Thelma

I had my luggage with me and the first thing I did is go to confession. And the priest said, “Oh I see you bring your luggage with you” and I said, “Actually my physical luggage and my whole life luggage.” He just smiled at me. And then I was telling him my sins and a little about my life but somehow he said to me, “Where did you say your husband is from?” I said, “He’s from Greece.” and he said “You are from Mexico?” And I said, “Yes, when we got married, he promised over the Bible that we would raise the kids Catholic. He is a man of his word and he let me raise our kids Catholic.” 

I’ve always hoped my husband would participate in the faith with the family. I think he would be happier. My husband attended a boarding school run by Orthodox priests in his youth, and read the whole Bible in Greek. When I told the priest that, he said “I bet he has it all in his heart.” He asked me if I knew how to speak Greek. I can understand some things and I learned to cook very well Greek food for him. He said “Well, I am going to tell you a few prayers in Greek so you pray with him in Greek. You can go on the internet and find these short prayers. Greeks have very good prayers about the mercy of God and about Our Lady. Then you start learning a little bit more and you will surprise him. And then perhaps like this he will open his heart to God.”

When he told me that, I almost cried because it was so simple, so simple! And I could not believe I never thought about it.  After 36 years married, I have another clue what to do. And when I return home, I am going to pray first to God to give me the right prayers to land into his heart. And then I will leave it all to Him, all to Jesus. 

From now and on I am never going to tell him “I love you,” I am going to tell him “s’agapo” (‘I love you’ in Greek). And I am never going to say “Gusito, my love” I am going to tell him “agapi mou” (‘my love’ in Greek).