We all understand the profound ache of a parent’s heart when a child strays from faith. Today, Scripture meets us in that painful wilderness where the Israelites, just freed from slavery, quickly doubted God's care (Exodus 16). Their story mirrors our own: When prayers seem unanswered, when Mass pews empty, when our children exchange truth for the world’s fleeting promises—how do we keep believing?
Consider Saint Bridget of Sweden, a remarkable woman who walked a path many of us recognize. She was a noblewoman, wife, mother of eight, widow, and mystic. While one of her daughters, Catherine, became a saint, others drifted from the faith. Bridget's life offers us three vital lessons:
· Holiness is measured by our faithfulness, not our children's choices. Our steadfastness is what truly matters in God's eyes.
The Israelites, newly freed from bondage, immediately grumbled for bread. How often are we like them, focusing on what we lack rather than what God provides? Yet, God provided manna—not when they demanded it, but precisely when they needed it. Parents and grandparents, your prayers are that manna:
Jesus' parable of the Sower offers immense comfort: even the perfect Sower encountered seeds that failed to thrive. If your "seeds"—your children or loved ones—seem dormant, remember these truths:
Consider the mother who prayed for twenty years for her son lost in New Age spirituality. On her deathbed, her final whisper was, "Jesus, bring him home." Two months later, he collapsed in the confessional, recounting, "I felt her pushing me back to God."
Or imagine this: A phone rings. Years of prayers—"Lord, bring him home"—hanging in the air. Then, the voice she loves says, "Mom, which Mass are you going to? I want to come with you." Decades of worry dissolve in that sacred moment. The pew that once ached with emptiness now waits with hope.
This is how Heaven rejoices—not when the battle ends, but when love refuses to let go.
Saint Bridget, pray for us!
May we, like her, become:
Steadfast in prayer
Fearless in hope
Radiant in trust
For the God who fed His people in the wilderness still provides. The Father who waited for the prodigal still watches the road. And no prayer offered in love is ever wasted. Amen.