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I was ready for it. The return of the healing Mass – the night when all the forces of light and darkness converge on Flint, TX to see which side will win. God always wins, but the enemy tries to foul up as much as possible.
This past month we prayed, we repented, we pleaded for hearts of leaders to be broken – including us. We claimed strength for the move of God over our Diocese and East Texas. We prayed against people avoiding communication.
A few days before the Mass the wrecks came. Two of the priests who serve at our Mass totaled their cars, both hit by young drivers. One wreck had three priests in the car. No one was hurt.
We made special arrangements for extra help this month. We made sure we had a meal lined up for the team, a professional sound-man, a worship team and an overhead projector with operator. We secured a Spanish-speaking (Charismatic!) priest and we prayed more.
The morning of the Mass day I arrived at the church and thanked God for the angels posted at every corner of the building and every peak of the roof. Next I took my customary morning prayer walk and prayed a “blood line” around the property. I took authority over all spirits that are working to foil God’s work at this church and in the Diocese. I forbade them to even be on the property. As I circled the primitive black top road that encloses the back of the land, I discovered evidence of extensive or repeated beer parties. I spoke to those distilled spirits too. 
Rounding the church parking lot I came up on people beginning the line for food pantry day at St. Mary Magdalene. The pantry brings a lot of folks around, workers and about 80 food seekers, which makes for a busy atmosphere all morning.
Inside the church I moved to the sanctuary where the “Blessed Sacrament” is exposed all day Wednesdays. I looked around the room, especially the front, and asked God to do his work there. I don’t normally do this, but I even prayed against spirits in our little office area. I wanted a clean house.
As evening approached, our team began to arrive. The Wednesday night faith- formation class children, parents and teachers began drifting in as well.
As we started feeding the ministry team and priests, the sky clouded up with rain. Lori remarked it had rained on every healing Mass that God poured out His Spirit on. She was excited about the rain and said.” Bring it on.”
 At 6:00 our song leader began playing guitar in the sanctuary during adoration. He took a break and joined the rest of the team in the room off the foyer of the church to pray. We always enjoy our prayer times before the healing Mass. These prayers are powerful. Our Spanish priest opened for us. Normally the priests do not join this prayer time. One team member said he had to hold onto the counter because his knees started to buckle as the Father prayed.
I thanked God for the month we’d had to re-evaluate the Healing Mass. We claimed once again, His power over the building. Our sound-man declared that people would have to check their baggage with the angels in the foyer and not bring their troubles into the Mass. We prayed for all the people deciding to face the weather to be where God was moving. I prayed for Fr. Michael that he would be open to the Holy Spirit to change his message up to the last minute if necessary to reflect what God wanted to say. It was intense. It was glorious. We felt like a Knute Rockne football team ready to go out on the field and “Win one for the Gipper.” God was in the house.
We left this mini revival in the “locker room” and went out to get things started. Another priest was reposing the Blessed Sacrament so we could begin the Mass, He knelt and prayed to end the Adoration time and removed the starburst “monstrance” from the altar. There were over 100 people in the sanctuary anticipating the night. I noticed several people outside looking toward the main road. Outside and in the foyer, people started talking about a tornado watch that we were in the middle of. I looked back into the church and it was surprisingly now empty. The Pastor had told everyone to go into the fellowship hall until the storm passed. I remarked to someone, “Let’s have worship in there. Let’s do church. Remember what Moses, said at the Red Sea, ‘Stand fast and see the deliverance of your God!’” I went in the back of the church see what was up.
It was utter chaos. The large kitchen was full of children and adults from the CCD classes and our healing Mass sitting on the floor. Over by our office the long hallway was lined with people. A security guard was on hand, due to some apparent break-ins at churches in the area and he was helping everyone seek refuge in windowless rooms.
Leaders were concerned about what to do and how to calm the children. An announcement was made that the Mass is cancelled! Many children were scared and bewildered.
Those associated with the healing Mass wondered what all the trouble was about. Our ministry team was flabbergasted. “Let’s have church!” we all said. “God is in the house.” I said again we should begin the praise service that was supposed to be going on right now anyway. I snuck back to the front of the church. Someone was using an I-phone, to track the storm on a color Doppler screen. He said the storm has shifted and was passing over the center of Tyler, 6 miles north of us. 
When I returned to the back, everyone was being asked to stay in one of the closed areas. We invited some to come pray in our office. A circle of women started praying. We brought our kids in, several of our team members. This was the very room I had prayed over that very morning. Now it was a prayer room! After some rather fearful prayers ended, I prayed out and took authority over the spirit of fear that was choking the children and adults. I reminded God (and Satan) that the angels had been there all day and nothing was going to harm that property – not demons, not tornados. I was glowing in God’s confidence. The prayers I’d prayed all month for this night gave me strength.
There was no need for fear. God was in the house. We are the people of God. I went out and got the rest of my family. We began singing,“Your Grace is Enough.” We were all built up - even the praying women. I saw their hopes rise. The talking in the hall toned down outside the open door as we sang and they started to listen. Hooray God!
 The hail that had pelted the all glass northern wall of the large Peaches Hall had subsided. We concluded the storm had passed and we would go ahead and begin the Mass at 7:30 pm, in less than 10 minutes.
How did we live before hand held weather trackers and cell phones? We might not have know anything about the storm and would have gone on with the Mass, trusting in God. Of course, the people were wise not to be on the road in the hail – and something WAS passing over, but let us all grow in our faith and be confident in these situations.
The four priests, who would serve at the Mass, had stayed calm throughout the drama and were ready to serve the people. Fr. Michael’s homily was inspired by all the events, as I had prayed. He spoke on “Trusting in God.” The Mass was beautiful. 70 people stayed for it, 40 of them Spanish speaking. The Spanish are always faithful to come and are growing in numbers every month, rain or shine.
The ministry time was sweet. There were several children present, both Spanish and English, who were ministered to. We need more Spanish speakers on our prayer team.
God is seeking people who will trust him in all circumstances. He is the same yesterday, today and forever – under the full moon, in the tornado, in a hurricane or earthquake. Remember, we’re listening for His still small voice. His Grace is enough.
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