We Are All Pilgrims

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Stand at the crossroads and look; ask for the ancient paths, ask where the good way is, and walk in it, and you will find rest for your souls. (Jeremiah 6:16)

 

In 2016, something amazing happened to me. I was able to get two spots on the Catholic Channel’s lottery for a pilgrimage to the Holy Land. I could hardly believe this dream might come true. My husband was reluctant at first, but one look at the itinerary and he was all in. “These are all real places that still exist?” he asked. My assurance they are was all he needed.

A Life-Changing Pilgrimage

I always tell people that a pilgrimage, particularly to the Holy Land, is life-changing. For me, this journey facilitated multiple changes. From meeting a group of women who would become my closest friends, to discovering more about myself and God’s plan for me, to going from a writer to speaker and pilgrimage leader myself were things I never imagined would happen. Since that trip, I have gone on pilgrimage to the Holy Land once more as a pilgrim and once as a leader (my second and third chances at leading have been on hold since the October 6 massacre). I have organized and led two pilgrimages on El Camino (one for myself and two friends and one for thirty-three pilgrims), one pilgrimage to Italy, and several “local” pilgrimages. Next month, I’m taking 43 pilgrims to France!

Ever since that first pilgrimage, I have felt like a different person. No that’s not quite right. I have become a different person, someone whose life has been turned in the right direction. Where God always had a place in my life — one that was dictated by my own needs and schedule — He now occupies every space of my life, and I’m constantly turning to Him to make decisions about everything from what I eat to what I write.

 

We Are All Pilgrims

What a wonderful gift Pope Francis gave us in this Jubilee Year of 2025. He has proclaimed each and every one of us a Pilgrim of Hope. The Holy Father has declared this to be a year of hope and patience as we await our call home to Christ. “This interplay of hope and patience makes us see clearly that the Christian life is a journey calling for moments of greater intensity to encourage and sustain hope as the constant companion that guides our steps towards the goal of our encounter with the Lord Jesus” (Pope Francis, Bull Of Indiction Of The Ordinary Jubilee Of The Year 2025, emphasis original). We are all pilgrims on this journey from birth to Heaven.

The Holy Father goes on to say, “Pilgrimage is of course a fundamental element of every Jubilee event. Setting out on a journey is traditionally associated with our human quest for meaning in life.” Pope Francis recommends that pilgrims travel to Rome and other places to walk through the Holy Doors, which are only open during the Year of Jubilee. However, you don’t have to travel far from home to experience a true pilgrimage!

 

The Pilgrimage of Life

While I’d love to have all of you join me on a pilgrimage of a lifetime, I urge you to think both smaller and longer when you consider the number one pilgrimage we all make. Our entire life is a faith journey, a pilgrimage, at times as glorious as the Sistine Chapel and then as arduous as El Camino. We are to travel this lifelong pilgrimage in the same manner Pope Francis encourages a pilgrimage abroad: as pilgrims “contemplating the beauty of creation and masterpieces of art, we learn to treasure the richness of different experiences and cultures, and are inspired to lift up that beauty, in prayer, to God, in thanksgiving for his wondrous works.” We are to see the beauty and presence of God in everything and everyone we encounter.

Like any pilgrimage, we all approach this lifetime pilgrimage with a mix of trepidation, expectation, and jubilation. There is so much to discover at each turn, so much growing and maturing to do, not just in age but in faith. Just like on the walk through Rome, we can easily become lost, tempted to follow the crowd, overwhelmed by the sights and sounds around us, and exhausted at the end of each day. Life is a continuous passage with tunnels, bridges, alleyways, cobblestones, and dirt paths. We must follow the road map that Jesus and the Church have given us and walk through this life with prayer, humility, and hope.

 

Life as Pilgrimage

Pope Francis tells us that, in this Jubilee Year, we are to desire peace and look to the future with hope that “entails having enthusiasm for life and a readiness to share it” so that we may “be tangible signs of hope for those of our brothers and sisters.” To do this, we must be able to follow in the footsteps of Christ, walking not just our path, but His. We are to share the Good News with the world, expressing our hope in the Risen Lord and His teachings. This is not easy. Jesus told us, “Whoever wishes to come after me must deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me” (Matthew 16:25). He’s warning us that the walk is not always easy. There are hills to climb, rivers to cross, and heavy loads to carry, but those are what lead us to our final destination.

