By ZOE CANNON
GRATITUDE FOR THE GIFT OF FAITH
“He is your praise; he is your God, who has done for you those great and awesome things that your own eyes have seen” (Deuteronomy 10:21).
I believe in miracles! We see them as the sun comes up to begin a new day; when a newborn baby is brought into the world; and with every beat of our heart, a miracle occurs. The very first miracle performed during Jesus’ earthly ministry was at a wedding feast. The sacredness of marriage and family cannot be understated.
In February 2005, my family witnessed a miracle in the healing of our youngest son, Patrick. I attribute this blessing to our trust in God; an anointing from a Catholic priest that took place in the trauma unit; the gift of Lourdes water; and the power of the rosary. During the many weeks our son spent in a coma, I prayed the rosary several times a day. I used his 10 fingers as my beads. The unveiling of this miracle creates a vivid reminder of how much God loves us! Trusting in His Almighty power is the most important thing we can do every day!
Our devotion to the rosary remains a daily practice in our lives. In 2019, my husband, Dick, and I decided to take a rosary-making class. We found one offered by Benedictine Sister Nicolette Etienne at Our Lady of Grace Monastery in Indianapolis. It was Dick’s plan to teach each of our grandchildren how to make their own First Holy Communion rosary. This new tradition is an opportunity for catechesis – and special time spent with Grandpa.
This spring, we have two grandchildren making their First Holy Communions. In addition to our rosary class, I created another project for our grandchildren as they prepare for these beautiful sacraments. A photo session is planned in the home parish of each grandchild. The finished product is a book with pictures of all the sacramentals used at Mass and everything found inside their church – complete with pictures of their Baptism, first Reconciliation, and first Holy Communion day.
We plan a retreat weekend with each child to make this special time very personal, and we share our own pictures and experiences from our first sacraments. Our granddaughter, Kendall, lives in Warsaw, Indiana; I contacted the pastor at Sacred Heart Parish to obtain permission to use the church for our catechesis project. Kendall and I sat down together and made a list of all the items we should look for in her church. With our plan completed, we set out to make ourselves at home in God’s house.
Kendall’s Dad took off work to join us for the adventure in the church. Father Jonathan Norton was very excited about our plan and agreed to meet with us. He not only opened up the church, but also spent an hour with us explaining the beauty and practice of all 45 items on our list – and more! It was such a gift to be part of this learning process and recall the memories of the day Kendall’s Dad made his First Communion.
We returned for Mass on Sunday morning, and Kendall asked Father Jonathan to bless the rosary she made with her “Poppy.” I was overwhelmed by the grace we all received during our time spent sharing the faith with our granddaughter and her family. I watched her Dad, Patrick, take pictures of Father Jonathan blessing her rosary; and I was reminded of the priest that blessed him in the hospital trauma unit 18 years ago, and the power of the rosary that provided us with this beautiful moment of grace. If you trust in a loving and merciful God, you will witness miracles all around you! He is your God; thank Him for the awesome things He has done for you! Amen!