Blown out of the water

I am constantly "blown out of the water" by the people God allows me to meet. When he was alive I was privileged to know Cardinal O'Connor of New York, most Sundays I would drive into the City to attend the Mass he was saying, I just loved that man what a grace and gift. The Pastor at the Cathedral then was also a very special man, he would allow me to go into the crypt underneath the main altar of the Cathedral where past cardinals are buried, but also there is the crypt of Pierre Touissaint. There were times when Pierre Touissanint, would "come to me" in a dream and ask me to pray by him. When this happened I would drive into the City, (I would find a parking space right by the Cathedral, which, is a miracle), I would go into the office at the Cathedral ask to see the Pastor tell him I had a dream of Pierre Touissanint, (amazingly the Pastor was also always there at those times), and he would let me into the crypt to pray by Pierre.

I admire Pierre Touissanint for he was a Haitian New Yorker who refused to hate or be selfish, but instead lived to the full the commandments of heaven and the divine law of love, love for God and for neighbor.

I also met Mother Teresa several times, such a small lady in physical appearance but so big in presence. She would have a reception line when she met people, shake their hand, ask God to bless them and then give each one a Miraculous Medal.

Cardinal O'Connor had a private Chapel where he held special Masses and celebrations, on one occasion I was invited there to attend a Mass with Mother Teresa. Mother Teresa was professing women into her order, a very beautiful ceremony it was. I remember the brief homily Cardinal O'Connor gave, he had such humor, he said whenever Mother, is in town he calls all the priests in the dioceses and would tell them, mother is coming know where your wallet is for she will be asking you to open it. Mother Teresa was not shy in going to everyone and anyone to ask for help in her mission to serve the poor, she definitely had, "Holy boldness"...

Yet out of all these extra-ordinary people that I have been allowed to meet and know the most outstanding are the every day people... I am shamed by them, their levels of faith and love of God are amazing... I will not mention names for the sake of their privacy, but I met a woman who was orphaned at a young age, claimed the Virgin Mary as her mom, came to Jesus everyday in prayer, in trust and love, today she is a very successful business woman, who gives all credit to Jesus. Another is a man who was dying of cancer given 4 months to live, sat before the Eucharist everyday, thanking God for just one more day, he is still alive years later, giving talks on the power of God! Another man, left his job to make himself homeless to have more time to pray and adore God, taking only menial jobs to meet his basic needs.... the list can go on and on... there is such holiness in the laity, in people in the "real world" walking among us day to day... I invite all of you to join them and walk in the ways of Holiness as well. I want to join them and I pray that God will show me how, maybe we can help each other with this, I will pray for you that you realize that you are called to be walking in holiness and please will you pray for me in the same manner, then maybe we can all be like the people that I mentioned above... Then we will never have to wonder if we are doing the will of God in our lives for we will be, the will of God on earth. His Will is to love and to serve... to forgive, to help and to try, just try, God will supply the means you give him the intent... he will not be outdone...