Father forgive us....😭

‘Making a whip of chords, He drove them all, with the sheep and oxen, out of the temple and He poured out the coins of the money-changers and overturned their tables. He told those who sold pigeons; “Take these things away; you shall not make my Father’s House a house of trade”. 

(John 2:15-16)

‘Ballads of a Bogman’ in our Sacred Sacrosanct Church. Who in their right mind would arrange, let alone attend such a thing! I am beyond puzzled and so mournful I could cry.😭 Exceedingly painful to articulate such an abomination.

‘Remove the sandals from your feet for the place on which you are standing is Holy ground’.

(Exodus 3:5)

Dearest Jesus will be removed from Holy Tabernacle for the duration of the concert.😭

‘They said to her, “Woman why are you weeping?”. She said to them, “Because they have taken away my Lord and I do not know where they have laid Him’. (John 20:13)

God of the universe disdained, spat upon once again. Father forgive us .....we most certainly do not know what we are doing!!

Unholy trinity - me, myself and I. Poor Jesus😭

‘Consider God’s charity. Where else have we ever seen someone who has been offended voluntarily paying out His life for those who have offended Him’. (St. Catherine of Siena)

‘If there is no God then anything is permitted’. (Fyodor Dostoevsky)

Holy Tabernacle is bare too Holy Thursday night, Good Friday and Holy Saturday for the passion and death of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. What a lonesome abode is our Church on those anguished days. No Jesus in Holy Tabernacle to adore. God is dead😭. 

‘Indeed this is the time of heroism. Ordinary virtue practiced well has become heroic in the utter confusion of today’s world’. (Catherine Doherty)

Most Holy Trinity, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, I adore you profoundly and I offer you the most precious Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity of Jesus Christ present in all the Tabernacles of the world, in reparation for the outrages, sacrilege and indifference with which He Himself is offended and through the infinite merits of His Most Sacred Heart and the Immaculate Heart of Mary, I beg of you the conversion of poor sinners. Amen (Angel of Fatima prayer)

To be the Face of God to others🌸

                        ‘Be hidden - be a light to your neighbour’s feet’. (Catherine Doherty)

Lady walking her dog as I hurried to Holy Mass loved the scent of my Estée Lauder ‘Youth dew’ perfume (‘old lady’s’ perfume according to my younger friend Jemma 😂), there ensued wonderful prayer-sharing moment in time. Late for Holy Mass but no doubt whatever in my heart that our heartwarming encounter ordained from on-High.

In Church, walking up to receive Holy Eucharist, Michael (who knows suffering only too well) was walking back down having received Holy Eucharist. He raised his hand to greet me but it really could have been a blessing. Sacred moment☀️

Distraught lady who had misplaced something precious, frantically going around in circles trying to find it. We prayed ‘Hail Mary’ together and miraculously, she relaxed completely and was able to move forward calmly. ‘Power of Prayer’, she uttered gratefully. I hope she finds what she is looking for.🙏🏻

Dejected Lady in pharmacy beleaguered by brutal grief since her dear husband died a year ago. I didn’t recognise her for a moment, she inhabits a grey world for now. Accepting my prayer, she read it silently before uttering: ‘Perfect’. ‘You will feel better one day, you really will’, I told her. She nodded, accepting my prognosis - she is aware that I have walked that rocky road of grief myself, kicking and screaming on all-fours. Today she sees me upright only through the glorious Grace of God.

Lady waiting to begin her cancer treatment as in disbelief she wonders aloud if this is really happening or could it possibly be a devastating dream. We talked about the cozy comfort our Holy Rosary affords us and I shared with her that I know and believe without question or doubt that each time we hold our Rosary beads we are in fact touching the hem of Jesus garment. Smiling broadly she simply said: ‘Thank you Bridget’.

I have been the beneficiary of much lovingkindness in my life, I have been lifted up and carried countless times by caring selfless folk. If I can do likewise during my time here on earth, bring love to those around me, pass on what I have learned from wonderful Holy Spirit, then my living will not be in vain. 

To be the Hands and Feet of Christ my one and only desire. Live in mission aligned with the mission of Christ. Jesus! All for Jesus!

‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me’. (Matthew 25:40)

Relaxing in the park this evening, joyful little kitten keeping me company in the sunshine. I hope he returned home to his own cozy corner safe and sound. 🐈☀️

‘With prayer, one can go on cheerfully and even happily, while without prayer, how grim is the journey. Prayer is as necessary to life as breathing. It is drink and food’. (Doris Day/The way of reckless love’

‘Know that you are baptised for this: to bring peace, harmony, love, faith, and hope to people, to those the Lord will allow you to meet throughout your life’. (Catherine Doherty)

Precious🌸

‘Each day and every minute of every day is given to us by God. We, for our part, can accept and offer back to God every prayer, work and suffering of the day, no matter how insignificant or unspectacular they may seem to us’. (Father Walter Ciszek)

We strolled across the road to Mr. Price today, first outing for dear Marina in the longest time. As I pushed her wheelchair up the hill I thanked her for trusting that we would arrive at our destination safe and sound. ‘I trust you always. I love you. You are like my second mother’, Marina replied, happy and content like I had not witnessed in a long while.😀

Beautiful words spoken in truth from dear Marina’s big beautiful heart to mine.❤️ Upsurge of gratitude sweeping through my whole being warming my heart and soul. 

Nothing is small in the service of God.

