On the feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe I arrived at Church with the intention of slipping into the back row, as it was the Mass for the school children and the church was full.

I was surprised to see a certain young mom with her baby there. I knew her, but never had seen her at our church before.  Our last encounter had been most unpleasant. She and her husband had been very disagreeable about a business dealing we'd had, and it had weighed heavily on my heart ever since.  I did everything I could for them, but they still seemed to be angry.

Upon seeing her, I realized that I hadn't really forgiven them.

I took a seat across from her, but we were both probably relieved when someone else came and sat next to me, blocking our direct view of each other.  Still, all through the readings and the homily and the prayers I was thinking of how I could start over with her. After all, this month wasn't I especially trying to prepare the way of the Lord?

"Prepare the way of the Lord, make straight his paths." (Lk 3:4)

I thought I could go over to her at the sign of peace, look her straight in the eye and give her my biggest most heartfelt smile.  I asked Mary to help me.  But as it happened, she never looked my way.  So I thought maybe I could greet her as we went to Communion, but she ended up quite a bit ahead of me.  Then, the thought came that, at the end of Mass, it would be Jesus in me greeting Jesus in her!  So as we were leaving, I went over to her, gave her "His" smile and a hug, and said how glad I was to see her.  She responded in kind!  I felt so happy and free!

S.S., Midwest