Killarney ❤️

Give me life, O Lord, and I will do Your will. Amen

This morning, Killarney bus was held up by more than one hour (detour due to minor crash) rendering my longed for stopover brief and hurried. I love Killarney. I dropped books to Train Station waiting room, and as always tucked inside each one, laminated copy of St. Teresa of Avila’s unadorned comforting prayer. Gift for travellers.

Quick dash to Dunnes Stores for cozy pyjamas and fluffy socks. Ultra helpful cheerful cashier amazed and thrilled on being offered my powerful prayer. Gentle cashier in Friary shop too. Receiving a prayer from random grandmother in these times definitely a tad strange! but warmly received.

Lady signing Mass card not at all impressed when I suggested to her that I do not like ‘Xmas’, (keeping Christ out of Christmas) so she grumpily deleted it. I remained politely pleasant. St. Augustine’s quote hopped into my heart: ‘Truth is like a lion. You don’t have to defend it. Let it loose. It will defend itself’.

Dylan sat next to me on bus journey back home. When I asked if he knew of  ‘Dylan Thomas’ he informed me that yes, his mother, English teacher, named him after the same Dylan Thomas!! This Dylan was glad to accept my prayer.

Ukrainian lady in tears asked if she may have one of my prayers again. She received it already but has no idea where it might be. Oftentimes, folk request a second one when the time is right and the need arises.

Best wine till last!! Guy scantily clad, stood in the downpour outside pub, smoking his cigarette. Haggard, beaten down. I had walked by him, slow to intrude, but of course Holy Spirit prompt nudged my heart. ‘Yerra I will’, he said taking my prayer and shoving it into his pocket. ‘I am sharing not preaching’, I told him lightly and with that, his sunshine smile most magnificent, lit up his pallid countenance like a thousand suns. Complete transformation!

Definitely I encountered beautiful Jesus outside a pub in rainy Killarney today. No doubt whatever!! Immense richness of God’s goodness. 

‘Truly I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brethren, you did it to me’.                  (Matt 25:40)

Shortest stay ever in my beloved Killarney but chock-full of all things bright and beautiful. This weekend I was meant to be visiting with family but Father God had another plan and as always His plan is perfect.

‘To love like Jesus: that is what makes us shine, makes us do works of love’. (Pope Francis)

‘It is an amazing experience to feel the grace of God reach out through us to people in so many different ways’. (Fr. John Bartunek)