Dear John, We are in the process of organizing our resources around themes to better accompany you on your faith journey. This week we are highlighting our fourth theme of Rebuilding Godās Church: Following God. Maybe youāve never made a conscious choice to follow God throughout your day or week. If not, I encourage you to take a moment to invite God into your day and to simply ask God: āWhat do you have for me today?ā When we begin our day this way, we open ourselves up to a meaningful (even transformative) adventure. Would you take just a few minutes to share your thoughts with us? Your feedback will directly shape how we serve you, and you will receive 5 free issues of St. Anthony Messenger magazine for submitting the survey. Click here to take the survey |
Deacon Matthew Halbach, PhD
President & Publisher, Franciscan Media
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Saint of the Day for March 26:
Catherine of Genoa
(1447 ā September 15, 1510) Listen to Saint Catherine of Genoaās Story Here Going to confession one day was the turning point of Catherineās life. When Catherine was born, many Italian nobles were supporting Renaissance artists and writers. The needs of the poor and the sick were often overshadowed by a hunger for luxury and self-indulgence. Catherineās parents were members of the nobility in Genoa. At 13, she attempted to become a nun but failed because of her age. At 16, she married Julian, a nobleman who turned out to be selfish and unfaithful. For a while she tried to numb her disappointment by a life of selfish pleasure. One day in confession she had a new sense of her own sins and how much God loved her. She reformed her life and gave good example to Julian, who soon turned from his self-centered life of distraction. Julianās spending, however, had ruined them financially. He and Catherine decided to live in the Pammatone, a large hospital in Genoa, and to dedicate themselves to works of charity there. After Julianās death in 1497, Catherine took over management of the hospital. She wrote about purgatory which, she said, begins on earth for souls open to God. Life with God in heaven is a continuation and perfection of the life with God begun on earth. Exhausted by her life of self-sacrifice, Catherine died September 15, 1510, and was canonized in 1737. The liturgical feast of Saint Catherine of Genoa is celebrated on September 15. Reflection Regular confession and frequent Communion can help us see the directionāor driftāof our life with God. People who have a realistic sense of their own sinfulness and of the greatness of God are often the ones who are most ready to meet the needs of their neighbors. Saint Catherine began her hospital work with enthusiasm and was faithful to it through difficult times because she was inspired by the love of God, a love which was renewed in her by the Scriptures and the sacraments.
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We Each Have Our Own Path
God loves us so much that, not only did he make us a creation unto ourselves, but in doing so, he gifted us with a particular way to return that love that is fit for no other person. In simply being our true selves, doing nothing more than becoming the unique person that God created us to be, we give glory to God and follow our own particular path of holiness. Thatās it! We are not to imitate the lives of the saints or do what others define for us; our path to holiness is not made by scrupulously following the path of a holy person who has gone before us. What is asked of me may not be asked of you. What you are capable of may not be what I am capable of. Each and every one of us has been created differently, for Godās own glory, and we each have our own path to follow. āfrom the book Let Go: Seven Stumbling Blocks to Christian Discipleship
by Casey Cole, OFM |
Discover Saint Clare! Margaret Carney weaves together the story of Clare and Francis and draws special attention to Clareās significant contribution to the Franciscan world in the many years following Francisās death. Light of Assisi: The Story of Saint Clare |
Belonging and Creation
Reflect āI will sing to the Lord all my life. . . . I will rejoice in the Lordā (Ps 104:33ā34). All of creation finds a home in Godās love, care, and providence. In this beautiful psalm, we even hear of the stork finding a home in the treetops, the rabbits finding shelter in the rocks, and the young lions calling to God for their prey. Despite how the rabbit might feel about it, even the hungry young lion has a place in Godās kingdom. And all turn to God for their sustenance, dependent on Godās grace and love. This is a vision of the kingdom of God, a vision we can find comfort in, which promises that we all belong. Pray Lord,
Open my eyes to the wonder of your world,
to the glory of creation,
and to the tender care of your providence.
Let me see even in the stirring leaves of an afternoon breeze
your love for all that you have made.
Amen. Act Open your door today, step outside, and let yourself feel the love of God surround you. Feel it in the tender caress of the breeze, in the trembling of a shadow, in the call of the birds in the treesāsinging to the Lord their own psalm of praise. Even the passing clouds drifting across the sky or the glittering stars whisper to the Lordāif we but listen and let ourselves be amazed. Reflect As Passover neared, Jesus went to the Temple, disrupting the money changers and their commerce. He tipped their tables and spilled the coins they had been paid. It must have gotten their attention, but how many changed their ways? Today's Pause+Pray was written by Herman Sutter. Learn more here! |
The Nuns Are OK:
Building a Sustainable Future for Women Religious While numbers in congregations of women religious are falling in the United States, Catholic sisters from all corners of the country are reimagining how to live out their missions in a shifting cultural landscape. |
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