Saturday is the feast of dear Saint Joseph the Just. Patron Saints of Fathers. Pray for all men especially those who are fathers that we may always provide for our loved ones as long as God allows us time with them. Amen
Friday, 18 March 2011
Tuesday, 15 March 2011
The third secret of Fatima
The following is taken from the Vatican Website:
There are other parts to the secret of Fatima:
The third part of the secret revealed at the Cova da Iria-Fatima, on 13 July 1917.
I write in obedience to you, my God, who command me to do so through his Excellency the Bishop of Leiria and through your Most Holy Mother and mine.
After the two parts which I have already explained, at the left of Our Lady and a little above, we saw an Angel with a flaming sword in his left hand; flashing, it gave out flames that looked as though they would set the world on fire; but they died out in contact with the splendour that Our Lady radiated towards him from her right hand: pointing to the earth with his right hand, the Angel cried out in a loud voice: ‘Penance, Penance, Penance!'. And we saw in an immense light that is God: ‘something similar to how people appear in a mirror when they pass in front of it' a Bishop dressed in White ‘we had the impression that it was the Holy Father'. Other Bishops, Priests, men and women Religious going up a steep mountain, at the top of which there was a big Cross of rough-hewn trunks as of a cork-tree with the bark; before reaching there the Holy Father passed through a big city half in ruins and half trembling with halting step, afflicted with pain and sorrow, he prayed for the souls of the corpses he met on his way; having reached the top of the mountain, on his knees at the foot of the big Cross he was killed by a group of soldiers who fired bullets and arrows at him, and in the same way there died one after another the other Bishops, Priests, men and women Religious, and various lay people of different ranks and positions. Beneath the two arms of the Cross there were two Angels each with a crystal aspersorium in his hand, in which they gathered up the blood of the Martyrs and with it sprinkled the souls that were making their way to God.
There are other parts to the secret of Fatima:
The first part is the vision of hell.
Our Lady showed us a great sea of fire which seemed to be under the earth. Plunged in this fire were demons and souls in human form, like transparent burning embers, all blackened or burnished bronze, floating about in the conflagration, now raised into the air by the flames that issued from within themselves together with great clouds of smoke, now falling back on every side like sparks in a huge fire, without weight or equilibrium, and amid shrieks and groans of pain and despair, which horrified us and made us tremble with fear. The demons could be distinguished by their terrifying and repulsive likeness to frightful and unknown animals, all black and transparent. This vision lasted but an instant. How can we ever be grateful enough to our kind heavenly Mother, who had already prepared us by promising, in the first Apparition, to take us to heaven. Otherwise, I think we would have died of fear and terror.
We then looked up at Our Lady, who said to us so kindly and so sadly:
“You have seen hell where the souls of poor sinners go. To save them, God wishes to establish in the world devotion to my Immaculate Heart. If what I say to you is done, many souls will be saved and there will be peace. The war is going to end: but if people do not cease offending God, a worse one will break out during the Pontificate of Pius XI. When you see a night illumined by an unknown light, know that this is the great sign given you by God that he is about to punish the world for its crimes, by means of war, famine, and persecutions of the Church and of the Holy Father. To prevent this, I shall come to ask for the consecration of Russia to my Immaculate Heart, and the Communion of reparation on the First Saturdays. If my requests are heeded, Russia will be converted, and there will be peace; if not, she will spread her errors throughout the world, causing wars and persecutions of the Church. The good will be martyred; the Holy Father will have much to suffer; various nations will be annihilated. In the end, my Immaculate Heart will triumph. The Holy Father will consecrate Russia to me, and she shall be converted, and a period of peace will be granted to the world”.(7)
Saint Malachy - prophecy of the Popes - the last 10
There is a supposed Prophecy of the last 112 popes of the Catholic Church begining with Pope Celestine II (elected in 1143) and concluding with a pope described in the prophecy as "Peter the Roman", whose pontificate will end in the destruction of the city of Rome. Here is the list of the fianl 10. You can check out the full list on Wikipedia:
Pope Benedict XV (Religio depopulata)The motto means "religions laid waste". During Pope Benedict XV's reign, four significant events occurred:
1. the apparitions of the Blessed Virgin Mary at Fátima in 1917
2. World War I, which killed 20 million people in Europe,
3. Spanish flu, the 1918 flu pandemic which killed 50–100 million people worldwide
4. the October Revolution in Russia, which established the atheist Soviet Union.
