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Saintly sufferings

Everyone suffers, even those who will eventually become saints. The life of a saint is often painted in broad brush stokes, and their struggles are often minimized. Yet if you dive deeply into their lives and ponder all the challenges they encountered, you realize their ability to be our mentors in the deepest of struggles.

Can a person become a saint if they have been excommunicated? Yes, and that was the case for Saint Mary MacKillop, the Australian nun. In 1871, the local church officials changed the constitution of her order and Sr. Mary did not comply with those changes. The bishop excommunicated her citing insubordination. Most of the schools she founded were closed and since she could not have any contact with the church, she lived with a Jewish family. About six months later, the bishop, on his deathbed, instructed the excommunication be lifted. She was later completely exonerated by a conference of local bishops. Sr. Mary went on to visit Rome and obtain approval for the order of nuns she founded and continued her work to found schools and teach the faith throughout Australia. 

For those six months that Sr. Mary was excommunicated from the church, she lived after losing everything: her mission, her fellow sisters, even the ability to worship God. We can look at that moment in history and say that it was only six months, but each day must have been mentally, emotionally, and spiritually excruciating. Did she doubt her calling during that time? Did she weep unceasingly over the rift that prevented her from receiving and being close to Jesus in the Eucharist? Did she think it was a ploy by Satan to prevent her ministry? Or did she put all her trust in God and let each day unfold? Perhaps it was a mixture of all of those thoughts and feelings. Yet for every bad day you have, you can be thankful that you are able to seek and receive Jesus in the sacraments.

I was shocked when I read the story about the apparitions at Fatima and learned the three children were arrested to prevent them from visiting the apparition site. The three children, Lucia and her cousins Francisco and Jacinta, began seeing Our Lady in May 1917 and were to return monthly on the 13th to visit her. In August, the children were incarcerated by the local mayor because he opposed the apparitions. He threatened them but ultimately released them when they continued to refuse to admit they were lying about the visions. However, Our Lady still appeared to them several days later instead. 

The children of Fatima were poor shepherds who had great faith. They accepted the grace the visits brought them and even at their tender, young ages, sought a life of holiness. I cannot imagine how horrible it must have been for them to be in prison — the darkest, direst place that is a punishment for sin. How much anguish they must have felt at the missed visit with the beautiful Lady from heaven. Even though the imprisonment could barely be measured in days, in that moment of time, what must they have been thinking and feeling? Were they scared to have so much attention on them that wicked people would try to prevent their visits? Were they thankful they were together and could lean on each other? Did they pray together and leave the outcome up to God? While the children didn’t know that Our Lady would still visit them at the time, we can all learn a lesson that even when dark forces try to prevent us from encountering God, He will make a way for us and give us the strength we need as long as we remain faithful to Him and desire to seek Him. 

St. Pio of Pietrelcina, also known as Padre Pio, was asked not to perform public ministry by church officials. St. Pio received the stigmata while hearing confessions, and the wounds remained with him. The church hierarchy was concerned with the growing interest by the public, who were drawn to the miraculous gift Padre Pio had been given. I wonder if the church was concerned that people would try to worship Padre Pio rather than God because they could see the miracle on him. St. Pio suffered from the stigmata itself, as well as the various doctors and investigators who confirmed that it was not being faked. Eventually the church leadership did allow Padre Pio to return to public ministry and Pope Pius XI even encouraged people to visit him. 

While I understand the church has to protect people from those who would seek fame by any means necessary, it must have been spiritually and mentally painful for Padre Pio, a very humble man, to be censored in such a way. He was known for hearing a great many confessions, spending 15 hours at a time in the confessional. Perhaps the break from public ministry allowed St. Pio the time to reflect and prepare for his ministry, rather than trying to learn how to deal with both the miraculous gift as well as the public exposure at the same time. But to a man who willingly listened and provided guidance in confession, a pause in the ability to administer the sacraments must have felt as if it went against his mission. 

Saints are our mediators and mentors during times of suffering. We can ask for their assistance during our earthly trials, and ask for the strength and grace to allow God’s will to unfold, no matter how long it takes. They are no strangers to the secular powers that seem to prevent us from doing God’s will. We must remember that if we are truly doing His will, we only need to participate as much as we can and let God do the rest, especially when our way seems blocked. 

