Mary☀️

‘He/she who dwells in the heart of God is aflame with love and sets on fire everyone they touch’. (Catherine Doherty/Madonna House)

Mary and I met up for tea in Killarney today at the end of my extremely enjoyable train journey, packed to overflowing with amazing prayer-sharing encounters.  Sad, happy and everywhere in between. 

Sitting with Mary, puts it all in perspective. Witnessing her joy and easy laughter despite much suffering throughout her long life, her strong faith, makes me want to do whatever I can do for anyone and everyone, for as long as I can do it, here in this wonderful world.

‘Let us make up for lost time. Let us give to God the time that remains to us’. (St. Alphonsus Liguori)

My designated seat on train was occupied by delightful young man busy on his laptop. Of course he wanted to move but I insisted he stay put. Having joyfully accepted my powerful prayer, I left him to it and moved to vacant seat across the aisle. Right move! Divinely inspired!

My companion this time poor devastated Dad whose precious son was killed in road traffic accident recently. Thank you wonderful Holy Spirit for always guiding my steps.

We chatted. We cried. He took my powerful prayer for each family member - seven in total.

My Holy Mass this morning specially for Michael and family.

‘Why should you create solitude for yourself if I want you before the public? My beloved little child, take me, take me to others. Be Christlike’. (Jesus to Gabrielle Bossis/He and I)

After Holy Mass this morning I offered my prayer to two pretty girls and a baby. Ukrainian, they had not a word of English but when they realised I was gifting them a prayer, one lady sobbed uncontrollably. We stood awhile in reverential silence, all four of us gazing on beautiful Jesus in Holy Tabernacle. Best prayer of all!!

Missing Katy😌

My dear sister Katy would be sixty six years today. Senior citizen!! Missing you never gets old, Katy.  May the Good Lord have mercy on your gentle soul, sweet K.❤️

‘We see that the silence of God is more powerful, more all encompassing, more sustaining than all the noise of the world, and all it’s ruckus’. (Fr. David May/Restoration magazine)

Simple pleasures ☀️

Every Monday, tiny congregation convene in Sacristy for tea, scones and chat after Holy Mass in this compact country Church. This morning, pleasant lady invited me along. Simple abundance! I loved every minute.

           ‘Poems are made by fools like me, but only God can make a tree’. (Joyce Kilmer/1886-1918)

Luna Belle saw the sea for the very first time🏝️                        

                                  

‘The Divine Heart is an ocean full of all good things, wherein poor souls can cast all their needs; it is an ocean full of joy to drown all sadness, an ocean of humility to drown our folly, an ocean of mercy to those in distress, an ocean of love in which to submerge our poverty’. (St. Margaret Mary)

 

Luna Belle’s Christening ☀️🙏🏻

Joyful day, Luna Belle’s christening. Today too is my dear Dad’s anniversary.❤️🙏🏻

Luna Belle wearing the selfsame Christening gown her Dad Diarmuid wore thirty two years ago.  His oldest brother Eric wore it first, forty two years ago. Super special family heirloom.🌟

‘I am the light of the world. The one who follows me will never walk in darkness. Rather he will have the light of life’. (John 8:12)

Lead Kindly Light amid the encircling doom🙏🏻☀️☀️

‘For if we have received the love which restores meaning to our lives, how can we fail to share that love with others’. (Pope Francis)

Ravenous Kitty at the bus stop so I dashed to supermarket for some ham. When Kitty was done she hopped onto our bus only coz she could. On the bus I gifted elderly Ukrainian lady my rosary beads and she gifted me her neatly wrapped chocolate (two squares). Every action a transaction!!

Many wonderful prayer-sharing encounters with young folk on my train journey too. I noticed Ashton bless himself as we passed by a Church but when we spoke he told me that his parents do not attend Church anymore and so neither does he. He has no idea why he blesses himself!! Super attentive and present as I told him all about the Sacrament of Confession and Holy Eucharist. (Therapist will impart skills on managing our guilt and shame. Jesus, in the Sacrament of Confession wipes our guilt and shame away! Brand new start).

Two young girls very interested too as was Finn who happily abandoned his laptop for the duration of our chat. Their parents do not attend Church anymore either. I am overjoyed to write, this night, that four beautiful young people plan to have Confession soon!! and joyfully receive Holy Eucharist.

 Sunshiny day for sure, glory be to God. Never before today have I talked with young folk about Confession and Holy Eucharist. Judging by their bowled-over reaction, I intent to avail of any and every opportunity that will come my way for the remainder of my life here on earth.

