ţlīthā qūm


 ţlīthā qūm

I wonder how He said it... Was it similar to a song?... a soft whisper... 
la Sua voce serena... tranquilla...

'Nowadays, we couldn't distinguish whether one is angry or affectionate ~ the tone with which we say things are the same...' preached the priest last Sunday.

...He saw her, he called her forward and said to her, “Woman, you are set free from your infirmity.” 

There's something in This man... His look... His gaze... His eyes...
mi penetra... nel profondo... fino all'anima mia...

"He reached out His hand and touched the man."

...gently...
senza timore...


-------
I remember a story recounted by one Peruvian missionary nurse I worked with in North Africa. She was assigned to prepare a teenager for his first communion. He not only looked younger but he was quite smaller than his age. He was all curled up because of an unknown disease. His whole body was covered with sores and a piece of metal stand is placed between him and his bed cover so it wouldn't touch his skin. Nobody dared touch him except his mother.

For some reasons he was denied to receive the Sacrament of the Eucharist by the chaplain. Our missionary friend stormed out of the office and visited the young boy. 

She was surprised to see him smiling. She couldn't break this young boy's heart. 

He eagerly recounted what happened to him during the day while his mother was away.

...He said... a man with a very pleasant countenance came to visit him earlier. He felt a deep sense of peace overflowed inside him as his unexpected visitor pulled away the bed cover, removed the metal gently and took his hand...

They walked around his bed... and for the first time, he felt alive!

The visitor took him back to his bed and bade him goodbye... Oh this young boy's happiness was inexplicable... He added, he fell asleep soundly until our friend came...

Then he asked her quietly, 'Will you touch my hand?'

Our friend was reluctant but she removed her gloves and shook his hand... 

She went home and came back the next day to visit him again but she saw his mother instead. 

He passed away...

At that moment, she froze as she recalled everything he told her the day before...
... visitor... 
...pleasant countenance... 
...deep sense of peace...

...walk around his bed... 
He couldn't walk...

Tears flooded her eyes when she remembered him asking her to touch his hand... that man who visited him was the only person aside from his mom who held him...

He did receive Him... 
He manifested Himself to him... 

to us...
con tant'AMORE...

ţlīthā qūmī



And taking the hand of the child, he said to her, "Talitha kumi", which translates as, "Little girl, I say to you, get up."












Comments

  1. Aww Melissa, this story is very touching...

    Blessed are the poor in spirit,
    For theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
    - Matthew 5:3

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. After writing this and reading the passage you left me before I slept, I felt the weight of these words. They are indeed blessed Irene ~ truly blessed!

      Delete
  2. What a beautiful and touching story soul sis. As they say god couldn't be everywhere so he created mothers. Only a mother could touch her son and God.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. How beautiful and how rich your words are Rimly soul sis!

      God is so perfect and our mothers are His perfect gift!

      Delete
  3. Replies
    1. Thank you Izdiher :) God's Words make it special ;)

      Delete
  4. Everytime I am here I am lost in some other world...I am touched again n again...
    This was something out of the world yet happening in this world...BEAUTIFUL!

    Love XXX!
    Mani

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Oh so full of love Mani. It happens everyday and we're not aware of it... now we know ;)

      Delete
  5. I will treasure this story forever, Melissa. It is one of the most beautiful and moving I have ever read. I am definitely blessed by this today!
    Blessings to you, dear friend!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. You have reached the depths of my soul when you've understood me fully...I love you so much Martha.

      We are all blessed and changed by this story...

      Delete
  6. This is a bittersweet story Melissa. Sometimes our fear keeps us from our humanity. I'm glad the little boy received love from his mom, the mysterious stranger and the missionary. I always marvel at your use of such lovely quotes.

    http://lyricfire.typepad.com/lyric-fire/2012/07/lyric-fire-pretty-girl-cry-a-poem-.html

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you Tameka :* The young boy reminded me of Lazarus filled with sores. I would have touched him with gloves too. I have seen such a repulsive sight in the Medical-Surgical ward. Yes, only love would ever move us to 'touch', 'speak' and 'see' others the way Jesus did...

      Delete
  7. The part that struck me was that the boy was denied the Sacraments by the chaplain. It won’t be the first time:-( Man fails. Christ prevails! Alive forever! The boy made whole at last.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. There are so many details in the story I've omitted... but the chaplain felt terribly sorry that he didn't allow the boy to receive the Sacrament.

      Made whole ~ indeed Debra!

      Delete
  8. Hello.
    There is more happiness in giving than there is receiving. Kindness needs no reward, for it is done out of the goodness of the heart. True love does not discriminate and neither does God. Very thought-provoking post, Melissa. Thanks for sharing. I like your new background too.

    Goddess Of Fantasy

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks Andy :) This image was taken by my sister when she visited Vietnam...

