He who does not have faith can communicate concepts, but only a person of faith can communicate faith. (St. Pope John Paul II )

One day when I was with a friend, we went into the kitchen of my parent’s home. My grandmother was sitting alone at the kitchen table with her head bowed in prayer in front of her lunch. My friend and I backed out of the doorway, and waited in the next room. “It’s funny” he said, “but I couldn’t help thinking that someone was listening to your grandmother.” My friend was not a church-going person, or possibly not even a believer in God, but he had been given a glimpse of faith that looked real to him. In truth, he had experienced a moment of grace.

Another moment of grace that I was privileged to witness occurred when I was visiting a friend in the hospital. Carol was suffering from breast cancer, and her mother, widowed just the year before, usually sat with her through part of every day. On this day her mother was late so I stayed until she came. When she arrived she seemed calm and said, “I had to have my tires changed today, and this was the only time they could fit me in. It was so strange. When I arrived, it was as if they had been waiting for me alone. I didn’t have to wait at all. The service man said,’Drive right into this bay. I’ll get started right now.’ When I drove out, I felt as if someone had gone before me and prepared the way. I would have been a lot later if it hadn’t happened this way.” Carol’s mother had received grace.

The Grace of God is like a much needed hug, a glimpse of an imperishable love that is steadfast and not dependent on anything from us. St. Paul famously wrote, “Love is patient, love is kind. . . It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres (1Corinthians 13:4&7) The apostle John wrote, God is Love (1John 4:16)

Grace is granted to many as a reminder of an abiding love. God’s first commandment was to love Him in response to His love for us. The grace of God is a signal and a pathway to return that love, thereby growing closer to Him. My friend received a glimpse of it in witnessing my grandmother praying. Carol’s mother received an unexpected assurance and help that brought a consciousness of being cared for. In both cases, I praised God for allowing me a share in His abounding grace.

Love in Him,

Prue