By Sister Oyin Oza Ashisana, SSND, Province of Africa
It was on a Tuesday morning, in May this year. I was ready to go out of our house for Mass. I drove the car out of the compound and parked in front of our big gate to enable me to lock our small gate before departing for Mass. I saw a pretty young girl of about 11 years of age. She was gorgeously dressed in a nice white gown embroidered with gold sequins. She was standing just by the small gate, gazing out, and when I approached the small gate she greeted me.
“Good morning, Sister?" the young girl said.
“Good morning." I responded to her greeting.
“Where are your other sisters?"
“They have gone to the church.”
“Give me a drink,” the young girl said to me.
“Oh! I’m going to the Church and I’m running late.”
“Give me water to drink,” she insisted, but now emphatically.
“Let me quickly get you a bottle of water then.”
I reluctantly left to get the water.
“Oh no, but I will like to sit and drink."
“I’m running late for Mass,” I said nervously, looking at my watch.
“If it were to be your Mother Theresa that asked you for a drink, would you have told her that you are running late for Mass?”
That question made me feel admonished and caught off guard as I came to the door. I was in shock of how emphatic and courageous this girl was! She was so peaceful, very calm, relaxed, with a very gorgeous smile. Her face and eyes glowing; well lit and full of radiance! It was like she had known me and our sisters for a very long time.
“Where are you coming from and what’s your name?"
“You don’t need to know where I’m coming from. You asked me where am I coming from, but I’m one of you!”
Hearing this, I said inwardly to myself, "Lord what is this all about?"
I opened the door and she sat down with the water in a relaxed mood, looking everywhere in our sitting room. She sipped very little out of the glass twice. Then she said “Sister come sit with me, why standing? If your Mother Theresa wanted to come in, sit and have a drink, would you not open wide your door?”
What baffled me was that her words and disposition were that of an adult, an elder Sister. She never talked like a girl of about 11 years old.
“Greet your Sisters and tell them that they should not forget the unity that Mother Theresa left with us. They should hold on to it. I want to pray for you,” the young girl said looking intently at me.
At this point, I was reluctant and pondering questions that arose within me. ("Hope I’m safe here!” I thought to myself as she moved closer to me with a lovely smile all over her face.)
"Are you afraid?"
"Yes, because I don’t know who you are."
“But I’m one of you!”
When I moved and was going to kneel down, she stopped me. "Oh, no! You don’t have to do that. I’m one of you."
She held my two hands, seemingly helping me to get up, and after a short silence with a smile she said, "Mother Theresa has already blessed you.”
The girl finally left, and I was able to go for Mass, even though I got there late. This encounter left me with a feeling of awe in and around me and with lots of questions: "What is this all about? Who could this be? God’s messenger? A devil? Mother Theresa? Mother Caroline? Unity? Contemplation?"
I have never had an experience of this nature in my entire life. Though I was in shock, I was all the same peaceful.
