Nothing but God☀️

‘The Glory of God is a person fully alive’, (St. Iraneaus)

I answered the phone in Church office and young lady at other end told me that she and her fiancée planned to be wed and wondered if a particular date was available to them. Turns out it was and young lady simply could not contain her joy, totally ecstatic. I was so tempted to blurt out the tune: ‘Congratulations and celebrations…’ but of course I could not. Highly inappropriate in that moment. Oftentimes though, since that day, I so wished I had, inappropriate or not!

Roll on many months and on my way from St. Anne’s Holy Rosary young radiant lady saluted me with the brightest smile. ‘Who are you’, I asked and when she told me her name I could have fallen out of my stand. ‘Are you getting married soon’, I asked. ‘Yes’, she replied beaming. ‘I’m the person you spoke with on that day’, I told her. She graciously assured me that even though I did not sing, she really got the sense that I was super happy for them both. Not in my wildest dreams did I ever think we would meet up. Divinely inspired encounter for sure.

Accepting my prayer, one for her fiancée too, she told me: ‘I like your medals (Holy Cross, Miraculous medal and St. Benedict medal I wear on a chain around my neck) I love Jesus, too’. Delightful young lady full of Life and Light of Christ.

Flamboyant lady wearing eye-catching hat joyfully accepted my prayer in Church. As we parted, having enjoyed scintillating conversation, she added: ‘This is what life is all about, you know. Chatting with folk, being open. Not keeping our heads down, stuck in our own small little life and wondering on our death bed; “What was that all about?”.  

I walked to Aldi in the pouring rain for food for my ever increasing number of hungry visiting cats. On way back home again, saturated, about to walk by Church but of course I can never not drop by and say hello to Jesus in Holy Tabernacle. Downcast lady sitting there alone accepted my prayer. I am so glad this night that I did not walk by. I am so glad I will never walk by while I have breath in my body. 

Reminding me this minute of one time I told Killian (9 yrs. then) that Jesus can never be left alone during Adoration of the most Blessed Sacrament. Killian in true childlike honesty and kindness chirped up: ‘Why not? Isn’t He here all night on His own anyway’.

‘In this life no one can fulfil his longing, nor can any creature satisfy man’s desire. Only God satisfies, He infinitely exceeds all other pleasures. That is why man can rest in nothing but God’.                                (St. Thomas Aquinas)

                                                         Pause, ponder and praise God🐈‍⬛

Daniel☀️

Today I visited Daniel in Nursing Home and I am so happy to have caught up with him again after all this time. He had no idea who I was but when I asked if he remembered a man called Eddy Lynch (my dear Dad), he replied: ‘I do, well’. My heart soared. We were off to an exceedingly good start!

We prayed together. We sang my Dad’s favourite song: ‘The dying rebel’. He even smiled.

Daniel’s tale is a harrowing one. Like many young men sixty years ago, Daniel took the boat to England and for whatever reason he did not return home. Year in, year out, no sign of Daniel. His poor Mom asking us children to pray for her son’s safe return crystal clear in my mind’s eye to this very day.

Twenty years had come and gone when news came to our village that his sister and husband had been killed in London. Terrible tragedy. Daniel obviously heard the horrific news and so he returned back home to his heartbroken elderly parents. What should have been a homecoming to remember, mere whimper at best. Too much grief and deafening silence.

After some time his parents died and Daniel continued on living alone in his small remote farm. Eventually, not surprisingly, his health broke down mentally and physically. Daniel has been hospitalised ever since and is now being lovingly cared for by wonderful folk in this bright Nursing Home overlooking majestic mountains.

How then did it come to pass that I got to visit with him today……

One morning last week in prayer in Adoration Chapel, beautiful Jesus whispered into my heart: ‘Will you visit Daniel’. Startled but beyond delighted to be asked, I rushed home and rang the first Nursing Home that popped into my mind. Yes, Daniel was indeed there. When Jesus asks a favour He organises the whole thing perfectly.

So, God willing, I will catch a bus every week and spend valuable time with Daniel. To be used by God in this wonderful way is beyond my wildest dreams.

To know and remember Daniel’s story. To be part of his past life and now after all this time, be at his side again, shoulder to shoulder. Inexpressibly beautiful! What a Mighty God we serve.

