Feb 4, 2013
Do you seek good examples for yourself, your children or your grandchildren to emulate because you hope they will demonstrate in word and deed what it means to be authentically Catholic? Are you so often let down by those held up as models when they fail to live up to the faith in word and deed?
Perhaps we are looking in the wrong places for heroes. Maybe for too long we have placed the wrong people on pedestals. It is entirely possible that we need look no further than our own parishes, workplaces and communities for good examples, or as we may call them, “regular Catholic heroes.”
They are all around us, but we may fail to notice them, since it is easy to overlook the faithful, virtuous, humble and selfless persons among us. We are not drawn to them because they go about serving Christ and his Church often in quiet ways, avoiding the spotlight whenever possible. They care more about doing good than getting the credit. When they are not working, they are likely to be spending quality time with their families, serving others in the community or on their knees in prayer. They provide a powerful witness in the simplest of actions.
In the past week, I encountered three people whom I had the good fortune to see, maybe for the first time, as regular Catholic heroes. I have known them for years, but I was struck recently by how each of them was such good role model. Tom, a senior sales leader devoted to the Church and his family, selflessly gives his time to a local homeless shelter and organizes our parish community to support it. He is a prayer warrior who loves the Rosary and can always be counted on when you need help.