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Wealth beyond measure

The juxtaposition of an enormously large lottery drawing and last Sunday’s Gospel message where Jesus spoke of handling wealth, I find most fascinating. It seems to prompt one to reflect not just on money, but all possessions and our relationship to them. 

Last week as I was creating some test content for a website at work, I found myself typing in, what I thought at the moment, silly sayings. Since the content is merely for testing purposes, it’s not important what the words are, however, I do like to use actual sentences, so that the tests sufficiently measure the functionality of the application. For the headline, I wrote something like, Want to get wealthy fast? Perhaps it was all the talk about the lottery that my subconscious had me write that. However, the short paragraph that followed has haunted me until Sunday’s Gospel. “Give it all away. Seriously. When you give everything away, then you’re left with only what you need. Then you’re as wealthy as you need to be and you are freed from any attachments to possessions.” When I finished typing that into the test system, I was surprised at what I wrote! Where did this come from? Certainly not me!

In my initial ponderings about what I wrote, I knew it to be the message that Scripture conveys. According to Bishop Robert Barron, that is exactly what the first Beatitude is all about: Blessed are the poor in spirit. Poor in this sense is meant to indicate an attachment to things, albeit money, material goods, or a combination of both. As I looked around my office, I realized all the stuff I have. For example, I have two beautifully hard-bound books that I used in my college classes — several decades ago — each encompassing the works of Shakespeare and Chaucer. Do I need these books? No. Do I ever look at these books? I can’t recall the last time I did so. Will I remove these books from the premises? Not unless I have to. They are nice books! I don’t see the purpose of getting rid of perfectly nice books, unless I need to downsize what I have. If something happened to them, would I replace them? Nope. So I don’t have an attachment to them, yet I insist on keeping them, which makes me think there is some sort of connection I have with them. Yet these are just two examples of the superfluous minutiae that I have.

“If you are not trustworthy with what belongs to another, who will give you what is yours?” (Lk 16:12) This line caught my attention during Sunday’s Gospel reading and sent me pondering down a whole different train of thought. What is really ours? What do we have that we have not received through the grace and blessing of God? While we may have worked to receive a paycheck to pay for our home, our furnishings, our clothes, it is the generosity of God that has allowed us to be able to work in whatever job we have. Indeed, it’s not just the items that surround us, but our very being itself that is a gift of God. Each breath and heartbeat is willed by God. Are we trustworthy stewards of all that God has given us?

As children of God, we are called to reflect what the Father does for us. He is lavish with His blessings and we are called to mirror that same generosity towards others. For some it may be spending time with them — a precious gift that we cannot make any more of — to listen and be present in that moment. Others may require a helping hand to complete a task. And still others may require food, clothing, or money to buy the essentials of life. As God blesses us in many ways with many things, there is no singular way that we give of ourselves to others. Rather, it’s looking for ways that we can assist. Some are called to serve food at a shelter, some are called to prepare the food, and some are called to purchase the ingredients. Each gives differently according to their capability and calling.

Wealth, in a pure secular sense, is fleeting. We all know we cannot take it with us when we pass from this life. However, the more we imitate God in the here and now, the better we will be able to recognize Him in heaven, because in serving others, we see in each person the image of God. True wealth, then, is not something we can measure because it is the Infinite God of Love.  

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Saint for our time

What’s the first saint that comes to your mind? Did that person live in this century? There are a plethora of named saints in the Catholic Church, but only two lived in this century, one of which has just been officially canonized.

As we’re only 25 years into this century, it’s not surprising that only two named saints were alive when not just a new century was ushered in, but a new millennium. Pope Saint John Paul II died in 2005 and was canonized in 2014, which is quite a short amount of time. Given his public devotion to the church, for he was well-known and well-loved all over the world, it can be understandable that so many people sought his intercession to provide many opportunities for God’s miracles to be attributed to him. However, newly canonized, as of September 7, 2025, Saint Carlo Acutis was a mere teenager of 15 when he passed away from leukemia in 2006. Carlo was not just a regular teen who loved playing video games and dressed in jeans and sneakers. He was on fire for Jesus and used his programming skills to create a website dedicated to Eucharist miracles. 

