From Within the Familiar

In physical training, there is much to gained by training a limited number of key exercises. I think good coaches don’t seek to entertain, but rather help people learn, grow and progress with a small set of lifts and movements that have the most potential to help them achieve their goals. People like familiarity, and in the familiar, they gain the courage and strength to move to new heights.

I was re-reading the Gospel of Matthew recently, and though I have read and participated in bible studies many times, I am amazed how the familiar words moved my heart in a new way. This time, the familiar became a catalyst for something new.

I love how Matthew describes Jesus and the disciples teaching, healing, praying and responding to the actions of Pharisees and Sadducees. The stories are familiar and comforting, but in this reading, I became almost solely focused on how often Jesus went away to pray alone.

From Matthew 14:23, “And after he dismissed the crowds, he went up the mountain by himself to pray. When evening came, he was there alone.”

What does it mean when scripture jumps off the page and into our hearts in a new way? Most of us have been introduced to Lectio Divina in some form — the reading and prayerful reflection of scripture to allow God to work in us, but discerning the meaning in our lives can take time. 

I wanted a quick answer, but instead felt called to go up the mountain to pray. For me this is on our back dock by the pond, or in my favorite chair in the family room, or walking around our yard in the sunshine. Probably much like you, I have lots of ‘mountains’ in which to pray.

In the familiar stories of Matthew, God was trying to teach me something new or to take me to new heights. I began to set aside time to pray, not with my usual routine of Mass readings, the Rosary and Chaplet, but instead being quiet and listening, asking, waiting and allowing God more time and space to work in me.

I asked for a saint to assist me in praying more from the heart and St. John of the Cross turned up; I found this deep and tender prayer from him that revealed more of what I felt God was trying to teach me.

O Blessed Jesus, grant me stillness of soul in Thee. Let Thy mighty calmness reign in me. Rule me, O thou King of gentleness, King of peace. Give me control, control over my words, thoughts and actions. From all irritability, want of meekness, want of gentleness, O dear Lord, deliver me. By thine own deep patience give me patience, stillness of soul in Thee. Make me in this, and in all, more and more like Thee. Amen.

Our amazing God can break through, crack us open, and pull us closer to him through the words of scripture — and in any other way he desires. May we be watchful for these breakthroughs from within the familiar — as the familiar may be just the catalyst that God uses to move us to new heights.

Love of Neighbor

When COVID-19 started, the gym where I teach closed and I began video recording myself and my husband working out in the basement. I also loaned out my equipment so my students could continue their training at home. There were challenges, but we persevered. 

Gyms opened at the end of May and we moved to outdoor classes in the parking lot. New challenges emerged as we had to deal with the heat, wind, rain, humidity and having limited equipment to work with. But we adapted and thankfully we stayed healthy.

Now we are indoors and a whole new set of challenges is upon us with face coverings, social distancing, equipment cleaning, and concern about touching surfaces and equipment.

This experience has reaffirmed for me that the only way to get through change and challenging times is to turn to God in prayer to be filled with his strength. By his grace, and his grace alone, can I be kind, patient and loving to my neighbor. Faith applies 100% to daily life and that is more real to me now than ever.

I see the challenge of loving my neighbor most clearly in my secular activities —  living my faith is hardest in the day-to-day, nitty-gritty details of ordinary life. God sees those times where there is angst in my heart as I discern how to respond to a concern, complaint or a difficulty. I want to be a vessel of his love, I truly do, so I regularly unload on him in prayer to help me to be more loving, patient and kind as we are all adapting to the new norms related to COVID-19.

When I give in to my weaknesses, I am reminded how selfishness brings sorrow, not joy, for us and for others. Our weaknesses are immensely powerful teachers and I have been asking God for the light to see my failures with more patience and gentleness — and with a sense of humor — how can I be so silly to let little things get to me or drive me to annoyance or impatience? Acknowledging our weaknesses, with an ardent desire to learn and grow from them, can set us on the trajectory to be more loving, kind and gentle with ourselves and others.

From 2 Corinthians 12:9-10, “But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness. Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.”

This time of living with COVID-19 continues to be a time of learning how to love my neighbor more fully, with the heart of Christ, and with the gentleness of his Blessed Mother. May this scripture encourage us on our journey. From 2 Timothy 1:7, “For God did not give us a spirit of cowardice but rather of power and love and self-control.”

Encouragement

Any teacher or coach knows that while we our job is to instruct others, there is also the aspect of encouragement that is an important part of our role.

