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| Circa 1918-1925 |
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| 1987? |
A few years ago, Cardinal Timothy Dolan of New York was
holding a Q&A session with some young adults. One of the questions asked was “How can I
evangelize—or for that matter even keep my own faith strong—when I have to work
among men who have no interest in God in general or religion in
particular?” His answer was (in a
nutshell) to show his co-workers and everyone else he encountered in daily life
his faith through his joy in knowing Jesus, and that would lead some of them to
at least yearn for that same joy. It’s
up to us to plant the seed let the Holy Spirit take over from there to cultivate
the conversion to Christ.
This is how I remember my Grandma Batty. I don’t remember her ever raising her voice
or using harsh words. Whenever I heard
her speak of our Catholic faith, which was often, I could feel the joy
emanating from her. What I remember most
is her commitment to Christ (first) and her family, her prayers, and her
humility. I credit her and my mother
most for introducing me to what a prayer life should look like and what I
should strive for. Grandma had that
perfect mix of non-verbal evangelization Cardinal Dolan was speaking of and the
‘hard-core’ evangelization of the disciples Jesus sent out in today’s Gospel.
Today is Grandma’s birthday.
Please say a prayer for her, because I know she is praying for us. How do I know, you might ask? It comes from a first-hand experience I only
related to my mom once, and she took it in stride as if she would expect
nothing less! To tell the truth it sent
chills down my spine when it happened but at the same time strengthened my belief
that Jesus will send us what we need when we need it the most.
The night before my brother Tom died, I was in the hospital
room alone with him. He was in and out
of sleep and incoherent when he was awake.
He was tossing and turning and moaning and groaning. I felt so bad for his suffering! I put his hand in mine, pulled out my rosary
and began to pray that comfort would come soon.
I was about half-way through my prayers when Tom raised his arms as if
to hug the thin air and asked “Grandma?”
He smiled, laid his head back down on the pillow and fell into a
peaceful sleep for the next few hours. I
believe Jesus allowed him to see Grandma so she could comfort him and tell him
of the mercy of God. And I believe He
allowed me to witness the event so my unsettled and questioning soul would also
find some comfort. What a gracious,
wise, and generous Lord I serve!
Happy Birthday, Grandma!
Pray for me!
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