NOTE: These are only suggestions. Some of the strategies may not be applicable to your situation at this time in your life. Please use these shields against anxiety as it suits your needs/situation.
Prayer
1 Peter 5:7 states, “Cast all your worries upon Him because he cares for you.” The Holy Spirit truly does work in mysterious ways. I am currently in a training class for my new position and the title of the session is A.R.E. in the Workplace. Perhaps it was a coincidence; I rather see it as perfect divine timing.
Music
Along with prayer, song safeguards me from anxiety. I used to listen to rock music; however, four years ago I made a shift in the type of music that played in my car. Because the words we hear impact our daily living, my shift to living to positive and uplifting Christian music protects me from the chaos life throws my way.
Counseling
Together with prayer and encouraging music, monthly counseling appointment defends myself from the foray caused by the foibles of myself and my fellow neighbors. Counselor is a title given to the Holy Spirit as well. Between my professional counseling sessions, I can rely on the aid of the Holy Spirit to console me against daily anxiety.
Reading
A fourth shield in my armory against anxiety is frequent reading of good books. According to Frederick Douglas, “Once you learn to read, you will be forever free.” While this quote is not necessarily an absolute truth, I will attest to that reading can be a doorway to freedom. As I journey into the literary universes of C.S. Lewis, J.R.R. Tolkien, to name a couple of my favorite authors, I am afforded respite from the toils of work. Through the written word I am also able to travel—in a sense – back in time to meet holy men and women and learn about they existed in a world that was not their home.
Exercise
St. Paul in 2 Timothy 4:7 provided a timeless example of the spiritual life, “I have competed well; I have finished the race; I have kept the faith.” I joined cross country in high school and my passion for running continues today. During a stressful week I defend myself from the snares of anxiety by taking my children out in the jogging stroller for a short run. During my neighbor circuits, I was able to reflect on how my day went and how I may be able to improve on my shortcomings.
Medicine
Anxiety medicine does not work for anyone so feel free to disregard this point. However, pharmaceuticals for stress help me to limit the anxieties I impose on myself. Consistent usage of doctor prescribed anxiety medication is beneficial to my unique situation. It took me a long time to acknowledge that outside help was necessary to relief intense stress.
Sacraments
God loves humanity so much that he implemented a support system for his adopted children to utilize to shield against the prowess of the Devil. According to the Catechism of the Catholic Church number 1436,
Eucharist and Penance. Daily conversion and penance find their source and nourishment in the Eucharist, for in it is made present the sacrifice of Christ which has reconciled us with God. Through the Eucharist those who live from the life of Christ are fed and strengthened. “It is a remedy to free us from our daily faults and to preserve us from mortal sins.35
The Holy Spirit absolves me of my sins when I have an authentic contrition. Along with forgiveness, I receive grace to stave off future temptations. When I face despair and doubt in Divine Providence often the sacrament of Confession is the only thing that bring me back to the life of faith!
Whether I am in the shadows of a desolation or experiencing consolation, I found these seven shields an effective defense against the constant assault of anxiety. I will continue to fight the good fight to become the best version of myself and not succumb to impatience, anger, or doubt. I pray that you take up this challenge daily as well!
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Evangelizing children isn’t always about complex theological lessons or far-off mission trips. Sometimes, the most powerful encounters with God happen right in your own backyard or even your living room. Just as adults benefit from pilgrimages that draw them closer to God, children can encounter Christ through small, intentional “journeys” of faith that fit within everyday life.
Let’s explore how these small pilgrimages can help pass on the faith to your kids while strengthening your domestic church.
The Domestic Church: Where Evangelization Begins
The Catechism of the Catholic Church reminds us of the parents’ vital role:
“Parents have the first responsibility for the education of their children. They bear witness to this responsibility first by creating a home where tenderness, forgiveness, respect, fidelity, and disinterested service are the rule… Parents have a grave responsibility to give good example to their children” (CCC 2223).
In many ways, the home itself becomes a sort of permanent pilgrimage site, a sacred place where children encounter God daily through prayer, forgiveness, service, and love.
As I’ve written before, even small actions like having holy images in your home, praying before meals, answering questions during Mass, or visiting a local Catholic bookstore create micro-moments of evangelization. One of my daughters, for example, loves flipping through pamphlets about the Eucharist. That small curiosity leads to natural conversations about the Real Presence. These little moments plant seeds that the Holy Spirit can grow over time.
Adding sacramentals and liturgical resources to your home can also help foster these everyday encounters. Catholic businesses like Pockets of Heaven provide beautiful, handcrafted tools that help families create prayer spaces, celebrate feast days, and make the liturgical year come alive for kids in simple but meaningful ways.
You don’t need a master’s degree in theology to evangelize your kids. What matters most is creating a loving environment where faith is part of daily life, where Christ is present in both words and actions.
Pilgrimages Teach Kids That Life is a Journey Toward God
Father Dave Pivonka wisely reminds us that “Every single one of us is a pilgrim on a journey. For us Christians, as Pope St. John Paul II said, this journey should ultimately lead us to the heart of the Father.”
