It seems that there are temptations coming from just about every side which encourage the allure of the culture. Culture has always been influential, but today we are increasingly exposed to the sway of disparate voices such that it is easy to lose perspective: they are simply everywhere. It can be overwhelming, or perhaps sobering, to think of how the evil one uses the subtle and not-so-subtle persuasion of individuals or trends to trick us into believing all sorts of things, and worse, to act upon them in ways we might not have ever considered. In the midst of so many ‘voices’ it is imperative to remember that the only voice to whom we should listen is that of God who offers Truth, steadfastness, faithfulness, and everlasting, unwavering love. We have continuous access to Him through prayer, sacraments, worship, and study of Scripture. Additionally, we have excellent models of faith and holiness in the many and diverse Saints whose works and teachings can also speak to us.. 

One such Saint is (Padre) Pio of Pietrelcina (1887-1968, feast day September 23) whose wisdom and giftedness were extraordinary. Of importance is one of his favorite sayings: “Pray, hope, and don’t worry.” Padre Pio did not mean that disappointments, or even evils, were going to vanish if we essentially pretended they were not there. Rather, with great spiritual wisdom he was reminding us that prayer and placing hope in God alleviate the need to worry. In praying we learn to follow the Spirit more closely, and therefore we obtain the peace only God can give, even in the midst of crises. Padre Pio certainly knew what he was talking about: only prayer and his relationship with God could have given him the strength to endure such great suffering bodily, spiritually, and emotionally. He had a mysterious stomach ailment his entire life, bore the stigmata for 50 years, was continually attacked (spiritually and physically) by the devil, and was wrongfully censured by his own congregation so that for a number of years he was forbidden to hear confessions or say Mass publicly. And still he could say “Pray, hope, and don’t worry!” His love for God and faithfulness in prayer fostered his ability to trust, discern, and recognize God’s presence, all of which caused him to grow in holiness. Suffering taught him great wisdom, the wisdom for which so many sought him out.

In addition to our personal cares there are other issues that might tempt us into worrying. Things like politics, our information being stolen, the economy, the degradation of moral values, materialism, lack of respect among people, and rampant self-centeredness, just to name a few, can lure us away from peace. Our response to this is critical: we can try to ignore what worries us, or slowly ‘adapt’ to living with anxiety, or we can reject obsessive participation in it by trusting the Lord to lead us on the path which actually leads to peace. Indeed we are human and will always have cares, but St. Paul teaches in Galatians 5:19-23 (and St. Ignatius elaborates on this in the Spiritual Exercises)* that anything which moves us to anxiety, lack of peace, and dissention is not of God. The enemy brings disquiet, but the Holy Spirit brings peace and truth. The key is to 'hold fast' to God so as to avoid getting so chronically caught up in our cares that we lose perspective and thus, lose sight of Him. 

We are not that unique insofar as living in difficult times is concerned. Christians have always had to stay strong in the midst of adversity and God has always remained faithful to those who cling to Him. In the first century St. Paul wrote a word of caution that has rung true throughout the ages: “Do not be conformed to this world but be transformed by the renewal of your mind that you may prove what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.” (Romans 12:2) We are not to give in to the great influences of the world, especially those which are other than God. Rather, Paul reminds us to allow the Lord to transform our hearts and souls that we may conform to His will, doing what is right as pertains to a situation or in response to worldly trends. And how do we do this? We “pray, hope, and don’t worry.” That is, we place our trust in God and allow Him to do the rest. Jesus told His followers to expect challenges and calamities during our lives, but He also promised that if we remain faithful we will have victory with Him. So even if everything seems to be out of control, God is with us, and we will be okay when all is said and done.

If evil seems to be overcoming the good, there are reasons which are beyond our knowledge as to why God allows it.** What we must do is patiently trust in His wisdom, mercy, love, and justice because there is absolutely nothing the evil one can ‘cook up’ which can take us from God. (Romans 8:31-39) Not only that, but we have tremendous spiritual power: we have many God-given spiritual gifts to utilize as weapons for protection against the enemy.*** Therefore, let’s pray … a lot… that we might come to recognize the presence of God. If we take Him at His word, trusting Him, our hope will be enlivened and we will be strengthened against worry. Together let us cling to God’s promises, claiming the victory no matter how things are at the present moment. Remember: the victory is already won.

May we follow the wisdom of St. Pio to "pray, hope, and don't worry!" May we grow through our prayer so that we are confident in the gifts we have been given! And may we be steadfast in our reliance upon the Lord! Let us meet in the Heart of Jesus! Peace! 

                              ©Michele L. Catanese

(991)
* In his Spiritual Exercises St. Ignatius Loyola elaborates with great precision on how to discern spirits. That is, he teaches what we need to do to avoid movement away from God and accept the movements of the Holy Spirit which lead us closer to God. In intensive detail he offers what he calls Rules for Discernment of Spirits. These are for the spiritual director to apply in directing retreatants, but St. Ignatius certainly did not intend for them to be kept secret. On the contrary, he intended the retreatant to learn how to discern so they would grow in relationship with the Lord. 

