Ever used prayer 🙏 as a remedy for sadness? Then you'll enjoy today's Pause+Pray!
Tara Hemelgarn
Marketing Manager |
Saint of the Day for April 24: Fidelis of Sigmaringen (1577 – April 24, 1622)
Saint Fidelis of Sigmaringen’s Story If a poor man needed some clothing, Fidelis would often give the man the clothes right off his back. Complete generosity to others characterized this saint’s life. Born in 1577, Mark Rey became a lawyer who constantly upheld the causes of the poor and oppressed people. Nicknamed “the poor man’s lawyer,” Rey soon grew disgusted with the corruption and injustice he saw among his colleagues. He left his law career to become a priest, joining his brother George as a member of the Capuchin Order. Fidelis was his religious name. His wealth was divided between needy seminarians and the poor. As a follower of Saint Francis of Assisi, Fidelis continued his devotion to the weak and needy. During a severe epidemic in a city where he was guardian of a friary, Fidelis cared for and cured many sick soldiers. He was appointed head of a group of Capuchins sent to preach against the Calvinists and Zwinglians in Switzerland. Almost certain violence threatened. Those who observed the mission felt that success was more attributable to the prayer of Fidelis during the night than to his sermons and instructions. He was accused of opposing the peasants’ national aspirations for independence from Austria. While he was preaching at Seewis, to which he had gone against the advice of his friends, a gun was fired at him, but he escaped unharmed. A Protestant offered to shelter Fidelis, but he declined, saying his life was in God’s hands. On the road back, he was set upon by a group of armed men and killed. Fidelis was canonized in 1746. Fifteen years later he was recognized as a martyr. Reflection Fidelis’ constant prayer was that he be kept completely faithful to God and not give in to any lukewarmness or apathy. He was often heard to exclaim, “Woe to me if I should prove myself but a halfhearted soldier in the service of my thorn-crowned Captain.” His prayer against apathy, and his concern for the poor and weak make him a saint whose example is valuable today. The modern Church is calling us to follow the example of “the poor man’s lawyer” by sharing ourselves and our talents with those less fortunate and by working for justice in the world. |
Join us in continuing your spiritual and prayerful journey for the month of May by Praying the Rosary! |
Money Is Meaningless It is sad that we have a willingness to give our whole lives to producing items of no social benefit. Is that what we want to do with this one single chance at life? Money is not just about paying bills. It must also be connected with making some contribution to life, others, and history. Money is an empty symbol precisely because it stands for anything and everything besides the paper or metal it is made of. It stands for me and my importance. Money has no inherent meaning, which is why it can hold any false meaning that we want to put on it. In fact, the paper and metal in themselves are practically worthless. This is why directing your life toward the making of money is so dangerous. It is a life commitment to making what is inherently meaningless and worthless, yet we project onto it all sorts of value and importance. Jesus makes a quite clear and authoritative statement: “You cannot serve both God and money” (Matthew 6:24). —from the book From Wild Man to Wise Man: Reflections on Male Spirituality
by Richard Rohr |
Save the Date for this Live Event, just in time for Mother's Day! Author and artist Holly Schapker, along with author and art historian Cecelia Dorger, will be discussing their newly released book: Universal Mother - A Journal for Finding Yourself in Mary, moderated by Maureen O'Brien. It's happening LIVE on our Facebook page on Wednesday, May 1st, at 12:30 PM Eastern Standard time. |
God Is the Artist Reflect In 1901, Pablo Picasso sank into a depression that dominated his work for over three years. His “Blue Period” reflected that deep, internal crisis. Picasso’s “Old Guitarist,” perhaps his most beloved painting from that period, captures physical desolation in a way few artists could ever master—then or now. And while we cannot as easily paint a masterpiece to mirror our own emotional struggles, we have an even better tool: prayer. Pray God of peace of mind and heart,
My shoulders hang low from the weight of the world.
My eyes are cloudy with tears and my mind is filled
with furious worry.
Some days it is hard to paint when the canvas feels so far away.
As the first and greatest artist, you want us to see your work:
a single cloud in a cerulean sky,
the canyons framing an endless horizon,
a field of flowers swaying in perfect unison.
Dry my tears and open my eyes to the art you made for us.
Let me never neglect the masterpieces you created.
Amen. Act Sadness is inevitable, but God doesn’t want us wallowing in it. Sometimes a short walk or a conversation with a friend can give our spirits a lift. Today’s Pause+Pray was written by Christopher Heffron. Learn more here! |
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