Sharing our brokenness, sharing our Hope☀️

‘Know that you are baptised for this: to bring peace, harmony, love, faith,and hope to people, to those the Lord will allow you meet throughout your life’. (Catherine Doherty)

As I prayed live-streamed 3PM Holy Rosary today lady came into Church and joined in. Afterwards I offered her my prayer and beautiful encounter ensued as she generously shared her narrative with me.

Her dear father went home to be with God short time ago, her dear Mom is not doing so good right now. Her beloved brother passed on without warning two years ago, they are still reeling from the shock of that as they wade through the mucky waters of gaping grief. She herself suffered horrendously twenty seven years ago when her baby and toddler were both killed in a car crash. Her older child paraplegic as a result.

I sat silently bewildered by her beaming smile, her gentle demeanour. ‘What carried you through’, I asked. ‘We were always a strong family of faith’, she replied. 

Scarcely credible tale of not merely ‘survival’ but ‘living well’ and ‘suffering well’ in the midst of unimaginable tragedy and grief. 

Prayer most certainly transforms us! We are children of the Light and we rise and shine and give God His Glory! Jesus Christ is risen and He is in our midst. Alleluia ☀️

 I take my leave of gentle lady with an even more grateful heart, another pebble placed in the colourful mosaic of my life. Holy Rosary visitor confirmed first hand what Saint Mother Teresa’s mother brokenheartedly told her daughter as they parted company, knowing full well they would never again be together here on earth: ‘Put your hand in His, in Jesus Hand and walk all the way with Him’.

‘Just hang on to Him’, I heard an elderly religious sister say one time.🥳☀️

My visitor accepted four prayers and henceforward her dear Mom will pray Holy Rosary online with us from the comfort of her own home many miles away from here.

‘Beauty is the heart’s encounter with the Living God’. (Bill Donaghy)

‘Bless the Lord O my soul and all that is within me, Bless His Holy Name’. (Psalm 103:1).                    (repeat many times when in pain and despair) 

‘My whole strength lies in Prayer. Prayer enkindles the fires of love in the heart. Prayer brings joy to the soul. Prayer moves hearts far better than words ever can. I know it by experience’.                                (The Little Flower)

Turn the other cheek.🙏🏻☀️

‘When faced with things unkind - never waste your strength against a hard and stubborn mind. You will only hurt yourself a worthless point to win. Better far to cultivate the grace of giving in.

(Patience Strong)

I was not expecting any pleasantness from lady when I requested that she move her car to allow my sister and husband drive by but her downright disdain sure did shock me, my family too. Lady flatly refused for no reason at all! No choice left to them but reverse, not an easy task for John who suffers horrendously with backache. Crazy town!

My family and I chatted a while, uttered a prayer to dispel the darkness and then parted company. I hurried to get my bloods taken in Docter’s surgery (routine checkup). In the waiting room wonderful conversation took place between the elderly gentleman, woman and me. 

Woman, noticing my cross and chain asked if I believed in ‘prayer’, she herself  ‘wasn’t so sure’. After some time and much gentle open sharing I offered them both my prayer. Gentleman asked if I would read it aloud to him as he did not have his glasses with him, afterwards placing it in his pocket. Lady too accepted my prayer  joyfully. 

Holy Mass next and young man came and sat near me. Yes, you guessed it! he accepted my prayer too, laughingly halfheartedly. ‘Keep it for now’, I suggested ‘and who knows, some fine day you might even pray it’. He placed it in his pocket too.

Thing is! Had I permitted unpleasantness which had occurred earlier, settle in my bones, had I ferried rude lady along in my heart as I went about my day, all joy would be dried up and I would have been too addled to notice or care about the beautiful people I had the privilege of encountering. 

My afternoon with dear Sheila who bravely endures Alzheimers would have been ruined too while instead, our time together joyful, prayerful and fun filled.

‘When you are really agitated and angry, don’t do what you are thinking of doing because you are being counselled by demons’. (St. Ignatius of Loyola)

I know of course that without gentle strength of Jesus Christ as He walks beside me every inch of my life journey I would fail abysmally every time, of that I am quite certain. Gazing on the always merciful Holy Face of Jesus, resting in my deepest heart, before making one false move, asking: ‘What would you do Jesus?’, grants me pause, shifts my gaze and changes everything. ‘I know my Redeemer lives’. (Job 19:25)

Wiping the dust off my feet I then walk on unhindered in the Gladsome Light of Jesus Christ.