I teach group strength classes and each student is different in the type of encouragement they need to excel. For example, some need encouraged to try heavier weights and others need to be encouraged to pull back so they don’t overdo it.

Encouragement is part of the instructional process no matter what we are coaching or teaching and it applies to all areas of our lives.

I’ve been thinking about encouragement in spiritual terms lately. One of the primary roles of a Christian is to lead others to Christ. To do that we need to pray and ask for the Holy Spirit’s help to encourage people on their journey of growing in relationship with Jesus. 

Much like coaching and teaching in our temporal roles, this encouragement is a very individual process and we are called to simply give what we have been given. Encouraging people with love, being authentic — and following the promptings of the Holy Spirit is what we are asked to do. The rest are up to him.

We can look to Jesus in the Gospels as our model of how to encourage others. Encouragement is rooted in love, forgiveness and being willing to stand up for others and to share the truth. Never has there been a time when our culture needs love and encouragement rooted in faith in God. May our role of encourager foster hope and healing in those who are hurting, angry, and feel misunderstood.

St. Paul said, the second Letter of St. Paul to Timothy, 4:2, “be persistent; convince, reprimand, encourage through all patience and teaching.” He is one of many saints who encourage us to persevere constantly no matter what the circumstances. In fact, the saints are the embodiment of encouragement.

St. Teresa of Avila is one of my favorite saints when it comes to simple, everyday words of encouragement.

She said, “May you trust God that you are exactly where you are meant to be.”

She also said, “May you use those gifts that you have received, and pass on the love that has been given to you.”

One more beautiful thought from St. Teresa, “May you be content knowing you are a child of God.”

Encouragement. It’s simple, but not easy in a world where we are busy and often too focused on ourselves rather than lifting up others. Telling someone they are a beloved child of God is amazingly encouraging. God loves us and asks only that we pass on his great love. May St. Teresa’s message inspire us to be courageous encouragers in our everyday lives.

“Christ has no body now on earth but yours,
no hands but yours,
no feet but yours,
Yours are the eyes through which to look out
Christ's compassion to the world
Yours are the feet with which he is to go about
doing good;
Yours are the hands with which he is to bless men now.”

Stay Awake!

Stay Awake! These are wise words for many areas of our lives. 

When participating in sports and recreation, we are called to stay awake! to what is happening with the activity around us to be ready to jump in as a good teammate when the action moves our way.

In daily life, we are called to stay awake! by keenly observing what is going on around us, no matter what environment we are in, to keep us safe and ready to help others in emergency situations.

In our spiritual lives, we are called to stay awake! by spending time with God in prayer, seeking to grow in our faith life and fostering an awareness of his constant presence in us. Staying awake! to how God is working in and around us — especially noticing and giving thanks for the many God incidences and miracles that he blesses us with, can give a supernatural quality to our our everyday lives.

There are many calls to stay awake! in scripture. From Matthew 24:42, “Therefore, stay awake, for you do not know on what day your Lord will come.” From Ephesians 5:14, “For anything that becomes visible is light. Therefore it says, “Awake, O sleeper, and arise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you.” From 1 Thessalonians 4:6, “So then let us not sleep, as others do, but let us keep awake and be sober.”

God calls us to stay awake!, to give him our full attention and to be completely sober (avoiding spiritual drowsiness) on our spiritual journey with him. We give thanks for the watchfulness of the shepherds, the three kings, and Simeon and Anna when the Incarnate Word came into the world as a tiny baby. We too pray to stay awake! and to be ready when Jesus comes again. May we be like the wise virgins who had their oil lamps filled and lit and ready for the coming of the bridegroom in the night.

Perhaps the most poignant call to stay awake! in scripture is from Matthew 26:40, when Jesus admonishes his disciples to stay awake with him in the Garden of Gethsemane. “Could you not watch with me one hour.” Here, it’s not so much about them physically falling asleep, as it is their lack of spiritual wakefulness for Jesus as he prepares to take up his Cross for the sins of the world.

At times, we can be like the disciples — falling asleep with the many burdens of life. We can end up looking for help with these burdens in all the wrong places by turning to sin instead of turning to Jesus. Our spiritual wakefulness can drift into spiritual drowsiness.

Let us ask God to give us more strength to stay awake!, to seek him more deeply in prayer, and to rely on the sacraments to help us surrender to his ways. May we stay awake! to become more fully alive in Christ.

Lord grant that I stay awake, remain watchful, stand firm in the faith, out of my love for you. Amen.

