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‘Be who God meant you to be and you will set the world on fire’. (St. Catherine of Siena)

Guy walking past as I made my way to Holy Mass this morning and stuck to the Velcro on hood of his jacket, plain as day in full view, grubby cloth duster. I drew his attention to it and when we eventually stopped laughing I suggested that Holy Spirit must really want him to have my prayer. No other explanation! He accepted graciously, surprised and really happy with our encounter, as indeed was I. 

One thing always borrows another and I am reminded of something similar happening to myself many years ago when we lived in Swords, Co. Dublin. One morning I walked from my home to the village (twenty minutes) not realising that a personal item, definitely not intended for public display was stuck to the bottom of my backpack. Back in the day when some stuff was still sacred, unlike now I’m sad to say. Oh the embarrassment of it all!!

After Holy Mass, I walked through the park just to get a photo of my snow-capped favourite mountain. Another delightful encounter! Young Ukrainian couple, first day in our town and awestruck with the beauty confronting them, stopped to chat. Of course they received my prayer even though they never pray. They will now pray it every morning they told me. I shared with them how desperately prayer is needed right now for Ukraine, Gaza and countless other war torn parts of our troubled world.

After 3pm live-streamed Holy Rosary, tea with lovely Nadia (Albania) in Lazy Cat Cafe. So many displaced folk in our town right now. Care and share or remain aloof, choice is ours to make but lest we forget - we were born for a such a time as this. We were created for this! We are really serving Jesus in serving one another.

Each and everyone of us is exactly where we are meant to be, right here, right now. Our God makes no mistakes and He always provides!

‘The only answer in this life, to the loneliness we are all bound to feel, is community. The living together, working together, sharing together, loving God and loving our brother, and living close to Him in community so we can show our love for Him’. (Dorothy Day)

‘I am inspired and humbled by the generosity of people towards those who are seeking refuge in our land and towards those of this land for whom life has been more than difficult and who find themselves at life’s edge. In our generosity - when we give ourselves and our resources, Christ comes to life in us anew’. (Archbishop Dermot Farrell)