‘Let us show that we are Christians! Let us live the Gospel so that others can touch it. We are weak, sinful and unimportant. We must try to live the Gospel with our lives’. (Servant of God Catherine Doherty)

‘Hurry up now girl. I can’t keep smiling all day’, says my dear Sheila.😂

I am reminded right now of a lady I met one time on retreat. I noticed written on her charming shoes plainly for all to see; ‘Peace in the world’. She told me that she dwelled beside an extremely unreasonable neighbour and things had gotten so bad that she had no choice but consult her solicitor re what her options might be. The lady worked in a Charity Shop and very soon after that, one day someone dropped in a pair of shoes to be resold. The lady looked at what was written on the shoes (Peace in the world), purchased them for herself and there and then rang her solicitor calling off all plans of retribution. Her neighbour did not change but the lady’s heart softened. Wonderful Holy Spirit intervened.🕊

‘Oh Jesus, You who suffer, grant that today and every day I may be able to see you in the person of your sick ones, and that by offering them my care, I may serve you. Grant that, even if you are hidden under the unattractive disguise of anger, of crime, or of mental illness, I may recognise you and say; ‘Jesus, you who suffer, how sweet it is to serve you....Lord increase my faith. Bless my efforts and my work, now and forever. Amen’. (St. Mother Teresa)

‘Charity is the form, mover, mother and root of all the virtues’. (St. Thomas Aquinas)

. 

Free travel.🚌

Public Services/Free travel Card touched down on the mat this morning. Wonderful gift from God! Apart from benefits attached, grander still sublime privilege of being alive and well enough to avail of so generous a gift. I found perfect quote for this auspicious occasion:

‘Do we remember how to be joyous? Or have we lost joy, along with so much else. Perhaps, it is because we have lost simplicity. We have allowed our needs and fears to conquer us. Let Holy simplicity guide our steps, our lives, our prayers’. (Servant of God Catherine Doherty - founder of Madonna House)

Big Birthday.🥳🎁

Nazareth Academy High School choir from Philadelphia sang at 11AM Holy Mass in our Church this morning. What a gift to my heart on the day I turn sixty six years of age. Now I am officially an OAP. When my bus-pass arrives, please God, I will have free travel to any location in the republic of Ireland.🚌🎶 

I offered my prayer to gifted young ladies from Philadelphia with angelic voices, all accepted joyfully. Holy Spirit prompt. Trinitarian principle - share and share alike - on this special Feast of the Blessed Trinity and always. 

Our lives should reflect the Trinity. We should be always creative like the Father, compassionate like His Son, and dispose our talents in the service of others like the Holy Spirit.

Chatting with my precious family in the afternoon. We may be apart physically on my ‘big birthday’ but not where it matters most. We are in each other’s hearts all of the time. Agape love. Their kindness and compassion know no bounds.

God first and foremost, my boys and families next, followed by all others. Killian would oftentimes say when he was little: ‘When we love God, we love each other’. Yes, that is how the story goes.❤️ When we love God above all things then it is God who loves our family and friends through us. We love them with God’s Love which is much stronger than our own love. 

God gives us the Love to love them more.

‘Thou dost keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on Thee, because He trusts in Thee. (Isaiah 26:3)

                    Tanye gifted me sublime painting of Mariinski Palace in her beloved Kiev.🇺🇦

                   ‘Beauty is the heart’s encounter with the Living God’. (Bill Donaghy)

                                                     Mischa’s gift - fragrant flowers.🇺🇦

                                                        Food and fun😀 Mary, Anne and me🎁

                                 Diarmuid got me this super cushion for my cozy prayer corner.📿❤️

      First swim of 2022 in the freezing Atlantic. 🥶 

                                               Tony 🐈‍⬛ drops by at the end of a glorious day.😄

Wonderful day filled with love and light. I love every birthday. Thank you Father God for this magnificent life. Don’t just live - live with passion.🥳

Delightful day.☀️

‘Let us recognise our infirmity but confess the power of God. The Christian life has to be shot through with optimism, joy and the strong conviction that our Lord wishes to make use of us’. 

(St. Jose Maria Escriva)

‘Your birthday gift will arrive tomorrow. Not for you to keep, it must be passed on to somebody else’, Killian’s surprising delightful words spoken to me yesterday. Neat package touched down this morning and to my outstanding delightful surprise, inside, most glorious leather bound Bible. 

Killian had no idea I had been searching for a Bible, wedding present for my niece Deanne and her new husband Nicolas. In the past on numerous occasions Holy Spirit has touched my life deeply through Killian’s words and actions, but this simply blew my mind. Utterly beautifully scarcely credible.

In the Post Office posting my stunning Bible to France this morning, some wonderful interactions took place, many prayers joyfully received and treasured. Had I been home enjoying much desired lie-in, as would normally be my story on a Saturday morning, myriad miraculous occurrences would not have taken place in my life and the lives of others. Unbeknownst to myself I would be poorer by far this night.

