The Catholic Women’s League of Canada
Diocese of Victoria
“Sow Love Generously”
President: Laurel Phyall Spiritual Advisor: TBA
Date: August 21, 2022 Spiritual Communique #4
From: Gerry Heywood, Diocese of Victoria CWL Spiritual Chairperson
Dear Sisters in the CWL and all the Brothers who aid us in our work:
I have come home from the 2022 CWL National Convention in Kelowna, B.C. and had a great time. The meetings, dinners and hanging out with friends from all across the country will long stay with me. Kelowna, itself, is a great town with lots to do. However, be prepared for only healthy meals and exercise! I never saw a “fast food joint” during my stay in the city core!
I could go on and on about the great times, friends, presentations and boat trips until the proverbial cows come home. But, for me, the convention turned out to be an encounter with Christ in a truly unique way—while I was eating my bran flakes!
Our hotel served breakfast every morning and on my last day I “happened” to sit next to a CWL sister from Manitoba. After a brief chat, she said she was still tired after her surgery. Of course I asked what kind of surgery she had. She replied, “Kidney transplant.” “Wow!”, I said and then asked, “How’s it going? You must be taking anti-rejection drugs.” “No, I gave a kidney to my granddaughter.” Her granddaughter had come down with a virus that destroyed both her kidney’s and she ended up on dialysis for quite some time. It was taking a heavy toll on her.
My grandmother friend decided to find out if she could give her granddaughter a kidney. It turned out she was a match. Don’t think this was a simple process. There were around forty tests done and one failure would mean no kidney or life for the granddaughter. My CWL friend feared a test failure, feared for her weakening granddaughter and feared the surgery, itself.
In the end, the surgery went well for both patients and both grandmother and granddaughter are doing well!
I am so grateful to eat my bran flakes where I did. To me, this is a clear case of Christ’s saving grace acting through a CWL Sister to heal another.
I’d like to keep this communique fairly brief so I have chosen just two quotes from the New Testament and these are: “I abide in you and you in me” (John 15:03) and “Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God knows God. . . God is love.” (1 John 4:7-8)
So, for me, this breakfast didn’t turn out to be about bran flakes and very weak coffee but an unexpected encounter with Christ on my own journey to Emmaus.
Blessings on your day.
Gerry Heywood: CWL Spiritual Chair Diocese of Victoria