Does God ever find our behaviour puzzling? Does God ever puzzle over our puzzles and with morning coffee and newspaper set out the dots that we could do with joining to other dots?! I know I am always banging on about smart phones and an over-reliance on the internet to make all our connections, but if we listen and notice close enough in prayer, God makes plenty of very meaningful connections for us.

During a recent pilgrimage to Medjugorje I was made aware of these connections that God makes for us in prayer. Whatever ones views on Medjugorje (the church accepts it as a legitimate place of pilgrimage) whoever visits the Bosnian site knows how much of a powerhouse of prayer the place is.

Dot one was a pleasant encounter with a woman from Derry on the inward bound coach. She wanted me to meet a deacon from Derry (a late vocation) who was to be ordained priest next year. It turned out this deacon was a member of the Columba Community. I had stayed with this lay community back in 2010 and met their spiritual director Fr. Neale Carlin. Fr. Neale was a true inspiration and the deacon had been with him when he passed last year.

Dot two was on the fourth evening being outside the church waiting for the evening devotions of rosary, mass and adoration. I felt overwhelmingly tired and despondent and decided to return to the guest house. On leaving the church area, I met a member of the group who gently encourage me to stay and to accompany him in attending the devotions. I got much out of the prayer time that evening.

Dot three was that I decided to take a book that I had previously read with me to read again whilst there. It was an in depth examination of each of the pieces of ‘armour’ from the ‘full armour of God’ prayer in Ephesians 6. On going to confession, the priest gave me a penance I had never been given before…that of a deep reflection on Ephesians 6:10-18!

Dot four was my morning prayer time. I had decided to go on to the Book of Revelation after reading the Gospel of John. One morning I reflected on chapter two and the following struck me…

‘I know your works, your toil and your patient endurance. I know that you cannot tolerate evildoers; you have tested those who claim to be apostles but are not, and have found them to be false. I also know that you are enduring patiently and bearing up for the sake of my name, and that you have not grown weary. But I have this against you, that you have abandoned the love you had at first.’

Recovery of our initial awareness of God’s love for us was the theme of the homily at mass later that morning. The priest quoted the above and talked about the simplicity of an encounter with God and of being ‘child-like’ in our relationship to God without being childish. He talked about humility, Grace and the example of St. Therese of Lisieux.

Linking all the dots together I conclude that new contacts often reinforced old inspirations. That those you know and are familiar with are there to support you. That even teaching we know and have become familiar with, just like a friend, can be known on a deeper level. Prayer, entered into with the simplicity of a child, is always a source of hope, joy and trust.

God always communicates to us in prayer, through the people we meet, the situations we encounter, the visual prompts in our prayer time, the pieces of scripture we meditate on. All create a vast tapestry of God’s overwhelming presence in our lives and the overwhelming presence of God’s heavenly family bringing us back into the fold and directing our future moves, aspirations and practices. Plug into prayer! It offers life affirming and changing information far beyond anything the internet can offer us.

‘For me, prayer is an aspiration of the heart, it is a simple glance directed to heaven. It is a cry of gratitude and love, in the midst of trial as well as joy. Finally it is something great, supernatural, which expands my soul and unites me to Jesus.’

‘Story of a Soul’ St. Therese of Lisieux