~ by kaka Lucas, 15th May 2022

I like my new room. It is big enough, nice comfortable bed, a study table, a big mirror that allows me to see Me every morning. A small beautiful bathroom that allows me to just be without fear someone will bounce in when I am doing my soloist (we sing best in the shower-just letting you know). But one thing about this room is that I meet Him who began the journey in me. Here we talk, we hug, we cuddle, we cry and He allows me to crack in crazy laughter, and loud cries . I didn’t know He can be funny, He has a lot of sense of humor…. Yes am talking about Jesus….. you couldn’t guess unless u know him. Lol!

Today Monday the first week of Lent was almost like other Monday. Marque, it is the second week since I become a resident in this parish. So Mondays are off days for my father and priest. He is always on his sofa while I am attending classes in my room. Today I had only one class, one was counseled 16min after the hour of class and the double lessons weren’t kept and nothing was communicated. That is normal anyway some people do their responsibility.

While laying on this beautiful comfortable bed, I went on ‘meds’ as we say in jamaica. I spoke to God on a different level. I wrote a letter to some people in my head as I have always done for the last six months. But also I went on to remember one of our parish members who is going through chemotherapy. I prayed for her and I hug her virtually. Life can be daring.

I too was in dark moments just like her. It may not be the same in million ways but the similarity of not knowing is very same. When I was in total darkness between 2014-2015 and this repeated itself again between 2021- part of 2022. I went to Jesus through his mother, our Blessed Mother Mary. Also, I considered a saint my novice master was devoted to. Saint Pio. He was an older guy according to many of his pictures. White long beards in Franciscan monk dress code. He was so lucky to have been given a chance to share the wounds of Jesus, so he had the 5 wounds of Jesus (the stigmata). He use to bi-locate – he could be in two places at the same time. He could read minds, foresee, prophesy and even know when you aren’t truthful during confession. Saint Padre Pio is known to be a miracle worker, now I am speaking from my very own experience….He works miracle and today 15 th of May 2022 is one of the miracles he’s done.

I wanted to be a priest from my childhood, but I ended up joining the Missionary life that was only for brothers. In the years after I took my first vows, I met a girl who saw me as more than just a mire brother cooking and serving the poor. She told me to be “brother, you could be a very good priest”. There and there my desire to be a priest has turned on again. Thank you Naomi.

During my visit to the vocation director. I prayed my rosaries every morning and novena to Padre Pio repeatedly. It took me almost four visits to the director of vocations before I was accepted. That was my first miracle with Pio. I know it doesn’t sound dramatic.

It was on a Wednesday and the same girl who saw priesthood in me was coming to Jamaica that very day. She come with a bag packed with all I needed to travel. But I didn’t have a ticket to travel back to the diocese since the community was to send me back to my home country if I was to leave the missionary life. So I went back to Jesus on the altar. I had my letter written and every week I was serving mass I would go early and spread the letter under the corporal that is placed below the altar vail. This is the exact place where the chalice and plate containing the precious blood of Jesus were placed. Other days I wasn’t serving my letter was under the statue of Mary – Our Lady of Fatima. All this was done early before brothers woke up. So I started asking for my ticket back to the mission.

It was my 3rd day of my asking through novena to Padre Pio that I met fr. Timothy. A priest I was kind to cook for when he visited one of our mission five years before that. All this time I was in this mission since I took my first vows, Fr. Tim use to visit and he was told I was either n prayers or something that will throw him off from asking for me. “Brother, what are you doing here” he asked me. My eyes had droped out of my fase and my mouth wide open. I hugged him and asked for a moment to have the sacrament of confession with him. We went to the chapel and it wasn’t really confession I wanted, it was my story I wanted to tell him. He smiled and reminded me signals he gave me help me with my priesthood and I didn’t read between the lines. There and there, he promised to stand by me, not just that coming back ticket, but he stood for my vacation to Trinidad, my second home visit in the year 2017, my first own laptop for studies and he never allow me to go hungry at any moment. That was second miracle of Padre Pio, and that wasn’t the end but the beginning.

It took almost three months to be allowed to go home. It was after five years that I was able to see my mother and my whole family. I went home just as left with, holding nothing apart from 300USD that I was given and one was a fake money. So I had 200usd to start my life after serving as a missionary for 8 years. All in all God showed His Face towards me and I had wonderful and memorable home visit. I found my grandmother had gone to be with the Lord and few other persons.

It was time to go back and I took a flight in the evening to Ethiopia. While changing the flight after a short lay off. I was askied to stand asie because I wasn’t a citizen of the country I was going. I freaked out, but I remained calm. I took a prayer card I had for Padre Pio that had his lerics, I prayed. Note that during all this time, people are boarding the flight and it was after they finished with everybody they called to question me. It was when they called me I felt a shake on my head and I remembered I had driving licence that was in my whallet. I showed them and when they had it in their system it showed I lived here for five years. They laghed and asked me “You should have given us this long time, run and board the flight.” That was the third miracle.

I went to board the flight singing praise. It took us 8 hours to Germany and I had long layoff to rest as I wait next flight and here comes the fouth biggest miracle.

I could not retreave my bags since I didn’t have Germany visa. So I was to loose them. It was my first time to travel all by myself. So I had packed all my documents in a laggage bag. I went to a chapel in the airport and there was a crusifix. I raised my heand spoke to the statue of crusified Lord. Told Him “Jesus, you have broght me this far, I believe you will not let me stradded here. Ask Pio with your angels to go get those bags to the next flight.” I come out and as calm as nothing happened I waited my next flight. When I went to the booth, and introduced myself and showed my passport, I was shorked that the bags were in the next flight and I was checked in before the rest of the passagers. Actually, I was checked in to first class.

Landind, it was late in the evening and I had no one waiting for me. I was three hours away from the city I was going. I made a call and I was asked to wait. Less than 10min someone I knew come for me and the following day I was received in the dioces I am going to be ordained in.

I have many stories to tell about Pio and Blessed Mother. But let this be a reminder for you that. Saints do exist, you can be one of the saints. Mother of Jesus is a true mother and She can walk with you if you wish. Just go to her as you are and while walking to her Pray and Don’t worry.

Today 15th of May 2022 the Lord has it worthy to elevate me to the ministry of Diaconate, I am greatful.