** We often think God’s will only means one thing, and this is a deficient understanding. God’s will ‘operates’ in two ways. Here is the distinction: God's perfect will is God’s divine plan for your life, while God's permissive will is what He permits. God's perfect will:
“The ordaining will of God is also known as the "active" will of God, i.e., God's plan for the whole of creation as well as each individual. God desires only our good and thus our human perfection. As the Catechism of the Catholic Church provides, "The ultimate purpose of creation is that God ‘who is the creator of all things may at last become ‘all in all,' thus simultaneously assuring his own glory and our beatitude.'" (CCC no. 294; cf. nos. 290-96).
"The permissive will of God refers to that which God allows to happen. For example, God allows sinful behavior, even though He does not desire it. Why does God allow sin? God truly loves us and love necessarily implies freedom. God lovingly allows us to freely choose or reject His will for our lives. When man rejects God's will, he freely sins. God permits such sin, as a consequence of the freedom He gave man, but He would never ordain such sin. The Catechism addresses the issue of God's permissive will succinctly….” Entire quote from https://catholicexchange.com/gods-will/

*** Our gifts include the Theological Virtues given at Baptism, the Gifts of the Holy Spirit given at Confirmation, the Cardinal Virtues, and all of the gifts St. Paul outlines in 1 Corinthians 12; we  receive specific graces from each Sacrament. Additionally we are given graces according to what we request from God, or that He freely bestows according to our need. And let us not forget that we have sacramentals, which are also weapons against the evil one, such as holy water, praying the Rosary; and last but not least, we can call upon the angels and saints for aid.

Images:
1. My photo of Fresco painting; God the Father, an inset of a depiction of God with Adam and Eve in the Garden, found in a church in Puglia, Italy.
2. Icon; Padre Pio Mother Pelican, by Fr. William Hart McNichols. The pelican was an early Christian symbol of one who gives up its own blood so its children may live. A pelican will do this if it has to. St. Padre Pio accepted the stigmata from God as a form of redemptive suffering. You can find this icon at https://fineartamerica.com/featured/2-st-padre-pio-mother-pelican-047-william-hart-mcnichols.html
3. Oil painting; Landscape Under a Stormy Sky, by Vincent van Gogh (1888)
4. My photo; hiking path near a lake by Coeur d'Alene, Idaho.
5. My photo; praying before Mass in a chapel at Lourdes, France.
6. Photo; St. (Padre) Pio saying Mass. I was given this photo by a friend. It was taken by Vera Calandra at Giovanni Rotondo, Italy.

Note: In compliance with GDPR rules, I wish to make it clear that I do not gather any information on any of my readers at any time. 

This year the liturgical celebration of the Nativity of Mary falls on a Sunday, and so unfortunately it could pass by unnoticed. Nonetheless, it is important to take every opportunity to reflect upon our Blessed Mother and to learn how to grow in sanctity from her. When he was dying on the cross Jesus gave her to us as our mother (John 19:25-26), but we need to remember that this wonderful mother is also the Queen of Heaven. While much can be said, one aspect to highlight is how ‘authentic’ Mary was throughout her life. Indeed, she was conceived without sin, “full of grace,” so that she could bring Jesus into the world. However, Mary was (and remains) a real person, enduring many cares and struggles, living a long life not knowing at any time what the future would bring, relying completely on God as she pondered so much mystery. Her humility is evident, beginning with her response to the angel at the Annunciation: she humbly said, “I am the handmaid of the Lord.” Mary never wavered from her humility even as her role unfolded, embracing who she was created to be, allowing the Lord to direct her throughout her life. While Mary did not need to grow in holiness since she was already full of grace, she nonetheless demonstrates an important aspect of holiness from which we can learn: to grow in holiness we must embrace who God has created us to be, and then grow in becoming more deeply ourselves in response to His grace. 

Tradition teaches that at the culmination of her earthly service, at the moment of her death, Mary was assumed into heaven, and that after entrance into Heaven, she was crowned by God as Queen of Heaven. However, she has continued to intercede on our behalf as the loving mother that she is. No matter how honored she has been, she has always responded to God freely and authentically.* Mary’s holiness and importance to God’s salvific plan are beyond compare, and in this regard some reflections offered by St. Thérèse of Lisieux as she lay dying are quite appropriate to help us remain grounded in our understanding of Mary and of ourselves.

​St. Thérèse strongly believed it would be doing Mary (and our understanding of her) a disservice if we over-emphasized her Queenship and subsequently neglected her humility and service of God. Of Mary, Thérèse stated that “we should not say unlikely things or things we do not know anything about.” She continued: “For a sermon on Mary… to do me any good, I must see her real life, not her imagined life. I’m sure that her real life was very simple. They show her to us as unapproachable, but they should present her as imitable, bringing out her virtues, saying that she lived by faith just like ourselves, giving proofs of this from the Gospel….” She continued, “We know very well that the Blessed Virgin is Queen of heaven and earth, but she is more Mother than Queen; and we should not say … that she surpasses all the saints in glory just as the sun at this rising makes the stars disappear from sight. My God! How strange that would be! A mother who makes her children’s glory vanish!”** It is no surprise that Thérèse, the Saint who had her “Little Way” (a way of humility and love), would emphasize the humility of Mary to aid our understanding of her. And how insightful to recognize that a mother would never want to overshadow her own children! Indeed, Mary’s humility was evident from the very beginning as she fully realized who God made her to be and the nature of her call, maintaining her humility throughout the course of her life. Yes, Mary is Queen of Heaven and her role in our salvation must never be understated, but we must also remember, as does our Mother, that being Queen of Heaven is but a role, and therefore it does not change her nature, but rather it brings to our attention what is most important. Mary, humble and lowly in life, remains humble and lowly, even with a crown. This is all the more reason we can call upon her with confidence.

