A mistake is not always a mistake. It can be for the best as this story about Cathy and Bob so beautifully illustrates.

While attending University, Cathy shared a dorm room with three roommates. Each one had her fair share of male admirers. In order to maintain some semblance of privacy, the girls would occasionally make arrangements to meet their respective dates at some anonymous location.

One summer’s evening, Cathy set out on a blind date. She didn’t have much faith that it would turn out well, but having agreed to the date, she wanted to keep her word. Cathy walked to the corner of Nassau Street and Washington Road. Her date was expected to be there at 8:00 p.m. Cathy had been told to look for a blue car whose driver would be wearing a fraternity sweater.

Everything seemed to go as planned. At a couple of minutes past eight, a blue car driven by a young man in a fraternity sweater pulled up alongside the curb.

“Sorry I’m little late. I got caught in traffic,” he said apologetically.

“That’s all right,” Cathy said, pleasantly surprised that her date was so good-looking.

Sometime after a movie and before dinner, the young man turned to his date and said, “By the way, how do you know Bob?”

“Bob? Who’s Bob?” said Cathy.

“What do you mean, who’s Bob? Bob is the one who set us up!” the young man said, raising an eyebrow that accentuated his questioning glance.

“What are you talking about?” Cathy sputtered. “Jim set us up.”

“Jim!” the young man answered. “Who’s Jim?”

A few more who’s and what’s and what-are-you-talking-about, and the puzzle was solved. They realized that another couple made arrangements to meet at the same time and at the same place. Which meant that they were each out with the “wrong” date.

Without skipping a beat, the young man turned to Cathy and said, “Look, I’m having a good time-want to continue?”

“Sure,” she said, glad that he asked.

Many years later, and they got married. and have three beautiful children.

Cathy and Bob often puzzled over how they first met due to a fortunate mistake, a “felix culpa” ( happy fault ) as they had learnt from their Christian upbringing. They realized that they were being guided by an unseen hand, and all they had to do was show up, be present in the moment, and allow God’s mystery to unfold. And it did. They clicked instantaneously for it was meant to be.

This is why the psalmist prayed, “show me your ways, O Lord, teach me your paths” ( psalm 24 : 4 ).

—Fr. Hugh Duffy