By Lissy Maruthanakuzhy

Nagpur: A few years ago a group of ten sisters traveled to Bengaluru for our annual retreat. We had brought provisions and water for the 24-hour journey. After an hour’s journey the train halted at a station and we had our breakfast.

The train remained there until evening. There was no sign of onward journey even after 12 hours as the track was blocked because of some political unrest. The platforms teemed with passengers. Meanwhile we finished our provisions, as we shared them with co passengers.

As we sat there looking out the window, a man stood at the train window and asked, “Sisters, you may have finished your provisions. What shall bring for you?” Although we declined the offer 15 minutes later he came back with a bag of provisions. We were speechless. When I gave him money, he refused to accept it. At our insistence he left his landline number and residential address with us.

Surprise awaited us. When we reached our destination and shared this incident one sister asked, “Did you notice the color of his pants and shirt?” Immediately I answered, “Grey pants and white shirt.”

“Oh, that is the grey man. He is an angel. Have you not heard of them appearing to needy persons and helping them?” she asked.

I had goose bumps. “Vow, I have met an angel.”

This incident came to my mind while listening to Gospel accounts of Jesus’ appearance to his disciples during the Easter season — especially the account of Jesus’ appearing to the disciples on the way to Emmaus. (Luke 24: 13-35).

During our community sharing, a member said, “Actually Jesus is always with us, isn’t he? Only that he makes himself visible when we need his physical presence.”

I agreed. Jesus is with us in different forms. He heals, encourages, supports, reminds, restores, and bestows peace depending on the situation.

The Easter season brings alive some instances of God’s angel appearing in our lives.

The world’s beauty is always before us, we often forget to appreciate it. God also wants us to open our eyes to the treasures he has hidden around us in people and events. He wants to teach us to see the goodness hidden in people we meet daily.

God’s angels are with us always, my catechism teachers told me.

The angels come in different shapes and forms as a young women experienced a few days ago in a Kerala city. The media telecast an auto driver lending money to a young woman for her visa application. “He took me to three ATMs but I could not get sufficient money. He had cash that he had saved for his child’s school fees. Seeing my predicament he gave it to me. After I paid the fees, we went looking for ATM. I could get cash and return his money,” she narrated.

I too had a similar experience during one of my mission trips years ago.

We had reached a place and went to the railway station to collect boxes of books. We were young and new to the place.

We reached the railway office around 5 pm. Our parcels had arrived. But, how will you return to your place, they asked us. When we said we would travel by bus they informed us the bus service ended at 5 pm. We were in a predicament. There was no facility to call our guest convent.

Since we were two we did not feel afraid. However we walked to the bus stand and was happy to see a bus with the nameplate of the place where we had to go. The driver and the conductor were very kind and enquired about being there at that time of the day. They agreed to take drive us with no charges.

When we got down at our bus stop it was already dark. We walked into our guest convent with a feeling of pride but the sisters were all sitting with fright. They had even informed the bishop and he too was there. When they saw us they heaved sigh of relief.

Slowly they told us the danger lurking in the area. “First of all never take a bus in the late evening if you are alone. Call us we will pick you up from wherever you are.”

We had to walk to the convent through a lengthy road with walls on either side. People have been waylaid on this road.

I could only kneel down and praise God for sending his angel that day to bring us safely home.

Angels do come in different forms and shapes – even as bus drivers and conductors.