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Reflections of Family and Faith
"The family that prays together stays together." - Venerable Patrick Peyton
Holy Women's History Month | Lenten Reflections | catholic mom | women's history month
The saints make themselves known to me in different ways. It’s almost like they are pursuing me for attention, popping up repeatedly on social media, public signs, and even mentions by friends. You’d think the saints were politely knocking on my front door to introduce themselves, “Hello, Maria, can we be friends?” Except for Saint Teresa of Avila. She barged into my life like a bull through a China shop. The result was a contentious relationship. Persistent on her part. Resistant on mine. Prefer to Listen—Audio version available!
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Holy Women's History Month | Lenten Reflections | catholic mom | women's history month
The short Old Testament book, Esther, tells the story of a Jewish girl who unexpectedly finds herself Queen of Persia and the last hope for the Jewish people. Admittedly, my interest in this biblical heroine was first peaked by the Veggie Tales episode (circa 2000) titled “Esther, the Girl Who Became Queen.” There is nothing that grabs your attention like the story of a beautiful green onion who has the courage to stand up to an evil gourd and powerful zucchini. Prefer to Listen—Audio version available!
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Holy Women's History Month | Lenten Reflections | catholic mom | women's history month
Saint Teresa of Calcutta, commonly known as Mother Teresa, is a household name around the world. You don’t have to be Catholic to know about her actions to serve the poorest of the poor in Calcutta, and if you’re over 30, there’s a good likelihood you remember seeing images of her on television or in print media while she was alive. I can’t remember a time in my life when I wasn’t aware of Mother Teresa. She was everywhere from childhood through early adulthood. Her importance and influence snuck up on me. I guess you could say I took her example for granted throughout much of my life. It was only after she passed away and her cause for Sainthood was opened that I really allowed her example to influence my life. Prefer to Listen—Audio version available!
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Holy Women's History Month | Lenten Reflections | catholic mom | women's history month
One snowy New Year’s Eve, my Grandma Kathryn was on her way to Mass to celebrate the Feast of Mary, Mother of God. Having lived in rural Iowa her entire life, she was intimately familiar with icy road conditions, but she was still rather surprised when her copper Mercury Monterey slid right underneath a semi-trailer! Throwing herself sideways, she lay flat on the seat and emerged unscathed … but missed Mass. To make up for missing her obligation, she attended Mass twice the following Sunday. This kind of commitment to Mass attendance is unusual in today’s culture, but back then, Holy Days of Obligation were universal days off work, restaurants boasted fish specials on Fridays, and most businesses were closed on Sundays. My son’s seminary rector, Father Daniel Barnett, comments that today, we are living in a post-Christian society, observing that secular principles have trumped traditional Christian ideals. My friend, Margaret, lived in a similar time, albeit 500 years ago. Political and religious unrest made the time uncertain and even dangerous for Catholics. Sweeping pandemics and the loss of her husband to illness left her to fend for herself and her five young children alone. But her faith sustained her. Prefer to Listen—Audio version available!
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Holy Women's History Month | Lenten Reflections | catholic mom | women's history month
Saint Thérèse of Lisieux has become one of my favorite saints in recent years for a couple of reasons. First, I greatly admire her thoughts and writings about the Book of Nature. She consistently used the natural world as a way of growing in faith and deepening her relationship with God. She saw the love and tenderness with which God had created even the smallest daisy and recognized that he had created her with that same great affection. Just as He tended to and provided for even the humblest flower or the most ordinary brown bird, so, too, did the Lord care for and provide for her. For Thérèse, the Book of Nature really was like an ongoing love letter, written to her personally by the hand of Christ. But the second reason why I am fond of the Little Flower, as she is more frequently known, is more personal. I feel close to her because she was close to some of my family, even though I never met them. Prefer to Listen—Audio version available!
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Holy Women's History Month | Lenten Reflections | catholic mom | women's history month
Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton revealed herself to me when I needed her the most. My son, John Paul Raphael Leon, was born with Trisomy 18 on January 4, 2018. He was not expected to live long, and our hearts were crushed when he took his last breath at 2:43 pm the next day. As the crushing weight of grief settled upon me, I grasped for meaning in the details of how the Lord allowed our son’s short life to unfold. Was there significance to the hour he died or the number of days he lived? Then, we looked to the liturgical calendar for hope, and there she was: Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton Feast day January 4th Patron Saint of Grief Oh, my heart. The mercies of our Lord are abundant. While He allowed my child to die, I knew it was no coincidence that my baby was born on the Feast Day of the Patroness of Grief. The Lord offered me the comfort and companionship of this mighty saint to help me learn to carry extraordinary suffering. I knew about Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton. I had been to her shrine in Emmitsburg, Maryland and had spent several years teaching in Catholic schools, the educational system she is known for founding. She is even the co-patroness of our diocese in Arlington, Virginia, but I didn’t really know her. She was merely an admirable archetype of holiness, hard work, and perseverance. Then I sought her heart. Prefer to Listen—Audio version available!
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