Road-trip 🚗☀️

‘’My hope is in The Father. My refuge is The Son. My shelter is the Holy Spirit. O Holy Trinity, Glory to You. Amen (St. Joannicus)

We pulled into the first available filling station. Guy standing beside his car so Sheila asked if he might know why little red light was flashing on our dashboard. American accent, he kindly checked and replied: ‘One door is not shut properly’. I opened and shut my door again, hey presto! red light disappeared.

As we thanked gracious gentleman, Sheila whispered to me: ‘Will you offer him a prayer’. (It crossed my mind fleetingly but had decided against it). Gentleman, not alone joyfully accepted my prayer but smiling excitedly holding up the prayer, declared: ‘This is not a mistake. I will not go into it right now but this is not a mistake!’ 

Spontaneously, on the spot, all three of us thanked wonderful Holy Spirit for our blessed encounter, Sheila’s timely prompt 🙏🏻 and allowing us to be part of something so incredibly beautiful. Real moment of Grace.

Ruairi’s Confirmation prayer (from twenty seven years ago) danced merrily into my heart:

Holy Spirit, giver of light and life. Impart to us thoughts better than our own thoughts, prayers better than our own prayers, and powers beyond our own powers. That we may spend and be spent in the way of love and goodness after the perfect image of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. Amen

Pleasant guy stood holding hotel door as we entered and of course we thanked him with a prayer. When I shared with him that as he prays this prayer every morning, all of Heaven are minding him all day long, he uttered surprised and smiling: ‘Thank you very much. I really need somebody to mind me right now’.

Day of heartwarming unforgettable encounters. Our riveting road-trips which began more than fifty years ago are gathering momentum all the time. 

What a Mighty God we serve☀️ Let us get out there and share the good news coz it is good news for many many people in difficult struggles.

‘Cast yourself into the arms of God and be very sure that if He wants anything of you, He will fit you for the work and give you strength’. (St. Philip Neri)

Let go and let God☀️

‘Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I say: Rejoice! Let your kindness be known to everyone. The Lord is near’. (Philippians 4:5)

As I sat in prayer just a few pews from Holy Alter they entered Church silently. Instead of walking past, which they could easily have done, they approached my pew and I am so glad they did. Most certainly it was not my fine attire which drew them to me!

Stunningly beautiful young ladies with joyful hearts, one from Italy, one from Brazil. What an amazing encounter, no way can I locate worthy words to recapture our beautiful sharing. We knelt together and prayed one Our Father, Hail Mary and Glory - each in our own language. I told them about: ‘My Grace is with you right now and every right now until the end of time’. How Holy Spirit placed it in my heart recently in a moment of turmoil. Both young ladies shared how it was they had happily landed in our little town many miles from Italy and Brazil🌟

Wishing I had taken even one prayer in my pocket when, thank God, I remembered photo of it in my phone gallery and so both ladies photographed it for themselves. They prayed it aloud and going forward, plan to pray it every morning.

Thing is, I only dashed to the shop coz I ran out of milk. Saturday is my ‘stay at home, dress dowdy’ day. Looking forward like mad to getting back to peace and quiet of my cozy compact cottage, I had no intention of hanging around. Saturday for me more precious than gold. 

Milk purchased, quick visit to Church - beautiful Jesus in Holy Tabernacle - but while there, decided to pray Holy Rosary even though I didn’t have a rosary beads with me either.

No prayers, no rosary beads, nothing but beautiful Holy Trinity in my heart and money for milk in my pocket. Simple abundance! More than enough as it turned out.☀️

‘Indeed, my plans are not like your plans, and my deeds are not like your deeds, for just as the sky is higher than the earth, so my deeds are superior to your deeds and my plans superior to your plans’. 

(Isaiah 55:89)

           When I got home I noticed Mary had arranged the above on my kitchen table!! Prophetic ☀️

‘God wants you to be a living force for all mankind, lights shining in the world. You are to be radiant lights as you stand beside Christ, the Great Light, bathed in the glory of Him Who is the Light of Heaven’.

(St. Gregory of Nazianzus)

O happy day☀️

Joy is very quiet. It is like a light that shines in the darkness. My joyous moments begin when I wake up. I have the habit of saying, even while I am half asleep, three words: “Jesus, Mary and Joseph”. Then, while the bed is still warm and I am only half awake, joy comes to me every morning with the incredible thought that God has granted me another day to love Him and to serve Him’.                                              (Catherine Doherty/Madonna House)

Catherine’s words resonate deeply in my heart of hearts.❤️

Five years ago today my beloved glass of merlot (metaphorically) tumbled off the table shattering into one million tiny fragments, never to be put back together again. That is the only way I can articulate my sublime surprise healing which occurred in the Sacrament of Confession in Knock Shrine. 

