Feast of St. Augustine

Today is the feast day of St. Augustine and yesterday was the feast of his mother St. Monica.  Monica is best known for her intercessory prayer for her son’s conversion.  Augustine’s conversion is recounted beautifully in his CONFESSIONS, and his inspiring account of his faith journey is something that everyone can learn from.  For whom should/could I be praying? 

–Sr. Marie Paul Grech, SND

How can I imitate Mary in my daily activities?

Last week we celebrated the feast of Our Lady’s Assumption—Mary was the courageous young girl willing to face the censure of her contemporaries by bearing a child whose origins could not be explained; the mother who could foresee the needs of others and asked her son to intervene, as she did at the marriage at Cana; and the mother courageous enough to stand silently at her son’s side as he died, while many of his followers hid themselves in fear.  Mary was rewarded in the Assumption and Coronation as Queen—but she had first to give of herself for the benefit of others.  How can I imitate Mary in my daily activities?

–Sr. Marie Paul Grech, SND

Today is the feast of St. Maximilian Kolbe

Today is the feast of St. Maximilian Kolbe,

Saint Maximilian Kolbe was a Polish Conventual Franciscan friar who volunteered to die in place of a stranger in the German death camp of Auschwitz, located in German-occupied Poland during World War II.   Jesus was the prime example of “laying down one’s life”—and Maximilian Kolbe lives this out in our modern times.  When does God ask me to sacrifice myself for someone else?  My children, my spouse, my friend, my enemy?

Can I be sacrificial in the silence of my heart, not calling attention to myself? 

–Sr. Marie Paul Grech, SND

Faith Is More Than a Chance

by Brian Butler

While living by faith is not easy, it can be an adventure. Even though we should exercise prudence in our lives, prudence is a natural virtue. Faith, though, is a theological virtue. Faith, hope, and love are the three God-given gifts that allow us to cultivate other natural or human virtues, such as patience and generosity.

Sometimes faith will inspire us to do something that, on the face of it, doesn’t make rational sense—because the impulse comes not from our human reason but by a prompting of the Spirit. However, as we learn to obey these “inner promptings,” we may discover an increase in the natural virtues as well.

So when your conscience tells you to wait for the next bus for some “unseen” reason … wait. Then watch how the conversation with the passenger next to you grow into something meaningful. When the same little voice in your heart, for no apparent reason says, “Cut your neighbor’s grass,” or “Bake your sister’s family some muffins” or “Go to morning Mass before work today,” or “Give $10 to that homeless man” you can say “yes,” like Mary did. You may not know what lies ahead, but if we take a small step of faith, chances are that God will be right there to give us more of himself, not less.

How is the Holy Spirit inviting you to walk by faith today?

-Shared by Sr. Marie Paul Grech, SND

-Shared by Sr. Marie Paul Grech, SND

-Shared by Sr. Marie Paul Grech, SND