in my deepest heart: ‘When Veronica wiped my face the raucous crowd were laughing and shouting too but she went right ahead courageously in the face of danger and wiped my Face anyway’.

 Wow! What a revelation! I would compliment and thank Saint Veronica on her courage and kindness to our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ in His hour of need every time I pray Stations of the Cross, but not until that momentous moment did I perceive any relevance to my own life.  

‘This is His gracious way with us: He gives, not all at once, but by measure and season, wisely’.                 (St. John Henry Newman)

In the twinkling of an eye all fear slithered away, in it’s place pure unadulterated peace. Do good anyway, Saint Mother Teresa would repeat over and over. Do the next right thing!!

I am reminded of sage words Holy Spirit entrusted to me quite a while ago: ‘How can I give you more courage when you do not use the courage in your heart’. In my retrospective gaze, He was making it quite clear to me that the more courageous I am at any given time then the more courage I will possess in my heart.

Saint Veronica please pray for me. 

Wonderful rendezvous with my nephew Donal, wife Victoria and their two precious children, Sebastian and Ciaran as I skipped lightly from Church.

When my friend Tanye returns to her Ukraine homeland please God, she will wear this beautiful scarf (gifted to her by my sister Chris) every time she attends Holy Mass. In Ukraine no lady would ever dream of attending Holy Mass without head covering, such is their 

The candle and the cat. 🕯 🐈 

‘Start being brave about everything. Drive out darkness and spread light. Don’t look at your weaknesses. Realise instead that in Christ crucified you can do everything’. (St. Catherine of Siena)