A God Moment

As I am preparing for the 10:30 Mass this morning, the thought came to me that I never apologized to Gerry M. who 37 years ago worked with me in Boston.  It seems, in the final stages  of my alcoholism, I spent too many Fridays and Mondays calling in sick and when there I wasnt able to give my 10% to the job.  Gerry stepped in and literally ran the job till I was admitted to a hospital for my alcoholism. 

As part of my recovery program I was taught to make amends when able and I lost toch with Gerry.  But the voice was strong this morning urging me to try to find out where she might be.  Getting on the computer I typed in her name and up came a funeral notice covering her mother's death and included was her name, now she was married and she was living in Florida.  The  next step I searched out her name, address and phone number on the computer and lo and behold found that she was living about an hour away from me, she in Miami and me in Wilton Manors.   With 20 minutes to go before Mass I picked up the phone, got an answering machine, left my name and phone number and told here the nature of my call, that I was sorry for not being able to be there on the job  37 years go and the reason for it 

Shortly after the phone rang and on caller ID  I saw her name.  She wondered how I was able to find her after all these years and I explained it was what I called "God Moments" when God steps in and does what we are not able to for ourself.   Right away at the begininng of the conversation she told me that she was one of us and I said "you became a priest"  No she says I have been sober for 8 years.  and it was then I said "Wow"   So thats what all this pushing to find her was all about this morning:   for her to share the great things that ultimately happened to her as it had for me years before.   She had married, had two sons, a loving husband and is doing good. I left it, that we one day would have to have a cup of tea together, the old irish ways  from the old neighborhood.

I went into Mass very grateful for what  I had experienced and what I experienced in Mass was another God Moment .  This will be the text of my next blog.  In the meantime.   God Bless You all till we meet again.