Pilgrimages, whether big or small, teach kids that faith is not static. It’s a living, breathing adventure toward God’s heart. And this journey doesn’t require international travel. While trips to Lourdes, Fatima, or Rome are beautiful, they’re not necessary to experience the graces of pilgrimage.
Small pilgrimages could include:
Visiting your diocesan cathedral for Mass.
Spending an hour in adoration at a nearby chapel.
Walking as a family to a local Marian shrine.
Going on a nature walk while praying the Rosary.
Visiting a cemetery and praying for the dead on All Souls’ Day.
These intentional acts pull kids out of their daily routines and help them encounter God anew. As Fr. Pivonka puts it, “Do something intentional that takes you out of your ordinary routine. Seek to encounter Jesus. You will be amazed what God can do in your heart.”
The Sacraments: Theological Rest Stops Along the Journey
Life is exhausting. I’ve written before how my own fatigue nearly led me to despair. Yet, in that weakness, I was reminded of Bishop Paul Swain’s beautiful words:
“Sacraments are not the end or graduation of the Catholic life, rather sacraments act as theological rest stops to give us strength.”
Confession, for example, is like a pit stop where we release burdens and receive grace to keep walking. As the Catechism explains, “The sacrament of Penance repairs or restores [fraternal communion]” (CCC 1469).
The Eucharist provides nourishment for the journey ahead — our manna in the desert:
“The principal fruit of receiving the Eucharist in Holy Communion is an intimate union with Christ Jesus… Life in Christ has its foundation in the Eucharistic banquet” (CCC 1391).
And marriage? It’s not simply a contract but a covenant of mutual sacrifice. As I’ve joked before, marriage often feels like a holy war against pride, impatience, and selfishness. But it’s also a place of peace, where we strategize, rest, and receive grace for the road ahead.
When we bring our children into these sacramental rest stops by taking them to Confession, preparing them for First Holy Communion, and witnessing the beauty of a sacramental marriage, we’re showing them how to draw strength for their own pilgrim journey.
Penance, Solidarity, and Thanksgiving — Lessons Even Kids Can Learn
Pilgrimage isn’t always comfortable. Fr. Pivonka shares stories of pilgrims enduring blistering heat, unexpected thunderstorms, and travel mishaps. Yet these struggles become opportunities for offering penance, teaching kids a profound lesson: suffering can be united to prayer.
On a small pilgrimage to a local shrine, a child might get tired or frustrated. That’s a chance to gently explain:
“You can offer this tiredness for Grandma who’s sick, or for a friend who’s struggling.”
Solidarity is another beautiful fruit of pilgrimage. Whether walking together as a family or participating in parish events, kids learn that they’re not alone in their faith. They belong to the wider Body of Christ — a Church filled with fellow pilgrims, saints, and sinners all journeying home.
Finally, pilgrimages naturally lead to thanksgiving. As Fr. Pivonka writes about his own Camino de Santiago:
“Going on pilgrimage does something to our hearts and to how we see the world… We begin to see [God] in places where we didn’t before.”
When kids see the beauty of God in creation, family, sacraments, and community, gratitude becomes a habit that sustains their faith long after the pilgrimage ends. Even creating little “pockets of heaven” in our homes — through prayer corners, seasonal decor, or feast day celebrations — can help foster that spirit of gratitude.
Evangelizing our kids doesn’t require perfect words or elaborate plans. It begins with small acts of intentionality, small pilgrimages of the heart, the home, and even the neighborhood.
As parents, our job is to guide our children toward Christ through daily witness, sacramental life, and occasional small pilgrimages that draw them deeper into God’s presence. With each little step, they’ll discover that their whole life is a beautiful, lifelong journey toward the Father.
As Proverbs 16:3 reminds us:
“Commit your work to the Lord, and your plans will be established.”
Buen Camino.
Thanks again to today’s article sponsor! Visit Pockets of Heaven where you’ll find resources to help your children journey with Jesus, Mary, and the Saints in the pockets of everyday life.
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While the Lamb of God and the Lion of Judah are the most obvious and biblically clear animal symbols for Jesus Christ, the pelican is an under-rated symbol that is rich in meaning and beauty. There are many birds used in Christian history to represent God: like the dove for the Holy Spirit and even the Mother Hen as an analogy to speak of Christ’s protection of his people in Luke 13:31-35.
Honestly, I had never heard about the pelican as a symbol of Jesus Christ until a few years ago. Since discovering this powerful symbol I have started to notice it more and more in various parishes where I have attended Mass over the years. I have seen etchings of this majestic bird on pillars at the cathedral in my city and have seen the pelican adorned on altars in a variety of ways.
A Symbol Hidden in Plain Sight
I traveled to Italy during college and visited both Assisi and Rome. I wish I had known about the pelican symbol back then because I would have seen some beautiful portrayals of this symbol of Christ in those awesome churches. Before learning about its spiritual significance, the only time I really thought about pelicans was when looking up NBA scores and seeing the New Orleans Pelicans! It’s amazing how something can transform from mundane to meaningful once you understand its deeper significance.
