My first instinct upon waking is to grab my phone and start scrolling. Sometimes I do it for 20 or 30 minutes, and it makes me feel distracted and agitated. I feel guilty, too, for wasting my first moments of the day. So recently, I committed those minutes to reading a book that would focus my mind on Jesus. I enjoy the fact that I am not scattering my attention as much. I feel more peaceful and focused on God.

Estén listos y preparados: es el mensaje de este domingo, porque no se sabe ni el día ni la hora en que llega el Señor. Mostrar sabiduría y prudencia significa madurez en la vida. La parábola de las diez jóvenes, narrada por Jesús, demuestra ambas dimensiones: la humana y la divina.

At the end of her short life, my hero, St. Thérèse of Lisieux, found herself in a curious position. Audaciously, she was convinced that she would become a great saint and would be loved by many after her death. At the same time, she insisted that she was weak, impatient, and ordinary. She became arguably the greatest saint in modern times. How is it possible that an ordinary and imperfect person can also be a great saint?

“¿Quién subirá hasta el monte del Señor? ¿Quién podrá entrar en su recinto santo? El de corazón limpio y manos puras, y que no jura en falso” (Salmo 23). El salmo nos hace la pregunta y él mismo da la respuesta. El papa Francisco, durante su pontificado, nos recordaba constantemente que todos estamos llamados a la santidad. Por nuestro bautismo, estamos llamados a una profunda perfección en el amor. Los santos vivieron ese camino de amor.