I don’t think you know how the silent treatment works.
This AT & T commercial makes for a pretty good laugh. How many of you have ever tried using the silent treatment?
Catholic Dating: The Truth About Discernment
Let’s face it. At one time or another, we have all been asked the same question: “Have you discerned your vocation?” And I think it would be accurate to say that most of us hesitantly respond with a half-hearted “yes”, without truly understanding the gravity of that question. Many devout Catholics today seem to think that the word “vocation” is reserved exclusively for the religious and does not apply to them. So what exactly does it mean to discern one’s “vocation”?
Discerning One’s Vocation
Discernment refers to the ability to grasp, comprehend, and evaluate clearly. It is an insight into God’s will for us, allowing us to distinguish between what is real and what is mere imitation. When we understand discernment in this way, we see that it is more than a rite of passage that every Catholic must go through before they either get married or join the religious life. Although discernment would be intensified as a precursor to any major decision, it is not finished after the decision has been made. Rather, true discernment is a continuous process, extending throughout the whole of one’s life. It involves a persistent openness and requires an actively humble disposition, subordinating our will to His.
As Catholics, we have all become familiar with our Lord’s trials in the desert as well as His Agony in the Garden. Both of these instances serve as examples of how one properly discerns. In both cases, the Lord was on the eve of making a profound decision that would not only affect His own soul, but also the souls of many others. As you may recall, after his forty days in the desert, the Lord began His earthly ministry, and after spending hours in agony, He ended it on the cross.
Overcoming Temptation
A very common misconception regarding discernment is that it is simply “taking a break.” For those of you who consider the process of discernment a low-grade vacation, I would like to refer you to the two passages I referenced above. If Jesus’ example illustrates anything to us, it is that discernment is a time of trial. If we remember, in both cases, Satan was tempting the Lord. As such, Christ’s prayer of discernment became an active fight against Evil. In fact, in the latter example, the battle was so severe that He sweat His own blood. How, then, can any of us not recognize the profound gravity of the true discernment?
When it comes to our vocation, we must all take a page from our Lord’s book, asking our family and friends to pray for us as we discern His will for our lives. Whether we are called to the single, Catholic dating, or religious life, we must take time to allow the Lord to speak to our hearts before making a decision. This means unplugging ourselves from the television, phone, ipod, and whatever other electronic devices are consuming the place of silence in our lives. In a culture where the media is constantly bombarding our minds with advertisements, music, and billboards, we must make the extra effort to silence our hearts. How else will we be sure that what we are feeling is real and not simply an imitation? The world offers only an imitation of the real; so, if we don’t remove the world’s messages, there will be no silence left to hear God’s.
As we embark on this mission, let us not expect it to be easy. If we are truly open to the Lord’s will, we will surely encounter many trials and tribulations, just as He did. In fact, we should expect nothing less. After all, anything worth having is worth fighting for. This is especially why we must intensify our prayer efforts during this time, relying wholly on the Lord’s graces for help and guidance.
Thanks for reading this article! Are you still discerning what your vocation is in life? Join our Catholic dating community at Ave Maria Singles and discuss vocations with other devote Catholic singles from around the world. As a bonus, use promo code AMSBLOG when subscribing to Ave Maria Singles and get 10% off your subscription, just for reading this article! Take a look!
Catholic Dating & Marriage: How Marriage & The Family Fulfills Christ’s Two Great Commandments
Christ’s two great commandments distills all of the 10 commandments into two simple yet demanding rules: love God with all your heart, mind, and soul, and love your neighbor as you love yourself. Read how the sacrament of marriage and the vocation of raising the family encapsulates both.
It’s an interesting exercise in identifying the secularization of meanings to look up the definition for the word “vocation” these days. In many popular dictionaries, the two or three variations of meaning come close to what we understand that word to mean, and yet none of the definitions are ever willing to echo the etymology of the word itself: from the Latin vocatio, which is based on the Latin verb vocare.
“To call.”
