One of the things that the lives of the saints show us is how important each one of us is to God, however insignificant we may seem in the eyes of the world: there are no insignificant saints. In fact, the lives of the saints often show us in various ways that "the wisdom of this world is folly with God." (1 Corinthians 3:19) One of today's saints, St. Agnes of Bohemia (also known as St. Agnes of Prague) provides a good example of just how foolish the "wisdom" of the world can be.
Stay the Course: 2nd Sunday of Lent and Purgatory
We can see today's readings as encouragement to stay the course, to persevere. This applies not only to the disciplines of the next few weeks. It also applies more broadly to the course of entire life.
Hail, Queen! Ave Regina Caelorum
The trials of Lent, and by extension of our earthly life, are the necessary road between the two. What better to contemplate in our last waking moments of the day in this penitential season than the Glory at the end of the journey?
Be Vigilant At All Times
These visible flaws don’t simply remind us that God is perfect, of course. Their purpose is also to remind us that we ourselves are radically imperfect. Not simply morally flawed, but incomplete without God.
Christ’s Food vs. Adam’s: Ash Wednesday
But there it is: Adam’s selfish choice brought death to mankind, while Christ’s self-sacrifice brings life. When we eat the Body of Christ, we counteract what Adam ate.
Love is the Root of Catholic Teaching on Marriage
It’s amazing how hard it is for many people to understand this seemingly obvious truth: there’s no social problem that isn’t made worse by the dissolution of traditional families, and none that wouldn’t be significantly alleviated by more intact families.
Not a Distant Memory: St. Josephine Bakhita
In spite of the cruelty and suffering she had encountered, she was a bright light to her fellow sisters, "known for her gentle voice and smile." She was completely free of resentment and bitterness.
The Bigger They Come: The Coversion of St. Paul
“The bigger they come, the harder they fall.” How many times have we seen that the more formidable the opponent, the more dramatic the impact when he comes crashing down?
The Fight for Life Continues
Abortion is just one front in the endless battle against "the principalities, against the powers, against the world rulers of this present darkness, against the spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places." (Ephesians 6:12)
Welcome to Mission Territory
So, yes, by all means, let's keep fighting the political fight, but given the societal trends (and the Gallup data above is just the latest evidence), we can expect the political arena to become increasingly difficult. Long term we need to work on bringing our country back to Christ.