      It is so true ~ love will allow us to see the depth of people's beings... :) I believe you, you know what it is all about :)

      Delete
  9. Wow Melissa...reading this just gave me goosebumps. God comes to those who seek Him, who are suffering and at the final hours He is truly near. I'm so glad that boy could experience some peace before he left this world...What an awful disease he had...this world is not short on suffering, there's certainly too much of it. But those like you and your friend provide light for others amidst their darkness causing hope to rise up within their hearts. Hope for us all.

    Beautiful post sis.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I also had the same feelings when our friend recounted this story. She gave us details on how the visitor looked like and we were left in awe.

      I wish I knew which disease he had...but yes, he suffered a lot in all terms. It makes one truly grateful to God's graces.

      Thank you lots sis and happy birthday :*

      Delete
  10. I am so spell-bound and humbled!
    -Portia

    ReplyDelete
  11. Melissa,

    This is David Gracioni. I'm replying as anonymous because my google account was disabled. I posted a note to the blogger help forum because I couldn't reply to your comment on my blog. I found the answer. I replied to the help forum email in my gmail (I guess I wasn't suppose to) to let them know I was fine and then that reply email shut everything down, blog included as they said I was attempting to spam??? Very strange. I don't know if I will be able to get it back.

    Anyway, about your post above, wow, you have such a gift to minister. The Lord reveals Himself to you in such wonderful ways. Thanks for this post. I needed this reminder of how miraculous is our Lord.

    Peace be with you,
    David

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks David. I've been looking for you yesterday. I was checking your blog if you wrote something new and I was surprised that it no longer exists. If you couldn't have it back, perhaps you could open a new one...

      Same here ~ we do need such kind of miracles sometimes to put us in proper perspective. It creates sparks in one's heart...

      Thank you for trying to reach out :) Peace.

      Delete
    2. Yes Melissa, that is a good idea to start a new one but it wasn't just the blog they disabled, it was my email account as well. I've been working on a solution but I do not have one at this time.

      I accidentally scrolled below all the comments and could see your background picture in full. These little girls are so wonderful. Such a beautiful picture. Are these your students? Their smiles say how much you have blessed them.

      Peace be with you,
      David

      Delete
    3. Be at peace David :)

      Oh how I wish they were.These are kids from Vietnam. My sister was so fascinated with them she took their picture. They are very cheerful and colorful :)

      Thanks for the visit :)

      Delete
    4. Melissa,

      Just so you are not left hanging and wondering, the path to fix the situation is to provide google with my phone number. I feel this is personal information that a blog provider should not require and I've heard from others that their emails/blogs were not restored after they provided their number.

      Thankfully I have another personal email and work email. I may start another blog from another provider but for now I'm a little tired of google since this happened.

      When I start another I will be sure to join your blog again. :)
      God Bless you,
      David

      Delete
    5. No worries David. At your own time :) God bless!

      Delete
  12. That was so touchy and filled with emotions Melissa....

    God bless...
    irfan.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks Irfan. I totally agree with you...it spoke to the depths of my heart...

      Delete
  13. What a BEAUTIFUL story!!! Full of peace and LOVE!!!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Grazie Lisa farfalla mia ;)I'm glad the message went through :)

      Delete
  14. Tsk! You really had me with this story. This is really tragic. Dying untimely. This story really had touched me. I like it very much.

    It felt that I was babbling on trivial things about my pimples or other things. I felt a little embarrassed.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Be at peace Key and feel free to be yourself. I like your stories :) They are written they way they had to be ~ now I blush, I'm way past my 'pimple years' :P

      Delete
  15. Replies
    1. Shukran Raiha :) I checked out your blog and profile. Are you a friend of Izdiher? Marhaba!

      Delete
  16. Melissa, that was such a touching story, reminding us that we are God's hands here on earth and that there are no barriers thick enough to keep the Spirit from communing with us. We live in two realms at one time. We can see, taste, touch, and smell this earthly realm, but the spiritual realm is where reality abides, and where love is birthed, and compassion born.
    Thank you for this lovely story today.
    Sending love to you sweet Melissa.
    Leah

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Oh so beautiful words Leah... I relish everything you just said... lots of love too :*

      Delete
  17. What makes me most happy is that it is a true story. Some people are blessed with healthy lives. some people are blessed with gods hand in their weakness :) Thanks Melissa for lifting our hearts sharing such a story

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. That is so true Jerly... I thank that missionary who shared this story :)

      Delete
  18. What a touching story Melissa! We are so blessed and then we still complain. Thank you for sharing this with us Melissa. Have a blessed day.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I do sometimes wish that I could just listen to edifying stories instead of those horrifying ones :P Yes, we do complain despite our blessings perhaps because we see only what we want to see and we're blinded to all the goodness surrounding us...

      Lots of love Nelieta :*

      Delete
  19. Melissa I have tears in my eyes. This is so powerful and so beautiful. Thank you so much for sharing it.

    ReplyDelete
  20. Deeply moved, Melissa. Thank you for sharing. ♥

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Soul Friends

Be

Relationship Status: Attached