 These last few months have been an exciting time for the Church as we see the papacy of Pope Leo XIV blossom. There has also been renewed interest in St. Augustine and his spirituality. I found myself learning more about Pope Leo XIV’s episcopal motto and coat of arms. His episcopal motto is, “In Illo uno unum,” which translates to “In the One, we are one.” The pope has frequently remarked how unity and communion are essential to his papacy, akin to the charism of the Order of Saint Augustine. On this feast of St. Augustine, I personally reflect on how we might personalize this motto in our own lives. Focus on What Unites We see and experience division in our society, whether we encounter it in the news, see it in our own community, or personally experience it. The hard reality is that it takes time and work to foster unity and build communion. It is easier to tear something down rather than build something up. If you ever find yourself in a situation where you disagree with someone or find it difficult to get along with another, try to focus on the commonalities. I always hang on to the quote from C.S. Lewis in The Four Loves, “Friendship…is born at the moment when one man says to another ‘What! You too? I thought that no one but myself…” Focusing on what unites opens the doors for relationship-building, particularly listening and understanding. Keep Christ at the Center Focusing on what unites is a path towards reconciliation and building human fraternity. However, our efforts are in vain if in the end we think that the ability to do so or the opportunity came because of our own doing. The soon to be saint, Bl. Pier Giorgio Frassati, once said (writing a letter to his good friend Isidoro Bonin), “By yourself you can do nothing, but if you have God as the center of your every action, then yes, you will reach the goal.” Keeping Christ at the center means believing that Christ is both the reason and the end in our pursuit of goodness and truth. If we only focus inwardly on ourselves, then we lose sight of the “why” of what we are doing. Only through Christ do we come to realize the purpose and significance of our actions. Let Go and Let God This is a phrase I first encountered at a retreat offered through my college campus ministry. Ever since then, I hung on to it. Learning to let go is difficult. For us, it may seem like a sign of defeat, that we have given up or lost to something or someone. It’s not a comfortable feeling. Letting go is hard. Dorothy Day provides a great perspective on learning to let go, taking an excerpt from her book Loaves and Fishes: We can be responsible only for the action of the present moment but can beg for an increase of love in our hearts that will vitalize and transform all our individual actions, and know that God will take them and multiply them, as Jesus multiplied the loaves. Letting go and letting God means doing what we can in the moment and leaving the rest in God’s hands. If the work we do comes from a place of charity, then God will bring it to fruition. On this feast of St. Augustine and personally reflecting on Pope Leo XIV’s episcopal motto, “In the One, we are one,” let us keep in mind three ways to make this motto part of our daily life: focus on what unites, keep Christ at the center, and let go and let God. Amid challenges in our lives, let us focus on what unites and let that be a bridge to better human understanding. In our pursuit of goodness and truth, let us keep Christ at the center so that his light and grace gives meaning and purpose to our actions. Finally, let us challenge ourselves to let go more often and have more confidence in our trust in God, knowing that we have done enough, and that God’s will be done. I’d like to close with “The Prayer of Jesus” from John 17: 9-11: I pray for them. I do not pray for the world but for the ones you have given me, because they are yours, and everything of mine is yours and everything of yours is mine, and I have been glorified in them. And now I will no longer be in the world, but they are in the world, while I am coming to you. Holy Father, keep them in your name that you have given me, so that they may be one just as we are one.
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 “Dear young people, the happiness you are seeking, the happiness you have a right to enjoy has a name and a face: it is Jesus of Nazareth, hidden in the Eucharist. Only He gives the fullness of life to humanity!” – Pope Benedict XVI, Address to Young People, Apostolic Journey to Cologne on the Occasion of the 20th World Youth Day Growing up as a cradle Catholic, it was always easy to take the Eucharist for granted. Even though I recognized the true presence, it was tempting to see Holy Communion, adoration, and Jesus being present in the tabernacle as a bonus to the faith and not the foundation of the way I lived my life. Now that I serve in youth ministry, I see that this line of thinking too often becomes the norm for young Catholics. But what happens when young Catholics live a life centered around the Eucharist, when they allow themselves to be consumed by Christ, finding complete freedom in complete surrender? They begin to live in their identity as beloved sons and daughters. I got to witness this transformation firsthand this summer serving as a missionary with Catholic Youth Summer Camp. Every week, I watched middle school and high school students meet Jesus in the Eucharist for the first time, experiencing His love and feeling the truth of their identity in a real, tangible way. And every week after these experiences, there was a shift in the way these kids lived their lives. It was as if they were no longer afraid of being judged or not accepted by the teenagers around them; instead, they were confident in the sufficiency of the love they felt from God. When the campers started to recognize and feel the truth of their identity as sons and daughters, when they realized that they can look into Jesus in the Eucharist and physically see that truth, they no longer cared about the opinions of the people around them and would do whatever brought them joy. This often looked like the small but life-changing steps of fully entering into the Mass and worship, taking times of prayer seriously, and having childlike fun and joy throughout the day. Throughout the summer, I began to realize that the experience that these teenagers had in their first moment of encounter with Jesus, the childlike joy and freedom they experienced, is not an experience for them—or for children—alone. All of us, including You and I, are all seen by the Father as His beloved daughters and sons, and He desires to show us that truth and the love He holds for us in a real, tangible way through the Eucharist. Every time we receive Jesus into our bodies, every time we spend time gazing into His face in adoration, we give Him the opportunity to remind us of how unconditionally loved we are, how we belong with Him and nothing else. These truths give us the freedom to not fear what waits in the world, nor fear the chains of sin or worldliness. They help us recognize that there is no fear in the perfect love we experience living in Jesus Christ, and the only thing we have to worry about is following His will. When the world is not something to fear, we can recognize creation as the gift that it is and receive what the Lord has waiting for us. The next time you go to Mass or adoration, recognize that Love Incarnate is entering you in order to prove just how far He’ll go to show that you belong with Him. Allow that truth of His unconditional love and your belonging in it to shape the way you live your life, embracing the freedom He has won and given to us. *This blog was originally published on February 7, 2023.* AuthorDanielle is a graduate from the Catholic University of America.
