 Being a good and faithful follower of Christ requires quite a bit from us. We are called to Sainthood, which is no idle call and, most definitively, not an easy path to tread. I look to the lives of the Saints and how they all, in their own and unique ways, lived their lives trying to attain that closeness to God by faithfully following Christ’s teachings and example, by attempting to love the way Christ loves, by trying to offer their lives emulating the way Christ did, not by dying on a literal Cross, but by following Christ in taking the cross of denial of self for the love of God and Man. Our Mother Church gathers all of this information so that we can now read and understand how that heroic denying of self works and how it defines that saintly life from Saint to Saint. There is not only one set way to emulate Christ but many paths that follow the will of God. Which path is ours? Well, that is determined by discernment. Maybe a saintly way already tread by a Saint fits us like a glove. There are, for all of us, Saints awaiting our call for guidance, and that follows from the fact that we have many charisms within us as a gift from the Holy Spirit. The word “charism” is an interesting one. It is a Greek word that literally means “favor” or “special gift.” The Catechism of the Catholic Church defines charisms as follows:
These gifts from the Holy Spirit are given to us to help build up the Kingdom of God, and they are how we are made “fit and ready” to follow the road to Sainthood.
Charisms are gifts of the Holy Spirit given to us specifically for our life mission of love and mercy. These are our gifts, and the mixing of the gifts with who we are, our personality, do help us discern our possible path to Sainthood. We all have a few charisms, and these “gifts and talents” often fit into one of the following categories:
These gifts and talents are meant to be used. They are part of our toolbox to do our duties on our path to Heaven, and what happens if we do an excellent job in stewarding our charisms?
But we know from the lives of the Saints that even with the charisms, life in Christ while on this Valley of Tears is difficult, so we have to persevere in faith.
We live in the hope that just like the Saints, we can endure on our path to Heaven. We do this by using our gifts, living faithfully and in hope. We do this by living God’s love in our lives and by pleading for help, for we know we depend upon God’s love and grace.
Let us call upon those like us who have gone through the saintly life before us. Let us find a few that can guide us on the path, ones that share our charisms, and ask for their help and guidance. They are now looking upon the light of our Lord’s face. Let us ask for their intercession for us and those we love, that we may follow their example, making it through this earthly life to join them in Heaven. Let us pray: Heavenly Father, I present to you my dear grandparents, who lived a saintly life worthy of emulation and left me too soon when they passed from this earthly life. Grant them eternal rest in your presence, and, if they are already in Heaven, may they intercede, along with all the Saints of Heaven, for my family and me and for all that need intercession today. May they help us by their prayers to be guided along the path to Sainthood. Lord, you know our hearts. Help us who need you, but that Your will be done. Amen.
2 Comments
By: Laura Catherine Worhacz  Dearest Eucharistic Family, Happy and blessed Easter! There is much work to be done in the way of grace. With Mary, we can and will persevere with the fortitude to overcome every obstacle and strive for the greater good. In the Eucharist, we are raised from this life now into the Kingdom of Heaven, the fullness of the mystery to be revealed. Easter is the most magnificent season. We journey to Pentecost from the rising of Easter to remember again through the Liturgical year to be filled with and to believe in the Holy Spirit. What does this mean for us? Perhaps to abandon ourselves and let God live in us. Our enthusiasm to receive Holy Communion will increase as we leave ourselves and long for the Lord. Jesus can do all through our lives when we are set aside for God to be at work in us. Mary adored the hidden life. "Our Lady's mission is to form Jesus in us." (Saint Peter Julian Eymard) To be formed in Jesus is to come to know him. Our commitment to Eucharistic adoration time is a good beginning. I remember first recognizing Jesus in the "Breaking of the Bread." In front of the Monstrance, life beyond this world was revealed to me. An eternal conversation began between me and our Lord, Jesus. This past week I celebrated my 58th birthday. It is also the day I committed to daily Mass. This desire came from knowing I was loved, God created me, and the sadness of circumstances was to be made known to me later, in the fullness of time. Faith led me to believe everything in my life had a purpose. This past week my