This year, allow yourself to fully realize what it means to be a pilgrim, but even more, a Pilgrim of Hope. Begin your journey today with small steps. Take a walk in the garden while you give praise to God for the bright green stems pushing through the earth. Walk through one of the Gospels, focusing on the times Jesus taught us to follow him, from the call of Peter to Jesus telling us, “you know the way” (John 14:4). Begin a new path of prayer at intervals throughout your day to give thanks and praise and asses your journey.

How ever you choose to walk your pilgrimage, allow yourself to be open to whatever happens along the way. I always tell my pilgrims that the number one rule to being a pilgrim is to be flexible and remain open to the Holy Spirit. Always keep your eye on the shining cathedral on the hill and your heart filled with hope.

 

We see in these swift and skillful travelers a symbol of our life, which seeks to be a pilgrimage and a passage on this earth for the way of heaven. – Pope Paul VI

Copyright 2025 Amy Schisler

Photos copyright 2025 Amy Schisler, all rights reserved.

Serendipitous Surrender

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Serendipitous Surrender

By Lisa Livezey

It is the Lord who goes before you; He will be with you.
— Deuteronomy 31:8 (RSVCE)

 

I slipped into the quiet Adoration Chapel, seeking blessed respite from the frenzied pace which now characterized my days. Tucked among the prayer cards in my Bible were some papers which, when unfolded, brought back a sudden memory. These had been handed to me in this very chapel by an older woman who often prayed there. It had been a month ago when she approached me as just the two of us were sitting in the chapel. Holding out some papers, she had whispered, “I feel like you’re supposed to have these.”

 

I accepted them with a quiet, “Thank you,” honored that this prayer warrior had singled me out. The title read Novena of Surrender to the Will of God and was followed by nine daily prayers, each ending with the words: “Jesus, I surrender myself to You. Please take care of everything.” I began the first prayer immediately and planned to continue for the next eight days.

 

(“The Surrender Novena” was handed to the author days before her father’s unexpected passing.)

 

When the weekend arrived, I forgot all about the Surrender Novena. Then came Monday afternoon—and then Dad was rushed to the hospital—and then he died—and then I became responsible for Mom.

In rediscovering these papers, I realized that the Holy Spirit had nudged this holy woman, causing her to give me the Surrender Novena just days before my life was about to radically change.

Jesus, I surrender myself to You. Please take care of everything.

Reflect: Focus on the Lord and purposefully repeat the above prayer ten times. If able, search online for the Novena of Surrender to the Will of God (Author: Father Don Dolindo Ruotolo 1882-1970) and pray it for the next nine days.

 

The above selection is Entry #12 in Part II: Weathering Winter of Minding Mom: A Caregiver’s Devotional Story by Lisa Livezey (© 2024, En Route Books and Media)

Minding Mom: A Caregiver’s Devotional Story by Lisa Livezey | En Route Books and Media

Consider The Flowers

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By Kimberly Novak

     

     Sitting in my church and admiring the altar recently, I was struck by the beauty of the flowers placed purposefully on either side. The flowers were specifically chosen to adorn the altar as an offering of a sacrificial act. The gardener who raised and nurtured the flowers had to make sacrifices to have the time and energy to do such a task. Then there is the sacrifice of the flowers themselves. 

     In his book, The Hidden Power of Silence in the Mass, Father Bonificace Hicks paints a wonderful picture of this sacrificial act. In a chapter devoted to the silence of sacrificial offering, Father Hicks brings light into the purpose of cut flowers in the mass:

“The cut flowers continue to pour out their beauty as they die near the altar. From the moment they are cut, they are already dying. They use the remnant of their life to worship, shine forth in beauty, and direct our attention to the beauty of the Lord’s Eucharistic sacrifice. This is a great sign of how we are to enter into the sacrificial silence of the Offertory. We, too, are dying, already a day closer to death than when we first believed. (Rom. 13:11). And yet each one of us is also beautiful, a living reflection of the face of Christ. We each have some beauty left to offer, and we can allow our lives to be silently with Christ and point to His beauty, the source of all beauty.”