 Encounter, Accompany, Community, Send – these aspects of Christ-centered evangelization are the path to follow if we want to live as missionary disciples or apostles of Christ. We encounter Christ in a variety of settings; the supreme one is in the Eucharist. That encounter needs accompaniment, which is not meandering around, but leads ultimately into the community of faith we call the Church. It is from the Church that we are sent forth to accompany others into their encounter with Christ. These aspects of the journey of evangelization are outlined more fully in the document of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, Living as Missionary Disciples, which the Catholic Apostolate Center helped to develop. The choice is ours. We can keep our faith to ourselves or we can share it in word and deed. When we encounter Christ, we need to take action in our lives, not simply within ourselves, but going forth for him. Sometimes, we think this is difficult to do. It is difficult if we think that it is all on us. We are in collaboration with the Holy Spirit who moves us forth in action for Christ. As Pope Leo XIV tells us, “There is a need for renewed zeal in the proclamation and transmission of faith” (Address to Italian Episcopal Conference, June 17, 2025). May we be zealous in sharing our life in Christ. May the charity of Christ urge us on! In God, the Infinite Love, Fr. Frank
 When I look at my faith journey and the twists and turns it has taken, I consider the people who have impacted it the most. Many of these people have come into my life and taught me something about my faith or about myself in one way or another, through positive relationships, prayer, and community. In the past couple of years, I have been blessed to get to know a few Catholic young women who have become a faith support system for me. These women from different walks of life have been living as witnesses of loyalty, honesty, and vulnerability on their individual faith journeys and have stood as role models to me in mine. Their witness of Christ’s enduring love inspires me to be the best Catholic woman I can be. My faith journey has also been inspired by Our Blessed Mother’s “Yes” to God and faithful obedience throughout her life. She, along with many women in the Church, serve as witnesses of faith while living often tumultuous lives on earth. Below is a short summary of five real women with strong characteristics that each can serve as models for us as we move forward on our journeys of faith. Saint Maria Goretti is remembered for forgiving, while on her deathbed, the man who stabbed her after she refused his sexual advances at the young age of eleven. This Italian saint it often depicted gazing at the Virgin Mother while clutching a crucifix. Maria shows us a not only an intense love of Christ, but also exemplifies forgiveness. She forgave her attacker, a man who later became a Capuchin lay brother. By following her example, we can learn to forgive those in our lives who have wronged us and maybe learn to be forgiven ourselves, which can help our hearts be pure through the Sacrament of Penance. Saint Clare of Assisi is remembered for her empathy and care for the poor. She was a monastic Benedictine nun who later founded the Order of Poor Ladies in the Franciscan tradition. With a strong devotion to Saint Francis, Clare adopted his faithfulness to the poor and desired to live humbly with her order. Clare shows us how to live in service to others by giving of our time and prayer to people in need. We can imitate her example by donating gently used clothing or volunteering at soup kitchens all year round. Saint Joan of Arc is remembered for her bravery and leadership. She defied secular norms and led soldiers to victory in France. Joan, who is the patron saint of soldiers and France, lived for Christ through her actions. Her bravery can give us courage to persevere through any vocation God has for our lives. She shows us the importance of following God’s call, whether we are preparing to take vows or changing careers. Saint Kateri Tekakwitha is remembered for steadfast devotion to Christ after converting to Catholicism and cultivating a desire to live devoutly for God. In the face of adversity within her family (her parents and brother died of smallpox when she was only four years old) and rejection by her Native American community, Kateri stayed true to her heart and had faith in God. Kateri is the first Native American saint and was canonized by Pope Benedict XVI in 2012. Saint Therese of Lisieux is remembered for her undying love for Christ and ongoing cheerfulness until her death at age twenty-four. Known as the “Little Flower,” Therese lived simply and fully in pursuit of a deep and genuine relationship with God. She became the third female and youngest Doctor of the Church in 1997. Therese once said of her life, "It is impossible for me to grow up, so I must bear with myself such as I am with all my imperfections. But I want to seek out a means of going to heaven by a little way, a way that is very straight, very short