I Am Said I (Huruma)

I'm in the sacristy of a neighbouring church waiting to celebrate a healing Mass in honour of Our Lady of Lourdes. There's the persistent and heart rending sound of a child crying coming from the church. It's not an ordinary cry; it's one of deep distress and somehow I recognize the sound of this child. I have heard this child before. A woman comes to the sacristy to ask if it would be alright to bring the child for anointing after Mass had finished because she couldn't remain for the duration of the Mass. I said "why not bring her to the sacristy for the anointing now so that she doesn't have to wait." They brought the little girl to me a few minutes later and of course I know her. We were together in Lourdes a couple of years ago. She's about five years old, is autistic and cannot speak. In retrospect I should have done the anointing outside becasue she has a fear of enclosed spaces and buildings. Her distress continued in the sacr...