A Future Pope Francis II...?

A lot can happen in one Moment of Conversion......

While once again driving Mrs. Joanne down the little, winding country road, leading to the Our Lady of the Rosary Cemetery and Prayer Garden, we approached a tall, dark headed young man with a back pack walking along the side of the road.

I started to stop and give him a lift, but smiling, he waved us on.  Since the road dead-ended into the Prayer Garden, I assumed we would be running into the young man again.

Parking the car, I helped Mrs. Joanne get out on her side, and gave her my walker, which I have named Hank the Tank, to use.  

Yes, I’m crippled, but I’m not crippled.  In fact, as I tell many folks who ask me about why I’m doing what I’m doing at this particular point in my life, I tell them that being a retired Teacher and becoming a Caregiver/Companion/Tutor is not so off the track.  

Every morning that I wake up, I know that there is someone out there more crippled or less able to do for themselves than I am who needs what I can do for them.  And that blessed knowledge keeps me moving, and keeps me from becoming embittered toward the state of Texas and the dysfunctional Workers Compensation System, which allowed the corrupt insurance company to leave me crippled, because I could not afford as good a high paid lawyer as they had at every meeting I was forced to attend and be stunningly disheartened by.

After five years of them playing games with my life and my health, and deliberately devaluing what my doctors said needed to be done for my return to health, and the active life I had once enjoyed, I wagged my Fussing Finger at them, and limped away in disgust.

I have insurance now, but the deductible is $3,000.000.  Good luck with 

that !

As Mrs. Joanne and I walked down the dirt path of the Prayer Garden near the creek, we did bump into the tall young man with the back pack once again.  He was standing in front of the large statue of Mother Mary.  His head was slightly bent as though he was in prayer.  So, I helped Mrs. Joanne sit down on one of the many benches along the pathway.  We could wait our turn with Mother Mary.  She is one of Mrs. Joanne’s favorite icons at the Prayer Garden.  Mrs. Joanne has Alzheimers, but she always stops and whispers, “Mary, Mary, Mary” in between other unintelligible phrases.

As I gazed at the young man with the back pack, I found myself relating to him.  Well, maybe not to him, but to his back pack, at least.  I have always used one, because I was always going here and there for a Walk or a Pilgrimage alone or with family and friends.  I have always been a Wanderer.  A Seeker.  A curious and restless Soul.  Always on the move and moving.  The Earth is such a beautiful planet to travel.  She is filled with such natural wonders and people to inspire one’s Soul.  I really miss that part of my Lost Life.  Things change drastically when you’re in constant pain and crippled.  Oh well…..

I immediately thought of the Pope’s Visit of Healing to America and Cuba.  His Spiritual Journey of Common Good Will and Compassionate Action, reminding us, as Christ did, to honor and take of the “least of these”. Reminding us to be Tolerant, Inclusive, Understanding, Patient, Kind and Forgiving of one another.

As I gazed at the Praying young man with the back pack, I imagined him to be on a personal, Spiritual pilgrimage of his own that day.  He had obviously walked a long way to get to the Prayer Garden.  And there was an expression of deep meditative, thoughtfulness upon his angular face, and in his demeanor.

Perhaps, because of the Pope’s visit, he was deciding to give his Life to God in Service to his Church as a Priest ?  Perhaps, he had been so uplifted and inspired by the Pope’s truly Christian role modeling and Spiritual Remindings, that he was turning his whole life upside down (or right side up) in the name of Christ, the Holy Spirit and the Father above and all around us.

The World is filled with such amazing wonders.  Perhaps, Mrs. Joanne and I were witnessing the conversion of the future Pope Francis II…….