     My parish does a wonderful job of “flowering” the altar. Many times the flower arrangements adorning the altar are donated following a wedding or funeral service. This in itself is a sacrificial act from the families willing to part with and gift the flowers to the sanctuary. Some parishes may have a flower or garden committee, which has sacrificed their time. There are two times in the liturgical year when you will not see flowers on the altar. Father Hicks, explains why during Advent and Lent, the flowers are absent: “The flowers which decorate the altar as a form of solemnity and a sign of joy are not to be used in Advent or Lent, and their absence is intended to evoke a sense of loss and longing.”  Therefore, as we continue on our Lenten journey and anticipate the heartfelt joy in celebrating the resurrection of Jesus, we can look forward to the outward beauty when the flowers once again adorn the altar. 

     Before being placed on the altar, the flowers lived as best they could, offering beauty and joy as their gift to mankind. God invites us to do the same. We are halfway through the 40 days of Lent at the time of this writing. It might be a good time to reflect upon the first 20 days and consider how your sacrificial act will transform your life or relationship with Christ. Reflective points to ponder might be: Am I living up to God’s standards and expectations? Have my decisions of abstinence been easy ones or Have I gone all the way and chosen a sacrifice that will foster a major life change? 

     However, it’s important not to overthink your sacrifices. God knows every part of our hearts and lives. That means he knows that sometimes, even the smallest sacrifices might be big ones, especially if the surrender renews and strengthens the relationship with God. I’m sure that Jesus, as he carried his cross, never once wondered if his sacrifice was easy or worth the effort. 

      I now have a new view of cut flowers and will treat them as holy. Admiring a freshly cut bouquet on my table in the sunlight will make me more respectful of the sacrifices that allowed me to receive their gift. Jesus is the flower at the altar, a reminder of the offerings I must make to honor His commitment to my life. Father Hicks states that  “we each have some beauty left to offer,” and I say, there is nothing more beautiful than a flower, chosen specifically for you.

 

“… there is nothing more beautiful than a flower, chosen specifically for you.”

 

With this knowledge, consider the flowers, and accept their beauty into your heart, for this is a gift from Jesus to be with Him always. 

 

God Bless! 

 

 

 

 

Quotes sited from, The Hidden Power of Silence in the Mass, by Father Bonifiace Hicks, OSB

©️ Kimberly Novak 2025

Edited by Janet Tamez

2025 by Margaret King Zacharias

Rocky Times

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Rocky Times

Taxi drivers shook their fists at each other as I stared out the tour bus window. Blaring horns assaulted my ears. Sunset turned to twilight, and still we sat motionless in Tel Aviv traffic gridlock.
My heart was breaking for my fellow travelers. Although I’d been looking forward to visiting the Carmelite monastery’s public areas for a second time, I’d already been blessed with indelible memories of a daylight Mass in the gardens, followed by a tour that included rooftop views of the fertile valleys below. (See https://www.catholicwritersguild.org/2023/06/mount-carmel/). For the passengers with me on this trip, their visit here was meant to be the pinnacle of a once-in-a-lifetime pilgrimage to the Holy Land. The bus driver’s scowl mirrored my own frustration, but only an air of resigned disappointment filled the bus.
By the time we had navigated a winding road to the top of Mount Carmel, full darkness had descended. The harried greeter who’d waited for us outside made humble apologies. Unfortunately, no tour would be possible. The brothers had already prayed Vespers, and the vowed community was cloistered for the night. But our host said he’d given the lay oblates permission to reopen the gift shop. This announcement immediately cheered the ladies. At least they could still bring rosaries to their loved ones back home. They trooped off together toward the few still-lighted windows, smiling.
Dominick, a public elementary school principal, quietly pulled his carryon suitcase from the bin above his seat and got off the bus behind them. I’d learned that in his traditional Italian neighborhood, parishioners had sacrificed for years to buy a small triangular lot adjacent to their
church. Dominick was building there, a shrine for Our Lady of Mount Carmel. I watched him engage our greeter in animated conversation.
The other pilgrims eventually returned, with full souvenir bags in hand. But where was Dominick? Finally, he appeared again at the bus door, grinning. A middle-aged but muscular man from a contractor family, Dominick did not seem daunted by the weight he now carried. He climbed right up the bus stairs, and raised his suitcase with both hands, in a victory stance, as soon as he reached the aisle.
“That brother was so kind. He took me all the way back to the mountain!” Dominick’s voice resonated through the bus without benefit of the microphone. “He said I could have as many rocks as I wanted! He found me a spade, and held the flashlight while I pried the stones
free.”
Whoops, whistles, and cheers from every seat greeted his enthusiastic news.

