St. Peter, St. John, Venerable Solanus Casey, and....YOU!

Daily readings 04/06/2013

"Observing the boldness of Peter and John
and perceiving them to be uneducated, ordinary men,
the leaders, elders, and scribes were amazed,
and they recognized them as the companions of Jesus.
Then when they saw the man who had been cured standing there with them,
they could say nothing in reply." Acts 4:13-14


St. Peter, St.Paul, in fact, most of the apostles are but the tip of the iceberg in a multitude of examples of the old saying that God does not always call the qualified, but He qualifies those that He calls. A poor teenage Jewish girl and her carpenter husband... a group of fishermen, a doctor and a tax collector... a down on his luck shepherd tending sheep for his father-in-law in the desert. These are all examples of people who never expected that they would change the history of the world forever, but when God called them they, sometimes begrudgingly, took their place to fit into His plan for salvation.

Fr. Solanus Casey, a Capuchin priest who served in Detroit was ordained a priest, but because of his poor performance in studies at seminary, was not allowed to hear confessions or preach doctrinal sermons. He was essentially a doorkeeper at the monastery. He is currently awaiting beatification because of his incredible compassion and the results of his pastoral consultations with visitors to the monastery. What seemed like something negative, was just a way for God to put Fr. Casey in place where he was most needed.

This lesson has two sides. First, never be too proud to learn from anyone. When I used to study martial arts, even as a black belt, I would constantly remind myself that there was no student on that floor, even a first day white belt, from whom I could learn something. Always listen to people, there is nobody on this planet who you can't learn from.

The other side of this lesson is that sometimes, you are that person. Sometimes, you are put in the right place, and the right time, because He wants you there. Never underestimate your impact on other people's lives.

God bless,

P.D.O.