Today, I wear a pelican brown scapular (I alternate it with my traditional style brown scapular every other day), and I received an awesome pelican t-shirt from Archangel Outfitters to celebrate the Feast of Corpus Christi. These small reminders help keep this powerful symbol of Christ’s sacrifice close to my heart.
This is one of the coolest shirts I own. I wear it almost weekly. It’s perfect for the summertime!
An Ancient Legend Transformed
The image of the mother pelican feeding her baby pelicans is rooted in several ancient Roman legends that precede Christianity. One version is that in time of famine, the mother pelican wounded herself, striking her breast with her beak to feed her young with her blood. Another version was that the mother fed her dying young with her blood to revive them from death, but in turn lost her own life.
Given these traditions, one can easily understand how early Christians adapted it to symbolize our Lord, Jesus Christ. The pelican symbolizes Jesus our Redeemer who gave His life for our redemption and feeds us with His Body and Blood in the Eucharist. We were dead to sin and have found new life through the sacrifice of Christ.
The Biblical Connection
While the pelican doesn’t appear directly in Scripture as a symbol for Christ, Jesus himself uses bird imagery to describe his protective love. In Luke 13:31-35, after Pharisees warn him about Herod’s death threats, Jesus laments over Jerusalem:
“Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to it! How often have I desired to gather your children together as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, yet you were not willing.”
This tender image of a mother bird gathering her young under wings for protection parallels the sacrificial nature of the pelican legend. Both emphasize Christ’s desire to protect, nourish, and save his people, even at great personal cost.
As Jesus told his disciples (and us), “Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends” (John 15:13). Saint Cyril of Alexandria echoed this when he wrote, “Christ came into this world in human flesh not to be served, but, as he himself said, to serve and to give his life as a ransom for many.”
The Physiologus and Medieval Symbolism
This tradition and others is found in the Physiologus, an early Christian work which appeared in the second century in Alexandria, Egypt. Written by an anonymous author, this text recorded legends of animals and gave each an allegorical interpretation.
The legend of the pelican is described: “The little pelicans strike their parents, and the parents, striking back, kill them. But on the third day the mother pelican strikes and opens her side and pours blood over her dead young. In this way they are revivified and made well. So Our Lord Jesus Christ says also through the prophet Isaiah: I have brought up children and exalted them, but they have despised me (Is 1:2). We struck God by serving the creature rather than the Creator. Therefore, He deigned to ascend the cross, and when His side was pierced, blood and water gushed forth unto our salvation and eternal life.”
This work was noted by numerous authors and was popular in the Middle Ages as a source for the symbols used in stone carvings and other artwork of that period.
The Pelican in Literature
The pelican symbol appears frequently in Renaissance literature. In 1312, Dante wrote in his “Paridiso” of Christ as “our Pelican who shed His blood in order to give eternal life to the children of men.” In 1606, John Lyly wrote in his “Euphues” of the “pelicane who stricketh blood out of its owne bodye to do others good.” Even Shakespeare referenced this symbolism in Hamlet: “to his good friend thus wide, I’ll open my arms and, like the kind, life-rendering pelican repast them with my blood.” In modern English this would translate as: “I’ll open my arms wide to his true friends, and like a mother pelican with her brood, I’ll even give my blood for them.”
Jesus cares for us like the mother pelican cares for her young.
The Eucharistic Connection
The pelican has been part of our liturgical tradition for centuries. In his great Eucharistic hymn “Adoro te devote,” St. Thomas Aquinas directly addresses Christ as the “pie pelicane, Jesu Domine” (the pious pelican, Lord Jesus), asking him to “wash my filthiness and clean me with your blood.”
This Eucharistic connection is why we often see the pelican image on tabernacles, altar frontals, and other church furnishings. The image powerfully reminds us of Christ’s Real Presence in the Eucharist, where He continues to feed us with His Body and Blood.
As Saint Pio of Pietrelcina said, “It would be easier for the world to survive without the sun than to do without Holy Mass.” The Eucharist is not merely a symbol but the very life of Christ given to sustain us spiritually, just as the pelican in the legend sustains her young with her own blood.
Saint John Paul II reminded us that “Jesus waits for us in this sacrament of love.” The image of the pelican helps us visualize this profound truth—Christ giving Himself completely for our salvation and nourishment.
Finding the Pelican in Our Churches
Next time you’re in a church, especially an older one with traditional furnishings, look around carefully. You might spot a pelican carved on an altar, etched in a stained glass window, or painted on a tabernacle door. These images aren’t random decorations but powerful reminders of Christ’s sacrificial love.
In Catholic tradition, the pelican image on a tabernacle door symbolizes the “body of Christ” within. But more commonly, the pelican symbol is found at the top of the cross in late-medieval and Renaissance Crucifixion images, reinforcing the connection between Christ’s sacrifice on the cross and the nourishment we receive in the Eucharist.
