A Chiaran, a Chara!

I have not posted on this blog for a long time. Why? Well, I freely admit I have been captivated by Padre Pio, both as the holy saint he is, and as my personal friend. I have not given much thought to other saints. No offense intended at all.

However, on January 30, just over 2 weeks ago my beautiful service dog, Honey, died very suddenly while we were at work at the Rose of Sharon. I was in shock even as it happened, as she lie there dying in front of me. I don't know what I would have done without the support of my husband and dear friends. Father Art came running into the store when I called frantically saying I thought Honey was having a stroke. When he needed to leave (he was working a funeral in the funeral home right next door), he called his mother to come down to be with me. She lives over our store. I was frozen in the moment. Normally good in an emergency, I was not that night. My husband came the 15 miles to our store when I called and said it looked bad. The vet came too. But Honey was beyond our helping her. She was dying before my sad eyes.

I cried out to the patron we had chosen for our church community, the cell group of friends and family who began meeting at our home over 10 years ago to pray and worship together. St. Ciaran of Saighir, the very first Irish saint, even before St. Patrick. I called to him instinctively. Yes, I called to Francis too. Everyone knows Francis cares for all creation... But few know of St. Ciaran, especially THIS Ciaran, and especially here in the USA.

Ciaran of Clonmacnois (a contemporary of Ciaran of Saighir) is better known, for after all his settlement at Clonmacnois is a famous pilgrimage site for those familiar with Irish holy sites or history. The kings of Ireland are buried there.. the ruins have the very sense of the holy, the prayers offered there for centuries until Cromwell got there.

Ciaran of Saighir is lesser known. Although a contemporary of Patrick, unlike Patrick Ciaran was himself Irish. Some say he traveled to Rome, met Patrick there and was told by him to return to Ireland and that Patrick would soon follow. Patrick gave him a bell which was supposed to ring only when Ciaran reached the exact location where God intended for him to settle. When the bell rang out, Ciaran settled and began to build for himself a hermitage. His hermit's life was not complete however because he was befriended by the local wildlife, and the story continues that Ciaran was assisted by a wild boar who used his tusks to clear and til the earth for Ciaran to plant his garden by which he could feed himself and later those people who joined him for prayer. A fox, the more playful and less inclined to work of his unique friends would slip away with his sandals to chew them. The wolf who befriended Ciaran was a protector and at once a gentle companion, known to help a dear bring in the undergrowth for the fire.

The lesson of course, like that of Francis centuries later, is that of our interdependence upon one another and all creation. God's love is given to humans and animals through one another, as well as directly from above. The Celtic Christians retained the old ability to recognize God's gift of love and life in creation, in all creatures. Indeed, it was they who brought this appreciation to the monastic settlements they made in mainland Europe, and most strikingly in Bobbio, the monastery begun by St. Columban when he went to Italy. It is "not for nothing" that Francis inherited that same spirituality as he was from the region near Bobbio! The similarity between what later became known as Franciscan spirituality and the earlier, more ancient, Celtic Christian spirituality is a striking reminder of the Celtic monks who shared this holy approach to God's world. I once said Ciaran was like "the Francis of Ireland," but in truth, Francis was more like "the Ciaran of Italy" as Francis came about 600 years later.

Yes, I cried out to the patron we had chosen because of the many animals in our life and home. Ciaran, who experienced the friendship of animals, would understand the anguish I felt as I watched my dear friend dying before my eyes, totally unable to stop what was happening. "Ciaran!" "My God!" "Help her!"

Honey's time was up. Did Ciaran betray my devotion? Did God not care about the love I had for this gentle creature, the need I had? Why was there no miracle for my Honey? Who says there was not?

