By Sharon Wilson

 

 

Then Jesus said to her in reply,
“O woman, great is your faith!
Let it be done for you as you wish.”
~ Matthew 15:28

 

I sat at the entrance of the parish office. The chair seemed too small for my six-foot frame; honestly, I felt out of place just being in the building. Holy people come in here, and I certainly didn’t fit the bill.

I hadn’t prayed for years; in fact, the last time I had prayed may have been as a child. Back then, my idea of God was of a man with a white beard that sat in the clouds. This whole idea of God and Church just didn’t resonate with me, but something was missing in my life, and maybe, just maybe, it could be found here.

My children were attending Catholic School and going to confession twice a year. When my daughter came home skipping and joyously retelling her trip to the confessional and proudly reciting the Hail Mary that was her penance, I started rethinking the dark and scary place that I had remembered as the confessional.

Maybe things had changed? Perhaps the Church wasn’t this scary place where sinners are judged and thrown into places with strange-sounding names like Purgatory.

I almost left, but instead, I prayed. I prayed that the priest wouldn’t show up! However, before I could bolt, and by what I would later call the grace of God — he walked through the office door. Father asked if I would like a cup of coffee and gestured for me to follow him into the office kitchen. As he reached up into the cupboard to grab a mug, he flipped on the hot water tap and ran hot water into the cup, “To warm the mug so the coffee stays hot longer,” he explained.

This simple act of kindness brought a tear to my eye. A simple gesture of concern, hospitality, and caring affected me deeply, and I thought, “Maybe he isn’t so scary after all, even if he is a priest.”

 

Prayer

Dear Lord, thank you for your wonderful gift of our priests. Bless them and give them strength to lead and serve your people.

Call to Action

Prayerfully consider availing yourself of the Sacrament of Reconciliation.  It is so good for the soul.

 

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