I visited St. Anne’s in the afternoon. Dear Rosie, deep in Alzheimers, ever so faintly sang along with me every time I sang a verse of ‘Hail Queen of Heaven’. Real beauty is definitely an encounter with the Living God. Marvelling as she sat silently and content in her comfortable chair, I whispered: ‘Rosie you have no problems now’. Suddenly, in a moment of special clarity she opened her kindly eyes and with laser beam precision replied: ‘No Thank God’. 

Newsflash!! Heaps to look forward to, God willing, when I reach the ripe old age of ninety. I will have ‘No problems’. How come no one ever mentions that fact when ‘ageing’ is discussed, disdained and downright denigrated!

I assisted Father Larry as he christened baby Erin. Sacred sacrosanct space. I was invited to sing two hymns - one at the start and another at the end. My heart is dancing even now, many hours later.

Sheila and I walked lightly upon the whitest sands of Ballinskelligs beach and dropped into cozy cafe for tea. Our time together easy and precious, oftentimes no words needed or desired.

After I returned home from Vancouver two weeks ago I felt in my deepest spirit something meaningful had changed in my prayer sharing. Difficult to articulate, God always so much bigger than our attempts to describe or understand Him. Something shifted, my grasp loosened. 

In a deeper way I know for certain that Holy Spirit guidance is evident in my dealings with others like never before, intentionality. Invisible plan in place, strength that was not present prior to my gallivanting in foreign parts 🇨🇦 

Only time will tell plainly that which I cannot put into words right now😃

‘He must increase, I must decrease’. (John 3:30)

                                                                   My beautiful Rosie.💞

                                                           My lovely grandnephew Tadhg.🎆

     My niece Mary Agnes sent me this photo this morning at 6AM. She loves my morning prayer.🎆

                                                    Ballinskelligs beach, food for the soul.🎆

Grace☀️

‘When it feels as though life is overwhelming me, body and soul, I try to remember that God wants alone time with me, and He loves to hear me tell Him that I want alone time with Him’. 

(Sophie Lippiatt)

Some days after returning back home jet lag hit me like a lead balloon. No choice but one whole day away from the outside world, all sacred duties/privileges. (Munus - Latin for  ‘A gift of service rendered freely’) suspended.

Next day, still tired, definitely not back to my former self, I returned to Beautiful Holy Mass. Afterwards as I walked through Church grounds little boy full of the joys of spring came bounding in my direction, his little smiling face shining like a thousand suns. ‘You are so handsome’, I told him and in one fell swoop, without hesitation, he ran up to me wrapping his little joy filled arms around me in a most glorious hug. Profound moment of grace. In a flash he dashed lightly along his merry way. Unforgettable.☀️

‘You got a big hug’, his friendly smiling Mom uttered nonchalantly as if to say - What is natural can not be remarkable. Arresting beauty granting me pause in my time of weakness and fragility.

 ‘Beauty is the heart’s encounter with the Living God’. (Bill Donaghy)

Generous kindly Jesus loving me back to wholeness through that sunny light-filled little boy. Grace-packed tender moment of transcendence, beauty and peace that remains in my deepest spirit clear as crystal.

 Process of restoration begun, another diamond from God’s always ‘wide open’  Holy Hands.

My dear friend who has sampled serious suffering told me: ‘Every time I forget to wear my scapular at night, my dreams are horrendous but when I wear it, my dreams are calm and clear’. 

In 1251, St. Simon Stock received a visit from Our Lady in answer to his prayer for Heavenly intercession. She handed him a brown scapular saying: ‘He who dies clothed with this habit shall be preserved from eternal fire. It is a badge of salvation, a shield in time of danger, and a pledge of special peace and protection’.

Jesus.☀️

‘There has never been, nor will there ever be, any figure so sweet, so great, so saintly, so human, so divine as the figure of Jesus. He is the fountain of civilisation and above all the perennial spring of grace for our souls’. (Servant of God Luis Maria Martinez)

“I worry some of you still have not really met Jesus - one to one - you and Jesus alone. We may spend time in the chapel - but have you seen with the eyes of your soul how He looks at you with love?

Do you really know the living Jesus - not from books but from being with Him in your heart?

Have you heard the loving words He speaks to you?

Ask for the grace; He is longing to give it. Until you can hear Jesus in the silence of your own heart, you will not be able to hear Him saying; ‘I thirst’ in the hearts of the poor. 

Never give up this daily intimate contact with Jesus as the real living person - not just the idea”.                   (Saint Mother Teresa)

‘Put you hand in His, in His hand, and walk all the way with Him’. (Saint Mother Teresa’s Mother’s words to her daughter as she went to work with the poorest of the poor in India. Mother and daughter brokenheartedly both knew they would never see each other again in this world. 🙏🏻☀️

Everything we say and do is through Jesus, with Jesus and in Jesus. Amen

                                             Letter from Johnny Cash RIP to a fan.🙏🏻🎶🌸