We are family💞

“For I know the plans I have for you”, declares the Lord. “Plans to prosper you and not to harm you. Plans to give you hope and a future’. (Jeremiah 29:11)

 

Open our eyes Lord.☀️🙏🏻

9.30 Holy Mass this morning, my last for now in this beautiful oasis of peace. I loved hearing Canon Sean speak the words every morning: ‘Now we have come to the Consecration of the Mass when the bread and wine are changed into the Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity of Jesus Christ when the Priest repeats the words of consecration over the bread and wine. So, let us remember that our dear Lord at this very hour, the Consecration of the Mass, the Good Lord Himself is here amongst us’. Many moons ago our primary school teacher imparted that beautiful wisdom to us children and I have never forgotten it.

Just as Holy Mass ended and Holy Rosary was about to begin, someone from the small number of folk who stayed on, got up and shut the Church door. ‘Traffic too noisy’. (And then we scratch our heads and wonder why our young people stay away!)

I am reminded of one time in Veritas book shop. Distraught lady having just received worrying prognosis in hospital, sought words of comfort from a Priest. ‘I will pray for you’, he told her solemnly leaning forward for yet another book from the shelf. (How can we receive more wisdom from Holy Spirit when we do not make good use of the wisdom already in our hearts).

We own NOTHING!! Everything we have has been gifted to us by Father God in His mercy and kindness. All of Creation is in Gift form. Open hearts, open hands, open doors must be our trademark, we are all called to serve. Freely we have received, now we must freely give. 

That way, when the time comes for it surely will ⏰, Father God will not have to prise our fingers off our ‘stuff’, useless baggage accrued on life’s journey. We come into this world with nothing. We leave this world with only our ‘good deeds’. 

‘Go out to the whole world and proclaim the Good News’. (Mark 16:15)

                                                     Loved my green bench in the sunshine.....☀️

Time out⏱☀️🙏🏻

 

9.30AM Holy Mass in the little Church right next door this morning. After Holy Mass lady began to pray Holy Rosary and devout elderly priest who celebrated Holy Mass stayed on and prayed Holy Rosary with us. Truly beautiful 📿. I got to tell him that not alone had he not aged any, since this time last year but that he had undoubtedly gotten younger. ‘That’s great news’, he replied, laughing heartily.

‘But those who wait on The Lord shall renew their strength. They shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint’. (Isaiah 40:31)

I sat on a green bench in the sunshine chatting on phone with my sister Anne. Her husband Mike had a brain-bleed night before their son’s Micheal&Cathy’s Wedding two days ago. What an unforgettable Wedding day - happy and sad, tears go leor, watching and waiting while Mike’s brain surgery took place. Deep relief when glad tidings filtered through that Mike had arrived safely in Recovery room.

Mike and Anne missed out on their son’s Wedding but they are filled with gratitude to God as all of us are. Mike is doing well Thank God. How Great is our God.

Lady who lit ten candles in a glorious radiant line of prayer in Church accepted my prayer. Ross and Chloe, two young Dunnes Stores cashiers accepted joyfully my prayer (at different times). Their eager receptivity delighting my spirit. Two elderly ladies declined.

I love precious time with Diarmuid and Shona in this little picturesque village. Their kindness and caring never ending, balm to my soul. Restorative. 

Ice cream van jingle ground my siesta to an unanticipated halt. Not in many a long day did I witness so much joy in one place as children danced and shouted with unbridled glee outside my window. Such a long time since I heard the Ice cream Van jingle  - I thought they were a thing of the past. Wonderfully reassuring to see that some things never change. 🍦🍦🍦

This evening a visit to beautiful Glendalough. 

‘Think deeply. Speak gently. Love much. Laugh often. Work hard. Give freely. Pray earnestly. Be KIND’. (Source unknown)

Just look what I found in the little corner shop for my grandson Cillian....🥳🍦🍦🍦🍦🍦

The Wedding of Michael and Cathy.💞🎶🎆

“What does the Lord ask of you but to act justly, to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God”.

(Micah 6:8)

Freely we give.🎁

She walked down the aisle having sat awhile adoring Jesus in Most Holy Sacrament, I thought I might offer her a prayer. Then I quickly dismissed the idea but simultaneously, mechanical almost, I arose from my seat following her to the door. She looked at me, tears streaming down her beautiful face. ‘May I pray with you or something’, I stammered. ‘Ukraine’, was all she said.

I cried too. Possessing no word of English, she held out her phone signalling for me to speak. My words would be automatically translated into her Ukrainian dialect. I relayed Antoine’s wisdom spoken to me a few days ago: ‘Please don’t cry. It is bad for you. Just pray’....adding  ‘Jesus told Sr. Mary of the Holy Trinity - ‘Don’t lose your serenity on account of those who are being tried. Pray for them’. She read every word.

Drying her diamond tears, fragile smile emerging, she accepted my prayer. We hugged warmly and then she walked away. I returned to my seat in Church profoundly moved, wordless. I had no idea she was distraught when I got up from my seat to offer her my prayer - but gentle Jesus did!

As Adoration of the Most Blessed Sacrament came to a close a lady approached me. ‘You should be wearing a veil and habit and be in the Poor Clares’, she said. ‘I see you in prayer. You have a gift. Not everyone has it you know’. Taken somewhat aback, I thanked her adding that perhaps I am where God wishes me to be right now.

Our gifts are to be used in the service of others, time for action is NOW, dilly-dallying over. These are terrible times in which we live. 

Missionary Disciples - Jesus has no body now on earth but ours. If not us - then WHO!!!

