Christmas Miracle
Tiny Chinle, Ariz., lies well off the beaten path on the eastern side of the Navajo Reservation. Like many settlements in this arid region, it started out as the site of a trading post and still has modern renditions of the general store in town.
Its name translates to "water source" in Navajo, which refers to its place at the mouth of Canyon de Chelly, now a national monument with breathtaking views of ancient Indian ruins, petroglyphs and pictographs carved into the redstone rock walls.
Franciscan missionaries founded Our Lady of Fatima Church here in 1904 and have administered it plus missions in Many Farms to the north and Pinon in the sheeplands to the west.
Catholic Extension donations today help support the work of Dominican Sister Margaret Bohn, OP, and Blessed Sacrament Sisters Christa McGill and Mary Austere, who work with Father Blane Grein, OFM, at the three churches.
These modern missionaries' presence is transforming lives as Sister Adelaide Link writes here.
A gentleman came into church for Mass about a week before Christmas. We did not know him, and he introduced himself as Frank.
After Mass, Bob, our Franciscan farmer, started talking with Frank and learned he had no place to go. Since Bob was leaving for a much-needed three-week vacation, he invited Frank to stay for a few days at his place.
That night we had Bingo, and Frank helped us. He also stated that he could help out with our Alcoholics Anonymous group in Pinon. We learned he was well-versed in computers as well.
The next day Frank attended the early liturgy, and we found out that he had been on one of the international teams that prevented the computer crisis in the year 2000. Remember how scared people were about a possible global catastrophe?! Frank had received an international hero’s reward for all the prevention work that he and his team had done.
During the next two weeks, I walked Bob’s dogs, and Frank walked along. He talked about his faith in God — and the lack of it. He claimed that he had been an atheist until he found his “foxhole” with alcoholism and the 12-Step program toward recovery.
Frank explained how his sister was praying for him to return to the Church. He had attended a Catholic school and had been very religious during his youth.
On the straight path
The day after Christmas we walked over three miles as Frank talked about his desire to return to his right relationship with God. Much of his anger left him during the weeks he was with us.
There was nothing to stop him. His wife had died in August, and he was ready to make his life right with God, his neighbor and himself. With his understanding of the 12 Steps of AA, we used the Fourth Step (“Make a searching and fearless moral inventory of ourselves”) to prepare his confession after some 40 years.
The next day, with proper attire, he once again approached God by receiving Holy Communion. Since it was Wednesday evening many of our parishioners were present, and we had a celebration — just like the Scripture states that there is more joy in Heaven over one sinner who returns to God than the 99 who are righteous.
Frank phoned his sister and told her the good news, and she gave praise to God. For she had been praying for him to return to the sacraments for 40 years. This reminded us of St. Augustine and his mother: After 40 years of prayer, she, too, witnessed the joy of the angels.
This was our Miracle of Christmas. Let us not forget to continue to pray for all those who need to return to the right way of life.
It does happen — even if it means years. God will answer in God’s time.
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