| Quote for the Day: Decide what you want, decide what you are willing to exchange for it. Establish your priorities and go to work." H. L. Hunt |
Friendship Friday
When thinking about friendship - it occurs to me what powerful friendships we have in sharing with one another our life of faith. To have a friend one must share one's self. And of course that sharing takes place on all sorts of different levels - but the bond of a common faith - links across nations, race, economics - almost everything.
Pretty awesome. Something I don't think I have noted with enough gratitude. One of my most favorite stories in the whole world ( probably shared it with you before) was one I read in an old Catholic Digest magazine. It was about this elderly Mexican lady who had just arrived in the United States, could not speak a word of English and needed surgery.
They had put her in a hospital bed and she was frightened to death. They could do nothing to calm her or assure her that she would be all right because no one knew any Spanish. Finally they called upon one nurse who they thought knew some Spanish. She didn't. Well, not much. The only thing she knew in Spanish was the "Hail Mary." But since there was no one else with anything better to offer she went to see this very sick and frightened patient.
She walked quietly into the room but the poor lady was so afraid of all these American doctors and nurses (probably had heard all sorts of strange tales) that she practically jumped out of the bed when the nurse walked in. The nurse smiled at her to reassure her - it did nothing to help her.
So at a loss of what to do to help... and praying quite desperately herself to think of what to do, the nurse reached into her pocket, pulled out her rosary and started to pray the one thing she knew in Spanish, the "Hail Mary."
The poor, sick lady was so surprised, that tears started streaming down her face and softly she joined in with her to pray the Hail Mary. She was totally transformed, her fears quieted and she calmed down to a point that the other nurses were able to help her get ready for her much needed surgery.
We never know how much our "little" bit can make a "BIG" bit of difference to someone else. I love that story. It's true - though I cannot remember how many years ago I read it so as to find it again. It just speaks so powerfully to me.
Blessings of Peace and All Good,
Sister Patricia
The Confession Connection The Sacrament of Reconciliation: Celebrating God's Forgiveness by Sandra DeGidio, O.S.M. Day Seven: Conversion: An ongoing process Let's look again at our story. The young man takes the first step in the conversion process when he "comes to his senses," overcomes his blindness and sees what he must do. "I will break away and return to my father." Before he ever gets out of the pigpen, he admits his sinfulness. And in this acknowledgement of sin he both expresses contrition and determines his own penance. "I will say to him, "Father, I have sinned against God and against you...Treat me like one of your hired hands.." Contrition means examining our present relationships in the light of the Gospel imperative of love, and taking the necessary steps to repent and repair those relationships with others, ourselves and God. The repentence step in the conversion process is what is commonly called "making satisfaction for our sins," or "doing penance." To be continued A selected article from "101 Inspirational Stories of the Sacrament of Reconciliation." |
1 comment:
Reading your blog this evening dear sister, I am reminded of a story of a then future Father Corapi, who hit rock bottom. His mother gave him a holy card, and told him to pray one Hail Mary a day. He said that at first, he didn't even remember how to pray the Hail Mary, but then one turned into two, then a whole rosary, and today he's a priest. It just goes to show the transforming power of prayer, and gives me hope for the challenges I'm facing!
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