St. Paul's letter to the Galatians is the topic of the day. Galatians 5:14 says, "For the whole law is fulfilled in one statement, namely, "You shall love your neighbor as yourself." And we do love ourselves don't we? Look at the billions of dollars we spend on looking good. So if we put this commandment into practice, can you not see how many of our problems simply fall away immediately? St. Paul goes on to say in 5:16-18, "I say, then: live by the Spirit and you will certainly not gratify the desire of the flesh. For the flesh has desires against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; these are opposed to each other, so that you may not do what you want. But if you are guided by the Spirit, you are not under the law." Allowing the Holy Spirit to work within us also allows God to use us to share his message on earth. If you know someone that is like this, it may be you yourself, you also see how other people are drawn to this type of person. The Spirit illuminates people who are faithful and are guided. Finally, in 5:22-23 Paul says, "In contrast, the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law." All of the things we long for are given to us by the Spirit but there is a catch. We must allow ourselves to be guided by the Spirit. I am in. Are you? I want to urge you to pray for all those around you who are suffering. Pray that they offer up their suffering, in the way that St. Padre Pio did, like Christ did on the cross. Our suffering can be used for the good of others. It is about replacing the bad with the good.
Born during the turbulent era of the French Revolution, Saint Jeanne Jugan rose above hardship and a lack of formal schooling to become a profound vessel of Christ’s mercy. After losing her father at a young age and working through her youth as a kitchen maid and nurse, her life radically changed one freezing night when she encountered a blind, paralyzed elderly woman with nowhere to go. Jeanne carried the woman back to her own home, placed her in her own bed, and began a lifelong mission of radical hospitality. This act of profound love blossomed into the Little Sisters of the Poor , a thriving community dedicated to sheltering and honoring the destitute elderly. Despite later facing heavy trials—including being unjustly sidelined and stripped of her leadership by a controlling chaplain—Jeanne accepted her obscurity and exile with a joyful spirit, resting her complete trust in God's hidden providence until her death in 1879. In our daily lives, Saint Jeanne Jugan invites us to lo...
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