‘Rejoice in the Lord always. I shall say it again; rejoice! Your kindness should be known to all. The Lord is near’. (Philippians 4:4-5)

Recently I wondered what had become of St. Martin de Porres statue from our childhood home. Today I found almost exact replica in a little shop not too far from Daniel’s Nursing Home😀

Many clients in Daniel’s Nursing Home joyfully received my prayer and going forward it will be prayed aloud during their communal time of prayer. Reminding me do likewise in our St. Anne’s Holy Rosary group from now on too.📿

                                                          Sheila and I. Forever friends.❤️

Simple beauty.☀️

‘I ever possess and take with me everywhere, the God of my heart and the heart of my God’. 

(St. Margaret Mary)

‘We are all out of laminating pouches, maybe try Mr. Price’, young sales assistant in Newsagents told me after Holy Mass this morning. ‘Ohhh but I don’t drive’, I replied referring to the wind and torrential rain outside. With that, young guy waiting in line simply said: ‘ I can give you a lift’. ‘Thank you so much’, I replied, ‘but I don’t know you’. ‘I understand’, he replied. 

I gifted him my prayer and perhaps one of my most amazing prayer-sharing encounters came to pass right there. He told me he hadn’t prayed in a long time but now he would be keeping my prayer in his pocket. I told him about a young guy, Fionn, who told me the very same thing while accepting my prayer a few months ago and my reply at that time: ‘I can’t tell you nothing will be wrong but you will be strong’. (Wonderful Holy Spirit whispered it as we chatted).

‘I like that’, said Finn. (Finn and Fionn!). About to go our separate ways when, Aidan, shop assistant, came out to tell me that he had actually just found a packed of laminating pouches.  

In that brief bright interlude - generous Finn got my powerful prayer and definitely some food for thought. I got my laminating pouches (‘all weather’ powerful prayers) and an uplifted heart. Kindly shop assistant Aiden got my powerful prayer too. No one came away empty handed! Our God can not be outdone in generosity!

‘Serendipity?’, wondered Finn. ‘God’s work’, I replied, ‘all of it, and your random act of kindness set the whole happy affair in motion on this wet and windy day’.

‘If you get simple beauty and nought else, you get about the best thing that God invents’.                 (Robert Browning)

Today’s encounter truly emboldens me to keep on keeping on. Last Friday a young girl told me as she accepted my prayer: ‘I admire you’. To be a prayer-sharing grandmother is my vocation from God’s Holy Hands. Without Him, I would have given up long ago,  thereby missing out on oh so much.

Most Holy Trinity I adore you. My God, my God, I love You in the most Blessed Sacrament. Amen.

                                                I love Dorothy Day. (The reckless way of Love)

                                                      My powerful ‘all weather’ prayer.🙏🏻

Stormy weather⛈️

‘Remember that you have one soul, that you have one death to die, that you have one life which is short and can be lived by you and you alone. There is one Glory which is eternal. If you do this there will be many things about which you care nothing’. (St. Teresa of Avila)

He and another guy working on the footpaths as I made my way to Holy Mass this morning. Shocked, I asked how they could possibly work outdoors on this stormy rainy grey day: ‘When you’re a dog you must bark’, he replied. Ouch! I asked if he would like a beautiful morning prayer. ‘A prayer!! I’ll give it to him (other working guy). ‘No it is for you’, I replied telling him that my prayer goes to whoever Holy Spirit wishes would have it. He smiled, placing it in his pocket. ‘Don’t give it away’, I shouted back to him as I darted off. ‘I won’t’, he replied meaning every word.

After Holy Mass lady told me that twenty three years ago today her beautiful son was killed. ‘Today is really tough’, she said. Moving encounter. I shared with her that tough days are always followed by huge outpourings of Grace and comfort. That’s what our God is like. She nodded in agreement.

I told her too how much I love that every nighttime my whole day slips seamlessly into God’s Holy Hands. No point or need for me to dwell on any of it. God has all my stuff, every single thing. Dear lady laughed: ‘Oh my dear, God has all our stuff’. Then she uttered, visibly brighter: ‘I feel better now’. God’s amazing Grace.

Ukrainian lady too received my prayer as we struggled to understand one another. Joy-filled encounter. 

Thing is, none of those encounters could have taken place only that yesterday, wonderful Holy Spirit put in my heart to sit at other end of Church today and every Tuesday for now. On all other days I sing, Millie sings on Tuesdays.

