Beautiful Souls

Young people need models of the faith. They need to see “beautiful souls.” I’m privileged in my position of service to the Church to encounter so many faith-filled and beautiful souls, young and old. In the retreats I’ve lead over the years, I’ve done my best to bring these beautiful souls into contact with our young people so that they can see concretely the joy and beauty that is present when one is in deep communion with Christ. We all need models of the faith. They inspire us, challenge us, and encourage us. Blessed Cardinal Newman spoke of the “unconscious attractiveness of holiness.” We are drawn to such examples and inspired to aspire to be the same. Allow me to share just a few examples that I’ve been blessed to see: 

The 17 year old who every day drives a 93 year old to the 7AM Mass. 
The 35 year old husband and father who would come home from his engineering job on his lunch hour to watch the kids so his wife could go spend some time in Eucharistic Adoration. 
The 59 year old man who regularly stops by the chapel as part of his work day to spend some time with our Lord. 
The 74 year old who rises around 430am each morning to pray his Rosary. 
The 17 year old student who turned down a job offer because he would have been forced to work every Sunday, the Lord’s day. 
The 50-60 people who gather each morning at 7AM for daily Mass. 
The 93 year old who leads the Rosary every single day after Mass. 

Thomas Merton had a line “They were all shining like the sun”, as he saw Christ’s presence so beautifully radiated in the souls he encountered. May we each shine like the sun, and in turn see that same Christ-like model in the souls we encounter! And may others be drawn closer to Christ because of you! 
God bless you! Phil Lawson, MTS 
Pastoral Associate

A Time for Heroes

We live in a time that calls for heroes. 

Tim Roach of Fairbault, MN was an out of work electrician.  His unemployment benefits were about to run out when he received a phone call offering a job making  65-70k a year for at least 11 months.  Unfortunately, the job offer was for the construction of a Planned Parenthood Clinic in St. Paul, MN.  (Planned Parenthood is the largest provider of abortions in the US).  What did this Catholic father of a 9 year old boy and 11 year old daughter do?  He turned down the offer.  As his wife said, “Through this whole process, our faith has deepened.  We feel like it was a test of our faith.  We chose to stand by our faith.”  Amen!  (Source:  TheCatholicSpirit.com)   Tim Roach and his family are heroes.

            Several years ago, Planned Parenthood decided to build a new abortion clinic in Austin, Texas.  As they began planning for its construction they encountered a problem, no construction company in the area wanted to participate in such a project.  It started with one Christian owner calling his colleagues and urging them to live up to their convictions.  The call kept spreading, and soon not a single construction company within 60 miles of Austin would take on the project of building this abortion clinic.   These construction workers are heroes.

            Many of you have taken part in prayerful vigils like 40 Days for Life (DFL).  We don’t often see the fruits of such heroic witnesses.  Last spring, a woman and her two-year-old stopped by 40 DFL in Milwaukee. She wanted to show sidewalk counselors her little boy, alive today due to pro-lifers’ sidewalk counseling efforts. The mother had gone to the clinic seeking an abortion and had encountered these witnesses to life.   In talking with them, she changed her mind.  This past fall 821 babies were spared abortion through the witness of faithful pro-lifers.  Since 40 Days for Life began 6749 babies have been reported to be saved. And these are only those we know of.   These pro-life witnesses are heroes.

And of course this care for the unborn doesn’t end there.  Jennifer Dunnett, is a member of the Servants of Our Lady of Guadalupe, an apostolate dedicated to the defense of human life.  Jennifer was praying at the abortion clinic in Madison, WI when she encountered a young pregnant couple who didn’t feel they had any other options outside of an abortion.  Jennifer talked to them, loved them, and was able to direct them toward resources that could be of assistance.  Jennifer even helped organize a baby shower for them!  That young couple chose to give life to their baby.  And Jennifer?  The couple invited her to the hospital where the birth of Baby Zion took place.  Jennifer later worked with them to bring their child to God in Baptism.    Jennifer is a hero. 

    Every single one of us has a heroic role to play in what has been called “the defining issue of our day.” There is no age so corrupt that saints can’t flourish.  The examples described, are simply accounts of regular men and women of faith taking a stand in whatever large, or small way, was presented to them.  They are heroes of our time. May each and every one of us do likewise.

God bless you!

            Phil Lawson, MTS

            Pastoral Associate