God is always faithful🇺🇦🇮🇪🙏🏻

‘First keep yourself in peace, and then you will be able to pacify others. A peaceable man does more good than a learned one’. (Thomas a Kempis)

Wish I could have recorded wonderful conversation with Desmond this morning. Gentle kindly man residing in our town for now while his homeland Ukraine suffers intolerably. Not in the least gloomy, Desmond’s words flowed from his big beautiful heart. I can but poorly paraphrase.

When I told him that my grandchildren were shocked to hear that I pray for Mr. Putin, that God will change his heart of stone into a heart of flesh, his reply: ‘Why not? God made him, he is our brother. We must pray all the time for his change of heart’.

I asked him how he could remain hopeful and upbeat in the face of such evil, his reply: ‘Evil never wins. God is good all the time. He is faithful. This war should never have come to pass. May God help all those who have assisted in any way to bring about such carnage. Many people are dying every day, many people are dying right now....’

With tear-filled eyes we both promised we would continue to pray for the aggressor as well as the innocent victims. The cruel aggressor’s heart must be heavy as lead inhabiting a murky world of intense interior darkness. All of us know what a significant burden is  ‘Regret’, there are things we would gladly change if only we could. The day will surely come when the dust settles and then for the first time warmongers will see clearly as the scales fall from their eyes. They will realise fully what they have done. On that day they will need much help.

‘Mr. Putin does not know what he is doing’ whispered Desmond sadly. Prophetic words! At that moment, in unison, we both spoke aloud Jesus beautiful words from His Holy Cross: ‘Father forgive them for they know not what they do’.(Luke 23:34).

Desmond gladly accepted my prayer as we parted company, both of us looking forward already to our next tete a tete soaked in wisdom and light. Tad late for Holy Mass, I knew in my deepest spirit I was exactly where I was meant to be. Encounter extraordinaire engineered by our forever faithful God, Glory be to Him now and forevermore. Amen

‘Beauty is the heart’s encounter with the Living God’. ( Bill Donaghy)

‘God has given each of us our own work to do. It is for us to pursue our road, that is to say, our vocation.....When God gives us such and such a vocation, He bestows upon us at the same time His Grace to fulfil it’. (St. John Vianney)

This morning (1/7/2022) Antoine and I chatted. When I told him that Ukraine is always in my heart and prayers and sometimes I cry for Ukraine too, Antoine replied gently: ‘Don’t cry. It is bad for you. Just pray’. 🇺🇦😄🙏🏻

‘Do not lose your serenity on account of those who are being tried. Pray for them; offer the sufferings of my Passion and some acts of self-denial. I ask only for Love. So many anxieties and shadows in your heart! Think of me, of me - perfect beauty, splendour, peace, life, truth, holiness - of me, your God who loves you! Give me your heart - your whole heart. Do you not also wish to give me your life? I desire it, I have need of it’. (Jesus to Sr. Mary of the Holy Trinity)