We are mortals here in this world, all of us. Yet I believe, along with the Celtic Christians of long ago, that we are immersed in the spiritual world. We do not fit the spiritual neatly into our schedules...Sundays, Grace before meals, ceremonies... No! We do not fit the spiritual into our busy lives. Rather, our lives are immersed in the spiritual reality. We are like sponges in the Ocean, which is God's Love and Life. Yes, I was heard as I cried out in prayer. I was not ignored simply because the journey of this creature was going in a different direction than I wanted. It was for me to let her go that night and trust her to God, in whatever manner God does things next for living creatures. The lesson from Ciaran is to live in love and in peace with creation, to be a steward of all entrusted to me and care for and about all who share this world with me, in whatever form, for however long, while knowing that God is Love and Love is forever--whatever form that Love takes each step of our eternal journey. My Honey was and is in God's hands, created and beloved by God and God's Love is forever. The miracle involved is that Supernatural Love, made known once again in my heart.

A Chiaran, a chara! Thank you for your prayer for us, your friends in Christ.

Amen.

St. Pio, Friend of Mine

Again and again I find myself watching the relatively new movie, "Padre Pio Miracle Man." I know it is not totally accurate. Artists take license with stories. The Irish have a way of putting it: "Why spoil a good story with the facts?"

What I find was captured in this movie was the depth of love that Padre Pio had in his heart. Love is such a difficult virtue to express in acting. Yet when I watch this movie, I can't stop my tears from flowing as I recognize how Pio was so overwhelmed by God.

Recently on my way to work I was praying to Pio, as usual, when it dawned on me what a nag I can be. As I was opening up our shop, I said to him "If I'm being a nag, and you want me to stop praying to you so much, just tell me, let me know. I don't want to nag..." I opened the door and began the days work in our little religious shop.

As the day went on, a young man I'd never seen before came in the door. He asked me the price of the statue of Padre Pio that we had in one of our window. I told him and said that there were less expensive ones as well. He looked around the store, and I asked him "Do you have devotion to Padre Pio?" He said he did, and went on to say that he worked at the Padre Pio Center in Barto PA. I found myself feeling excited that he worked there and obviously knew much about Pio. So, I shared with him my morning chat with Padre Pio, and that I was hesitant to pray too much, and be guilty of nagging a saint. With that, the young man handed me his business card. It had his name, and position. He was the "communications assistant!!"

I nearly fell over when I read that. Here I had asked Pio if I should stop praying to him so much, and asked if he'd just let me know, and then I am handed the business card of his "communications assistant." Who could ask for a more direct respons? When I told the young man the rest of the story and how shocked I felt, he told me that he didn't know why he came to the store that day. He was off from work, at home resting, when he suddenly felt that he should get up and come to our shop. Oh my... The Communion of Saints is so real, so alive, so supportive.

A few weeks later my husband and I went to the Padre Pio Center in Barto PA to spend some time in prayer. I had never been there, so it was an exciting way to spend Mothers Day. When we walked in, there was the same young man. He came to me and said he had something for me. With that he handed me the feathers (relics) from Padre Pio's childhood pillow, which his mother had passed on as a wedding gift to a family that eventually moved to the USA. The feathers made their way back by donation from the family to the Pio Shrine. Now that little packet of feathers is in my pillow, and I rest my head on them each night in prayer. Another beautiful experience for me was the opportunity to hold the framed glove that covered the wounded hand of Padre Pio. I found myself emotionally and mentally transported as I prayed with my husband as we each held our hands over his glove.

What a gift God gives us when those who love Him help us love Him as well. What friendship it is to look into the life of such a humble man, and find that our own love of God grows simply by the inspiration we gain from his love of God. Love begets Love in many directions. It is truly spiritual friendship that crosses the veil, and we find thin places when we are open to them, places where we more keenly sense the life of Love that goes on for eternity with Christ.

I'm grateful for your inspiration, your prayer and your friendship Padre Pio. I continue to ask your prayer, without hesitation, that we might serve God each day, as God wishes. Pray for our openness to the Holy Spirit. May that same Spirit continue to touch your soul throughout eternity.

Thank you, thank you, thank you.

Cait