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What a young Muslim girl taught me

What a young Muslim girl taught me

I won’t be entirely wrong if I am to assume that you opened this link just out of curiosity. What on earth could a young Muslim girl teach a catholic priest? While I do want to assure you that you are not a victim of ‘clickbait,’ a mechanism employed by social media to get you to click on their link using some scandalous or super, super exciting title to accompany what we would call in Indian slang a ‘faltu’ post; this post is really about what I truly learnt from a young Muslim Girl.

Again, I did not need to title this article by highlighting the faith of the girl. I could have said that I learned something from ‘a girl’ and yet I want to stick with this title for a purpose. We can learn just about anything from anyone provided we learn to be open. Sadly, even I find myself prejudiced at times. The charged political rhetoric has set us all off on an edge elevating our unspoken prejudices to openly hateful comments. This is the reality we have now come to experience especially in India today.

Muskan is true to her name. She must have been born smiling for her to be given that name. Muskan’s eyebrows never furrow even when she gets an overdose of my well-meaning teasing. I met Muskan thanks to Naomi (the daughter of Lenny and Nadia Soares). Muskan and Naomi hang around as if they were joined at the hip at birth. There is a constant joyful camaraderie and that would explain her regular visits to our home in Goa and my endless opportunities to give her a good ribbing.

Quite recently I suffered another Bell’s Palsy episode; this time on my left face. For me and for my doctors, this unusual recurrence has truly made this idiopathic illness more of a mystery to this never-ending saga of my medical history. My face was left like it was wrecked and while I continue to trust in God some part of me left me deflated and angry.

Wallowing in self-pity I saw Muskan as she rode her bike to the house. I waved out to her and did what most decent human being would do, enquire how the other is. “How are you?” I asked. This is a question I get asked a million times and I am sure you do too. “How are you,” can either stall your day for the next fifteen minutes, listening to the medical woes or personal troubles of the other or could get you a quick if not dismissive, “I am fine” or “I am good.” I usually answer people with one of the two cursory responses especially if I don’t want to engage in a conversation. Muskan however did not say either of the two. To my, “How are you,” she shot back, “I am blessed.” She was not fine, she was not good, she was blessed!

“I am blessed!” What an amazing answer. I call it amazing not because she uttered these words for the first time in human history but I was amazed because a girl, all of sixteen could feel the blessedness in her life enough to express it loudly for all to hear. Here is a teenager who understood the meaning of life. I have no illusions that this girl is dancing every day on a cloud for I am sure she faces all the challenges that a teenager does, yet her maturity is reflected in her approach to life. She sees her life with all its challenges as blessed.

I had to sit down to internalise this one. I too am blessed, but I could not see it. Sure, I could have done without this round of my facial paralysis but then again it could have been a lot worse. The MRI could have indicated a brain tumor but it did not. The medical tests could have read like a rap sheet of bad news but it did not. A young girl taught me that day to acknowledge the blessedness that God gives us, even when the storm clouds roll in and the cloud burst does not seem to end.

Being blessed does not mean that life is a song and a dance. Our Blessed Mother Mary was hailed by her cousin Elizabeth as ‘blessed among women’ and yet that blessedness entailed seven sorrows that could have broken Mary. Being #Blessed is not just some social media announcement that you got a new car or returned from a great holiday. Being #Blessed means that you can feel the presence of God in the midst of everything life throws at you.

Muskan knows she is blessed and she shared that learning with me. Does it matter what here faith is? Does it matter how old she is? What matters is openness, for God speaks to all of us, all the time. We on the other hand let our prejudices block out the voice of God.

#TooBlessedToBeStressed.

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20 thoughts on “What a young Muslim girl taught me”

  • Sylvester Isaac · Edit

    Very inspiring Fr Warner. You are in our prayers.

