In 2001, I met a priest named Fr. Mychal Judge, whose talk so moved me that my 22-year-old self went to speak with him afterward. And upon leaving pleaded, “please, come back” and he said he would.
Then fateful September came and Fr. Mychal became among the fallen martyrs of 9.11.01. He didn’t get to come back and I never got to see him again. But to this day, his compassion, fight for justice and rights, and his welcoming and accepting spirit have remained present with me. All of these years later, I have thought of him often, and my open ask of him to “please, come back.”
As many of you know, in January my company went through a HUGE headquarter move to Long Island but I wound up in a shared office in midtown. Well, on my first day, I remember looking up to the street sign to realize that I had been relocated to 31st street, a street named after Fr. Mychal. A street sign that made me smile. And every day since then he has “welcomed” me into my work morning, and “sends me off” as I end the day.
He fulfilled my ask to "please, come back," just not in the way I had expected. And you can clearly see the Freedom Tower from his street sign, built near the holy ground where our towers fell and he gave his life.
What inspired me to write this all down was a Facebook post that I read this morning from my friend Meredith that said: "There is a difference between loyalty and bondage. There is a difference between faithfulness and fearfulness. There is a difference between being devoted and being dominated. The difference is called freedom, and it is all the difference in the world. And ps... You can’t have love without it. " Her post made me think about Fr. Mychal.
And Meredith just happens to be the Music Director in a church that my new office window overlooks on 31st Street, the street named after Fr. Mychal. Coincidence? Maybe. But I’ve been told that all coincidences are from God who chooses to remain anonymous (and even as I write this post, my heart is fast beating in my chest.)
THE MESSAGE IS...
Fight for FREEDOM, stand up for what is RIGHT, let go of people or things that prevent you from LIVING, and LOVE every moment of every day.
And remember, with the Divine, promises are fulfilled... just not always in the way you expect them! Be open to how the Spirit works and you'll start to see the signs.
xo
© 2018 Katie Riley
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