November 12: Aorta of a Whale, a Great Gift, My Name

"The aorta of a whale is larger in the bore than the main pipe of the water-works at London Bridge, and the water roaring in its passage through that pipe is inferior in impetus and velocity to the blood gushing from the whale's heart." PALEY'S THEOLOGY

A little quote about the large heart of thBe whale from the beginning of Moby-Dick.

I have a story about a miracle of the heart to share with you tonight.

My mother doesn't remember that I'm her son any more.  When I show up at her house with my wife and kids, she smiles and asks questions like "Is it cold outside?" and "How was your day?"  She knows somewhere in her brain that she should know me, but she can't manage to dredge my name out of the ocean of her memory.  One day, as I was leaving her house, I heard her turn to my sister and say, "That man is really nice.  Who is he?"

I tell you this because, last night, my mother gave me a great gift.  As I was sitting next to her while she was watching TV, she began fiddling with her hearing aids.  She does this all the time because of how they irritate her ears.  The hearing aids began to squeal, and she pulled them out.  She looked at me and said, "Here, Marty, can you fix these?"

It was the first time I've heard her say my name in over two years.  It stunned me and made me feel like a child again, grateful for my mother's attention.

Perhaps I will never hear her say my name again, but last night was a miracle as big as changing water into wine or multiplying loaves and fish sticks.

Saint Marty is thankful tonight for ordinary miracles.