A Test of Faith

A couple of days ago I was standing at the end of our drive talking to my daughter when the earth moved. Literally. It's terrifying feeling when the ground beneath your feet shakes from side to side and you can see trees tossing wildly and hear the house creak ominously. We clutched each other and my daughter was praying aloud "Please don't let this be a big one." Fortunately it wasn't. Inside our house only a few ornaments fell off shelves and only one was broken. Since the massive Christchurch quake we are much more scared of earthquakes than we used to be. Even going into a Church is a test of Faith now, as every Catholic church in this city has posted a warning on the doors that in the case of a moderate to serious earthquake the church could be seriously damaged and that one enters at one's own risk! I haven't noticed that the numbers at Mass have fallen - we Catholics are a tough breed. But I'm sure that many a fervent prayer is uttered as we go through the doors.