Most Catholics easily identify a vocation as a calling — by God — to follow a certain path toward salvation. This pathway is of course guided by fulfilling Christ’s two all-encompassing commandments: to love God with all our hearts, minds, and souls, and to love our neighbor as we love ourselves. And as Catholics, we reserve the idea of a “vocation” not to describe our work in life — the term “profession” seems to work nicely instead — but rather to identify three very clear life committments: a religious life, a married life, or a single life.
We’ve discussed in another blog article about the true nature of one who is called to a “single life,” and the importance of recognizing it as a decision to engage in a simple, chaste, selfless lifestyle that seeks “aloneness with God” in every moment. But for many devout Catholics who are single and involved in Catholic dating communities, “the single life” is not an end-point: it is a transitory state, a means to an end, oriented toward putting all of our faith and trust in God that He will indeed send His choice of spouse across our own path. Because of this understanding among Catholic singles, a married life leads us into a vocation that provides a natural and lifetime opportunity to engage Christ’s Gospel message to love God and our neighbor.
It is easy for Catholic singles to get caught up in the desperate notion that marriage will somehow solve problems, end lonliness, and lead to fulfillment. But these reasons for seeking a partner in marriage are ultimately self-serving (and dangerous, since they establish expectations can are often impossible to fulfill); the reason why Christ himself affirmed marriage — most provocatively in his miracle at the wedding feast in Cana — is that God deems it as a vehicle for our own personal salvation. This realization is the only real fulfillment that should come from the committment and sacrifices that one makes in a married relationship.
The Sacrament of Matrimony indeed gives us the opportunity to “die to self” as St. Paul calls it, and just as a priest or nun displaces the self and puts God and his fellow man at the center of his or life, so too does the married Catholic do the same, with the needs of their spouse and children as those who he or she serves. To be sure, the married individual has not the time or singularity in their lives to devote to constant prayer, as a cloistered nun or monastic friar might have. But the struggle to earn a living; teach, love, and respect one’s children, and to fulfill and serve one’s spouse is a sacrifice that is every bit as evocative of Christ’s call to love one another, for, even within the institution of marriage and the family, the temptation remains for people to still live for themselves.
We see that at play in modern society all the time, do we not?
So, as we continue to approach a reckoning of our true vocation in life — according to God’s will — let us pray that our decision to marry, as well as our committment to a future spouse and children, will always be to achieve our own salvation, and to aid our loved ones in doing the same.
Thanks for reading our article! If you are a Catholic single, in search of a Catholic dating community that embraces the same ideas of marriage and the family expressed in this article, be sure to consider Ave Maria Singles, a devout online Catholic dating community.
As a bonus, use promo code AMSBLOG when subscribing to Ave Maria Singles and get 10% off your subscription, just for reading this article! Take a look!
Tis the Season: For Catholic Singles To Give Thanks to God!
Read about the real focus of the Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays, and how Catholic Singles must guard against feeling isolated or disillusioned this time of year.
This past week, many of us found ourselves greeting our family and friends with the traditional, “Happy Thanksgiving.” Unfortunately, most people do not actually grasp the true meaning behind this hackneyed phrase. What are we conveying to those whom we greet in this manner, the meaning behind the words?
The other day, while I was checking out at the grocery store, the cashier wished me a “Happy Turkey Day.” At first, it caught me off guard, but then I thought to myself, “Is this not what many of us mean when we say, ‘Happy Thanksgiving?’ Has the iconic greeting been reduced to a mere reference to a day when people get together to eat turkey and watch football?” Now don’t get me wrong. I am a big fan of both. However, when football and food become the all-important elements of the Thanksgiving Day celebration, we unknowingly fall into the classic reduction of Creator to creation, making temporal goods superior to the One who created them. The irony behind it all is that the countless Americans who celebrate “Thanksgiving” do not know to whom they are even thankful.