The pelican serves as a beautiful reminder that Christ not only died for us but continues to feed us with His very life. As we receive the Eucharist, we can meditate on this ancient symbol and be thankful for the Lord who, like the pelican of legend, gives His very life to sustain His children.
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Our City in Derry in the North of Ireland has suffered. The Derry City Walls built during the 1600s tell a story of British oppression and persecution. During ‘The Troubles’, a period of 30 years from the 1960s to 1998, Derry went through trauma, grief and untold suffering as sectarian violence and feuds were ongoing between paramilitary groups.
The trauma and suffering did not end with the ‘Good Friday Agreement’ which brought about fragile peace from sectarianism. The people across Derry and the rest of Northern Ireland continue to struggle with PTSD, issues of poverty, despair, mental illness, unemployment, imprisonment, addiction, violence, family breakdown, and suicide. Northern Ireland has the highest rate of suicide in the UK with higher rates among men and the youth.
It is into this darkness that Jesus chose to come and shine bright.
The Franciscan Friars: A Ministry of Hope
The Franciscan friars of the renewal settled in Derry in 2010 and since then they have ministered to the broken rejected and most in need in derry. They offer love, material assistance and a journey into intimacy with God as well as an invitation to find the ultimate joy in knowing that regardless of circumstances we are loved as sons and daughters of God.
The CFR friars regularly swap about the members of their community within the different friaries. In September 2023 Fr Antonio Maria Diez De Medina CFR was transferred to Derry Northern Ireland from London. In London Fr Antonio had been in active ministry with young adults alive in their faith as well as walking alongside a group called Cenacle Charismatic London led by Ania Graglewska, a Polish lady living in London sharing the joys of her own healing miracle and her love of the Gospel and the Holy Spirit.
Seeds of Revival: A Vision for Renewal
Fr Antonio could see the amazing love the people of Derry have for their faith , the Eucharist, Our Lady and our celebrated Sr Clare Crockett, newly made servant of God. Fr Antonio and his friends from Cenacle London decided to come alongside those in Derry seeking breakthrough for a renewal of the Catholic faith in Ireland.
Many of us in Derry wanted to be part of raising up Jesus in the most Holy Eucharist as the ONLY solution to all of what our people are suffering. The Franciscan friars of the renewal and a dedicated team of lay people began to step out in faith for something brand new to us. Fr Antonio encouraged us as we got in contact with other CFR friars in America to hear about how massive Eucharistic processions going across the whole of America were bringing about an ‘on fire’ Eucharistic Revival. In particular we connected with Br Damien Novak CFR in Newark New Jersey, Fr Gabriel Kyte CFR in Albuquerque New Mexico and more recently Fr John Anthony Boughton CFR who is the General Servant of the community in the Bronx New York.
The First Steps: October 2023 Procession
As we experienced and heard the witness of the friars and others in America talking about life changing experiences in the Eucharistic processions they were part of we found we were catching fire with the same flame of love! The same Eucharistic burning fire of the heart!
We had our first Eucharistic procession in Derry Ireland in the neighbourhood around the friary on 28th October 2023. This was a direct response to what we felt God wanted to come against the Halloween culture that has developed in our city over the recent decades as people, hurting and hungry for meaning and spirituality, search in pagan Irish shamanism and witchcraft for the solution to their problems. Derry has become so immersed in these alternative spiritualities that it boasts it’s title as Halloween capital of Europe.
The Eucharistic procession on 28th October 2023 just before Halloween was a cry from Our Lord in the Eucharist and His body of Christ the Catholic faith community in Derry , the Eucharistic beating heart of Jesus , to return to God who Is Love. Our God who has already done all this before us, who has won the battle against sin and death and is offering us Himself, body blood soul and divinity and an invitation to eternal life in Him.
Breaking Through the City Walls: A Historic Moment
Jesus is the true Sonlight!
The Emmaus 2023 neighborhood Eucharistic Procession was a great success. Following this celebration, Fr Antonio and his friends from London met with several local organizers. Together, they planned to create something entirely new for Derry in 2024.
Human Life International Ireland , Executive Director Patrick McCrystal, and many of the local Derry people felt our Lord wanted the next Eucharistic procession event along with the Cenacle London Charismatic involvement to be a breakthrough for LIFE. Patrick McCrystal held a reception after the procession at a hotel in the city centre. This gave an opportunity for all the teams involved in organising the procession to unite. What was communicated was a sense of joy and overwhelming to tears.
We knew we were part of something supernatural. We could not process what had just happened. “A breakthrough Eucharistic procession passed through the arches of the Derry city walls – the first in 400 years! Bishop Donal McKeown gave permission for this historic event. The Franciscan Friars of the Renewal led the procession, joined by diocesan priests and seminarians. The Benedictine Monks of Perpetual Adoration from Silverstream Priory and the Home of the Mother Sisters (Sr Clare Crockett’s Order) also participated. Hundreds of lay people completed this momentous gathering.”
