Our Minute Meditations celebrates all creatures great 🐘 and small! 🐞
March 28, 2025
Dear John,
We are in the process of organizing our resources around themes to better accompany you on your faith journey. This week we are highlighting our fourth theme of Rebuilding God’s Church: Following God. Maybe you’ve never thought that God has a mission or plan for your life. Well God does! God does not call the qualified. God qualifies the called. If God can use a deceased Lazarus to inspire faith in others, God can surely use you, too! For the remainder of Lent, consider making the following part of your morning prayer: I know you are with me; that you love me. And I know you have plans for my welfare and not for woe (Jer 29:11). Help me be ready and open to whatever you want to give me.
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With profound gratitude,
Deacon Matthew Halbach, PhD President & Publisher,
Some Franciscan saints led fairly public lives; Catharine represents the saints who served the Lord in obscurity.
Born in Bologna, Catharine was related to the nobility in Ferrara, and was educated at court there. She received a liberal education at the court and developed some interest and talent in painting. In later years as a Poor Clare, Catharine sometimes did manuscript illumination and also painted miniatures.
At the age of 17, she joined a group of religious women in Ferrara. Four years later, the whole group joined the Poor Clares in that city. Jobs as convent baker and portress preceded her selection as novice mistress.
In 1456, she and 15 other sisters were sent to establish a Poor Clare monastery in Florence. As abbess, Catharine worked to preserve the peace of the new community. Her reputation for holiness drew many young women to the Poor Clare life. She was canonized in 1712. The liturgical feast of Saint Catharine of Bologna is celebrated on May 9.
Reflection
Appreciating Catharine’s life in a Poor Clare monastery may be hard for us. “It seems like such a waste,” we may be tempted to say. Through prayer, penance, and charity to her sisters, Catharine drew close to God. Our goal is the same as hers, even if our paths are different.
Will we see our pets and other creatures in the next life? Only God can answer a question like this. But because of his preaching to the birds and his growing respect for other creatures, St. Francis seemed to be developing the insight that God’s plan of salvation is perhaps larger than most of us have imagined. Near the end of his life, Francis composed his Canticle of the Creatures in which he invites all creatures to praise God—Brother Sun, Sister Moon, Brother Fire, Sister Water, and our Sister Mother Earth and so forth.
He seems to see more clearly than ever that all creatures make up one family of creation. And this leads to the question: If we, like Francis, are expected to invite all creatures to praise God with us during our life here on earth, shouldn’t they also be invited to praise God in heaven, as well?
Marian apparitions bring us so much guidance, beauty, and sustenance. The apparition of Our Lady of Knock, Ireland, is the only apparition where not a word was spoken by the Blessed Mother. Today, think of how peaceful this image is.
Pray
Our Lady of Knock, You appeared with St. Joseph and St. John, with the lamb, and a cross, and angels, but you did not speak any words. Today we turn to you, for that taste of tranquility. You, who offer soft healing love in the same way the shepherd leads us to still waters. In the same way we hear, “Be still, and know that I am God.” Our Lady of Knock, we trust that your hushed way will bring us closer to your peace.
Act
Put your phone on “Do Not Disturb” mode for 10 minutes so that nothing distracts you. Sit and simply breathe, accepting the moments as they are: Nothing needs to change. All is well. You are cherished and loved.
Today's Pause+Pray was written by Maureen O'Brien. Learn more here!
The Hidden Sanctuary of Holy Angels
Tucked away in Belmont, North Carolina, Holy Angels has not only cared for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities but has also transformed lives, including those of the caregivers.
