Pastor's Reflection - July 20th, 2025

Perseverance

Shortly after I arrived in the parish last year, I received a book from Dynamic Catholic called 33 Days to Eucharistic Glory. I shoved it into my bookshelf and recently only picked it up because of a friend who is reading it. 

As you are probably well aware, there is a huge disconnect with many Catholics when it comes to the Eucharist. Any resource that strives to draw us into a deeper love, belief, and experience of Jesus in the Eucharist is a huge blessing. 

My friend pointed out a beautiful mediation/lesson from Day 7 that I would like to share with you in the hopes that it encourages you to persevere in your faith and to allow the Lord to touch you more deeply at each Mass when you come forward to receive our Lord. 

Here is the Lesson and the Virtue of the Day from the book. 

Lesson

Just keep showing up for prayer and your other spiritual practices. Show up each day regardless of how you feel, or if it is convenient, or whether you or not you think it is bearing any fruit. God’s ways are mysterious. He is at work in your soul like the roots of a mighty tree beneath the surface. Just because you don’t know what God is doing doesn’t mean He isn’t preparing you for whatever is next. Just show up and let Him work on you. 

Virtue of the Day

Perseverance: The virtue of perseverance is essential for friendship and love. Perseverance teaches us to resolve difficulties. Acquiring this virtue requires both grace and significant personal effort. There is no virtue in beginning. It is easy. Many start, few finish. This is true in almost everything. Don’t look at how far you still have to go, look at how far you have come, and consider how your life would be if you had never found this path at all. (p.47)

Have a blessed and beautiful “Eucharistic” week! 

in Christ,

Fr. James Northrop, Pastor