In Psalm 100:4, the Scripture exhorts us to “[e]nter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name.” As Catholics, is this not what we mean when we wish someone a Happy Thanksgiving? Are we not at that moment offering up with them a prayer of thanksgiving for how the Lord has blessed us and will continue to bless us in the years to come? Thanksgiving is a time to celebrate the gift of faith and our relation to Christ as members of His Body. We remember what He did for us on the Cross and what He continues to do for us each day. Many of us have so much to be thankful for. Our family, our friends, our faith, and ultimately our lives were all given to us as free gifts. Perhaps the common “Happy Thanksgiving” may be better described as “humble adoration” to the One who gave us everything.
As we enter this holy season of Advent, we must begin to prepare our hearts for what is to come. This spirit of thanksgiving is not celebrated in a day, a month, or even a year. Rather, it extends from each moment to the next, calling us to respond to the many opportunities we have to show our gratitude. Let us not allow our humble adoration to give way to radical consumerism this upcoming Christmas season. As Catholics, we recognize that gifts are but a physical symbol of an even greater spiritual reality: the love we share for one another. Whether we are single or in a dating relationship, we are called to bring this love to others. Without Christ, however, we are unable do so, since He is the embodiment of this love. What better way to recognize the connection between love and Christ than in preparation for His coming into the world? This holiday season, then, is our expression of thanksgiving for life and love, climaxing in the Incarnation, the birth of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
Of course, the Thanksgiving holiday can also kick off a season of disillusionment and melancholy — even among those devout Catholics who seek to remain focused on the spiritual significance of the season.
When Catholic Singles Struggle Through the Holidays: The Joy of Being Alone With Christ
Although Thanksgiving and the season of Advent is undoubtedly one of the most celebratory periods in the Church’s liturgical year, the reality is that the twin holidays of Thanksgiving and Christmas can be a trying time emotionally for even the most steadfast Catholics. Catholic singles — particularly ones that are middle-aged and never married, widowed, or divorced/annulled — can find these holidays to be bittersweet. As devout catholics, these are joyous times for celebration of all that God has given us, as well as the coming of Christ.
But it can also be a time of temptation to feel isolated, lonely, or unfulfilled.
Engage in a bit of self-reflection, however, and it quickly becomes apparent to any Catholic single feeling this way that it is at best a byproduct of secular expectations and pressures about the Christmas holiday, and at worst, an evil temptation to despair at such a wonderful time of the year. The season of Thanksgiving — as well as Advent and Christmas — offers us all the unique opportunity to reflect on all that the Lord has done in our lives. As Catholics, we are called to give thanks in all that we do. Whether we are married, dating, or single, we must recognize God’s guiding hand in our lives — at this time of year more than anytime else. It is He who chooses our vocation and it is our responsibility to respond to His call with total humility.
This advent season, let us all remember the words of Mother Theresa: “Our vocation is the love of Jesus.” In this way, we are never “alone” — just “alone with Christ and the Holy Family.”
Thanks for reading our article! This time of year is the perfect time to join our community of Catholic singles online at Ave Maria Singles! Take a look at what our community has to offer!
As a bonus, use promo code AMSBLOG when subscribing to Ave Maria Singles and get 10% off your subscription, just for reading this article! Take a look!
The Single Life: Closer To a Religious Vocation Than You Might Think
Catholics learn early on that all of us are called to a vocation life, whether it be marriage, a religious vocation, or the single life. But practicing Catholics should understand that committing to the call of a single life means a lifestyle more clergy-like than carefree.
Devout Catholic singles committed to the “single life” often cite St. Paul’s 1 Corinthians 7: 1-40 as sage advice. While Paul, who as the Pharisee Saul would have most definitely taken a wife in a traditional Jewish ministry, instead remained celibate in his vast missionary work to spread the Gospel and convert the Gentiles. Based on his own life experiences, he had this to say about the choice of marriage versus the single life:
“Now about virgins: I have no command from the Lord, but I give a judgment as one who by the Lord’s mercy is trustworthy. 26 Because of the present crisis, I think that it is good for a man to remain as he is. 27 Are you pledged to a woman? Do not seek to be released. Are you free from such a commitment? Do not look for a wife. 28 But if you do marry, you have not sinned; and if a virgin marries, she has not sinned. But those who marry will face many troubles in this life, and I want to spare you this.”
