greg

i went to mass this morning and really just relaxed in the Lord; mouth is incredibly sore, can't really talk very well, but needed to be there, regardless of my physical condition.

about half-way through the recitation-while-i-listened rosary, a young guy walked in and sat to my far right; i noticed him as i've never seen him before and he was immediately on his knees, head completely bowed in prayer the whole time. i blessed him to God because i felt he was really struggling with something inside. he remained like that until mass started.

he remained seated during communion and i knelt down to pray after receiving, there is nothing better than that few moments alone with Jesus. after mass had ended, i made arrangements for someone to sub in for me thursday in leading the prayers and distributing communion as i don't know how i'll be by then, better safe than sorry.

the guy from mass walked up to ask the gentleman i was talking to a question about the candles in our church (electric, sha) and how long they stay lit for? john didn't know and bowed out politely, i said i think only for a few hours...and he had many follow-up candle questions, like it was really bothering him that they'd go out after only a few hours. i told him about our Lady of Sorrows and how their candles, the votives, stay lit for 15 hours and the large ones, lit for 7 days. i said "you realize your prayers are still effective no matter how long the candles stay lit for, right?" he asked me what i thought about the scripture of the widow's mite - that if he only had a few pennies to his name, would his prayer be more effective if he used what he had to light the candle vs. someone else's? i said, "you know the reason behind candles in churches, right? that your prayers go up to God and your presence is still there long after you've gone?" he said "okay..." i said "even if the candle stayed lit for only a matter of a few minutes, your prayer is no less effective to God than had it remained for days on end...the effective prayer of a righteous man availeth much."

you wouldn't have believed the conversation that followed - peppered with scripture, his admission to being *poverty-stricken*, trying to stay on the right path, keeping everything before God...he said he had grown up in the area and this was his "home church" that he felt connected to. i stayed and talked with him for about 10 minutes and said "what is your name? i should like to pray for you..." he said "my name is greg, and i'd like that very much."

i asked if he was involved in a bible study or prayer group and he said he just got back to the area after being away for a long time, and i said "we have a prayer group here..." told him about classes and studies offered at OLOS and he seemed interested. he is more interested in the love of Christ than "fighting off the enemy within" - he is in a spiritual battle and for whatever reason, i think i am being enlisted to fight right alongside of him.

how do they find me, kids?

monsignor came to find me at my car and ask questions about him, if he was the same person who had been there before he'd helped in the past - after finding out his name he told me he was the half-brother of one of our parishioners (young guy, ben's age, who i adore) and that he lived in poverty - i said "Monsignor, i don't know much about him other than he is really seeking God's face...i don't know how i got involved already..."

he just grinned at me and walked away.