Pope Pius XI(Fides intrepida)The motto means "intrepid faith". This pope released the encyclical Mit Brennender Sorge which condemned Nazi racism and also signed agreements with Fascist Italy which, among other things, gave the Vatican sovereignty, established the pope as head of state, and added 700 million lire to the church coffers.
Pope Pius XII (Pastor angelicus)The motto means "angelic shepherd". This pope was known to be very mystical, and it was believed that he received visions. His writings added greatly to understanding of Catholic beliefs and church doctrine. During his reign, Pius exercised Papal Infallibility in defining dogma when he issued, on November 1, 1950 an apostolic constitution, Munificentissimus Deus, which defines ex cathedra the dogma of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary into heaven, on the request of the heavenly father. He was declared Venerable in 2009.
Pope John XXIII (Pastor et nauta)"Pastor et nauta" translates to "shepherd and sailor". Prior to his election he was patriarch of Venice, which is a maritime city, famous for its waterways and gondolas.
According to Peter Bander in The Prophecies of Malachy, during the conclave which was to elect John XXIII, Cardinal Spellman (who did not become pope), evidently having taken Malachy's forecast that the next pope would be "pastor and mariner" literally, rented a boat, filled it with sheep and sailed up and down the Tiber.
Pope Paul VI (Flos florum)Pope Paul VI, is described in the prophecies as "flos florum" or "flower of flowers". His personal arms bore three fleurs-de-lis, the heraldic charge best known as that in the arms of the French monarchy. Fleur-de-lis literally means "flower of the lily": yet the medieval flower par excellence was the rose[citation needed], not the lily; and many popes have borne various flowers in their arms.
The fleur-de-lys has the meaning of purity and chastity in Catholic religion. This is based upon scripture. Paul VI published his encyclical Humanae Vitae subtitled On Human Life, on July 25, 1968. In this encyclical he reaffirmed the Catholic Church's traditional condemnation of artificial birth control.
Pope John Paul I (De medietate lunae)"De medietate lunae" translates to "from the midst of the moon" or "from the half moon". It has also been interpreted as "De media aetate lunae", meaning "of the middle age of the moon".
Albino Luciani, who later became Pope John Paul I, was born in Canale d'Agordo, diocese of Belluno, which name is similar to bella luna or beautiful moon.
He was elected on August 26, 1978, the day after the moon reached its last quarter, and reigned for 33 days, approximately five days longer than a lunar cycle. He died the day before the new moon. However, a much simpler explanation might be that he was born on the day of the half moon: on October 17, 1912, the moon was in its first quarter.
Others point to his name before becoming pope, Albino Luciani. Albino is related to "albus", white, and "Luciani", derived from "Lucius", is ultimately related to the Latin word lux "light", whence "white light". Still others have linked "half-moon" to the smile often exhibited by John Paul I, who is remembered by many as the "smiling Pope."
Pope John Paul II (De labore solis).The prophetic motto corresponding to Pope John Paul II is "De labore solis", which literally means "Of the labor (work/giving birth) of the sun"; but "labor solis" is a common Latin expression that means a solar eclipse.
There are a variety of explanations that have been given to explain the motto:
Karol Jozef Wojtyła, who later became Pope John Paul II, was born on 18 May 1920, the day of a partial solar eclipse over the Indian Ocean, and buried on 8 April 200, the day of a rare hybrid eclipse over the south-western Pacific and South America.
During World War II, Karol Wojtyła worked in a quarry, "laboring in the sunlight".
John Paul II introduced the Luminous Mysteries to the Rosary.
