Happy Sunday!
Can you recall your confirmation name? Is there a patron saint you pray to intercede? Once friends visited Baltimore and requested to visit the St.
Jude Shrine, Saint of Hopeless Causes. There were steep stairs to climb. Upon entering the side chapel, the heat was strong. There were so many little votives they were met with a sensation of real heat! There were many asking for prayers!!
When returning a year later, something had changed- all the votives had been changed to push button electric votives so while there still racks of candles lit, the heat was gone. Modern safety was in practice, a true good but the initial heat will remain.
Saints light up our world with a passion for justice and truth. Have you read of St. Katherine Drexel? She lived the Beatitudes serving as foundress of the Blessed Sacrament Sisters. Her focus was to reach the Native Americans and African
Americans providing access to education and churches largely funded with the family inheritance. Her own mother died five weeks after her birth, yet God provided a loving step mother Emma who fostered a love for the poor and joy in serving them. It
was a hallmark of her early years and later.
The two miracles leading to her canonization was restored hearing. On this All Saints Day, St. Katherine, help us to hear those crying out to us!
"Ever loving God, you called St. Katherine Drexel to teach the message of the Gospel and to bring the life of the Eucharist to the Black and Native American Peoples.
By her
prayers and example, enable us to work for justice among the poor and oppressed. Draw us all into the Eucharistic community of your church that we may be one in you.
Grant this through our Lord Jesus Christ,
your son, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen."
Peace!