Forevermore my shackles are gone, Beautiful Jesus set me free in the person of His Holy priest. (Blog: ‘Confession is good for the soul’/Jan29th 2020)

On that fateful afternoon I knew almost immediately that something amazing and life-changing had taken place. Today, five years onwards, I know so much more!! I can declare categorically without question or doubt that for me at least, alcohol was a joy-squasher, a terrifying thief of light and life☀️

‘So if Jesus sets you free, you will be free indeed’. (John 8:36)

‘Thou hast loosened my bonds’. (Psalm 115:16)

‘When we die to something, something comes alive within us’. (Fulton J. Sheen)

Let us walk the road together 🌺☀️

‘He will make sure that you will always have all you need for yourselves in every possible circumstance, and still have something to spare for all sorts of good works’. (9 Corinthians:10)

‘Lord, You always seem to ask more of us. We must be fools about money; we must give away whatever we don’t really need. We must be detached from it and rely on You. Here is where foolishness becomes interchangeable with wisdom’. (Catherine Doherty/Madonna House)

Countless displaced folk on this earth in this our day and time. Profound privilege ours, walking with them sharing our wares. God owns everything, we merely His stewards!!

Twenty years ago my family and I returned home to my own place of birth, windswept and highly uninteresting. Beginning again in a strange and foreign land. At that time, had just one person suggested to me that in our plight we were not just ‘taking’, we were ‘giving’ too, how my harried heart might have been comforted, my journey lighter, tad brighter. On the contrary it never once crossed my mind that we had any tiny thing to offer, so great and grievous our need.

Now, many years later I see it all in a completely different light. We were not empty-handed back then and neither too are our displaced brothers and sisters now. Every single person is unique, bearing their own personal gift and talent. 

With all my heart I wish every displaced person would imbibe into his/her spirit what I know now to be totally true: ‘You are not useless. Be patient, rest awhile after your long arduous journey. Soon you will be standing again on your own two feet and when that glorious time comes around, you will experience the unutterable joy of reaching out and lifting another back up on to his/her own two feet’. 

That is how the story goes! God grant us grace and courage to respond. Amen

‘Follow on, for the open road is waiting, like the song - we will welcome what tomorrow has to bring.             Be it fair or stormy weather, take my hand and we’ll walk the road together.                                                    I won’t mind - if it turns out that we never find the end..                                                                                    For all I ask is that you want me for a friend’. (Follow on/Paul Brady🎶)

‘Professing truth and love, we will in all things grow into Him who is the head, Christ. From Him, the entire body, joined and held together by every ligament, continues to grow and to build itself up in love, as each part performs its particular function’. (Ephesians 4:15-16)

Today (2/9/‘23) I am beyond thrilled to share with my friends from distant shores what Richard told me one time when I thanked him yet again for his kindness to us in our time of trouble: ‘It is a terrible thing to be eternally grateful to one person’.🌟

Splendour in the ordinary🌟

                  ‘If we live by the Spirit, let us also be guided by the Spirit’. (Galatians 5:25)

While preparing Holy Alter for Holy Mass this morning, six wonderful young folk from the United States entered Church. Just graduated high school, warm, friendly, funny too. They accepted my prayer with dancing delight beaming from their innocent eyes. Unforgettable.

This afternoon heading off once again to pray 3PM live-streamed Holy Rosary in Church, I noticed there was only one prayer left in my bag, I needed to do some more! I actually spoke aloud: ‘ I wonder who will receive this last one Lord?’.

Delightful encounter as it turned out! Praying Holy Rosary and young lady carrying her helmet (biker) came and knelt in pew prayerfully. Young man with helmet joined her too but didn’t remain for long. As she got up to leave shortly before it ended, I went to my bag in sacristy (livestream still on!) and finding my last prayer, returned and handed it to her. I knew I was being watched but I knew too that my last prayer was meant for young biker lady. No doubt!

Visibly thrilled, ‘I loved every minute’, she told me joyfully. We hugged, waved goodbye and  I returned to finish Holy Rosary. 

Afterwards I received a funny text: ‘’You’re on fire girl. Not everyone can multitask so effortlessly’.😂

‘Cast yourself into the arms of God and be very sure that if He wants anything of you, He will fit you for the work and give you strength’. (St. Philip Neri)

‘When good thoughts come into our minds, it is the Holy Spirit who is visiting us. The Holy Spirit is like a gardener cultivating our souls. He brings out good desires in a pure soul, as the dove hatches her young ones. We should say every morning: “O God, send me Your Spirit to teach me what I am and what You are”. (St. John Vianney)

Easy to document but out of the question to articulate how encounters like the above (and many more which occur every day), truly fill my heart. Unutterable! Words cannot be found!!