“What does it matter if you can win a thousand battles if you cannot win against your own corrupt passions? The real battle is with ourselves.”
St. Carlo Acutis

According to Carlo’s mother, Antonia, it was Carlo who asked to be taken to Mass as often as possible and preferred daily Mass. While Antonia was Catholic, her attendance was very minimal. Carlo’s witness brought about a conversion in her to attend Mass more frequently, and most importantly, to receive the Holy Eucharist. Carlo noticed the crowds and devotion that others had for sports and entertainment figures and wanted the same for Jesus Christ. He researched many Eucharistic miracles and wanted to share the information with others. As a child of the new millennium, the best way to do that was with a website. It takes time and dedication to create the website and its content. Carlo could have spent his time playing video games or creating his own games, but instead, he created a website for the Real Presence of Jesus: Eucharistic Miracles of the World. 

In our modern era, it’s very easy for us to think of saints being from another era and not having to deal with the advances in technology and the changes in the political and economic landscape. Many teens today are more concerned about what they are going to wear, how many likes they have on the most recent social media app, and how they are going to spend their time outside of the classroom. But Carlo’s focus was on becoming holy. His rule was, “You must want it with all your heart.” How many of us today, not just teens, but adults as well, want to be a saint, but put off the investment of time required to become holy until “later?” We see the minimum of what the church requests of us as sufficient for us to enter heaven. It may be enough to keep a relationship with God, but we shouldn’t expect to walk through the pearly gates upon our life’s last breath on earth. The minimum precepts are provided as guardrails for a Christian life, and are there to encourage us to go deeper, learn more, participate more, volunteer more. If we expect to win a marathon, wouldn’t we put the time into training? While it’s never too late on this side of heaven to pursue a relationship with God, there are many graces and blessings we forgo when we pursue our own desires and put off wanting to be holy until later.

I’ve presented information about saints to young adults and older children participating in OCIA over the last few years. There was definitely interest and surprise when I brought up then-Blessed Carlo Acutis. He was someone who looked like them, understood the same world they do, dressed like them, and shared interests in soccer and video games. A few of them even considered his name for their confirmation name. It made them think that choosing a patron saint was not just about the name but about the person and how that person brought Jesus into the world around them. Saints are role models for us all. 

God calls all people to holiness and a relationship with Him. When we respond to that call, we are allowing God to transform us into the best version of ourselves. The more we want God, the more we desire holiness above all else, we are walking in the path to sainthood. Maybe we will become a named saint, but that’s not the goal of a saint. The goal is to want to spend eternal life in the presence of God in heaven, and to seek the path now that will help us get there. 

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Built by God

Are you building a hut, a house, or a mansion for God in your soul? Scripture has often used the analogy of a building to correspond to our relationship with God; and the same holds true even today.

When we imagine what a hut would look like, we think of something made out of necessity. It’s to protect oneself from the elements and not meant for longevity. While it may last months, maybe even years, without constant upkeep and reinforcements, it’s not likely to see a full generation of living. Most huts are built directly on the ground, so there is little-to-no foundation for support. When we only seek God in times of trouble, not recognizing Him at any other time in our lives, then we are building a hut-type relationship with God. It’s meant to be assistance to us as we weather the storms in our lives, but not meant to be everlasting. 

When building a house, no matter how modest, one of the first things that is done is the foundation. This can be something deep, containing an underground basement, or can just be a slab of concrete — something flat, and supportive. As Catholics, we have a wonderful foundation in the sacraments. Baptism is the most basic of all the sacraments and welcomes us into the family of God. It is also the initial pouring out of grace and the Holy Spirit upon our souls. How we respond, not only to this initial introduction of grace but through the whole of our lives, determines what kind of house we build for God in our souls. Some try to balance belief in God with the demands of the world. While faith is still the base layer for that relationship, the house will be modest, due to secular competition. When we embrace all that Catholicism has to offer, fully receiving the sacraments with the intention of building a stronger relationship with God, we make more room in our souls for God to effect change in us. 

