The championship game of our Tecmo Bowl the Board Game tournament came down to a moment that still makes my stomach twist a little when I replay it in my head.
For those unfamiliar, Tecmo Bowl the Board Game is a tabletop version of the classic NES football game. Instead of controllers, you use play cards, dice, and team abilities to simulate drives, turnovers, and big plays. It feels part chess, part nostalgia, and part living-room Super Bowl. It is also shockingly intense for something made of cardboard.
In the final, I was playing as Dallas and my son was playing as Indianapolis. These are generic versions of the classic NFL teams, so there are no mascots or logos involved, just colors, stats, and a lot of competitive pride.
Dallas had the ball at the five-yard line. Four chances to punch it in. Four chances to ice the game.
They went nowhere on first down. Nothing on second. Stopped cold on third.
Then we made a call that felt heroic and foolish at the same time. We went for it on fourth down.
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I have felt a deep pull toward pilgrimage for years. There is something powerful about walking ancient paths, praying where saints have prayed, and placing one’s intentions before the Lord in places shaped by centuries of devotion. Yet as a husband and father to four energetic children, long-distance pilgrimages are not possible in this season of life.
Still, God finds a way. My “micro-pilgrimages” have become unexpected moments of grace: visits to our cathedral, celebrating feast days at home, praying novenas and litanies, and uniting our intentions with the Holy Father. These small steps, taken in the ordinary rhythms of family life, remind me of the truth expressed in the Catechism: “The Church…will receive its perfection only in the glory of heaven, when she will appear in splendor…toward which she is hastening” (CCC 769).
We are all pilgrims, whether we walk the Camino or pray in our living rooms. Some pilgrimages, however, shape a person for life, especially those preparing to become priests. This is why the mission of the Camino Pilgrim Foundation matters so deeply. They provide seminarians with a structured, prayer-filled, and transformative experience along the Camino de Santiago, the kind of formation that can remain with them for decades.
The church door closed with a soft click. Empty pews stretched toward the altar. A single candle flickered near the monstrance, its flame steady. Sunlight filtered through stained glass, casting colored patterns that moved slowly across the floor. The air felt still.
An elderly woman sat in the third pew on the left, rosary beads sliding between weathered fingers. She didn’t look up.
The wooden kneeler creaked. Silence filled the space, not empty but full. The gold of the monstrance caught the light once, then didn’t again. A car passed outside, then nothing.
The clock on the wall ticked. The Host remained unchanged, white against gold. Minutes stretched. The elderly woman shifted slightly, then returned to stillness.
Somewhere, a heating system hummed briefly, then quieted. The colored light on the floor had moved an inch. The candle flame didn’t waver.
God Waits
Saint Alphonsus Liguori proclaimed, “Of all devotions, that of adoring Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament is the greatest after the sacraments, the one dearest to God and the one most helpful to us.”
Yet God doesn’t need our love—He wants it.
The Blessed Sacrament doesn’t demand attention with bright lights or loud sounds. It waits. The miracle sits in plain sight, ordinary and extraordinary at once. Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity behind the appearance of bread.
A Different Kind of Time
In Eucharistic Adoration, time changes. Not faster or slower—different.
St. Mother Teresa understood this: “When you look at the crucifix, you understand how much Jesus loved you then. When you look at the Sacred Host, you understand how much Jesus loves you now.”
Now. Present tense.
The elderly woman with the rosary knew this. Her weekly visit wasn’t obligation—it was appointment. Her same pew each Wednesday, surrounded by familiar silence, enveloped in His unchanging Presence.
What Happens in Adoration?
St. Clare of Assisi said simply: “Gaze upon him, consider him, contemplate him, as you desire to imitate him.”
Some call it spiritual tanning—basking in the light of the Son. You can’t help but be changed by it. Too much exposure and your sins become visible, uncomfortable. The longer you remain, the more grace accumulates.
The wooden pew feels hard after twenty minutes. The mind wanders. The silence grows deeper. And then, sometimes, a moment arrives that wasn’t there before.
The Invitation
The Church doesn’t merely suggest Adoration—it recognizes our need for it. As the Catechism states, “The Church and the world have great need of Eucharistic adoration. Jesus waits for us in this sacrament of love.”
