A Recent Experience of Apostolic Reflection – April 2021

We have a Community of twelve sisters and for this prayer form we divided into three groups of four. One person in each group chose to tell of an experience in story form while the others listened intently and reflected.

In my group one sister, Carmel, shared about a hospital visit for treatment. She asked the Philippino nurse attending her how the family was. This nurse & mother poured out her anxiety about her nearly one year old baby, Luke, who had not yet been baptised. She was worried day and night about it. Carmel reassured her, saying she would contact this nurses’s Parish Priest whom Carmel knew. As it turned out the priest phoned the mother telling her not to worry: That Luke would be baptised, as soon as the churches reopen, he was just one of over a hundred babies waiting for Baptism. This relieved the mother’s anxiety.

Thus Carmel had related the story with no interruptions from the group except to clarify some things. We then in the group had time to consider the story and notice if any strong theme emerged and whether a passage of scripture came to mind. We also reflected how God was calling each of us in this time of prayer.

The benefits of the apostolic reflection are: energy and joy in the group, recognition that Carmel had an apostolate even while on hospital trolley. All of us were inspired to pray for mothers and babies; the church and each other.

Sr Nora Lally DC