Cardinal Robert Sarah’s wise words come to mind: ‘Words spoil anything that surpasses them’☀️

What a wonderful world☀️

‘I repeat there is no problem, as difficult as it may be, that we cannot resolve at this time by praying the Holy Rosary. With the Holy Rosary we will save ourselves, sanctify ourselves, console Our Lord and obtain the salvation of many souls’. (Sr. Lucia/last interview/1957)

Loved every minute of my 67th Birthday today. Best one yet!

After 3PM live-streamed Holy Rosary, lady approached me with an envelope containing money saying: ‘Get yourself some chocolate’. She had no idea it was my birthday!

American lady in Church accepting my prayer, told me her name was Katy. Right then goosebumps covered me from head to foot - Holy Spirit. My dearest sister Katy rip with me on my birthday. No separation ever!

Lunch with friends. As always, Birthday girl dines for free. (Costless!! my Ukrainian friend Tanya would say).

Long walk with friend this evening and on the way home met my young friend from Zimbabwe who now resides in our town along with many others. So wonderful to see him smile. As we strolled he told me: ‘My mother always told us we must count our blessings every day’. Same guy possessing little more than his health right now. Health is wealth for sure🌟

Builder guy called this evening with cost of work carried out in my cozy compact cottage. He kindly deducted from my bill just so that some displaced soul might benefit. I assured him that one fine day he will be told by God how much his kind deed helped another to live.

I have always been passionate about life, even on dark days I knew the sun shone somewhere,  but now, ever since my beautiful sister Katy died, life has become ever more precious. I treasure every moment of my time here on earth, every day of my 67 years more valuable than gold. To be alive, well, and going about my Father’s business, heaven on earth!! 

When Larry Hagman (JR/Dallas) one time was asked to describe his life without alcohol in few words, he replied: ‘Every day is pure cream’. 

In a nutshell🌟

‘Every breath we draw is a gift of His love. Every moment of existence is a Grace’. (Thomas Merton)

Adoration of the most Blessed Sacrament. Dear Katy’s Cross on Holy Alter. Corpus Christi procession, Sunday last.☀️🙏🏻

‘The Heavens declare the glory of God, the skies proclaim the work of His Hands’. (Psalm 19:1)

‘Lord, You are the one who teaches me by loving me unconditionally just how I am to love. 

And I? I am Your reflection’. (Mechthild of Magdeburg)

Amazing🌟

‘Beloved of the Lord, how valuable must you be if you were redeemed by the precious blood of Christ! You are priceless!’. (His Holiness Pope Frances) 

Meeting folk at 1pm today so decided to go get money from bank machine first. On my way, two tired inebriated guys standing (staggering) outside a house, party continuing. One guy I knew, (he already has my prayer), other I did not. About to walk on but as always Holy Spirit prompt, I offered guy my prayer. Unsteadily walking towards me, he uttered gravely: ‘Can you listen to me please. Why do bad things keep happening to me all the time?’. 

I suggested he pray my prayer every morning and see what happens. ‘I will pray it for two weeks but if nothing changes…..’, he replied. As I walked away he shouted: ‘This is meant to happen!’. 

At the bank machine beautiful encounter with Canadian folk. They accepted one prayer - should they ever decide to pray…..

Rushing home to meet my folk when Church bell rang for Holy Angelus. 12 noon!!

What I would have missed had I not misread the time.⏰

‘How beautiful it is, my children, to be accompanied by the Holy Spirit! He is indeed a good guide; and to think that there are some who will not follow him’. (St. John Vianney)

‘The most radical thing you can do in life is abandon yourself to the wild adventure of God’s will’. 

(Bear Woznick)

Feast of Corpus Christi ☀️

‘Can you seek me and not find me? Here or there, am I not always waiting for you? Since I love you so dearly, just let yourself be loved and come to meet My love. Then it will really be Corpus Christi, My feast’. (Jesus to Gabrielle Bossis/He and I)

Feast of Corpus Christi today. Particularly perfect words for us all on this most precious of days.

On my way to Holy Mass, young guy with many struggles sitting beside his anxious Mom on a bench outside the Courthouse, awaiting his turn to face the music. Mom astonished but so grateful seeing her boy accept my prayer in the nick of time. Putting his cigarette down, he prayed it aloud there and then. ‘Thank you Bridget’, he uttered with deep sincerity. His mom close to tears brought tears to my eyes too as I walked away. Young guy and I have exchanged pleasantries many times, his shady lifestyle no secret.

I never ever go by the Courthouse on my way to Holy Mass, but this morning I needed to drop something to a friend. Running late I even contemplated visiting her later and Thank God I did not. Divine providence!!

Feeling confident and upbeat I then offered my prayer to two guys standing near their Harley Davidsons. One guy smiled, other guy muttered gruffly: ‘No’. First guy, smiling sadly, then replied: ‘No’ too.