He waits.
The church remains mostly empty on weekday afternoons. The Host doesn’t mind. The monstrance holds the miracle whether witnessed by hundreds or just an elderly woman with arthritic hands.
The invitation remains open.
Find fifteen minutes this week. Ask your parish office when Adoration hours are scheduled. Walk in. Sit down. Nothing spectacular may happen.
But the candle will flicker near the monstrance. Sunlight might cast colored patterns across the floor. The silence will be waiting.
Years ago, a friend invited me to a seminar on the Jesus prayer.
As a cradle Catholic, I no longer felt that attending mass on Sunday was enough. Over time, I joined a choir, attended several weekend retreats for young adults and made friends who were more active in parish life than I was, all intended to bring me closer to God.
When I was asked to join one of those friends to learn about the Jesus prayer it felt like another opportunity to enhance my faith and prayer life.
Our group met one cold winter night in downtown Montreal (Quebec.). Before the session began, I struck up a conversation with two religious sisters. At first I thought they were the speakers, but no, they told me, they had come to learn about this prayer, too. I thought that if these two nuns were eager to enhance their faith, there was hope for my own.
Origins of the Jesus Prayer
We learned that the Jesus prayer has its roots in Eastern Christianity. Whereas traditional meditation has the intent in the emptying of minds, the Jesus prayer, by the power of the Holy Spirit, is invoking the name of Jesus Christ to God the Father.
This makes total sense, because Christ IS the focal point of Christian prayer.
We have access to the Father only if we pray in name of Jesus (Catechism 2664). It is the one name that contains everything (Catechism 2666). In fact when we pray to Jesus, we not only invoke him but “call him within us.”
Lord Jesus, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner.
We closed our eyes and pondered over those few words speaking quietly and repeating them over and over again.
In all prayer we strive to pray with an open heart and it is no different with the Jesus prayer.
Lord Jesus, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner
Those words held more weight than I knew. As I continue to delve more into scripture and God’s promise of salvation that awaits each of us, those words paint a thousand more.
God Meets You in the Struggle
In our sinfulness and brokenness, God welcomes us through his Son. Like the heavenly prize that Paul speaks of, I too, despite my daily struggles, strive for that perfect spiritual life. Despite obstacles along the way, I press on, knowing the journey towards Him, though difficult at times, will ultimately bring lasting joy and fulfillment. That glimpse of eternal joy is a sliver in our present life, but it is by God’s grace that we experience those moments on our earthly journey.
I am often guilty of being blind to God’s promise of salvation, just as St. Paul was. When I think of God crying out to Paul, “Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?” (Acts 3:9), I know too well how many times I have offended God, not just by what I have done, but also by what I have failed to do.
The Lasting Impact of the Jesus Prayer
It’s been more than forty years since that night in Montreal. I still pray the Jesus prayer, striving to carve those words permanently into my spiritual life. I’m not always successful, but I like to think that perseverance, in spite of all the worldly obstacles we face these days, is what counts.
At mass, when the host and chalice are raised, I meditate on the words of the Jesus prayer. In that moment, the gift of God’s grace is both convicting for me as a sinner, and at the same time, comforting.
Lord Jesus, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner.
I say those words slowly, over and over again.
When I do, I cannot help but examine my own heart:
Do I come before God in humility knowing that I need him?
Do I trust God as his adopted daughter knowing that he is with me, and that not my will but his will be done?
Do I persevere in prayer, by praying without ceasing so that through prayer I strive to become more like Jesus, even in moments of dryness and distraction?
We may strive to do all of these things, and sometimes we may do them well, and at other times fall short. It is a battle of prayer that so many saints struggled with, but never gave up by asking for God’s grace through their faith and trust in him.
Prayer brings us closer to the Father
St. Teresa of Avila says of contemplative prayer that it is “nothing else than a close sharing between friends; it means taking time frequently to be alone with him who loves us.” (Catechism 2709).
We need to remain open to God’s promise of salvation that awaits each of us in the heavenly kingdom. But it is only when we pray from the heart that we will receive His gift of grace and begin to forge that ultimate relationship with him.
