You almost smiled☀️🙏🏻

‘If we wish to make any progress in the service of God we must begin every day of our life with new eagerness. We must keep ourselves in the presence of God as much as possible and have no other view or end in all our actions but the divine honour’. (St. Charles Borromeo)

My journey back home began with glorious Adoration of the most Blessed Sacrament in St. Peter and Paul’s Church, Cork city and ended with glorious Adoration of the most Blessed Sacrament in Franciscan Friary. Sacred bookends holding all encounters in between, safe and secure in the gladsome light of Christ.

Countless prayers shared, wonderful chats. Selfie with lady sitting in St. Peter and Paul’s Church. She wept while reading my prayer and through her tears whispered; ‘So much sadness all around.’ Then, quick as a flash she brightened and what a chat we had. When she told me that she wasn’t wearing her dentures this morning I told her truthfully that she was beautiful. I doubt she believed me. Our selfie is on my Frameo now. I would have loved to stay longer soaking up some of her hard earned authentic wisdom, pure unadorned beauty.

Young homeless guy, just out of prison. Hauntingly lost and broken. He has my prayer, all of Heaven minding him now. As we parted company I told him; ‘You almost smiled’ and then he really did. 

Young girl, twenty three years old. In foster care all of her short life. Not good! No one ever really cared. We had tea and toasted sandwich. As we walked she told me: ‘This makes me feel like a real person’. She has high hopes for a better life, study and one day go on to help others living the chaotic life she is immersed in right now. My email address is tucked safely in her sock, my prayer in her pocket. Our photo is on my Frameo now too. (Kind cafe lady took it).

Homeless folk always on my heart, I seek them out everywhere I go. Chatting with those two beautiful souls shone a light for me into that dark dangerous world. I learned stuff. Disturbing.

‘Go forth as an apostle - with no shoes. Then you too will hear the words of Christ at the end of the journey; ‘Have you wanted for anything?’. (Catherine Doherty/Madonna House)

One lady told me as she happily accepted my prayer; ‘I love this. I’m into all that stuff’. Just like my granddaughter Aoife told her teacher about me!

South African guy told me that one reason he loves Ireland is that he can wear ‘warm’ clothes when the weather is cold. At home in South Africa in the intense heat it is not possible to wear ‘cold’ clothes! Never heard that one before.

I left home with many powerful prayers (far too many I thought). I return home with none!

 

Impromptu ☀️🙏🏻

My dear sister Anne, first bus journey together since our schooldays way back in the sunny long ago. On her way to visit her husband in CUH, Anne normally drives and only took the bus ‘just for a change’. One of my many beautiful impromptu joy filled encounters. Had my designated bus shown up as planned, I would have missed out on so much beauty. God’s ways are always and ever will be, the best ways.

Zimbabwean lady. What a tale to tell, we will keep in touch. Prayerful as all asylum seekers seem to be. I have no doubt whatever that she and her fellow asylum seekers come to our shores bearing gifts more precious than anything we gift them. God owns everything. Last week as I asked four African ladies if they needed Bibles, it occurred to me how my fellow country folk would laugh in surprise if asked that same question. To our African friends totally normal welcome question.

Maureen (almost 80 years) shall remain in my heart forever. What a lady. Her turn of phrase, simplicity, prayerfulness, joy, acceptance, endurance, I could go on and on. Her widowed Mother ran a small shop and she: ‘Gave away more than she took in but there was enough to bury her’. Copious tablets keep mental illness at bay and because of them she suffers severe vertigo. She lives happily by God’s Grace taking the bus most days to the Friary in Killarney. ‘They know me there’.

She feels sorry for folk who shun prayer: ‘When the chips are down they won’t be able to take it’. Oh how I wish I could have recorded our whole conversation. Before we parted she apologised for ‘talking too much about herself’. If she only knew!!

Bus driver who not only happily received my prayer but took one also for his young son who loves reading the Bible. When I suggest he ask his boy pray Psalm 91 every day, Dad wrote it down in case he forgot. Holy Spirit wisdom for father and son! Another bus driver happily placed my powerful prayer in his work bag. 

African lady who’s beautiful baby was ‘diagnosed with Downes syndrome’. Or ‘blessed with Downes syndrome’, I replied. How she smiled. Little boy wrapped in swaddling clothes laid in a humble pram. Another unforgettable encounter!

While waiting on my super early morning bus that would never arrive (driver sadly took ill) Saint Mother Teresa’s quote danced into my heart: ‘Let us wait and see what God does with this’.

 As always, totally amazingly beyond beautiful every step of the way.

‘Lord, help me to make time today to serve you in those who are most in need of encouragement or assistance’. (St. Vincent de Paul)

Love this!! My powerful prayer at the base of St. Pio statue in Cork City Oratory. 

                              Gentle Friary. Peace and harmony far from the madding crowd.🙏🏻☀️   

All that stuff!!☀️🙏🏻

Somehow we found ourselves walking together in the rain, young frail guy and me, talking mostly about the weather! Yes it rains a lot in these parts but both of us like the rain. ‘Some people feel the rain. Others just get wet’,  Bob Marley once declared. I turned to go into Church, he about to walk on and Holy Spirit prompt; ‘I have a lovely morning prayer, would you like one’. To my utter surprise he replied: ‘Why not’.

We had never before spoken, never even met until this morning. Turns out frail young man is wading through crushing anxiety right now and has had to leave the job he enjoyed so much. He went on to tell me that his Dad was an abusive alcoholic who wreaked havoc on both his Mom and himself. ‘Alcohol should be banned’, he said sadly. Yes indeed, I bet whoever invented the stuff wishes now that they didn’t!

I told him that four years ago having been extremely ill in hospital, I awoke one morning with the following wisdom from wonderful Holy Spirit on my lips: ‘I am rebuilding you. This is your rest time. My gift to you. Accept and enjoy’. (Four years later I can truly declare that Wonderful Holy Spirit’s words are totally true!)

 

‘I needed to hear that’, young frail guy replied, smiling now. ‘Don’t worry about anything today’, I suggested. ‘I won’t and you don’t worry today either’, he replied.

I needed to hear that too!!

‘If we wish to make any progress in the service of God, we must begin every day of our life with new eagerness’. (St. Charles Borromeo)

I asked my granddaughter Aoife how come I get to do a reading at her Confirmation Holy Mass. Her sweet reply: ‘I told my teacher that my Nan is Holy and into all that stuff’. Allelulia.

After Holy Mass Aoife whispered to me:’Give my teacher one of your prayers Nan’. Holy Spirit prompt. My joy☀️🙏🏻

Bishop Crean, our Parish Priest once upon a time. 

Spirit of the Living God, fall afresh on us.☀️🙏🏻