February 20, 2004
Faith without Works.
On the way driving to noon time Mass, Nancy was praying intently
for the holy souls in purgatory. Nancy was offering at that moment the Mass and
the prayers of the Mass, and her communion for the holy souls in purgatory and in
she prayed that in someway they may be helped. In addition Nancy began to call upon
people that she knew who had died; Stephanie Marie Kuhar, Fr. Joachim Tierney, Dom
Augustine Moore, Mona Karem, people in her childhood, her mother and father and
step mother, Florence and Salvatore Masiello, Emma Hannigan, Bernie Bourdon, Willie
Kooymans and a few others.
Nancy's believes it is important to have compassion and charity toward
holy souls in purgatory and to offer your daily sacrifices to them.
As Nancy was entering the Church, she was thinking that she will
run an errand and go to Lenox Square. After Mass, the Divine Mercy Chaplet was prayed
and then Nancy rushed quickly out of the Church, hoping she would not be interrupted
by the homeless people. She is torn about what is the right thing to do for them.
Some people say that you should not give them money, but you should offer them food.
Just as she was thinking about that dilemma, a small elderly woman
rushed across the Church toward Nancy. It did not seem she was approaching anyone
else. This elderly woman then asked Nancy; "Do you know where I can catch a bus
for Lenox Square?" Nancy abruptly answered her; "No I do not know where you
can catch a bus for Lenox Square." Nancy quickly got in her car and drove off. As
she was heading toward the Interstate she felt terrible. Nancy was thinking, here
I am going into the direction of Lenox Square and this lady needed a ride there
and I did not offer to help her. Then Nancy was reflecting about what the Priest
said during the homely; "Prayer without good works is useless. (Click here to read the reading from Mass on February 20, 2004) You need to have prayer and good works
together."
Then Nancy thought, "O my goodness, maybe the holy souls in
purgatory needed this act of charity for them (not only her prayers but also her
good works too)." Then she was thinking; "Did I fail at that moment to help the
Holy Souls in purgatory?" Maybe a soul needed both prayer and good works.
Nancy was about to enter the interstate, then she made an abrupt
turn back towards the Church looking for the elderly woman. She circled the block
around the Church twice looking for that lady, but Nancy could not see her anywhere.
Nancy wondered in amazement, where did she go? Did she just vanish, where is she?
Then Nancy thought; "Oh my, could that have been and Angel or a soul from purgatory
or even Jesus? She felt very sad."
Nancy went to do her errand at Lenox Square but could not even shop
in peace looking for what she needed. Nancy left without buying anything. Feeling
very remorseful she told God how sorry she was for missing an opportunity to do
an act of charity. As Nancy is telling this story to her friend Marco and as he
was typing it, Nancy saw an immense white light around and on the picture of the
Sacred Heart of Jesus. During this mystical experience Marco kept getting lots of
chills thought out his body. The chills kept getting stronger and stronger. Could
this be the Holy Spirit confirming this?
On Nancy's long drive home she continued to pray telling God how
sorry she was. In the silence of her heart she heard a consoling voice say; "You
tried, you did go back."
In the life of Saint Faustina it was revealed to her when she fed
a beggar, he vanished and then mystical light appeared on the Crucifix. How many
times do we miss seeing Jesus in each other? How many times do we pass Jesus by?
How many times do we fail to help others?
After Nancy told this story to Marco, he told Nancy about an email
that he had recently received concerning the death of Barb Smith. Nancy remembered
that sometime ago Barb Smith left a message on her answering machine and Nancy never
got around in returning her call. Marco said to Nancy that what had happened to
her today brought to his heart how he was not answering emails in a timely manner
too and how Nancy's experience was also directed to him. Marco knew in his heart
that God was talking directly to him too and that he was meant to hear this.
We should reflect that God is the author of time. We have time on
hearth only as long as God gives it to us. It is our prayer that we may use God's
time wisely in glorifying Him and bringing souls to Him and growing in love of God,
neighbor and self.
Matthew 25 (NAB Bible)
- Then he will say to those on his left, 'Depart from me, you accursed, into the eternal
fire prepared for the devil and his angels.
- For I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me no drink,
- a stranger and you gave me no welcome, naked and you gave me no clothing, ill and
in prison, and you did not care for me.'
- Then they will answer and say, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a
stranger or naked or ill or in prison, and not minister to your needs?'
- He will answer them, 'Amen, I say to you, what you did not do for one of these least
ones, you did not do for me.'
- And these will go off to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life."
Mark 12 (NAB Bible)
- One of the scribes, when he came forward
and heard them disputing and saw how well he had answered them, asked him, "Which
is the first of all the commandments?"
- Jesus replied, "The first is this: 'Hear, O Israel!
The Lord our God is Lord alone!
- You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart,
with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.'
- The second is this: 'You shall love your neighbor as
yourself.' There is no other commandment greater than these."
Our journey on hearth is either a journey toward God or away
from Him. We are making our eternity now.
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