For as much as this passage seems like an indictment by Paul on the Institution of Marriage, nothing could be further from the truth: Paul also clearly stated that marriage as an institution is a direct reflection of our relationship with God, and that the love and commitment to a spouse and children bears great merit towards Christ’s Great Commandments. Rather, Paul here is being pragmatic: he, like the rest of the Apostles and early Christians, interpolated Christ’s second coming as imminent, and as a result, choosing marriage over a religious vocation would be to choose a more wordly lifestyle in the face of a world that he believed to be soon at an end:
“What I mean, brothers and sisters, is that the time is short. From now on those who have wives should live as if they do not; 30 those who mourn, as if they did not; those who are happy, as if they were not; those who buy something, as if it were not theirs to keep; 31 those who use the things of the world, as if not engrossed in them. For this world in its present form is passing away.”
While Paul’s timeline for the end of the world is 2,000+ years off and counting, there is another perspective to be divined from his own judgments on marriage and remaining single: what kind of life the devout Christian single is called to.
The Christian Single Life: More Like a Hermit, Less Like a Hipster
The other side of Paul’s argument here is that, because a married life with a family compels people more towards a “worldy life,” choosing the single life is ideal, because it allows you to concentrate more on your faith and less on temporal trappings. This is why Paul stipulates the value of being a married person; he is careful to ensure married early Christians that they have just as much opportunity to love God and one another as those choosing a religious vocation.
But Paul is also saying that the single life is about total commitment to one’s faith, much in the same way that a man eschews marriage and a family to become a priest or monk, or how a woman may choose to become a nun over the role of a wife and mother. Paul sees the single life as either a choice of engaging in missionary work, or otherwise taking to the hermitage.
In today’s culture, leading a single life can be to lead a life of leisure, adventure, and self-satisfaction. Whereas a married individual may struggle to provide for their family in spite of having a well-paying job, a single person potentially invests their earnings into themselves. In this way, they can go about life without having to deny themselves anything. Even devout Catholic singles, who still keep the Church’s doctrines central to their lifestyle, can fall into the same trap that secularists fall into: even a righteous life can be lived for oneself.
If you are a Catholic single and beginning to believe that God may be calling you to the “single life,” try to imagine yourself leading a lifestyle — from this time forward — according to how St. Paul would have advised if you had consulted with him. According to his epistles, he would have ultimately suggested to comport yourself in such a way to prepare for the end days, and if works toward your salvation would not be earned through the commitment to a spouse and children, then how in your single life will you achieve it?
For as Catholics, we know that this is what Christ Himself calls us to do — to live each day as if it is our last.
Thanks for reading our article! Are you still discerning about whether to remain a single Catholic or get married? Ave Maria Singles is a leading online Catholic dating community, filled with devout Catholic singles like you who are discerning the same thing!
As a bonus, use promo code AMSBLOG when subscribing to Ave Maria Singles and get 10% off your subscription, just for reading this article! Take a look!
Catholic Dating and Remaining Chaste: It’s Okay to be Proud
Whether you’re in your 20s or your 60s, the secular world puts a great deal of pressure on committed Catholics who wish to remain in keeping with Catholic doctrine and refrain from pre-marital sex. Read how affirming these beliefs is critical when in Catholic dating.
Let’s face it. We have all had that talk with one of our friends. You know, the one where they are shocked to find out that we don’t participate in premarital sexual relations. I remember the first time I had to have this conversation. I feel like it was yesterday. His name was Cody, and he was the self-proclaimed leader of the atheist movement at my high school. I still remember the surprised look on his face when he asked in astonishment, “Wait, you mean to tell me that you don’t do any of that stuff? What’s your problem? Are you gay or something?”