Pope Benedict XVI (Gloria olivae)"Gloria olivae" or "glory of the olive", is the last short phrase on the list.
Prior to the papal conclave, this motto led to speculation that the next pontiff would be from the Order of Saint Benedict, whose symbols include the olive branch.
Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger, elected in April 2005, is not a Benedictine, but did choose Benedict XVI as his regnal name, partially named after Benedictine founder Benedict of Nursia, which might be regarded as a fulfillment of this prophecy.
By choosing the name Benedict, the Pope became linked with St. Benedict, who in turn is distantly connected to the Olivetans, a small sub-order of Benedictines. Although it is frequently stated that the Order of St Benedict is also known as that of the Olivetans, this is not true: while all Olivetans are Benedictines, few Benedictines are Olivetans.
On 5 April 1993, the future Pope Benedict XVI was installed as the cardinal bishop of Velletri-Segni. Velletri's coat of arms are emblazoned with three olive trees. It was while Cardinal Bishop of the Sees of Ostia and Velletri-Segni that Cardinal Ratzinger took part in the 2005 Conclave, in which he was elected Pope.
Pope Benedict XVI was born on 16 April, the feast day of Saint Benedict Joseph Labre (26 March 1748 – 16 April 1783), also known as the Holy Pilgrim, with whom the Pope now shares both names, Benedict and Joseph. St. Benedict Labre, however, is not associated with olives, Olivetans or Mount Olivet in any way.
Petrus Romanus
The notation that goes with this Pope is translated as folows: "In the last persecution of the Holy Roman Church, Peter the Roman will hold the see, who will pasture his sheep in many tribulations: and when these things are finished, the city of seven hills will be destroyed, and the terrible judge will judge his people."
However, in the 1595 Lignum Vitae, it is unclear whether the tribulation is related to Gloria Olivae which precedes it, or to Petrus Romanus, which follows it.
There is, also, a claim that the original list written by St. Malachy, does not contain a reference to Petrus Romanus and that the last lines were added to the printed text in Wyon's Lignum Vitæ. This, however, cannot be proved, as the original manuscript (if any) probably no longer exists.
Pope Benedict XV (Religio depopulata)The motto means "religions laid waste". During Pope Benedict XV's reign, four significant events occurred:
1. the apparitions of the Blessed Virgin Mary at Fátima in 1917
2. World War I, which killed 20 million people in Europe,
3. Spanish flu, the 1918 flu pandemic which killed 50–100 million people worldwide
4. the October Revolution in Russia, which established the atheist Soviet Union.
Pope Pius XI(Fides intrepida)The motto means "intrepid faith". This pope released the encyclical Mit Brennender Sorge which condemned Nazi racism and also signed agreements with Fascist Italy which, among other things, gave the Vatican sovereignty, established the pope as head of state, and added 700 million lire to the church coffers.
Pope Pius XII (Pastor angelicus)The motto means "angelic shepherd". This pope was known to be very mystical, and it was believed that he received visions. His writings added greatly to understanding of Catholic beliefs and church doctrine. During his reign, Pius exercised Papal Infallibility in defining dogma when he issued, on November 1, 1950 an apostolic constitution, Munificentissimus Deus, which defines ex cathedra the dogma of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary into heaven, on the request of the heavenly father. He was declared Venerable in 2009.
Pope John XXIII (Pastor et nauta)"Pastor et nauta" translates to "shepherd and sailor". Prior to his election he was patriarch of Venice, which is a maritime city, famous for its waterways and gondolas.
According to Peter Bander in The Prophecies of Malachy, during the conclave which was to elect John XXIII, Cardinal Spellman (who did not become pope), evidently having taken Malachy's forecast that the next pope would be "pastor and mariner" literally, rented a boat, filled it with sheep and sailed up and down the Tiber.
Pope Paul VI (Flos florum)Pope Paul VI, is described in the prophecies as "flos florum" or "flower of flowers". His personal arms bore three fleurs-de-lis, the heraldic charge best known as that in the arms of the French monarchy. Fleur-de-lis literally means "flower of the lily": yet the medieval flower par excellence was the rose[citation needed], not the lily; and many popes have borne various flowers in their arms.
