Sara Cox sits in

From Father Brian D’Arcy, a Catholic Passionist priest:

On February 29th I want to wish all those who have a birthday only every four years a very special leap-year birthday.

In olden times it was the custom that ladies could ask the man to marry them on this day. Before you do, you might heed to this salutary tale.

A father who was protective of his only daughter, worried about the young man she intended to marry. She was going out with him for over a year when the father decided to intervene. He invited his future son-in-law into the sitting room with a view to discovering what his intentions were. He began by asking what his plans for his own life were.

The young man replied, “I hope to study theology I am convinced that God will provide for us.”

“But who will provide a decent home for my daughter?” the father intervened.

The young man quickly answered: “The Bible tells me that the birds of the air neither reap nor sow yet God always provides for them.”

“But what about the children you may have? They will need to be educated, they will need to be cared for, and all of that takes money. How do you intend to provide it?” “God will provide,” the young man assured him.

To every question the future groom answered, "God will provide “The father in exasperation finished the conversation and escaped into the kitchen where his wife timidly asked him, how the discussion went.

“Terrible,” the father replied, "This young man has no plans, no future, no ambition, no intelligence and will make a disastrous husband. There is only one saving grace that I can attribute to him.”

“And what's that?” his wife asked.

"The good news is that he thinks I'm God,” the father answered.

My good news for you today is to assure you that there is indeed a generous God who will provide for all our needs – but be warned, it might look very different to what you had in mind.