​I hope that we can take away from this reflection that we are made to be someone special by God. That is, we each have a unique personality and soul, accompanied by a call to holiness. To grow in holiness is to grow in authenticity, that is, to become more fully ourselves. Whatever it is we do is merely our role, a means to an end, (building the Kingdom with the desire to be with God forever); how we live it is what is most important. To be holy is a process which involves letting God reveal to us exactly who we are and who we are to Him. Additionally, we can learn from Mary, who though Queen, never directs us to herself possessively, but always humbly directs us to her Son. As we become more in touch with who we are created and called to be, we, too, will grow in humility, seeing more clearly that we must rely completely on God, the Giver of the gifts that aid us in directing others to Jesus according to our call. Each and every member in the Body of Christ is called similarly. How remarkable it is that in sharing this call we are really no different than our mother, the humble mother of Jesus Christ our Lord, who is also the Queen of Heaven. My heart tells me that she would be the first one to tell us so. 

May we grow in love for our Mother Mary! May the humble Mother and Queen of Heaven inspire us to holiness! And may we be like Mary, who though a Queen, always humbly directs people to her Son Jesus! Let us meet in the hearts of Jesus and Mary! Peace! 

                       ©Michele L. Catanese

Notes:
* Mary was conceived without original sin so that she could be a fitting vessel for the Son she would freely assent to bearing, and as such, she was full of grace, as the angel stated; therefore she was incapable of sinning throughout her earthly life. This does not mean that she did not have sufferings and struggles. On the contrary, she suffered greatly in the depths of her heart. Because of what she did in accepting the difficult role of bearing the Son of God and all that came with it, Mary also received the honor of being assumed into Heaven upon her death. In other words, at the moment of death her body and soul were reunited. Tradition also has it that when she ‘arrived’ at the throne of God, Mary was crowned as Queen of Heaven, not deified, but honored since she is “blessed among all women,” having been tasked to undo the sin of Eve and therefore serve the Lord in a singular way. I am not intending to diminish how important it is that Mary is Queen of Heaven, only to help us keep in mind that as one who lived on this earth as we do, she was fully woman and lived most fully who she was called to be. That is what I mean by 'authentic.'
** This long quote comes from a book referred to as “The Yellow Notebook.” As she lay dying in the last year of her life, too weak to write, the words St. Thérèse spoke were written down by an attending sister. I have a copy of the book which contains her Yellow Notebook (which is literally falling apart), but which is now quite difficult to find: St. Therese of Lisieux: Her Last Conversations, translated from the original manuscripts by John Clarke, O.C.D.  Finally, at the end of her remarks quoted above, St. Thérèse added something so beautiful, I must share it: “What the Blessed Virgin has more than we have is the privilege of not being able to sin, she was exempt from the stain of original sin; but on the other hand, she wasn’t as fortunate as we are, since she didn’t have a Blessed Virgin to love. And this is one more sweetness for us and one less sweetness for her!” Page 162, ibid.
Images:
1. My photo; beautiful bougainvillea in modern Nazareth, Israel.
2. My photo; statue of Mary as Queen of Heaven with the child Jesus, also crowned. This setting was in a cupola of a church in the Holy Land, Israel. (Note the large scapular in her right hand.)
3. My photo; I took this photo of an original photo of St. Thérèse of Lisieux which was displayed as part of an exhibition in Notre Dame Cathedral, Paris. I believe this original was taken on the day she pronounced her final vows in the Carmel of Lisieux. She took the name "Thérèse of the Child Jesus and the Holy Face." (My photo was taken in 2013, so it was prior to the fire.)
4. Painting; Monet's Garden, by Claude Monet. I had to include flowers in a garden since St. Thérèse called herself "a little flower in the garden of the Lord;" this is why we often refer to her as "The Little Flower." It also fits with our common call as members of the Body of Christ; we are all flowers in His garden.
5. Icon; Mother of God Asking for Humility, by Fr. William Hart McNichols. Should you wish, you can purchase a copy of this icon in one of many various mediums by going to https://fineartamerica.com/featured/mother-of-god-asking-for-humility-143-william-hart-mcnichols.html
​Remember, I do not get any remuneration for endorsing Fr. Bill's work. However I do get the joy of being able to share such beautiful iconography and drawings with all of you. 

Note: In compliance with GDPR rules, I wish to make it clear that I do not gather any information on any of my readers at any time.