Surprise Sight for Sore Eyes {Zachary Visits}

Answered prayers!

Our universal Church's opening prayer for Sunday Mass (plus daily Masses and morning and evening prayers last week) really inspired me to pray BIG:

Almighty ever-living God,
who in the abundance of your kindness
surpass the merits and the desires of those who entreat you,
pour out your mercy upon us
to pardon what conscience dreads
and to give what prayer does not dare to ask.

I do not make a habit of praying for exceptional consolations, but this powerful prayer moved me to ask God for the grace of seeing Zachary.  His first semester at Notre Dame halfway over, with eight weeks' count-down until his visit home for Christmas break, I asked for the grace of bi-location, just to SEE Zachary for an instant.

A pretty far-fetched prayer, yes, but certainly falls within the "dare not ask" category, don't you agree?

Back at home for fall break, our Irishman

God answered my prayers with a tremendous gift, and a huge surprise (which did not involve bi-location).  My sweet husband, Tim, arranged flights for Zachary and brought him home for six days' break. They conspired together and secretly coordinated Zachary's arrival to coincide with my second Sunday Carmelite meeting in Stanwood.  Tim snapped a shot of the look on my face when I saw Zachary walk into the living room yesterday, but it's far too embarrassing out-of-focus to post on the blog.

Inclined toward Sunday Mass after Zac's covert travels (which started with his 4AM bus ride from Notre Dame to a Chicago airport) we attended Church together with our local Newman Catholic Campus Ministry at WWU.  Some of Zac's favorite friends worship at the Sunday Mass said by our priest, Father Altenhofen, on Sunday nights. What a great way to begin our week together, praising God for his many gifts, most especially for giving us His Son, truly present in the Holy Eucharist.

Thank you, God!