Victorian Dreams Pt. 01

"My son, your humble attitude is in keeping I feel with the reason you were chosen. If you were some arrogant evangelist or someone who wore their faith like some megalomanialcal suit of clothing, you would probably not have been chosen, yet you prefer to pursue your faith in the humble manner in which you do. If you think on events that have occurred down through time by the sainted ones, they mostly came from humble beginnings and were not noted for anything significant, perhaps other than their faith, until the event occurred that produced their sainthood."

"Then the Lord chose them to fulfill his earthly aims because of their deep, abiding, and yet humble, faith. I would say in keeping with your humble preferences, your faith is justified, your honor is certain and your approach is pleasing in the eyes of God and just as the saints were chosen, you have been chosen for that reason."

"You just begged forgiveness for coveting the material things of the world, and though a covetous nature is clearly demonstrated in the holy text as being a sin of grave concern to our Holy Father, I can think of far greater sins one can commit."

"Yet, your humble nature compels you to beg forgiveness for coveting the material trappings of our world. The coveting is not the sin I think the Lord's warnings and tenets are based in. It is the other more terrible sin the covetous nature can produce. Be honored to be chosen and go your way in peace. Continue to seek the Lord in the manner you do, for he has found favor in your approach and you are being rewarded on earth and will no doubt receive a reward in the hereafter, my son."

"Thank you Father. I feel so unworthy of the task before me."

"You lack of worthy feelings is perhaps normal when taken in context with your attitudes, but shouldn't be of concern. The Lord has after all, in his infinite wisdom, chosen you. And who knows better about these things than our heavenly Father. Go in peace my son."

Father Andrew couldn't argue Father McGinty's logic and he left the confessional feeling refreshed, though his feelings of inadequacy prevailed. Perhaps what he said was true though, his humble attitude was the source of these feelings and not the true nature of his ability to serve the Lord. Now his only concern was of what had happened the night before had actually happened or if it was just a dream, spawned by hidden even unto himself, delusions of grandeur in regard to the depth of his faith.

As he drove back to St Bartholomew's his mind was consumed in the worry the event was producing, and he received what could only be seen as an indicator his worry was unfounded. The rosary beads that hung from the rear view mirror of the parish auto began to glow, and he distinctly heard a deep voice.

"Do not worry my son, your faith will be of great service to the Father and his Son."

The voice was so clear he even turned to look to see if there was someone in the back seat of the car.

When he returned to St. Bartholomew's he went to the church offices and informed Sister Sara and the office workers and lay people he had returned, then went to the sanctuary and began his daily routine of straightening the alter area.

Chapter 32

Throughout the morning, the fact there was no wound on her hand, had Haley believing the events of the night before must have been a dream inspired by the words in Clarice diary. Yet the events were so vivid, and the phrase, 'the things that represent the Holy Father' kept ricocheting across her mind.

Late morning Haley again felt the warmth of the cross resting on the chain between her breasts and pulled it out to find it glowing as it had the night before. As she held it in the palm of her hand, the glow helped illuminate a minute scar where her hand had been cut while she gripped the cross the night before.

So it hadn't been a dream!

Then as plainly as if Clarice hadn't been evasive to her questions, the meaning of the phrase 'the things that represent the Holy Father' came to her.

At lunch she went to a local drug store and purchased a half dozen small apothecary bottles.

On her way home, she stopped by a catholic church in the neighborhood. She chose a catholic church, not because she saw Catholicism as being the proper religion or stronger than the others, for she had no concept in this regard, but only because of their seemingly rigid dogma represented in the liturgical practices the Catholics used in their Eucharistic worship.

When she entered the sanctuary of the church, she was glad there was no one else around, except for a priest busily tidying the pulpit area of the large room. She was out of her element and didn't know how to act in a church setting.

A lot of people present could prove embarrassing if a misstep occurred. The priest surely wouldn't cause her to become embarrassed by highlighting an error on her part.

As she walked in, she spied a small vessel of water near the entrance. She walked forward and asked the priest for a moment of his time. He of course welcomed the opportunity to stop his labors and talk with the young smartly dressed woman. At first when he noted the shortness of her skirt in keeping with current style he was a bit put off, but when she asked if the basin of water she had seen was holy water, he softened in his approach to her, assuring her it was.

Father Andrew asked himself was this the warrior the angel had spoken of. Surely the shortness of her skirt would not be found pleasing to the Lord. Then he recalled reading incidents portrayed in the Bible where the message was clear that angels can and do appear in any guise, and that one must be aware of any possibility. He was immediately reminded of the story of Lott in Sodom and Gomorrah. This served to further soften his attitude toward this young woman. Besides, if this were a wayward soul seeking the Lord, if his approach were difficult while this person was a sinner in need, how could she ever become a convert, which might lead to a more conservative style of dress?

When she asked if it would be ok to take some of the Holy Water, producing one of the bottles when she asked to demonstrate her intent, he said that would be fine, recalling the Angelic instructions to 'help this person in whatever way they may need your help'.

Haley moved to the basin and filled the half dozen small bottles she had purchased earlier that day. By the time the bottles were all filled and tucked away inside her purse, the priest had left the sanctuary and Haley appeared alone in the room. She spied the cross-embroidered cloth that adorned the table in the middle of the pulpit and creeping stealthily as if not to make any noise moved back to the front of the large room. She tentatively reached out and grasp the edge of the cloth as if to test its texture, Looking around the room as she handled the religious cloth, she saw she was indeed still alone and quickly pulled the cloth from the table. Folding it as she walked, she hastily exited the church and resumed her journey home.

Father Andrew at first thought to stop the theft he was witnessing, from the sanctuary balcony area, by the young lady who had just asked for his help. Then again he was reminded of the instructions 'You are instructed to help this person in whatever way they may need your help' and instead, he headed for the church supply closet where a spare vestment was stored, to replace the one taken by the woman. As he did he recalled a common phrase that had always seemed a cop out to him of things unexplainable. He uttered the words under his breath as he thought them through,

"The Lord works in mysterious ways."

I hope you enjoyed this so far. Part II, is coming soon.