SURPRISE!

Into my heart's treasury
I slipped a coin
That Time cannot take
Nor a thief purloin, --
O better than the minting
Of a gold-crowned king
Is the safe-kept memory
Of a lovely thing.

"The Coin" by Sara Teasdale

Last night I slipped into my heart's treasury one of those coins about which the poet Sara Teasdale wrote. Yesterday morning while I was in our parish church setting up for the 9am Mass, a woman walked towards me with a big smile on her face. I smiled back even though I didn't recognize her, then veered off course to take care of something or other. Undeterred, this woman followed me, so I turned to speak with her – then had to stifle myself from shattering the silence with big whoops of joy! It was my dear friend Teresa from Corpus Christi! What a happy, lovely surprise!

The last time we saw each other was five years ago when Teresa came to Houston for my consecration as a virgin living in the world. Two years prior to that, she and her family had moved to Corpus Christi, so our contact these past seven years has been limited to email. I didn't know that she was coming to town and was absolutely thrilled to see her! When I moved to Houston 11 years ago, I met Teresa in a Bible study I joined in my parish. She and Connie, who also joined this study and who still lives here, warmly welcomed me into their hearts and homes, and we've been steadfast friends ever since.

Mass was about to begin but afterwards Teresa called Connie on her cell phone, and the three of us spent the rest of the day together, renewing and exulting in our friendship. We had so much to talk about and could barely keep up with each other! So much had happened since we had last seen each other – so much joy and laughter to share, some sorrows and hurts, unexpected growth from both victories and defeats – all shining evidence of God's wondrous love for us!

The best part of our time together was the beginning and the end. We had started with Mass, which is for all three of us the center of our lives as Catholics because here we adore the Lord who loves us so, we hear His holy Word, eat His Sacred Body and drink His Precious Blood, united forever in the Blessed Trinity, our eternal home. We ended our day by returning to our parish for adoration as we have Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament in our chapel around the clock. In fact, Connie and I keep the 3-4pm holy hour every Wednesday, thanks to Connie who always provides me with the necessary transportation. As the three of us knelt there together in silent prayer, I rejoiced in the glory of my two dear friends, Teresa and Connie, and thanked our dear Lord for bringing us together so many years ago and for keeping us united forever in His wondrous love. ALLELUIA!