At age 78 it was learning how to use the computer. Thanks God the nuns in high school prevailed upon me to take a course in typing. (A special thanks to Sister Wilma, Sister of St. Joseph, Gate of Heaven High School South Boston, Ma.) So armed with the typing knowledge I muddled through learning the computer, the internet, deleting when I should have not and every few years getting a new computer as technology grew by leaps and bounds.
Now we are blogging, trying to make Constant Contact work for us, building on our web page NewDivine Mercy.org, (thanks to Bill Woeppel of Wilton Manors guiding us along, )having a video view of our Sunday Mass uploaded to you tube and reaching out on Facebook. And learning how to be sociable in our social networking . More New Speak.
Jesus invited and used fishermen, the uneducated, former prostitutes, the despised, the rejected and sinners to help him get his message out: The message of love, acceptance and forgiveness. No computer stuff for him back then. Of course his miracles thrown in now and then helped. But I marvel today how his message travelled all over the world. In todays world a click of the computer key can be seen eveeerywhere. But yet, with all the magic of today, his message of love, acceptance and forgiveness gets lost .
May this priest in a small mission in Wilton Manors do his best to spread His message. Love to you all. A Servant of Divine Mercy, Father John Joseph Reid
Showing posts with label Alcoholism AA sober priest Fort Lauderdale. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Alcoholism AA sober priest Fort Lauderdale. Show all posts
Thursday, January 27, 2011
Sunday, October 10, 2010
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.
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.
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