The Impact on the Streets of Derry
We felt the sense that God was breaking bonds of division and free masonic strongholds. The impact was phenomenal. People were kneeling and crying in the streets, blessing themselves, walking with us. At one point, people sang the Divine Mercy Chaplet as the priest raised the Eucharist high in the town square. Everyone present—including busy shoppers and security guards—knelt in reverence and worship.
The Effatha ‘be opened’ Eucharistic procession carried deep significance. The people of Derry and their priests gathered to pray for specific intentions. They prayed for hearts to open to God and others. They sought reparation and repentance for humanity’s turn from God and His commandments. They asked God to overcome global forces of fear, evil, lies and sin. They prayed for revival and unity in the Church. They requested an end to human trafficking, abortion, and euthanasia. They sought freedom through the Spirit of Truth. Finally, they prayed for priests to embrace deep Marian and Eucharistic devotion.
Growing Momentum: From Local to Global
The Effatha procession in Derry also launched 40 days of perpetual adoration worldwide. The team in London created a website where adorers could sign up for an hour, regardless of time zone or location. It was hugely successful and the graces of the Eucharistic revival were evident all through it. Momentum was building.
On December 12, 2024, the lay teams, along with the Franciscan friars and the Sisters of the Renewal, organized a Eucharistic procession. It took place in their neighborhood in Derry to honor Our Lady of Guadalupe, the patroness of their community. This procession attracted huge attention and support and was filmed by EWTN. Many school children of all ages came out to join us as the procession passed the school yards. Some of the older students passed out roses and miraculous medals to people passing in cars and on the walkways. Again we witness families and the elderly in their gardens some with tears streaming down their faces kneeling and blessing themselves.
St. Brigid’s Cloak: A Global Revival Begins
Before plans for the December 12, 2024, Eucharistic procession had even begun, the teams received in prayer that Our Lord was calling for something greater. He was placing it on their hearts to organize an even bigger, wider-reaching Eucharistic procession in 2025. It would take place on the feast of St. Brigid, Saturday, February 1—one of Ireland’s most significant days. St. Brigid, along with St. Patrick, is a beloved patron saint of Ireland.
One young man on the team, devoted to Our Lady, felt she was asking for a simultaneous Eucharistic procession in Medjugorje. The idea was powerful: the same day, the same time. As soon as the announcement was made, it went viral.
Fr. Leon and his team in Medjugorje responded immediately with a heartfelt “yes.” In unity and agreement, they embraced the call. Tears flowed, emotions ran high, and the Holy Spirit moved powerfully as people around the world said yes.
Suddenly, people from all over the world began reaching out. They wanted to unite with us by holding their own Eucharistic processions. We quickly realized St. Brigid was interceding for us!
She once asked the King of Ireland for all the land where she spread her cloak. He agreed, and miraculously, her cloak covered the entire country. This sparked a great revival and a return to the faith in Ireland around 500 AD.
United in Prayer: A Worldwide Movement
Most recently we got news that Fr George Stewart a priest in the Bronx New York is leading a Eucharistic Procession to unite with us. We also just heard about 3 Eucharistic processions that will be happening in Dublin and converging at the Radio Maria studios as well as another procession in Manchester England with the Men of St Joseph.
The Eucharistic revival has sparked another beautiful development. Communities have stepped forward to offer 24-hour adoration with prayers of intercession during the feast of St Brigid on February 1st, 2024. Fr Gerry Campbell and ‘The 12’ in Knockbridge, County Louth, Ireland, joined this initiative. Craig Lodge House of Prayer in Argyll, Scotland, also participated. Both communities conducted 24-hour worship and adoration. Together, they united in prayer for worldwide Eucharistic Revival.
Looking Forward: A Call to Action
The Eucharistic Processions, adoration and pilgrimages of coach loads of people coming from all around is snowballing!
On February 1st, hundreds of school children will lead the faithful behind priests carrying the Eucharist in procession. The participants will pray for these intentions: that world governments recognize Jesus Christ as King, that abortion, euthanasia, war and other threats to human life end, that families heal from sin, division, addiction and suicide, that the Immaculate Heart of Mary triumph, that global elite agendas and healthcare dictatorships yield to the tranquility of God’s order, and that the Holy Spirit pours out a new Pentecost of hope during the Jubilee Year 2025.
We are seeing mighty miracles in our midst. Please get involved! This is a Eucharistic Revival! Jesus is coming for His people!
Editor’s Note: Post originally published on June 20, 2017. A lot have happened since the writing of this post. My grandfather passed away in 2018. My wife gave birth to our youngest child later that year. But what continues to remain true is the importance of the Sacrament of Matrimony and that God is good all the time.
This summer my wife and I celebrate our seventh wedding anniversary! In honor of this event, I figured I would dedicate a post to our marriage. I also want to highlight the positive effects the sacrament of marriage has on society it’s vital to a salubrious society. Along with our own marriage celebration, I want to personally recognize my cousin’s testament to the married life. He got married to his bride this past weekend. I present 4 reasons why the sacrament instituted by God is necessary for a healthy society.