daughter had a two-hour consultation with a thyroid surgeon; my husband and I accompanied her. During the scope procedure, I was on my knees, holding my daughter's hand, my heart racing, praying to the angels. The male nurse was superb in his technique, and his humor brought comfort through the problematic blood draw and procedures his job called him to. I commented to the nurse about his excellent Spirit, and he responded to my extravagant way of calling to the spiritual life. We were immediately united in the quest for good. The Holy Spirit revealed to me the prayer being offered for my daughter. It transformed what could have been anxiety into grace. We had a good time in the waiting room chatting, simply being together. The Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC 687) tells us, "The world cannot receive [him] because it neither sees nor knows him." Our surrender needs to be unveiled—a passage to give our Father everything, every pain and all we do not understand. The Eucharist and the Living Word of God will do the rest as the Holy Spirit will be sent to us in its fullness by our submission to the Incarnation of Christ. All will be made known to us, and then we will return what love has given. We unite in the mission of Christ's eternal ministry to bring souls to God, Our Father in Heaven. The Holy Spirit will stir in us to live to find forgiveness, the fullness of life, and the JOY of the Gospel amidst the mystery of our lives. Quote from the Catechism of the Catholic Church:
 What is mercy? Mercy is the loving kindness, compassion, or forbearance shown to one who offends (e.g., the mercy of God to us sinners). (Catechism of the Catholic Church) When I searched the Catechism for the term “mercy,” the first entry was in a subsection titled “Mercy and Sin”: “The Gospel is the revelation in Jesus Christ of God’s mercy to sinners” (CCC, 1846). It seems that to understand God’s mercy, we first need to understand sin. “Sin is an offense against reason, truth, and right conscience; it is failure in genuine love for God and neighbor caused by a perverse attachment to certain goods. It wounds the nature of man and injures human solidarity. It has been defined as “an utterance, a deed, or a desire contrary to the eternal law.” (St. Augustine)” – (CCC, 1849) LORD JESUS CHRIST, SON OF GOD, HAVE MERCY ON ME, A SINNER. The Jesus Prayer… This ancient prayer has been the path to holiness for many of the Saints, for it contains within it the fullness of the Gospel. This short phrase, when prayed with sincerity, has the power to transform our hearts. “If you remain in my word, you will truly be my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” (John 8:31-32) “What is truth?” (John 18:38) …These words from Pilate during the Passion of Christ echo through time and space in every human heart. Jesus tells us, “I am the way and the truth and the life.” (John 14:6) LORD JESUS CHRIST, SON OF GOD… This was the truth that brought Jesus to the Cross. “Let him come down from the cross now, and we will believe in him. He trusted in God; let him deliver him now if he wants him. For he said, ‘I am the Son of God.’” (Matthew 27:42-43) When I think of Divine Mercy, I immediately see in my mind the image Jesus revealed to St. Faustina, with red and white rays coming forth from His Sacred Heart. The water and blood that gushed forth from that Most Loving Heart when it was pierced by a lance. “The centurion and the men with him who were keeping watch over Jesus feared greatly when they saw the earthquake and all that was happening, and they said, “Truly, this was the Son of God!”” (v.54) Do we truly believe Jesus is the Son of God? Do we fully understand? Do we assent to the truth with our whole minds, our whole souls, and our whole hearts? “You shall love the Lord, your God, with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the greatest and the first commandment.” (Matthew 22:37-38) I do not know what your answer is… but for me… I don’t even have access to my whole mind and my whole heart. So many of my thought patterns, emotions, and behaviors come from places I do not understand. “For I do not do the good I want, but I do the evil I do not want.” (Romans 7:19) LORD JESUS CHRIST, SON OF GOD, HAVE MERCY ON ME, A SINNER. As I remain in communion with God, He reveals more of me to myself. Each revelation brings to light a place that needs healing, a place that needs mercy, a place that needs love. We should not be afraid of looking at the truth of ourselves, for nothing can separate us from the love of God. “For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor present things, nor future things, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 8:38-39)
|
Categories
All
FOLLOW US ON SOCIAL MEDIA:
AuthorsWe are Ivonne J. Hernandez, Rick Hernandez and Laura Worhacz, Lay Associates of the Congregation of the Blessed Sacrament, and brothers and sisters in Christ. 
Archives
May 2025
|
RSS Feed