January 31, 2021
by Mary Sellars Malloy
Question of the Week - Fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year B
Many years ago, when I was going through a difficult time in my ministry, I had a recurring dream. In the dream I wore a bright red cape, carried a lantern, and—with head bowed to avoid the stinging ice and snow—I slowly kept moving forward through a blizzard, hoping to arrive safely home. But each time, I fell in the snow, exhausted and unable to go even one step more. I used the strength I had to hold the lantern high, praying that help would come. And each time, Jesus appeared, took the lantern from my hand, helped me stand, and walked me home.
In the last year of her life, my mother had a recurring dream of going to a small, thatch-roofed cottage in Ireland, where a fire would be already lit, a wonderful dinner would be spread out on the table, and Jesus and a special guest would be seated at the table with her. Each time she had the dream, the guest was different, but he or she was always someone who had touched mom’s life in the past: my dad, her mother, her father, Auntie, Squire Parsons, the nun who taught her to play piano and organ. In the last mornings, I was with her, I would ask, “Mom, who was with you at the cottage last night?” And she would tell me the name of the guest, and, always, “Jesus.”
What can I tell you, with the greatest assurance? What would my mother tell you? That even in the greatest times of trial—whether struggling at work or waiting on death to quietly come—Jesus is with you. He is with you in the storm. He is with you at the table. He is with you in your fears. He is with you in your times of great joy. He has been with us all through these many months of anxiety brought on by the pandemic. Jesus. Brother. Companion. Savior. Friend.
Wherever life finds you today, reach out to him. Pray his name, “Jesus.” Trust in him to meet you on life’s road, to help you stand, and to lead you safely home.
Mary Sellars Malloy has over forty years’ experience as a Catholic educator and lay minister. She is a frequent workshop presenter on prayer, liturgy, spirituality, the Sacraments, and the RCIA. Also, Mary leads retreats and parish missions throughout the country. Her goal is to encourage Catholics of all ages to appreciate and to live their Catholic faith.