Risk to Do Great Things

“If we do not risk anything for God, we will never do anything great for Him.” St. Louis de Montfort

Recently, I had to attend a wedding in another country. I went for a very short trip. I usually go to daily mass, but despite the number of churches, there was no mass available. I was surprised. I asked an older woman, who was praying in the church, if there was a mass available. Her response, “There is a vocation crisis.” I am fully aware of this crisis, but maybe it is time to double down and work extra hard. I made a side trip to a center that was recommended to me. It is a small Catholic Community begun by a priest years ago and their mission is to attend to those in need. I thought it would be some small, dilapidated house in the city. Instead, I found a sprawling property in the hills, with nine houses for residents, a church at the center and a community of consecrated lay people who have devoted their lives to others. There did not seem to be a crisis of vocations or work to do there. It was amazing.

“The world needs missionaries. It needs you to share the light and joy that you have found in Jesus.” Pope Leo XIV

I was at mass in Canada recently. There, the feast of St. Francois de Laval is celebrated since he was the first bishop of the vast colony of New France which stretched from the east coast to Lake Michigan and down to New Orleans. There was no internet, no train or air travel and no Uber. Yet, he worked to build up the church in this empty space. He work tirelessly. St. José de Anchieta was from the Canary Islands. He was a highly influential figure in Brazil’s history in the first century after its discovery by a Portuguese fleet in 1550. He was one of the founders of São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro. But more than that, Anchieta was a renowned poet and writer. He is considered the first Brazilian author. He would live his life in a new world and worked for the Church. These two examples leave me wondering what else we can do for God.

“Let us remember that love lives through sacrifice and is nourished by giving. Without sacrifice, there is no love.” St. Maxmilian Kolbe

It is always remarkable to read about the lives of those who came before us. Sacrifices were made; determination was rewarded even though it might not have seemed obvious in the moment. We need to look beyond what we see and what we expect. We cannot give in to delusion and sadness. Our work does not end there. If it is what is willed for us, it will bear fruit.

“Our works are of no value if they are not united to the merits of Jesus Christ.” St. Teresa of Jesus