Honestly, I wish I had come up with a better answer at the time. In hindsight, it’s self-evident that “It’s just how I was raised. Leave me alone.” was probably not the best response, but it was all I could come up with at the moment.
At the time, I remember feeling embarrassed at my ignorance, and I would give anything to be able to go back in time knowing what I know now. A more adequate answer would be: “The truth is Cody, I believe that sex is sacred and is meant to be shared between husband and wife in marriage. This is how it was designed, and any variation from this plan is inadequate and empty. The question then is not, “Why don’t I”, but rather, “Why do you? Does it really bring you genuine happiness? Or make you feel fulfilled?”
Dealing with the Pre-Marital Sex Issue Into Adulthood
Catholics must recognize that as we get older, there is an even higher expectancy for us to have pre-marital sex, even in new relationships. This is why it is essential to look for people to date from traditional Catholic communities, and to broach the subject of pre-martial sex very early on in a relationship. We must be willing to end a relationship if the other person we are dating are wide apart on the pre-marital sex issue — and doing so can be increasingly difficult if we allow a relationship to progress with someone who does not share our same values.
As Catholics, we must understand that we think differently, and thus, live differently; therefore, we should be proud to date differently.
Just because we don’t follow social norms does not mean that we are missing out on anything. In fact, we are gaining everything. Catholic dating should not be viewed as this sort of “fast before the great feast”. Rather, it is a wonderful opportunity to grow in holiness together. It is a challenge, yes, but it is also a gift, and like every gift, it should be shared. It is our responsibility to proudly live out our Catholic faith, especially in our relationships, and to share it with the “Codys” of the world.
Each day presents itself as an opportunity to do so.
Thanks for reading our article! Are you committed to dating and forming a romantic relationship with someone else who feels the same way about chastity, pre-marital sex, and faith as you do? Ave Maria Singles is one of the leading catholic dating websites on the Internet today.
As a bonus, use promo code AMSBLOG when subscribing to Ave Maria Singles and get 10% off your subscription, just for reading this article! Take a look!
For men, meeting a devout Catholic lady that feels the same way about her faith as you do is only the beginning. Read about the importance of the first date in Catholic dating, and how first impressions are crucial to discerning if she is the right match for you — and if you’re worthy of a second date.
Gentlemen, God willing, you’ve already managed to meet a lady via your Church, Catholic dating website, or some other venue that at first glance shares your same values. That being said, it takes more than just sharing the same Catholic faith and values to have a successful first date – presenting yourself in an honest, attractive manner is critical to giving your first date the best chance for becoming the first of many.
Be On Time
The whole idea that “cool guys arrive casually late” may be glorified in high school chick flicks, but the reality is, women don’t like to wait; just ask your Mom. Make sure you know exactly where she lives — or where you are planning to meet — and plan accordingly. Perhaps planning a casual date — like a simple coffee — just after a Church event (maybe the event where you first met) might be a good first step, and an easy date to show up on-time for. Showing up late can really handicap the rest of your evening, so be attentive to this simple rule.
Be Creative
Save spontaneity for the second or maybe the third date. A man who plans ahead by having an engaging, entertaining first date shows the woman that she is worth the effort. Some combination of entertainment and food is a smart choice, but be sure you leave an adequate amount of time to get to know each other. And considering that you and she ostensibly share common values on issues of faith, Catholic dating, and the Church, planning a first date with time for talk is essential. I recommend a nice long walk at some point. Moving while you talk tends to ease tension and cuts down on those awkward silences.
Be Interested
Focus on her. Don’t allow yourself to be distracted by her physical beauty or the thought of future wedding bells. Be present with her, live in the moment, and above all, ask questions. How else do you plan on getting to know her? Even if you know that you and she share the same Catholic values already, now is the time to fill in the gaps and learn how she arrived at her faith through her own personal experiences. Also, remember that as Christians, we are called to “die to self” and embrace our relationship with God. That same ethic should be present in our relationships as well — consider this when engaging your date in conversation.
