The Old Lady

Fr Alan told us a story once of an old lady having visions. She told her parish priest and her parish priest told her if she were to see God, could she ask God what sins the parish priest had, which only God and the priest knew.

The next time the priest saw the old lady, he asked her if she had seen God and what sins the priest had. The old lady told the priest she had seen God and she had asked God of the priest's sins. However, God told the old lady that God has forgotten all the priest's sins.

I think this story is befitting for this post, after I have written several posts about sin.

I am also relief to know God has forgotten all my sins. It is a new beginning for me each day, knowing of the mercy and love of God for me and that God has a memory problem.

Hearing all the lovely sermons of Fr Alan for many years did not bring me to conversion. I had a pick and mix attitude to my faith. I chose what I like about my Catholic religion and ignored the rest.

However, God loves me so much and he gave me a community of Christian brothers and sisters and I could see many of these people leading a Christian life.  It is actually seeing people able to live a Christian life which made me aware that I too could abandon my pick and mix attitude towards my Catholic faith. Some people call pick and mix Christianity as cafeteria Christianity.

And so I called God to drop a bomb into my life so I could repent. With God's love, mercy and grace, I could walk away from a dichotomy of a Christian lifestyle and be a Christian.

Almighty and living God, I thank you for your love for me and for you to teach me to love only you. I thank you for the many blessings each day, and I pray you will give me the protection I need each day to arrive safely in heaven one day. Amen.