By Sister Mary Scholastica, O.C.D.
This random reflection is dedicated to a particular family who knows who they are. I could embarrass all of you by doing a shout out by name…though something tells me you wouldn’t be embarrassed at all but would rather relish in the glory of it. 😆 However, I don’t quite know what I’m going to say so will keep you anonymous…for now. 🙂
The conversation I had with this beautiful family was so insightful, entertaining, life-giving, grounding. From their youngest member (their only daughter who holds her own in the presence of her three older brothers) to their three boys (a high schooler, a 20-year-old who volunteer firefights, and their oldest who is in the marines and recently engaged!) to mom and dad and, of course, Mr. Marine’s lovely fiancée who lives and breathes the same air this family does.
A family who is struggling so faithfully to maneuver through life and all that it entails.
You can see it in how each member according to their age (and beyond their age, really) is so comfortable in their own skin, in their faith (which is a part of their DNA) and in their place in the family. Every single member trying to fully be who they are meant to be today, while at the same time, watching out, and lifting each other up.
These are dear friends of ours and the more I converse with the “children”, the more I am edified by how they choose to live their Catholicity. It’s a way of life that speaks to me of the light on a hilltop shining out for all to see in its simple fidelity. When you turn on a light in a dark room, there’s no fanfare or shock factors, no glamour. It’s soft, simple, steady, the light fills the space and filters into every crevice and crack and makes all things easier to see. That’s how I see this family. No shock factor. By moving around in the world in the areas they are called to be at this time, home for mom, work for dad, school for the two youngest, with the firefighters and in the marines for the two oldest…their presence by who they are and how they are choosing to live as Catholics is bringing light, it’s turning on a light around them. We can’t see it. They can’t see it. But what a difference it makes!
For all of us, it’s hard to see the difference we are making. We see what is going on around us, in the world and know of our own internal struggles and the struggles of our loved ones. All of this weighs on us and somehow, we feel as if we’re out of sync and possibly not fully living the way we “should be”, missing the beat somehow and missing opportunities. Somehow feeling as if we’re lacking something in our lives. We need to remember that “red flannels” (that’s what I call the devil) is alive and well and works really hard especially in areas where there is great good to be had. He would love to rob us of our joy. He knows there is no stronger, greater witness than joyful, loving, steady, faith-filled Christians who deeply love the Lord and His Church. Seeing it in this light, doesn’t it make you want to yell and gear up for battle? 🫡 In a good way of course. 😊 It is a part of the spiritual battle in which we’re all engaged. The closer you are to God, the stronger the battle becomes.
So dearly beloved Lang family 🙂 continue doing what you’re doing which is waking up every morning, re-committing yourselves to the Lord and to each other, striving to do your best every day wherever God has you, striving to love the Lord and His Church whole-heartedly, striving to let go and let God, striving to be joyful because God is faithful, striving to love your neighbor, striving to build up the Church, striving to be a good and faithful wife, husband, mom, dad, daughter, son, sister, brother, student, fire-fighter, marine, friend. We need you. The Church needs you. The world needs you.