Be Yourself
This may be a bit cliché, but I don’t believe we can hear it enough. Remember, she wants to get to know you, not your best ‘Brad Pitt’ impersonation, as entertaining as that might be. This is particularly true in the Catholic dating community, where men and women are looking for more than just the superficial, opting instead for truth and honesty. For men, it can be hard to let go of some of the machismo and reveal the side of their faith that shows modesty, humility, and vulnerability. But that is ultimately what a devout Catholic lady would see as attractive when dating. And although it may be hard to admit, if she does not like you now, then it probably wouldn’t work out in the long run anyways; so do yourself a favor, and save the time by being the same “self” that you are in front of the tabernacle.
Be Grateful
This is the key to every first date. If you truly enjoy the experience, you will never have another “failed” date again. Following my tips does not guarantee that your next first date will be your last, but it does ensure that you will never again take for granted the blessing and privilege that it is to get to know another person.
As Catholics we must give glory to the Lord in all things. Recognizing His hand in our lives is an essential part of properly living out our faith and Catholic dating should not be an exception to this rule.
God Bless and good luck!
Thanks for reading our article! Did you know that Ave Maria Singles is one of the leading online Catholic Dating communities in the world today? If you are looking for single Catholics who practice a devout faith, take a look at the community that Ave Maria Singles has to offer!
As a bonus, use promo code AMSBLOG when subscribing to Ave Maria Singles and get 10% off your subscription, just for reading this article! Take a look!
As Secular Marriage Grows Increasingly Obsolete, Commiting to Catholic Dating is a Must
A new poll shows that a lack of spiritual commitment is indeed at the heart of the decline of marriage in the U.S. Read how Catholic dating is the starting point for ensuring that your wedding day and marriage is a lasting one.
It’s rare that you see the secular, liberal media reporting on the decline of marriage, but a confluence of two new polls — highlighted in USAToday this week — was startling enough to put the marriage debate front and center in the Lifestyle section of the newspaper. USAToday writer and Christian minister Henry Brinton reports that, “Fifty years ago, about three-quarters of American adults 18 and older were married. Today, about half are. Nearly 40% of respondents to a Pew Research Center survey last year said marriage is becoming obsolete.” Pew, of course, is one of the leading polling agencies in the U.S., so their findings are indeed scientific enough to take at face value.
Brinton goes on to explain that the poll isn’t merely a blip on the radar, but rather a representation of a downward trajectory of the institution of marriage, which has seen a steady decline in the U.S. over the past 40 years. What isn’t new is the realization that the sanctity of marriage has dropped as the rise divorce has steadily increased, to the point where more than half of all U.S. marriages now end in divorce.
October 11 #Cathdate chat: He’s just not that into you.
Join us on Twitter tonight as we discuss: He’s just not that into you.
Q1: How do you know a relationship is working?
Q2: When is it time to walk away?
#Cathdate is hosted by Anthony Buono and Ave Maria Singles. Follow us and hashtag #Cathdate to join the discussion.
In loving memory of Daniel Yetman
On September 27, Paula wrote to us to share the sad news of her husband’s passing, and the beautiful story of their love. With her permission, we are honored to share her words with you here.
Dear Ave Maria Singles;
April 20, 2001 my husband Daniel wrote to me for the first time on this website. Our first date was May 5, 2001 and we entered into the sacrament of marriage June 8, 2002. On June 12, 2002 our marriage was blessed by John Paul II. We dedicated our home to Our Lord and Our Lady and spent our nine years of marriage trying to do God’s will in our lives, growing in our faith and sharing it with friends, family and strangers.
Many times in the car on the way home from Saturday morning Mass we would talk about growing old together and being the 80 year old couple at daily mass we would hope to one day become. We truly had a blessed marriage. Our plans of growing old together were not in God’s plan. On December 28, 2010 Dan was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. He fought it valiantly and we would unite our different crosses, his of great suffering and mine of a wife watching her husband suffer to Christ’s cross on Calvery. Daniel had people praying for his healing all over the world. For 3 months after his diagnosis he would receive at least one if not two mass cards for healing a day in the mail. We know God heard many of those prayers because we experienced beautiful gifts and miracles of strength and courage but not the miracle we both wanted his healing.