One thing renews another! memory from sixteen years ago dances into my heart. Working in High Support Hostel, caring for elderly psychiatric beautiful souls, scrubbing floors as my tears flowed freely. ‘Why could You not have let me keep that one thing’, I quizzed God. ‘Haven’t I suffered enough already?’.  What happened next remains forever in my heart…..

‘You will live longer and you will do good’, that still small voice whispered clearly from somewhere deep inside. Startled, sobbing still, I uttered aloud: ‘That is probably my imagination’. Again that still small voice whispered: ‘I am in your imagination too you know’.

Fellow-Elders! Our young folk need us now more than any other time. This I know!! Many, like my young folk today are extremely fortunate to have already received the Sacraments. Now they need our wisdom and guidance to understand how blessed they are.

‘I am sent not only to love God but to make Him loved. It is not enough for me to love God, if my neighbour does not love Him’. (St. Vincent de Paul)

                                            ‘Woe to me if I do not proclaim the Gospel’. (1Cor-9:16)

‘If, as Saint Teresa of Avila tells us, one soul, not a saint but seeking sanctity, is more precious to God than thousands living common lives, how delightful then, the achievement of setting the first steps of many in the path that turns aside from the ordinary rut’, (Frank Duff)

Time to say goodbye🙏🏻❤️

                ‘The closer one approaches to God, the simpler one becomes’. (St. Teresa of Avila)

Back home once again after my amazingly beautiful prayerful rest and renewal week in magnificent Medugorje. There are no words!!

On my final day 7.30 Croatian Holy Mass in St. James. Pared back reverence. No distractions.

Afterwards sitting beside Holy priest at Mother Mary’s statue I told him that my toe hurt bad and my piercing mouth ulcer did too. He gazed on me through Jesus beautiful eyes uttering: ‘You are doing so much good that you are getting up the devil’s nose. He will make your time here uncomfortable. Take Jesus Hand and simply say: “Where are we going today Jesus”.  Deeply moved. I cried. 

‘My spirit, permeating every part of your being, drives out all selfish irritability, while fortifying all the weak parts and attuning your being to Heaven’s music’. (Jesus/God calling)

In the afternoon I could share dear Father’s words with hurting lady. Instantly her burden lighter as both of us praised and thanked Holy Trinity One God from our deepest hearts. Everything we receive is meant to be shared!! Nothing is for ourselves only.

Countless encounters. Many tales of wonder and woe. Barrels of laughs. Maybe best time ever!!

‘Everything I say to one of my children is for all of them. Each soul is my favourite. If only you knew My love for each one’. (Jesus to Gabrielle Bossis)

Dear Veronica gifted me beautiful book of delightful prayers. I hope we meet again when I return next May, God willing🙏🏻

‘Grant me, O Lord my God, a mind to know You, a heart to seek You, wisdom to find You, conduct pleasing to You, faithful perseverance in waiting for You, and a hope of finally embracing You’.

 (St. Thomas Aquinas)

Words whispered in my heart as I slept soundly last night: ‘ Realising that I am not alone’

‘I will always be with you. I will never abandon you’. (Joshua 1:5)

Sunday☀️🙏🏻

Four priests led us in prayer at 7.30AM this morning as we walked the Via Dolorosa with Jesus and Mary. Thank you Jesus for walking with me in the pleasant person of Ger. ‘Duine le Dia’. Incredibly beautiful every step of the sorrowful way.

One of my fellow-pilgrims upset and anxious that all pharmacies in the village were shut, it being Holy Sabbath day. I enquired what her need might be and embarrassedly she whispered that her dentures had cracked. Wouldn’t you know! I had fixodent in my bag. Awesome Holy Spirit!! (I never use it! In my bag just in case!)

Anna and I thrilled to catch up again. Last May I gifted her my pretty umbrella. Too cumbersome to haul back to Ireland.☂️ Working in gift-shop, Anna overheard Father blessing Christine and me. She came and prayed silently near us - and that is how our surprise Holy Spirit encounter came about today. Alleluia.

Every time I meet a Priest in this Holy place I ask for his Priestly Blessing. What a gift from God. Forevermore more and wherever, I will do likewise. We must never forget that our Holy Priest is in persona Christi! ‘I will not let you go unless you bless me’. (Genesis 32:22)

Looking forward to spending precious moments with beautiful Jesus in Blessed Sacrament but sadly could not remain long in His gentle healing presence. Really tired (hardly any sleep last night) and my poor toe really painful. On way home two charming ladies on seeing my predicament shed some light on my plight.