St. Anne’s Holy Rosary beautiful beyond words as always. New guy Mick received my prayer and Mother Mary Rosary beads. Amazing that!! Definitely God-incidence.

On way home, tired and blown about, lady, new in town, rang my phone. She simply needed to hear my voice. All is well with her thank God. I really do get to spend time with the nicest of folk.

Had I realised that a weather-warning was firmly in place today, most likely I would have remained indoors, thereby missing out on all the above and so much more. What a mighty God we serve!

‘We shall steer safely through every storm, so long as our heart is right, our intention fervent, our courage steadfast, and our trust fixed on God’. (St. Frances de Sales)

‘My past O Lord to Your mercy. My present to Your love. My future to Your Divine providence’.                (St. Pio)

                                                     Jesus beautiful words in ‘God calling’ 📕 

If I can help somebody.😀🙏🏻

When I read the above this morning (I love Dorothy Day), I was immediately catapulted back to last evening after Holy Mass. God-incidence! Chatting, dear lady from faraway land and I. She mentioned her family and how she misses them and then suddenly she exclaimed: ‘Oh I feel so much better after worship’. I could tell her truthfully that I do too!! Oftentimes I head into Holy Mass heavy hearted but every single time I emerge, rejuvenated, refuelled, and light as a feather. All glory to God.

When said lady arrived in our country a few weeks ago, heartbroken and full of fear she told God: ‘You have brought me here to this place Father God. I know You will mind me. Only You and me now God. There is no one else’. 

Inspirational lady! Father God holding her and her’s in the palm of His Hand and of that she is quite certain. Again I could tell her truthfully that He holds me and mine too in the palm of His Hand. Of that I too am quite certain. All glory to God.

What a mighty God we serve! Allelulia. 

God-incidence! When this dear lady (just arrived this week) received pretty cozy cardigan, smiling like a thousand suns she uttered: ‘My country’s colours’. (Nigeria). (I did not know!)

Storm raging as I walk home from Holy Mass today and poor guy asleep in a tiny tent. First time to witness such a sight in our town. Thank God, tonight he is safe and warm. He also has my powerful prayer and is totally besotted with beautiful colourful Rosary Beads. He has not left them out of his hand. Another young guy lost and alone in a strange land. 

‘If I can help somebody, as I travel along, then my living shall not be in vain’. (Alma Bazel Androzzo)

‘I ask God in a simple prayer to “loaves-and-fishes-me”. It may not be a grammatically correct prayer, but the childlike plea never goes unanswered. 

This prayer asks the following of God:

 Multiply me, amplify my energy and my efforts, expand my wisdom and capacity to serve and make me a conduit of Your Love. When my offering is combined with God’s abundance and limitless capacity, there is more than enough to go around. Best of all, I am not spent or drained. I can take the fragments of my leftovers and have sufficient energy for self-care, for gratitude, for creativity and for fun. 

I am able to do without sacrificing my ability to be’, (Kristin Armstrong)

Love and Mercy☀️🙏🏻

‘If you wish to go to extremes, let it be in sweetness, patience, humility and charity’. (St. Philip Neri)

He accepted my prayer with a smile. I could never have guessed his plight. After a few minutes of unsuccessfully trying to decipher bus times I asked him if he would please Google them for me. ‘I can’t, I’m sorry’, he said. ‘I lost my phone and other stuff last night’. He seemed more upset about the fact that he could not come to my assistance than his own predicament. Smashing guy. 

My request enlightening, thus enabling me to lend him a helping hand in his hour of need. I could truthfully share with him too that all of us fall but we can always rise again and do better. No blame, no shame. He gave me a big hug and promised to pray my prayer every morning. I think he will!!

This morning I awoke with one of my favourite Bible stories, ‘The woman at the well’  vividly on my heart and mind. (John 4:5-30). Somehow it ties in with my ‘google guy’ tale. Jesus request for a drink changed everything for the Samaritan lady. He did not judge her. He did not tell her to get her act together before they could talk. Jesus simply loved her and His Love spurred her on to do better. 

My beautiful Dad loved like Jesus loves. He taught me so much.

‘We need to be reminded often of the goodness of God and His mercy, so that, when the day is ended, we may come to Him without fear’. (Catherine Doherty)

Yesterday, when I offered this cozy cushion which I purchased for freezing homeless man (who had moved away by the time I returned) to young couple expecting their first baby, they told me that they really needed a cozy cushion right now to help young pregnant lady be more comfortable while sleeping. God’s ways are not ours!

