Let Us Go Forward

“Forgiveness is above all a personal choice, a decision of the heart to go against natural instinct to pay back evil with evil.” St. John Paul II 

Recently, a video of Pope Leo XIV shedding a tear at the Corpus Christi procession went viral. I was thinking about how moved he must have been to be so drawn into his new role as our Holy Father. Even he had to decide to accept being elected Roman Pontiff. He was free to say no but he did not. I am in the middle of a big decision. It is not so easy to decide and move towards the unknown. Yet, each one of us has had to push forward with something. The consequences, the results and the benefits might not be seen immediately, but recently at mass, we were reminded in the gospel that we know a tree by its fruit. 

“Without fear, united hand in hand with God and each other, let us go forward.” Pope Leo XIV 

How do we go forward? In the Magnificat app, I recently read about St. Maria Crescentia Hoss who died in 1744. She so much wanted to enter the convent of the Franciscan Tertiaries. Her family did not have enough money for the dowry, so low and behold, the Protestant Mayor of the town donated a building to the convent but wanted Maria to enter as a stipulation. She did. However, resentment flooded the convent, and she had to beg the sisters for a place to sleep at night. Even pettiness can exist there. This poor treatment went on for a long time and a better mother superior, and maybe our Lord, rewarded her faithfulness. She became Novice Mistress and eventually Mother Superior. She also brought about renewal. Her determination and her faith brought her to where God wanted her. Another saint who faced similar struggles was Martin de Porres. He was of mixed race in Peru, and he was not permitted to enter religious orders. His determination and faith caught the eye of the prior. The prior disregarded the custom and allowed Martin to enter. St.Martin, too, suffered ridicule, but he was renowned for his great compassion and the miracles worked through him. He cared for others – the sick, the orphans and the slaves. God works through those whom He chooses. 

“Everything, even sweeping, scraping vegetables, weeding a garden and waiting on the sick could be a prayer, if it were offered to God.” St. Martin de Porres 

Whenever I visit the Carmelite nuns near my home after they have a ‘come and see’ day, they are always so joyful – more than they usually are. Women come from all over to visit the convent and explore possible vocations. Who knows where our Lord will lead them? I am not so sure if I would have the patience of St. Martin or St. Maria (above) since I tend to be quite direct and forthcoming. I have no fear of stating my opinions on anything. Sometimes, we need to listen and pray more and be ready for what God has planned, as unpleasant as that could be. There is always something joyful waiting for us with God. We need to listen to that voice, and the voice of others who love us. We can do this by trusting, which is difficult to do in this society. Above all the noise, our Lord’s voice should be the loudest but it is also the gentlest. 

“Do not have any anxiety about the future. Leave everything in God’s hands for He will take care of you.” Saint John the Baptist de La Salle