Something More

Miracle At The Wedding

First Sunday of Lent

Imee Therese's POV:

The Gospel this Sunday is from the Book of Matthew, where our Good Lord is being challenged by the devil to do stupid things during his 40-day fasting. I relate that reading to what happened with me and Joshua last Wednesday to the group of children that I'm teaching in today's cathecism...

"Everyday, temptation challenges us...challenging us to do something extraordinary...and may bring us to greater glory...but little we do know that those greater glories will not last long, and will eventually lead to our downfall. That's what the devil is trying to do to us...he offers to us greater glory but in the end will lead us to hell. Obtaining greater glory without sacrificing anything is stupid...and that's how the Lord is teaching us. He sacrificing himself for 40 days to achieve that greater glory...and the Devil offers him shortcuts to achieve it faster. Guys, shortcuts are for losers...if you want to savor the same way that the Lord has achieved at the end of 40 day fasting, which is paradise of angels, you need to sacrifice: learning to be hurt, to be fallen down, to cry, to anger, to die. That way, you will really know what greater glory is all about."

"But...Ate Imee...I'm afraid to die!" A random kid complains.

"Well...sigh...I can understand your fear right now. But...you should know that death is part of life...it's natural, you cannot stop death from happening...but I'll tell you this: death does not end everything...it's just like crossing a bridge...from one life to another...where you can truly live happily ever after just like in fairy tales."

"Imee! Anthony!"

"Yes, what is it?" Anthony goes to the door and opens it. "Oh, Father Jean. What brings you here?"

"We need your help, Anthony and Imee."

"Umm...what would be the problem, Father?" I asked him.

"Can you able to us in finding some wine for the wedding reception just outside our church?" Father Jean pleas to us. "I can't bring out our own wines outside the church because they're allotted for our Mass. Can you help them out?"

Uneasiness and doubts filled my room. Well, I know there's a story about a wedding back at the time the Lord is still on Earth...he converts water into wine...his very first miracle.

"Um...is that means Imee's gonna convert some water into wine, like Jesus did?" One boy asks Father Jean. "I don't think that Imee will do the same thing as His."

"Yeah, the only thing that Imee can do is to turn the host and wine into true flesh and blood...and that's so awesome!" Another boy reacts. "I don't think she will doing that again..."

"Oh, come on! Nothing's impossible with God, you know! Right, Ate Imee?"

"Oh! Ehehehe...you're right, little girl. Hehehe!" I giggled at the girl's refutation. "Alright...let's see what the Lord can do with that case..."

At my command, Anthony carries me into my newly-repaired wheelchair and we're on our way...

Father Jean's POV:

Anthony, Imee and I arrived at the plaza, where a wedding reception is being held. Everything seems to be alright for hundreds of guests that Mr. and Mrs. Dela Torre invited. But...behind the scenes, problems is already looming at the horizon.

"Oh, thank goodness! You're finally here!" Frederica Dela Torre makes a sigh of relief. "So...who is that person that you are referring about earlier?"

"Here she is..." Then I introduce my little Imee to her. "This is Imee Therese Villaflor. She's the one that I'm talking about...she may help you."

Frederica stops for a moment and looks at Imee from head to toe...as she felts uneasiness on the frail and fragile little girl.

"Alright...let's see what you can do..." Finally, Frederica allows her to work.

But it's now Imee Therese stops from doing so...as if there's something wrong about the situation...

"Umm...madam, do you just using me to make your friends happy and praise you?"

With her comments, Frederica quickly becomes pissed off at her...

"WHA-WHAT DID YOU SA-SAY?!?! HOW DARE YOU CALLING ME THAT!!!" Frederica scolded her.

"Well then, why did you call me just to find some wines for you and your friends?" Imee calmly refutes. "As you can see, I'm blind and paralyzed...so I can't help you finding what you need."

"WHY YOU!!!!" Frederica attempts to slap Imee's face but...

"Slap me...Slap me as hard as you can...but...I'm not the right person."

Frederica raises her hand...as if she will still going to pursue to slap her so hard...but in a split-second, Frederica slowly calms down...puts down her hand...and kneels before Imee.

"Madam...sniff...please, I beg of you...sniff...I need your help...sniff...I believe in you...I believe that you make that host a living heart...sniff...But I'm the one who also insulted you back when you make cathecisms a month ago...I'm just scared that I will be rejected by my friends...please...sniff...please give me a chance..."

Imee looked down and smiled at her...

"Thank you...thank you for believing at me...but, I apologize, I don't have anything that I could do to you. But...there's something I want to tell you. I'm just a servant of Somebody who can finds your wine...He knows the answer more than I am. So if you want to know the answer, don't believe in me...believe in God. Perhaps, there's another way how to find more wine...maybe, one of your guests has brought extra wines for you, just pray to Him for something. Is that okay with you?"

Disappointed but hoping, Frederica nods at Imee's simple explanation. I allowed Imee and Anthony to return to their room to continue their cathecism, while Frederica returns to the reception.

"Sweetie! Sweetie! I have some great news!" Her husband quickly notifies her upon her return.

"Hu-huh? What is it?"

"Right now, I just saw a truck full of wines arrived here in our reception!" Arturo explains. "It's a donation from one of the guests who can't go in our wedding but promised to give something in return!"

Frederica quickly goes to the scene to see if it is true...and there she saw...boxes full of tens of wines being pulled out of the truck and being carried towards the banquet to continue the celebration. Frederica can't believe with her eyes...what Imee said to her come true after all; in so much disbelief, she makes a sign of the cross and utters a prayer. From that point, Frederica begins to trust more in the Lord...and perhaps...she becomes more amazed with Imee's wisdom.

Later that night, I've gone into Imee's room and saw her talking with Anthony about what happened earlier today...

"Oh, Father Jean! What happened to the lady now?" Anthony curiously asked me.

"Well, she did find more wine after all. Imee, you've done another miracle out there."

"Well...if you consider that as a miracle, so be it. But...I believe that I didn't do anything about it." Imee explains. "It's just like what I've said with the children: there are no shortcuts towards greater glory; you need to sacrifice to achieve greater glory and know what it is really all about. I just guided madam towards the right direction, that's all."

With that explanation, I simply smiled at her...

"You're one of a kind, child. Your humility and wisdom, balancing at the same time...perhaps that's the reason why God chooses you as His servant."

"Perhaps, Father. Perhaps...."