Eventful day☀️🙏🏻

‘I am consecrated to God and totally dedicated to His service’. (Venerable Bruno Lanteri)

Our beloved Church is undergoing a much needed extreme makeover and so Holy Mass will be celebrated in tiny adjoining oratory for the near future.

I arrive early. My privilege to be Sacristan and our new setup required time to spare. Already I am loving it all. Compact and cozy in the arms of Holy Trinity one God and all of Heaven.

Soon after, lady walks in. Visitor to our town from Holland. Glancing all around, she speaks the following words: ‘I am agnostic but I would very much desire a Catholic Mass for my funeral’.

Wow! What a conversation starter! We talked, she accepted my prayer, loving its simplicity.

Her husband is Catholic but ‘he knows nothing except the sign of the Cross’. Their children attend Catholic school.

‘Tell me why you love Jesus so much’,  she enquires excitedly. My favourite topic!!

I finish by saying: ‘Your heart’s desire is also beautiful Jesus heart’s desire for you, and that is why you walked in here this morning. Our first morning in this tiny holy place’.

‘Let me give you a big hug’, she replies. Then standing still, she touches her heart uttering; ‘Something wonderful has just taken place’.

What joy and adventure there is in living a solid life in the identity of who we are!

‘The Catholic Church proposes but it does not impose’. (St. Pope John Paul 11)

I love the way delightful Pakistani lady articulated how her life has miraculously unfolded since painfully setting out on her arduous journey from Pakistan to Cahersiveen; ‘Everything in zigzag mode but God keeping everything straight for me’. 

‘God writes straight with crooked lines’. (St. Teresa of Avila)

My powerful prayer🌟

Poor man lying on the cold ground in the pouring rain. I recognised him despite his devastatingly unkempt state. (One time he told me quite irately; ‘No way. I am a communist’ when I offered him my prayer.)

 I called the Garda, there was nothing else I could do. While we waited getting soaked, I began to pray; Our Father who art in Heaven…. He joined in, praying along. We both prayed ‘Hail Mary… and then abruptly he told me to please stop praying. Suddenly it dawned on him that he was actually praying…..(Communists don’t pray much!)

I prayed Act of contrition; ‘O my God I am heartily sorry….He listened quietly. Garda arrived and soon after, an ambulance came for the poor man. Heartbreakingly sad but incredibly beautiful all at the same time.

Sadder still the fact that folk passed by in their cozy cars and did nothing!! I feel more pity for them than I do for my poor man half dressed on the cold ground in the pouring rain.

‘Mercy is having pains in your heart for the pains of another and taking pains to do something about their pain’. (Fr. George Kosicki)

‘The joy of the Lord is my strength’. (Nehemiah 8:10)

Joan☀️🙏🏻

‘Real goodness is always simple. Simplicity is so attractive and so profitable, that it is strange that so few people are really simple’. (Leo Tolstoy)

Just a few nights ago, our lovely Joan passed away from this world to her eternal reward. There are no available words to remotely express our beautiful friendship and so I will not attempt to do so. Suffice it to say I miss her greatly and probably a little piece of my heart will go on missing her until we meet once again on that Heavenly shore by God’s glorious Grace.

In her final hours I ask if she might drop by one night in my dreams just to let me know anything of our Heavenly homeland. ‘Yes, perhaps I will’, she replies, smiling sweetly.

This perfect poem I chose for her Funeral Holy Mass reflection, speaks eloquently of our lovely Joan!!

Our St. Anne’s Holy Rosary group have now, three saints in Heaven interceding for us. Marina, Bridie and Joan. Goodness, truth and beauty in vivid display for all the world to see, all through their long lives.

                                                                       Beloved Bridie❤️

                                                                      Majestic Marina❤️

‘I urge you to remain steadfast in faith, so that at last we will all reach Heaven and there rejoice together’. (St. Andrew Kim Taegon)

Dear Pope Francis rip. Just three days after our dear Joan. May the Lord have mercy on their gentle souls. Amen.

Joy☀️🙏🏻

 ‘Be very careful on over complaining. Focus on God’s goodness, experiencing that goodness, sharing that goodness with those close to you and transmitting that goodness’. (Fr. John Bartunek)

I awoke this morning thanking God for restful sleep and at the same time pondering over my many aches and pains. Arms aching, could my beloved backpack be to blame. Feet hurting, could my sandals be at fault. Or could the fact that I am in my late (exhilaratingly late!) sixties, have anything to do with it….

Then ping!! Phone message touches down that reads like this…

‘My daughter got to write a little passage about her Confirmation name, to display in Church. She wrote that she chose ‘Bridget’ because of you and her teacher, (also named Bridget). Both of you represent Faith in motion to her’.

Joyful tidings shift our gaze, gladdening our heart. Instantly, all pains and aches fade away as I praise and thank God from my deepest heart for my wonderful life and oh so much more.

My morning reframed with gratitude and joy. True joy is not the absence of pain, it is the presence of God.

‘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)

Made of sand!! I love Cork city!

Ash Wednesday, distributing Holy Ashes in a little country school. Before we begin, Teacher asks the children why the sign of the Holy Cross is imprinted on our foreheads with Holy ashes on this day. Silence for a moment until one little girl, probably tiniest of them all, speaks with unvarnished clarity; ‘We are sorry’.

Three little words choc full of beautiful theology from the mouth of a child! Unforgettable!!