Five-year-old Melissa, a brave little girl, is attending Holy Mass at a crowded cathedral. A tall tough goon comes in. He screams invectives and insults, trying to disrupt the Mass. Melissa instinctively goes in front of him. The goon is surprised that a little girl has the guts to confront him. They stare at each other in silence for a whole minute eye-ball-to-eyeball. Then Melissa smiles and the magic begins. They say a smile can melt hardened hearts. It is true for Melissa.
eastwind journals
April 13, 2025 – Archives tr581
By Bernie V. Lopez, eastwindreplyctr@gmail.com
Share the link to this article = https://eastwindjournals.com/2025/04/13/pray-for-your-enemies/
The Child Bank Consultant.
Melissa takes his hand. He is so confused that he does not know how to react. Melissa starts to sing, and the congregation instantly follows, drowning the cathedral in song. The goon is so embarrassed, he tries to leave, but Melissa pulls on his hand. A young boy approaches and holds the other hand. Three more children join the fray. They kneel and the goon follows. The priest says, “Everybody, let us all pray in silence for our friend here”. Tears flow from this hardened goon’s eyes, that changes his life forever.
The goon, 40-year-old Edward, was the Executive Vice President of a bank who turned alcoholic when the bank kicked him out, falsely accusing him of stealing millions. As Melissa echoes in his mind, he sheds off the alcohol and goes back to the bank to prove his innocence. He obtains documents showing that his pretty innocent-looking assistant is the culprit, who readily admits her crime. The bank, apologizing to the high heavens, restores him to his former job.
Edward now goes regularly to the cathedral but people do not recognize him because he is now cleanly shaven and dressed well; but not Melissa. From the corner of her eye, she knew it was him. She smiles, takes his hand and they attend mass together from then on.
He has a fantastic idea. He hires Melissa as a ‘conflict management consultant’, the youngest bank employee. This child bank consultant is able to neutralizes the personal conflicts and rivalries in the bank in a matter of two months from pure instinct, conducting seminar workshop on ‘people skills’ and ‘conflict management’. They give her a ‘preacher’s box’ so she can reach the top of the lecture board.
A local university obtains her syllabus and awards her a full scholarship. She refuses, asking the university to donate instead to the AAA (an alcoholics anonymous agency), which was instrumental in rehabilitating Edward away from alcohol.
Pray for Your ‘Enemies’.
In a sense, Edward was an ‘enemy’, disrupting the Holy Mass, but the prayers from the congregation healed him instantly.
Let us celebrate the December 8 feast of the Immaculate Conception by focusing on prayer. As demonstrated by the congregation which prayered for Edward, prayer is such a powerful part of our lives and our destinies that it is an obligation rather than an option, source of happiness and peace of mind.
It is the key to upliftment, not only for senior citizens beset by fading social life, increasing ailments, loneliness, and depression, but also for young people immersed in an era of conflicts and confusion, not knowing what to do with themselves, needing counsel and assurance.
Praying for our enemies neutralizes not only their hatred and conflicts, but also ours too. Those so full of hatred laugh at the idea of praying for enemies. They are blinded by their hatred. They do not realize that it is instant magic in turning hatred into forgiveness by praying. Hatred consumes our souls. Forgiveness restores our souls, the key to peace of mind in an era of wars and social conflicts.
If you are an Israeli, pray for Hamas, Hezbollah, and the Iranians. If you are Trump, pray for the Democrats trying to derail your plans to restore American society by mass deportation of criminals. If you meet a ‘goon’ in church, pray for him on the spot, and be rewarded with peace of mind.
More Inspirational Articles – eastwindjournals.com.
FOR THOSE WHO NEED HEALING, spiritual or physical (depression, anxiety, loneliness, terminal cancer, covid, diabetes, etc.) – say an online healing prayer with one or both healers below. Terminal patients have been healed in cyberspace. All you need is to have faith and to ask the Lord –
1) Father Fernando Suarez – www.youtube.com/watch?v=8UP3LHBgtIc.
2) Sr. Raquel Reodica, RVM – www.youtube.com/watch?v=wAZcwNimBSg
Download free e-book ‘Healing Stories of Sr. Raquel’ at eastwindjournals.com/2021/08/13/healing-stories-of-sr-raquel-e-book-free-download/).
Author’s book. At age 26, the author (eastwind) drifted through Europe, hitchhiking 25,000 kilometers for three straight years. He wrote a book on his adventures, Wings and Wanderlust. He learned deep insights that radically changed his view of life, which he wants to share with readers looking for themselves or wanting to catch the wind. More about the book (get a copy) = https://eastwindjournals.com/2023/02/25/more-about-the-book-wings-and-wanderlust/
Author’s Credentials. Blogger – Columnist – Daily Tribune – ex-Columnist (Inquirer) – Healing Ministry – ex-Professor (Ateneo University) – Documentary Producer-Director (freelance, ex-ABS-CBN, ex-TVS Tokyo) – ex-Broadcaster (Radio Veritas) – Facebook “Bernie V. Lopez Eastwind” / Pages “Eastwind Journeys and Journals” and “Mary Queen of Peace”.
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