Time to Ponder

For people who have a consistent exercise routine, there is sometimes a need for what is called a ‘deload’ week. This is a voluntary break from our regular exercise routine to allow the body and brain to rest, refresh and renew with a set time away from training. Rather than losing their fitness level, this rest helps people come back stronger with a fresh attitude and a rested body to help prevent injury and burnout.

I’ve been looking at our stay-at-home order during COVID recently as a deload time as it is a break from the normal routine of all the things we humans do, such as working, running errands, going to restaurants, volunteering, visiting family and friends, attending Mass, events and so much more.

The Holy Spirit has given me optimism about this deload time and I’m trying to allow the Holy Spirit to guide me in how I use it. Some of the fruits of this forced rest so far for me include learning how to use technology and social media in new ways to work from home and to stay connected with family and friends. I have more time to pray, read and listen to God. I spend more time with my loving husband. I’m learning how to talk on the phone again with family and friends near and far. I have time to cook nice meals, clean the house, listen to music and play outdoors. 

There are times of peace and joy throughout the more unstructured pattern of my day that are unexpected such as ‘attending’ Mass, Adoration and other group prayer events online in different chapels, at different times around the country. I have more time to exercise than ever before. I am also aware of Spring bursting forth in a way that feels hopeful and personal and getting outside is life-giving.

I also think there is a big opportunity here to take advantage of the little crack of open space in our lives for some carefree timelessness. With more time at home, and by moving through daily life at a slower pace, there is the potential to spend time pondering what is going on around us. We have the beautiful example of our Blessed Mother who pondered all things in her heart to encourage us in this practice of spending time in prayerful contemplation amidst the trials and mysteries of our lives.

So rather than choosing to complain, worry, predict, panic, regret or fear, our faith in Jesus Christ calls us to trust in him without reserve as our Blessed Mother did — and to do this we might feel called to spend quiet time pondering the events of our lives and how we are called to respond to them with and through Jesus Christ.

I didn't research the definition of pondering, but my definition would be to think and reflect about an event with a loving countenance, asking God to enlighten me and to help me keep an open heart and mind as I prayerfully seek to learn from the event or experience.

Pondering feels like a deep place of honesty even though it doesn’t always feel comfortable. Pondering can be a time of reflection and discernment, a time of growth in virtue, that when paired with prayer, can be this amazing gift, that when unwrapped, allows us to discover more about ourselves and how we are called to fulfill the mission God’s has for each of us.

Pondering feels like a deep place of honesty even though it doesn’t always feel comfortable. Pondering can be a time of reflection and discernment, a time of growth in virtue, that when paired with prayer, can be this amazing gift, that when unwrapped, allows us to discover more about ourselves and how we are called to fulfill the mission God’s has for each of us.

May we be open to this unusual gift of time to ponder our lives, our mission, our relationships, and the role of Jesus and Mary in our lives. May we also ponder how we can become more fully alive to love and serve others — with the possibility of coming out of this time stronger in the virtues of faith, hope and love. In the words of St. Catherine of Siena, and in the joyful spirit of springtime, “Ponder that fact that God has made you a gardener, to root out vice and to plant virtue.”

The Scourge of Gossip

Recently, a group of us started a program called Fiat 90 in which we praise the Lord body, mind and soul by implementing holy and healthy habits, removing distractions and spending more time with God in prayer.

One of the recommended actions  that helps us paid the Lord with our minds is to eliminate gossip. This is something that I’ve worked very hard to do over the course of my life, but I still feel vulnerable in this area. After I gave up gossip years ago, I would still vent to my husband when I felt someone had wronged me. Since starting Fiat 90, and in reading Scripture and praying about it, I realize that Jesus is the only one to whom I should ever air my grievances. He understands and loves me and venting to Jesus does not lead me into the sin of gossip.

Why do we have the desire to gossip? Saying unkind things about someone hurts all parties involved — especially the person gossiping because it opens the door for the evil one to work in other ways. We are called to love, to act in love, to be loving and anything outside of love is not of God.

When I think back to times when I gossiped, it felt unhealthy, and even if I didn’t initiate it, jumping in felt wrong, but it was hard to stop! The Holy Spirit worked in my heart about this to the point where I had to remove a couple of friends from my life; friendship based on gossip is not real friendship after all.