The four marks [i.e. defining characteristics] of the Catholic Church according to the Nicene Creed are one, holy, catholic, and apostolic. Each of those traits are found within the sacrament of marriage as well. I will highlight the qualities of the oneness [unity] and catholic [universality] within this sacrament. Men and women are different. Differences are not bad. True equality is not to reduce men and women to be the same in every single aspect of life. Rather, true equality is in reference to equality of respect and dignity for how spouses treat each other.
Unity in Diversity
From my own personal experiences, I look to my parent’s marriage as an example of unity found within a diverse relationship. My mother and father come from completely different backgrounds. My dad’s family lacks divorce and has long life spans. On the contrary, my mom’s family exhibited more turmoil as her dad passed away when she was only 12 years old and her sibling relationships are splintered. Men and women communicate differently. By embracing such diversity a unity may be found.
This diversity between a man and woman in the Mystery of the sacrament of marriage has been lost in our culture. Not everything in marriage needs reduction to sameness between the spouses. If that happens, a little bit of the Mystery may disappear.
I am meant to explore and learn about my wife on a daily basis. I am not meant to have her completely conform to my image or me to her image.
Diversity leads to unity.
To sum up this point I refer to the Catechism of the Catholic Church, “The love of the spouses requires, of its very nature, the unity and indissolubility of the spouses’ community of persons, which embraces their entire life: “so they are no longer two, but one flesh.”153 They “are called to grow continually in their communion through day-to-day fidelity to their marriage promise of total mutual self-giving.”154” (CCC 1644).
Full of Fruits
According to the words of Jesus in Luke 6:43-45,
A good tree does not bear rotten fruit, nor does a rotten tree bear good fruit. 44For every tree is known by its own fruit. For people do not pick figs from thornbushes, nor do they gather grapes from brambles. 45A good person out of the store of goodness in his heart produces good, but an evil person out of a store of evil produces evil; for from the fullness of the heart the mouth speaks.
The same may can be said about the sacrament of marriage. Before I continue, I do want to distinguish between different kinds of fruits: physical and spiritual fruits. I will highlight the spiritual fruits marriage offers society later on. For now, I want to focus on the fruit of children in the sacrament of marriage. The Catholic Church leaves the married couple the freedom to elect how many children they want to have. But it is important to note that openness to fertility is essential for an authentic Christian marriage. The Church states,“By its very nature the institution of marriage and married love is ordered to the procreation and education of the offspring and it is in them that it finds its crowning glory” (CCC 1652).
Children are a gift from God, not a product for married couples to control or purchase. I think a renewed sense of children as gifts would go miles to infuse society with a new mentality that is other-centered instead of self-centered. Admitting, I too sometimes struggle to make my children in my own image and control their daily activities. I more than anyone else needs to be reminded that God gifted me with children and I am to thank Him by raising them to be gifts for all of society as well!
Society grows through the family unit. Ultimate long-term success for society hinges on families that practice sacrificial love instead of self-love.
Use the Force
A certain power is found in permanency. Things that last long periods of time seem to gather a force and power as they age. The best example I think of is the sacrament of marriage. My grandparents recently celebrated 67 years of marriage earlier this month! You heard me: 67 years! Feeble knees, dimmed hearing, and other ailments that go with advanced years do not diminish the power and force my grandparent’s marriage hold.
Whenever I tell a random stranger, friend or co-worker the length of their marriage there is always a momentous pause…then a statement of awe and wonder will always follow. My grandparent’s marriage is not successful because they are amazing. It is successful because they rely on God to help them forgive each other.
My cousin’s new father-in-law gave pithy, but profound advise to the new married couple from this weekend, [after telling my cousin and his wife to sit close together] “See that little space between you. Always be sure to include the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit and have them fill that space. Everything else will work out, maybe not necessarily the way you think it will, but everything will work out!”
It is only through a sacramental marriage that married couples are about to use the force…the force of our Triune God!
Victory through Virtues
Authentic victory is to be achieved not through military might or political prowess, but rather through personal virtue. Having virtuous and charitable citizens are the only way for society to be renewed and remain healthy. While children are the more visible of the fruits of marriage, I maintain that the more universal fruit of sacramental marriages is virtue. Not every married couple is able to conceive a child. Such marriages are not to be held as less holy or effective as couple that has children. In fact, the number of children is not to be correlated with an increase [or decrease] in holiness.
My experience shows that the longer a couple stays married, the more they remind themselves marriage is a sacrament, the greater virtues they develop. Patience, kindness, gentleness, joy, and gratitude are some virtues I notice in my parents, grandparents, and my own marriage when embracing its sacred nature. Societies with citizens exhibiting virtues and charity tend to be more unified and healthy in my observation. Embracing marriage as a sacrament fosters positive qualities beneficial to society.
On a closing note, I want to make sure I am clear that people who participate in sacramental marriages are NOT better nor more holy than single people or priests. What I want to stress is that marriage along with being a sacrament [visible sign from God] is not a right, but a gift. Not everyone is called to be married! And that is okay. Diversity of vocations: married state, single state, and ordained state all contribute to a healthy and holy society!