***

I found myself behind Dominick in the El Al security lines for our departure flight back to the United States. He patted his suitcase, and whispered with a wink. “Don’t worry. I’ve got them all right here.”
I heard the uniformed Israeli guards ask, as Dominick slowly wheeled his suitcase to the counter, “What’s in there? Rocks?”
Uh, oh, I thought, looking around. Is this even legal? Archeological artifacts, and all that? Where’s our guide!  Dominick just nodded. “Gifts for Our Lady’s new grotto, from our Holy Land pilgrimage,” he said. Seeing the stern looks on their faces, he hastened to assure them.
“Everyone gave me permission. Those monks at Mount Carmel were really helpful.” Dominick pulled a paper from his vest pocket. Apparently, he’d somehow managed to wangle a document from the Carmelite brother who’d assisted with the excavation. Dominick handed his paper to one of the security men.
The first guard examined it and showed it to his partner. Then he refolded it carefully, and gave it back to Dominick. These officials, who now appeared a bit bemused, heaved Dominick’s suitcase up to the metal counter themselves. After looking inside, they exchanged a humorous glance, and waved our hero through, with his suitcase, to the gate. As I placed my own tote on the counter, I couldn’t help wondering how Dominick could have fit in all the stones I’d seen him collect, at the shore of the Sea of Galilee, and other sacred sites we’d visited.

But from the glimpse I’d just garnered, they did look– tightly packed.

***

Dominick engraved each stone from the Holy Land with its place of origin. He mortared them in where they fit, like puzzle pieces, among larger local boulders. Pilgrimage memories endure in a curved rock wall that shelters the consecrated granite altar in the new grotto dedicated to Our Lady of Mount Carmel.
Today, Mass can be celebrated at the grotto as well as the church, often in both English and Spanish. The parish maintains its long and faithful tradition of Corpus Christi processions with the Blessed Sacrament, visiting and blessing individual family homes throughout the old neighborhood. The parish school pioneered for our diocese the first cohort in an optional Spanish immersion curriculum for grades K-8.
Dominick’s spirit of humility, simplicity, and faith lives on.

May we all be blessed this Lent with trust and grace to find joy in whatever God sends.

 

© Copyright 2025 Margaret King Zacharias

Feature photo by Margaret King Zacharias. Used with Permission.

 

Survey Says: Mary, Powerhouse Intercessor!

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Survey Says: Mary, Powerhouse Intercessor!

by Dennis Lambert

If we were playing Biblical Family Feud and the players were asked, “What was the greatest revelation of the Wedding at Cana?” my guess is that the number one answer would be a toss-up between two answers. It would be either that it is where Jesus performed his first miracle or that it was the beginning of his public ministry.

Now for the more serious Family Feud thrill seekers out there, what would take the next spot on the big Feud board? The answer to that is likely to be dependent on that player’s Christian affiliation. For myself, being Catholic, my response would be, “Mary the Intercessor.”

