In the January and February issues of this newsletter, we talked about making our families alive by praying together and living virtuously. For March, I would like to draw your attention to making our families alive by incorporating a little grit into our efforts to meet various challenges.

Grit is a passionate pursuit with perseverance of a worthy cause. Grit tells us that it is not important to be born with special gifts but rather to take the gifts and develop them to the ultimate. Victory is not meant for a chosen few. Through grit you can achieve the most important goal of your life. Grit always meets opposition, both internal and external. Internal - within your own heart and within your family and external - from the society and the evil one.

Pope Francis identifies the external opposition as a culture of consumerism, excess of information, and a throwaway attitude toward people and things, particularly the elderly and the poor.

However, looking on the positive side, GRIT stands for God, Respect, Integrity, and Truth. Faith in God, respect leading to genuine obedience to God, to parents, and to others, Integrity involves faithfulness to the core values of the parents and family; and Truth is the key to freeing the family to embrace its vocation and fulfill its covenant mission.

Individuals and families need grit. At times some of us worry that our children are not born with physical beauty, intelligence, charm, but these gifts do not guarantee that they will use them well.

But grit means that whatever gifts and talents you are born with, you develop to the ultimate. How do you do that? You do that by passionately pursuing with perseverance your goal. This means you never give up even in the face of opposition, pain, suffering, and other challenges. This is the key difference between living a life that is mediocre and living an extraordinary life of meaning and purpose.

And for us Christians, a life of true holiness. Grit means we never give up on God, our family, and ourselves.

Abraham - the father of faith, had grit. He was obedient to God's will, even being willing to sacrifice his son.

Jesus – He never detoured from his goal, keeping his focus on the Father's will once he set his face to Jerusalem. Which means he set his face to going all the way to Calvary and to the resurrection.

St. Paul – is a true man of grit. He showed over and over again fearlessly defending the way (the new movement) and proclaiming it.

St. Maximillian Kolbe - saw Mary as the way to bring the whole world to Christ. He built communities to build this great campaign against evil in the 20^th Century.

Mahatma Gandhi – passionately pursued freedom through non-violence, liberated a whole sub-continent, and inspired the world with his grit.

St. Alphonsa - endured suffering to pursue her vocation for the sake of Christ.

St. Thomas More - stood for the Church of Christ and its independence against the King.

St. Mother Teresa - pursued her call with-in-the-call to serve relentlessly despite criticism and opposition.

Saint John Paul II - he was never afraid to open the door to Christ and to go out into the deep water. He asked forgiveness for the sins of the Church in history.

The Little Children of Fatima- when threatened with torture, they did not cave-in because of the apparition they had of Mother Mary.

Two recent young people who are declared Blessed by the Church are Carol Acutis and Chiara Badano "Luce."

Blessed Carlo Acutis (2020) – a tech-savvy 15-year-old was known for his strong faith, skills in computer programming, and passion for miracles, pursued his mission to catalog all the Eucharistic Miracles who died of leukemia in 2006 is a recent example for young people.

Blessed Chiara Badano (Luce) (October 29, 1971 – October 7, 1990) is yet another example for young girls on grit. She was rich with talents, athletic, attracted many friends because she radiated the love of God. She died as a teenager at the age of 19. She had grit right up to the point of death, transmitting serenity and joy.

Pope Francis - a man of hope and joy of the gospel and unafraid to critique the corruption within the leadership of the Church and the society.

Father Willy Raymond, C.S.C. – comes across to me as a living example of a leader who is humble, hungry, and smart who pursues the goal of helping families pray around the world.

And remember any growth needs Grit.

During this lent and ask yourself,

How can I give number one priority to God?

How can I show Respect for his word and my family?

How can I grow in integrity to family?

And how can I be more Truthful to my family and my vocation?