I got word yesterday that my friend Joan tripped and fell on the hard cold ground as she walked up the steps to Holy Mass. Ambulance escorted her to Tralee General Hospital. How surprised and thrilled I was to see her at Holy Mass this morning. Black and blue, loose front tooth, but not bad overall.
Afterwards lunch in Petit Delice Cafe. I had planned to attend my much loved Legion of Mary meeting but God’s ways are not our ways - they are far superior in every way. Turns out dear Joan had not eaten anything since before her fall yesterday, twenty four hours ago, too shocked to realise how hungry she was!
Joan’s sunny soul shines brightly through her twinkling eyes, I love spending time with her. Mostly left to her own devices, folk see only her ‘strange attire’, eccentricity, not sticking around long enough to get to know the ‘Real Joan’.
As Mother Teresa would oftentimes lament: ‘When we judge others we have no time to love them’.
Pleasant young dad with his two young children seated at the next table chatted with us, wonderful faith/prayer sharing encounter ensued. Joan cheered up immensely, all of us were.
That was only the beginning! Many amazing prayer-sharing encounters all day. Kate, Annette, Ukrainian ladies and beautiful little boy who told me that he will pray my prayer; ‘In Ukrainian for Ukraine and in English for Ireland’.
Probably most outstanding of all my delightful encounters today was with the young man walking towards me, his ghetto blaster screaming out the loudest angriest music I ever did hear. I asked if he would like a prayer not in the least prepared for his response. Switching blaring music off, he replied ‘Yes please’. When I told him that I’m just a grandmother who dearly wishes that our beautiful young people would know that they do not have to figure it all out for themselves, he smiled: ‘Thank you’.
I can find no words to convey what I perceived on that young man’s handsome face. I never take my leave without the words ‘God Bless you’ and the grateful young man replied ‘God Bless you too’. Profound moment of grace.
In the shop on way home Pat approached me looking sickly and sad. Unwell, he is unable to eat he told me solemnly. He accepted my prayer promising to pray it every morning. Poor Pat. (Who was it that declared: ‘I would not trade my appetite for a king’s ransom).
Thank you Father God for my life’s mission. Thank you Jesus for your thought-provoking words I read this morning, thank you for walking every step of my life-journey with me. Thank you Holy Spirit, I felt your power go out of me as I asked the young man with the ghetto blaster if he would like a prayer. I could not have done it on my own. Now I have more courage in my heart.
‘We are called to witness to the Good News, and that witnessing is not so much in speech as through being ourselves’. (Catherine Doherty/Madonna House Founder)
(In my sleep last night: ‘Come to beautiful Holy Mass. He will look at you all the time’. (Mother Mary)
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