The fleur-de-lys has the meaning of purity and chastity in Catholic religion. This is based upon scripture. Paul VI published his encyclical Humanae Vitae subtitled On Human Life, on July 25, 1968. In this encyclical he reaffirmed the Catholic Church's traditional condemnation of artificial birth control.
Pope John Paul I (De medietate lunae)"De medietate lunae" translates to "from the midst of the moon" or "from the half moon". It has also been interpreted as "De media aetate lunae", meaning "of the middle age of the moon".
Albino Luciani, who later became Pope John Paul I, was born in Canale d'Agordo, diocese of Belluno, which name is similar to bella luna or beautiful moon.
He was elected on August 26, 1978, the day after the moon reached its last quarter, and reigned for 33 days, approximately five days longer than a lunar cycle. He died the day before the new moon. However, a much simpler explanation might be that he was born on the day of the half moon: on October 17, 1912, the moon was in its first quarter.
Others point to his name before becoming pope, Albino Luciani. Albino is related to "albus", white, and "Luciani", derived from "Lucius", is ultimately related to the Latin word lux "light", whence "white light". Still others have linked "half-moon" to the smile often exhibited by John Paul I, who is remembered by many as the "smiling Pope."
Pope John Paul II (De labore solis).The prophetic motto corresponding to Pope John Paul II is "De labore solis", which literally means "Of the labor (work/giving birth) of the sun"; but "labor solis" is a common Latin expression that means a solar eclipse.
There are a variety of explanations that have been given to explain the motto:
Karol Jozef Wojtyła, who later became Pope John Paul II, was born on 18 May 1920, the day of a partial solar eclipse over the Indian Ocean, and buried on 8 April 200, the day of a rare hybrid eclipse over the south-western Pacific and South America.
During World War II, Karol Wojtyła worked in a quarry, "laboring in the sunlight".
John Paul II introduced the Luminous Mysteries to the Rosary.
Pope Benedict XVI (Gloria olivae)"Gloria olivae" or "glory of the olive", is the last short phrase on the list.
Prior to the papal conclave, this motto led to speculation that the next pontiff would be from the Order of Saint Benedict, whose symbols include the olive branch.
Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger, elected in April 2005, is not a Benedictine, but did choose Benedict XVI as his regnal name, partially named after Benedictine founder Benedict of Nursia, which might be regarded as a fulfillment of this prophecy.
By choosing the name Benedict, the Pope became linked with St. Benedict, who in turn is distantly connected to the Olivetans, a small sub-order of Benedictines. Although it is frequently stated that the Order of St Benedict is also known as that of the Olivetans, this is not true: while all Olivetans are Benedictines, few Benedictines are Olivetans.
On 5 April 1993, the future Pope Benedict XVI was installed as the cardinal bishop of Velletri-Segni. Velletri's coat of arms are emblazoned with three olive trees. It was while Cardinal Bishop of the Sees of Ostia and Velletri-Segni that Cardinal Ratzinger took part in the 2005 Conclave, in which he was elected Pope.
Pope Benedict XVI was born on 16 April, the feast day of Saint Benedict Joseph Labre (26 March 1748 – 16 April 1783), also known as the Holy Pilgrim, with whom the Pope now shares both names, Benedict and Joseph. St. Benedict Labre, however, is not associated with olives, Olivetans or Mount Olivet in any way.
Petrus Romanus
The notation that goes with this Pope is translated as folows: "In the last persecution of the Holy Roman Church, Peter the Roman will hold the see, who will pasture his sheep in many tribulations: and when these things are finished, the city of seven hills will be destroyed, and the terrible judge will judge his people."
However, in the 1595 Lignum Vitae, it is unclear whether the tribulation is related to Gloria Olivae which precedes it, or to Petrus Romanus, which follows it.
