Jul132025
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“Do You See It”

One day, I was at my desk with the phone on hold. Apparently, someone tried to buy Rhode Island with my credit card, and I was trying to figure out how to get a new card. While waiting, the doorbell rang. So I left the phone to answer the door. There was a guy standing there who said, “ Fr. Peter?” I replied, “Yes.” He said, “Fr. Peter, it is so good to see you again. My name is Duker.” So let me ask you this: How many people do you know in your life by the name Duker? I know one person. He was my friend when I was twelve years old. I asked,  “Duker, is that you?”

At that moment, my brain filled with wonderful memories, and I was whisked back to my childhood when I recognized him. In a rapid-fire exchange, I learned that he has six children, they are big Celtics fans, and they had come to Boston for a game. I also learned that he married the girl I wanted to marry when I was twelve. After a few minutes, he told me he had to go back to the kids, and he left. I returned to the phone, still on hold. It was as if the wonderful surprise disappeared between the problem I was trying to solve. But that night, I went back and remembered that moment earlier in the day. I thought, “I haven’t seen him in so many years and today he goes out of his way to see me. I am blessed.” In my amazement, I exclaimed, “Wow.” Do you know that is my favorite prayer? Publishers and authors on prayer hate that prayer because it is only one word. When we recognize how blessed we are because of Go and say “Wow,” know this, God is in heaven saying, “Finally, someone notices me.” God is in our lives every day, but sometimes we are so busy dealing with problems that the blessings just pass us by.

Remember the parable of the Good Samaritan? In the story, a man was robbed by robbers. Let’s say it is the end of the day when he finally wakes up from his near-death experience, you ask him, “How was your day today?” He has two choices. He could say, “I had a terrible day today. I was cursed. I was minding my own business, walking to Jericho, and a group of thieves jumped me. They took my possessions, stripped me of my clothes, beat me, and left me to die.” Or he could say, “Today was a terrific day. I must be the luckiest man in the world because today, God was watching over me. He sent someone to save my life. “Wow.”

Know this: every single day we live, we are blessed because God is in it. We just have to have to eyes to see it. 

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