Sisters of St. Francis of the Holy Cross in Green Bay, WI
Reflection for Aug. 11, 2019

Reflection for Aug. 11, 2019

Faith helps us weather life's storms

Tragedy touches every life; these are the times to trust God the most

by Sister Elise Cholewinski

Within the last three weeks my family experienced a tragic loss. My niece, Mary, had a heart attack and died early on a Friday morning. She was 42 years old and leaves behind a husband and an 8-year-old daughter. Mary was a very gifted person and had worked as a television news reporter, but had struggled with health issues through most of her adult life. At a time like this we are tempted to ask questions, like why, why now, why not someone else?

The second reading for this Sunday’s liturgy begins with the words, “Faith is the realization of what is hoped for and evidence of things unseen.” The writer of the Letter to the Hebrews then describes how Abraham and others of our ancestors in faith allowed God’s plan to unfold in their lives. They journeyed through unknown territory, keeping their eyes fixed on a vision of things that lay beyond and their ears attentive to a promise to be fulfilled.

The road on which we journey through life contains twists and turns and detours. Our culture, with its instant information and quick fixes, can entice us to short circuit that road and settle for security and satisfaction. Our faith calls us to stay in the process and live with the questions, to believe without seeing, to listen without hearing, trusting that what awaits us at the end of the road is far more than we can ask or imagine.

  1. How has God’s plan been unfolding in your life?
  2. What twists, turns, and detours have you had to travel through on your life’s journey?
  3. How has your faith been challenged? How has it grown?

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