There is, also, a claim that the original list written by St. Malachy, does not contain a reference to Petrus Romanus and that the last lines were added to the printed text in Wyon's Lignum Vitæ. This, however, cannot be proved, as the original manuscript (if any) probably no longer exists.
three days darkness
The prophets of doom quote Blessed Anna Maria Taigi and her prophecy of the three days darkness alot. Here it is as taken from the Opus Dei Website:
Years ago I came cross this prophecy and I remember mention of a type of Candle. Also that one third of France would be destroyed. I see many versions now that say one third of the World would be destroyed.
"God will send two punishments: one will be in the form of wars, revolutions and other evils; it shall originate on earth. The other will be sent from Heaven. There shall come over the whole earth an intense darkness lasting three days and three nights. Nothing can be seen, and the air will be laden with pestilence which will claim mainly, but not only, the enemies of religion. It will be impossible to use any man-made lighting during this darkness, except blessed candles. He, who out of curiosity, opens his window to look out, or leaves his home, will fall dead on the spot. During these three days, people should remain in their homes, pray the Rosary and beg God for mercy."
"All the enemies of the Church, whether known or unknown, will perish over the whole earth during that universal darkness, with the exception of a few whom God will soon convert. The air shall be infected by demons who will appear under all sorts of hideous forms."
(Prophecy of Blessed Anna Maria Taigi (1769-1837 A.D.) who was Beatified by Pope Bendedict XV in 1920.)
Years ago I came cross this prophecy and I remember mention of a type of Candle. Also that one third of France would be destroyed. I see many versions now that say one third of the World would be destroyed.
Sunday, 13 March 2011
judgement day may 21st 2011
Oh NO! Not another one? Another quack predicts the end of the world.
This time it is Harold Camping (born 1921). He is a Religious radio broadcaster and president of Family Stations, Inc., a California-based religious broadcasting network, including more than 150 outlets in the United States, as well as a Web site.
Camping's latest prediction is that the Rapture will be on May 21, 2011.
I disagree with him for several reasons:
1. The Rapture teaching is not a catholic teaching,
so the alleged prophecy does not apply to me.
2. According to Saint Malachy, it is the time of the next pope
that the anti-christ reveals himself.
3. The Mayan Calendar has 2012 as it's end of world date.
4. The Solar flare to affect the world hopes to hit in 2012
5. There was a movie about world devestation in 2012 (hollywood never lies).
6. I have something planned for December 2011. LOL!
The three days darkness gives us a great guide to the great tribulation, but the end of the world, that is for God to know and us to guess.
This time it is Harold Camping (born 1921). He is a Religious radio broadcaster and president of Family Stations, Inc., a California-based religious broadcasting network, including more than 150 outlets in the United States, as well as a Web site.
Camping's latest prediction is that the Rapture will be on May 21, 2011.
I disagree with him for several reasons:
1. The Rapture teaching is not a catholic teaching,
so the alleged prophecy does not apply to me.
2. According to Saint Malachy, it is the time of the next pope
that the anti-christ reveals himself.
3. The Mayan Calendar has 2012 as it's end of world date.
4. The Solar flare to affect the world hopes to hit in 2012
5. There was a movie about world devestation in 2012 (hollywood never lies).
6. I have something planned for December 2011. LOL!
The three days darkness gives us a great guide to the great tribulation, but the end of the world, that is for God to know and us to guess.
Wednesday, 9 March 2011
with ashes on his forehead he joins the fray
So this guy I know asked a simple question. However his tone suggested scorn: "Do you think that receiving ashes will save your soul?"
Well the truth is no. Ashes are sacramental.
Sacramentals are signs instituted by the church to help us in our spiritual life. Lent is about repentance. Ashes are about repentance.
Every year I end up dealing with someone who has no idea what's going on. "Aye Man! You have something black on your forehead."
"Yes Dude! It's Ashes. Today is Ash Wednesday."... In my mind I keep thinking "Humility, humility, humility!" while the other voice in my head wants to say... "what rock are you living under? Today is ASH WEDNESDAY... ashes on my head.. ash wednesday.. make the link."