    Reply
  • Jennifer D'Cunha · Edit

    Hi Fr Warner, what a beautiful message, as beautiful as Muskan and as wonderful as following your stay in Goa. Thank you for teaching us to see people as fellow children of the Almighty, as you’ve always done. May you be Blessed with a double portion of health. In Jesus’ Name I bless you,
    Jennifer

    Reply
  • Jessie Mascarenhas · Edit

    Thank you, Fr. Warner, for sharing this amazing story, which has touched me deeply. YES, I am blessed and so is my family in many ways. I can feel the pain you feel of facial paralysis as I am taking care of my husband for the past 12 years of his stroke and YES even in his sickness, I can see the blessings flowing in our family. Stay blessed always we shall pray for you specially for your wellness even though in our daily family prayer, we dedicate one decade of the mystery to our blessed Virgin Mary seeking God’s blessings over our Pope, Bishops, Priests and all the lay people who work endlessly to spread the word of GOD,

    Reply
  • Noel D'Souza · Edit

    What a reply from Muskan… We all should learn from Muskan because we are all blessed in so many ways but we hardly have time to thank the Lord for all the blessings

    Reply
  • Gracy Johny · Edit

    Till date the term ‘blessing’ meant all good things in my life. So it was very difficult for me to take the term ‘blessed’ in midst of my sorrow, specially a person like me diagnosed with cancer. After going through the incident of Muskan,blessing has a new meaning for me. I pray to our Lord that there should’nt be any unfair feeling for me towards my life.
    V. happy to say that I m blessed in midst of my emotional, physical sufferings. Thankyou Father and Muskan. God bless.

    Reply
  • Lydia Luis · Edit

    Thank you Father for sharing this inspiring message. Truly we are Blessed in so many ways. We fail to recognize it. You are in my prayers.

    Reply
  • Lorna Shailesh · Edit

    Thank you Fr.Warner for sharing the story of Muskan and how it made a quick difference to acknowledge the blessings of Almighty God by realising your MRI reports are not bad.Truly we are blessed but often we fail to count our blessings and focus only on problems.

    Reply
  • Fatima DCOSTA · Edit

    Excellent perspective. Makes you pause and be grateful for all God’s blessings

    Reply
  • MANFRED MASCARENHAS · Edit

    Amazing Article Too Blessed to be Stressed 🥰

    Reply
  • Priyanka Pandit · Edit

    Beautiful message!

    Reply
  • Eula Lewis · Edit

    Thank you Father for this post. It’s so easy to complain and grumble. But in the midst of all that we go through, if we only lift our hearts to God in humility it takes a whole lot of the burden off us. Thank you Lord for people like Muskan. And yes, I was curious to know what a Muslim girl could teach a priest 🙂 !! God bless you Father.

    Reply
  • Rhonda Divecha · Edit

    Such an uplifting read, dear Fr.Warner… just a simple line that could help one ponder on our attitude and gratitude. And so we’ll expressed by you. Thanks to you, as well as to dear Blessed and Smiling Muskan 🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻😍😃
    And I love your tagline “Too Blessed to be Stressed” and I’m going to use and re-use it even with my college students to whom I teach Positive Psychology and Health Psychology 😊🙏🏻💃

    Reply
  • Dora dsilva · Edit

    Thank you our adorable Fr

    Reply
  • Gracey · Edit

    So important to feel His presence. I pray every time I start doing something on am going out. And it’s amazing how things just gall in place

    Reply
  • Dora dsilva · Edit

    Fr we really don’t know how blessed we are for all the small things in our lives n muskhan has opened our eyes. Thank you muskhan n thank you Fr for giving us muskhan’s beautiful n meaningful story. You are always in our prayers. God will make u well soon becoz u are a very good priest or Fr.

    Reply
    • Revlon · Edit

      Beautiful msg! Your article will always now come to mind when someone now asks me that question.

      Hope to inculcate the habit of responding that way too!.

      Thanks for sharing and wishing you a speedy recoverr.

      Reply
  • Anthony Murray · Edit

    Praise God! We are so blessed in so many ways, that we take HIS blessing for granted. Nice to hear this from a non catholic. Thank you for sharing.

    Reply
  • Muskan Beps · Edit

    Means a lot father Warner. Thanks for analyzing my reply so deeply and spreading it with so many people ❤ I’m really blessed with everything and everyone around me 🤎

    Reply
  • Leopoldo D'sa · Edit

    Thats an overwhelming and unforgettable one liner by Muskan for our times so full of trouble here there and everywhere. Yet feeling the presence of God every moment of our lives is in itself a gift to those who seek Him in all humility and gratitude.

    Fr. Warner, shall especially pray for your full recovery.

    Stay Blessed and strong Fr. in Our Lord’s Missionary plan for you..🙏

    Reply
  • Louella · Edit

    A lovely article indeed.
    I heard a voice video where the priest said as Catholics we should not say I am blessed

    Reply

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