Let me start with the obvious: The COVID-19 pandemic has changed our world and rewritten what we consider “normal.” Every part of our lives has been impacted to some degree: how we live together and interact with each other on a daily basis; how we work and communicate; how we shop; even how we eat, drink, and enjoy our leisure time. During these times, I felt as if I was starring in the film Groundhog Day, reliving the same day over and over again.

 Throughout my years working in the African missions I have come across many families who have a strong devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus. To my surprise, as poor as these families were, they would somehow have a picture of the Sacred Heart in their homes. Although they were without food, drink, furniture, clothing, they were not without a picture of the Sacred Heart of Jesus.

 Mother's Day is observed around the world with most cultures setting aside a day to honor mothers. Some see the carnation as the official flower of Mother's Day, perhaps because Anna Jarvis, when she organized the first official celebration in the United States in 1908, distributed 500 carnations as the flower was her own mom's favorite. Carnations, and their various colors, then have become symbolic of this day here at home. The colors red/pink are used to represent those fortunate enough to have their mother physically with them to celebrate this day. Oppositely, the white carnations represent those mothers who may not be here physically, but are celebrated spiritually.

Last year, more than 37,000 people were welcomed into the Catholic Church in the United States at Easter Vigil Masses. This year, that joyous moment was postponed due to the ongoing pandemic of COVID-19. That fact gave way to reflection for me, as I thought back on that personal experience in my life 21 years ago, and about all it meant and continues to mean for me.

“And how can people preach unless they are sent? As it is written, ‘How beautiful are the feet of those who bring (the) good news!’” (Romans 10:15).

Missionaries from around the world have many stories to tell – joyful events, as well as sad, even fearful times. Here’s a story from my missionary service that happened one Holy Thursday that reminds us of the power of words – and the Word.

"So faith, hope, love remain, these three; but the greatest of these is love" (1 Corinthians 13:13).

Love is a global phenomenon, and Valentine's Day is celebrated in fascinating and different ways around the world, even in mission countries.

Celebrating Valentine’s Day in Africa was one of the most memorable holidays that I had experienced there. It was the day I met "my valentine," or at least that was the name that I gave to her. Early in the morning on Valentine’s Day, I drove with a few Sisters into the city of Nairobi, Kenya, which was about 45 minutes from the Ongata Rongai slum area where I was staying. Our mission that day was to purchase roses to hand out to the local women.

I met her while accompanying a religious Sister to a Communion call at the home of one family in a village outside the city of Arusha in Tanzania. As we were all about to pray before Communion, the little girl in that family asked the Sister if she could hold the missionary’s hand. Placing her cold little hand in my hot sweaty one (with temperatures so high, one should naturally have hot hands), I could feel her squeeze my hand during the Our Father, causing me to open one eye to take a peek at her precious little face, leaving me with a feeling that I was looking at a living angel.

Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus.... If you are not familiar with this quote, it is from a letter that was written by The New York Sun back in 1897 in response to eight-year-old Virginia O’Hanlon, who was questioning if there really is a Santa Claus. Many children throughout the world believe in Santa Claus, identifying him as St. Nicholas. Being a kind and generous man, St. Nicholas would give gifts to the poor, leaving them in stockings hung by the fireplace! Today, there are many children in our world who don’t receive material gifts at Christmas. These children would tell you that they receive the greatest gift of all, the gift of “life.” To wake up and live another day, even with their sufferings, is considered to be a gift, a blessing. And they would add that the missionaries there with them are blessings as well.

Greetings at the end of this "extraordinary" month for mission! Pope Francis had declared October 2019 to be an Extraordinary Missionary Month, celebrating the 100th anniversary of Pope Benedict XV’s Apostolic Letter Maximum Illud. The theme for this month: “Baptized and Sent: The Church of Christ on Mission in the World.” In light of that, I felt that this would be an appropriate time to share with you the story of a dear friend of mine whom I feel is an “extraordinary” missionary priest, Father Thomas Kevin Kraft, OP. Here is the story of how, through the grace of God, we met, and how our lives would someday intertwine in the African missions.

Amazing Grace, how sweet the sound that saved a wretch like me...  We all know how the song goes, and every time I hear it I think of a holy woman I have been blessed to meet. Her name is “Grace,” and she is from the Ongata Rongai slum, which is located in Kibera in the southwest of Nairobi in Kenya.