I think that keeping the ashes on and trying to use the discussion that it brings as a teaching opportunity is a great idea... and so I do, even though I will never change the mind of the haters who react angrily to anything Catholic.
Well the truth is no. Ashes are sacramental.
Sacramentals are signs instituted by the church to help us in our spiritual life. Lent is about repentance. Ashes are about repentance.
Every year I end up dealing with someone who has no idea what's going on. "Aye Man! You have something black on your forehead."
"Yes Dude! It's Ashes. Today is Ash Wednesday."... In my mind I keep thinking "Humility, humility, humility!" while the other voice in my head wants to say... "what rock are you living under? Today is ASH WEDNESDAY... ashes on my head.. ash wednesday.. make the link."
I think that keeping the ashes on and trying to use the discussion that it brings as a teaching opportunity is a great idea... and so I do, even though I will never change the mind of the haters who react angrily to anything Catholic.
Tuesday, 1 March 2011
The Cab Ride
I recieved the story below as an emial. Maybe it is true maybe it is not, but it sure is moving:
Twenty years ago, I drove a cab for a living. When I arrived at 2:30 a.m., the building was dark except for a single light in a ground floor window.
Under these circumstances, many drivers would just honk once or twice, wait a minute, and then drive away. But I had seen too many impoverished people who depended on taxis as their only means of transportation. Unless a situation smelled of danger, I always went to the door.
This passenger might be someone who needs my assistance, I reasoned to myself. So I walked to the door and knocked. "Just a minute", answered a frail, elderly voice. I could hear something being dragged across the floor. After a long pause, the door opened. A small woman in her 80s stood before me. She was wearing a print dress and a pillbox hat with a veil pinned on it, like somebody out of a 1940s movie. By her side was a small nylon suitcase. The apartment looked as if no one had lived in it for years. All the furniture was covered with sheets. There were no clocks on the walls, no knickknacks or utensils on the counters. In the corner was a cardboard box filled with photos and glassware.
"Would you carry my bag out to the car?" she said. I took the suitcase to the cab, then returned to assist the woman. She took my arm and we walked slowly toward the curb. She kept thanking me for my kindness. "It's nothing", I told her. "I just try to treat my passengers the way I would want my mother treated".
"Oh, you're such a good boy", she said. When we got in the cab, she gave me an address, and then asked, "Could you drive through downtown?"
"It's not the shortest way," I answered quickly.
"Oh, I don't mind," she said. "I'm in no hurry. I'm on my way to a hospice." I looked in the rear-view mirror. Her eyes were glistening. "I don't have any family left," she continued. "The doctor says I don't have very long. " I quietly reached over and shut off the meter.
"What route would you like me to take?" I asked. For the next two hours, we drove through the city. She showed me the building where she had once worked as an elevator operator. We drove through the neighborhood where she and her husband had lived when they were newlyweds. She had me pull up in front of a furniture warehouse that had once been a ballroom where she had gone dancing as a girl. Sometimes she'd ask me to slow in front of a particular building or corner and would sit staring into the darkness, saying nothing.
As the first hint of sun was creasing the horizon, she suddenly said,
"I'm tired. Let's go now" We drove in silence to the address she had given me. It was a low building, like a small convalescent home, with a driveway that passed
under a portico. Two orderlies came out to the cab as soon as we pulled up. They were
solicitous and intent, watching her every move. They must have been expecting her.
I opened the trunk and took the small suitcase to the door.. The woman was already seated in a wheelchair. "How much do I owe you?" she asked, reaching into her purse.
"Nothing," I said .
"You have to make a living," she answered.
"There are other passengers," I responded. Almost without thinking, I bent
and gave her a hug. She held onto me tightly.
"You gave an old woman a little moment of joy," she said. "Thank you."
I squeezed her hand, and then walked into the dim morning light. Behind me, a door shut. It was the sound of the closing of a life. I didn't pick up any more passengers that shift. I drove aimlessly lost in thought. For the rest of that day, I could hardly talk. What if that woman had gotten an angry driver, or one who was impatient to end his shift? What if I had refused to take the run, or had honked once, then driven away?