Making time for morning and evening prayer, whether it’s following the divine office, a variation of it, or a simple Our Father, Hail Mary, and Glory Be, we are inviting God into our lives and all our experiences. We are asking for God’s guidance to help us choose to do His will and to keep us from choosing the enticement of temptations. Yet if we seek to challenge ourselves to go beyond routine by making a retreat or adding additional pious practices into our lives, we continue to expand our relationship and make a larger home in our souls. When we seek to strengthen our relationship with God, we are asking Him to help us dig out all that keeps us from Him. It’s like seeking an experienced excavator who will look for the weaknesses in our foundation and repair them. This is not a simple bandage fix, but one that takes time, effort, and a whole lot of mess before the foundation is corrected and strengthened to add to the house. 

When we picture a mansion, we think of a huge house with more bedrooms and bathrooms than anyone could ever need in a single home. We would expect that, like a massive tree which has an even larger root system, a large mansion would have an extra deep and extra reinforced foundation.  When we think mansion, we think ultra wealthy and ultra luxury. Welcome to the homes of the saints! While they may have been poor on earth, they built a relationship with God that would outshine any grand architecture on this side of eternity. Not only did they embrace the sacraments and all the teachings and traditions of the Catholic Church, but they made God their focus during their life on earth. Regardless of their vocation, they pursued bringing the light of Christ to the time and place they were at that moment. They allowed God’s will to be accomplished through them, being His hands, His feet, His eyes, and His smile. The fruits of their labors are reflected as the many rooms in the mansions of their souls. 

Perhaps it’s not so much of what type of dwelling are we building for God in our souls, but what kind of building are we allowing God to create within us. When we cooperate with God’s will, we are allowing God to help us change to become the best version of ourselves. A hut, a house, and a mansion are all dwelling places. Let us begin by welcoming God into our humble abode and asking Him to dwell within us.  

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Gifts for the Father

I know that Father’s Day is next Sunday, as I’ve been seeing advertisements for the “best” gifts that Dad will love. But have you ever thought about giving God, the Father, a Father’s Day gift? As the creator of all, there really isn’t anything He needs, yet it seems like a huge miss if we neglect to acknowledge God as our Heavenly Father. After all, without God, we wouldn’t exist.

Dads love a good barbeque and receiving tools and gadgets honor their chef talents. While Jesus did grill fish for the apostles, it’s impossible for us to give God barbeque-themed gifts for Father’s Day. While a barbeque is all about cooking with fire, the result is food ready to eat by others. Perhaps to honor God with a Father’s Day gift, we can volunteer to make food for a homeless shelter. One option could be to take a elderly person grocery shopping who doesn’t have the ability or means to do so. Another way is to donate a grocery bag to the food pantry. In assisting others with their meals, we can reflect the generosity of God in our lives, sustaining us in all our needs.

Socks are simple gifts, but they can be both practical and fun. While Jesus might appreciate socks if He continued here on earth, God the Father is pure spirit and has no need of socks. But others in our communities do have clothing needs. Perhaps we buy a new pair of socks to donate to a shelter or an organization that helps with the clothes for those who can’t afford to purchase them. We could also go through our closets to see what clothing we haven’t worn in awhile that is still in good condition and donate them as well. Whether we give from our surplus or purchase new for those in need, we are honoring the fatherly role model to provide the warmth and protection that clothes give us. 

One gift fathers appreciate is their car washed. Here again, God does not have a car to wash, so how can we translate that option into a divine Father’s Day gift? Washing a car is not about spending money, but rather giving up our time and taking action. Volunteering our time at our parish or at diocese events could be optional ways to give God a similar gift. Maybe it’s asking if there is a particular project around the parish campus that needs someone to step up and offer their time and expertise. Time is a precious gift from God and when we donate it back to the Church, we are praising God through our efforts.

