looking for answers

"God doesn't answer prayers," said Ron.
I didn't rush to reply.
I listened to my heart.
If God wanted me to say anything, I was waiting for a prompt.
Nothing came that I recognised as being from the boss.
So I said nothing.
But the contention stayed with me returning to my consciousness at odd moments all the past week since he said it.
Occasionally I weighed it. Occasionally I contested it. Occasionally I just brought the argument to God.
Finally this afternoon after a sea bass dinner in Nathalie Collins' restaurant in Newbridge, I once more raised the subject directly with the Deity.
"Well God," I said, "if you do answer prayers as the Christians claim and as I believe, I'm asking for a sign. Give me a sign today. I know I don't have a right to a sign beyond the right you give me. But I'd really like one. Just so's you know."
A few hours later I wandered into the Dominican church.
Father Philip was saying mass.
I betook myself to a pew.
After a bit we got to the sermon.
It began word for word: "Thomas Aquinas tells us that God answers prayer. He teaches us that it is a part of God's providence that certain things will be accomplished on earth only through prayer."
This got my attention.
At the end of mass, right after the ceremony of Communion, the silence in the church suddenly deepened into a silence beyond silence.
The presence of royalty was tangible.