T WAS 9:30 A.M., AND EDNA LANDRY, a CHRISTUS St. Mary’s Associate for 40 years at the time, was preparing for her next patient. Soon a middle-aged gentleman walked in to the lab to have his blood drawn. Once Edna completed the task, he stood at the door and looked at her. “You made my day today!” the man exclaimed. “There is something about this little room,” the man said glancing around. On the wall, there was a picture of Joseph working with wood and Jesus as a child, playing nearby. “This picture has done something to me,” the man continued. “There is something about you, Miss Edna—your presence, your smile—that makes me feel blessed. I have been quite sick, but the Lord has shown me the way; the Lord has blessed me, and this room reflects that feeling.” He had tears in his eyes, and by now, so did Edna. “I know you are a child of God, Miss Edna,” he added. “Keep up that good work!” He embraced Edna and, as he left, wished God’s blessings on her.

A few seconds later, Edna looked for the man in the hallway. She could not find him anywhere. Maybe he was in the men’s room, or maybe he was just a fast walker and had already left the building. In any case, Edna felt like the Lord Himself had visited her. She will always remember the man’s radiant face, his touching voice. She felt like he was full of the Holy Spirit. It felt as if the two of them had shared the Lord with one another at a very deep level. As Edna ponders and reflects about this experience, she realizes that when we come to work each morning, we have to remind ourselves that we never know who we are going to serve. “You never know who is going to sit here,” she says, pointing to the chair where patients have their blood drawn.

While she is at work, I have a feeling Edna’s soul sings quietly to them in a language many understand.

Sr. Marisa Revert, CCVI
mission integration
CHRISTUS St. Mary Hospital