For some dads, a gag gift is the perfect gift. These gifts result in smiles and laughter. I do not have any idea of what type of gift that would make God laugh, however, if we bring laughter and smiles to others, that could be a gift God would like to see. Laughter does make the best medicine and visiting a nursing home, hospital, or even house-bound neighbors could brighten their day and ease their circumstances. When we take the time to see other people as individuals created and loved by God, we see a bit of the divine beauty within them. Visiting those who could use a friend allows us to be God’s hands, eyes, and smile to them. 

As dads age, sometimes the most treasured gift is that of spending time with them. This is one gift we can give God. Spending time in an adoration chapel or even at home in prayer or reading scripture, we can spend time with God. We can open ourselves up and listen to Him. In the quiet calmness of our hearts we can welcome Him to dwell with us. We can thank Him for both the challenges and the blessings He has granted us thus far and trust that He will continue to provide in the future.

As we honor the fathers and the fatherly role models in our lives, let us not forget to honor God the Father. He has provided us the men in our lives that have reflected aspects of His heavenly love for us. 

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Not alone

On a physical level, it seems that we are born into this world with nothing and leave it just the same. But that outlook does not take into account our relationships and experiences. We are not only just individual persons with our own experiences, but also a family, a community, a society of interactions.

I recently caught a portion of a video in which the commentator said he believed in individualism. He felt sacrifices for the larger community was foolishness and that all our experiences were at an individual level. While I initially skipped past the video, I was bothered by it. I don’t know if the author has any religious affiliation, however, I don’t see how a person could believe in God and also think that, basically, the world was all about himself. I then wondered if he was married, as surely that construct would be the antithesis of individualism. If he is married, perhaps it is an illustration of how much society is devaluing marriage. When I start to ponder something that agitates me, I know the only way I can put it to rest is to confront it with what I believe.

A person is created through the relational acts of his/her parents and with the blessing of God infusing a soul into the conceived embryo. Our beginning is not that we just pop into existence, but that our existence is a result of actions. Our first experience, not that we are aware or understand, is that of being in the womb, where our mother nourishes us for the time of our gestation. We live and grow within the relationship of our mother’s care. From the very first moments of our lives, we have an impact on others and they also have an impact on us. While our physical dependence is on our mother, the family to which we are born into is also impacted by our existence, since pregnancy does affect many aspects of the mother’s life. Some expectant mothers may have extra energy, while others require more rest. Some have crazy cravings for peculiar food combinations, while others struggle to keep food down. All of these changes have an impact on her family, unbeknownst to the child developing inside her. 

Our dependency does not stop once we are born, as it will take many years for a child to mature and be able to care for his/her self. At an individual level, our experiences during our growing years will be unique for each person and will shape us into the person we eventually become. But it’s not just physical growth that we experience, but also mental, emotional, societal, and spiritual growth as well. We observe the world around us and make decisions based on what experiences we have. From an individual perspective, we do make choices of how we react and behave, but often it is prompted by the actions of others around us. If someone makes a joke, we laugh. If someone is sad and cries, we may cry with them or offer a shoulder for them to cry on. If we have good news to share with others, we want them to celebrate and be happy with us. Even after we reach the point of being able to care for ourselves, our family and community are hugely impactful in our lives. No matter how independent we are, or think we are, we always rely on God’s grace and blessing to keep us in this world.

Sacrifice could be a whole blog topic itself. However, the context of the comment about it being foolish caused me to feel rather indignant. We make sacrifices to live at a very basic level. We need to work in order to have a home, food, transportation, and so forth. We give up our time to earn money; that’s one aspect of sacrifice. Perhaps because we decide how the earned money is spent, it may not be seen as a sacrifice by those believing in individualism. Another sacrifice is being part of a family, we give up our time to spend with them, help them, and celebrate with them. Love is a sacrifice; sometimes it’s easy and doesn’t seem like any effort and other times it can feel painful. If believing that sacrifice for others is foolish, what does that do to the person’s community? Do they walk away from their family and change friends frequently to avoid foolish actions? I suspect that those subscribing to individualism probably choose some sacrifices willingly, but may use their philosophy to avoid others. 

