Be Radiant, Uncategorized

On Being Radiant

In St. Louis we have a beautiful Carmelite Monastery.  In July each year there is a novena that is done for eight days.  The rosary and benediction are done inside the chapel and then everyone moves outside for Mass.  It was such a beautiful service last night!

But, what touched me most was a conversation that was had after Mass.  I was standing with a group of people and a man came up to the group.  Everyone seemed to know him, though not I.  After chit chat about how beautiful the service was, he asked if anyone knew a woman that was standing over at a check-in table.  Then he proceeded to tell her story…

“She is easily 96 years old,” he explained.  “She is so radiant!”  I smiled, that is the word I use, especially when God’s light shines through someone.  He continued, “She has been coming here for years!  Everyone knows her.  She was chatting with everyone who walked by with a kind word, a smile.  She was talking about her sister who she described as so vibrant and full of life.  She is radiant.  She just radiates light.  I don’t know how to describe it.  Just so, very radiant.  And she is 96.  How does she do it?  How do we get more people to be radiant like her?  She is such a joy to be around.  Just look at her–you can see from here how she radiates with each person she sees.”

And that is the thing.  One beautiful person radiating God’s love made such an impact that this man had to come and share with all of us.  One of us likes to use the written word to share a story, and so I share.  How many people will catch a spark because of the radiance of this one woman?

How many people will catch the spark of God’s love because you are radiant?