We let the Lord surprise us and open paths of grace in our life, and that healthy and necessary decentralization happens, in which we put ourselves aside, so that Christ can occupy the center of our life. ~Pope Francis to the Secular Institute of Schoenstatt Fathers
Grace does not erase who we are; it perfects and elevates what God has already placed within us. As the Catechism teaches, “Grace builds on nature” (CCC 2005). Strengths are part of that nature, and when we understand them, we can cooperate with grace more freely. Instead of trying to imitate someone else’s path to holiness, we can cultivate virtue in the way God designed us to flourish.
The American Flag is a symbol of our heritage. Not a perfect heritage, and not a simple one, but a real one.
Mary reminds us that holiness is possible in ordinary life. Her humility counters our culture's obsession with self-promotion, her trust challenges our need for control, and her tenderness softens the edges of our hurried hearts.
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