Lord Jesus, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner.
May we respond to God our Father’s call to prayer, by the power of the Holy Spirit and through his Son Jesus Christ, with unwavering faith, hope and love.
About Our Guest Blogger:
Jackie lives in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. Her publications include Blessed (Calla Press, 2023), Stories of Faith (Our Sunday Visitor, 2020), Hello and Goodbye (Dribbles, Drabbles and Postcards, 2022), and Birthdays 2022 (Grief Dialogues Stories, US). Besides writing, Jackie enjoy hiking, reading, and traveling. You can find Jackie’s work at cherishingthedeathprocess.com and at fromsimplewordstorealstories.home.blog.
Editor’s Note: Matthew Chicoine interviewed Father Richard Libby via phone call on August 23rd, 2023. Some of the questions have been rearranged and edited to provide the best reader experience without losing any integrity of the answers given.
Today’s topic is sacramentals and Catholic saints and devotions attached to them. I had the pleasure of interviewing Father Richard Libby about his experience with sacramentals and how they impacted his spiritual life.
Thank you for meeting with me again Father Libby. 🙂
Happy to talk with you Matthew!
What’s a sacramental?
An object that leads us to greater devotion. Items like the Rosary, the scapular, and the medal. They are intended to stir up our devotion.
Has your mindset towards sacramentals change much since you were ordained a priest?
There wasn’t much of a change in my attitude over the sacramentals since becoming a priest. But I have seen more and more how sacramentals are instruments to help us our journey. I have developed a new appreciation.
What sacramentals have you used during your priesthood most often?
The Rosary and the Brown Scapular. I’m also developing a greater appreciation of the Saint Benedict Medal and the Holy Face Medal.
Holy water is a sacramental and some people don’t see it as a sacramental. I like to do the rite of sprinkling once a month at my parish. I enjoy having it in the Epiphany Blessing. Holy Water is recommended in blessings such as the investiture of the Brown Scapular.
Describe a bit of your spirituality.
I was a devotee of the Brown Scapular. Since becoming a priest, I have have the opportunity to visit a Carmelite hermitage and developed friendships with them.
Which Catholic saint has had the biggest impact on your spiritual life?
The Blessed Virgin Mary and Her Rosary. I try to make it a point to pray it daily. While it’s not a required devotion, it’s such a part of our life it’s hard to imagine a Catholic without a rosary.
The three popes (John Paul II, Benedict XVI, Francis) I know the best in my lifetime have had a notable devotion to Mary.
John Paul II had a year of the Rosary during his pontificate. JPII wrote a document on the Rosary. He was influenced by Saint Louis de Montfort. Perhaps there is no more noteworthy child of Mary, in recent history, than John Paul II.
Benedict XVI’s devotion was a bit more reserved than JPII’s. However, he did dedicate his Pontificate to Mary, so there’s no question the Blessed Virgin Mary was influential on his papacy.
Pope Francis goes to the Saint Mary Major Basilica in Rome anytime he goes on a major trip.
Any last words of advice, for new Catholic converts in terms of beginning or learning about a sacramental and devotion.
Meet with your parish priest and ask them for guidance. They should be able to connect you with resources about sacramentals.
Thank you for your time, Father Richard! It was great chatting with you.
You’re welcome! Great talking with you too.
About Father Richard Libby:
Father Richard Libby is a priest of the Diocese of Corpus Christi, where he serves as pastor of St. Helena Parish and as the chancellor of the diocese. In his free time, he enjoys reading, writing poems and short stories, and birdwatching.
Editor’s Note: Post originally published on June 16, 2017.
Emotions ran high in my family yesterday. I struggled with a stressful situation at work and my son fell off his bike and scrapes his knee—a meltdown ensued. Feelings are part of the fabric of what it means to be human. I am not proud to admit this, but I have greatly failed in keeping my feeling in check during the past couple weeks.
On my drove to work this morning, words from a Christian song over the radio jogged a thought I had about prayer and our communication of God. I pondered how natural it is for humanity to complain when things do not go your way. How do we overcome the sin of complaining? Listening to the song lyrics I realized the answer is incredibly simple—cry out to God!