The thought of being confirmed as a Catholic on March 30, 2024, at the Easter Vigil on Saturday brings to mind all the people who have been instrumental in my journey. My birth father, my mother-in-law, my younger sister, Father Marlon, and my Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults (RCIA) teacher, Karen, who also sponsored me into the Catholic Church, have all played significant roles in bringing me back to God and reigniting my childhood memories of Catholic school. Their support, guidance, and unwavering faith have inspired me and helped me grow in my own faith. I am grateful for their presence in my life and for the opportunity to become a confirmed Catholic.
Faith Influences During My Early Life
My father encouraging me to attend Catholic school as a young girl played a crucial role in introducing me to the Catholic faith. For this, I am eternally grateful. The values and teachings I learned in school have shaped my beliefs and provided constant guidance and comfort in my life.
Fast forward to my life as an adult— as a wife and mother; it was my mother-in-law who suggested that we attend a Catholic Church back in 2019, while she was visiting us from East Providence, Rhode Island. And so we did. My mother-in-law, my daughter, and I started attending the Queen of Peace Catholic Church in Clearlake, CA.
However, after a year of attending the Queen of Peace Catholic Church, the COVID-19 pandemic forced us to stop going to Mass altogether. The pandemic had affected my life, including my faith. Nevertheless, through technology and the power of connection, a simple text message from my sister, Kortney, reignited my desire to be part of the Catholic Church. She introduced me to Father Mike Schmitz’s ‘Bible in a Year’ podcast, which allowed my family and me to continue growing in our faith, finding strength, hope, and a sense of community during those challenging times.
Impact of the Pandemic
The COVID-19 pandemic brought about numerous disruptions and challenges but it also led to some positive changes in our lives. One such turning point in our spiritual journey occurred when my sister introduced me and my family to Father Mike Schmitz’s podcast in 2023. Additionally, my mother-in-law suggested we attend the Catholic Church in 2019 before the pandemic, and our daughter got baptized during the pandemic.
It is because of these two beautiful ladies in our family that we have grown closer to our faith and strengthened our ties with one another. In fact, my husband began attending Mass every week shortly afterward.
Listening to God’s Word at Mass
Attending Mass every week and listening to Father Marlon’s sermons played a big part in my desire to convert. His words and guidance have been instrumental in helping me fully comprehend and embrace the beliefs and customs of the Catholic Church. As a result, I am currently a student in the RCIA program. To make our journey into the faith even more special, my husband also attends confirmation classes and will confirm as a Catholic on Pentecost Sunday.
Last but not least, Karen, my RCIA teacher and sponsor, has strengthened my faith in God and motivated me to become Catholic. She transformed my life and helped me find a sense of community and belonging that I had been missing. Her willingness to share her backstory and her faith with me has made a difference in my life. Therefore, I cannot overstate the importance of community and the power of our own personal testimony.
Thankful for My Sponsor and Teacher
My teacher and sponsor patiently answered all my questions and provided me with the resources and support I needed. She also showed me the true values and teachings of the Catholic Church and introduced the Symbolon workbooks and DVD to me, which are the best study materials to present the truths of the Catholic faith and history. Our friendship and bond continue to grow as we share our experiences and support each other in our spiritual journeys. I am grateful to the Catholic Church for bringing us together and for providing me with a strong support system.
Helping each other and being a community is a biblical concept; we are shown the significance of this through scripture. Here is a verse that emphasizes the importance of community living:
Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their toil. For if they fall, one will lift up his fellow; but woe to him who is alone when he falls and has not another to lift him up. Again, if two lie together, they are warm; but how can one be warm alone? And though a man might prevail against one who is alone, two will withstand him. The inspired writer of Ecclesiastes wrote, “A threefold cord is not quickly broken” (Ecclesiastes 4:9-12).
In all, it took a community of family members and friends to get me to where I am today in my Catholic faith. I couldn’t have done it without them. With their help, I was able to find my Godmother, my faith, and the Catholic Church. I incredibly gratefully thank them for their support and guidance, and I excitedly anticipate confirming as a Catholic at the Easter Vigil on March 30th, 2024, because of their influence, encouragement, teachings, dedication, and prayers.
About Our Guest Blogger:
As a stay-at-home mom, India Akua Mendonça leads a fulfilling life balancing motherhood, wifehood, and personal interests. She enjoys writing, studying the Bible, exploring new places, going to the beach, eating at restaurants, and listening to Father Mike Schmitz podcast.
India earned her A.A. in Liberal Arts from Chabot Community College and her B.A. in Black Studies from University of California, Santa Barbara. Prior to dedicating her time to her family, India worked at the Martin Luther King, Jr. Research and Education Institute at Stanford University as a Document Specialist.
Currently, she is a dedicated homeschool teacher to her six-year-old daughter and takes great joy in witnessing and cultivating her education. India resides in Clearlake Oaks, CA with her husband Marco, their daughter, and their three birds.
Editor’s Note: Matthew Chicoine interviewed Dcn Andy Weiss, Deacon in the Diocese of Las Cruces, New Mexico, via phone call on February 10th, 2024. Some of the questions have been rearranged and edited to provide the best reader experience without losing any integrity of the answers given.