‘The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?’. (Psalm 27: 1-2)

God is always faithful🇺🇦🇮🇪🙏🏻

‘First keep yourself in peace, and then you will be able to pacify others. A peaceable man does more good than a learned one’. (Thomas a Kempis)

Wish I could have recorded wonderful conversation with Desmond this morning. Gentle kindly man residing in our town for now while his homeland Ukraine suffers intolerably. Not in the least gloomy, Desmond’s words flowed from his big beautiful heart. I can but poorly paraphrase.

When I told him that my grandchildren were shocked to hear that I pray for Mr. Putin, that God will change his heart of stone into a heart of flesh, his reply: ‘Why not? God made him, he is our brother. We must pray all the time for his change of heart’.

I asked him how he could remain hopeful and upbeat in the face of such evil, his reply: ‘Evil never wins. God is good all the time. He is faithful. This war should never have come to pass. May God help all those who have assisted in any way to bring about such carnage. Many people are dying every day, many people are dying right now....’

With tear-filled eyes we both promised we would continue to pray for the aggressor as well as the innocent victims. The cruel aggressor’s heart must be heavy as lead inhabiting a murky world of intense interior darkness. All of us know what a significant burden is  ‘Regret’, there are things we would gladly change if only we could. The day will surely come when the dust settles and then for the first time warmongers will see clearly as the scales fall from their eyes. They will realise fully what they have done. On that day they will need much help.

‘Mr. Putin does not know what he is doing’ whispered Desmond sadly. Prophetic words! At that moment, in unison, we both spoke aloud Jesus beautiful words from His Holy Cross: ‘Father forgive them for they know not what they do’.(Luke 23:34).

Desmond gladly accepted my prayer as we parted company, both of us looking forward already to our next tete a tete soaked in wisdom and light. Tad late for Holy Mass, I knew in my deepest spirit I was exactly where I was meant to be. Encounter extraordinaire engineered by our forever faithful God, Glory be to Him now and forevermore. Amen

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

‘God has given each of us our own work to do. It is for us to pursue our road, that is to say, our vocation.....When God gives us such and such a vocation, He bestows upon us at the same time His Grace to fulfil it’. (St. John Vianney)

This morning (1/7/2022) Antoine and I chatted. When I told him that Ukraine is always in my heart and prayers and sometimes I cry for Ukraine too, Antoine replied gently: ‘Don’t cry. It is bad for you. Just pray’. 🇺🇦😄🙏🏻

‘Do not lose your serenity on account of those who are being tried. Pray for them; offer the sufferings of my Passion and some acts of self-denial. I ask only for Love. So many anxieties and shadows in your heart! Think of me, of me - perfect beauty, splendour, peace, life, truth, holiness - of me, your God who loves you! Give me your heart - your whole heart. Do you not also wish to give me your life? I desire it, I have need of it’. (Jesus to Sr. Mary of the Holy Trinity)

Today☀️

Writing my diary makes tiniest events in my day stand out. Each miraculous moment honoured, nothing goes unnoticed. As a result, my heart is filled to overflowing with gigantic gratitude to God at all times.

Even flat refusals don’t sting like they did before. Two guys on my way to Holy Mass this morning rendered grumpy ‘I’m alright’, almost in unison, when I offered them my prayer. Workmen with lots on their minds I could tell. (One guy hesitated for a split-second....)

Refusals out of the way early, myriad wonderful life-enhancing prayer-sharing encounters ensued. Mary whose daughter is troubled right now. Mary who has just undergone brain-surgery. Marie who just might pray my prayer every morning even though she has ‘given up all that stuff’ but ‘everything happens for a reason’. Three American ladies super happy to accept. As were pleasant couple who dropped into Church on their way through our town to some place else - that a really uplifting sharing.

Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament and my dear friend John got up from his seat and came to sit next to me for no reason at all. We sat together in silence adoring beautiful Jesus. When John does that, then I know for sure in my deepest spirit that I am being comforted by beautiful Jesus. 

Today too an old friend decided to receive Sacrament of Confession after many years. Somehow the topic arose as we strolled in the midday sun. Definitely workings of the Holy Spirit, no other possible explanation. Baffling and downright amazing the way it all came to pass, over the moon for my dear friend.

My friend Dudu from South Africa received word yesterday that she has permission to remain in Ireland having been a refugee in our country for the past two years. We both cried and thanked Almighty God for His immense kindness. Very soon Dudu will return to South Africa for her young child and they will both reside in Ireland, safe and secure. O happy day☀️

Sublime privilege was mine to take Holy Eucharist to my dear lady Sheila in the afternoon. Praying Holy Rosary together better than ‘all the tea in China’ as my dear Mom used to say. I love how our esteemed elders pray Holy Rosary without missing a syllable, proving without a shadow of a doubt that when all else fails Prayer steadfastly endures. I saw it happen with every single person I have had the magnificent privilege of accompanying and I will never tire of bearing witness to that wonderful truth.

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

              Today is the feast day of St. Peter and St. Paul, foremost Apostles of Jesus Christ. 

                                             I love my ‘blast from the past’ gift from dear Phil.

                                                                                 🇺🇦 🇮🇪🙏🏻

Beautiful words of wisdom in my heart and on my lips when I awoke this morning: ‘Enjoy ourselves like we are getting paid. The fructive path’. Yes indeed, living the Simple Abundant life is really that easy - Enjoy what we are asked to do by God - like we are getting paid!.☀️🎁🙏🏻 (Because we ARE🎶☀️🎆