I always found it difficult to get out of a gossip conversation as I didn’t want to be unkind to the gossiper. Now, when someone begins to gossip in my presence, my main objective is to stop it by saying something good about that person or to physically leave the situation. I’m even courageous enough now to admonish that person, out of love for them, as they might not know it’s gossip, that it’s a sin, and that it makes others uncomfortable —not to mention how it disrespects the person being discussed. So I’ve started using the phrase, “I can’t comment on that” and I immediately change the subject.

The Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC 2488-89) says this about gossip: 

The right to the communication of the truth is not unconditional. Everyone must conform his life to the gospel precept of fraternal love. This requires us in concrete situations to judge whether or not it is appropriate to reveal the truth to someone who asks for it.

Charity and respect for the truth should dictate the response to every request for information or communication. The good and safety of others, respect for privacy, and the common good are sufficient reasons for being silent about what ought not be known or for making use of a discreet language. The duty to avoid scandal often commands strict discretion. No one is bound to reveal the truth to someone who does not have the right to know it.

It is no coincidence that my bible study program recently had a lesson about gossip and wow, it really highlights the evil in gossip. From Psalm 42:6-10, “My enemies say bad things against me; When will he die and his name be forgotten? When someone comes to visit me, he speaks without sincerity. His heart stores up malice; when he leaves, he gossips. All those who hate me whisper together against me; they imagine the worst about me.”

One of the important lessons I’ve learned from reading the lives of the saints is twofold: talk less and give people their privacy. We are called to love God and love neighbor and anything outside of that is foddor for the evil one.

St. Padre Pio said, “When you gossip about a person it means that you have removed the person from your heart. But be aware, when you remove a man from your heart, Jesus also goes away from your heart with that man.”

So let us lift our hearts together to give Jesus our concerns, our hurts, our struggles with others rather than risk our souls, and the souls of our neighbors, with idle gossip.

The Power of Slowing Down

In physical training, moving slowly is often harder than moving quickly and it’s an excellent way to train the body and mind as it challenges our nervous system in new ways. Moving slowly with weights or bodyweight movements can also reveal weaknesses and instabilities in our bodies —and that is a good thing as we can work on improving in those areas to keep us safe and safely progressing.

Moving slowly in our spiritual lives can also be beneficial  — and in our time of staying at home more, maybe you are like me and have a little more time to pray, read, reflect in a way that was not sustainable until now.

I am always moved by Scripture when Jesus goes from being super busy healing, preaching and teaching to seeking the quiet to pray. The slower pace, that time of silent connection with his Father in prayer refreshes, rejuvenates and fills Jesus — and us — so that we can grow stronger spiritually and be more like Jesus in all areas of our lives.

That time of peace, slowness and quiet might be a time when God reveals our weaknesses, sins, and moments where we weren’t our best. In times of reflection and discernment, we have the opportunity to learn, grow and move forward better equipped to act in faith, hope and love as we traverse life’s challenges.

During this time of COVID, I’ve been attending daily Mass online sometimes with Father Larry Richards. He is at St. Joseph parish in Erie, Pennsylvania. He loves to pray the Our Father prayer super slow during Mass. He recently said that he gets complaints about how slow he prays the Our Father — which made me laugh out loud! I actually love to attend his Mass because he prays it so slowly. It allows me to listen for the Holy Spirit as we pause and reflect on each and every word. I pray the Rosary daily, and I know that I tend to rush through the Our Father prayers; this is something that became clear to me as Father Larry was praying it so slowly and I could feel my heart open in a new way.

I was discussing this with some friends recently and we realized that the stay-at-home time for some people totally suits their character. They blossom when life is a little slower and quieter and have embraced the potential for more downtime with prayer and reflection. For others, our nature isn’t as suited to slowness — and we may have to work a little harder to appreciate the power of slowness.

St. Gianna Molla said, “The secret to happiness is to live moment by moment and to thank God for what He is sending us every day in His goodness.”

This slower time might be a series of ups and downs that we might not always feel like thanking God for. The Martha and Mary in each of us might be colliding as we try our best to serve God and neighbor and our temporal concerns may make the slowness feel uncomfortable.

St. Francis de Sales gives us a good advice, “Never be in a hurry; do everything quietly and in a calm spirit. Do not lose your inner peace for anything whatsoever, even if the whole world seems upset.”

I pray that we all, in some way, embrace the slowness and allow it to nurture our souls by bringing us closer to Jesus.

5 Reasons to Attend the 2020 Columbus Catholic Women's Conference

Written by Lori Crock, and reposted with permission, from the Columbus Catholic Women’s Conference blog.

It’s that time of year again! It’s time to register for the Columbus Catholic Women’s Conference!