One thing I am certain of is that the role of Mary in our Christian faith is often misunderstood by Protestants, and also by many Catholics. Having spent a couple years in the non-denominational world, I can tell you that the number one misconception regarding Mary is that Catholics pray to Mary as we pray to God. (insert the Family Feud big Red X and obnoxious buzzer sound here!). It is, in fact, the story of Cana which demonstrates to the world one of Mary’s most treasured roles in our Christian faith.

Let’s take a look by putting ourselves into the story…

Now, wedding feasts during the time of Jesus were truly a celebration which lasted for days. So the party is in full swing when Mary, the intuitive mother she is, notices something is wrong.

Perhaps she notices the head waiter whispering something into the ear of the father of the bride and then sees a look of shock and dismay come across his face. Next, the father follows the head waiter into the kitchen, and Mary, who obviously knows the man, out of concern follows him to find out what has him so disheveled.

When Mary learns that he has run out of wine she immediately understands the social ramifications and embarrassment it would cause this man, his daughter the bride, and his family. You see, running short on wine at such a celebration would indeed been a major party foul and that error would have surely made that family the talk of the town for months to come, and not in a good way.

So I can envision Mary calmly talking to that father, telling him that everything is going to be all right, that she’s got it handled. Her next move is to her Son. She explains in detail what has happened, what was happening. After listening to his mother, Jesus says to her, “Women, how does your concern affect me? My hour has not yet come.” The reality is that back then, the term “Woman” was an endearing sign of affection. Using a little poetic license and placing myself into the scene, I can see Jesus’ response possibly coming off more like, “Mother, the woman I adore, it’s not my time quite yet. You understand, right?”  (And if I had more space in this article we could go into how biblical scholars describe this call of “Woman” by Jesus as his announcing of Mary as the new Eve.)

Now Mary’s response is interesting. Her eyes are on Jesus, listening to what he says one second, and then a split second later turning her head from her son to the server. Without saying a word to her son, she tells the server, “Do whatever he tells you.”  Now that’s authority! Now that’s a mother!

I can just imagine Jesus rolling his eyes after this, saying something like, “Ma, really?” But what does he do? He orders the servers to bring out six stone jars filled with water. According to the Gospel, that was between 120- and 180-gallons worth of water that Jesus then turns into wine!  In that instance, Jesus complies to his mother’s wishes, her “intentions.”

What this part of the story tells us, unequivocally, is that Mary indeed has the ear of her son and most importantly, that he listens to her.

And what are the implications for us? While they may be pretty clear to most, let me build up where I’m heading with this just a bit before I come out and state the obvious. Allow me ask a couple probing questions …

How many of you have ever prayed for someone else? How many been prayed for? My guess is that everyone reading this is saying an unequivocal “yes” to both questions. The fact that we all participate so fully in this thing we call prayer shows that there is something to it. That there is a real power to prayer. And if you’re like me, the holier the person you get to say a prayer on your behalf, the more efficacious we feel that prayer is going to be.

Which brings us back to Mary. The wedding feast at Cana introduces Mary as the best intercessor for our prayers. After all, whether a person is Catholic or Protestant, I’m confident we would all agree that no one who ever lived is holier than Mary. After all, God chose her to have his Son!

Clearly, as seen in the story of the Wedding at Cana, Jesus most especially listens to his mother! And this, my friends, is Mary’s role in our faith. We don’t pray to Mary as we pray to Jesus or the Father. Rather we ask her, as the holiest person who ever lived, to take our needs, our prayers, our intentions to the very foot of her son. For, as seen at Cana, Jesus most especially listens to his Mother!

So when you find yourself in need, be it one of the big things in life variety, or just a case of writer’s block you’re trying to clear away, may the forceful words of Steve Harvey ring within your ears, “Survey Says: Mary, Powerhouse Intercessor!”…. and then may you turn to our Champion of Cana and ask her for the gift of her influential prayers!

