Thursday, September 25, 2014

Paragraph from 2nd last chapter of Anchor of My Soul

Anchor of my Soul

Father Leo, the Catholic priest came to visit me. He told me that there are lots and lots of Catholics in Bloemfontein and that almost every nurse in the ward is a Catholic and that is why he can come and go as he pleases in this ward. He asked me if I would like the blessing of the sick and of course I said yes. Insurance…just in case!

The second time he came to see me, he remembered not only my name, but the answers to all his questions he had put to me the first time he came to give me the blessing of the sick.

“I am really busy today Dianne. I have lots of patients to see in a number of hospitals. Do you want me to say a quick prayer for you?” Father Leo asked me.

“If you make it quick, that will be great. Thanks Father”, I responded.

“Right”, he said, pulling up a chair next to the bed. “Let’s get on with it then”. He closed his eyes and began. “Father, we bring you our sister, Dianne, this morning. Please can you let her stay down here a little longer? The world needs activists and I don’t think you need a deputy just yet. Now where did I put the sacrament…?” He stopped praying while he leaned down, picked up his battered little bag and began scratching around in it.

“Father, you still praying”, I said, quite astonished by the sudden interruption not only of his prayer and his thoughts, but his actions as well.

“Now…now…Dianne! If God has patience with me, don’t you think you could have a little as well? And by the way, did I mention to you that the story of Job in the Bible is not true. It is just a parable. Every person who has studied theology should know that!”

I don’t know where that last sentence came from and what relevance it had to me, but it patience thing and Job shut me up pretty quickly and gave me food for thought for the rest of the day.