..... who lived a long time ago. There's not much information available on her - there's some question that she was even a provider. We do know her name was Mary (real name, not her hobby name). She was in pretty bad shape, with multiple illnesses - again, not much detail on those but she may have had as many as seven different ailments at once.
She had a good friend whom she loved a lot, and he loved her. Not in a sexual way, but as good friends do. They were the kind of friends who would do anything for each other. This guy was blessed with many talents. He was known mainly as a teacher, and when he was in his 30s he quit his woodworking business to concentrate on teaching. He'd go all over, talking to people and teaching them. Mary went with him on many of these trips. People sometimes called him "rabbi", because he was Jewish (as was Mary) and taught in synagogues, as well as other places.
Anyway, as I said, Mary's friend had some special talents. For instance, there's several stories about his healing people - blind, lame, etc. There's a story about his feeding 5,000 people with a few loaves of bread and a couple of fish. There's even one story that he brought a friend of his who died back to life!! But back to Mary..... as I said, she was pretty messed up. Her friend helped her through all of her illnesses, until she was completely healed. And he loved her and was kind to her, even though he wasn't all that keen about her profession. He was known as a friend to other providers, too. Same story there.... he refused to judge them and was always kind to them. He used to piss off the rich and powerful by telling them that providers would go to heaven before they would.
Mary was very close to her friend. She stuck with him during the good times.... and the worst times. See, eventually, the politicians and LE got fed up with his going around all over teaching in synagogues as if he were some kind of super-rabbi (he wasn't a rabbi at all). First, they arrested and killed his cousin, who had stuck up for him in public. Then finally, late one night, they tracked down Mary's friend when he was out with some of his friends and hauled him off to jail on some trumped-up charges. He represented himself in court, but that didn't go well for him and he got the death penalty. Mary stayed as close to him as the guards would let her when he was executed, consoling his mother, who by coincidence was also named Mary.
Then a few days later, Mary (the provider) went to the cemetery to pay her respects to her friend.... and his body was gone! She didn't understand what had happened - she thought maybe someone had stolen his body. Only later did she understand what really had happened, and who her friend really was.
Mary and her friend gave each other the greatest gift there is: the gift of love. Today and tomorrow, as we give gifts to our friends and family, let's try to remember that greatest gift, and try to give that gift as much as we can to others..... not just today, but every day.
-----------------------------
I'm not Irish (except on St. Patrick's Day!), but I always thought the Irish have a way with words...
May love and laughter light your days,
and warm your heart and home.
May good and faithful friends be yours,
wherever you may roam.
May peace and plenty bless your world
with joy that long endures.
May all life's passing seasons
bring the best to you and yours!
-30-