© Copyright 2025 by Dennis Lambert

Feature Photo by John Andrew Nolia Blazo: https://www.pexels.com/photo/painting-of-holy-mary-15111009/

Photo by Eugenia Remark: https://www.pexels.com/photo/decorated-cards-golden-plate-and-ring-in-box-14784845/

Love Among the Saints

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Love Among the Saints

Do we think of saints being married? Among the most popular — St. Therese, St. Francis, St. Pio of Pietrelcina, St. Teresa of Calcutta were wed to Christ and the church. Yet Catholic history proclaims saintly husbands and wives who lived lives much like the rest of us. Who could ever imagine that the father of one of the most scholarly popes would have crafted a newspaper ad to find his wife? Or that a couple, now on their way to sainthood, would have a story that rivals Romeo and Juliet in family drama? Only one husband lived not just to testify to his wife’s saintliness but also to be present at her canonization. Another saint married twice. And one husband literally tried the patience of a saint.

Patrick O’Hearn’s Courtship of the Saints: How the Saints Met their Spouses, offers lively, loved-filled accounts of couples from Biblical times into the 21st Century. They shaped the church in some way through their sacrifice and devotion to one another and to their families by making the prayer their foundation and God the center of their lives.

Mr. O’Hearn, also the author of Parents of the Saints: The Hidden Heroes Behind Our Favorite Saints, and former acquisitions editor with Tan Books, clearly strives to provide an antidote to the decades old “hookup culture” that has degraded marriage, women, and men. He does this with inspirational examples of a proven formula for meeting one’s true love. People have, over the centuries, continued to seek love, but the ways of going about it have failed. He promises that the contents lying beyond the beckoning cover of the intimate painting, “The Meeting of Joachim and Anne outside the Golden Gate of Jerusalem,” by Fillipino Lippi (1497) are “… better than any romantic novel because they return to the source of love: God Himself” (p. 5), and Mr. O’Hearn is as eager as any evangelist to share the news.

He doesn’t begin there, however, because without the proper framework, the stories would only be pretty romance tales. Mr. O’Hearn commences by defining courtship and its significance, offering historical and contemporary perspectives. He explains how it is different from modern “dating” and urges those called to marriage to pursue it. “Our culture will only be renewed when the family is strong … when marriages reflect Christ’s radical love for His church; when couples love each other madly through the good times and bad, and are open to the number of children God wants to provide them.” (pp. 5-6). He peppers the narrative with quotes from Ven. Fulton Sheen, St. Thomas Aquinas, and other well-known and favored theologians.

“Courtship looks to the future – to eternity,” he explains. “Courtship asks the following questions: Does this person have virtue? Is this the best person to lead me — and, God willing, my future children — to heaven?” (p. 11). He moves into betrothal: “…a time for a couple to intensify their prayer life as they prepare for marriage” (p. 19). Introspective questions give further substance to the book and to Mr. O’Hearn’s premise of returning to a prayer-filled, God-invited relationship. Part Two “Courtship Counsel and Prayers” is a kind of action plan that offers contemplative questions such as: How do I pray daily for my future spouse? Where should I look for a future spouse? It also advises how to choose a spouse, discern marriage as a vocation, and offers prayers and saintly inspirational quotes.  A section for married couples opens with this guidance: “Rediscover why you fell in love in the first place and continue to fall in love. Don’t let the fire burn out.” Mr. O’Hearn then suggests practical applications for doing so.

Sandwiched between the practical is the romantic with the couple’s entertaining encounters. The 23- year union between Karol and Emilia Wojtyla so influenced their young son that it helped to shape his perception of the love between a man and a woman that the author asserts it “… provided the first education concerning the splendor of marital love” contained in Pope St. John Paul II’s “Theology of the Body.” His parents are now Servants of God. Accounts like the Wojtylas will melt hearts. Others might drop jaws, such as the meeting of Josef and Maria Ratzinger that occurred when she responded to a newspaper ad he wrote to find a wife. St. Thomas More transitions from the martyr who dared to defy King Henry VII to the guy down the street who is widowed prematurely and, out of concern for his young children, begins looking for a wife. No doubt readers will chuckle – because they know a couple just like this — when they read about Bl. Anna-Maria Taigi and her husband, Dominic, who possessed “rough” manners.

