By ZOE CANNON
GRATITUDE FOR THE GIFT OF FAITH
“Until now you have not asked anything in my name; ask and you will receive, so that your joy may be complete” (John 16:24).
There are days when joy is evident all around us, and then there are times when we struggle to experience genuine happiness at all. The real joy begins when we realize that asking for God’s help is the pathway to true peace!
This spring, we celebrated the beautiful sacrament of the Holy Eucharist with two of our grandchildren. The universality of the Catholic Church is a tremendous blessing. We witnessed months of very intentional preparation for both grandchildren. The sacramental preparations were in different parishes in different cities, but in very similar faith communities. The success of this faith venture begins and continues in the home. The grace empowered by this sacrament brought joy to every heart participating on this special day in the life of a child.
Our hope is in the Lord, and this quote from St. Thomas Aquinas is so true: “To one who has faith, no explanation is necessary. To one without faith, no explanation is possible.” The responsibility of each baptized person to share the faith and offer hope to others cannot be emphasized enough in today’s culture. We are all created in the image of God with a specific purpose; the uniqueness revealed in each child is certainly confirmation of this reality. I love observing the different personalities of our eight grandchildren, and the contributions each one makes to the life of our family. The greatest gifts we can offer to children are a constant witness of faith well-lived, daily conversation with our Triune God and a personal relationship with Jesus.
The face of children anticipating and then receiving their first Eucharist is precious. The importance of this Bread for our faith journey is irreplaceable. The gift of the Eucharist is made possible through men who answer God’s call to priesthood. It is important to remind our priests how much we appreciate them, and it is also important for families to talk to children about the call to holiness in every vocation.
St. John Vianney is the patron saint of parish priests. His parishioners often found him sitting in the church in front of the Blessed Sacrament. When asked what he was doing, he replied, “I look at Jesus and He looks at me.” The beautiful visual of this saintly man staring at Jesus reminds me of the importance of making a Holy Hour of prayer with Jesus. These conversations with God are not just needed when we are in the mood or have a crisis, but even during the busiest day. A few minutes to let God possess us will bring joy and hope into our lives. His Presence will give you rest in a place of gratefulness because, much like the air we breathe, God is always in us – and available to us when we need Him most.
God created us with a capacity to know and love Him; He looks for us even more passionately than we seek Him. Desire to seek Him is not useless; it is a gift to be shared! “The Holy Spirit who teaches the Church and recalls to her all that Jesus said also instructs her in the life of prayer, inspiring new expressions, thanksgiving, and praise” (CCC 2644).
I thank every baptized Catholic who bears witness of God’s love to the world – especially parents, catechists and priests who minister to those preparing to receive Jesus. Christ is counting on us all to be lights in the dark culture we are experiencing today. Go with joy! “Hear my prayer, O Lord; to my cry give ear” (Psalm 39:10). Amen!