Glistening day. 🙏🏻🥶

‘You are being truly guided though not until you are content to be led as little children do you really live fully in the Kingdom of Heaven’. (Jesus/God calling)

Bitter cold as I crunched my way to bus-stop for 7.30 bus this morning. Guy de-icing his van accepted my prayer, highly amused but gratefully thrilled nonetheless. First of many prayers shared this day all glory and honour to our beautiful Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. 

Somehow, I touched down in Tralee and not Killarney as planned (bus routes changed) but oh how divinely orchestrated that disruption was. Meant to be for sure.

Chat with young guy (mislaid his phone and money socialising last night). Thanking me profusely for helping him out, he held my prayer in his hand the whole time. ‘This is how God works’, I told him and then I added smiling: ‘But you must cop on you know’. Looking down for a moment he replied: ‘I know yea. I will pray this every morning. You’re a star’. (He only told me of his predicament because I asked if he would kindly look up bus times on his phone for my own predicament! Wonderful Holy Spirit always).

After that, strolling aimlessly along, (lady on crutches accepting two prayers), gloriously I found myself at the gates of magnificent St. John’s Church and 10AM Holy Mass. I wanted to dance for joy and I probably did! (My original plan 10AM Holy Mass in Killarney Friary). Our God will never be outdone in generosity. Killarney is my place to go, Tralee way beyond my comfort zone.

After Holy Mass sad lady from India sitting alone, her mind racing with many cares. What a privilege to share with her, much needed wisdom, wonderful Holy Spirit imparted to me on a day when my mind was racing too: ‘My Grace is with you right now’. Not in the past, not in the future but RIGHT NOW!,

Another dear lady loving my prayer so much, requested one hundred copies to distribute amongst our precious young folk. Earlier she took ten and was astonished how quickly they were accepted. She kindly offered payment but no need!! Our young folk are so open to the good, the true and the beautiful whatever our current culture might like us to believe.

Thrilled to catch up with Mary when I did eventually arrive back in Killarney. Homeless guy told us he was awfully cold (no surprise there!) so we went to Dunnes Stores and got him warm blanket and big cozy cushion. However, when we returned with our goods, sadly he had taken up his bed and walked. Poor man probably did not understand we would return. Dunnes Stores busy too so perhaps he got fed up waiting in the cold. He did not leave empty handed though! My powerful prayer is in his pocket.

I chatted with heartbroken lady from Pakistan. She gave me her mobile number. Forlorn, living in overcrowded refugee centre, her husband divorced her and now she is an asylum seeker in a strange land. I offered her my newly purchased cozy cushion but she graciously adamantly refused.

Tomorrow I will contact her. Peaceful sleep now, thank you God.

What a day!! St. Francis of Assisi quote comes to mind: ‘We have been called to heal wounds, to unite what has fallen apart, and to bring home those who have lost their way’. 

Tea and scones in the Royal Hotel.🍰

                                                                     Love trying on hats 🎩 

I don’t know Tralee at all and yet wonderful Father God made sure I arrived here, right on time for beautiful Holy Mass. My day was nothing I planned but everything I loved!!

‘The soul hungers for God and nothing but God can satiate it. Therefore He came to dwell on earth and assumed a Body in order that this Body might become the Food of our souls’. 

(St. John Vianney)

Friary comforting Crib🌟🙏🏻

‘Look out, Look out, Jack Frost is about! He’s after our fingers and toes…..’.(Cecily E. Pyke)

                                       ☀️Dearly loved poem from my childhood days in the sunny long ago.

                                                                 My powerful prayer🙏🏻☀️

Unvarnished clarity☀️

‘Do ordinary things with extraordinary love’. (St. Mother Teresa)

I thought perhaps I would call a halt to my blog, in fact I was adamant, believing it to be pretty pointless and repetitive. My snap decision surprised me though, loving writing like I do. However, now I know negativity never comes from God. Thank you Killian for inspiring me to continue. Wonderful Holy Spirit speaking powerfully into my life through you as He has done on many occasions before.

Myriad amazing prayer-sharing encounters since I last put pen to paper!!

