The Lord listens to our needs
A Reflection by Fred Schaeffer, OFS

Time and time again when we commit our needs to prayer, prayers are answered. A good example of an answered prayer concerns a lady in the Philippines, who had a disagreement with her landlord (not her fault) and lost permission to live in his house. He told her a few weeks ago to seek a new place to live. On August 31, Virginia returned to Manila where she originally lived, with the scary prospect of being homeless. She asked us to pray and we did.

I sent a prayer request to all Fraternity Ministers of the Secular Franciscan Order (OFS) in Five Franciscan Martyrs Region (Florida and So. Alabama). Some acknowledged my message so I know they were praying. In the meantime, Virginia had arrived at Manila airport. She called the local OFS contact she had, and then things got into motion, a very positive development which I can only attribute to the prayers. These people instructed her to wait at the airport and that they would get back to her. She was there probably for several hours. An arrangement was made for her to go to the Shrine of Saint Anthony of Padua (run by Franciscan friars) and she is now living in a small room in an adjacent building where she can hear singing when Mass is celebrated. https://www.rcam.org/shrineofsaintanthonyofpadua/about-us/

Because there is a 12-hour time difference between Florida and the Philippines (they are ahead of us), most of this activity took place when I was supposed to be sleeping. These developments were worth staying up for, I didn’t mind. I am overjoyed that Virginia has a roof over her head and isn’t homeless anymore. Thank you Jesus, and St. Anthony.

“And this is the confidence which we have in him, that if we ask anything according to his will he hears us. And if we know that he hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have obtained the requests made of him.” (1 Jn. 14-15)

Praise the Lord,

Fred Schaeffer, OFS
8/31/2024

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