On a quick review, I don't think that I have done anything more important in my life. We're conditioned to think that our lives revolve around great moments. But great moments often catch us unaware-beautifully wrapped in what others may consider a small one.
PEOPLE MAY NOT REMEMBER EXACTLY WHAT YOU DID,
OR WHAT YOU SAID, BUT
THEY WILL ALWAYS REMEMBER HOW YOU MADE THEM FEEL.
Make someone feel good for Jesus Today!
Twenty years ago, I drove a cab for a living. When I arrived at 2:30 a.m., the building was dark except for a single light in a ground floor window.
Under these circumstances, many drivers would just honk once or twice, wait a minute, and then drive away. But I had seen too many impoverished people who depended on taxis as their only means of transportation. Unless a situation smelled of danger, I always went to the door.
This passenger might be someone who needs my assistance, I reasoned to myself. So I walked to the door and knocked. "Just a minute", answered a frail, elderly voice. I could hear something being dragged across the floor. After a long pause, the door opened. A small woman in her 80s stood before me. She was wearing a print dress and a pillbox hat with a veil pinned on it, like somebody out of a 1940s movie. By her side was a small nylon suitcase. The apartment looked as if no one had lived in it for years. All the furniture was covered with sheets. There were no clocks on the walls, no knickknacks or utensils on the counters. In the corner was a cardboard box filled with photos and glassware.
"Would you carry my bag out to the car?" she said. I took the suitcase to the cab, then returned to assist the woman. She took my arm and we walked slowly toward the curb. She kept thanking me for my kindness. "It's nothing", I told her. "I just try to treat my passengers the way I would want my mother treated".
"Oh, you're such a good boy", she said. When we got in the cab, she gave me an address, and then asked, "Could you drive through downtown?"
"It's not the shortest way," I answered quickly.
"Oh, I don't mind," she said. "I'm in no hurry. I'm on my way to a hospice." I looked in the rear-view mirror. Her eyes were glistening. "I don't have any family left," she continued. "The doctor says I don't have very long. " I quietly reached over and shut off the meter.
"What route would you like me to take?" I asked. For the next two hours, we drove through the city. She showed me the building where she had once worked as an elevator operator. We drove through the neighborhood where she and her husband had lived when they were newlyweds. She had me pull up in front of a furniture warehouse that had once been a ballroom where she had gone dancing as a girl. Sometimes she'd ask me to slow in front of a particular building or corner and would sit staring into the darkness, saying nothing.
As the first hint of sun was creasing the horizon, she suddenly said,
"I'm tired. Let's go now" We drove in silence to the address she had given me. It was a low building, like a small convalescent home, with a driveway that passed
under a portico. Two orderlies came out to the cab as soon as we pulled up. They were
solicitous and intent, watching her every move. They must have been expecting her.
I opened the trunk and took the small suitcase to the door.. The woman was already seated in a wheelchair. "How much do I owe you?" she asked, reaching into her purse.
"Nothing," I said .
"You have to make a living," she answered.
"There are other passengers," I responded. Almost without thinking, I bent
and gave her a hug. She held onto me tightly.
"You gave an old woman a little moment of joy," she said. "Thank you."
I squeezed her hand, and then walked into the dim morning light. Behind me, a door shut. It was the sound of the closing of a life. I didn't pick up any more passengers that shift. I drove aimlessly lost in thought. For the rest of that day, I could hardly talk. What if that woman had gotten an angry driver, or one who was impatient to end his shift? What if I had refused to take the run, or had honked once, then driven away?
On a quick review, I don't think that I have done anything more important in my life. We're conditioned to think that our lives revolve around great moments. But great moments often catch us unaware-beautifully wrapped in what others may consider a small one.
PEOPLE MAY NOT REMEMBER EXACTLY WHAT YOU DID,
OR WHAT YOU SAID, BUT
THEY WILL ALWAYS REMEMBER HOW YOU MADE THEM FEEL.
Make someone feel good for Jesus Today!
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