Today is the one year mark of Mother Angelica’s death. I came to know about her randomly a few months prior to her death. I remember watching one episode and saying “Did she really just say that?!” and then going back to see the date of that recording, which was 1996 and I was just a small child when that aired. She was bold, she said it the way it was, and she was good at it. It was obvious many people did not like her, or agree with the way she did things, but she knew this and it did not seem to bother her. I imagine her saying something like ” If they did not like Jesus, they probably will not like me either.” Watching a few of her episodes at work while working the night shift I became very fond of her. Her boldness was inspiring, her words enlightening and her jokes funny because of the bitter truth they contained.
Its encouraging the amount of trust Mother Angelica had in God. She allowed God to lead her in a way that reached so many believers and non believers alike through television and radio. She stepped out of her comfort zone to teach and show the love God had shared with her. The way she would tap her fingers on the books she had on her lap, to the deep breaths she would take while recording, made her that much more real to me. She was humble and even though she was a nun, when she referred to sinners she always said “Like you and I.” She was no better than anyone else, but my goodness was she wise. Her wisdom was amazing. The way she related small details of the bible into modern times drew me in. Something about those details being explained brought a better understanding to the reader or viewer.
“Where most men work for degrees after their names, we work for one before our names: St”
What a moving quote. It may change your perspective a little bit on life and what you are doing. Having a degree is a huge accomplishment. There is a lot of time, dedication and money that goes into achieving a degree. For some, the course is harder than others. The same thing goes for every single person out there practicing and non-practicing. We are all called to be saints. The way we become saints will be very different for everyone. Some of the greatest saints were great sinners, but when you see God’s love for you and seek it out, great things begin to happen. One begins to change. A person’s past no longer becomes a burden but a sign of God’s infinite mercy.
Mother Angelica was always working on something. She did not just sit there and let things happen. She was involved in the world. She wanted to help and get people to come back to God. “Come home, Come home” she would say on one particular episode.
“God wants you to be in the world, but so different from the world that you may change it. Get Cracking”
Get cracking.
Mother Angelica, you have motivated me. You have touched my heart, through your life and your love for God. I am praying that I will be able to find the strength to go against the tides that the world is sweeping in and plant roots in the truth.
A Blind Beggar 