Win some. Lose some!!

One million prayer refusals today could not possibly dampen deep delight in my heart, witnessing young guy near courthouse pray my prayer in his hour of need. As my friend Chris reminds me oftentimes: ‘No insults taken!’.

‘Millions and millions and millions of children in the world - how could God be concerned with that little child in the slums of Calcutta. To send that medicine, to send that man just at that time, to put that medicine right on the top and to send the full amount that the Docter had prescribed. See how precious that little one was to God Himself. How concerned He was for that little one’.                                          (St. Mother Teresa of Calcutta).

‘With what shall I come before the Lord and bow myself before God on high? He has told you, O mortal, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice and to love kindness and to walk humbly with your God’. (Micah 6:6-8)

Sunny day☀️

‘Truly I say to you unless you turn and become like little children you will never enter the Kingdom of Heaven’. (Matthew 18:18)

Gill from San Francisco shared something beautiful with me in Church this morning. In her home, right in front of Sacred Heart picture there’s a little bowl and in it she places all prayer requests she receives each day. That way her Holy Mass, Holy Rosaries and all prayers are offered with those folk in mind and heart, concretised. ‘It is my Holy bowl’, she told me. I have my own Holy bowl now too!! 

(I shared my mornings prayer with Gill. Every action a transaction!)

I love to share flowers from our Legion of Mary meeting alter. I call them ‘Mother Mary’s flowers’. As I sat in Centra café enjoying my tea, three ladies joined me. Impromptu! Mother Mary most certainly chose them, no doubt about it. All had a story to tell, all thrilled with Mother Mary’s special gift specially for them 🌺 

After that, my dear friend Pat’s Funeral Holy Mass. Vulnerable and fragile, Pat will be missed far more than he was ever noticed while alive in this world. One time when in severe pain I placed my rosary bracelet on his wrist. Right away his pain disappeared, in that moment dear Mother Mary prayed earnestly to Jesus for him. Although I never failed to remind Pat that Mother Mary cured him, still from that moment onwards he jokingly christened me ‘Father Bridget’. For the remainder of his days on earth, Pat wore a Medugorje rosary bracelet. 

Elderly lady happily accepting my prayer uttered: ‘I was married, he was not good, I can surely live without him but no way can I live without Him’, holding up my prayer.☀️

Ruairi, Tricia and Daithi here until next Friday please God. What joy!

‘Do not be anxious: go straight on, forgetful of self, letting the Spirit of God act instead of your own’.          (St. Julie Billiart)

‘The Lord prefers common-looking people. That is the reason He makes so many of them’. 

 (Abraham Lincoln)

Knock shrine☀️🙏🏻

‘The Blessed Lady, Mother of our Saviour, may well be called a morning, since before her there was none without sin. After her the most clear sun Christ Jesus showed His light to the world’. 

(St. John Fisher)

6.30AM bus to Knock Marian shrine, Co. Mayo. Wonderful day of pilgrimage. Holy Rosaries en route, hymns too. Laughter and chat, breakfast and dinner. Every minute memorable!

In Basilica, Bishop Oliver Dashe Doeme (Nigeria) delivered riveting talk on his people’s struggles at the hands of Boko Haram. One evening while Bishop Oliver was praying his rosary, broken and beaten, Jesus appeared to him in a vision holding a sword which miraculously transformed into a Rosary beads when Jesus extended it towards Bishop Oliver  Extremely moving account on the all-powerful power of Holy Rosary.📿

Beautiful Blessed Sacrament chapel. Fixing wide-eyed gaze on Monstrance. Let us be carriers of Christ wherever we go.☀️🙏🏻

Thrilled to finally catch-up with Bernadette Smith/ Precious Life, ceaseless champion for the unborn. Accepting my beautiful morning prayer, she told me: ‘We will pray this with our morning prayers from now on’.☀️

                                                         There is something about Mary.❤️

Forty six prayers shared. Awesome encounters, all of them remaining in my heart and prayer for posterity. Had Chris not invited me for tea after Holy Mass on Friday and in the process invited me to Knock, I would have happily stayed home resting after marvellous Medjugorje. As always, Holy Spirit had other lavish plans far surpassing my own puny paltry ones!!

(Owen would not have received Holy Spirit prompt: ‘My Grace is with you right now!!’ had I stayed home and oh how much he needed to hear those wise words).

Lord, take me where you want me to go. Let me meet who You want me to meet. Tell me what You want me to say…..and keep me out of your way. Amen

                                                              Almost home Thank God.☀️🚌📸

‘The life of a Christian is a Prayer. We are like diamonds shining in many different ways. Each facet has been polished by God. Our very being renders glory to Him. The simple fact that we are baptised in the death and resurrection of Christ is enough to make us a Prayer’.                                                      (Catherine Doherty/Madonna House)