Our lives are a tapestry of experiences with others. Even if we choose to spend time alone, our relationships and memories will continue to influence us in these moments. If we are shunned by all, we still will not be alone. God will remember us, since “upon the palms of my hands I have engraved you.” (Isaiah 49:16)

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Ripple effect

Death interrupts life. While that may seem like a very obvious statement, I don’t mean it for the person who died. I mean it for those still living on earth. A death causes a ripple effect beyond the person who passed.

Recently my sister’s mother-in-law passed away. While she was older and in fading health, the end still seemed like a surprise. Since my sister and her husband dated through most of high school and all of college,  our families shared several gatherings before their wedding and a few after, before they moved out of the area. While there are many perspectives on the impact of her death, let me share it from my perspective. The smallest ripple, meaning the least impacted, was actually on my eldest sister. Because she had met her at several family gatherings, my eldest sister took the time out of her day to attend the funeral Mass. As there was no one else from our family in the area, when I heard she attended, I was humbled by her kind act of paying her respects, almost as the representative of our extended family for those who could not attend. 

A bit of a bigger ripple was experienced by my Mom and me. With the funeral being in Pennsylvania, my sister and her husband had to travel up the day before and I was asked to stay with my Mom, both as a companion and for safety considerations. Since she recently had a short stay in the hospital, it was a prudent request. Given the distance between my house and my sister’s, I had to call on a friend from my parish to feed and take care of Vera while I was away. While normally I would ask my nephew, since it was his grandmother who had passed, he, too, was away for the funeral. In this instance, not only was my mother and I affected, but also my friend, who didn’t know the deceased at all. 

The biggest ripple of all is to her family members. As the mother of 16 children, there are certainly many descendants who felt her loss. My niece calculated 95 direct descendants, which includes the children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren. It’s practically a small village! While her passing put their lives on hold as they said their farewells, it didn’t stop with just the funeral services. It’s the communication of her death to all the necessary organizations, as well as to those outside of the immediate family. It’s sorting through whatever possessions she left behind and determining what should be done with them. Beyond that, however, is the inability to ever truly visit with her again, to speak with her and receive a response. Yes, there are plenty of pictures of her smiling, but it’s only a reminder of a memory. There will be no more memories made with her. Each member of the family will grieve in their own way, figuring out what coping mechanism works best for them. But the rest of their earthly life is changed without her presence. Her death will ripple through them while they continue their journey on earth. Sometimes it will be a warm reminder of her, while other times will bring tears of missing her.

Our Catholic faith requires us to believe in the resurrection of the body and life everlasting. We have hope that she and her family will be reunited one day, along with her husband who had passed many years before her. Death may have a ripple effect on earth, but the salvation of Jesus Christ overshadows the temporary inconveniences and grievances. He calms the waves brought on by death and when we lean on Him in times of distress over a lost loved one, we can receive a taste of the peace that will be ours on the other side of this life.

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Christmas message

Merry Christmas! It’s finally here. The day we’ve been preparing weeks for has arrived. Now we celebrate by responding to the marvelous message God has given creation: His Son.

The past few weeks may have seemed overwhelming, not just in activities but all the directives that have come our way. It seems impossible not to be bombarded with announcements of the best gift to give loved ones, instructions on how to decorate, and setting expectations to party with family and friends. As enjoyable as gift-giving, decking the halls, and festive gatherings are, we can find ourselves feeling a bit “grinchy” this time of year. These messages, be it via television, social media, or even in movies and music, can feel like it’s too much noise for our brains to process. The remedy is some quiet reflection with God and His message at the birth of Jesus.

To the shepherds, it was just another day on the job. These men were the lowest rank of society and probably didn’t enter villages and towns very often. Did they own the livestock they were watching or were they hired hands? Did they like their job? We don’t know because those details aren’t important. The important detail is their response to the angel’s message. Were they afraid? Possibly, but these men spent most of the time on guard, watching for predators and ready to intervene for the flock.They must have been rather hardy men, so it may have been more of shock and surprise that they would be the recipients of angelic tidings. They could have ignored the angels, or listened to their message and thought it was interesting but since it didn’t affect their flock that it was of no consequence to them. Instead, they sought out the new family. They had nothing to offer, except for one of the sheep or goats they were caring for. We also don’t know what happened afterwards, but there is no doubt they were changed because of the encounter. Because of the message, they became seekers of God and truth.