‘The human heart must be grasped by God’s Love because nothing of human making can ever satisfy it’. (St. Bonaventure)

‘If you have understood the romance and immensity of “little things”, then you will restore the world to Christ. You will be an adventuresome, joyous, glad, simple, and humble light by doing little things. They will become big because they are touched by God and done for Him’. (Catherine Doherty)

15th June 2023.❤️

Splendour in the ordinary.☀️

                                    ‘A sweet friendship refreshes the soul’. (Proverbs 27:9)

‘If either of them falls down, one can help the other up. Pity anyone who falls and has no one to help them up’. (Ecclesiastes 4:10)

Going Home 🏡 ❤️

First encounter 18/3/2022, Tanye and son Mischa had only just arrived in our town. I offered them my prayer and there began our beautiful friendship. From that moment onwards we enjoyed six memorable months of downright delight - walking, talking, praying, crying, laughing (lots), drinking tea, and so much more. 

We became family to each other, I Tanye’s ‘Irish mother’ and Mischa’s ‘Irish Grandmother’ for always and ever now. Tanye over the moon to now be the sister to four ‘Irish’ brothers.

Had that horrific cruel Ukraine war (which totally taxes credulity) never come to pass, safe to assume our paths most likely would never have crossed. God in His kindness and mercy works all things for good, beauty from ashes.

Pope Francis oftentimes declares that the devil is strong but God is stronger. Comforting words I repeat over and over as we wade through these terrible times.

Tomorrow morning Tanye and Mischa return to Ukraine. Of course I am sad and worried for them but happy too. They miss their homeland, they want and need with all their hearts to go 🏠. 🇺🇦 

‘The Lord is my light and my salvation, whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life, of whom shall I be afraid’. (Psalm 27:1)

Our final ‘kitchen table’ chat.😌

                                                              Proud to be Mischa’s Irish 👵 

     Whether in Ukraine or Ireland - always we are walking with Jesus coz He knows the way.🙏🏻❤️

                                                                       Goodbye for now.😌

                                                     On the bus from Poland to Ukraine.💞🇺🇦

                                                    Taken from ‘St. Anthony’s Brief’. 🙏🏻🇺🇦

                                                  Our final meeting - Heuston Station 12/3/2023

 

All is 🎁☀️🙏🏻

“I do not boast of preaching the gospel, since it is a duty which has been laid on me; I should be punished if I did not preach it. If I had chosen this work myself, I might have been paid for it, but as I have not, it is a responsibility which has been put into my hands. Do you know what my reward is? It is this; in my preaching, to be able to offer the Good News free, and not insist on the rights which the Gospel gives me”. ((1 Corinthians9:16-19)

Wow!! This morning’s reading really resonates in my deepest spirit. Profound.

Yesterday as I was visiting with Marina in St. Anne’s Nursing Home, forlorn lady crying copious tears approached me. She needed badly to go home but all the doors were locked and bolted. In her muddled confused state of mind everything was wrong with her world. Blind panic emanating from her exhausted beautiful face.

I knew from experience that trying to convince her that all is well would make not a jot of difference to the poor lady so I requested permission to sit awhile and we would pray Holy Rosary together. Mostly she sobbed silently through it all but when our prayer ended, miraculously so did her tears, ‘No more tears now’, she uttered and we both laughed joyously. 

I did not walk home, or even limp (torn ligaments). I danced all the way, at least my heart did. All the wages in the world count as naught when a dear dejected lady’s tears turn to life-giving laughter.

‘Be sure that you first preach by the way you live. If you do not, people will notice that you say one thing, but live otherwise and your words will bring only cynical laughter and a derisive shake of the head’.            (St. Charles Borromeo)

Marina❤️

Just this minute as I’m rushing out my door for Holy Mass, I receive a phone call from St.Anne’s secretary asking if I would be Minister of the Most Holy Eucharist for today’s Holy Mass in St. Anne’s. Would I sing hymns too for the precious folk. What glad tidings to my ❤️. Dear God of my life, You will never be outdone in generosity. What a Mighty God we serve. Amen

(First time I get to attend Holy Mass in St. Anne’s ever since lockdowns began over two years ago!)

‘There bursts forth from my soul immense gratitude to Him for all the graces that He imparts to me, and especially for the grace of being called to His exclusive service’. (St. Faustina)

You did it to Me.🙏🏻

‘I am a pencil in the Hand of God who is about to write a love-letter to the world’. (St. Mother Teresa)

Stooped over countless shopping bags in pouring rain, folk darting past unaware or uncaring of her plight. I asked if she needed help, she nodded on the verge of tears. We divided her bags between us and began walking. She spoke no English except ‘Ukraine’ and ‘bus’. Torn ligaments hurt like hell but mine nothing more than pesky pain when compared with the woes of that dear lady. My heart went out to her and at the same time I was just so grateful to God for the privilege of being allowed shoulder part of her burden for a moment in time. 

Helping dear lady carry her load did far more good for my aching ankle than all the massage therapy in the world could ever achieve - this I know.😀

Quite a few displaced people all the way from Ukraine stood in somber silence at bus stop. Expressionless, they were returning to little fishing village few miles away where they reside for now, having shopped for basic necessities in our town. God only knows how they must be feeling, it really does not bear thinking about.

Walking together in silence, lady and me, I knew in my deepest spirit I was walking with Jesus. Meanwhile, Father God, Author of Life, sobbed for His beloved children as torrential rain covered everything and everyone in a mantle of grey. 

Saint Mother Teresa would say as she counted on five fingers: ‘You did it to Me’.

‘Great occasions for serving God come seldom, but little ones surround us daily’. (Frances De Sales)

Beautiful encounter with Tad and Vicky (Boston) today. Tad and I fond friends over fifty years.💞