A good reason for intercession of saints

May is the month of Mary, and a question that often comes up is about the intercession of Mary and the saints. People often ask what's the point of it, since we can pray directly to God.

Yes, we can and certainly do pray directly to God. So it's not a matter or either/or.
It's a both/and.

St. Thomas makes an interesting point about this. I'm paraphrasing a bit, but basically he says that we can become like God in two ways. First, because God is good, we become like him by being good. Second, because God is the cause of goodness in creatures, we become like God by bringing goodness to others, by doing good. (Summa Theol., I, q. 103, a. 4).

That second point is the key thing in regard to the intercession of the saints. By praying for us, they play a role in bringing goodness to us. It's part of God's plan. It's more perfect for us to reflect God's goodness by doing good, rather than simply by being good. We're meant to be active, to reach out, to help others, and that reflects God. The intercession of the saints does precisely that.

When you think about it, isn't that how God acts in regard to other things? Couldn't he have just directly created all the people he wants, instead of having them come into the world through their parents? Sure, he has the power to do that if desired. But by giving parents a role in procreation, God is acting through them to bring goodness to others. And the parents play a very important role.

And that's good for us, because it's an important part of the way we become holy. We reflect these two aspects of God by both being good and doing good.

Pope Francis: Nuns should be mothers, not old maids

I love Pope Francis and the way he speaks in such a down-to-earth way.
On May 8 he met with a group of sisters, and told them frankly:


La consacrata è madre, deve essere madre e non “zitella”! Scusatemi se parlo così, ma è importante questa maternità della vita consacrata, questa fecondità! 

My rough translation: "The consecrated women is a mother; she must be a mother and not an old maid! (zitella). Excuse me for speaking like this, but this maternity of the consecrated life, this fruitfulness, is so important!"

In his simple way, he's essentially saying the same thing that Pope John Paul often talked about. To be happy in life, we must make a "sincere gift of self," and give ourselves in love to others. 

On civility

Today when I was out driving I made a slight error that delayed another car for about 10 seconds. The woman driving it let out a flood of profanity at me (and yes, she knew I was a nun and even called me a blankety-blank nun, among various other obscenities). I didn't respond but just drove away.

Have we as a society lost our sense of civility? Evidence certainly suggests that we have at least to some extent, as for example the increase of road rage incidents, etc. Yet when we lose civility, we lose an important part of the glue that holds societies together. Being courteous benefits all of us and can even prevent car accidents.

Here are a few other thoughts that came to me about this incident.

1. I said to the sister with me, "Whoa! Aren't you glad we don't have to live with her."  Community life has its ups and downs, of course, and no community is perfect. But this incident made me feel very grateful that I do live in a wonderful community of dedicated, loving, and happy sisters. It is a joy that I can sometimes take for granted.

2. But the reality is that a lot of people do have to live in difficult situations, with difficult people who are sometimes just downright nasty. And that's very hard to bear. It's not just verbal abuse but domestic violence and sexual abuse as well. Maybe that woman is angry because she's had to endure something like that.

3. It was very clear to me that I didn't cause her anger; it came out of her spontaneously. As Jesus said in the Gospel, "Out of the fullness of the heart, the mouth speaks" (Lk 6:45). When we inadvertently make a mistake and someone gets angry at us, it helps to remember that God doesn't treat us that way. God doesn't get angry at us for our mistakes and sins but always calls us to conversion.

3. I read somewhere a powerful thought that some people have no one to pray for them. Perhaps God puts a difficult person in our path because that person needs prayers. We don't know, but prayer can only help. So I've been praying for that woman today, and if you feel so inspired, maybe you could send up a Hail Mary for her too.


How do you react to road rage?

St. Joseph, the Pope, and the Year of Faith

In this critical year of faith we should pay more attention to St. Joseph, because through him God will provide a way to overcome the famine of faith. The story of Joseph in the book of Genesis can remind us of similarities to St. Joseph: their dreams, their chastity, their wise stewardship. The Joseph of Genesis wisely managed the resources of Egypt, so that when famine struck the country, it was well provided for: “All the world came to Joseph to obtain rations of grain, for famine had gripped the whole world” (Gen 41:57).

In re-reading this story recently, I was reminded of another type of famine, not of bread but of the word of God: “Yes, days are coming, says the Lord God, when I will send famine upon the land: not a famine of bread, or thirst for water, but for hearing the Lord of the Lord” (Amos 8:11).

Certainly we’re living in a time when faith seems to be losing the battle against a tide of secularism, atheism, and unbelief. While many people retain a vibrant faith, the decline in Mass attendance, marriage rates, and participation in church life is evident. We’re in a famine of faith. Pope Benedict XVI called us to a Year of Faith in order to meet that challenge and forge ahead with the New Evangelization. So what role does St. Joseph play in this?

Genesis recounts that “Pharaoh directed all the Egyptians to go to Joseph and do whatever he told them” (Gen 41:55). That phrase evokes Cana, when Mary referred the stewards to Jesus and said, “Do whatever he tells you” (Jn 2:5). Joseph provided the people with grain, and Jesus turned water into wine: bread and wine, the elements of the Eucharist. Reading the story of Joseph in Genesis together with Cana can help us understand why St. Joseph is patron of the universal Church. The saint of divine providence, the one we invoke for material help in terms of jobs, resources, selling a house, etc., is even more eager to provide us with the blessings of faith.

