- Jun 6, 2008
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Yesterday, I wanted to go to confession for advent, and since my pastor was on vacation, we had a visiting priest to serve us -- however, he did not hold confessions the previous week and I knew he probably wouldn't do so again this weekend. So I went to a church about 15 miles away, since they had 11 a.m. confessions.
As I waited for Father to arrive, another gentleman came in and asked me where Father was. He read to me the phone number of the rectory and I entered it on my cell phone -- but there was just a voice recording. The man said there was another church nearby that had confessions at 11:30, so I asked if I could follow him. I never knew this church was there, so I took a bulletin to look at their parish activity.
What enlightenment! They have a monthly First Saturday Mass at 9:00 am!! I had gone to Mass for First Friday at another nearby parish, since my pastor was gone, and lamented in my heart that no priest anywhere in my vicinity has a First Saturday liturgy. I did not PRAY about it, I just sighed with a wishful desire, never dreaming that God was preparing the answer the very next day, through this man who just happened to be in the right place at the right time to lead me to a parish that has First Saturdays!
This is not the first time that God has so graciously heard the inmost desire of my heart and anticipated the answer, though I never voiced a petition. I have a holy card in my bible from many years ago, whereon I penned three things that I wanted to do to please God. One of them was to "anticipate the inmost desires" of another and answer their need. Maybe God was reminding me of my resolutions, but even more, I realized once again that God knows our needs before we even ask Him.
I also realized how pleasing this must be to Mary that we fulfill her request to keep First Saturdays in honor of her. All in all, this was a special day, and I thought some might be encouraged by my sharing it.
As I waited for Father to arrive, another gentleman came in and asked me where Father was. He read to me the phone number of the rectory and I entered it on my cell phone -- but there was just a voice recording. The man said there was another church nearby that had confessions at 11:30, so I asked if I could follow him. I never knew this church was there, so I took a bulletin to look at their parish activity.
What enlightenment! They have a monthly First Saturday Mass at 9:00 am!! I had gone to Mass for First Friday at another nearby parish, since my pastor was gone, and lamented in my heart that no priest anywhere in my vicinity has a First Saturday liturgy. I did not PRAY about it, I just sighed with a wishful desire, never dreaming that God was preparing the answer the very next day, through this man who just happened to be in the right place at the right time to lead me to a parish that has First Saturdays!
This is not the first time that God has so graciously heard the inmost desire of my heart and anticipated the answer, though I never voiced a petition. I have a holy card in my bible from many years ago, whereon I penned three things that I wanted to do to please God. One of them was to "anticipate the inmost desires" of another and answer their need. Maybe God was reminding me of my resolutions, but even more, I realized once again that God knows our needs before we even ask Him.
I also realized how pleasing this must be to Mary that we fulfill her request to keep First Saturdays in honor of her. All in all, this was a special day, and I thought some might be encouraged by my sharing it.
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