Faith & Life Inspirational Message

I had tried to resist imposing pictures and stories of my grandkids on people.   I understand that no one cares about my grandkid in the same way as I and the other grandparents do.   I have looked at countless pictures of others’ grandchildren and sat passively as they showed me pictures and all I could do was feign some interest and say something like, “That’s nice!”             These days of cell phones and instant pictures only make the assault worse.   Instead of the hesitation we used to feel when we took pictures, had to develop and pay for them, the cell phone makes multiple, instant pictures seem totally free.   Grandparents figure if one picture of the cute little bugger is good, ten pictures should be absolutely astonishing!             It was easy to feel smugly superior to all grandparents---that is, before I had any grandkids.   I...

Growing up as a Quaker lad in Indiana meant that I never heard of this Feast Day, as the Catholic Church calls a day when a saint is remembered and celebrated.   Of course, the saints are not worshipped, but they do serve as models of faith.   They are human, but they also were so open to God’s Spirit working in and through them that they became servants of that Spirit in the world.   The implication is you and I also can become instruments of the Spirit.             Mary, the mother of Jesus, was one such saint.   In fact, for many of my Catholic friends and non-Catholic friends, Mary would be unique among the saints.   Only she can claim to be the mother of Jesus.   In that sense she has been accorded special status within the Christian Church.   In fact, she even plays an important role within Islam.   Many of us who are not Catholics do not “get it.”   Rather than be dismissive o...