“Love God, love God” was our Saint of the Day's private prayer. Learn more!
Hello John, Today, I extend a special invitation to participate in our "Invest in Inspiration" matching gift week. As you begin your Lenten season, the practice of almsgiving calls for all of us to extend compassion and support to those in need. Your contributions during this matching gift opportunity will be doubled, amplifying their impact and spreading faith, hope, and inspiration to individuals around the world. In the spirit of Lent, embrace the opportunity to make a meaningful difference. Your generosity not only strengthens our mission but also embodies the transformative power of a faithful community. Join me today as we sow seeds of compassion and kindness, igniting hope and renewal in the hearts of many. |
Christopher Meyer
Director of Development |
Saint of the Day for February 13: Saint Giles Mary of Saint Joseph (November 16, 1729 – February 7, 1812)
In the same year that a power-hungry Napoleon Bonaparte led his army into Russia, Giles Mary of Saint Joseph ended a life of humble service to his Franciscan community and to the citizens of Naples. Francesco was born in Taranto to very poor parents. His father’s death left the 18-year-old Francesco to care for the family. Having secured their future, he entered the Friars Minor at Galatone in 1754. For 53 years, he served at St. Paschal’s Hospice in Naples in various roles, such as cook, porter, or most often as official beggar for that community. “Love God, love God” was his characteristic phrase as he gathered food for the friars and shared some of his bounty with the poor—all the while consoling the troubled and urging everyone to repent. The charity which he reflected on the streets of Naples was born in prayer and nurtured in the common life of the friars. The people whom Giles Mary met on his begging rounds nicknamed him the “Consoler of Naples.” He was canonized in 1996. Reflection People often become arrogant and power hungry when they forget their own sinfulness and ignore the gifts God has given to other people. Giles Mary had a healthy sense of his own sinfulness—not paralyzing but not superficial either. He invited men and women to recognize their own gifts and to live out their dignity as people made in God’s divine image. Knowing someone like Giles Mary can help us on our own spiritual journey. |
It's not too late! Receive daily inspiration during this season ofrepentance, forgiveness, and hope. Connect and pray with the Church’s most beloved saints and holy people, including Thomas Merton, Francis, Clare, Damien of Molokai, Teresa of Calcutta, and Gianna Molla and more! Register today for this exclusive experience! |
The Almighty in All Things Francis loved the larks and wanted by his singing to make larks of all people, to lift them up and free their spirits so they could fly with him and all the larks above. In the blue freedom of God’s love, even a sparrow became a lark and fantasy and joy made everyone’s dream come true. Yet it was more than fantasy. It was the promises of Jesus fulfilled here and now for those who would dare to believe. To those who left all things, Jesus had promised eternal life and a hundredfold besides. Being a lark was a part of the hundredfold; and on a spring morning, lifting his eyes from the red poppies and yellow buttercups of the Umbrian valley to Mount Subasio in the east, Francis wondered if being a lark might not be the whole of it. What greater beauty and grace could there be? For surely a lark was the resurrected Christ on wings of celebration. —from the book Francis: The Journey and the Dream by Murray Bodo, OFM |
Tomorrow is the start of Lent! Journey through lent with Saint Marianne Cope. This 2024 exclusive booklet comes in packs of 10, perfect for gifting to friends, family and your parish. Daily Reflections with Saint Marianne Cope |
Sending Compassion Reflect Notice how Jesus practices compassion when his friend, Lazarus, dies. First he aligns himself with God even though that delays his arrival, then giving each sister exactly what she needs: tears for Mary, hope of resurrection for Martha.
Pray God, who gives us models of compassion,
like author Bryan Stevenson,
guide us to see we’re all better
than the worst thing we’ve done.
Act Read again in the Gospel of John, 11:1-44, the account of Jesus bringing Lazarus back to life. Today's Pause+Pray was written by Kathy Coffey. Learn more here! |
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