Saint Teresa of Avila was a very practical woman. She prayed ‘Lord deliver me from sour faced saints. Also she said, we can’t be sure if we love God whom we can’t see, but we can know if we care for a neighbour that we can see. Twice John the Baptist says, that he didn’t know Jesus himself, but that it was a Spirit of Love that would find Him. Our asking, our making the effort to see or find God counts. When Paddy the Irishman died, he ‘gave out‘ to God for not letting him win the Lotto. God said. How could you win the Lotto, when you never bothered to buy a ticket. The practical side of finding God is how we treat others, to have a heart for people. It means trying. It means effort. It does not mean checking whether people are worthy or not, or what religion they have, or all the faults we can name. It does mean helping people where they are at. I admire the efforts put into football teams for young people,and the organisation of Bingo or Cards to include senior citizens. Then, there are the small things of everyday living that mean so much ...give a smile, a thank you, a place in a queue, a seat on bus or train,give way in traffic, and ban blowing the horn of the car for one day, and The Spirit of Love glows.

Liam Hickey, St.Ciarans, Hartstown, Dublin 15.