Others will bring tears. Arguably, no other romance is as beautiful as that between Pietro Molla and Gianna Beretta and the family life they created. The author devotes nearly 20 pages to them. Anyone who has read Journey of Our Love: The Letters of Saint Gianna Beretta and Pietro Molla, which the author cites, will marvel at how he was able to keep it to 20.

Among the 25 couples, readers will have many favorites because, regardless of the time, all have uniqueness and relatability. Each one also has the commonality of fervent prayer and love of God. Anyone willing to put their love life into God’s hand will be able to find joy, endure hardships, and withstand suffering, proving that but no one can write a love story better than the Father Himself.

© Copyright 2025 by Mary McWilliams

Feature Photo by Eugenia Remark: https://www.pexels.com/photo/decorated-cards-golden-plate-and-ring-in-box-14784845/

Inset photo by Mary McWilliams

Parent tossing child in the air on a beach at sunset.

God’s Got Our Back

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God’s Got Our Back

I went to Confession hungry—hungry for something I couldn’t articulate at the time, but God knew and satisfied that unnamed gnawing through one of His kind priests.  Monsignor Ignacio gave me the penance of learning Psalm 139.  He told me how much God loved me and that, if I prayed this psalm, I would know absolutely just how deeply God knows, accepts, and loves me. I think I cried all the way home, realizing that, despite my faults, imperfections, and self-doubts, someone—God—could love me so completely.

I went on to memorize excerpts from that psalm and prayed it every morning for a while. I shared copies with friends and family.  I even wrote it down on scratch paper during a plane ride to visit my daughter and gave it to a misty-eyed young man sitting next to me. He cried.

Eventually, I stopped the daily morning recitation and drifted into a rhythm of aimless newly retired life. But I was hungry again. I was preparing to offer a workshop at our local Catholic Writers Guild meeting. “Writing with Intent” aimed at sharing tips and tools to kick-start or rejuvenate the writing life. At that time, chapter members ranged from new writers to seasoned authors. What could I possibly offer that would appeal to and encompass such a range of needs?  I began to worry and stress over the presentation.

That’s when Psalm 139 surfaced again. When we are hungry, God’s words speak to our hearts. Whether new to the pen and unsure of intent or seasoned with countless pages and seeking fresh perspectives, as Catholic writers, we need to know, without a doubt, that God loves us and has got our back. It is He Who guides our writing and satiates our hunger when we ask.

“Probe me, God, know my heart;

try me, know my concern.

See if my way is crooked,

then lead me in the ancient paths.”—Psalm 139: 23–24

The reading and meditation on excerpts from Psalm 139 set the introductory tone for the workshop, which was well received by all.  God was right there for me and them. Then and now.

Excerpts from Psalm 139

 

Lord, You have probed me, You know me:

You know when I sit and stand;

You understand my thoughts from afar.

My travels and my rest You mark;

with all my ways You are familiar.

Even before a word is on my tongue,

Lord, You know it all.

Behind and before, You encircle me

and rest Your hand upon me.

. . . 

If I fly with the wings of dawn

and alight beyond the sea,

even there Your hand will guide me,

Your right hand hold me fast.

. . .

You formed my inmost being;

You knit me in my mother’s womb.

I praise You, so wonderfully You made me;

wonderful are Your works!

. . .

How precious to me are Your designs, O God;

how vast the sum of them!

Were I to count, they would outnumber the sands;

to finish, I would need eternity.

. . .

Probe me, God, know my heart;

try me, know my concern.

See if my way is crooked,

then lead me in the ancient paths.

 

—Psalm 139: 1–5, 9–10, 13–14, 17–18, 23–24

St. Joseph Edition of The New American Bible

 

© Paula Veloso Babadi 2025

Edited by Gabriella Batel

When not playing pickleball or “Nana,” Paula Veloso Babadi cooks, gardens, and writes poetry and short personal essays. You can find her first book-length collection, Everywhere Hope, at amazon.com.

black and white photo of soldiers cautiously walking with guns through a field Image by Rozbooy from Pixabay

A Christmas Wish

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A Christmas Wish

I am writing to tell you about a story about an old veteran that I knew. He was a Vietnam veteran. I was assigned to the VA to be a counselor to these old warriors. There was one in particular that I remember that had it really hard. He had gone to jail under strange circumstances, and had some psychotic breaks, so I took an interest in him. This was about Christmastime.

