The U.S. Bishops met recently in St. Petersburg Florida. While there, they offered a prayer for the ongoing crisis in the Gulf of Mexico. That is not unusual. What I found most interesting is the final part of their prayer. It says, "Finally, we offer our prayers for our government leaders and for the industry leaders and experts who are working to cap the leak and repair this damage. May God give them wisdom and strength in this trying hour, and may He move them to seek lasting solutions benefiting the common good of our society." What a wonderful prayer to say everyday. When we elect people to positions of leadership, the expectation is that they will respect the followers. After all, without followership there can be no leadership. I feel that may be part of the problem in the U.S. right now. The followers have so little faith in the leaders that we are all wandering looking for something else. Unfortunately for many people that something else can be destroying their lives. Returning to the prayer offered by the Bishops, I particularly was touched by the statement about seeking lasting solutions that benefit the common good of our society. The problem presented by that statement is that we have not stopped to consider what the common good for our society is or could be. Now there is an abundance of talking heads on the television that tell us what their version of the common good is and that is part of the conversation. But are we as God's people having the same conversation in our churches or parish halls? Are we gathering as prayerful women and men to consider how to effect change that will bring about lasting solutions that are grounded in Godliness? What the prayer said to me most loudly is that we must be actively talking with God everyday about everything. We should be asking Him to guide us in all that we do. We should be asking Him to deliver the solution to calamities like the oil leak in the Gulf. And we should definitely be asking Him to provide us with the leadership that will allow us to use the abilities, talents and gifts He gave us to make the world a more Godly place.
Finding St Anthony Among the Lost Items
Saint Anthony of Padua, though often associated with finding lost articles, was primarily known in his lifetime as a powerful and eloquent preacher. Originally a Canon Regular of St. Augustine, he was inspired to join the newly formed Franciscan order after witnessing the martyrdom of the first Franciscan missionaries in Morocco. His conversion to the mendicant life under St. Francis of Assisi transformed him, deepening his commitment to poverty, humility, and evangelical preaching. Gifted with profound theological knowledge and a captivating speaking style, he traveled across Italy and France, drawing immense crowds with his clear and passionate sermons, converting many and combating heresy with his unwavering faith and intellectual rigor. Beyond his public ministry, St. Anthony was a mystic who enjoyed profound spiritual experiences, most notably a vision of the Infant Jesus. This intimate connection with the Christ Child is a hallmark of his iconography, often depicting him c...
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