By Zoe Cannon
Gratitude for the Gift of Faith
“We have come to know and to believe in the love God has for us” (1 John 4:16).
God’s love is very visible and choosing to seek or extend this love to others is our responsibility. Free will is a gift given to us by a merciful Father to bring light into his world.
“Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning” (James 1:17).
Every soul is created in the image of God, designed with a unique purpose intended to make the world a wonderful place. Imagine if this were understood by everyone and not destroyed by our own failings, greed, hatred or threats from those who do not know God.
The creation story begins with disobedience and exile. The same source of temptation that confronted Adam and Eve remains with us every day, but so does the wisdom and mercy of God. Have no fear … God wins!
St. Frances de Sales spoke of God’s love as the foundation of all reality. He believed it should be our ultimate goal, demonstrated by respecting human freedom and empowered by the grace of God. Communicating this love requires acknowledgement and humility when confronted by deceit. We have certainly witnessed what happens when communication breaks down and hatred replaces civil discourse. Salvation history is filled with stories of persecution and broken covenants separating people from God. Why are we so blinded by the obvious?
Sept. 16 is a special day for our family, the birthday of our youngest child, Patrick, who this year turned 40 years old! The significance of this day is a story within a story. When we were preparing to have an addition to our family, I would look ahead at the expected arrival date to see what holy days were on the calendar. Sept. 12 to 15 has several feast days to celebrate, including the “Most Holy Name of Mary,” St. John Chrysostom, the Exultation of the Holy Cross and Our Lady of Sorrows. Well, we missed those dates, and I failed, at the time, to dig into the story of Saints Cornelius and Cyprian when our baby arrived on Sept. 16.
On Feb. 5, 2005, our family experienced a life-changing event, where God’s love became very visible. Patrick had a snowboarding accident that left him unconscious in a trauma unit. His miraculous recovery is a beautiful story. For his 20th birthday, upon his return to college studies at Purdue University, I bought him a book of saints with prayers for each day of the year. The entry for Sept. 16 was Pope St. Cornelius, the “Saint of Second Chances.” The story about this third-century Pope is worth reading. We became emotional when we read the title, as Patrick was certainly given a second chance to enjoy life.
Our family memories and Pope Cornelius’ story are important, because society needs a “second chance,” a return to civility, to forgive one another, and to love as God does. Jesus taught us how to know and how to come to believe in the Father’s love, and his teachings are true! Accept and share his love! Be a light for the world! Amen!
Zoe Cannon lives in Morgantown, Indiana, and is a member of Sts. Francis and Clare Parish in
Greenwood, Indiana.