The mission of the Columbus Catholic Women’s Conference is to provide opportunities for women to deepen their relationship with Jesus Christ, to grow in their realization of their dignity as Catholic women and to strengthen their commitment to be disciples of Christ.

Registration is open and we invite you to prayerfully consider joining us for the 13th year of women coming together to celebrate our Catholic faith on Sat., Feb. 15, 2020, from 8 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. at the Ohio Expo Center. Here is why we love sharing the Columbus Catholic Women’s Conference with you …

1. The Sacraments

The annual Catholic Women’s Conference opens with Holy Mass celebrated by the Bishop Robert E. Brennan. It is awe-inspiring to celebrate the Holy Eucharist with 3,000+ women from all over the Columbus diocese and beyond! The Sacrament of Reconciliation is available throughout the day with more than 40 priests in attendance. Every year so many women tell us that the Sacraments are a highlight of their day.

2. Inspiration

The nationally-recognized speakers and the variety of vendors add a dimension of learning and spiritual growth opportunities. This year we are pleased to welcome these speakers whose varied messages and backgrounds will hopefully move our hearts in new ways:

• Fr. Donald Calloway, MIC

• Fr. Ubald Rugirangoga

• Heidi Hess Saxton

• Sr. Miriam James Heidland, S.O.L.T.

• Emily Jaminet and Michele Faehnle

• Anna Mitchell, Master of Ceremonies

More than 100 vendors grace the halls to share their ministry and mission and to sell faith-inspired merchandise. Many religious communities attend and it is such a blessing to meet the sisters, to see their joy, and to learn more about their mission and charisms.

3. Devotions

We pray the Holy Rosary before Mass in the early morning. Adoration is available throughout the day in the Adoration chapel and we adore Our Lord in the main hall as a community during the afternoon; this is a powerful time of prayer and thanksgiving in the presence of Our Lord in the Blessed Sacrament.

4. Friendships

The Conference is the perfect time to join with fellow parishioners and family members for a life-changing day of prayer, faith-sharing, laughter, food and fellowship as we experience God’s amazing grace together.

It is beautiful to see the joy in a day of celebrating our faith on a mini retreat with friends and family. Invite a friend from your parish, reconnect with friends from around the diocese or from out of town, invite your mom, sister, daughter, aunt, niece, grandmother. Reignite your faith and be inspired by the events and surprises of the day and by each other!

5. Music

Each year we are blessed to host a special musical guest who shares their talent with us in the morning and during the community Holy Hour. This year, Lancaster native Sarah Hart will be with us. You can hear her story and music here.

Dear Sisters in Christ, we look forward to seeing you at the Columbus Catholic Women’s Conference on Feb. 15, 2020! May God’s peace be with you this Advent and Christmas Season!!

Focusing on Our Spiritual Fitness

This is the time of year that we often focus on physical New Year’s resolutions … eating healthy, getting into shape with exercise, creating new habits that will help us feel and look better. All of that is well and good, but keeping our focus on our spiritual fitness is an even greater priority.

I have worked in the field of fitness for a while now. The longer I do this work, the more I see our cultural obsession with our physical bodies. Over time, the Lord has shown me that we can easily miss the point of our lives when things of this world begin to play too big of a role or become our identity

My goal as a strength coach has always been to help people learn to move well, lift heavy things to get stronger, and to have fun doing it, with moderation and consistency. While this is a good thing, it began to change for me when I realized I was spending too much time and energy on it and not giving enough time to God.

I am learning to approach any and all goals, physical or otherwise, from a spiritual perspective. Jesus is with us 24/7 and he cares about everything we think, say and do. He and His Mother will help us discern and guide us to enjoy recreation (and any secular activities) with moderation when we seek their help — as it is our spiritual fitness and fulfilling our vocational call from God that matters most.

There was a time when I was new to coaching (this was a second career for me) and I exercised 2-3 hours a day. I was learning how to teach and that’s how I justified the amount of time I spent on physical activity. I was aware that I exercised far more time than I prayed, but it was new, fun and exciting. Eventually, the Blessed Mother intervened and set me on a more spiritually healthy trajectory by straightening out my priorities.

One day when I was swinging a kettlebell in the gym, the Hail Mary prayer kept coming into my heart. I put the weight down and took an honest look at my spiritual life. I wasn’t praying the Rosary any more and I knew that I needed more prayer time in general. I had a desire to go to daily Mass, but I hadn’t made the effort to make it happen with my teaching schedule. I wanted to give my time and talent more freely to those in need. This all came bubbling up as I prayed for Our Lady’s intervention, so I put the kettlebells away and went home to ponder these things in my heart.

