Open To Wonder

"Let us keep our hearts open to the wonders of God, for in humility, He raises the lowly." — Traditional devotional quote associated with St. Anne

I celebrated the feast of St. Anne at the parish where my family goes. It is the patronal feast of the parish. They usually have a mass in French and English, one after the other, but on the vigil of the feast, there was one mass at 5. Interestingly, people still showed up at 6 wondering why there was no mass. They were told that announcements were made but few people heeded that. How often do we walk around with blinders on. A personal trainer I know is basically without sight. He still amazes me since he works hard at his job and overcomes his limitations and challenges. Those of us without such inhibitions do not seem to pay that kind of attention.

St. Charles de Foucauld: “Faith strips the mask from the world and reveals God in everything.”

Many early Canadian fur traders were Catholic, and they chose her as their patron saint – St. Anne. She is the grandmother of Our Lord, and she holds a special place in the Church in Canada. There is a shrine to her in Quebec, and it is full of beauty. It is worth the trip. St. George Preca was from a large family in Malta. He worked hard to educate the working class in the early 20th century. He wanted to educate laymen and send them out into the world. It was scandalous at the time, and attempts were made to shut down his work. The society continues its work today. Maybe we need more people like this to continue to work among the people to bring them closer to Christ. St. Titus Brandsma, who was canonized by Pope Francis in 2023, was from a pious family in the Netherlands. He wrote against anti-Jewish marriage laws and he was continually followed by the Gestapo. He was sent to Dachau and used for work, but when he could not do it any more, he was used in medical experiments. After he was no longer useful for that, he was martyred. Story after story, century after century, the saints give us examples and witnesses to live our faith. Are we living our faith?

I wish to not merely to be called Christian, but also to be Christian.”   - St. Ignatius of Antioch

Being a Christian, a Catholic, is work and it is a challenge in a society that does not want us. I read about schismatic groups and it saddens me. Part of being with the Church is to work to understand what is asked of us. We do not follow our own desires, but we follow what is asked of us. Nothing is simple. Nothing in this life is permanent, but Christ is permanent. Sometimes, I visit my friends in the Carmelite Cloister. As young women enter, they test the life for themselves, but the convent also looks to see if these candidates have a vocation. It is a two-way street. God will manifest Himself to us in every moment. We need to look at the events that are presented to us. Are we ready? It takes a lot of prayer, thought, listening and awareness. Nothing is easy.

It is not the actual physical exertion that counts towards a one's progress, nor the nature of the task, but by the spirit of faith with which it is undertaken. -Saint Francis Xavier