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My guardian angel, knowing my spiritual fragility, works overtime on my behalf. My husband is a Roman Catholic, and I am an Anglican. One Sunday last summer a group of Roman Catholic students with their chaplain were coming to lunch with us, and were going to celebrate mass at our house before the meal. A second priest was coming to join them. My husband stopped me from dashing off on my bicycle to an early Communion Service, saying happily that I would be able to receive communion at the eucharist to be celebrated in our home. I knew from experience that the second priest understood about the need experienced by interchurch couples to share communion together, but I was not sure about the first one, and it was he who was going to celebrate. But I put my bicycle away hopefully.
In the course of the conversation after the students arrived with the celebrant, I grew less sure. The mass began. The second priest had not arrived. I shut my eyes to try to focus on what to do. To my great relief, I heard the voice of the second priest reading the Gospel. He must have stepped in through the open garden door. The mass continued. Then came the words of invitation from the celebrant: "If you want to receive, stand up". That was clear. I wanted to receive, so I knew what to do. I stood up. I held out my hands. The celebrant moved round the circle. When he reached me, he gave me a blessing.
This is where my guardian angel moved in. She knows that I don't cope in these situations. She sent the second priest, who was holding the chalice and, seeing what had happened, he gave the chalice to me. What an amazing way to be rescued. It was an entirely unpremeditated happening.
Claire Malone-Lee
6.1.2
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Published by the Association of Interchurch Families, London
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