Lady

There is a lady in our parish who helps tend the flowers.  She also cleans up the pews and around the church.  She also brings gifts for the priest; this woman who has virtually nothing.She is Vietnamese and maybe 70 years old.  She wears what the women would have worn during the war.  She speaks no English but I can understand “Father”.  She has very little but she has a deep faith.There is something that draws me to her…not sure what it is.  I feel protective of her in my little way but she is uncomfortable letting me help her even though she lets me a little and smiles.Yesterday she was planting pansies around the base of our statue of Mary.  One of my co-workers caught her sobbing.  When I wondered why I was told that her husband beats her terribly. It broke my heart and I have been thinking about her since.Please pray for Lady and for her hard-hearted husband.  So many people live these lives but here she just tries to clean up the mess and make it lovely.

Unfortunately, this hits home as the trial for the local murder begins.  Please pray for those who are suffering.  Mary will protect…this I know.