What This Death Row Prisoner Who May Soon Be Canonized As A Saint Can Teach Us

“May your love draw down upon you the mercy of the Lord, and may he let you see that within your soul a saint is sleeping. I shall ask him to make you so open and supple that you will be able to understand and do what he wants you to do. Your life is nothing; it is not even your own. Each time you say ‘I’d like to do this or that,’ you wound Christ, robbing him of what is his. You have to put to death everything within you except the desire to love God. This is not at all hard to do. It is enough to have confidence and to thank the little Jesus for all the potentialities he has placed within you. You are called to holiness, like me, like everyone, don’t forget.” -Venerable Jacques Fesch (in a letter to his mother)

I was reminded this morning about the word I chose for this year when I read this article (see below). I had chosen the word “holiness.” It’s about the famous Parable of the Prodigal Son and Venerable Jacques Fesch. I’d never heard of Blessed Jacques Fesch before but I was drawn to his story. I love what he says above, “You are called to holiness, like me, like everyone, don’t forget.” It doesn’t matter where we are in this life. If we’ve failed ourselves, our families, our society, Blessed Jacques Fesch teaches us that it’s never too late. As long as we’re living we can change. We can do better. We can beat the odds. We are meant for much more. 
Many times I gain inspiration from the saints. They help me pause and remember what my purpose is. After all the saints are our friends and they are in heaven constantly rooting for us. Peace, love, and good health.

https://aleteia.org/…/meet-the-death-row-prisoner-who-disc…/

*The picture above is of the beautiful Cathedral Basilica of St. Augustine in St. Augustine, Florida.

Ash Wednesday

It's very rare for me to be up by 6:00 or 6:15 in the morning.  I've never been an early bird.  But yesterday morning was different because it's the start of the Lenten season and my family and I attended Mass for Ash Wednesday.  Even our five year old had to get up! 

There were two takeaways from the priest's homily.  He said, "You are dirt!"  We are reminded of Original Sin and that we are a sinful people.  Our bodies will die but our souls will live forever.  

I really resonated with the second takeaway.  Father said, "Prayer is like breathing.  It is necessary."

Prayer really needs to be our everything and I think it's the perfect Lenten activity to start again with God if someone's been away from the Church or feels like they're just going through the motions because they have to.  One young lady who I am health coaching picked the word "prayer" for her word theme for 2018.  Prayer is the best way to tighten our relationship or lack of relationship with Jesus.    

The saints can teach us how to pray.  Not only did St. Pio of Pietrelcina and St. Jean Baptiste Marie Vianney spend countless hours in the confessional reconciling people to God, these two holy priests had such a deep, rich, unwavering relationship with Jesus and Mary.  

I love this beautiful quote by St. Jean Vianney.

My little children, your hearts, are small, but prayer stretches them and makes them capable of loving God.  Through prayer we receive a foretaste of heaven and something of paradise comes down upon us.  Prayer never leaves us without sweetness.  It is honey that flows into the souls and makes all things sweet.  When we pray properly, sorrows disappear like snow before the sun.

Doesn't that sound so poetic?  Let us open our hearts to our loving Father and let us do all that we can to make this Lent the best Lent ever so that one day we may enter into His everlasting embrace.

“You are dirt!”

“Prayer is like breathing.  It is necessary.”

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