Let this be a Lesson: Weekly Message for 07-07-2020

Dear Friends in Christ,

First, it was the coronavirus, then came the waves of protests, some tainted by rioting. 

2020 has turned out to be a year of turbulence, reminiscent of 1968. And it’s only half over.

Adding to the pain has been a landscape of closed or barely open churches. From some quarters is heard talk of the end times.

Those thirsty for signs of hope might consider three days this month when the Church remembers saints who were gallant in their own ways. 

July 9 is the day of St. Augustine Zhao Rong and Companions, the more than 100 martyrs who died in China between the mid-17th century and 1930. 

Then there is July 11, which focuses on St. Benedict, who withdrew from the corrupt Rome of his day and went on to become the father of Western monasticism. 

The month ends with the feast day of St. Ignatius of Loyola, founder of the Jesuits, who became shock troops of the Counter-Reformation.

All these saints lived amid troubled times. Yet all shone amid the darkness, fueled by a faith in the Lord who knew how to work his wonders.

Keeping an eye on the workings of the Lord might be an antidote to the fixation on bad news that fills our airwaves and screens. 

No doubt the Holy Spirit has been working amid the crises, gently speaking to hearts, nudging lost sheep home, and enkindling a newfound gratitude for the sacraments. 

How might the Spirit have been working in your soul? That is a question you might want to ponder with the help of Seasons of Change, our Retreat Guide on spiritual growth.

Think of it as a chance to take stock of the lessons learned during the crises, and to refocus on the only One who can ever bring true peace to the world.

In Christ,

Father Edward McIlmail, LC
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contact@rcspirituality.org

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2 Comments
  1. I LOVE BEING A REGNUM CHRISTI MEMBER. I see God more clearly with every gathering with these holy women in the York Capter led by Kitty Felter. The case studies open my spirit to lessons to be learned in every day life. I know I am God’s and he is mine.–Angela

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