Memorial of Saint Frances Xavier Cabrini, Virgin

Today we celebrate the Feast of Saint Frances Cabrini. The movie about her in the theater did a very good job of touching on all the challenges she had to overcome. There were many similar experiences that Saint Peter Julian and Saint Terese of Calcutta lived. I was surprised that their lives practically overlapped. They faced many of the same challenges and addressed them in similar ways. This span of time includes Mary’s visits to Lourdes, Fatima, and Medjugorje, encouraging people to come and embrace her son.

These are not coincidences. It is God inviting us to come to him as his children, finding our own paths of doing God’s will. There is no way to do this without receiving the Eucharist in our lives.

Change is constant, growth is optional. As children, we need food to grow, nourishment to meet the changes in our lives. We need instruction from reliable sources and regular exercise to build our strength and do our work effectively. All are found in the Eucharist: in receiving communion; in personal prayer and study; and in adoration in the presence of the Eucharist.

Encouragement is found in giving and receiving the Eucharist, as we share ourselves with sisters and brothers in social interactions, study groups, and larger gatherings.

We need this to grow. These are very important for experiencing and sharing greater experiences of support, growth, and solidarity with each other. And we need constant support.

We are approaching the end of the calendar year and the start of a New Year.  May this transition open more doors to new ways of experiencing the Eucharist.

Let us pray:

Heavenly Creator, help me to make little changes in my routines that bring me closer to you, closer to Jesus, Mary, and the angels and saints. Help me find time to spend with my sisters and brothers, sharing in the Body and Blood of Communion, and sharing stories about our growth, which will support all of us. As Saint Frances Xavier Cabrini shows us today, there is work to be done as well as joys to be celebrated. Amen.