Young helpful guy serving in shop uttered ‘A prayer. Thank God!’. His friend adding: ‘We appreciate it’. Obviously both of them in some bother. Young people always pleased when I add: ‘I’m just a grandmother who loves to share a prayer’. Grandparents are important to our young folk. Let us act accordingly!!

Gentleman, war survivor, accepting my prayer asking if I would please speak to his wife on his phone. She is currently undergoing chemotherapy. I loved telling her what God continues to do in my life. 

Elegant lady in Church thrilled to receive my prayer and after chatting we both realised that one time many years ago, both of us attended the same secondary school and were in the same class. I could easily recall her, blond, beautiful, red high shoes. She, on the other hand, bore no memory of me whatsoever and little wonder! Mousy brown hair and no high shoes!! 

I could tell her truthfully that she was always and all days, beautiful both inside and out and oftentimes, up and down the long years I had wondered and even asked after her.

We will remain in touch now and all thanks to my powerful prayer.

Guy who’s business burned to the ground told me that ‘only prayer’ could bring his business back again. Of course I happened to have a prayer in my pocket.

Lady in London joyfully received my prayer in the post today. She would like some more to share with friends. It is no secret what our God can do!

Delivery guy (his day begins at 4AM!) replied: ‘Go on then’ and after reading my prayer could only utter: ‘This is beautiful’ many times. Shocked!! ‘I’m just a grandmother who shares a prayer’, I told him. Both of us smiling.

 

Four ladies from different parts of the continent of Africa sang at Holy Mass in our Church last Friday morning and hope to continue every Friday morning while they reside in our town. Extremely moving for us all. 

Every single thing is God’s doing. I know this with absolute certainty. I will go on writing because I wish with all my heart that everyone would know the mighty goodness of our God. Every single day I witness wonderful happenings right before my very eyes. Divinely orchestrated healing moments.

The yield of doing what we are meant to be doing, is sheer joy!

‘No one but myself can give my heart to God or do my work’. (Mgr. Alfred O’Rahilly)

‘Prayer gives us peace because it puts us in contact with the God of peace’. (Susan Conroy)

Humble, kind and generous ☀️🙏🏻

‘At that time the disciples came to Jesus saying; ‘Who is the greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven?’, and calling to Him a child, He put him in the midst of them, and said: ‘Truly, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will never enter the Kingdom of Heaven. Whoever humbles himself like this child, he is the greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven’. (Matthew 18:1-4)

Holy Name of Jesus Feast day.☀️🙏🏻

Jesus! Name above all names🙏🏻

‘You are one with Jesus as the body is one with the head. You must then have one breath with Him, one soul, one life, one will, one mind, one heart. He must be your breath, heart, love, life, your all’.

 (St. John Eudes)

Caherdaniel blustery and beautiful 🐚☀️

Do the next right thing🌟🙏🏻

‘Contact with Me brings power for the work I wish you to do, that work for which I know you to be most suited and which you only can do, and do so well’. (Jesus/God calling).

Oh how I yearned to stay home and not go pray 3PM live-streamed Holy Rosary in Church this afternoon. Bank Holiday Monday, relaxing day for all. Saturated earlier walking to and from Holy Mass so venturing out again in wind and rain not in the least enticing.

Then I got to thinking about how good is our God all the time!! Family road trips over Christmas, arriving at our destination safe and sound every time. All of us healthy, all of us happy to be in each other’s company, list goes on and on. Abundant blessings from on-high.

‘I will give thanks to Thee O Lord, among the peoples; I will sing praises to Thee among the nations. For Thy steadfast love is great to the heavens, Thy faithfulness to the clouds’. (Psalm 57:9-10)

Donning my rain-gear once more, I head off. In Church just about to begin Holy Rosary when I spy charming family gazing intently on Holy Family in the Holy Crib. Mom, Dad and four little ones. My powerful prayer has afforded me myriad amazing encounters since my prayer-sharing mission from Father God first began. Truly, today’s encounter was no different. Breathtakingly beautiful.

Before we took our leave, each family member stood joyfully holding my prayer. I took their exquisite family photo at foot of Holy Alter on Mom’s phone. Beautiful Jesus right there in our midst.

Little later than normal I began praying livestream Holy Rosary, my heart light as a feather. 

So glad I did not stay home…..

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

‘Evangelisation is one starving person telling another starving person where to find bread’. 

(Charles Spurgeon)