Recommended to Heaven

   

               

Years ago I heard a talk where it was suggested that we all adopt a saint. Someone to ‘have our backs’ and pray for us. A condition was added; that we should have something in common with them.

All the sweet ladies could pick St Therese of Lisieux, the clever might go for St Alphonsus, the reformed hell raisers St Augustine perhaps. What was disturbing was that I couldn’t find a saint who fit my profile; surely heaven must have one nutter !

I eventually landed with a different idea. I’d hitch my wagon to the holy souls. Whilst not being the brightest stars in the sky they were on their way, their course was set, they had decided for God and were little by little headed in the right direction. I would pray for them and when they arrive in heaven they can pray for me.

No one goes to heaven alone, we must be recommended, and it can only be those whom we have helped get there first.

Distance no object...a story from Africa (by Dr David Jeremiah)

While serving at a small field hospital in Africa, I travelled every two weeks by bicycle through the jungle to a nearby city for supplies. This required camping overnight halfway. On one of these trips, I saw two men fighting in the city. One was seriously hurt so I treated him and witnessed to him about the Lord Jesus Christ. I then returned home without incident.

Upon arriving in the city several weeks later, I was approached by the man I had treated earlier. He told me he had known that I carried money and medicine. He said, Some friends and I followed you into the jungle, knowing you would camp overnight. We waited for you to go to sleep and planned to kill you and take your money and drugs. Just as we were about to move into your campsite, we saw that you were surrounded by 26 armed guards. I laughed at this and said, I was certainly all alone out in the jungle campsite.The young man pressed the point, No sir, I was not the only one to see the guards. My five friends also saw them, and we all counted them. It was because of those guards that we were afraid and left you alone. 

At this point of my church presentation in Michigan, one of the men in the church stood up and interrupted me. He asked, Can you tell me the exact date when this happened? I thought for a while and recalled the date. 

The man in the congregation then gave his side of the story. He stated, On that night in Africa it was day here. I was preparing to play golf. As I put my bags in the car, I felt the Lord leading me to pray for you. In fact, the urging was so great that I called the men of this church together to pray for you. Will all those men who met to pray please stand? The men who had met that day to pray together stood. . . there were 26 of them!

House of Joy

I have always admired the work of Mother Teresa and the missionaries of charity in reaching out to abandoned children and elderly and my wife and I visited one of their houses in Manila just before we got married; at that time just to drop off a few supplies of baby milk and medicines. It was almost 20 years later before we visited again but this time I came to appreciate it in an entirely different way.

As we entered I noticed an array of coffins lined-up against the wall outside the carpenters shed, and during the Mass there was an occupied one in the chapel too. But as the day unfolded and we met with many of the residents it became apparent that it was by no means a gloomy place.

We visited two teenage girls both bedridden with badly deformed limbs and unable to speak; but when my wife started to sing to them their faces lit up with beautiful smiles. It was as if light beamed out of them. A pure light, emanating from pure souls as they delighted in the hymns being sung. It was like the two of them were lamps placed at the foot of God’s throne, burning brightly as they lay there interceding, through the sufferings of their short lives, for us sinners.

Next we met an old lady, an 83 year old with a skeletal appearance, almost weightless. She was full of joy also and loved to talk and pray with us. Such a strong spirit and another beautiful (toothless) smile. Like all the residents she has nothing and no one in the world and spends her time in prayer and preparation to meet her God and be reunited with her husband and son who had gone on ahead of her.

Through the love of the missionary sisters the tragic circumstances of the lives of the residents meet the majesty of God and although time is short I believe that each one receives what they need before they die.

For visitors too the place is a great blessing. It gives you a more realistic perspective of your own troubles and a clearer understanding of what is really important in life.