The magi are also known as wise men. Why are they considered wise? Because they were seekers. They studied the stars and other heavenly bodies, but they weren’t just satisfied with a general understanding of which stars were found where and at what time of year. When the natal star of Jesus arose, they recognized this one was different and sought out its meaning. The star was their message and they responded as well — to seek out the King of the Jews. They followed the light of this unusual celestial orb, not just to Jerusalem, where they expected to find a Jewish king, but further out to Bethlehem where the Holy Family was residing. Were they surprised at the humble abode of this princely son? Did they feel like they had been duped when they realized the simplicity of the family? Given the detail in Matthew’s Gospel that they returned home by a different route after being warned in a dream, these men were changed.(Mat 2:12) What they did and said when they returned to their homes is unknown. The importance of the magi is that all are called to seek and receive the message of Christmas, God-becoming-man to save us from ourselves and repair the fractured relationship with God, so that we too can be called sons and daughters of Him who created us.

My Christmas wish for you is that you are able to take the time to be seekers of truth and respond to the message God sent us so many years ago. May the coming of Jesus into your hearts change you to become the best version of yourself in alignment with God’s will. Christmas blessings to you all! Glory to God in the highest, and peace to all mankind.

Mary at the Cathedral of St. Matthew the Apostle, Washington DC

No singular purpose

This week the Church celebrates the Assumption of Mary into heaven. It’s a perfectly placed holy day to remind us of who we are and where we are going.

August means summer is just about over and, for those who have children, another school year is about to start. All too soon we will be replacing shorts and t-shirts with long pants and cozy sweaters as well as finishing another calendar year. The older I get the faster time seems to pass. The culture that surrounds us seems to live on emotions alone which can change faster than the wind, and produce just as much chaos and turmoil as any windstorm or tornado. While there is value in living in the moment, we also should not be hyper focused on solely how we feel as the barometer of our life. One can’t seem to escape the headlines or sound bites indicating an epidemic of depression. Too many see their value based on fleeting ideals of their career, their bank account, their status in society, or even their popularity on social media. Yet the Church reminds us Catholics to stop and remember the Blessed Virgin Mary.

Our baptism welcomed us into the family of God. Our purpose is not a secular one based on what we can measure here on earth, but rather how we reflect and imitate the love of God to each other. From the first chapter in Luke’s Gospel, Mary sings God’s praise to Elizabeth. Instead of reflecting on the message she received about her own miracle, she rushed to assist her kinswoman Elizabeth. One could argue that Mary’s purpose was to be the Mother of Jesus during His time on earth. But her motherhood didn’t end when Jesus died on the cross because He gave her a new role as Mother of the Church. 

Parenthood is not just a title, but a multi-faceted job that takes one’s whole self, requires sacrifice, can be painful and yet produces a joy that can only be experienced and not explained. Aspects of Mary’s spiritual motherhood can be found in praying the Litany of Loreto, which has over 50 titles for her. There are 15 titles that include the word “Mother,” 7 titles containing “Virgin,” and 13 titles with “Queen.” Some titles describe how she intercedes on our behalf and others are comparisons that paint a more tangible perspective of a mirror, a tower or a vessel. Praying and reflecting on the litany reminds us that God has not placed us here for a single moment in time, but rather at a particular period of time to accomplish His will in many different ways. While we can evaluate how we respond to God’s will and how much we have pursued a relationship with Him, we cannot be the final judge of how much we accomplished as that is in the hands of God.

The feast of the Assumption reminds us that there is more to life than the daily grind. Eternal life with God is possible if we have a relationship with Him now and seek to do His will as Mary did. God brought Mary full circle at the end of her life by bringing her, body and soul, into heaven. This is not something she could achieve as a mere creature created by God. This is a supreme gift from Almighty God as a blessing to Mary for fulfilling His will on earth. At the moment of her conception, she was preserved from original sin and at the hour of her death her body was spared any decay or corruption by being assumed into heaven. Mary is enjoying now what we hope to, God willing, after our resurrection from the dead. 

