I don’t know anyone who doesn’t believe in angels, that angels are with us, serving as messengers from God and helpmates. We can’t see them when they are working… or if we pay careful attention, I’ll bet we could pick up the presence of angels at the birth of a baby or at the death of a loved one. When my mother was dying, I leaned over her one day and I felt a presence brushing up against my shoulder. Looking at mother too. It wasn’t my sister for she was out of the room at the time. Mother saw presences in her room. All positive. I don’t think mother ever feared. Thank God. I wonder if angels also prompt others to advise us, or whisper to us themselves when we are contemplating doing a wrong thing… Today in Mass we read from 2 Samuel 24. God had told the people not to count themselves, not to want a king, not to give every thing to a King who would take their sons and daughters to cook for him and fight for him, but the people wanted a king, "Just like the other countries around them." "Don’t do it" said the prophets, but they did. Then when David decided to count the people so he could "organze his armies," Joab said, "don’t do it; leave these things to the Lord." (I’m paraphrasing). You have heard this advice; "don’t do it." But David did do it to count "his people" then he realized immediately he had sinned against God, and he begged mercy. This is one of the reasons that God loved David so much. The man was a fighter and a leader, but he was proud…. He was just built that way. God had mercy. Anyhow, who was doing all that whispering in David’s ear and who does the whispering in our ears?
As Sacristan at daily Mass, I have to pick the hymn, and I can’t read music, and I don’t know many hymns enough to start the singing. I opened the book on Tuesday morning (yesterday) and it fell open to "On this day, O beautiful Mother, on this day we give you our love." We reserve songs to Mary for her feast days and days in May when, as a small child, I used to march with other little girls to bring flowers to Mary. When I announced the song, people started singing it, most from memory. We started Mass with a smile! Mary is the most important whisperer we have. So on that same morning…
For 2 months or so I’ve had the name and number of the eye doctor my new internist has recommended. The doctor, an opthalomologist, is a Board certified graduate of Johns Hopkins, Emory and Tulane. Been here since 1985. He isn’t a fly by night. What was holding me back from making the phone call for an appointment? I loved our eye doctor from Miami, friend and Emmaus sister Saba Millares. I just was resisting leaving her. Then one day, I closed my right eye probably to judge the size of something and I realized, "The left eye is blurry, … a lot!" People have been telling me, "No the moon does not have a hazy circle around it…" But I resist resist change. So yesterday, after Mass, grocery shopping, and gas fillup, I was picking up Chuck’s formal shirt from the dry cleaner and a voice whispered… "the eye doctor is right next door." "I guess I’ll go over and make the appointment and save myself a phone call I won’t make." I walked in and 2 ladies greeted me and heard my request, "I’ve moved and I need a full complete eye exam, it’s been a year, and I might have a cataract." "Come right in; we have just had a cancellation!" the receptionist said! "OH I have groceries in the car…" "I have a refrigerator," she said. So I was inside the gates. Plopped into a chair and tested, dilated, examined, and the doctor, regaled me with stories of his experiences in Miami while he waited for me to dilate. He looked in and he said, "you are an easy diagnosis. You have cataracts." He then explained how our lens is clear when we are born but get cloudy. He also showed me what the new lens will do. He will correct my vision at the same time but not to 20/20. He said I haven’t seen 20/20 since I was 5 when I got my first glasses. He said that would be a big shock. He showed me how a near sighted person can’t see far but can read well. And indeed I can read tiny type without my glasses. So, it’s scheduled. A pre op on Feb 11 and surgery on the left eye Feb 19. I’ll bring all the chest studies so the anesthesiologist has my aneurysm info. All will be well! Why do I know that? Because I have faith that what the Bible tells me is so! Remember we used to sing, "Jesus loves me; The Bible tells me so!" Go do something you have been resisting. (Well do it if it’s the right thing to do…. don’t go out and rob a gas station. If you have been resisting that it is a good thing!) God bless us. Angels with us!