Using examples from the Scriptures, excerpts from Saint John of the Cross’ Dark Night of the Soul, and my own personal experiences I give 4 reasons why “crying out to God” is not complaining but rather an essential part of the spiritual life.
Lesson from Lamentations
Latent within the Old Testament, Lamentations is not among the first books that pop into my mind for having spiritual insight. I usually think of Proverbs or the Book of Wisdom. Lamentations is a collection of five poems that act as a woeful reply to the destruction of Jerusalem in 587 B.C. Both individual and communal prayers of sorrow are found in this book. For my purposes today I will only focus on Lamentations 3:19-31 (click on link to see the full Bible passage) which contains an individual lament.
The inspired writer of Lamentations speaks directly to me in this passage. His words, “Over and over, my soul is downcast,” calls to mind my state of mind and relationship with God over the past several weeks. I was downtrodden and I frequently wanted to give up. Interestingly enough, I actually pondered the fact that there is a glimmer of hope in my situation. The writer of Lamentations is prophetic again when he states, “I tell myself, therefore I will hope in him. 25The LORD is good to those who trust in him, to the one that seeks him; 26It is good to hope in silence for the LORD’s deliverance.”
Crying Out to God in Psalm 22
According to Mark 15:34, Jesus cries out to the Father in similar fashion as the book of Lamentations and myself when I encounter the stresses of life. The evangelist writes, “And at three o’clock Jesus cried out in a loud voice, “Eloi, Eloi, lema sabachthani?”* which is translated, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”
These words used to befuddle me.
I have since learned that Jesus was invoking the psalmist’s lamenting words in Psalm 22. The psalm begins as a sorrowful prayer to God but similar to Lamentations 3 it ends with hope [see Psalm 22:23-32]. Reading these words, the Holy Spirit connected the dots for me on this subject. Verse 30 references homage toward God on bended knee and I already was planning on talking about how lament leads to kneeling before God even before I read Psalm 22!! The movement of the Holy Spirit is mysterious yet true.
Dark Night of a Soul
Saint John of the Cross was a great mystic of the Catholic Church during the 16th century. His spiritual work Dark Night of the Soul is as relevant today as it was when it was originally written. I will only focus on the dark night of the purgation of our senses and tie it to the theme of crying out towards God. The major characteristic of this dark night is the soul finding no pleasure or consolation in the things of God. I find myself occasionally in a “spiritual rut” where I do not receive consolation or experience direct joy from God.
St. John tells us to not worry,
“It is well for those who find themselves in this condition to take comfort, to persevere in patience and to be in no wise afflicted. Let them trust in God, Who abandons not those that seek Him with a simple and right heart, and will not fail to give them what is needful for the road, until He bring them into the clear and pure light of love” (Chapter X no 3).
Like the writer of Lamentations, John of the Cross, reminds us purgation is necessary to increase our holiness and awareness of God.
Skinned Up Knees Leads to On Bended Knee
This week my wife and I added training wheels to our son’s first bicycle. We taught him the fundamentals of pedaling and coaxing him when he got frustrated because they were “too heavy”.
Things were going well. He gained momentum and cruised on our neighbor sidewalk for about 50 feet.
Suddenly he hit a raised section of the sidewalk and toppled off his bike. Tears immediately streamed down his face. My wife added a Band-Aid and after a few minutes of reassurance had him get back on the bike to try again.
How does this common childhood experience relate to the spiritual life? Oftentimes we get metaphorical “skinned up knees”. Gossip in the workplace or stressful family events damage our relationship with God. True growth is not without pain—both in learning to ride a bike and deepening our spiritual life. Having undergone lots of skinned up knees in learning to ride my bike it makes it easier for me to be on bended knee in prayer to thank God for going through the school of trials to learn more about Him.
The difference between complaining and lamenting is the former lacks the virtue of hope. Complaining is more self-centered in orientations whereas prayers of lament focus communication with our Divine Creator. Do not be ashamed to cry out to God but remember that while it is a necessary step in the spiritual process– it is only the beginning. May we always ask the Holy Spirit to lead us toward prayers of thanksgiving after a season of lament!