Tell me a bit about your faith journey.
I was born and raised Catholic. I was in the Air Force and had a temporary stay in Spain, but those I listened to had anti-Catholic sentiment and this caused me to leave the Church when I was 20. For three and a half years, I was an anti-Catholic Protestant. I bought the King-James Bible and got to a point of crisis. At his point, I told God to explain to me or I will leave organized religion. I opened the Bible to the book of Romans and this was what helped keep me in organized religion.
Coming back to the Catholic Church was a long journey, but because of my experience with reading the Bible and listening to various arguments from Protestants. I would study the arguments using a bible dictionary, concordance, Bible, notepad. I would do a word study to look up all the references to better understand what that meant.
In the 1990s, I met my wife in a “chat-room” on Catholicity. And after we got married, my wife and another Catholic we also met online “ganged up” on me and said that I should be a deacon. In 2009 the formal process started, I had a desire to preach and bless things. I got ordained in 2015.
How has the sacrament of Holy Orders impacted your marriage?
It’s a balancing act. We must make time for one another. You can get sucked into the ministry. We were taught in our studies that my primary vocation is marriage and to my family. The diaconate is my secondary vocation.
I have to be conscious of my schedule. In addition to the diaconate, I also design websites. We have a Shroud Museum in our city, and I made the website. I must organize my time and ensure I make time for my wife and daughter. The permanent diaconate has made me more conscious of my time and how I spend it.
Describe the fruits of the permanent diaconate in your life.
It started in the program itself, I could have taught a lot of the classes but I was there to learn. The diaconate is about forming you into a person.
One of the important aspects of the diaconate is our devotion to Mary. The last part of Church teaching was Mariology, and I didn’t understand at this time. We wrote an article about our relationship to Mary. It was then that I realized that I couldn’t be a good diaconate without Her help. I formally gave myself to the Blessed Virgin Mary in January 2018 using the book “33 Days to Morning Glory.” I scheduled to have the book end on January 1st, the Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God. During my homily, I said, “It’s like I’m looking at my Mother for the first time.” This was a deep experience for me.
What do you see as the fruits of the permanent diaconate for the Catholic Church?
What happened to me was a transformation. The Church ordaining men who have one foot in the secular world and one foot in the faith world, leads to transformation. I noticed when I wore my clerics while doing ministry people would assume I was a pastor. It gave me an opportunity to explain I was a Catholic deacon.
The deacon models to the laity what it means to be a servant for the Church. While the priest stands In persona Christi (in the Person of Christ), the deacon represents Christ the Servant. Paragraph #1570 of the Catholic of the Catholic Church says:
“Deacons share in Christ’s mission and grace in a special way. The sacrament of Holy Orders marks them with an imprint (“character”) which cannot be removed, and which configures them to Christ, who made himself the “deacon” or servant of all.”
Well said, the diaconate is like a bridge to God. What’s the most misunderstood aspect of the diaconate?
I don’t think Catholics are catechized well. One day I had my alb on and a fellow parishioner said, “Hello Father.” I clarified I wasn’t a priest. It’s interesting to see the laity’s relationship with deacons.
The diaconate opens opportunities to ask questions about the faith. People feel more comfortable reaching out to us when we are out in public (i.e. the store, etc). The permanent diaconate opens a channel to extend the ministry of the priest. We are there to assist the priest. Even while at the store, we are extending his pastoral mission.
Who’s your favorite saint-deacon?
Probably Saint Ephraim. He likely saw the Shroud of Turin. He was a great preacher and a Doctor of the Church. Of course, I can’t leave out Saint Francis of Assisi, he would be my number two.
What advice would you give men discerning the permanent diaconate as a vocation?
Have a regular prayer life. Once ordained, deacons have to pray as a minimum Morning and Evening Prayer. Then they should talk to their priest.
The laity are known for their devotional life: praying the Rosary, the Chaplet, etc. But I think if the clergy kept a better devotional life we would have a better clergy. We have to use our own personalities in our faith and work.
Could you tell me about your Facebook profile picture?
That’s an interesting one. I’ve been working for the Air Force for 43 years. There’s an organization within the Air Force, the 49th Materiel Maintenance Group, Base Expedition.
I’ll leave you with a few last thoughts. In my honest opinion, the greatest fruits of Vatican II are the permanent diaconate and the Mass of Paul VI. The New Mass has the more active participation in the liturgy with the vernacular and the role of the deacon.
About Deacon Andy Weiss:
Dcn. Andy Weiss is a Deacon in the Diocese of Las Cruces, New Mexico, assigned to St. Jude’s parish. He is a husband and father, an IT professional, and volunteer speaker and webmaster, creating http://ShroudNM.com, a non-profit New Mexico Corporation dedicated to the study and popularization of the Shroud of Turin.
Weiss has a Masters in Religious Education from Loyola University, New Orleans through their LIMEX program. He has been interviewed several times by the hosts of the podcast StrangeCatholics.