I interviewed him one day about his life. He was born in Portland, OR. He had an uneventful childhood but his parents were middle class. He enlisted and was sent to Vietnam. He believed in the cause and wanted to prove himself.

When he went to combat it was nothing he expected.

“All the bombs, all the bullets, the Agent Orange, and the other chemical warfare,” he recalled.

“Are those memories troubling you?”

“No. That’s not all of it,” he said. “I ran. I was a coward.”

“So then,” I said, “how is it that you got convicted of aggravated assault?”

He said, “Well, when I got back home, I got a job as a mailman, but I drank heavily to cope. Maybe 5-6 drinks at night. One night I had the worst dream I was running away from the Viet Cong. And I heard my commander say, ‘Attack!’ and I didn’t want to fail again. So I went to my bar with my gun and I was going to shoot the Viet Cong. Well, it ended up I shot up the bar and injured some people.”

“Did you mean to kill anyone,” I asked.

He said, “I don’t remember because I blacked out. But I am a good shot, so if I meant to kill anyone, I would have done it. After that, I got sent to Oklahoma for jail for 6 years. It was the worst time of my life. I was there with people who meant to do harm and I was worried I might turn out like them.”

I said, “Well, it’s Christmastime, so I imagine if you had a Christmas wish, it would be you didn’t run from the Viet Cong.”

He said, “No, I wish I could meet my granddaughter. I had a brief relationship in Oregon, and in jail I found out she got pregnant with a girl and then recently she told me her daughter had a daughter. So that’s my Christmas wish to meet her.”

I asked permission to try to contact his daughter and he said yes. I was able to find her and asked if she would like to contact him and she did. After a few months I arranged a meeting but I found out our veteran was in the hospital with liver disease, so I thought about a short meeting and showing the child some military pictures and got one of Vietnam. The woman and her daughter came to the hospital.

“What’s your name,” he asked the little girl.

“Melanie,” she told him.

“What grade are you in?”

“Fifth.”  They talked about his life and her time in school and friends for a while. Then it was time to go.

Later, I got an email from the mother saying the child wanted to know what her grandfather did in the war. I emailed back the picture I had found. She asked if it was her grandad in the picture.

“Yes,” I said, “I’m sure it was him.”

Copyright 2025 Cecile Bianco

Edited by Mary McWilliams

Image by Rozbooy from Pixabay

Starting the New Year

/1 Comment/in /by

Starting the New Year

2024 is here! It is time to work towards accomplishing our New Year’s resolutions lists! What is on your list? Do you have a dream? A goal? Something that you have always been wanting to do?

It is okay to plan out our lives. Writing things down on a piece of paper helps us to think about our futures. But once in a while, one or two of our plans change. We might not understand at the time why God allows something else to happen that would affect our wishlist.

Some of our dreams and desires are not always realistic. When you plan for the new year, think about some of the things that you want to do. Are they practical? Are they realistic? Are these things pleasing to God?

Ask God for guidance while you make your “to-do” list. Think about the things that encourage you in your walk with the Lord. Do you want to grow more in contemplation? What about your friends or family members? Are your new goals going to affect them?

Are you thinking about jumping into something that is going to be very important? Something that is going to affect you financially? Write down the pros and cons of your dreams.

Is there something that is keeping you from your new goal? Are you afraid to make this dream come to life? How is it going to help you in the long run? Sometimes, our dreams can be short-lived. We might think about something for only a little while and forget about it the next day.

Sometimes, people try very hard to make the items on their New Year’s resolution lists happen. But for some reason or another, they postpone their actions and forget about their plans completely.

If a goal stays on your mind, perhaps that is a sign for you to stick with your plan. Anyway, no matter what choices you make, have a happy 2024! God bless you.

Copyright 2023 Angela Lano

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