In the book of Revelation, the third horseman represents famine: “I looked, and there was a black horse, and its rider held a scale in his hand. I heard what seemed to be a voice in the midst of the four living creatures. It said, ‘A ration of wheat costs a day’s pay, and three rations of barley cost a day’s pay. But do not damage the olive oil or the wine” (Rev 6:5-6). While this book is difficult to interpret, these verses make me think of the famine of faith. Could it be that the reference to sparing the oil and the wine is a veiled reference to the fact that even in times when faith dies down, the Church will keep on providing the sacraments? The flock may grow smaller, and the demand for sacraments may be less, but the Church will always be there to offer the sacraments and nourish our faith. St. Joseph, the Church’s patron, has a role in making sure they are provided.

So it is no accident that Pope Francis is officially beginning his mandate on the feast of St. Joseph, in the Year of Faith. This Pope is remarkable for being a humble, hidden man, much like Joseph. Because of this saint’s hiddenness, we may easily forget him. But let’s ask his intercession even more now, so that in this Year of Faith the Church will truly begin to witness to the Gospel in a more effective way. St. Joseph, pray for us!

Names Pope Francis rejected

At his meeting with the journalists, the pope explained that he chose Francis after the saint of Assisi, because he was devoted to poverty and the poor, to respect for God's creation, and to peace. Then he recounted some lighter moments when other cardinals gave him some suggestions:

"Afterward, people were joking with me. 'But you should call yourself Hadrian, because Hadrian VI was the reformer, we need a reform…' And someone else said to me: 'No, no: your name should be Clement.' 'But why?' 'Clement XV: thus you pay back Clement XIV who suppressed the Society of Jesus!' These were jokes."

Apparently Pope Francis has a good sense of humor.

Pope Francis on Pope Benedict

During his meeting with the cardinals, Pope Francis gave a beautiful testimony to Benedict:

My thoughts turn with great affection and profound gratitude to my venerable Predecessor Benedict XVI, who enriched and invigorated the Church during the years of his Pontificate by his teaching, his goodness, his leadership, his faith, his humility and his meekness. All this remains as a spiritual patrimony for us all. The Petrine ministry, lived with total dedication, found in him a wise and humble exponent, his gaze always firmly on Christ, the risen Christ, present and alive in the Eucharist. We will always accompany him with fervent prayers, with constant remembrance, with undying and affectionate gratitude. We feel that Benedict XVI has kindled a flame deep within our hearts: a flame that will continue to burn because it will be fed by his prayers, which continue to sustain the Church on her spiritual and missionary path.

Benedict's teaching, his homilies and documents, are a treasure house of wisdom we can continue to draw from.

Pope Francis HABEMUS PAPAM!

Just a little over a month ago, who would have thought we would have a new Pope? And a Jesuit, and a South American at that!
When he came out on the balcony and gave that little wave of his hand, I knew right away that I would like him. He seemed a little bit shy or reserved, and then when he stood there for what seemed like a long time, without saying anything, I felt a sense of the seriousness of the task he has been given. Then later when he smiled he signaled a warmth of personality that he must have. He said at the end that tomorrow he would go to pray to Mary (I presume at a Marian shrine). So he is Marian too.

St Francis heard the words from Jesus: "Rebuild my Church!" I think that by choosing this name, our new Pope is telling us that it is time to rebuild the Church from the sin, the scandals, the apostasy. It's time to take seriously the new evangelization. May the seeds that have been sown by previous Popes, especially John Paul and Benedict, now start to bear greater fruit in this new millennium.

Mary spoke Juan Diego’s language

Mary spoke to Juan Diego in his own dialect. In fact, this also occurred at other Marian apparitions. When she appeared to St. Bernadette at Lourdes, for example, Mary did not speak in French but in the local dialect. At Guadalupe, Mary not only spoke the native language but her appearance reflected the native features, as did the way she was dressed. Mary comes to us in a way that we can understand. So when we approach Mary in prayer, we can come to her just as we are. We don’t need to put on any pretenses. If we’re down and out, we can tell her that. If we feel weighed down by sin, we can tell her that too. Whatever our condition, we can simply go to Mary and she will help us.

Once at a conference I heard an amazing testimony from a man who had converted from an extremely sinful lifestyle and had lived far from God. As a fallen-away Catholic, he had been very promiscuous, even to the point of acting in pornographic films. When the films began to involve blasphemy and sacrilege, such as desecrating the crucifix and other sacred objects, he went along with it. But he started to feel revulsion at this and wanted to change. One day, not knowing where to turn, he came across a rosary. He still remembered how to pray it, so he started to do so, one Hail Mary at a time. That was the beginning of an amazing conversion. It took time and had its ups and downs, but that one Hail Mary was the first step on his road back to God. He said that Mary cleaned him up. So no matter what state you find yourself in, don’t be afraid to turn to Mary for help. She will not let you down! Our journey back to God can begin even with one Hail Mary.