July 20, 2011 while in the hospital something ruptured in his stomach the doctors could not repair and Daniel was told he had 2 days to live. He survived 3 days in the hospital and lived more in those final days than some people live in a lifetime. There were lines of people waiting in the corridor to say good bye to him and Daniel graciously received every one of them and almost as if inspired by Christ himself he had words of healing and hope for each person. It truly was a miracle.
Those last three days I shared my husband with everyone who came to his bed side. I silently prayed for our Lady to prepare him and make him presentable to her son. Daniel had lost close to 70 pounds and was a mere shadow of his former self. When I saw him at the funeral home I could not believe my eyes Daniel’s ruddy complexion and a fullness in his face had returned. I asked the funeral director what he had done to prepare Daniel and he said nothing that was the way he came home from the hospital.
Dan was not a saint in life but the same can be said for all of us. He desired to be a saint and grow in his faith. But I firmly believe with all my heart he died a saint and was received by Our Lady and she prepared him for her Son.
I have included my words spoken at his gravesite, it will help you understand the true miracle and beauty of his death. Ave Maria Singles was kind enough to allow me to retrieve his letters to me when we first met. When you enter into the sacrament of marriage as God desires you to and as I believe Daniel and I did you truly become one. I know because a piece of my heart is in heaven with him and nothing on this earth can fill that space he captured in my heart. God has a plan I must wait for it to unfold.
*************
July 28, 2011
God’s Ways are not our ways.
We ask why was Daniel taken so soon when so many people loved him and needed him? Why did he have to have such a horrible disease and have to suffer?
As his wife I walked this road to Calvary and Daniel’s cross was a heavy one however he chose to carry it and not run from it. From the moment he was diagnosed he accepted this cross with dignity and at times he struggled with the heavy burden of it. But he united it to Christ and his faith gave him courage and strength to persevere.
We all have our favorite memory of Daniel he touched the hearts of so many. He was an amazing person. He turned his life around when he rediscovered his faith in Jesus Christ and he never looked back.
He would tell you in the throes of his alcoholism he cried out to God to fill the empty shell of a man he had become, and he felt the finger of God touch his heart and he was changed in an instant and never drank again. He was gifted in the understanding of his faith and could eloquently explain it to anyone.
However, Daniel LIVED his faith every day – his love for the Eucharist fed him spiritually and physically.
He imparted his faith to his daughters by raising them in the Catholic Church and even on his hospital bed, he reinforced his wish for them to stay close to their faith.
The last 72 hours of his life would crush an ordinary man’s spirit, not Daniel. The doctors told him there was nothing they could do and for the next 72 hours, he made himself available to his friends and family, reconciling and helping each one with words they needed to hear and filling us with laughter. For those of you blessed to see him, cherish and reverence his advice.
What you need to hear and remember most about Daniel is his beautiful, amazing death. He was not afraid because he knew something greater awaited him.
About 4 hours before he died, he refused a shot of pain medicine.
He said he wanted the pain.
When he realized he was still getting it intravenously, unbeknownst to those with him, he pulled out his IV tube.
He spent 2 hours in utter agony, and we didn’t understand because we thought he was getting pain medicine through his IV tube. At 4 a.m. after 2 hours of sheer agony, the nurse discovered he had pulled out his port and was not getting any medicine.
He wanted to unite his suffering to Christ in the last hours of his life. He offered himself as a victim soul to accept all suffering with love so the ones he loved would be saved.
At 4:37 a.m. he died peacefully, and after we watched his heart stop beating, an immense smile came over his face that seemed to get bigger and bigger, and his face became radiant. I knew he was telling us he had met Jesus and Mary and was being ushered home.
Daniel lived his faith in every respect, and his work now begins. We have a powerful intercessor. Rest in peace, my beloved – I await the day I can see you again. Paula
