When our children were small, they would sometimes tell their mother and me, in that whining, keening “I can’t bear another second of life” voice, that they were bored.
The gates of hell will never prevail against the Church — and yet the body of Christ can often seem to be on the brink of some kind of calamity or disaster. This can be experienced at the level of a local parish, diocese, or even at the level of the universal Church.
October is one of two months in the year dedicated to honoring Mary, the mother of Jesus. The Catechism of the Catholic Church states “by her complete adherence to the Father’s will, to his Son’s redemptive work, and to every prompting of the Holy Spirit, the Virgin Mary is the Church’s model of faith and charity” (967).
A mother understands.
From the outside, Edith Rosenbaum was bursting with beauty and promise, 32 and a rising star in fashion. Her job was glamorous, working as a Paris correspondent for Women’s Wear Daily, an American fashion publication. She covered couture openings and penned a column that appeared on the front page, offering her impressions of the latest trends and the biggest personalities in the Paris fashion scene.
The first retreat I ever attended was called Cursillo. It was three days of being immersed in Christian life through teachings, faith sharing, prayer and fellowship. At the end of the third day, we were told: “Tomorrow, you begin the fourth day — which is the rest of your life.” We were called to bring home the gifts of faith we had received and shared.
Early in my Catholic reporting days, someone found an unusual lamp in our office attic -- its base was a man wrapped in a green robe, with a flame on his head: St. Jude, with the Holy Spirit at Pentecost. It was a St. Jude lamp. I wish I had snagged it, but alas, I did not. I wonder who did, or if it's sitting in a thrift store window someplace, illuminating the night.
Two months back, I wrote about the Catholic Worker Movement founded by Peter Maurin and Dorothy Day and their vision for agenda-less hospitality. I wrote that this was just the first difference between their Catholic vision of hospitality and more conventional visions of social service. This month, I want to reflect on another difference.
The most holy rosary takes me on a journey through the Gospel story where the Blessed Mother’s example of holiness is always challenging me to step it up — bringing me closer to Jesus.