Deep things...and then a sandwich

Joan - the deli lady in my office cafeteria , was making my sandwich last week and I was regaling her with a story of how my little Noah was pulling off his socks right in the middle of the noon day Ascension Feast Mass and how the priest saw the whole thing from the pulpit and caught up with us after to tell us about it. It sparked off an almost immediate spontaneous confession from her about how she was 'actually Catholic' but never really went for Mass. Finding a lovely opportunity to plant a seed - yet again - I probed her gently and her first reason was that 'the priest who she admired and loved when she was a little girl' was now retired and she stopped going ever since he stopped being their parish priest. Hmmm!!! .... And then came the next almost matter of fact reason that a cousin was abused by a priest and that's why....I quickly lifted a prayer - I had to tread carefully and it is no wonder at all that the Holy Spirit quickly put words in my mouth - the words that ONLY God knew would move Joan. Referring to the first reason, the words that tumbled out of my mouth were that if Fr.X only knew he would be a stumbling block in a relationship between Joan and Jesus - he would probably do differently. If he knew his flock disappeared with his retiring, he would be deeply saddened because then it would mean he failed in his life's mission. Joan's face changed colors with that revelation. I knew it struck a cord within her. She gave me a tight squeeze and whispered 'Thank you for telling me that...I'll try and go for Mass again...' and ran into the pantry to wipe tears. I doubly blessed my sandwich as I ate it that day.

"The spirit searches into all things, even the deep things of God."—1 COR. 2:10.

The Woman in his life..

My little Noah is going to be one who is least interested in food. I can see it already!! Exactly the opposite of his sister who has had a great appetite and ate with flourish( well!! at least until recently).We will need to come up with creative ways to feed him. But for now,he is taking in all the action. He likes new faces - will wake up from his sleep to respond to a totally new face peering down at him. He has pretty much started his morning baby personal prayer time - pretty much just like my Claire started early...And as our loving Mother peers down at him from the altar , I pray that she may be his constant intercessor and guide. And may be she the most important woman in his life...I hope that as he grows, I can teach him that 'Real men pray the Rosary' and that it is the most powerful weapon anyone will ever need.

It is OK if you kill me!

Reading to Claire is such a relaxing activity...but at times she does startle me with her perfect interpretations. Reading from a book of Children's Bible stories, we came across Jesus's passion and crucifixion. She says "Jesus is so good. He said it is ok if you kill me..". Such a statement can surely elicit shocked reactions. But I knew where my little munchkin was coming from. She seemed to have gotten the crux of the salvation story better than any one else I know. She knows that there was no way out of Satan's grasp than the redeeming death of Jesus. She knows so well that our dear Lord would not have backed out of that one - knowing that He was taking us from death to life by his humble willingness to suffer and die on the cross.... Out of the mouth of babes flows the deep transforming truth... nothing but the truth...