God's 'little Providences'.

That's what Blessed John Henry Newman called them. In any case they have been strewn beneath my halting feet and amazed heart for the last week. Late this afternoon I arrived at the last task on my list before departure for Rome tomorrow. The whole garden had to be watered, and it is fairly large. (Unfortunately my husband is not a gardener and in any case is not strong enough  to do this job.) So I began by dragging the hose down as far as my 'John Paul II ' Clematis. A couple of years ago, I planted it against the fence in the Advent section of the garden. Last year it bloomed in late May. This year, I found to my astonished delight that it was already in bloom. Plants tend to do this sort of thing. I've  had snowdrops on a very special February 2nd, Passion Flower on Corpus Christi, but this 'floraison' two days before the Beatification of Venerable John Paul , meant that I had to cling to the fence in my surprise. Call it fanciful if you like, but the plant's urgency seemed to answer  the criticisms of the Beaticication as being 'too soon'. I will admit that I was not quite comfortable with it until I saw those papery pale violet  blooms in my own garden as today neared its end.

I just had to share this with you.

Of equal importance is that Father Mark Kirby, this blog's honorary spiritual director, has sent his loving blessing on my pilgrimage to Rome, which as he knows, will be conducted  in the spiritual presence of you all.

J