The summer draws to a conclusion and the daylight hours grow fewer. Another year ends and our time on earth is shortened. Yet our hope is in the Lord as our source of light and life. Our journey is not through this time but towards God as we seek to know Him as our Father and love Him by choosing His will over ours. May the Blessed Mother of God, Mary Most Holy, intercede for us with her motherly wisdom. 

Mary at the Cathedral of St. Matthew the Apostle, Washington DC

Searching for Jesus

We are all searching for Jesus in our lives. And in one instance, Mary and Joseph were no different. They, with Jesus,  followed the custom they had been following each year, making their annual trip to Jerusalem and back. Only on the way back, it wasn’t like all the times previous. Jesus didn’t leave with the rest of His earthly relatives. The search was on.

At the cusp of adulthood but not quite there, Jesus had stayed behind in the Temple. At 12 years old, He was old enough to be responsible for Himself and His actions, but not quite old enough to be on His own. Yet He knew who He was and what He was being called to do. His parents, however, did not. We are only given a summary of the events in Luke’s Gospel (Lk 2:41-51). In the English translation, it’s hard to pinpoint just how many days Jesus was separated from Mary and Joseph. “…But supposing him to be in the company they went a day’s journey, and they sought him among their kinsfolk and acquaintances; and when they did not find him, they returned to Jerusalem, seeking him. After three days they found him in the temple…” If Mary and Joseph traveled a whole day and presumably it would take another day’s journey to return, are those days included in the three days? A separation of three days would be hard enough, but if the travel time is added onto that, then five days of separation must have seemed like an eternity to them! 

Mary and Joseph did a fair amount of traveling during Jesus’ youth. First, they traveled to Bethlehem where He was born. Then they lived in Egyptian exile while King Herod, who tried to kill Jesus, reigned in Jerusalem. They then returned to Nazareth although scripture does not tell us how old He was at the time of His return. Still, if the family had a “custom” to travel to Jerusalem yearly, I would say that journey would need to happen about five or six times in order to consider it a “custom.” After the journeys to Egypt and Nazareth, traveling with friends and relatives yearly must have been a welcome change. People were safer when they were in a group. But it also gave time to chat in a way that probably didn’t happen on a daily basis. What may have been a relaxed and enjoyable trip turned. Did Mary and Joseph travel back at night? They did flee to Egypt in the middle of the night, so it is possible. Or did they wait until morning and, as they made their return trip, did they seek Jesus in the groups that left after their party? That may have slowed their return, talking to various groups of people they encountered. Most likely, they traveled by themselves, just the two of them. 

Where did they look for Jesus in Jerusalem? Did they go back to where they stayed? Was the Temple the first place they looked or the last, after many other locations? If it actually took three days to find Jesus after they returned to Jerusalem, then the Temple was the last place they looked. It must have been such a relief to find Him and know that He was safe. When Mary asked for an explanation as to why, Jesus’ answer of attending His Father’s business was not immediately understood by them. Perhaps it took until Jesus started His preaching mission, or maybe it was at the foot of the cross that His statement began to make sense? It could have taken until after the resurrection and ascension that Mary was able to reflect on this to really understand why this event happened. 

Jesus is with us every moment of every day, yet our busy lives don’t allow us to recognize His presence. When we feel far away from Him, we need to seek Him. It may take minutes or hours or days to realize He is right there with us. When we find Him we may not understand why it took so long or why we find Him in whatever place we do. And we may not understand the answer when we immediately receive it. Mary and Joseph make up two-thirds of the Holy Family, yet they understand what it means to be separated from and to seek Jesus. Lent is a perfect opportunity to proactively practice seeking Jesus on a daily basis. Abstaining from obstacles that interrupt our hunger for God in our life will allow us to be more open to hearing God and knowing what next step to take to become closer to Him. Let us not wait until He is a “full day’s journey” from us, but rather seek Him in “His Father’s house.” Jesus is waiting at every church and in every tabernacle that contains the consecrated hosts. Let us not just look for Jesus, but let’s find Him!