"I Plead With You..."

“I plead with you – never ever give up on hope, never doubt, never tire, and never become discouraged. Be not afraid.” St. John Paul II

I have been going car shopping lately. It is not very exciting for me but something I need to do. I thought about what I was looking at when comparing models and when I asked a friend to accompany me, I was ask, “Do you really need a car?” I didn’t need a car and I abandoned the idea for now. It seems to me that we are told from many people around us about what we need and what we do not need. But we need to anchor ourselves on Christ. And through a friendship, I realized a car can wait.

What have you to fear? Are you afraid of the divine Craftsman who wants to perfect his masterpiece in this way.? S. Padre Pio

Our parish got a new pastor this last week. I try not to be too critical at first and kept an open mind. Changes would be coming to parish but that is not a bad thing. Maybe we need a shot in the arm so to speak to push us out of complacency. It must be daunting for a new priest to be parachuted into a new place. His first words to us were, “I am your new pastor.” We follow, we trust, and we accept that this must be what God wants for us in this moment. I think this is why we are fearful. We do not trust God in all His infinite wisdom. But this is what he asks of us. I recall the reading when Christ told the people that the young girl is only sleeping and not dead. Everyone laughed. Once she was revived, they laughed no more.

“Proclaim the truth and do not be silent through fear.” St. Catherine of Siena.

June 30th was the feast of the first martyrs of Rome. Nero was ruthless in his attack on the Christians. His treatment of them was brutal. The agony they must have endured for Christ must have been tremendous, yet they loved our Lord. What might we endure for our Lord?

“Our greatest cross is the fear of crosses.” St. Jean Vianney

July is upon us and there are many great saints who have feast days and memorials this month. I try to read up on all of them. We can only stay faithful to Christ and trust in His goodness. Friends come and go, and people enter our lives for a reason. We only need to keep our gaze on Christ to try to understand those reasons.

“Men do not fear a powerful hostile army as the power of hell fear the name and protection of Mary.” St. Bonaventure

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