Our Lady of the Rosary

That moment with Our Lady in the gym prompted a big change in my life. I was led to SoulCore Rosary prayer and exercise, attended their retreat, and started leading SoulCore Rosary prayer and gentle movement in parishes.

I made other changes too. I changed the location of my gym to reduce maintenance time. I decreased the number of classes I offered. I exercised for only an hour a day (and now it’s less than that and fewer days per week) and I’m healthier, happier, my life is more balanced and I have a loving and active relationship with Jesus and Mary.

Most importantly, God is first in my life, my prayer time is far longer than my exercise time, I’m able to attend daily Mass, be a volunteer, and enjoy the richness of family, friends, parish and diocesan life in a more peaceful balance with my physical life.

My identity is a child of God, a woman in love with the Lord, a wife and mother, a SoulCore leader, and a servant and sinner who is striving for holiness. My role as fitness coach is very small and I’m thrilled about that. It’s not who I am, it’s something I do — and I ask God to sanctify it every day. There is real spiritual freedom in not allowing a secular activity to own the lion’s share of my time and energy.

So in this new year, I pray that we focus on our spiritual fitness first, keep Jesus at the center of our lives, and ask him, and his Mother, to help us discern how to approach any and all New Year’s resolutions.

Set the World on Fire

I have always loved these words from St. Catherine of Siena, “Be who God meant you to be and you will set the world on fire.” We see this on tee shirts, journal covers and I even have it in my email signature.

But what do those words really mean, practically speaking, in our daily lives? I don’t know about you, but I often don’t feel like my ordinary life is setting things on fire.

But then let’s think about starting a fire. We have an old-fashioned wood-burning stove in our kitchen, with no gas starter, so It’s really challenging to get a fire going. We use different types of kindling and patiently feed a few sparks with more wood until it catches on and ignites the bigger logs — which eventually results in a strong blaze … and a nice warm kitchen.

If we look at starting a fire in a spiritual sense —lighting up our souls with prayer, Scripture study, the Sacraments, and acts of charity — over time these habits ignite our hearts with more love for God and neighbor. When the flame of faith is fanned, it catches on to others. The spiritual life takes patience, care and nurturing, like starting a fire; if we don’t stay united to God in this process, the embers of love can quickly fade and die out.

Let’s look at setting the world on fire. Some saints did visibly great things, but most saints are relatively unknown and grew in love (greatness) over the course of a mostly hidden life. They were often of ill health and had to persevere through many obstacles to do God’s will. One thing they had in common was the fire of faith that carried them through their lives and grew into magnificent flames of love by the time they were called to their eternal home.

It seems that setting the world on fire is the result of patiently seeking to be the person God created us to be with our unique mission and circumstances — and persevering through all of it with great love. So that fire is love … and if it is real, the flame of love will grow and ignite others.

A friend of mine died of cancer recently and I had the privilege of visiting her in Hospice before she passed into eternal life. God has given me the grace to be comfortable in a Hospice environment and I love being with the sick and dying near the end of their lives as God is so present there. 

My friend told me she loved God and she was grateful to have received Last Rites. Her family was by her side through the entire cancer journey and they had done everything that was medically possible. She said she was at peace, grateful for the loving support of family, friends, and her trusted medical team and she was ready to go home to God.

She was setting the world on fire for all who were touched by her illness and passing. By God’s grace, she was able to do, what we all hope we can do in death … trust in God and be at peace in his embrace as we return home. Her faithful witness was a form of evangelization on her death bed. I believe that the impact of her joyful witness will stay with me forever. 

The fire of her love for God was ablaze in her heart, and since our time together, I have shared her story with many people, and now I am sharing it with you. So the fire of her faith continues to burn bright and set others aflame even though she isn’t physically here anymore — all praise and glory to God!

So I think my takeaway is this … setting the world on fire is about being true to what God is individually calling us to do — right here and right now — sharing whatever gifts we have with as much love as we can muster. The example of St. Therese’s ‘Little Way’ challenges us to love the people God places in our ordinary lives and this may be exactly what God is calling us to do to set the world on fire.

Our fire may not be fully visible to anyone except God (many did not truly know St. Therese’s holiness until well after her death), but that doesn’t matter. God sees and loves even a tiny flicker, a small burning ember, and the more we lean on him, the more he fans the flames of love in our hearts. Be who you were meant to be and you will set the world on fire.