I am reminded of my dear Dad’s prayer each time he departed from Holy alter: ‘Come with me Jesus. Sanctify all I do since ALL is for You’. Amen

Resting now and all is well with the world.

I love Medugorje 🌟

‘May the Holy Spirit enkindle you with the fire of His love so that you may persevere, unfailingly, in the love of His service. Thus you may merit to become, at last, a living stone in the celestial Jerusalem’.

(St. Hildegard Von Bingen)

                                                     True Friend and fellow pilgrim Christine.☀️

               

Happy day☀️

‘When we attend to the needs of those in want, we give them what is theirs, not ours. More than performing works of mercy, we are paying a debt of justice’. (Pope Saint Gregory the Great)

                        Precious time spent with Jesus this afternoon in this inviting tiny Chapel.💒 

                                       ‘Lord, it is good for us to be here’. (Matthew:17:4)

Beautiful light-filled Veronica has still not returned to her own country. When we parted company here in Medugorje last May, I hoped we would meet again one day! Tea tomorrow please God. I am so pleased and grateful to God.

As I left Adoration Chapel, lady approached asking for help. She must have uttered the word ‘sorry’ one hundred times! I asked her name. She replied: ‘Marina’. Wow!! You could have knocked me with a feather!! My dear friend Marina who went to God only a few short weeks ago danced merrily into my ❤️. Right then the realisation came to me like a light into the centre of my being. My dear Marina gazing joyfully from Heaven above, as lady (Marina) and I walked to nearby foodstore for supplies☀️

Gentle lady selling pretty things from her basket called out as I walked towards her: ‘Bridget, my Holy Soul’s friend’. What a greeting! I shared my widow’s mite, gentle lady gifted me pretty pink sun hat from her basket. I love it☀️

Thank you dearest Jesus for leading me every time, in every place, to Your own precious folk!!

 (‘Daoine le Dia’ - God’s folk)

        

                 This evening we prayed Holy Rosary Mysteries of Light. (Marriage Feast of Cana)

                     ‘His Mother said to the servants: ‘Do whatever Jesus tells you’. (John 2:5)

                Tonight, open-air Adoration of the most Blessed Sacrament. Heaven on earth🌟

Dearest Jesus, You are first place always and forever in my life. Amen

‘Thou hast made us for Thyself, O Lord, and our heart is restless until it finds its rest in Thee’.

                 (St. Augustine)

Medugorje ☀️🙏🏻

‘Yesterday is gone. Tomorrow has not yet come. We have only today. Let us begin’. 

         (St. Mother Teresa)

To be here in Medugorje for one whole week!! Rest and renewal wrapped in Mother Mary’s comforting arms. Mother Mary turns our lives the right way up.

Always she is leading us to her beautiful Son Jesus through the power of wonderful Holy Spirit. At journey’s end we will be safely home in Heaven forever with our dear Father God. Holy Trinity one God!! Mother Mary, angels and saints too, all of us happy together forever. Allelulia!

Countless prayer-sharing encounters. Already far too many to recount, all of them forever in my heart and prayer. Like gentle lady selling pretty items from her basket: ‘I used to be really shy’, she told with her incredible smile - ‘But Jesus healed my heart’.

Leaving home I still hadn’t purchased gifts for two friends here in Medugorje. As we drove along in the pouring rain somebody spied a roadside stall selling jam and honey. ‘They have St. Brigid crosses too’, uttered Christine. I hopped out (with driver’s permission) and purchased two. Oh what delight my roadside gifts bestowed on my friends. Awesome Holy Spirit!

Holy Mass this morning in St. James, Father reminded us that: ‘We have a Mother looking out for us every minute of our lives’. Our own dear mothers are praying for us always, our dear Mother Mary is not alone praying for us, She walks with us every step of our life-journey. Jesus and Mary never leaving our sides. Somebody one time remarked that we are in a ‘Witness protection program’.😀

I am reminded right now of words I received in a dream: ‘Nothing to fear. Jesus is here’!!

‘When we appeal to the throne of Grace we do so through Mary, honouring God by honouring His Mother, imitating Him by exalting Her, touching the most responsive chord in the Sacred Heart of Christ with the sweet name of Mary’. (St. Robert Bellarmine)

Dearest Mother Mary, Queen of peace. Keep our troubled minds at ease. Amen