That's a beautiful story, Jane. Some things can't be seen, yet sometimes we just know they're there. Sounds like she was thanking you for the prayers, but what do I know.
I think we will all of us, one day , have a surprise at whom we shall see in heaven and whom, in hell. God often does look at things as we do. He sees the heart and the secrets of the heart, were our vision barely skims the surface.
I think those who LOVE are destined for heaven even if they have a weak faith, because the greatest gift is Love. All our prayer, sacraments, vigils, fasting, unless they produce love then they are empty rituals. 'Not everyone who says to me Lord, Lord, shall enter the Kingdom'. There are some who follow religion as a ritual whose hearts may actually be far from God and as a result do not produce the fruits of the Spirit. It is so easy to say I am a Christian but most difficult to live out our vocation in our actions and deeds. Jesus was unique in a sense that his deeds and words were in perfect harmony. St Faustina has said in her diary we show the mercy of God in three ways - in our deeds, in our words and in our prayers. In her last message our Lady was concerned thet we are no holy enough and therefore others do not see Christ in us. Our lives should preach Christ and only occasionally would we need to use words. St Paul stated that for me to live is Christ to die is gain. In other words Paul's whole life preached Christ, his deeds and his words. Faith without works is a dead religion but I would also say works without faith is merely 'social work'. So there is a balancing act here - we need to Love first in faith and works. We need to pray for the transforming power of God's grace to transform our words, deeds and prayers into holy acts of love. This message by the way is for me as I really struggle to love sometimes. I often wonder if I was taken to court and accused of being a Christian would they find enough evidence to convict me? This is not false modesty but a real and living concern for me. In her latest apparition to Ivan 28th August 2008 our Lady teaches us about the need for holiness and living out our faith in our actions - so this is a lovely way to finish this little discourse: http://www.medjugorje.com/medjugorje-to ... cross.html God Bless
Sorry I don't know why that link did not work. Here is the correct page and it is the headline article. http://www.medjugorje.com/
Reminds me of the passage from yesterday's second reading from the Letter of James that we must be "doers" of the Word, and not just hearers.
