July 4th is
celebrated as the birthday of our country. Mother Katharine prayed that the
hearts of our government officials would bring religion, justice, and peace to
our country. We can do the same.
July 14 is the feast day of Saint Kateri Tekakwitha (1656-1680), the Lily of the Mohawks. Shortly after her death in 1680, Kateri’s face, pockmarked by smallpox scars, became clear and luminous. In 1904, Mother Katharine visited Caughnawaga, Quebec, near Montreal, where Kateri had lived, visiting Kateri’s shrine. In 1937, Mother Katharine wrote that the canonization of Kateri Tekakwitha would show that there is no distinction with God as to persons and that no race had a monopoly on sanctity. Mother Katharine hoped that at that time, all would be truly seen as the children of God. Pope Benedict XVI canonized Saint Kateri on October 21, 2012, the first Native American saint in the United States and Canada.
July 16 is the Feast of Our Lady of Mount Carmel. Many
Sisters of the Blessed Sacrament pronounced their vows on that feast day.
Prayers and best wishes to those Sisters who are celebrating jubilees this
summer!
July 26 is
the feast day of Saints Ann and Joachim, the parents of Mary, the mother of
Jesus. Their efforts to raise Mary in a faith-filled environment led to her
“Fiat,” Mary’s acceptance of her role as the mother of Jesus.
Family life
was important to Jesus; He spent thirty years as a member of the Holy Family,
hidden from public view. Mother Katharine called Jesus’ home “His first
apostolate.” By living the life of an ordinary family member, Jesus sanctified
“the ordinary way of family life.” The Catechism of the Catholic Church
calls the family the “original cell of social life” (#2207). As children we
first learn how to interact with others within our family. Education in the
faith begins when family members help one another to grow in faith by the
witness of a Christian life (#2226). We begin to learn how to be Christian
within our family.
Many of us are planning or
have planned vacations for the summer. Even Saint Katharine planned a vacation
– young Kate wrote Bishop O’Connor that she planned to enjoy herself as much as
“whales or porpoises tumbling about in the water.”
Saint Katharine was familiar
with the ocean. As a child, she was initially afraid of the waves. She held onto
her father, asking him to take her back to the shore! She clung tightly to her
father because she was afraid that she would drown. Later, Saint Katharine knew
she had been safe in her father’s arms, just as she and we are safe in the arms
of our heavenly father.
Saint Katharine sailed to
Rome several times and had plenty of opportunities to see “whales or porpoises
tumbling about in the water.”
Even though Saint Katharine,
as a young woman, anticipated “nothing to do” during the summer, she kept up
her daily prayers and attended Mass as often as she could. She knew that God
works 24/7, never taking a “vacation” from caring for us, and we should not forget
Him or the Blessed Mother during our vacations.
May your summer be a time of
“recreation,” providing opportunities to re-create yourself both physically and
spiritually. May your summer be safe and fun! This summer, may our families continue to
cultivate the seed of a deep faith and confidence in God. May we truly see all
people as children of God.
Stephanie Morris, ASBS
June 27, 2024
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