Not By Chance; By Grace

Written by Father Bob Oldershaw

We experience amazing grace on mission trips. Like today, I was called to the ER to comfort a 16-year-old girl who had suffered a seizure on her way home from school.

When I worked my way through the phalanx of doctors and nurses, I was startled to see that this young girl was Victoria, whom I met just yesterday as I wandered into the kitchen of the hotel where our mission team is staying. She was helping her mom prepare supper.

Vickie recognized me too! Her eyes brightened, her trembling slowed, and her fear seemed to slip away as I anointed her forehead with holy oil and hummed some of the tunes she had heard at our Sunday liturgy.

I suspect that since today is the feast of Michael, Gabriel and Raphael, angel messengers, that they may have had something to do with this. In any event, it is not by chance that I received the call to the ER today and the "call" to the kitchen yesterday. It is all grace, the amazing grace of God!