and totally new." She shows us how to stay joyful and childlike by fully opening our hearts to Christ and seeking God in our own little ways. These women and countless others served God through their words, actions, and commitment to the Gospel. I invite you to take a moment to consider these female saints and hundreds of others who witness to their faith. How can Christ help you be brave, like St. Joan of Arc, or instill in you a burning devotion to the Gospel, like St. Kateri Tekakwitha? In what ways can you give to the poor or exercise other corporal and spiritual works of mercy, like St. Claire of Assisi? How can you forgive others, like St. Maria Goretti, or remain joyful like St. Therese of Lisieux? Let us look to the saints, pray for strength, and learn to live through faith. *This blog was originally published July 26, 2016*
  Dictum Meum Pactum These words, found on the coat of arms for the prestigious London Stock Exchange, are Latin for “My word is my bond.” Personal responsibility for what we do and say, so desperately needed in our world today - in our personal, political, and religious lives - is one of the many graces of conscience. “Conscience enables one to assume responsibility for acts performed.” (Catechism 1781). Even if we commit an evil act, conscience renders a “just judgement” as a testament to the “universal truth of the good,” the need for forgiveness, the good that must be done, and the virtue that must be “cultivated with the grace of God.” Over the years, I have learned to own what belongs to me and to not take what does not. Rooted in our dignity as human beings created in the image and likeness of God, and so precious in the eyes of God that he sent his only begotten son to die for us, for me, conscience asserts and relies on owning our own agency. I can do good. I can avoid evil. Jesus explores the importance of personal responsibility in the Sermon on the Mount when he teaches his followers about taking oaths (Matthew 5:33-37). People would make an oath before God to emphasize the seriousness of the pledge, the trustworthiness of the oath taker, and evoke God as witness and judge. As we can see in Jesus’ teaching, some modifications were made to soften God’s involvement - an oath taken not in God’s name but by “heaven,” or “earth,” or “Jerusalem.” Oaths were serious business, and people were trying to find a way to hedge their bets. Jesus, however, teaches us, his followers, to “Let your ‘Yes’ mean ‘Yes,’ and your ‘No’ mean ‘No.’ Anything more is from the evil one.” (Matthew 5:37) I believe there are three implications for our lives as Catholics in our world today. On a personal level, we cannot hide behind victimhood or authority. If my boss tells me to commit evil, I must avoid it. In a similar way, any evil done to me, or suffering I must endure, does not release me from personal responsibility for my own actions. As human beings, we tend to judge ourselves by the best of our intentions but others by the worse of their actions. We cannot cheat the system because we are poor or lie to our customer because the boss told us to. Politically, we must be truthful and claim the power of the truth. Father Guillermo Trevino, Jr, the pastor of St. Joseph Catholic Church in West Liberty, Iowa, provides an example of claiming the power of truth. His parishioner, Pascual Pedro, was callously deported to Guatemala. According to the Catholic Review, Pascual, 20, was registered with immigration and was going to his annual check in when ICE agents arrested him on a 7-year-old deportation order when he crossed the border at 13. He was given no due process, and he was quickly deported to Guatemala. Father Guillermo stood up to the powerful politicians who were saying falsehoods about Pascual. The Gazette, a local newspaper, wrote an editorial on July 9, 2025 - Bring Pedro back to make his case. Given the severe tactics being used by ICE agents, more of us may be faced with the challenge to claim the power of truth before elected officials who share our Catholic faith. Finally, we must be truthful and responsible in the Church. Pope Francis called for a Synodal Church. Pope Leo is committed to its implementation. “Synodality is the walking together of Christians with Christ and towards God’s Kingdom, in union with all humanity. (Final Document, 28) Everyone involved in the synodal process must assume their own responsibility, “offering their input honestly, sincerely, with an informed conscience and acting in good conscience.” (Final Document, 93b) For us to be a truly synodal church, where we cherish the blessings of communion, shoulder the responsibility of participation, and discover the fulfillment of mission, we need to trust one another - like soldiers in a fox hole. We need to know each other and trust that we have each other’s back. God’s great gift for us, as we face personal, societal, and religious challenges, is the sanctuary of conscience where we can be “alone with God whose voice echoes” in our depths. (Catechism 1776).
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